Six nations Rugby Union.

[chrishornx]

Incredible ending to this, can England finally get it done?

they have 

[Chooser]

About time too! BUT - I really don’t understand the obsession with box kicking. I can’t access stastics but it seems that all box kicking does - usually - is give possession to the opposition to run back at you. In the last two Home Internationals this has led to box kicking conceding a try!!
Surely it makes more sense to kick for touch - at least you can then challenge for possession??

[mr.bluesky]

Incredible ending to this, can England finally get it done?

For once England snatch victory from the jaws of defeat 👏

[scouting]

For once England snatch victory from the jaws of defeat 👏

Yes. Whilst delighted with the result and actually the performance too, it's important to bear in mind the much vaunted French backs dropped 2 try scoring passes before many points were on the board.

[mr.bluesky]

Yes. Whilst delighted with the result and actually the performance too, it's important to bear in mind the much vaunted French backs dropped 2 try scoring passes before many points were on the board.

Yeah, for once luck was on our side.

[ulstersubbie]

Disappointed with Scotland today, but the Irish are a class act and bossed the game from the start.

[mr.bluesky]

So Gatland has been given the bullet , (or left by mutual consent depending which report you read ) No surprise there really when considering their awful run of form,
14 consecutive defeats in all matches. I've said it before Wales have had a lot of top class players retire in recent seasons players like Alun Wyn Jones , Dan Biggar, Louis Rees Zammit  etc who they have not managed to replace but Gatland has made some errors in his squad selections recently leaving out some decent players so I guess it was inevitable .

[Stevelondon]

Great Calcutta match today. Doesn’t have to be a lot of points scored to make a game good.

[mr.bluesky]

Great Calcutta match today. Doesn’t have to be a lot of points scored to make a game good.

I thought Scotland played well and scored some terrific tries. Missed conversions cost them the match but Like you say a great game to watch.

[ulstersubbie]

I thought Scotland played well and scored some terrific tries. Missed conversions cost them the match but Like you say a great game to watch.

Agree there MrB, typical Scotland though, we scored three tries and still lost the match!   

[mr.bluesky]

Agree there MrB, typical Scotland though, we scored three tries and still lost the match!   

I've always thought that the points scoring in Rugby Union is all wrong compared to Rugby League. Two penalties should not be worth more than one try. If it was down to me a penalty should be worth just two points.

[chrishornx]

I've always thought that the points scoring in Rugby Union is all wrong compared to Rugby League. Two penalties should not be worth more than one try. If it was down to me a penalty should be worth just two points.

far better to make a try worth 6 points

your suggestion would be a contradiction as it would reverse things and make 2 penalties worth less than a try, whilst they are equal in value in rugby league.

[MissWolf]

I'm just grateful and thankful that we actually got a score on the board 

[timsussex]

was watching the 6 nations and pondering (as you do at my age) on how much the laws have changed since my day at school
While the only change I can think of in soccer has been the limitations on goalkeepers (back passes and steps) so many things have changed in rugby union and not just interpretations
Lifting in lineouts was outright illegal, scrum halves were fair game the moment their hands touched the ball, scrum setup, instant release of the ball on being tackled - no placing it back, no sin bins, much stricter interpretation of knock on - I remember debate (no instant replay) over a disallowed Barry John drop goal - was it a knockon or just a re-adjustment?

Tries were 3 points and yesterdays score would have been reported as England 14 (1 goal and 3 penalty goals)  Scotland 9 (3 tries)  as the England try was "converted" into a goal

[mr.bluesky]

The worst thing about modern Rugby Union is how the ball is put into the scrum now. It is never put into the centre of the scrum as the original law states but rolled towards the team who is putting the ball in. It seems to be accepted as the norm now. It's not often a team looses it's own scrums now 
You may as well have uncontested scrums like they have in Rugby League

[timsussex]

The worst thing about modern Rugby Union is how the ball is put into the scrum now. It is never put into the centre of the scrum as the original law states but rolled towards the team who is putting the ball in. It seems to be accepted as the norm now. It's not often a team looses it's own scrums now 
You may as well have uncontested scrums like they have in Rugby League

Back in the day when hookers had to decide to hook or push - not sure if that is a law change or just an interpretation
The now unheard of call of "not straight" - has to be pretty blatant at lineouts as well

[RedKettle]

The worst thing about modern Rugby Union is how the ball is put into the scrum now. It is never put into the centre of the scrum as the original law states but rolled towards the team who is putting the ball in. It seems to be accepted as the norm now. It's not often a team looses it's own scrums now 
You may as well have uncontested scrums like they have in Rugby League

As someone who regularly played front row for decades back in the day the ball was never put in straight and it was extremely rare for the side whose scrum it was to lose the ball!!   Scrums used to be a complete mystery to the refs.  That said I must admit to a similar surprise to you, there really is no attempt to make it look even straight ish!  I assume the rule changed at some point?

[chrishornx]

As someone who regularly played front row for decades back in the day the ball was never put in straight and it was extremely rare for the side whose scrum it was to lose the ball!!   Scrums used to be a complete mystery to the refs.  That said I must admit to a similar surprise to you, there really is no attempt to make it look even straight ish!  I assume the rule changed at some point?

scrums are a complete mystery to the backs as well

[Watts.E.Dunn]

For somene here whos never been into sports that much. I'll have to look up the difference betwixt Union and Leauge unless is that simple - anyone?..

[mr.bluesky]

For somene here whos never been into sports that much. I'll have to look up the difference betwixt Union and Leauge unless is that simple - anyone?..

Union is played by 15 players a side, Rugby League 13 players. Union scoring 5pts for a try, 2pts for a conversion   3pts for a penalty or drop goal. League 4pts for a try , 2pts for a conversion or penalty  1pt for a drop goal. In League after the sixth tackle the ball goes to the opposition in Union a team can keep possession for as long as they can. When a league player is tackled he has to stand up and play the ball backwards with his foot to a team mate standing behind him . Rugby League turned professional before Union and had a World Cup before Union. League is played mainly in the North of England with most teams along the M62 corridor. Some will say League is better than Union as the ball is in play more but International Rugby Union is bigger than International Rugby league. That's about it in a nutshell. 
New Zealand ( known as the All blacks) and South Africa are the dominant nations in International Rugby Union where as Australia is the dominant nation in Rugby League.  League is more popular in Australia than Union where as Union is more popular in this country, Wales,   
 Scotland and Ireland 
Union started at Rugby school hence that is why it is known as Rugby football.

[webpunter]

www.ukpunting.com/index.php?topic=376196.new#new
#1057
Swing low ... cumming 4 ...

The french gave England gifts two weeks ago [merci] & the sweaties did the same 

[timsussex]

Union is played by 15 players a side, Rugby League 13 players. Union scoring 5pts for a try, 2pts for a conversion   3pts for a penalty or drop goal. League 4pts for a try , 2pts for a conversion or penalty  1pt for a drop goal. In League after the sixth tackle the ball goes to the opposition in Union a team can keep possession for as long as they can. When a league player is tackled he has to stand up and play the ball backwards with his foot to a team mate standing behind him . Rugby League turned professional before Union and had a World Cup before Union. League is played mainly in the North of England with most teams along the M62 corridor. Some will say League is better than Union as the ball is in play more but International Rugby Union is bigger than International Rugby league. That's about it in a nutshell. 
New Zealand ( known as the All blacks) and South Africa are the dominant nations in International Rugby Union where as Australia is the dominant nation in Rugby League.  League is more popular in Australia than Union where as Union is more popular in this country, Wales,   
 Scotland and Ireland 
Union started at Rugby school hence that is why it is known as Rugby football.

I'll add that League was a Northern working mans sport while Union players tended to come from public (ie private ) schools and for most of my life anyone who was over 18 and ever played league - even in a trial - was banned from playing Union for life

If that seems harsh how about the 1959 case of an MP who was invited to make a ceremonial kick off a league match in his constituency and was banned for life from Union !

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[mr.bluesky]

I'll add that League was a Northern working mans sport while Union players tended to come from public (ie private ) schools and for most of my life anyone who was over 18 and ever played league - even in a trial - was banned from playing Union for life

If that seems harsh how about the 1959 case of an MP who was invited to make a ceremonial kick off a league match in his constituency and was banned for life from Union !

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Yes, the Northern teams broke away from the public school dominated Union because their players worked in the coal mines and mills predominantly and would need to take time off from their jobs to play the sport and would loose money hence they asked that they should be paid. This was never agreed by the strictly amateur Rugby Union so they met at the George Hotel in Huddersfield and decided to break away and form their own sport called the Northern Rugby football union.There have been a number of players who have switched codes over the years , some more successful than others including Jason Robinson who went from League to Union and was a member of England's World Cup winning team and Jonathon Davis who went from Union to League and had a very successful career in the 13 man code.

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Phew!, well thanks for that, got the gist of it and an intresting social history too!.

And i thought Tennis ands Cricket were a bit awkard.

That said got a very sweet little  book here the "Laws of Cricket" published by the Marlybone Cricket Club!

Came in a plain brown wrapper just in case etc;!..

[mr.bluesky]

Phew!, well thanks for that, got the gist of it and an intresting social history too!.

And i thought Tennis ands Cricket were a bit awkard.

That said got a very sweet little  book here the "Laws of Cricket" published by the Marlybone Cricket Club!

Came in a plain brown wrapper just in case etc;!..

I'm not a follower of cricket but this is another sport that has changed quite considerably over the years. Before you just had the county championship and test cricket. Now you have T20 cricket and The Hundred cricket. Teams only used to wear white now you have teams wearing colours with their names and squad numbers on the back. As for international cricket in its various forms it is now a sport that is played all year round.

[Malvolio]

Before being 1962, as one-day cricket was introduced in 1963.

[ulstersubbie]

France smacked the Irish, and Scotland got over the line against the Welsh. Looks like the French for the title, and we play them over there next week, I'm absolutely dreading it!   

* Miss Wolf are you seeing an improvement from your boys that gives you hope for the future?

[mr.bluesky]

Entertaining game between England and Italy today, Rugby how it should be played. Italy matching England try for try in the first half then England moving up a gear in the second half. Every thing still to play for in the Championship.
Looking forward to the Wales v England game next week and although Wales have been struggling in recent seasons they always pull out that bit extra whenever they play England. I think it will be a close game.

[timsussex]

todays result also means that Wales can avoid the wooden spoon with a losing bonus point next weekend (assuming Italy dont get one) as Italy now has a poorer points difference

Cant say Italy deserve to finish bottom though

[chrishornx]

Entertaining game between England and Italy today, Rugby how it should be played. Italy matching England try for try in the first half then England moving up a gear in the second half. Every thing still to play for in the Championship.
Looking forward to the Wales v England game next week and although Wales have been struggling in recent seasons they always pull out that bit extra whenever they play England. I think it will be a close game.

was it not 3-2 in tries first half?

[chrishornx]

todays result also means that Wales can avoid the wooden spoon with a losing bonus point next weekend (assuming Italy dont get one) as Italy now has a poorer points difference

Cant say Italy deserve to finish bottom though

they don't. particularly with a  victory

[mr.bluesky]

was it not 3-2 in tries first half?

Yes 3-2 in trys, only 4 points down at half time. Italy no longer the whipping boys of the six nations although they could finish bottom again this year.

[webpunter]

todays result also means that Wales can avoid the wooden spoon with a losing bonus point next weekend (assuming Italy dont get one) as Italy now has a poorer points difference

Cant say Italy deserve to finish bottom though

I cant recall a situation where this has happened with BPs saving the day
Especially if not winning a match

Hope Italy dont come bottom
Watching Netflix Full Contact a very likeable team on the up

For an away match Rome must be the destination of choice for the city & experience
& for the non Irish Dublin up there too
I've been to Paris for a match, its pretty shite & full of french cunts, obvs
& Paris is by some margin the worst punting city in europe [Amsterdam in 2nd place]

[mr.bluesky]

Wales are not the team they once were but I think it will be a very close game today which could go either way.

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[bigden40]

Watching Wales right now is like watching Scotland under Matt Williams.

[mr.bluesky]

Wales are not the team they once were but I think it will be a very close game today which could go either way.

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Well that prediction was pretty wide of the mark. Wales are even worse than I thought.

[chrishornx]

Well that prediction was pretty wide of the mark. Wales are even worse than I thought.

they were woeful

absolutely thumped

[MissWolf]

That was without doubt the most painful 80 mins of rugby I've ever watched   

[mr.bluesky]

That was without doubt the most painful 80 mins of rugby I've ever watched   

Looks like Welsh Rugby has a massive rebuilding programme ahead of them in the next few years. I thought this would be a tough game for England, playing in Cardiff I expected Wales to Raise their game as they usually do when playing England but it just didn't happen.
17 straight defeats is a horrendous run of results

[chrishornx]

Looks like Welsh Rugby has a massive rebuilding programme ahead of them in the next few years. I thought this would be a tough game for England, playing in Cardiff I expected Wales to Raise their game as they usually do when playing England but it just didn't happen.
17 straight defeats is a horrendous run of results

they certainly won't have many pulling on a Liions shirt this summer

[MissWolf]

Looks like Welsh Rugby has a massive rebuilding programme ahead of them in the next few years. I thought this would be a tough game for England, playing in Cardiff I expected Wales to Raise their game as they usually do when playing England but it just didn't happen.
17 straight defeats is a horrendous run of results

I agree they have a lot of work to do to make this better, I don't think it's down to the players or the coaches alone, it's the WRU they are a bunch of idiots,  stuck in their ways and behind the times, they need to look at how we manage the regional game and how we manage selection,  what qualifies a player and what makes them ineligible to play for Wales,  until the WRU pull their finger out of their arse and actually look at this from the bottom up, then this will not improve.
The first Gatland era we were lucky, we still had all the WRU issues etc but we had a bunch of very passionate and talented players who pushed through regardless,  talk to them now and they are quite bitter about the issues they faced and the battles with the WRU they went through.
We as a nation cannot sustain this, there has to be change and there has to be investment and it has to come from the top down but start from the bottom up.

I wouldn't say there will be no red shirts on the lions tour as individually Wales have some outstanding players, but they will be few sadly.

[mr.bluesky]

Sorry MissWolf, I couldn't resist

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[webpunter]

I agree they have a lot of work to do to make this better, I don't think it's down to the players or the coaches alone, it's the WRU they are a bunch of idiots,  stuck in their ways and behind the times, they need to look at how we manage the regional game and how we manage selection,  what qualifies a player and what makes them ineligible to play for Wales,  until the WRU pull their finger out of their arse and actually look at this from the bottom up, then this will not improve.
The first Gatland era we were lucky, we still had all the WRU issues etc but we had a bunch of very passionate and talented players who pushed through regardless,  talk to them now and they are quite bitter about the issues they faced and the battles with the WRU they went through.
We as a nation cannot sustain this, there has to be change and there has to be investment and it has to come from the top down but start from the bottom up.

I wouldn't say there will be no red shirts on the lions tour as individually Wales have some outstanding players, but they will be few sadly.

It must have been bad for the players to have to threaten to go on strike & for this only be resolved last minute [when the damage is already done]

[RedKettle]

That was without doubt the most painful 80 mins of rugby I've ever watched   

Well you did better than me, I could not bear to carry on watching for the full 80 minutes.

[MissWolf]

Sorry MissWolf, I couldn't resist

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  fair play

[MissWolf]

Well you did better than me, I could not bear to carry on watching for the full 80 minutes.

I appear to have masochistic tendencies 

[webpunter]

I appear to have masochistic tendencies 

Is sado in the tool box ? 😜

[webpunter]

I was @ Rugby HQ in 2023 when it was 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 10 - 🇫🇷 53
Painful
To make things worse the french sang the whole way through 

[webpunter]

Was looking at matches at RugbyHQ for the upcoming autumn & spring internationals
The Sat KO off times are Fiji 17:40 & The Argies 16:40, same for Wales
The others are 15:10 Australia & the AB
The Ireland match is 14:10 WTF the paddies will be distraught three hours ish out the window for drinking 
On the three earlier matches no real opportunity for a long luncheon with a 5 ish KO
After the evening matches its general pandemonium packed bars a few beers maybe a curry & fuck off home in time to watch MOTD
No idea what planet the RFU are on it used to be 16:30 / 17:00 / 17:30 its getting dark floodlights on
& i can't see as much demand for their stupidly expensive hospitality so they'll be losing money having to do some discounting
No doubt some bollox like supporter well being
They did introduce sections of the stadium where no drinking in the seats [to encourage a wider cross section of fans blah blah] its just that they forgot to advise the fans buying the tickets 

[timsussex]

....
The Ireland match is 14:10 WTF the paddies will be distraught three hours ish out the window for drinking 
....

but more time to celebrate after !  so perhaps not that daft !