THE Rugby Thread

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welshboymick

Apprentice
#1
Jan 9, 2014
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#1
So where are the rugby lovers?

There best be some on here so I can boast when Wales stroll to a historic 3rd title in a row can talk rugby.

Obviously I think Wales are going to win the thing, which is odd considering I don't think I've ever been this confident in watching us play.

Think England won't do as well as expected; a tough start in France, followed by a game up on the Murrayfield cabbage patch.

Ireland are pretty good, but bit of an unknown quantity and only that game against NZ last year to point out for evidence in the "will do well" pile.

France, God knows, pointless predicting.
 
Admartian

Admartian

Wibbly Wobbly
#2
Nov 28, 2006
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New Zealand
#2
I would want Wales or Ireland to win.

But man England have been stringing better performances in the past 2 seasons (especially against the ABs) so they're a good chance too.

France is always a wildcard with any competition, but they just don't seem as strong as before.
 
M

Malt

Superior Member
#4
Oct 29, 2013
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Darkest Wales
#4
My heart shouts WALES!! but as always my heads telling me not to get too carried away after the dross I've had to endure for large parts of my rugby supporting life! :D

[QUOTE="Admartian, post: 6291426]

France is always a wildcard with any competition, but they just don't seem as strong as before.
[/QUOTE]

You always used to say France can beat anyone on their day depending on which French team come out onto the pitch, but it hasn't been that way a good few years now. Maybe it's a consequence of their club game being so strong and full of players from Wales :)p) these days, who knows. I haven't seen 'that' France turn up on the pitch for a very long time..
 
Admartian

Admartian

Wibbly Wobbly
#5
Nov 28, 2006
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New Zealand
#5
[QUOTE="Malt, post: 6291435]My heart shouts WALES!! but as always my heads telling me not to get too carried away after the dross I've had to endure for large parts of my rugby supporting life! :D



You always used to say France can beat anyone on their day depending on which French team come out onto the pitch, but it hasn't been that way a good few years now. Maybe it's a consequence of their club game being so strong and full of players from Wales :)p) these days, who knows. I haven't seen 'that' France turn up on the pitch for a very long time..[/QUOTE]TBF most of France's club game is filled with anything but Frenchmen. :p

Maybe if they stopped buying fringe fringe fringe All Blacks and develop their own talent they'd be decent (consistently). :p

Wales will have a good go. Have the right players) Priestland is a decent 10, and I forget the up and coming one, but the forwards a world class.

Warburton is ace too. Just need to get over that English slump sometimes.
 
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welshboymick

Apprentice
#6
Jan 9, 2014
374
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Wales
www.twitter.com
#6
[QUOTE="Admartian, post: 6291452]TBF most of France's club game is filled with anything but Frenchmen. :p

Maybe if they stopped buying fringe fringe fringe All Blacks and develop their own talent they'd be decent (consistently). :p

Wales will have a good go. Have the right players) Priestland is a decent 10, and I forget the up and coming one, but the forwards a world class.

Warburton is ace too. Just need to get over that English slump sometimes.[/QUOTE]

It's not only the fact that the French league is filled with foreign talent, it's utterly dire and bereft of ambition too. Games are so one sided to the home team and they're all arm wrestles; granted, that's what the Six Nations feels like sometimes, but French teams of old always had flair and nowadays they have none.

Patchell is probably the other out half you're thinking of, but he's sadly injured, otherwise could've made the squad. Or Sam Davies, he won IRB Young Player of the Year in '13.

More worried about Ireland than England tbh.
 
Admartian

Admartian

Wibbly Wobbly
#7
Nov 28, 2006
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New Zealand
#7
Yeah - must be the fella. :)

Both are strong (Ireland and England). Ireland certainly stepped out to play against the ABs that day. But I dunno how much of that can tehy sustain? They have a good back 3 - but that's when they're fit (or am I mistaen?).

Plus with BoD gone...


I just don't see anyone but England putting a serious challenge to Wales depth and talent, week to week. I mean, I can see maybe Ireland beating them one-off, but If they played 10 times on a neutral field, I'd give Wales the win at least 6 of those times.
 
M

Malt

Superior Member
#8
Oct 29, 2013
603
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Darkest Wales
#8
[QUOTE="Admartian, post: 6291452]TBF most of France's club game is filled with anything but Frenchmen. :p

Maybe if they stopped buying fringe fringe fringe All Blacks and develop their own talent they'd be decent (consistently). :p

Wales will have a good go. Have the right players) Priestland is a decent 10, and I forget the up and coming one, but the forwards a world class.

Warburton is ace too. Just need to get over that English slump sometimes.[/QUOTE]

Yeah you're right about the French League, I said Wales because Halfpenny has just signed for Toulon, bit of a sore subject at the minute even though I'm a Scarlets fan! :D

Priestland, now there's a bone of contention! :D Twice in games against Australia he's kicked possession away with us having the most slenderest of leads and it's cost us.. Biggar is the best we have at the minute, but he's being saved for the tougher games. I'd like to see Hook get a run at 10 in the national side, he's got that creative spark that I think we've been lacking @ 10 for a while. Far too much emphasis is on goal kicking in the number 10 role here in the northern hemisphere for my liking at the cost of everything else. Hook is kind of hamstrung by his ability to play well in a few different positions. He can play well at outside half, full back or centre so having him on the bench provides cover for three positions.
 
Admartian

Admartian

Wibbly Wobbly
#9
Nov 28, 2006
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#9
Yeah I agree - Biggar is Better. :D


But if Preistland can get his head in he's got potential imo.

(Would be keen if there were more rugby fans in the forums, but I'm content that it's more than 2 :snicker).
 
M

Malt

Superior Member
#10
Oct 29, 2013
603
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Darkest Wales
#10
Priestland plays well enough at club level, he just can't seem to bring his A game when he's in the national side. Maybe it's nerves and all he needs is a decent game or two to settle them, who knows? He has a tendency to boot the ball away at every opportunity and play the territorial game and you can almost hear the whole country groan in unison every time he puts boot to ball! :D
 
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welshboymick

Apprentice
#11
Jan 9, 2014
374
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Wales
www.twitter.com
#11
If we didn't have Halfpenny taking kicks, then Biggar would be worshipped as much as Farrell as he's an utterly reliable goalkicker. But Priestland offers a bit more in attack so he gets picked above him. Priestland's kicking game can be good, remember when he owned Northampton a few years back with his kicking, but just struggles in a Wales jersey.

Hook's a sore subject in Wales, I'm not a fan and much of my rugby supporting family and other half's family are not fans either!
 
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Malt

Superior Member
#12
Oct 29, 2013
603
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Darkest Wales
#12
[QUOTE="welshboymick, post: 6291520]If we didn't have Halfpenny taking kicks, then Biggar would be worshipped as much as Farrell as he's an utterly reliable goalkicker. But Priestland offers a bit more in attack so he gets picked above him. Priestland's kicking game can be good, remember when he owned Northampton a few years back with his kicking, but just struggles in a Wales jersey.

Hook's a sore subject in Wales, I'm not a fan and much of my rugby supporting family and other half's family are not fans either![/QUOTE]

Interesting.. :D Most people I know are crying out for Hook to be given more time at number 10..

..and what do you mean 'rugby supporting family?' You're Welsh mun, they should all be rugby supporting! :D

Goal kicking, kicking game - The bane of Northern Hemisphere rugby! Give me an outside half who can play a bit of rugby through the hands over someone just in there for his boot anyday! :)
 
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W

welshboymick

Apprentice
#13
Jan 9, 2014
374
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0
Wales
www.twitter.com
#13
I went to watch Wales v Italy in 2010 and I still can't forgive Hook for butchering a 2 on 1 by going himself, denying Tom Prydie a debut try..

Just a player I don't really get. He's a threat but he makes so many ridiculous decisions. I think an onform Priestland is our best option just for the way he can play in the rest of our monsters in the backline.
 
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Malt

Superior Member
#14
Oct 29, 2013
603
6
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Darkest Wales
#14
I just remember him being instrumental in the 2008 grand slam, he'll always be a legend in my eyes! :) Might have something to do with the vast amounts of beer I drunk in the pub watching the matches mind you! :p
 
M

Malt

Superior Member
#16
Oct 29, 2013
603
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Darkest Wales
#16
Short memories mate, short memories.. :p Or youngsters who have become accustomed to us actually winning games and titles! Waited a long, long time for that grand slam in '05, Cardiff was buzzing that day!
 
Admartian

Admartian

Wibbly Wobbly
#20
Nov 28, 2006
13,613
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New Zealand
#20
Reading up on the games now on ESPN Scrum. Knew I missed something last night! Bloody watched Sunderland vs Newcastle (good game) and a bit f Man U vs Stoke (not so good game).
 
Admartian

Admartian

Wibbly Wobbly
#22
Nov 28, 2006
13,613
105
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New Zealand
#22
[QUOTE="keefy, post: 6293780]Need proper nation flags (England Scotland Wales) Its confusing at first trying to figure out which nation a person is rooting for.[/QUOTE]
Yeah you'd think this being a UK site we'd be able to differentiate properly. :p
 
M

Malt

Superior Member
#24
Oct 29, 2013
603
6
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Darkest Wales
#24
France vs England game was a cracker! Think both teams will take a lot from that result and be a danger to everybody else thoughout the rest of the tournament. Wales didn't play that well, we looked sluggish from the off. Take nothing away from Italy though, they continue to improve year on year and it's credit to them that they made us look poor. Priestland had a decent enough game, best one I've seen him have in a Wales shirt although I still think he has too much of a tendency to put his boot to the ball ASAP once he's got it in his hands. Ireland vs Scotland tomorrow, should be interesting.
 
W

welshboymick

Apprentice
#27
Jan 9, 2014
374
4
0
Wales
www.twitter.com
#27
[QUOTE="Admartian, post: 6294820]More cracking games this week.

Super rugby pre-season has started too. But won't be keeping much attention till the proper kickoff. :D[/QUOTE]

I try to catch some Super Rugby whenever I can. Trouble is, they're usually on Saturday morning and I much too like sleeping and/or morning cookery programmes (Saturday Kitchen ftw).

After last week, Ireland are favourites for the title with some people. They finished 5th last year and played great v the All Blacks but ultimately lost. I can't see them winning it at all, even if they beat us Saturday.

Haven't said that, I absolutely hate Wales being favourites as we usually seem to lose.
 
Admartian

Admartian

Wibbly Wobbly
#28
Nov 28, 2006
13,613
105
63
New Zealand
#28
[QUOTE="welshboymick, post: 6294836]I try to catch some Super Rugby whenever I can. Trouble is, they're usually on Saturday morning and I much too like sleeping and/or morning cookery programmes (Saturday Kitchen ftw).

After last week, Ireland are favourites for the title with some people. They finished 5th last year and played great v the All Blacks but ultimately lost. I can't see them winning it at all, even if they beat us Saturday.

Haven't said that, I absolutely hate Wales being favourites as we usually seem to lose.[/QUOTE]
Well we'll see how Ireland goes. They looked pretty good from what I saw of them.

And France looks like they can steal a game again. :lol:
 
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