The Super Duper Rugby Union Thread

[matbro1984]

Wales are unbelievably shit. Italy to win on Saturday. Hopefully it will be the kick up the arse they need.

[PowerButchi]

I'm still in half-denial about it. We're gagging for Strength in Depth at present.

[chokeout]

I just can't bring myself to admit how bad we've been. Hopefully we'll destroy Italy to give us some hope for future development but I'm not sure

[MinceMcMahon]

I'm glad we've got Italy in Cardiff this year otherwise I'd be pretty scared.

 

Wales and England have been seriously crap this year, Scotland still can't score for shit and Ireland look like they might coast to a Triple Crown simply even though they've been average.

Edited March 18, 2010 by MinceMcMahon

[mikey]

Both Wales and England have the problem of once in a while pulling something off and that paper's over the cracks. Gatland seems to be changing tack from "we were unlucky" to "we need to buck our ideas up" because for as long as I can remember Wales have always been their own worst enemy. They act like children and should be treated as such. This thread talks about Andy Powell being a legend, well he's not nicknamed "Brain Dead" for nothing. They miss a defensive leader in the backs too. However, it's all about lack of depth and overconfidence.

 

For England, it has been a downward spiral for years. Somebody said that Andy Robinson will have a wry smile because he was castigated for doing exactly what Johnson did now and both had the same problems. Everybody has known that Wells and Ford aren't up to it and Smith is completely hamstrung, yet the RFU are possibly the most dysfunctional organisation in the world. Not Britain, not the world of sport but the ENTIRE WORLD. However, working within those constraints (Wells being a dinosaur, Ford being obsessed with rugby league), we still need to shit or get off the pot. Are we going to beef up and play kick-and-chase, which would suit our ponderously slow back row and half backs, or are we going to play fast open rugby, which would suit the back five. We do neither and, again, we have muddled thinking from Johnson. We can't play open rugby unless we want to find 1/2 of a new pack so that means we have to play a kicking 12, a target for the forwards at 13 and play a back three based on defence and breaking the gain line. Basically, reverting to the awful old-school rugby we used to play in the Carling era. If we shook up the loose five, we could play Flutey and Tait and run at the opposition but I don't think we have the players from 6-10 that can play that way. Either way, Danny Care has to go.

[PowerButchi]

AI's today. Wales vs Australia. Not very confident whatsoever today, good to see the roof open though to take advantage of our quality Tight Five, which is the only thing we have going for us.

 

Predix: Australia by 15

[mikey]

Only by 9 in the end. However, Wales' new kit looks so fucking cheap.

 

And it has to be said, we're the only team in the world who can have time, space and men over and STILL not score a try.

Edited November 7, 2010 by mikey

[PowerButchi]

No, I shan't be buying the new strip...

 

Quality performance by our Tight Five, and if we had our first string backs available we could have made a real game of that. It's odd as a Welshman championing our Front and Second Rows, but there's a first time for everything. Warburton made a good account of himself at openside, but I'd like him to move to 6 where he does a good job in the Magners, and have Nugget Williams at 7 for now, as we are really struggling for top back row talent. Jonathan Thomas really isn't an International quality 8.

 

England game yesterday, I only caught the Highlights on BBC Three, but fuck me... Mike Tindall is terrible isn't he? How's he still around the squad, never mind the starting XV? I know I'll sound hypocritical, as I say that Martyn Williams is still good enough to start in International Rugby, and he's been around a very long time, but I really think that England need to leave the likes of Tindall in the past. He doesn't seem to be defensively as strong as the majority of the modern crash centres, and doesn't break the gainline like he did in his pomp either.

[MinceMcMahon]

Good performance, shame about the ref. Stephen Jones was outstanding and George North made Bryan Habana look smalltime.

[matbro1984]

Steve Walsh has absolutely no place reffing an international rugby match. He's woeful. I'm not saying he lost the game for Wales. Just that he missed a lot of stuff that any other big time refs would have spotted.

 

George North had an incredible game. Long may it continue, and we'll need good wingers with Shane out for several months.

 

Wales never have the killer instinct to seal off a game. Even with a healthy lead, you still knew SA would equalise and ultimately lead the game to win. 4 minutes of solid defence by them at the end, superb work. Wales of course to often leave games to a last throw of the dice like that. Rarely it'll work (i.e. Scotland 2010), but like today usually it doesn't.

[PowerButchi]

Walsh really is awful isn't he? Lord knows why he's still given internationals to referee. Also over the moon with George North. He's North Walian, and fucking great, and now we finally have two decent wings not called Shane Williams in North and Halfpenny.

 

I think the exact moment I knew we were going to lose however is when Chris Czekaj was brought on. Christ he's awful.

[Statto]

England game yesterday, I only caught the Highlights on BBC Three, but fuck me... Mike Tindall is terrible isn't he? How's he still around the squad, never mind the starting XV? I know I'll sound hypocritical, as I say that Martyn Williams is still good enough to start in International Rugby, and he's been around a very long time, but I really think that England need to leave the likes of Tindall in the past. He doesn't seem to be defensively as strong as the majority of the modern crash centres, and doesn't break the gainline like he did in his pomp either.

 

Have to agree Butch. We appear to be making progress, but could definately live without Tindall. I've always fucking hated Steve Thompson, so he can fuck off too.

 

Marvellous stuff in general yesterday though. Ashton is a fine little player, despite playing for poxy Northampton. Mark Cueto had a stormer on the other wing too, and has the additional benefit of playing for the mighty Sale.

[matbro1984]

I just had to resist nominating about 20 players for the "Who Should Be On Our List Of National Treasures" thread here: http://ukff.com/index.php?showtopic=122974

 

My choices were Neil Jenkins, Jonny Wilkinson and Shane Williams. I figured this would be a better forum to expand upon some of the other potential choices. Since the National Treasures thread is not solely based on performance on a sports pitch, I'd say that precludes the likes of Guscott, Dean Richards, Dallaglio and Matt Dawson because they are such complete arseholes off the field. And before I'm accused of being shamelessly anti-English/pro-Welsh, I'd lump JPR Williams onto that list too, thank to this act of idiocy - he's a DOCTOR ffs, should he not know better than this?!

[PowerButchi]

King John and Gareth Edwards are national treasures. At least in Wales. Christ, so is Gravell, Bennett, Jiffy, and pretty much anyone who wore a Wales shirt in the 70's.

[PowerButchi]

Absolutely fucking awful last night. Huw Bennett really is the shits. Has anyone seen him have a good game in a Wales shirt? Lineout is always in pieces when he's playing. Scrummaging was great again though, and Jones and Phillips put some real zip into us when they came on.

 

And I said it 3 years ago, I'll reiterate now. Aled Brew is nowhere near international standard.