The Official English Rugby Thread

[sockwithaticket]

I might be biased, but Wasps managed to play a lot of decent rugby in the washed out 19/20 league final.

Most of the time I think it's mindset rather than ability that holds teams back in the rain.

The clue might be in the word 'final' there.

This is round 3 (round 2 for Saracens).

If anything a final is where you'd play more conservatively.

Anyway the comment's more to the general pointy Paddington was making about players learning how to handle the ball in the wet. I reckon most of them across all teams are fully capable, but there's this mindset from coaches down that wet weather = kicking and playing basically no rugby.

[Kawazaki]

The shoulder/elbow into the head of the Saracen player not worth a look then!

[Paddington Bear]

On balance Leicester offered more

[JM2K6]

Fair to say nu-Saracens don't have the discipline and brains of the old one. Spectacularly fucking thick. Ah well, well done Tigers. Despite playing pretty poorly for most of that, they were the only ones trying to play any attacking rugby at any point, so fair enough

[Kawazaki]

That's a bullshit penalty at the end there.

[Dragster]

Tigers have definitely fielded a weakened side regardless of Steward. Perhaps they think that’s enough to deal with Sarries?

All hail King Scabnose it appears. WTF do
I know...

[iarmhí]

Delighted with that.

Brilliant finish

[Ovals]

The shoulder/elbow into the head of the Saracen player not worth a look then!

I wondered about that - looked pretty blatant.

And Leicester win with a PT.

[JM2K6]

Farrell abusing the ref, not a good look

[Kawazaki]

Fair to say nu-Saracens don't have the discipline and brains of the old one. Spectacularly fucking thick. Ah well, well done Tigers. Despite playing pretty poorly for most of that, they were the only ones trying to play any attacking rugby at any point, so fair enough

Yeah, Leicester's shit kicking was a wonder to watch.

[sockwithaticket]

Tigers have definitely fielded a weakened side regardless of Steward. Perhaps they think that’s enough to deal with Sarries?

All hail King Scabnose it appears. WTF do
I know...

I wouldn't go coronating him just yet. Close games in the rain can always come down to one random moment.

[iarmhí]

Farrell abusing the ref, not a good look

Such a stupid penalty to give away as well.

Tigers dogged as. That's the old Tigers from the past

[Paddington Bear]

Said before that you should always compete at 5m line outs. That’s exactly why. Best hope for stopping a last gasp driving maul try is either to nick it or make it a mess. Once it was set there was only one winner.

[Kawazaki]

The shoulder/elbow into the head of the Saracen player not worth a look then!

I wondered about that - looked pretty blatant.

And Leicester win with a PT.

It looked pretty blatant because it was blatant! I would laugh if he was cited for it and banned. It was to the head, with force, targeted and late.

[Ovals]

Wasps manage to lose, in the last minute, despite being a man up for 30 mins.

Have to win those games if they want to be serious contenders.

[sockwithaticket]

Wasps manage to lose, in the last minute, despite being a man up for 30 mins.

Have to win those games if they want to be serious contenders.

Tbf Falcons at Kingston Park are always a pretty tough nut to crack and we're far from full strength. Then again I don't expect us to be serious contenders this season, so I'm neither overly surprised or disappointed by such a result.

[Ovals]

Wasps manage to lose, in the last minute, despite being a man up for 30 mins.

Have to win those games if they want to be serious contenders.

Tbf Falcons at Kingston Park are always a pretty tough nut to crack and we're far from full strength. Then again I don't expect us to be serious contenders this season, so I'm neither overly surprised or disappointed by such a result.

We were ahead against 14 men coming to the final whistle - it has to be disappointing to lose from there !!

[Madness]

The shoulder/elbow into the head of the Saracen player not worth a look then!

I wondered about that - looked pretty blatant.

And Leicester win with a PT.

Errrr you know whats a really really bad look for a ref, smiling when you give the winning penalty try. If you go for a picky offence that hasn't been reffed all game, flopping on the tackler then why not look at the follow up player not only diving off feet but shoulder to the head?? But for fucks sake don't smile when awarding the winning try!!!

[sockwithaticket]

Wasps manage to lose, in the last minute, despite being a man up for 30 mins.

Have to win those games if they want to be serious contenders.

Tbf Falcons at Kingston Park are always a pretty tough nut to crack and we're far from full strength. Then again I don't expect us to be serious contenders this season, so I'm neither overly surprised or disappointed by such a result.

We were ahead against 14 men coming to the final whistle - it has to be disappointing to lose from there !!

Being a man down, whilst still a handicap, isn't what it once was in terms of being game deciding. Just see us from last week, if anything our defence became more rabid while down!

Besides, I'm trying not to let Wasps' results affect me so much...

[Kawazaki]

The shoulder/elbow into the head of the Saracen player not worth a look then!

I wondered about that - looked pretty blatant.

And Leicester win with a PT.

Errrr you know whats a really really bad look for a ref, smiling when you give the winning penalty try. If you go for a picky offence that hasn't been reffed all game, flopping on the tackler then why not look at the follow up player not only diving off feet but shoulder to the head?? But for fucks sake don't smile when awarding the winning try!!!

Quite a few people highlighting it on Twitter.

A still pic here but the moving image looks a lot worse as he rotates his shoulder and elbow up into the head. No question it was deliberate.

[Dragster]

Never mind.

[Kawazaki]

Not the best, but it shows the vid of the Kelly shoulder/elbow here...



I assume those that were incandescent at the Saffa lock tackling the scrumhalf in the French league will be similarly outraged?

[sockwithaticket]

Definitely ends up as more of an elbow than a shoulder, but the intent is clearly thereto pile in with all his weight behind a shoulder hit. Would be ridiculous if it wasn't cited and met with at least an 8 week ban (probably halved for no previous, managing to say sorry in a convincing tone of voice and not scoffing all the biscuits).

[Kawazaki]

Definitely ends up as more of an elbow than a shoulder, but the intent is clearly thereto pile in with all his weight behind a shoulder hit. Would be ridiculous if it wasn't cited and met with at least an 8 week ban (probably halved for no previous, managing to say sorry in a convincing tone of voice and not scoffing all the biscuits).

This replay was showing as the ref was awarding the penalty against Saracens. Not a peep from Kay and Healey of course but what the fuck was the TMO doing? It's a stonewall red card even under the old rules let alone the new directives.

[notfatcat]

Is that you crying on the video?

[sockwithaticket]

Definitely ends up as more of an elbow than a shoulder, but the intent is clearly thereto pile in with all his weight behind a shoulder hit. Would be ridiculous if it wasn't cited and met with at least an 8 week ban (probably halved for no previous, managing to say sorry in a convincing tone of voice and not scoffing all the biscuits).

This replay was showing as the ref was awarding the penalty against Saracens. Not a peep from Kay and Healey of course but what the fuck was the TMO doing? It's a stonewall red card even under the old rules let alone the new directives.

Definitely a glaring error and one that should have a tangible consequence. I'll be interested to see if Hodnett is TMO-ing next week.

[Kawazaki]

Is that you crying on the video?

No.

Better video here.



I'm just seeking to uphold the high standards of outrage the rugby woke like to keep in here when they see foul play and cheap shots. You're not a hypocrite I trust?

[sockwithaticket]

Falcon's player making contact with Jimmy Gopperth's eyes to earn himself a red


Dean Richards' comments about it

Tom Penny is distraught. He didn't do anything deliberate. His leg was trapped in by Jimmy Gopperth. You have to look at who the protagonist is - and it's clearly Jimmy Gopperth. Why should our boy get penalised for being trapped and held in a ruck when he's trying to get out?

"He pushes his head down once, twice and then as he's pushing himself up he catches his face, and I think his eye, and Jimmy makes a meal out of it. If there is any contact with the eye, then it's not deliberate.

"It was the same official who did the Wasps game last season and missed the Josh Bassett incident, so he wasn't going to miss anything this week, so we were expecting a little bit of something. I'm surprised that the refereeing department put him on this game, to be honest.

I've enver really understood the occasional call for Richards to be involved with England and this should really confirm that he's not cut out for it.

[Margin__Walker]

He's such a prick.

When we beat them last year they had a player yellowed for a late hit. Perfectly legit. His post match comments were all whinging about Parton taking a dive to win it (which he didn't), rather than lamenting his team's lack of discipline.

[sockwithaticket]

Can't say I'm surprised, don't think I've ever seen a post-match of his where he doesn't have a whinge about the officials and/or opposition for a while before really mentioning his own team.

[Margin__Walker]

Ironically it was Penny that time as well

[SaintK]

Definitely ends up as more of an elbow than a shoulder, but the intent is clearly thereto pile in with all his weight behind a shoulder hit. Would be ridiculous if it wasn't cited and met with at least an 8 week ban (probably halved for no previous, managing to say sorry in a convincing tone of voice and not scoffing all the biscuits).

This replay was showing as the ref was awarding the penalty against Saracens. Not a peep from Kay and Healey of course but what the fuck was the TMO doing? It's a stonewall red card even under the old rules let alone the new directives.

Definitely a glaring error and one that should have a tangible consequence. I'll be interested to see if Hodnett is TMO-ing next week.

Didn't notice it at the time. But seeing the clips that's a glaring error by the officials!!!

[Kawazaki]

Turns out the ref in the Leicester v Saracens match played for Leicester between 2009-14.

Nice.

[SaintK]

Turns out the ref in the Leicester v Saracens match played for Leicester between 2009-14.

Nice.

Yep!! Player for 4 years Development Coach for 2
Not ssure that has anything to do with missing the incident mind. TMO should have picke up[ on it.

[Raggs]

Falcon's player making contact with Jimmy Gopperth's eyes to earn himself a red


Dean Richards' comments about it

Tom Penny is distraught. He didn't do anything deliberate. His leg was trapped in by Jimmy Gopperth. You have to look at who the protagonist is - and it's clearly Jimmy Gopperth. Why should our boy get penalised for being trapped and held in a ruck when he's trying to get out?

"He pushes his head down once, twice and then as he's pushing himself up he catches his face, and I think his eye, and Jimmy makes a meal out of it. If there is any contact with the eye, then it's not deliberate.

"It was the same official who did the Wasps game last season and missed the Josh Bassett incident, so he wasn't going to miss anything this week, so we were expecting a little bit of something. I'm surprised that the refereeing department put him on this game, to be honest.

I've enver really understood the occasional call for Richards to be involved with England and this should really confirm that he's not cut out for it.

If Jimmy was holding the leg, he should be penalised. Potentially even a retroactive yellow card.

That still doesn't change the fact that Penny hit him, even open palm, in the head 3 times, one of those times his finger went in the eye... "Your boy" didn't get penalised for being held into the ruck. He got penalised for striking the head and gouging.

[sockwithaticket]

Falcon's player making contact with Jimmy Gopperth's eyes to earn himself a red


Dean Richards' comments about it

Tom Penny is distraught. He didn't do anything deliberate. His leg was trapped in by Jimmy Gopperth. You have to look at who the protagonist is - and it's clearly Jimmy Gopperth. Why should our boy get penalised for being trapped and held in a ruck when he's trying to get out?

"He pushes his head down once, twice and then as he's pushing himself up he catches his face, and I think his eye, and Jimmy makes a meal out of it. If there is any contact with the eye, then it's not deliberate.

"It was the same official who did the Wasps game last season and missed the Josh Bassett incident, so he wasn't going to miss anything this week, so we were expecting a little bit of something. I'm surprised that the refereeing department put him on this game, to be honest.

I've enver really understood the occasional call for Richards to be involved with England and this should really confirm that he's not cut out for it.

If Jimmy was holding the leg, he should be penalised. Potentially even a retroactive yellow card.

That still doesn't change the fact that Penny hit him, even open palm, in the head 3 times, one of those times his finger went in the eye... "Your boy" didn't get penalised for being held into the ruck. He got penalised for striking the head and gouging.

It's like he's missed all the instances down the years of retaliatory foul play being punished as foul play and bans that have been handed out for contact with the eye area even when it was accidental and/or incidental.

[Sinkers]

It’s almost like he’s also forgotten that his reputation is still in the balance and still needs to redeem himself in many people’s eyes

[Kawazaki]

I don't mind Richards. He's done his punishment for previous misdeeds. He gets more than the sum of its parts from his teams and that is the mark of a good man-manager. He plays very attractive rugby as well and clearly has a good eye for spotting talent.

I'd have him as England coach in a heartbeat over Eddiot.

[Paddington Bear]

Hogg gets better and better with age. Visions of him pumping 50/22s as Youngs kicks deep again and again in the Calcutta Cup

[sockwithaticket]

Looks like Neild was offside for that.