The Official English Rugby Thread

[Hal Jordan]

Serves them right for rebranding as the Bears and fucking up a classic kit.

[sockwithaticket]

Fucking hell, that's a big error. 30 players out of contract due to an administrative error is awful.

Without knowing any of the regulations it feels like the sort of thing that should come with tangible league punishment for the club, like a 10 or 15 point handicap to start next season. They shouldn't be allowed to get away with treating players like this.

As a player it would certainly make me think thrice about heading to Bristol in future.

It's 30 players across the league, not at Bris alone

That's what I get for skimming while 'working'.

It felt a little plausible, though, as Bris seem to have a pretty large squad and Lam has previously boasted about how little some of them are on to explain the massive salaries of a select few. If trying to hold onto the expensive players yet find the cap room a large clear out wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility.

[Lobby]

Fucking hell, that's a big error. 30 players out of contract due to an administrative error is awful.

Without knowing any of the regulations it feels like the sort of thing that should come with tangible league punishment for the club, like a 10 or 15 point handicap to start next season. They shouldn't be allowed to get away with treating players like this.

As a player it would certainly make me think thrice about heading to Bristol in future.

On current form a 15 point handicap would see them still with minus points by the end of the season.

[Margin__Walker]

The 30 players reference refers more to players being released (without the associated admin cluster fuck) that haven't found other clubs, so may have to explore other opportunities or sit tight and hope a call comes.

That's how I read it anyway.

Basically it's a really tough market for Bristol to be trying to offload contracted players in a hurry.

[Kawazaki]

Talking of fuckups, Bristol have absolutely shit the bed: https://archive.ph/xUoJg

When the Premiership clubs voted two years ago to reduce the salary cap from £6.4 million to £5 million for the 2021-22 season, a lot of clubs, including Bristol, took advantage of a clause that allowed them to count 75 per cent of existing contracts against the revised cap.
In Bristol’s case, the majority of players signed “two plus one” deals, which is a two-year contract with an option of a third on the same terms unless either party decides to pull out by a set deadline. It is understood Bristol intended to release six players, whose contracts were worth an estimated £400,000. However, they missed the deadline, meaning the third-year extensions had already kicked in. A club spokesman declined to comment on Thursday night.
Even if those players are paid off, it is understood that would still count against the salary cap, so Bristol are now having to make savings wherever they can. Including their marquee players, Bristol had one of the biggest wage bills in the Premiership and an emergency board meeting was convened when the mistake came to light in March. They have also committed to signing England prop Ellis Genge and Sale fly-half AJ MacGinty for next season.
Yet offloading players is no simple matter. Many other clubs are struggling to balance the books with the “existing contract” clause coming to an end. It is estimated that up to 30 players could be left without a club this summer.

Bad news for a lot of blameless players

Sounds like a major fuck-up!
Can't be any of the "big names" though £400,000/6 is less than £70k a year?
Or am I rfeading it wrong?

If it's 6x£400k (£2.4m) they need to trim off the wage bill to get under the new cap then Bristol are fucked.

Player contracts would definitely be within the overall remit of Pat Lam as DoR as well. He's really dropped the ball since he got that contract extension hasn't he.

[SaintK]

Talking of fuckups, Bristol have absolutely shit the bed: https://archive.ph/xUoJg



Bad news for a lot of blameless players

Sounds like a major fuck-up!
Can't be any of the "big names" though £400,000/6 is less than £70k a year?
Or am I rfeading it wrong?

If it's 6x£400k (£2.4m) they need to trim off the wage bill to get under the new cap then Bristol are fucked.

Player contracts would definitely be within the overall remit of Pat Lam as DoR as well. He's really dropped the ball since he got that contract extension hasn't he.

Aaah! I was reading it wrongly!!
I thought Piatau was off to Japan at the end of the season, which would free up the thick end of£1M. Hughes is still on the books but is possibly on his way to France?
Which ever way you look at it, it's still a mess for Bristol
Have to say I thought they may be the next in line after Saracens and Tigers

[Kawazaki]

Which ever way you look at it, it's still a mess for Bristol
Have to say I thought they may be the next in line after Saracens and Tigers

The turnaround at Leicester under Borthwick has been truly remarkable. Saracens going straight back up to the sharp end after a year out is also fairly impressive.

[Raggs]

Can't imagine it's 6 x £400k, 6 players who's worth is around £400k in total looks a lot more likely (and it's easier to forget about those "little" contracts!).

Well, they've got a bit of time to try and sort it, but it won't be easy! If they can get below £350k, then it's just regular overrun tax, and whilst it'll cost a lot, it won't involved a points deduction. So they might just take the financial hit, rather than the player one, if they can drop a couple of the bigger contracts.

[Kawazaki]

A 22% reduction in the salary cap is huge. If inflation gets going then it'll be interesting to see what the players say although there's very little they can really do now.

Will be ironic if the Saracens model of entrepreneurial business JVs to supplement players income and post-game career becomes the norm.

[SaintK]

Which ever way you look at it, it's still a mess for Bristol
Have to say I thought they may be the next in line after Saracens and Tigers

The turnaround at Leicester under Borthwick has been truly remarkable. Saracens going straight back up to the sharp end after a year out is also fairly impressive.

Hmmmm. Not quite what I meant. Though I agree about Borthwick

[Paddington Bear]

Hate to agree with Healey but refs are way way too keen to stop quick taps and I don’t get why

[sockwithaticket]

Late, no arms. Yellow minimum.

Edit - can't believe that's only a pen. The logic in talking it down eludes me.

[Kawazaki]

Late, no arms. Yellow minimum.

Edit - can't believe that's only a pen.

He's clearly trying to get out of the way but he's blocked by Koch. Get a grip you fannies, we won't have a fucking game left soon.

[Tichtheid]

Bit of poetic justice with that miss

[Paddington Bear]

Sale need half time to collect themselves.

[Tichtheid]

The TMO wanted to look at something other than the grounding but the ref wouldn’t let him

[Paddington Bear]

Wonder if he was looking at an obstruction.

Ashman who went off at the ref couldn’t possibly have seen grounding or otherwise, these players need to start getting carded for that sort of carry on.

Davies a lucky man

[Kawazaki]

Itoje and Earl tackle stats must be very good.

[Tichtheid]

Wonder if he was looking at an obstruction.

Ashman who went off at the ref couldn’t possibly have seen grounding or otherwise, these players need to start getting carded for that sort of carry on.

Davies a lucky man

Sale are losing it a bit, to be honest they got the shitty end of a few decisions in the last ten minutes of that half but they will only make it worse if they go after the ref on the park

[Paddington Bear]

Wonder if he was looking at an obstruction.

Ashman who went off at the ref couldn’t possibly have seen grounding or otherwise, these players need to start getting carded for that sort of carry on.

Davies a lucky man

Sale are losing it a bit, to be honest they got the shitty end of a few decisions in the last ten minutes of that half but they will only make it worse if they go after the ref on the park

Pretty much. Fwiw Curry was clearly in at the side on the one he was aggrieved at.

[Tichtheid]

Wonder if he was looking at an obstruction.

Ashman who went off at the ref couldn’t possibly have seen grounding or otherwise, these players need to start getting carded for that sort of carry on.

Davies a lucky man

Sale are losing it a bit, to be honest they got the shitty end of a few decisions in the last ten minutes of that half but they will only make it worse if they go after the ref on the park

Pretty much. Fwiw Curry was clearly in at the side on the one he was aggrieved at.

Yup, deffo in the wrong on that one

[Paddington Bear]

Oof. That should do it

[Tichtheid]

I missed the fact that Duncan Taylor was fit again, more than any other player bar Ross Rennie he is my “what might have been” but for injury

[Paddington Bear]

Hard to say that’s not a fair result.

Underwhelming game. Yet another match where all momentum was killed by the scrums. OS is talking out his arse when he calls to scrap them but something needs to change there. We must have lost well over 10 minutes to setting up scrums and most didn’t end with the ball coming out the back.

Time has to be off until the ball is in and less time can be spent ‘setting’, just get on with it.

Earl excellent and has to be in the summer tour picture. Sale looked fluent when they finally decided to play rugby with the game over. Sarries showed Sale how to manage a ref, you’re professionals, don’t lose your head.

[Kawazaki]

Hard to say that’s not a fair result.

Underwhelming game. Yet another match where all momentum was killed by the scrums. OS is talking out his arse when he calls to scrap them but something needs to change there. We must have lost well over 10 minutes to setting up scrums and most didn’t end with the ball coming out the back.

Time has to be off until the ball is in and less time can be spent ‘setting’, just get on with it.

Earl excellent and has to be in the summer tour picture. Sale looked fluent when they finally decided to play rugby with the game over. Sarries showed Sale how to manage a ref, you’re professionals, don’t lose your head.

Earl was excellent and had a great match. Itoje was better though - a real masterclass from him in the 6 jersey.

[geordie_6]

Hard to say that’s not a fair result.

Underwhelming game. Yet another match where all momentum was killed by the scrums. OS is talking out his arse when he calls to scrap them but something needs to change there. We must have lost well over 10 minutes to setting up scrums and most didn’t end with the ball coming out the back.

Time has to be off until the ball is in and less time can be spent ‘setting’, just get on with it.

Earl excellent and has to be in the summer tour picture. Sale looked fluent when they finally decided to play rugby with the game over. Sarries showed Sale how to manage a ref, you’re professionals, don’t lose your head.

Earl appears to be competing with Simmonds for the versatile backrow bench spot. He deserves a look at the very least.

[ASMO]

Hard to say that’s not a fair result.

Underwhelming game. Yet another match where all momentum was killed by the scrums. OS is talking out his arse when he calls to scrap them but something needs to change there. We must have lost well over 10 minutes to setting up scrums and most didn’t end with the ball coming out the back.

Time has to be off until the ball is in and less time can be spent ‘setting’, just get on with it.

Earl excellent and has to be in the summer tour picture. Sale looked fluent when they finally decided to play rugby with the game over. Sarries showed Sale how to manage a ref, you’re professionals, don’t lose your head.

Sarries know how to win, even if it is ugly, thats what will win them the title this year

[Paddington Bear]

Hard to say that’s not a fair result.

Underwhelming game. Yet another match where all momentum was killed by the scrums. OS is talking out his arse when he calls to scrap them but something needs to change there. We must have lost well over 10 minutes to setting up scrums and most didn’t end with the ball coming out the back.

Time has to be off until the ball is in and less time can be spent ‘setting’, just get on with it.

Earl excellent and has to be in the summer tour picture. Sale looked fluent when they finally decided to play rugby with the game over. Sarries showed Sale how to manage a ref, you’re professionals, don’t lose your head.

Sarries know how to win, even if it is ugly, thats what will win them the title this year

Pretty much, though Leicester are very similar. No issue with playing ugly per se but would much prefer to see the ball actually in play whilst it's happening!

[sockwithaticket]

I'll be using the new PRTV buy a match function for the first time today in order to watch Wasps - Glaws.

[ASMO]

How has Sheedy ever managed to steal international caps? He is fucking terrible.

[Paddington Bear]

How has Sheedy ever managed to steal international caps? He is fucking terrible.

Lots of rumours that Biggar’s ‘last chance’ comment was directed at him, which makes today a bit more fun

[ASMO]

Well on the performance so far today that is a completely justified comment.

[sockwithaticket]

He justifiably made it into the Wales squad to win his initial caps, his form was very good. He's been toilet this season though and Pivac really shouldn't called him up.

[Kawazaki]

If Farrell made the tackle that Biggar made on Radradra the usual fishwives would have set this thread alight with indignation.

Nice consistency fellas.

[sockwithaticket]

Wasps - Glaws a scrappy game without any continuity so far. Barely any time spent in the 22s and just 3 points on the board after 25 minutes.

[sockwithaticket]

Given how vaunted it is, Wasps have defende the Gloucester maul impeccably so far.

[ASMO]

Someone needs to tell Bristol that they sometimes need to defend, its non existant.

[ASMO]

If Farrell made the tackle that Biggar made on Radradra the usual fishwives would have set this thread alight with indignation.

Nice consistency fellas.

I personally think it was a yellow, but remember its Dixon refereeing, possibly the worst ref in the prem.

[Kawazaki]

Got two streams going here and just saw a Cambridge Uni lock get sent off for the most obvious red card you'll ever see. The player is a complete idiot and thug clearly not used to playing with cameras and a TMO.

[sockwithaticket]

Got two streams going here and just saw a Cambridge Uni lock get sent off for the most obvious red card you'll ever see. The player is a complete idiot and thug clearly not used to playing with cameras and a TMO.

What did he do?