The Official English Rugby Thread

[JM2K6]

Fuck Eddie's retrograde stubborn bullshit. Marcus Smith has had a great start and Quins take an early lead with some lovely attacking rugby.

[sockwithaticket]

Quins - Glaws is a nice palette cleanser after the earlier game's anti-rugby. Error strewn, but they're both trying to play.

Sopoaga was genuinely garbage. Umaga was basically piss again, too.

I've not understood the Umaga hype. Of the young group coming through he's behind Simmonds, Smith and Vunipola in my opinion just in terms of his consistency and error-rate. Malins is also a better 10.

Only in your fevered imagination. Malins is looking like a class fullback, though.

Umaga was very good during most of Wasps run in after the Prem restart last season, but it's looking like he really needs Robson to facilitate that. None of Wasps other 9s are anywhere near Dan's quality. Absentees and injuries in the back and second rows mean the forwards are a much diminished unit too, so he's not getting the quality of ball or space he enjoyed in many of those recent victories.

[JM2K6]

Yeah, it's good fun.

[JM2K6]

Yeah hmm Malins has been making his name at 15 and while I like Vunipola he's had some shockers when his pack has struggled

[Raggs]

Yeah hmm Malins has been making his name at 15 and while I like Vunipola he's had some shockers when his pack has struggled

Yeah, Vunipola hasn't done enough to be in the same conversation as Umaga, Simmonds and Smith. Smith is the one I feel is the strongest of the 3.

EDIt - I like Malins at 15, but he comes close to getting turned over a lot at international level since people aren't actually expecting us to go forwards. That could be put down as an issue with the team strategy though.

[JM2K6]

Big thick Saffa gets deservedly red carded for an elbow to the face. Want sure how deliberate it was but he tucks the arm in a pretty unnatural way, easy enough decision. Idiot.

[sockwithaticket]

Having gone down to 13, that's a fantastic bit of defence.

[sockwithaticket]

That was a really entertaining couple of minutes.

[JM2K6]

Just fucking lol at allowing a player to crawl forward on his knees for five or six metres

[JM2K6]

I love the idea of refs actually blowing the whistle when players are told to use it.

I don't agree with suddenly deciding to do it after 55 minutes of letting both teams ignore you.

[sockwithaticket]

Gloucester giving a masterclass in how to squander a 2 man advantage at the moment.

[JM2K6]

Oh damn that's a shame. 13 man Quins nearly score a brilliant try. Smith is having a cracker.

[sockwithaticket]

Oh damn that's a shame. 13 man Quins nearly score a brilliant try. Smith is having a cracker.

Massive let off for Gloucester. Smith is fantastic. Playing a bit too much rugby to interest Eddie you feel.

[JM2K6]

Oh, we got lucky. Thought he was in front. Was close. Think he thought it was such a gorgeous try it deserved to be given...

[sockwithaticket]

Just to spite Healy.

Gloucester managed to draw the period of 15 v 13.

[Enzedder]

Not even close. Quins get better with less players (don't get in each others way)

[JM2K6]

Just to spite Healy.

Gloucester managed to draw the period of 15 v 13.

While I think the ref got it wrong, it was way closer than pretty much every winger on every box kick...

Smith is killing them. Bonus point try.

[sockwithaticket]

Dombrandt posts the BP try after glaws emphatically fuck up dealing with a towering high kick from Smith.

[JM2K6]

Dombrandt posts the BP try after glaws emphatically fuck up dealing with a towering high kick from Smith.

I really appreciated Ben Kay calling how good that kick was seconds before it came down.

[sockwithaticket]

Just to spite Healy.

Gloucester managed to draw the period of 15 v 13.

While I think the ref got it wrong, it was way closer than pretty much every winger on every box kick...

Smith is killing them. Bonus point try.

It's good to see.

Feeling a lot worse about Wasps losing to Gloucester last week now...

[sockwithaticket]

Oh stop it, Marcus. Well taken drop goal all from Glaws botching his restart kick.

Maybe he is doing enough with the boot for a certain Mr. Jones.

[JM2K6]

Gosh, we really miss our first choice locks. Gonna be close!

[sockwithaticket]

If Quins can avoid giving Glaws maul-able positions the clock is on their side.

[ASMO]

Glaws a bit shit aren't they

[JM2K6]

The twin joys of Henry Trinder making a brilliant break and Quins getting a penalty

Oh Ashton you idiot

Am very sick of hearing this TMO though, would have been nice if he'd spotted the exocet no arms clean out on Ash though

[sockwithaticket]

Hugely important cover tackle from Smith. He must be nailed on MotM

Glaws a bit shit aren't they

They beat Wasps* heavily last weekend.

*We might also be terrible.

[JM2K6]

Well reffed. No thanks to the tmo.

[Paddington Bear]

Ludlow a good example of a phenomenon that increasingly pisses me off - the shock at being carded for high tackles/clearouts etc. These rules aren’t new, just don’t do it

[sockwithaticket]

Yeah, I'm not always Tempest's biggest fan, but he's done very well today.

[JM2K6]

Brilliant. Well done Quins. Ballsy performance.

[Hal Jordan]

I for one am glad that I started drinking at 2 p.m and haven't stopped since because if I did I might remember the England match. I had more entertainment watching my boy and the reat of the minis dropping balls at practice in the cold this morning. Several of them kicked better, too.

[Raggs]

Dimes has left Sale....

There's got to be a story there!

[ASMO]

Dimes has left Sale....

There's got to be a story there!

Never saw that coming, he seemed to be the perfect fit for Sale.

[sockwithaticket]

"Personal reasons" is all I've seen so far. He's quite involved with the club in ways beyond simply being DoR iirc. This could get interesting.

[ASMO]

"Personal reasons" is all I've seen so far. He's quite involved with the club in ways beyond simply being DoR iirc. This could get interesting.

on the club website

Sale Sharks Rugby Club can today announce that Steve Diamond has left the club with immediate effect due to personal reasons.

The club would like to thank Steve for his loyal service and commitment over the years. He leaves Sale Sharks in a strong position having improved the club in many ways and we wish him every success for the future.

Paul Deacon will assume responsibility of the first team as Head Coach while we take stock and plan for the future.

Commenting on the announcement, Steve said:

“After 10 proud years with Sale Sharks I have taken the decision to step away from the business.

I feel that this is the perfect moment to hand over to someone else, given the club is now stable and in a great position to compete at the highest level.

We have acquired a world class training facility, built an academy that is the envy of many premiership clubs and constructed a squad that can win tournaments and trophies at domestic and European level.

I know Simon and Ged will continue with the progress we have made together, and I now look forward to taking some time out and planning my next challenge.”

[JM2K6]

I'm putting a fiver on someone finding the flayed corpse of a local rugby journalist in Dimes' basement "playroom".

[sockwithaticket]

"Personal reasons" is all I've seen so far. He's quite involved with the club in ways beyond simply being DoR iirc. This could get interesting.

on the club website

Sale Sharks Rugby Club can today announce that Steve Diamond has left the club with immediate effect due to personal reasons.

The club would like to thank Steve for his loyal service and commitment over the years. He leaves Sale Sharks in a strong position having improved the club in many ways and we wish him every success for the future.

Paul Deacon will assume responsibility of the first team as Head Coach while we take stock and plan for the future.

Commenting on the announcement, Steve said:

“After 10 proud years with Sale Sharks I have taken the decision to step away from the business.

I feel that this is the perfect moment to hand over to someone else, given the club is now stable and in a great position to compete at the highest level.

We have acquired a world class training facility, built an academy that is the envy of many premiership clubs and constructed a squad that can win tournaments and trophies at domestic and European level.

I know Simon and Ged will continue with the progress we have made together, and I now look forward to taking some time out and planning my next challenge.”

That's now ignored in favour of Afrikaans accents it seems...

Does sound like a total separation and it is very weird time for it to happen.

Wouldn't be surprised if he might've ended up in a physical confrontation with a player.

[SaintK]

"Personal reasons" is all I've seen so far. He's quite involved with the club in ways beyond simply being DoR iirc. This could get interesting.

New CEO took over a few weeks back. May have found something he didn't like?

[Kawazaki]

I assume the personal reasons are that he doesn't have South African parents.

[Raggs]

Wasps starting Charlie Atkinson at 10, rather than Sops or Gops, which is really nice to see. Umaga injured.