A place where escape goats go to play
https://notplanetrugby.com/
No idea, but younger than Jamie Salmon probably. Finish the Daily Mail crossword early today did we?
I’ve actually been surprised with Millar-Mills, who has done a decent job off the bench in several games. Wouldn’t want him starting though.
Yeah, the Edinburgh first three for me all have their merits (Hill, Rae, Sebastian) and I'm genuinely unsure who I'd have as first choice. Obviously I want the two Scots in there fit and firing as we need backup to Fagerson at international level.
I think we’re all praying that OBL will be the real deal. Would provide us with an instant succession plan for Zander, and anyone else we unearth is just a bonus.Biffer wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 3:14 pmYeah, the Edinburgh first three for me all have their merits (Hill, Rae, Sebastian) and I'm genuinely unsure who I'd have as first choice. Obviously I want the two Scots in there fit and firing as we need backup to Fagerson at international level.
Hopefully Blythe-Lafferty will push his way through in the next year.
My father was 1st generation English to 2 Irish parents. Never considered himself anything other than English. Most of his sisters count themselves as English (other than the actual Irish 1) with a bit of Irish to varying degrees.Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 12:03 am I’ve worked a bit with his Dad - he couldn’t have been prouder seeing him run out for England in Rome. It’s a funny one - someone born in England to two non-English parents wanting to play for England over the other country is very much the exception to the rule, but there doesn’t seem to have ever really been any doubt in Smith’s mind as to which camp he was in.
I thought you were off the drink?Slick wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 11:25 amAs an ex 10 I'd like to commend you on your observations. Also need to be terribly good looking which makes them difficult to findI like neeps wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 11:21 amEasier to play back row than 10. 10 requires a huge amount of technique, tactical thinking etc as well as usual rugby skills.Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 11:02 am
As a wider question, it's an interesting one - when there are so many very good players in other positions, particularly the back row, why is fly half such a difficult one to find true world class? Even teams with vast resources of players like New Zealand, South Africa, France and England don't exactly churn out Dan Carters or Johnny Wilkinsons. Ireland are struggling to replace Sexton who was in place for centuries. Wales don't have anyone like Biggar, far less Jonathan Davies.
Scotland have Finn and he's been head and shoulders above anyone else in the pro era.
New Zealand have had Richie Mo'unga who not Carter is unbelievable and before that Barrett who whilst flawed did have a very good 5-6 year spell, and Handre Pollard has surely been South Africa's best 10 in a long time. I don't think they struggle too much.
Jock42 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 4:51 pmI thought you were off the drink?Slick wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 11:25 amAs an ex 10 I'd like to commend you on your observations. Also need to be terribly good looking which makes them difficult to findI like neeps wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 11:21 am
Easier to play back row than 10. 10 requires a huge amount of technique, tactical thinking etc as well as usual rugby skills.
New Zealand have had Richie Mo'unga who not Carter is unbelievable and before that Barrett who whilst flawed did have a very good 5-6 year spell, and Handre Pollard has surely been South Africa's best 10 in a long time. I don't think they struggle too much.
Unfortunately the Embra game isn’t on Premier this weekend, we’d have to buy a pass from EPRC TV, which I’m not going to do on top of the other subscriptions I have.
I've not checked but I'm assuming it's on the app like the Bayonnois match.Tichtheid wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 7:58 amUnfortunately the Embra game isn’t on Premier this weekend, we’d have to buy a pass from EPRC TV, which I’m not going to do on top of the other subscriptions I have.
Embra have to be in the big cup to guarantee every game being covered on PS
I’ll be watching my local club instead
I decided it is not worth shelling out to watch games in the group stages. There's basically no chance that both teams will be going for it.Tichtheid wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 7:58 amUnfortunately the Embra game isn’t on Premier this weekend, we’d have to buy a pass from EPRC TV, which I’m not going to do on top of the other subscriptions I have.
Embra have to be in the big cup to guarantee every game being covered on PS
I’ll be watching my local club instead
They really have screwed up what was an excellent competition not too many years agorobmatic wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 10:29 amI decided it is not worth shelling out to watch games in the group stages. There's basically no chance that both teams will be going for it.Tichtheid wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 7:58 amUnfortunately the Embra game isn’t on Premier this weekend, we’d have to buy a pass from EPRC TV, which I’m not going to do on top of the other subscriptions I have.
Embra have to be in the big cup to guarantee every game being covered on PS
I’ll be watching my local club instead
SomersetJock wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 10:57 amThey really have screwed up what was an excellent competition not too many years agorobmatic wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 10:29 amI decided it is not worth shelling out to watch games in the group stages. There's basically no chance that both teams will be going for it.Tichtheid wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 7:58 am
Unfortunately the Embra game isn’t on Premier this weekend, we’d have to buy a pass from EPRC TV, which I’m not going to do on top of the other subscriptions I have.
Embra have to be in the big cup to guarantee every game being covered on PS
I’ll be watching my local club instead
The clickbait is targeting you specifically - the ads are 'tailored' to you so it's all pretty self-selecting.Yr Alban wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:09 am Right now I seem to get a clickbait headline about how many ‘foreign’ players Scotland have every time I open FB. (Yes, I know, simple solution, but there’s people I only interact with on there). Coming from four or five different sources. Why is it only ever us who get shit for this? Four of Ireland’s starting backs are imported, three of them as project players, and nobody seems to pay any attention.
The same sources run headlines about how long it is since Scotland won a title. What do they expect us to do exactly?
Yeah, I know this. I guess what surprises me is how bloody many of these headlines there are. I try not to actually click on them.inactionman wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:15 amThe clickbait is targeting you specifically - the ads are 'tailored' to you so it's all pretty self-selecting.Yr Alban wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:09 am Right now I seem to get a clickbait headline about how many ‘foreign’ players Scotland have every time I open FB. (Yes, I know, simple solution, but there’s people I only interact with on there). Coming from four or five different sources. Why is it only ever us who get shit for this? Four of Ireland’s starting backs are imported, three of them as project players, and nobody seems to pay any attention.
The same sources run headlines about how long it is since Scotland won a title. What do they expect us to do exactly?
I keep getting ads for articles detailing what gaffe Joe Marler has committed this week, so you're doing better than me.
They're bloody incessant. I was actually hoping this new-fangled AI might help, and start to identify articles that I might actually want to read but wouldn't necessarily have been aware of given my browsing habits.Yr Alban wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:22 amYeah, I know this. I guess what surprises me is how bloody many of these headlines there are. I try not to actually click on them.inactionman wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:15 amThe clickbait is targeting you specifically - the ads are 'tailored' to you so it's all pretty self-selecting.Yr Alban wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:09 am Right now I seem to get a clickbait headline about how many ‘foreign’ players Scotland have every time I open FB. (Yes, I know, simple solution, but there’s people I only interact with on there). Coming from four or five different sources. Why is it only ever us who get shit for this? Four of Ireland’s starting backs are imported, three of them as project players, and nobody seems to pay any attention.
The same sources run headlines about how long it is since Scotland won a title. What do they expect us to do exactly?
I keep getting ads for articles detailing what gaffe Joe Marler has committed this week, so you're doing better than me.
Yr Alban wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:27 am I do own a hoody that was marketed at me by FB. It says ‘I may live in Wales, but on game day my heart and soul belong to Scottish rugby.’ On the one hand, that level of targeting is disturbing (exactly how many people are going to buy this garment?) but on the other hand, shut up and take my money…
brilliantYou’d have thought that, as a species, we’d use AI to automate menial tasks so that we had more time to be creative and express ourselves. What has actually happened is that AI is doing the writing and the art. Sometimes I wonder if we deserve extinction.inactionman wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:27 amThey're bloody incessant. I was actually hoping this new-fangled AI might help, and start to identify articles that I might actually want to read but wouldn't necessarily have been aware of given my browsing habits.Yr Alban wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:22 amYeah, I know this. I guess what surprises me is how bloody many of these headlines there are. I try not to actually click on them.inactionman wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:15 am
The clickbait is targeting you specifically - the ads are 'tailored' to you so it's all pretty self-selecting.
I keep getting ads for articles detailing what gaffe Joe Marler has committed this week, so you're doing better than me.
Instead, the AI writes the articles and the dumb-as-bricks matching algorithm bombards me with them. And every time I click on the 'you'll never guess who Steve Borthwick has been keeping an eye on' I just reinforce it.
Oohhh, I want oneYr Alban wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:27 am I do own a hoody that was marketed at me by FB. It says ‘I may live in Wales, but on game day my heart and soul belong to Scottish rugby.’ On the one hand, that level of targeting is disturbing (exactly how many people are going to buy this garment?) but on the other hand, shut up and take my money…
Everyone is at it now though, not just the French.Tichtheid wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:02 amSomersetJock wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 10:57 amThey really have screwed up what was an excellent competition not too many years ago
They have, but the French teams have always been putting out fourths in this competition - the Racing side travelling to Glasgow tonight are not first choices. I haven't been following Vannes so I won't be able to comment on them, but I imagine their focus will be on survival in the Top14
Click on the cross on the post and then tell it to hide for 30 days. It'll change your tailoring after you do it a few times.Yr Alban wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:22 amYeah, I know this. I guess what surprises me is how bloody many of these headlines there are. I try not to actually click on them.inactionman wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:15 amThe clickbait is targeting you specifically - the ads are 'tailored' to you so it's all pretty self-selecting.Yr Alban wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:09 am Right now I seem to get a clickbait headline about how many ‘foreign’ players Scotland have every time I open FB. (Yes, I know, simple solution, but there’s people I only interact with on there). Coming from four or five different sources. Why is it only ever us who get shit for this? Four of Ireland’s starting backs are imported, three of them as project players, and nobody seems to pay any attention.
The same sources run headlines about how long it is since Scotland won a title. What do they expect us to do exactly?
I keep getting ads for articles detailing what gaffe Joe Marler has committed this week, so you're doing better than me.
The clickbait articles aren't worth reading.Yr Alban wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:09 am Right now I seem to get a clickbait headline about how many ‘foreign’ players Scotland have every time I open FB. (Yes, I know, simple solution, but there’s people I only interact with on there). Coming from four or five different sources. Why is it only ever us who get shit for this? Four of Ireland’s starting backs are imported, three of them as project players, and nobody seems to pay any attention.
The same sources run headlines about how long it is since Scotland won a title. What do they expect us to do exactly?
Reckon it'll be a cracker, enjoy mate.
S/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 1:13 pmPretty full-blooded side, no? Hoping Skinner shows some form after injury.
Tbh even with a good win I'd still be hanging his coat on the shoogly peg. Their away form, as you know, is horrendous. Will take more than a pumping of a team I'm assuming aren't interested in this game to get me onside.Tichtheid wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 3:31 pmS/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 1:13 pmPretty full-blooded side, no? Hoping Skinner shows some form after injury.
Pretty much yeah. The only non-full internationals are Goosen, who would be in other circumstances, Venter, who will be in about a year's time and Shiel and Mosese Tuipulotu. Scotland have fielded much weaker teams, we are playing a side anchored at the bottom of the Top14.
I don't think Everitt should be out of the woods yet, not after one victory at home in a fixture we often win.
If we don't get a good win tomorrow there must still be serious questions asked.
I saw us win there as a young lad in 1983, standing on a milk crate surrounded by extremely pissed Glaswegians (my dads old club). I think this might be the last chance for me to see it again!
Sounds like a great memory!
