NPR

I like neeps wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 11:14 am

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 10:22 am

Slick wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 10:03 am I see the Walrus is on the wind up with his Lions team/squad again.

Maitland, Russell, Youngs, Beard, Itoje at 6 all starting

Tuilagi, B Vunipola, Daly in the squad

His continued employment is proof that rugby doesn’t have huge traction with the public. Cannot believe a football writer for the Times would get away with this nonsense for 25 years.

On the other side though he did used to write match reports for Maidenhead and was once highly critical of PB snr’s refereeing, so broken clocks and all that

Alternatively a reflection of the calibre of Sunday Times readers!

It's not just the Times though I notice with the BBC: Butler, Guscott, Davies are all awful and clearly don't want any club rugby. For some reason given the six nations games. I can only presume it's familiarity.

Noted.

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 10:07 am Regular reminder that it's not a windup, he's fucking thick, doesn't know shit about modern rugby, and is stealing a living.

Must be something about rugby journos. Jake makes money with ritin skillz too.

Lemoentjie wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 10:01 am From watching this 6 nations, I would agree with Galthie, but also add Scotland to the list. All 3 teams are experts in 'appealing' to the referee and making it very obvious. Italy, France, England, not so much. Doesn't exist in the southern hemisphere (yet).

That can't be right. Scotland fans often moan that the Scottish team never does this enough.

Meanwhile, Farrell and Itoje are always doing it.

Ireland & Wales biggest culprits though.

Don't know why refs don't slap down all but the Captain in the pro game.

Slick wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 11:36 am

I like neeps wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 11:14 am

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 10:22 am

His continued employment is proof that rugby doesn’t have huge traction with the public. Cannot believe a football writer for the Times would get away with this nonsense for 25 years.

On the other side though he did used to write match reports for Maidenhead and was once highly critical of PB snr’s refereeing, so broken clocks and all that

Alternatively a reflection of the calibre of Sunday Times readers!

It's not just the Times though I notice with the BBC: Butler, Guscott, Davies are all awful and clearly don't want any club rugby. For some reason given the six nations games. I can only presume it's familiarity.

Noted.

I was being disingenuous Slick!

Jones is just awful.

charltom wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 11:45 am

Lemoentjie wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 10:01 am From watching this 6 nations, I would agree with Galthie, but also add Scotland to the list. All 3 teams are experts in 'appealing' to the referee and making it very obvious. Italy, France, England, not so much. Doesn't exist in the southern hemisphere (yet).

That can't be right. Scotland fans often moan that the Scottish team never does this enough.

Meanwhile, Farrell and Itoje are always doing it.

Ireland & Wales biggest culprits though.

Don't know why refs don't slap down all but the Captain in the pro game.

I agree with Galthié about the Welsh.
As for Italy and France if they don’t “appeal” to the ref it might be because the language barrier and they know they’ll be screwed anyway.

Italy are routinely on the receiving end of some scandalously bad decisions but there seems to be an air of "ah well they are going to lose anyway" regarding this.

You see it at the world cup. Tier 2 teams get laughably poor calls against them.
Best example for me was 2015 where Canada should have beaten Italy and just got taken for a ride.

Uncle fester wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 12:45 pm Italy are routinely on the receiving end of some scandalously bad decisions but there seems to be an air of "ah well they are going to lose anyway" regarding this.

Scotland suffered from this for years as well. You can almost see into the ref’s head at times - if he has decided one side is the stronger of the two, it makes it very hard indeed for the weaker side to get marginal decisions. It has stopped now, more or less - my rage at referees has been considerably reduced anyway.

Whoever it was that said Scotland were brilliant at appealing to the ref, this is the literal opposite of the truth. We are easily the worst T1 nation at playing the ref. Our players seem to lack any guile whatsoever.

Uncle fester wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 12:45 pm Italy are routinely on the receiving end of some scandalously bad decisions but there seems to be an air of "ah well they are going to lose anyway" regarding this.

Not from me. The game is still far too often decided by the ref and not the players.

I like neeps wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 11:14 am

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 10:22 am

Slick wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 10:03 am I see the Walrus is on the wind up with his Lions team/squad again.

Maitland, Russell, Youngs, Beard, Itoje at 6 all starting

Tuilagi, B Vunipola, Daly in the squad

His continued employment is proof that rugby doesn’t have huge traction with the public. Cannot believe a football writer for the Times would get away with this nonsense for 25 years.

On the other side though he did used to write match reports for Maidenhead and was once highly critical of PB snr’s refereeing, so broken clocks and all that

Alternatively a reflection of the calibre of Sunday Times readers!

It's not just the Times though I notice with the BBC: Butler, Guscott, Davies are all awful and clearly don't want any club rugby. For some reason given the six nations games. I can only presume it's familiarity.

ITV is as bad. Woodward had the neck to say he hadn’t heard of some of the Italian players. He’s getting fucking paid for that, could at least make an attempt at competency.

Woodward should be fired into a black hole, let alone the sun. He knows nothing about modern rugby, he spews out half formed, ignorant opionions based on what he vaguely remembers from when he was last involved in rugby 16 years ago. The number of times he advocates for making no subs despite it being common knowledge that coaches have real time data letting them know when players' are physically falling off...

Clive Woodward and Michael Vaughan as pundits is a real ‘never meet your heroes’ scenario

I wonder if Woodentop is showing early signs of dementia.

https://actu.fr/sports/rugby/xv-de-fran ... 20283.html

Get your french dictionnaries :)

Deal between PRL and Six Nations for Scotland players for France game, 5 player limit so no Maitland or Jonny Gray (if fit) - this is fucking disgraceful why should Scotland field a weakened team.

Deveron Boy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:00 pm Deal between PRL and Six Nations for Scotland players for France game, 5 player limit so no Maitland or Jonny Gray (if fit) - this is fucking disgraceful why should Scotland field a weakened team.

Six figure sum involved as well by all accounts. That better not be coming from SRU funds.

Pesenti, Leroux and Carbonel are back in the squad for Friday.

Pesenti to take on The Heavy enforcer I think with Rebadj back on the bench.

Leroux straight back to start.

PS It is now appearing that Sean Edwards mother passed away and he was assisting his father last week. :(

Deveron Boy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:00 pm Deal between PRL and Six Nations for Scotland players for France game, 5 player limit so no Maitland or Jonny Gray (if fit) - this is fucking disgraceful why should Scotland field a weakened team.

I'm not too happy either as an interested third party.

Deveron Boy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:00 pm Deal between PRL and Six Nations for Scotland players for France game, 5 player limit so no Maitland or Jonny Gray (if fit) - this is fucking disgraceful why should Scotland field a weakened team.

Welcome to the world of commercial reality when your Union doesn't hold central contracts for international players
The RFU have paid £M's for the release of Prem players for England matches over the years. Not hard to imagine if Scotland had coughed up more money then PRL may have authorised the clubs to release more!
A sorry state of affairs.

SaintK wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:44 am

Deveron Boy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:00 pm Deal between PRL and Six Nations for Scotland players for France game, 5 player limit so no Maitland or Jonny Gray (if fit) - this is fucking disgraceful why should Scotland field a weakened team.

Welcome to the world of commercial reality when your Union doesn't hold central contracts for international players
The RFU have paid £M's for the release of Prem players for England matches over the years. Not hard to imagine if Scotland had coughed up more money then PRL may have authorised the clubs to release more!
A sorry state of affairs.

I think it's the 6 nations paying up not Scotland.

at any rate thank you FFR ...

laurent wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:50 am

SaintK wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:44 am

Deveron Boy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:00 pm Deal between PRL and Six Nations for Scotland players for France game, 5 player limit so no Maitland or Jonny Gray (if fit) - this is fucking disgraceful why should Scotland field a weakened team.

Welcome to the world of commercial reality when your Union doesn't hold central contracts for international players
The RFU have paid £M's for the release of Prem players for England matches over the years. Not hard to imagine if Scotland had coughed up more money then PRL may have authorised the clubs to release more!
A sorry state of affairs.

I think it's the 6 nations paying up not Scotland.

at any rate thank you FFR ...

That's odd if the 6N negotiated the release of the Scotland players rather than the SRU or did they just pay?

SaintK wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 10:41 am

laurent wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:50 am

SaintK wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:44 am
Welcome to the world of commercial reality when your Union doesn't hold central contracts for international players
The RFU have paid £M's for the release of Prem players for England matches over the years. Not hard to imagine if Scotland had coughed up more money then PRL may have authorised the clubs to release more!
A sorry state of affairs.

I think it's the 6 nations paying up not Scotland.

at any rate thank you FFR ...

That's odd if the 6N negotiated the release of the Scotland players rather than the SRU or did they just pay?

Not Sure I know FFR had an agreement with the league and that this included Scottish players however I don't see how SRU could have negotiated with the English clubs I guess through RFU or via 6 nations.

SaintK wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 10:41 am

laurent wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:50 am

SaintK wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:44 am
Welcome to the world of commercial reality when your Union doesn't hold central contracts for international players
The RFU have paid £M's for the release of Prem players for England matches over the years. Not hard to imagine if Scotland had coughed up more money then PRL may have authorised the clubs to release more!
A sorry state of affairs.

I think it's the 6 nations paying up not Scotland.

at any rate thank you FFR ...

That's odd if the 6N negotiated the release of the Scotland players rather than the SRU or did they just pay?

Don't see why - the 6 Nations would be interested in maintaining the integrity of the competition, would they not?

laurent wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 10:46 am

SaintK wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 10:41 am

laurent wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:50 am

I think it's the 6 nations paying up not Scotland.

at any rate thank you FFR ...

That's odd if the 6N negotiated the release of the Scotland players rather than the SRU or did they just pay?

Not Sure I know FFR had an agreement with the league and that this included Scottish players however I don't see how SRU could have negotiated with the English clubs I guess through RFU or via 6 nations.

Or more likely with PRL, the body that represents the clubs?

SaintK wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 11:05 am

laurent wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 10:46 am

SaintK wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 10:41 am
That's odd if the 6N negotiated the release of the Scotland players rather than the SRU or did they just pay?

Not Sure I know FFR had an agreement with the league and that this included Scottish players however I don't see how SRU could have negotiated with the English clubs I guess through RFU or via 6 nations.

Or more likely with PRL, the body that represents the clubs?

Could not recall the acronym ...

This is brilliant.
https://actu.fr/sports/rugby/xv-de-fran ... 20283.html

Too long to translate.

Same page a few post up FFS :P

laurent wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 1:27 pm Same page a few post up FFS :P

In the French Squad

it looks like Tao is fit

Leroux definitely fit

Pesenti as back up (he played in the late Autumn cup games).



Edit: 2 weeks for Willemse

LeRoux really bulked.

2 weeks for Willemsen isn’t too harsh.

TB63 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 24, 2021 7:46 am 163650141_10159368112453033_6920222640836349938_n.jpg

Only one of them might add value, and then only because of an unavailability.

a few changes in the back with Thomas on the bench and Bouthier as 10-15 cover.
Carbonel snubbed :(

Tao on the bench is a risk

laurent wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 1:27 pm Same page a few post up FFS :P

I have you on ignore

laurent wrote: ↑Wed Mar 24, 2021 12:05 pm

a few changes in the back with Thomas on the bench and Bouthier as 10-15 cover.
Carbonel snubbed :(

Tao on the bench is a risk

No FH is a risk. Means Dupont is back up there (I know Serin has tried SH but he's worse there than SH).

Also no fan of moving Fickou who is meant to be the defensive line leader: where the hell is Villier?

Les Écossais sortez de votre trou bordel ...

Would make more sense in Latin...

Not sure what all this is about

France v Scotland - Stuart Hogg 'hacked off' with French comments

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56528519

The fact that they've got to get 21 points. We read a quote from one of their players saying that they've got a trophy to win. As a proud Scotsman, that hurt me a lot.

Errr, well yes. Even if they needed to win by 1 point! How is this different from any prematch comment "we have a game to win"?

If I were going to get in a rag, it would be over this


which, FWIW, I think is a pretty stupid thing for the FFR to do.

Hogg being chippy.

I read somewhere that Ollivon was mis-translated a bit and what he said was more like 'we have a trophy to win' rather than to collect, which is a touch more arrogant. I wouldn't have any problem with the latter, though. It would just show to me that Ollivon is serious about claiming the title and is measuring French success by achieving that rather than merely being satisfied with a win over Scotland. If they're to deliver the world cup in '23, winning the 6 Nations is definitely an important step and if I were French I'd be encouraged by the focus. Just need to back it up.

Really looking forward to tonight, should be interesting.