NPR

Jock42 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 12:12 pm Have the dates for next seasons ProHoweverMany and Euro comps starting been announced?

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 12:45 pm

Jock42 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 12:12 pm Have the dates for next seasons ProHoweverMany and Euro comps starting been announced?

Not for next season as far as I know, but the dates for the end of this season have been announced. Edinburgh and Glasgow play back to back fixtures against each other in August (22nd and 28th). The purpose of these fixtures is to give Munster a chance of a home semi-final should Glasgow beat Edinburgh (allegedly)!

Semis weekend of 4th / 5th September, final the week after.

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 12:45 pm

Jock42 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 12:12 pm Have the dates for next seasons ProHoweverMany and Euro comps starting been announced?

Not for next season as far as I know, but the dates for the end of this season have been announced. Edinburgh and Glasgow play back to back fixtures against each other in August (22nd and 28th). The purpose of these fixtures is to give Munster a chance of a home semi-final should Glasgow beat Edinburgh (allegedly)!

Semis weekend of 4th / 5th September, final the week after.

robmatic wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 1:29 pm

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 12:45 pm

Jock42 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 12:12 pm Have the dates for next seasons ProHoweverMany and Euro comps starting been announced?

Not for next season as far as I know, but the dates for the end of this season have been announced. Edinburgh and Glasgow play back to back fixtures against each other in August (22nd and 28th). The purpose of these fixtures is to give Munster a chance of a home semi-final should Glasgow beat Edinburgh (allegedly)!

Semis weekend of 4th / 5th September, final the week after.

I think Munster are the only team in the league who have anything to gain from these fixtures. However, I'm not sure how much of an advantage being at home will be in the semis if they end up being played without crowds, and I think all the teams involved need a couple of good hit outs before the play off stages.

Caley_Red wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 1:50 am Does anyone know how they worked out the seeds for this? Would say we've got the better group.

Looking forward to it but it's a shame we won't get to play the ABs in November, always a good match at Murrayfield.

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:52 am The impression I got was that it might all be played at one stadium if fans aren’t allowed. That would certainly cut down on production costs for TV and travel costs for the teams involved.

Honestly I think winter is going to be terrible in terms of a second peak here so I very much doubt there will be fans. I certainly wouldn’t be risking booking accommodation and travel for something like this.

I hope it’s not on sky, or if it is that there is a rugby channel that I can buy a pass for specifically.

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:52 am The impression I got was that it might all be played at one stadium if fans aren’t allowed. That would certainly cut down on production costs for TV and travel costs for the teams involved.

Honestly I think winter is going to be terrible in terms of a second peak here so I very much doubt there will be fans. I certainly wouldn’t be risking booking accommodation and travel for something like this.

I hope it’s not on sky, or if it is that there is a rugby channel that I can buy a pass for specifically.

Caley_Red wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:55 am Got to fancy winning that group considering we'd play France and Japan at Murrayfield.

Biffer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:56 am

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:52 am The impression I got was that it might all be played at one stadium if fans aren’t allowed. That would certainly cut down on production costs for TV and travel costs for the teams involved.

Honestly I think winter is going to be terrible in terms of a second peak here so I very much doubt there will be fans. I certainly wouldn’t be risking booking accommodation and travel for something like this.

I hope it’s not on sky, or if it is that there is a rugby channel that I can buy a pass for specifically.

NowTV day pass is useful for this kind of thing. I’ve got three months of their sports channels at half price atm.

Jock42 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:57 am

Caley_Red wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:55 am Got to fancy winning that group considering we'd play France and Japan at Murrayfield.

Has that been decided?

Slick wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:09 am

Biffer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:56 am

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:52 am The impression I got was that it might all be played at one stadium if fans aren’t allowed. That would certainly cut down on production costs for TV and travel costs for the teams involved.

Honestly I think winter is going to be terrible in terms of a second peak here so I very much doubt there will be fans. I certainly wouldn’t be risking booking accommodation and travel for something like this.

I hope it’s not on sky, or if it is that there is a rugby channel that I can buy a pass for specifically.

NowTV day pass is useful for this kind of thing. I’ve got three months of their sports channels at half price atm.

Oh, now that's interesting. How much is it?

Biffer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:17 am

Slick wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:09 am

Biffer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:56 am

NowTV day pass is useful for this kind of thing. I’ve got three months of their sports channels at half price atm.

Oh, now that's interesting. How much is it?

Eight or nine quid for a day, fifteen for a week I think. Thirty five for a month normally, but I've got it at £20 for three months. I've used the day or week passes in the past to watch the summer tour Saturdays, big golf tournaments e.g. Ryder Cup, and one or two other things. Not worth me subscribing to Sky as I don't watch football anymore. I think BT Sport are now doing a month by month online pass as well if the English premiership is your thing.

Caley_Red wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:38 am

Biffer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:17 am

Slick wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:09 am

Oh, now that's interesting. How much is it?

Eight or nine quid for a day, fifteen for a week I think. Thirty five for a month normally, but I've got it at £20 for three months. I've used the day or week passes in the past to watch the summer tour Saturdays, big golf tournaments e.g. Ryder Cup, and one or two other things. Not worth me subscribing to Sky as I don't watch football anymore. I think BT Sport are now doing a month by month online pass as well if the English premiership is your thing.

Just out of interest, why did you stop watching football? I also stopped watching football about 10 years ago (it was on a strong downward trajectory from about 2005), just totally fell out of love with the game: too much money and the steep descent of the Scottish game relative to most of Europe.
Actually detest club football now, EPL in particular. Will still watch a world cup or euros game but that's once every two years.

Slick wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:52 am

Caley_Red wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:38 am

Biffer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:17 am

Eight or nine quid for a day, fifteen for a week I think. Thirty five for a month normally, but I've got it at £20 for three months. I've used the day or week passes in the past to watch the summer tour Saturdays, big golf tournaments e.g. Ryder Cup, and one or two other things. Not worth me subscribing to Sky as I don't watch football anymore. I think BT Sport are now doing a month by month online pass as well if the English premiership is your thing.

Just out of interest, why did you stop watching football? I also stopped watching football about 10 years ago (it was on a strong downward trajectory from about 2005), just totally fell out of love with the game: too much money and the steep descent of the Scottish game relative to most of Europe.
Actually detest club football now, EPL in particular. Will still watch a world cup or euros game but that's once every two years.

I also completely fell out of love with it 10-15 years ago. For me the main driver was the diving and hysteria, it has become a game of who can con the ref better. I'll watch the world cup but I can't (and I've tried a few times) watch an EPL game for instance, just bores me to death.

In saying that I will watch a game with Ronaldo playing, IMO he is just so far above anyone else that it drags me in, but I'll watch any sportsperson in any sport at the top of his/her game.

Biffer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:17 am

Slick wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:09 am

Biffer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:56 am

NowTV day pass is useful for this kind of thing. I’ve got three months of their sports channels at half price atm.

Oh, now that's interesting. How much is it?

Eight or nine quid for a day, fifteen for a week I think. Thirty five for a month normally, but I've got it at £20 for three months. I've used the day or week passes in the past to watch the summer tour Saturdays, big golf tournaments e.g. Ryder Cup, and one or two other things. Not worth me subscribing to Sky as I don't watch football anymore. I think BT Sport are now doing a month by month online pass as well if the English premiership is your thing.

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 12:13 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:17 am

Slick wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:09 am

Oh, now that's interesting. How much is it?

Eight or nine quid for a day, fifteen for a week I think. Thirty five for a month normally, but I've got it at £20 for three months. I've used the day or week passes in the past to watch the summer tour Saturdays, big golf tournaments e.g. Ryder Cup, and one or two other things. Not worth me subscribing to Sky as I don't watch football anymore. I think BT Sport are now doing a month by month online pass as well if the English premiership is your thing.

I've used day passes lots before but that right there is why I hope it's not on Sky. £8 or £9 for a single match is outrageous, it's outrageous because the vast majority of that fee goes to EPL football clubs. You say it's £35 normally, so it's minimum £70 to watch this tournament if it is on sky. A reasonable fee structure would allow me to pay for a specific match and then more if I want general access. You can bet your right arm they'll have matches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday too, so you can't watch the whole lot on one pass.

I'm a chump though so I'll pay it.

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 1:03 pm I'm just hoping VPN/RugbyPass go back to how it was in 2019. Much like how the rest of the world needs to go back to 2019. Well, Scottish rugby excepted perhaps.

Biffer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 1:37 pm

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 1:03 pm I'm just hoping VPN/RugbyPass go back to how it was in 2019. Much like how the rest of the world needs to go back to 2019. Well, Scottish rugby excepted perhaps.

Yeah, can we reset to 2018 please?

Caley_Red wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 12:34 am

Biffer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 1:37 pm

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 1:03 pm I'm just hoping VPN/RugbyPass go back to how it was in 2019. Much like how the rest of the world needs to go back to 2019. Well, Scottish rugby excepted perhaps.

Yeah, can we reset to 2018 please?

2017 was a better year, in my view: beat Ireland, smashed Wales, beat Aus in Sydney and obliterated them at Murrayfield and almost pipped the ABs.

Although in 2017 there was that total debacle at Twickenham, I hold the 2018 game against Wales as a worse result.

Caley_Red wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 12:34 am

Biffer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 1:37 pm

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 1:03 pm I'm just hoping VPN/RugbyPass go back to how it was in 2019. Much like how the rest of the world needs to go back to 2019. Well, Scottish rugby excepted perhaps.

Yeah, can we reset to 2018 please?

2017 was a better year, in my view: beat Ireland, smashed Wales, beat Aus in Sydney and obliterated them at Murrayfield and almost pipped the ABs.

Although in 2017 there was that total debacle at Twickenham, I hold the 2018 game against Wales as a worse result.

Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 7:09 am

Caley_Red wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 12:34 am

Biffer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 1:37 pm

Yeah, can we reset to 2018 please?

2017 was a better year, in my view: beat Ireland, smashed Wales, beat Aus in Sydney and obliterated them at Murrayfield and almost pipped the ABs.

Although in 2017 there was that total debacle at Twickenham, I hold the 2018 game against Wales as a worse result.

I see your argument and I raise you The Pass.

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 7:24 am

Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 7:09 am

Caley_Red wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 12:34 am

2017 was a better year, in my view: beat Ireland, smashed Wales, beat Aus in Sydney and obliterated them at Murrayfield and almost pipped the ABs.

Although in 2017 there was that total debacle at Twickenham, I hold the 2018 game against Wales as a worse result.

I see your argument and I raise you The Pass.

Imagine your Groundhog Day being the day of The Pass. Bill Murray could go and do one.

Although I still maintain that Finn Russell's pass to DTH van der Merwe in the dying minutes of the Pro12 semi-finals against Ulster to set up the winning try was even better. But my opinion may be coloured by the fact he threw that one about 8 metres away from me sitting in the stands at Scotstoun whereas I only ever saw The Pass on TV.

Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 8:01 am

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 7:24 am

Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 7:09 am

I see your argument and I raise you The Pass.

Imagine your Groundhog Day being the day of The Pass. Bill Murray could go and do one.

Although I still maintain that Finn Russell's pass to DTH van der Merwe in the dying minutes of the Pro12 semi-finals against Ulster to set up the winning try was even better. But my opinion may be coloured by the fact he threw that one about 8 metres away from me sitting in the stands at Scotstoun whereas I only ever saw The Pass on TV.

Man, that being your Groundhog Day would be awesome. I was at that game and I have a distinct memory of there being a vaguely terrified mass intake of breath from 67,000 people at the same time then the place went mental as Jones ran onto it at full speed.

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 8:12 am

Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 8:01 am

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 7:24 am

Imagine your Groundhog Day being the day of The Pass. Bill Murray could go and do one.

Although I still maintain that Finn Russell's pass to DTH van der Merwe in the dying minutes of the Pro12 semi-finals against Ulster to set up the winning try was even better. But my opinion may be coloured by the fact he threw that one about 8 metres away from me sitting in the stands at Scotstoun whereas I only ever saw The Pass on TV.

Man, that being your Groundhog Day would be awesome. I was at that game and I have a distinct memory of there being a vaguely terrified mass intake of breath from 67,000 people at the same time then the place went mental as Jones ran onto it at full speed.

Aye. To equate it with the Ulster pass to DTH, I've never experienced a hurricane of sound like the Scotstoun 10k made when he threw that pass - a deafening roar.

Biggest Murrayfield sound boom I've ever witnessed and contributed to was probably in the last AB game when Hogg ran into space on the left wing in the last seconds of the match. The whole place went bananas. Then he got tackled, offloaded forward and the ref blew for the game with a few seconds left on the clock. In hindsight quite funny to witness a whole stadium going from 130dB collective roar to quiet confusion to 'popped balloon' in about 5 seconds flat. At the time it was just one big anticlimax.

Begbie wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 10:00 am The worst part of that game was the ref calling a knock on in the lead up to Bhatti going over for a try, when every man and his dog saw Read slap it out of Gray's hand. Try should have stood and Read should have been binned

Begbie wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 7:58 am For anyone else with a ticket for Wales. Refund, credit or donation options.

https://www.wru.wales/2020/07/news-on-s ... us-update/

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 10:28 am

Begbie wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 10:00 am The worst part of that game was the ref calling a knock on in the lead up to Bhatti going over for a try, when every man and his dog saw Read slap it out of Gray's hand. Try should have stood and Read should have been binned

Aye that was grim. Typical Scottish bad luck. Would have been a different game with a different decision. Funny how not much was made of it afterwards, because of how the final play panned out and that stealing all the headlines.

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 12:28 pm

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 10:28 am

Begbie wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 10:00 am The worst part of that game was the ref calling a knock on in the lead up to Bhatti going over for a try, when every man and his dog saw Read slap it out of Gray's hand. Try should have stood and Read should have been binned

Aye that was grim. Typical Scottish bad luck. Would have been a different game with a different decision. Funny how not much was made of it afterwards, because of how the final play panned out and that stealing all the headlines.

That was so infuriating, it wasn't even a knock on, the ball went backwards from Gray's hand and Bhatti picked it up cleanly and scored. Worse than that, it was the second cynical foul in 2 minutes, the first of which had already led to a yellow card - it 100% should have been a penalty try and NZ should have finished the game with 13. If that had been correctly called I am certain we would have won.

Absolute raging at the time - thanks for reminding me!

Begbie wrote: ↑Thu Jul 30, 2020 8:40 am Yeah, was a real kick in the baws. Our captains have been really ineffective at managing refs. Like him or loathe him, AWJ wouldn't have let that go easily, likewise Sexton or PoM. And it wouldn't have been dismissed had it happened up the other end of the pitch.

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Thu Jul 30, 2020 9:32 am

Begbie wrote: ↑Thu Jul 30, 2020 8:40 am Yeah, was a real kick in the baws. Our captains have been really ineffective at managing refs. Like him or loathe him, AWJ wouldn't have let that go easily, likewise Sexton or PoM. And it wouldn't have been dismissed had it happened up the other end of the pitch.

I agree, I remember talking about that at the time on the old bored. I don't know if our communication was ineffective or if we simply didn't even try but it was a poor show from the captains either way. That was a match winning moment and that is the time to have a full on Sexton - the ref might have a go at you but you sure as hell make him think it's worth checking.

The effectiveness or otherwise of our captains, particularly Barclay, was something I was thinking about the other day actually. There have been a few stories in the media originating from him about how he was pushed out at Edinburgh and that they didn't let him into the leadership group. To me, it seemed there was very little self-reflection there (a key facet of a good leader) about the skills he actually has to offer beyond his view that he has been around a long time and had leadership roles therefore he must be good at it.

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Jul 30, 2020 9:40 am

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Thu Jul 30, 2020 9:32 am

Begbie wrote: ↑Thu Jul 30, 2020 8:40 am Yeah, was a real kick in the baws. Our captains have been really ineffective at managing refs. Like him or loathe him, AWJ wouldn't have let that go easily, likewise Sexton or PoM. And it wouldn't have been dismissed had it happened up the other end of the pitch.

I agree, I remember talking about that at the time on the old bored. I don't know if our communication was ineffective or if we simply didn't even try but it was a poor show from the captains either way. That was a match winning moment and that is the time to have a full on Sexton - the ref might have a go at you but you sure as hell make him think it's worth checking.

The effectiveness or otherwise of our captains, particularly Barclay, was something I was thinking about the other day actually. There have been a few stories in the media originating from him about how he was pushed out at Edinburgh and that they didn't let him into the leadership group. To me, it seemed there was very little self-reflection there (a key facet of a good leader) about the skills he actually has to offer beyond his view that he has been around a long time and had leadership roles therefore he must be good at it.

I think we have had the discussions before but we have been extremelly naive over the last decade when dealing with refs. I don't like it but every other team does it and we seem to have been on the bad end of some really important decisions that could have been managed much better. The example above is one but I also think Laidlaw could have dealt better with Joubert (spit) in that WC.