Planet Rugby Forum

hermie

It seems like only yesterday everyone was playing two 6s and an 8 Doesn't it just. Including Farrell who never picks a back-up to Josh in the Irish squads. He seemingly just went for the best six loose forwards without much thought as to how they will fit together. Obviously Beirne and Chessum can ...

hermie

To the best of my knowledge, Pollock has never started a senior match at 6. I don't think he's started an U21 match at 6 either. Well, that aged like a yoghurt left out in the sun......... Pollock being tried across the backrow as they are probably looking at him to bench for the Tests. And a very ...

hermie

It seems like only yesterday everyone was playing two 6s and an 8 Doesn't it just. Including Farrell who never picks a back-up to Josh in the Irish squads. He seemingly just went for the best six loose forwards without much thought as to how they will fit together. Obviously Beirne and Chessum can ...

hermie

From the tallest backline to the shortest backrow

hermie

Happy with that team. Kind of thought Jack Crowley might have started this one, maintaining that partnership with Casey but Prendergast finished the season strong. Great that Ahern has made it. Pity there's no room for Gavin in the centre. He'll have to make do with Portugal.

hermie

I think it makes sense. You want players to endeavour to stay on their feet near the ruck and not let it become any more of a mess. It's also surely a safety thing where if a ball bobbles out the instinct for most defenders is to hack at it. You don't want players throwing themselves in front of a s...

hermie

It'll be an interesting one. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Tadhg Beirne is definitely one who should be a great blindside (and he did play there a fair bit for Scarlets coming up). But has never gone as well there at Test level compared with how he plays at lock. He probably played his w...

hermie

Here's my stab at a top 10 of the past 10 years: Chernobyl Succession Can't Get You Out of My Head Nathan For You Orange is the New Black Wolf Hall Better Call Saul Twin Peaks: The Return It's a Sin Top Boy It's hard to stick to 10. Just finished Andor and really liked it. That might sneak in there...

hermie

Lads Busby was a woeful referee, there is probably a referees assessment in the background that suggests Hansen might have had a point. Really not the point. Hansen wasn't questioning his ability, he was questioning his character. Well the rant was a bit of a mixed bag. Questioning some of the thin...

hermie

Busby was a good ref imho

hermie

The Telegraph reporting that Daly is out with a broken forearm. Ah feckit, that means Marcus Smith on the bench, doesn't it ? I think you need the 3 Northampton lads on the bench to change things up if needed i.e. Pollock, Mitchell and F Smith. Linking up with Freeman who will probably start. Altho...

hermie

The Telegraph reporting that Daly is out with a broken forearm. Ah feckit, that means Marcus Smith on the bench, doesn't it ? I think you need the 3 Northampton lads on the bench to change things up if needed i.e. Pollock, Mitchell and F Smith. Linking up with Freeman who will probably start. Altho...

hermie

Think Itoje is definitely a superior lineout operator and McCarthy a better carrier. Both nuisances without the ball and Itoje obviously more wiley when it comes to getting away with stuff. Maybe if the lineout is a real worry Chessum might get the nod (especially if there isn’t a jumper at 6). Edi...

hermie

Will start on Saturday you’d think. Big game for him. That spot with Itoje is quite open atm. Beirne and Itoje is too lightweight I’d fear. McCarthy probably in pole position atm. What do people think of Itoje and Big Joe as a pairing? Probably compliment each other well in the setpiece but very al...

hermie

Was watching Ryan closely after he came on earlier. Didn't seem to have much to do. Was hoping he maraud around the place melting rucks, but the game didn't seem to go his way. Will start on Saturday you’d think. Big game for him. That spot with Itoje is quite open atm. Beirne and Itoje is too ligh...

hermie

Itoje, Morgan, Russell, Freeman, jgp all great today From an Irish perspective Conan and Aki looked good. Was Morgan MotM? Aki was poor while the game was tight. He looked like a deer in the headlights when he was asked to be the link man. He finally got going around the 50min mark, and remembered ...

hermie

ChipSpike wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 12:50 pm Itoje, Morgan, Russell, Freeman, jgp all great today

From an Irish perspective Conan and Aki looked good. Was Morgan MotM?

hermie

That's Daly on the plane home. Forcing him to play in three successive games is suddenly looking like a shite piece of selection. Keenan ill and Kinghorn cup tied left minimal options Exactly. You can't start a tour with a single specialist available. Taking a sicknote AND selecting a bloke to join...

hermie

Winnie wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 12:38 pm
Da iawn diolch wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 12:35 pm That's Daly on the plane home.

Forcing him to play in three successive games is suddenly looking like a shite piece of selection.
Keenan ill and Kinghorn cup tied left minimal options

Could have played Marcus or Hansen.

hermie

Nice from Mitchell!

hermie

Itoje is just everywhere. Real thorn in their side.

hermie

Curry not having a good game. Russell looks great again.

hermie

Do refs (in Irish rugby anyway) have a union do turn to in a similar manner to the players union, or is it every ref for himself? They should have, and all refs should have boycotted the following weekend’s matches until Hansen was given the long ban he fully deserved The worst part of it was the i...

hermie

irishrugbyua wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 10:02 am Hugo Keenan has been ruled out of the Lions vs. Reds match

Lions have said it is due to illness. Elliot Daly comes in for another start at fullback

Too many Tim Tams.

hermie

earl the beaver wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 9:52 am Keenan out through illness, Daly starts

Tough one for Keenan who's missed a fair bit of rugby lately. Particularly with Daly playing so well at the minute.

hermie

That's hilarious. I actually really respect him for that. He was totally left hanging and the funniest thing was he didn't even ref a bad game the one that became controversial. It's such a crystallisation for why we can't have good refs in the game. Because no-one in their right mind would sign up ...

hermie

triplebogey wrote: ↑Tue Jul 01, 2025 7:07 pm La Garrec and Niniashvili are the main signings.

Le Garrec is great but is he as good as like peak Kerr-Barlow?

That said, I think Leinster will have a Lions hangover next season. Remember Sarries in 2018? And they didn't have 12 tourists.

hermie

and La Rochelle.. :lol: FFS not again! Bayonne might be a nice away trip depending on how the fixtures pan out. be happy to beat them again, this time in dublin hopefully. We've beat them 3 times in a row now, having already had to face them far too much before that. Just could not be arsed with th...

hermie

irishrugbyua wrote: ↑Tue Jul 01, 2025 2:11 pm and La Rochelle..

FFS not again! Bayonne might be a nice away trip depending on how the fixtures pan out.

hermie

He is good at the breakdown, so will more than likely move to 7. Promising player. I suppose with Crothers gone and Marcus Rea not being rated there might be room but a LH would be better still. Still no sign of Bryn Ward. Really liked him as an u20. Bryn Ward picked up a long term injury last seas...

hermie

I know I've asked before but is Boyd likely to stick in the backrow or move forward like his brother did to prop. Hoping his brother steps up for Ulster next season. looks more likely to stay in the backrow to me, though he isnt the tallest. He is good at the breakdown, so will more than likely mov...

hermie

Wait, favourite or important? Really big difference. Favourite I probably couldn't narrow it down to 10. Most important, I probably wouldn't be bothered doing that list.

Or do you mean top 10 of all so-called important bands? Maybe that I could just about do.

hermie

15 Carries Led the team tackle count @ 13 Two Tries A poach Stand out forward in a match where Toulouse beat HC champions UBB on a field full of internationals. No plane ticket. Makes sense. The one poach doesn't really do justice to it either. He slowed down nearly every other ruck he got near and...

hermie

Here's my stab at a top 10 of the past 10 years: Chernobyl Succession Can't Get You Out of My Head Nathan For You Orange is the New Black Wolf Hall Better Call Saul Twin Peaks: The Return It's a Sin Top Boy It's hard to stick to 10. Just finished Andor and really liked it. That might sneak in there ...

hermie

Whatever about Connacht, can you imagine some of those Kerry footballers yesterday if they had gone the Munster rugby route? Clifford, O Shea, O Conor are all 6’3+ and solid, with skills to burn. Add in the Limerick Hurlers from the past few years to that as well isnt that the case for every provin...

hermie

Farrell also had a good kick and chase which led to a penalty in front of the sticks.

hermie

Wait. You're pitching for White on the basis that he "knows Russell", rather than the bloke who has trained with him every week for the past two years? :lol: :lol: On the basis that he's played more at a higher level recently. That he knows Russell is in his favour when it comes to other would be c...

hermie

A shame for Williams, but he had his moment and proved he was worthy of being there. Not sure he would have troubled the test side, but he was a great support act. A pity for Ben Spencer to not make it, for whatever reason the selectors have dreamed up. He's a mile better than White. Spencer has be...

hermie

Ok then, I'll bite Which (presumably non-French) Toulouse starters make the French team? Non French? As the final showed, it's a very close call between Chocolatebars and Moefana at 12. Willis is the best 7 in the Top14 right now, so they'd be mad not to pick him. 35 turnovers and 10 tries in a sea...

hermie

irishrugbyua wrote: ↑Mon Jun 30, 2025 11:06 am
Mr. Very Popular wrote: ↑Mon Jun 30, 2025 11:04 am
irishrugbyua wrote: ↑Mon Jun 30, 2025 11:01 am Top 4 seeds in ERC in separate pools will be:
Leinster, UBB, Toulouse and Bath
Is that draw today or tomorrow?
Nevermind, I used the power of Google, it's next week.
I thought it was tomorrow.

It is tomorrow.

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