Planet Rugby Forum

DeDoc

My best guess is it is related to insurance

DeDoc

lnstr93 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 14, 2025 5:25 pm The 20s are proper shite

And/or the coach is shite...

DeDoc

CM11 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 13, 2025 10:43 pm Who are we playing and which placing match?

Scotland and 9-12

DeDoc

And it’s cover with 10 days to playing Heyes could easily make it. Is Farrell just trolling us now, calling up all these useless Leinster journeymen? It’s the Lions ffs! England, Wales and Scotland have test matches this weekend. If Farrrell called up one of their players, they'd have to bring out ...

DeDoc

He's a shadow of his former self in terms of his ability to troll, but he does still retain a capacity to dangle some tasty morsels in the water occasionally I still enjoy reading his articles, but more in a 'there, there' kind of curiousity rather than expecting something outrageous. A bit like wat...

DeDoc

I was genuinely taken aback before the Scotland v Ireland game when try scoring stats for Lowe and Graham were discussed as I had no idea Graham's were so much better. I bothered to check, and if you look at the first choice backlines for both teams (Keenan, Hanson, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe JGP v Kingho...

DeDoc

Last time Ireland played Georgia in Tblisi: Emerging Ireland’s 2015 Tbilisi Cup opening win over Italy is unlikely to ring a bell with most people. Unless, of course, you were part of the squad – in which case the facile 25-0 victory provided the precursor to an unforgettable night on what proved to...

DeDoc

He is an international winger, of course he creates chances as I said above. He also finishes a good number of not very good chances that need a lot of work from him to get over the line. But he plays in a much stronger team that wins far more matches than the Scottish wingers, yet Graham, vdM and ...

DeDoc

Exactly this. I'd say Busby is less upset by the hot-headed comments from Hansen after the game that refs are out to get Connacht (or whatever) and much more peeved that Connacht and the IRFU almost behaved as if he had a point and completely left him (Busby) out to dry in the process. Nailed. :thu...

DeDoc

Now I remember Bottom line is that we need refs, so Hansen needed a strong reprimand, and more particularly the IRFU and Connacht needed to be unequivocal in condemning what he said. I can understand a player, in the heat of the moment immediately post game, losing a bit of self-discipline, but he h...

DeDoc

irishrugbyua wrote: ↑Tue Jul 01, 2025 9:50 pm

Remind me what the story was here?

DeDoc

Da's patented Lions depth chart (trademark pending). To be refreshed after each game, or when I can be bothered. Squad members, by original squad position, in order of likelihood to feature in the upcoming test. Asterisk denotes lack of gametime. LH Prop: Porter, Genge, Schoemann Hooker: Sheehan, K...

DeDoc

Christ , just looked back at the thread, Jack,Willis is the best 7 in the world right now by a f**king country mile. No one watching last night would be in any doubt of that . Except stupid …. If he’s looking for a point of reference post his ACL’ s and few caps last years European final where the ...

DeDoc

Fair chance of a majority Scotland backline for the Lions now. It's when you see that in black and white in front of your face that you realize Faz will never go for it. Russell backing up could be read in three ways - Farrell has him inked in and wants to see how he goes with JGP - Farrell would l...

DeDoc

"I wasn't really proposing that ... but let me double down on that logic for a moment". Christ. I feel like I'm losing IQ points by having this discussion. I don't think A beats B, B beats C over one match samples means A>C, no. That is very simplisitic... But it at least has some basis of evidence...

DeDoc

Either way... "Australia beat England, England beat France. France>Toulouse. Therefore Australia>Toulouse" ...is the sort of logic that 14-year olds employ to figure out the toughest kid in school. Did you really think I was proposing that as serious logic? :lol: It does at least have the merit of ...

DeDoc

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 season is ridiculous. There's a very good reason why Toulouse players made up half of the in...

DeDoc

And there is the flaw in your assumption, and an assumption that is rooted in that 'old clubman at the bar' lore. 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....

DeDoc

Da iawn diolch wrote: ↑Mon Jun 30, 2025 10:51 am
DeDoc wrote: ↑Mon Jun 30, 2025 10:37 amEngland beat France. France>Toulouse. Therefore Australia>Toulouse
And there is the flaw in your assumption, and an assumption that is rooted in that 'old clubman at the bar' lore.

Ok then, I'll bite

Which (presumably non-French) Toulouse starters make the French team?

DeDoc

Since the last RWC, Oz have lost more than they won, 7 wins 6 loses so not sure your argument holds up. True. But, as (currently) ranked 8th side, they've also played the following ranked teams: 1 - twice H&A 2 - twice H&A 3 - once A 5 - twice H&A 6 - once A 7 - once A 11 - once H 12 - three times,...

DeDoc

My argument rests on: - Man for man, very few of those Aussies would get into the Toulouse side. Prove me wrong . - Toulouse spend 11 months a year training together, while the Aussie lads get together for a few weeks in camp. You seem to think "it's a long flight and the Aussies would be more up f...

DeDoc

Your argument rests on the intangibles. Let's ignore the reality, like the fact that the Toulouse lads spend 11 months a year together too. But sure, just like the old soak down the clubhouse would tell you, it's all about "motivation". So does yours :lol: The Toulouse side still lost 8 and drew 1 ...

DeDoc

FWIW - Toulouse have lost to Perpignan, Racing, UBB (x2), La Rochelle, Bayonne, Castres and drawn with Lyon this season UBB have lost to Toulouse, Toulon, Montpellier, La Rochelle (x2), Racing, Bayonne, Lyon(x2) and Clermont, Pretty big leap to say either would "handily see off Australia", in Austr...

DeDoc

This nuance is lost on them. This really is an alliance for the ages. You can tell the mongs who don't watch the Top14, and still think that all test rugby is somehow better than all club rugby. It's like listening to some old soak committee man down at the local clubhouse. Both sides in Saturday's...

DeDoc

I think Williams could be a bolter for the test side if there's any doubt about Gibson-Park. I think he did a good JGP impression off the bench against the Pumas where as Mitchell didn't really do too much. Agreed. The pace went up a step when Tomos came on. If he gets the coordination with his run...

DeDoc

DVdM - He's more a donkey than a rugby player, but a helluva physical handful. Was (pleasantly) shocked to see him pass at one point! Lots of hairy moments. Schmidt (as said above) will torture him Like he didn't manage when Scotland beat the Wallabies in the Autumn. DvdM is what he is, he has stre...

DeDoc

Beirne is from a one street village in the middle of farmland called Eadestown. It's about 30 km from Dublin

DeDoc

Here is what I made of the team Genge - generally excellent, both in loose and tight LCD - didn't lack for effort, but looks a bit short of class. Goes to ground too easily. Takes some blame for lineout Bealham - does what he does most weeks, a ton of work with little fuss or showiness. Itoje - some...

DeDoc

Ireland had a very, very good side in the mid-70’s and again in the 80’s. We really didn't.... Just less shit than the surrounding years. I know we had had the Welsh/Scottish no-show in 1972(?). We couldn't even win a triple crown in the 70s. We managed 2 in the 80s. No grand slams. No victories ov...

DeDoc

Dai wouldn't disingenuously be comparing ticket sales for a match that's been selling tickets for months (longer?) to one selling tickets for a week? That wouldn't be like him at all, at all. And yet, despite having teams from five different countries, two continents and two hemispheres, more peopl...

DeDoc

All of which goes back to my original point. Huge in Dublin, largely ignored by the rest of the NH. But what is your point? French don't watch he prem, English don't watch the top 14 etc. etc. This isn't unique NH don't even watch super rugby anymore, which used to be quite a big thing. It's more t...

DeDoc

In fairness, of all the top tier rugby nations, Welsh rugby seems to be the most depressed currently. Very little in terms of success and excitement in recent years. Da iawn diolch as a died in the wool fan is not dealing with it well. The phrase is "dyed in the wool". :thumbup: In the context of t...

DeDoc

Honest question. Does anyone in the Northern Hemisphere outside of Dublin actually care about this one? I think people care a lot more when their own side is playing. But plenty of 'other' fans will still watch the final IMO. Last years figures from the URC show 4.7M watched the play-off games (7 g...

DeDoc

Honest question. Does anyone in the Northern Hemisphere outside of Dublin actually care about this one? I think people care a lot more when their own side is playing. But plenty of 'other' fans will still watch the final IMO. Last years figures from the URC show 4.7M watched the play-off games (7 g...

DeDoc

I remember the first time I saw John Hayes in the flesh. Was at a game where Shannon were playing (away). Their bus arrived, and I saw this guy coming out the doorway who literally filled all the space. I could see there was someone immediately behind him, as I could see a hand, but Hayes completely...

DeDoc

I reckon Prendergast will be fine. His frame is big enough. He mightn't have natural 'dog' in him to smash people, but he can still learn better technique. Putting on a few kilos in his upper body should be very doable, and won't hurt the rest of his game, as well as giving him more confidence going...

DeDoc

Our quota of useless backrows who hang around on the wing trying to look flashy was taken up by Ahern. Speaking of show ponies, Ryan Baird has (inexplicably) 27 caps - has he deserved even half of them? I doubt it. Aged well. If Baird can regularly produce performances like Saturday's, he'll have a...

DeDoc

Are we assuming the Argentina selection (starting team anyway) will be picked from the guys in camp this week? So: Genge, LCD, Bealham, Itoje, Beirne, Morgan, Curry, Earl, Mitchell, Smith, VDM, Aki, Jones (is he fit?), Freeman, Smith :?: VdM not fit and unlikely to be so for the 20th. Not sure on J...

DeDoc

While obviously the 'cramp' and the wink was the most visible part of the Sharks shenanigans, the much much bigger issue was all of their staff on the sidelines shouting abuse trying to put off the kickers. A better ref would have asked him what was wrong - refs regularly do this. And if he said cr...

DeDoc

The half of the Scottish team that’s out there for Glasgow must come pretty cheap, so. Only half? Compared to Leinster's 30-odd internationals. Must feel great battering the minnows at home. :thumbup: Glasgow literally have 30 capped full internationals on their books in the current squad. https://...

Search found 3496 matches