Planet Rugby Forum

We thumped 3/4 of the Rugby Championship sides!

I'm worried we're getting cabin fever here


(No Burt please, lancaster or useless plum will suffice)

JM2K6 wrote:We thumped 3/4 of the Rugby Championship sides!

True and only one of those we beat was a worthwhile opponent. Australia and Argentina have been crap for years now.

Madness wrote:A great try I haven't seen in ages

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7_L4nH1jb0

2:23 in for the start of the try

Thats a magnificent try. Start to finish great hands and working the space.

sockwithaticket wrote:

JM2K6 wrote:We thumped 3/4 of the Rugby Championship sides!

True and only one of those we beat was a worthwhile opponent. Australia and Argentina have been crap for years now.

The tournament also proved its very hard to get up week after week to sides as good as you 3 weeks or more in a row.

SA are also a bit of a poison for us, albeit not sure going forward because they've had alot of retirements this year. I'm not sure what the answer to it is though. If they are good at defending very well, are bigger than everyone and very rarely lose shape in defence, very few will beat them.

Sadly the games about size, we don't produce A. that many big players, B. those who are big are of the international calibre that we have. There's also no guarantee going wide was going to work either. In the years prior, going wide hasn't paid us massive dividends. NZ are better equipped for moments of inspiration but we don't play like that. I also think they had a far less taxing physical and mental route to the final and it really did help sock. Again, don't blame Jones for that. He couldn't do anything anyway, we'd topped the group and the final game got rained off ala the Typhoon so it was out of his hands anyway.

Nieghorn wrote:Newcastle back ... but (I only skimmed this), no one dropping (yet)?

https://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/n ... remiership

Typical of a Welshman (Shingler of Ealing) to say that despite being beaten by Falcons with a TBP (in their home game) they were the better side and pointing out that their game in hand was against Yorkshire. I suppose we could award them a moral promotion. It would appear that they want the play offs to take place to give them another chance. Problem with that is that they are almost certain to lose again, but the big losers would be Falcons, unable to finalise their squad for next season until these unnecessary games are over. Can't see the RFU changing their minds though, that would be totally out of character.

Fenman wrote:

Nieghorn wrote:Newcastle back ... but (I only skimmed this), no one dropping (yet)?

https://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/n ... remiership

Typical of a Welshman (Shingler of Ealing) to say that despite being beaten by Falcons with a TBP (in their home game) they were the better side and pointing out that their game in hand was against Yorkshire. I suppose we could award them a moral promotion. It would appear that they want the play offs to take place to give them another chance. Problem with that is that they are almost certain to lose again, but the big losers would be Falcons, unable to finalise their squad for next season until these unnecessary games are over. Can't see the RFU changing their minds though, that would be totally out of character.

I can't see why ealing are taking this position. They don't even want promotion for the next few seasons, unless they've decided covid has sped up ring fencing.

Fenman wrote:

Nieghorn wrote:Newcastle back ... but (I only skimmed this), no one dropping (yet)?

https://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/n ... remiership

Typical of a Welshman (Shingler of Ealing) to say that despite being beaten by Falcons with a TBP (in their home game) they were the better side and pointing out that their game in hand was against Yorkshire. I suppose we could award them a moral promotion. It would appear that they want the play offs to take place to give them another chance. Problem with that is that they are almost certain to lose again, but the big losers would be Falcons, unable to finalise their squad for next season until these unnecessary games are over. Can't see the RFU changing their minds though, that would be totally out of character.

I was at the Newcastle Ealing game - no doubt who the better side is.

sockwithaticket wrote:

JM2K6 wrote:We thumped 3/4 of the Rugby Championship sides!

True and only one of those we beat was a worthwhile opponent. Australia and Argentina have been crap for years now.

I'm sorry, this opinion is mad. The Aussies beat the ABs last year.

A few Opta stats based teams for what there was of the prem season

https://www.premiershiprugby.com/news/a ... son-review

Doesn't look like they bothered looking at any negative stats!

JM2K6 wrote:Doesn't look like they bothered looking at any negative stats!

Nope. I've got a lot of time for Ollie Hoskins, but he's a penalty magnet. Marcus Smith was also second only to Cips in missed tackles in the last full set of stats they released (I think) after round 12

Smith has a 74% tackle success rate, which doesn't seem too bad for a midget youngster.

croyals wrote:

sockwithaticket wrote:

JM2K6 wrote:We thumped 3/4 of the Rugby Championship sides!

True and only one of those we beat was a worthwhile opponent. Australia and Argentina have been crap for years now.

I'm sorry, this opinion is mad. The Aussies beat the ABs last year.

What's mad is thinking that result in isolation means anything. The following week the ABs buried them 36 - 0. Australia getting the odd victory or draw over NZ during the last decade happens, it's bound to when you play the same team 3 or 4 times a year. In so far as you can say typically of such occasional results, they've typically been in the dead rubber extra test played after the Bledisloe cup has already been retained by the Kiwis or in the truncated Rugby Championship that occurs in a RWC year.

Australia lost each other test they played against tier 1 opposition in 2019, including Wales, who haven't beaten the ABs in decades.

fatcat wrote:Smith has a 74% tackle success rate, which doesn't seem too bad for a midget youngster.

Yeah, probably better than Faz tbf

Wendigo7 wrote:

sockwithaticket wrote:

JM2K6 wrote:We thumped 3/4 of the Rugby Championship sides!

True and only one of those we beat was a worthwhile opponent. Australia and Argentina have been crap for years now.

The tournament also proved its very hard to get up week after week to sides as good as you 3 weeks or more in a row.

SA are also a bit of a poison for us, albeit not sure going forward because they've had alot of retirements this year. I'm not sure what the answer to it is though. If they are good at defending very well, are bigger than everyone and very rarely lose shape in defence, very few will beat them.

Sadly the games about size, we don't produce A. that many big players, B. those who are big are of the international calibre that we have. There's also no guarantee going wide was going to work either. In the years prior, going wide hasn't paid us massive dividends. NZ are better equipped for moments of inspiration but we don't play like that. I also think they had a far less taxing physical and mental route to the final and it really did help sock. Again, don't blame Jones for that. He couldn't do anything anyway, we'd topped the group and the final game got rained off ala the Typhoon so it was out of his hands anyway.

We could have beaten nz or the boks as a one off but the nz game was titanic. selection bummed us a bit against the boks, didn't respect the set piece.

Just saw they announced yesterday the final standing of the National Leagues 1, 2, North and South with adjusted standings. Thought they might just nullify the season as they did at the same level in Wendyball but they got enough games played I guess.

Found this on page 97


Will Hurrell retires with immediate effect following the stroke he suffered against Tigers.

Tigers sign some Irish centre called Dan Kelly

DragsterDriver wrote:
Tigers sign some Irish centre called Dan Kelly

Not sure that's a good move. He will only criticise their lockdown measures.

fatcat wrote:

DragsterDriver wrote:
Tigers sign some Irish centre called Dan Kelly

Not sure that's a good move. He will only criticise their lockdown measures.

“Sure lads, the medics back home are better”

“Did ye know Leo is sponge man for Clontarf 3rds on his day off”

Jonny May back to Glaws.

forrester wrote:Jonny May back to Glaws.

Him and that young taff lad on the wings - that's some serious gas

inactionman wrote:

forrester wrote:Jonny May back to Glaws.

Him and that young taff lad on the wings - that's some serious gas

And Thornley, and Marshall.

Spending well.

DragsterDriver wrote:

inactionman wrote:

forrester wrote:Jonny May back to Glaws.

Him and that young taff lad on the wings - that's some serious gas

And Thornley, and Marshall.

Spending well.

Woodward too don’t forget. That really is as good a back 3 selection as anyone in the league. As chuffed as I am to have Jonny back it really isn’t where our problems have been though. We need a decent tight head far more at the moment and a consistent goal kicker.

forrester wrote:

DragsterDriver wrote:

inactionman wrote:

forrester wrote:Jonny May back to Glaws.

Him and that young taff lad on the wings - that's some serious gas

And Thornley, and Marshall.

Spending well.

Woodward too don’t forget. That really is as good a back 3 selection as anyone in the league. As chuffed as I am to have Jonny back it really isn’t where our problems have been though. We need a decent tight head far more at the moment and a consistent goal kicker.

I do wonder how far in advance they agreed on May thinking they’d move players on? Then the virus happened? May’s been said to be leaving tigers for ages.

May would improve pretty much any team, but I’m not really sure he’s what Gloucester need?

As others have already said, they’re not short of back three talent. It’s up front where they’re lacking.

The problems they have are more around the set piece and in particular the lineout which is disappointing considering they have a world class lock in Mostert and some very capable jumpers.

A decidely sub optimal lineout has really hurt them in recent times, so I’ll be interested to see how Ackermann uses Marais and Singleton. Marais is very good around the park but his throwing is shonky to be polite. At Worcester, I would have said Singleton’s darts were reasonable-good, but they were surprisingly crap at Sarries. Hanson’s not as good a rugby player as either of them but at least Gloucester won their own lineouts!

Great questions to which the answer isn’t singleton.

Hanson is very underrated and his darts are top notch. It’s no coincidence that our lineout has suffered while he’s been out.

Tigers covering themselves in glory. Players refuse the 25% pay cut, which isn't great. Club does it anyway, which isn't great either!

Raggs wrote:Tigers covering themselves in glory. Players refuse the 25% pay cut, which isn't great. Club does it anyway, which isn't great either!

Well I can’t see a better solution? No crowds, small tv audience, minority sport. Is it fair to say pros are becoming a bit deluded? I know the career is short and footballers earn huge money but...

DragsterDriver wrote:

Raggs wrote:Tigers covering themselves in glory. Players refuse the 25% pay cut, which isn't great. Club does it anyway, which isn't great either!

Well I can’t see a better solution? No crowds, small tv audience, minority sport. Is it fair to say pros are becoming a bit deluded? I know the career is short and footballers earn huge money but...

A lot of them are quite selfish people anyway, to get where they are they've needed that, so even if they do grasp the financial realities of the club their only concern is getting theirs.

If they hate this, then they're really not going to like what comes next which is the salary cap being reduced.

Sale seem to have got away with it.

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/s ... nt-4075284

Why are Glouc getting no compensation?
Why are the RFU paying Glouc rather than Van Rensburg paying back the money?

sockwithaticket wrote:

DragsterDriver wrote:

Raggs wrote:Tigers covering themselves in glory. Players refuse the 25% pay cut, which isn't great. Club does it anyway, which isn't great either!

Well I can’t see a better solution? No crowds, small tv audience, minority sport. Is it fair to say pros are becoming a bit deluded? I know the career is short and footballers earn huge money but...

A lot of them are quite selfish people anyway, to get where they are they've needed that, so even if they do grasp the financial realities of the club their only concern is getting theirs.

If they hate this, then they're really not going to like what comes next which is the salary cap being reduced.

I’ve gone full ‘prophet of doom’ so I’m pretty biased but I really think rugby is screwed. Been on shaky ground money wise already, this should fudge it nicely.

DragsterDriver wrote:

sockwithaticket wrote:

DragsterDriver wrote:

Raggs wrote:Tigers covering themselves in glory. Players refuse the 25% pay cut, which isn't great. Club does it anyway, which isn't great either!

Well I can’t see a better solution? No crowds, small tv audience, minority sport. Is it fair to say pros are becoming a bit deluded? I know the career is short and footballers earn huge money but...

A lot of them are quite selfish people anyway, to get where they are they've needed that, so even if they do grasp the financial realities of the club their only concern is getting theirs.

If they hate this, then they're really not going to like what comes next which is the salary cap being reduced.

I’ve gone full ‘prophet of doom’ so I’m pretty biased but I really think rugby is screwed. Been on shaky ground money wise already, this should fudge it nicely.

Fully agree. Look at the crowds - this sport cannot pay for itself

Glaston wrote:Sale seem to have got away with it.

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/s ... nt-4075284

Why are Glouc getting no compensation?
Why are the RFU paying Glouc rather than Van Rensburg paying back the money?

Was reading about that earlier. What a mad story.

Certainly seems lenient

Am also in the prophet of doom camp. We were in trouble before this with rugby being unsustainable as a result of wages bearing no sensible relation to revenue.

This is a complete hurricane on top of that. I can't see crowds in stadiums this year. Some clubs at serious risk of going under

I’m not sure if it’s arrogance, wishful thinking or blind loyalty but Rugby people don’t seem to get it. We’ve started pre season individually for September start

But yeah I think the pro game is miles out of step with reality.

Sounds like some of the players want more money and dont approve of the pay cuts or the hiring freeze.



"Premiership players are in advanced discussions about launching a breakaway union after growing frustrated with the Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) and its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Telegraph Sport understands that professional players from around the country, including current England internationals, feel that the RPA is heavily compromised because of its reliance on Premiership Rugby for funding.

There is also a sense of injustice that the RPA “have not turned up” to protect their members since March, with Premiership clubs effectively “colluding” to impart blanket pay-cuts across the league and then choosing not to sign one another’s players.

“Gloucester announced they were going to take pay-cuts and all the other clubs followed suit to do the same thing,” said one senior player from a Premiership club."
“PRL [Premiership Rugby Limited] is owned by the 13 clubs in the Premiership plus Newcastle Falcons and the clubs have colluded together to make the same cuts across the league, with Newcastle making 50 per cent cuts.”

He claimed that the decision not to sign one another’s players was tantamount to “collusion or price-fixing”.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... new-union/

What might the median salary be in a Prem team?

DragsterDriver wrote:I’m not sure if it’s arrogance, wishful thinking or blind loyalty but Rugby people don’t seem to get it. We’ve started pre season individually for September start

But yeah I think the pro game is miles out of step with reality.

Discussing exactly this with my club chairman yesterday. Can't see community rugby clubs open for business by then. Can't see any Autumn internationals taking place in front of a crowd either