The Official English Rugby Thread

[SaintK]

Yeah, he's on loan to Hartpury.

Bloody hell. I know he's lost all semblance of form and his agent is hawkin g him around the FRench clubs. But a player of his supposed pedigree on loan to a Championship side!!!!!

[tc27]

The loss to Argentina was in the horrid white 'Nike swoosh' kit wasn't it? Peter Richards at 9?

Awful awful era of England rugby particularly as it followed the best ever period.

Decent write up: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 192358.stm

[sockwithaticket]

The loss to Argentina was in the horrid white 'Nike swoosh' kit wasn't it? Peter Richards at 9?

Awful awful era of England rugby particularly as it followed the best ever period.

Decent write up: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 192358.stm

I was 13 when we won the World Cup, only a couple of years into paying attention to rugby beyond being plonked in front of the 6 Nations each year by my dad. Watching us go from lifting the trophy into what followed was deeply confusing and a little upsetting.

I know people have their issues with Lancaster, but going from that almost full decade of decline, briefly punctuated by our meme 2007 World Cup run, to a steady 4 wins every 6 Nations and restoring our competitiveness against the SH big 3 means I will always have time for him.

[Iain(bobbity)]

Oddly I really started to properly watch rugby in that era having only watched the last couple of 2003 RWC games.

It has left me with pretty managed expectations. Quite useful much of the time.

Mind you, I actually quite liked a good number of the players around at that time. Flood is maligned in my view, largely because of who he had to follow.

[Happyhooker]

There's an "apres moi, le deluge" joke in there but I'm feeling tired

[Paddington Bear]

The loss to Argentina was in the horrid white 'Nike swoosh' kit wasn't it? Peter Richards at 9?

Awful awful era of England rugby particularly as it followed the best ever period.

Decent write up: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 192358.stm

Enjoyed that, funny to read just how downbeat they were about '07 knowing what happens (yes I know it was a meme run but still). Have to say I'd blanked out just how turgidly poor that period was, though I do vaguely recall an autumn where our best performance came in shipping 40 points to the ABs.

[petej]

Oddly I really started to properly watch rugby in that era having only watched the last couple of 2003 RWC games.

It has left me with pretty managed expectations. Quite useful much of the time.

Mind you, I actually quite liked a good number of the players around at that time. Flood is maligned in my view, largely because of who he had to follow.

Flood was messed around, particularly in the 2011 world cup.
You started to watch rugby pretty much when the Irish and Welsh had stopped being rubbish. Very bad timing.

[SaintK]

Slade now vaccinated and clear to play in France and Italy

Henry Slade’s availability for England’s Six Nations away fixtures against Italy and France has been confirmed after Exeter revealed he is in contention to play in Montpellier on Sunday.
Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter has revealed that Slade can be selected for this weekend’s Heineken Champions Cup clash with Montpellier at the GGL Stadium in France and it is understood he has now been vaccinated.
“The truth is, and I know Henry doesn’t mind me saying this, Henry never said he wasn’t going to get vaccinated.
“He said at the time he wanted to see what the situation was and that was months and months ago. That’s all I’m prepared to say.

[sockwithaticket]

Oddly I really started to properly watch rugby in that era having only watched the last couple of 2003 RWC games.

It has left me with pretty managed expectations. Quite useful much of the time.

Mind you, I actually quite liked a good number of the players around at that time. Flood is maligned in my view, largely because of who he had to follow.

Yeah, Flood was much better than he was given credit for.

[Kawazaki]

Yeah, he's on loan to Hartpury.

Bloody hell. I know he's lost all semblance of form and his agent is hawkin g him around the FRench clubs. But a player of his supposed pedigree on loan to a Championship side!!!!!

He's on £500k+ a year isn't he? He's probably on more pro-rata for that match than the other 29 players combined!

[Kawazaki]

I'm not sure I agree at all on the general positive Toby Flood comments. He nearly always had a brainfart when playing for England. I don't think he was that great - a tall Freddie Burns or a slim Billy Twelvetrees.

[Bullet]

The purple kit game was the one with Monye at fullback. 2009 I think. The game you're talking about was 2006.

Keith x

That's it, Monye at 15.
Given tickets but wished stayed home

England: Monye, Cueto, Hipkiss, Geraghty, Banahan, Wilkinson, Hodgson, Payne, Hartley, Bell, Deacon, Borthwick, Croft, Moody, Haskell.
Replacements: Goode for Wilkinson (75), Care for Hodgson (75), Doran-Jones for Payne (63), Thompson for Hartley (69), Worsley for Croft (63).
Not Used: Lawes, Erinle.

[SaintK]

Yeah, he's on loan to Hartpury.

Bloody hell. I know he's lost all semblance of form and his agent is hawkin g him around the FRench clubs. But a player of his supposed pedigree on loan to a Championship side!!!!!

He's on £500k+ a year isn't he? He's probably on more pro-rata for that match than the other 29 players combined!

Not sure, but ridiculous money for him whatever given his form . Certainly Scottish have no full time pros on their books and pay peanuts, probably why they are bottom of the Championship

[sockwithaticket]

Yeah, he's on loan to Hartpury.

Bloody hell. I know he's lost all semblance of form and his agent is hawkin g him around the FRench clubs. But a player of his supposed pedigree on loan to a Championship side!!!!!

He's on £500k+ a year isn't he? He's probably on more pro-rata for that match than the other 29 players combined!

That's certainly what was reported. Frankly an insane amount of money. He wasn't exactly ripping it up for Wasps when they came for him and was in a second season of non-peak form, so I've no idea how they decided that he was worth that much

[Kawazaki]

Hughes has never lived down Faf de Klerk lifting him up and driving him back 10m. To be fair, it was a disgrace and he should be ashamed of himself.

[Niegs]

My favourite of those was the game where they handed out those foam mini-rugby balls to everyone coming in. 80,000 pissed rugby fans with 80,000 mini rugby balls. What could possibly go wrong.

“Please respect the kicker!”

[Glaston]

Yeah, he's on loan to Hartpury.

Bloody hell. I know he's lost all semblance of form and his agent is hawkin g him around the FRench clubs. But a player of his supposed pedigree on loan to a Championship side!!!!!

He's on £500k+ a year isn't he? He's probably on more pro-rata for that match than the other 29 players combined!

There are 3 other Bristol players loaned out for the same game, a number of other Bristol players have played with them recently.

[fishfoodie]

My favourite of those was the game where they handed out those foam mini-rugby balls to everyone coming in. 80,000 pissed rugby fans with 80,000 mini rugby balls. What could possibly go wrong.

“Please respect the kicker!”

The ECB is planning a "Bat Night", for the returning Test sides next game

[Kawazaki]

Bloody hell. I know he's lost all semblance of form and his agent is hawkin g him around the FRench clubs. But a player of his supposed pedigree on loan to a Championship side!!!!!

He's on £500k+ a year isn't he? He's probably on more pro-rata for that match than the other 29 players combined!

There are 3 other Bristol players loaned out for the same game, a number of other Bristol players have played with them recently.

I thought Hartbury were aligned with Gloucester?

[sockwithaticket]

Bloody hell. I know he's lost all semblance of form and his agent is hawkin g him around the FRench clubs. But a player of his supposed pedigree on loan to a Championship side!!!!!

He's on £500k+ a year isn't he? He's probably on more pro-rata for that match than the other 29 players combined!

There are 3 other Bristol players loaned out for the same game, a number of other Bristol players have played with them recently.

The others would probably be mentioned if they were internationals and earning a fraction of the amount he is, but it's the likes of Deago Bailey, so it's not much of a story.

[SaintK]

He's on £500k+ a year isn't he? He's probably on more pro-rata for that match than the other 29 players combined!

There are 3 other Bristol players loaned out for the same game, a number of other Bristol players have played with them recently.

The others would probably be mentioned if they were internationals and earning a fraction of the amount he is, but it's the likes of Deago Bailey, so it's not much of a story.

Confirmation.

Any hopes former England number eight Nathan Hughes was on the verge of working his way back into being a regular part of Pat Lam's plans at Bristol Bears this season seem to have vanished following the news the big number eight has been sent out on loan to the Championship.

Hughes started at number eight against Exeter Chiefs on New Year's Day in his first Premiership start since September, with the official line from the club being he has been absent as a result of poor form in which time young Fitz Harding has established himself as a star in the side. In the background rumours of a fallout linger with the Fijian-born Hughes expected to leave Ashton Gate at the end of the season.

The 22-cap England international performed admirably, if unspectacularly, in the defeat to Exeter - doing the basics well. However, he was replaced in just the 45th minute of the 19-13 loss.

Since then Hughes has resumed his main role this season as a traveling replacement for the Bears, but he will not be involved this weekend when Bristol travel to Scarlets in the Heineken Champions Cup.

Today, RFU Championship side Hartpury confirmed he has joined the club on loan and has been training with the side in the week ahead of this weekend's game against London Scottish when he will start at number eight alongside clubmate Mitch Eadie. The pair are joined in the Hartpury side by Bristol Bears youngsters James Dun at lock and Deago Bailey on the wing.

[Phredd]

Is "being loaned out to Hartbury" the modern day equivilent of "being sent to Coventry"?

Bristol couldn't really send Hughes to Coventry, because that's where he came to them from.

[Kawazaki]

Farrell injured in England training. Having a scan and out of the weekend Sarries match.

[SaintK]

Farrell injured in England training. Having a scan and out of the weekend Sarries match.

Jones's training methods strike again!!!
I do hope it's not serious but also hope that it puts Farrell out of contention to start against Scotland

[Margin__Walker]

Farrell injured in England training. Having a scan and out of the weekend Sarries match.

Jones's training methods strike again!!!
I do hope it's not serious but also hope that it puts Farrell out of contention to start against Scotland

McCall's surely. They're not in camp yet

[fishfoodie]

Farrell injured in England training. Having a scan and out of the weekend Sarries match.

Jones's training methods strike again!!!
I do hope it's not serious but also hope that it puts Farrell out of contention to start against Scotland

To be fair to Jones (spit!), Farrells tackle technique, could equally be to blame; & that pre-dates Jones

[JM2K6]

Farrell injured in England training. Having a scan and out of the weekend Sarries match.

Jones's training methods strike again!!!
I do hope it's not serious but also hope that it puts Farrell out of contention to start against Scotland

To be fair to Jones (spit!), Farrells tackle technique, could equally be to blame; & that pre-dates Jones

Don't think it's an injured shoulder

[SaintK]

Farrell injured in England training. Having a scan and out of the weekend Sarries match.

Jones's training methods strike again!!!
I do hope it's not serious but also hope that it puts Farrell out of contention to start against Scotland

McCall's surely. They're not in camp yet

Ah yes, quite

[ASMO]

Farrell injured in England training. Having a scan and out of the weekend Sarries match.

Jones's training methods strike again!!!
I do hope it's not serious but also hope that it puts Farrell out of contention to start in the 6 Nations

Edited to reflect a more hopeful outcome

[Lobby]

Oddly I really started to properly watch rugby in that era having only watched the last couple of 2003 RWC games.

It has left me with pretty managed expectations. Quite useful much of the time.

Mind you, I actually quite liked a good number of the players around at that time. Flood is maligned in my view, largely because of who he had to follow.

Flood was messed around, particularly in the 2011 world cup.
You started to watch rugby pretty much when the Irish and Welsh had stopped being rubbish. Very bad timing.

The main thing I remember about Flood's World Cup was that, having been England's No 10 throughout the 6N that year, he was used to promote the sale of TVs before the World Cup.

People buying a new TV in advance of the World Cup were promised that they would get a cash back refund equivalent to the number of points Flood scored during the RWC, only for him to be dropped as the first choice 10 and kicker in favour Wilkinson just before the World Cup started. As a result, anyone who bought a TV on that deal would have only got about £20 back from the couple of games he actually played in.

[SaintK]

Farrell injured in England training. Having a scan and out of the weekend Sarries match.

Jones's training methods strike again!!!
I do hope it's not serious but also hope that it puts Farrell out of contention to start in the 6 Nations

Edited to reflect a more hopeful outcome

Seeing a specialist next week and probably out of the Scotland match

Farrell will see a specialist early next week and is now not expected to join up with England in their training camp in Brighton.
England will announce a squad update on Monday with Courtney Lawes favourite to take over the captaincy in Farrell's absence.

[sockwithaticket]

As I said about the autumn, being forced to use some different 12 options between now and the world cup won't do us any harm.

[Margin__Walker]

Steward at 12 then.

Here. First...

[Kawazaki]

Steward at 12 then.

Here. First...

He's got even less pace than Farrell has!

[Oxbow]

Steward at 12 then.

Here. First...

Well Tommy Freeman is starting at 13 for Saints against Racing, so why not.

[Hal Jordan]

The purple kit game was the one with Monye at fullback. 2009 I think. The game you're talking about was 2006.

Keith x

That's it, Monye at 15.
Given tickets but wished stayed home

England: Monye, Cueto, Hipkiss, Geraghty, Banahan, Wilkinson, Hodgson, Payne, Hartley, Bell, Deacon, Borthwick, Croft, Moody, Haskell.
Replacements: Goode for Wilkinson (75), Care for Hodgson (75), Doran-Jones for Payne (63), Thompson for Hartley (69), Worsley for Croft (63).
Not Used: Lawes, Erinle.

That is so bad I think I've spontaneously developed Bad Aids from reading the lineup.

[Raggs]

Bailey was going to be looked at as a 12 option...

[Margin__Walker]

I once saw OHC play an A league game at 12, now I think of it. Get him involved.

Playing players in their correct positions is for pussies.

[ASMO]

Steward at 12 then.

Here. First...

Nahh Sam Simmods, deffo

[duke]

Tom Curry, you know it makes sense. Jack Nowell at open side