The Official English Rugby Thread

[Oxbow]

Might as well go all in early, having seen him play 30 minutes for Saints on Saturday, Henry Pollock is a future England flanker.

[SaintK]

Might as well go all in early, having seen him play 30 minutes for Saints on Saturday, Henry Pollock is a future England flanker.

Very promising. Got some real pace and ball handling skills

[SaintK]

20 years ago today England had just kicked off against Australia in Sydney
I remember it well

[Raggs]

20 years ago today England had just kicked off against Australia in Sydney
I remember it well

The fast food joint that we lived above had left it's fryers on, and they caught fire. Fire alarms went off, stumbled out of the flat after a couple of hours sleep and hungover, in a dressing gown, with my 6 other housemates in various states of pajamas etc, had they not been so sensitive, we wouldn't have been able to see 2 ft in front of us, it filled with smoke really quick. The neighbouring students were laughing and joking out their windows at us, until we pointed out the smoke pouring out of ours. Got given blankets by the fire brigade, got take up to the nearby hotel where not long before a famous footballer had been robbed by two hookers. Sat in the lobby for a while, got told we couldn't go back in the flat for a while. Went to the pub that wasn't open yet, but one of the housemates worked out, got given a breakfast that they don't serve, and watched the final on their TV in the pub, all dressed in our smokey smelling dressing gowns. Boring Tony the agent from the letting company got the whole placed cleaned by the end of Sunday, and paid for all our stuff to be thoroughly dry cleaned, despite the fact that he didn't yet know if the place below even had insurance. Boring Tony was boring as hell, but turns out, a bloody good letting agent.

[SaintK]

20 years ago today England had just kicked off against Australia in Sydney
I remember it well

The fast food joint that we lived above had left it's fryers on, and they caught fire. Fire alarms went off, stumbled out of the flat after a couple of hours sleep and hungover, in a dressing gown, with my 6 other housemates in various states of pajamas etc, had they not been so sensitive, we wouldn't have been able to see 2 ft in front of us, it filled with smoke really quick. The neighbouring students were laughing and joking out their windows at us, until we pointed out the smoke pouring out of ours. Got given blankets by the fire brigade, got take up to the nearby hotel where not long before a famous footballer had been robbed by two hookers. Sat in the lobby for a while, got told we couldn't go back in the flat for a while. Went to the pub that wasn't open yet, but one of the housemates worked out, got given a breakfast that they don't serve, and watched the final on their TV in the pub, all dressed in our smokey smelling dressing gowns. Boring Tony the agent from the letting company got the whole placed cleaned by the end of Sunday, and paid for all our stuff to be thoroughly dry cleaned, despite the fact that he didn't yet know if the place below even had insurance. Boring Tony was boring as hell, but turns out, a bloody good letting agent.

Fantastic!!! I'm sure you remember that day very well

[Raggs]

20 years ago today England had just kicked off against Australia in Sydney
I remember it well

The fast food joint that we lived above had left it's fryers on, and they caught fire. Fire alarms went off, stumbled out of the flat after a couple of hours sleep and hungover, in a dressing gown, with my 6 other housemates in various states of pajamas etc, had they not been so sensitive, we wouldn't have been able to see 2 ft in front of us, it filled with smoke really quick. The neighbouring students were laughing and joking out their windows at us, until we pointed out the smoke pouring out of ours. Got given blankets by the fire brigade, got take up to the nearby hotel where not long before a famous footballer had been robbed by two hookers. Sat in the lobby for a while, got told we couldn't go back in the flat for a while. Went to the pub that wasn't open yet, but one of the housemates worked out, got given a breakfast that they don't serve, and watched the final on their TV in the pub, all dressed in our smokey smelling dressing gowns. Boring Tony the agent from the letting company got the whole placed cleaned by the end of Sunday, and paid for all our stuff to be thoroughly dry cleaned, despite the fact that he didn't yet know if the place below even had insurance. Boring Tony was boring as hell, but turns out, a bloody good letting agent.

Fantastic!!! I'm sure you remember that day very well

It'll take a while to forget obvious had a fair bit to drink that day. Crashed on the floor of a mates house, and had a Jiu Jitsu grading on the Sunday. Can't even remember how I got my gi, I think we were allowed back in the house by that point and I just grabbed it. It was in a bag in a cupboard, so not too stinky If memory serves. Hungover and exhausted is the best way to deal with hours of having people trying to kick/punch/hit you with coshes and being slammed into the floor.

[Slick]

20 years ago today England had just kicked off against Australia in Sydney
I remember it well

I had just flown back from an extended backpacking trip in Africa that morning and straight to the rugby club (when I lived in England). Bloody great day.

[Lobby]

As a counter to all the doom and gloom about the England back row, according to Sarries Earl is expected to return in January so should be ready for the 6N.

"Earl and Saracens received a positive update on his knee problem on Tuesday.

A scan revealed medial meniscus damage, which has now been repaired, and he is likely to return in January.

"We anticipate he'll be out for between six to eight weeks," Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said.

Earl was a standout performer for England on their run to the bronze medal in France, playing 80 minutes in six out of their seven matches.

"Ben had a minor knee procedure this morning," McCall added. "He's had a busy time with a lot of minutes in August, September and October, so to have a six-week period not playing rugby might actually be good for him in the long run.""

[Ymx]

Yes the world has gone to pot.

But here is some good news guys !!!

[ASMO]

Yes the world has gone to pot.

But here is some good news guys !!!

Thanks for ruining my next 4 years, that is almost banhammer worthy

[BnM]

Ooof

[inactionman]

Ooof

Disgraceful.

eta: and, apparently, sold out, so it seems they know what they can get away with.

[Paddington Bear]

Reading the comments - they employ dynamic pricing?

[Ovals]

Ooof

Bloody hell - you could take a whole family to a T20 Blast game for less than that Adult price - and get 4 hours of entertainment.

[petej]

Enjoying the saints quins game.

Surprised Bath can charge so much while being a bit rubbish. Plenty of alternatives near by.

[inactionman]

Enjoying the saints quins game.

Surprised Bath can charge so much while being a bit rubbish. Plenty of alternatives near by.

Much as I concede Bath were shocking in seasons past, this season they're second in the league and currently winning against the top team away (which will of course have jinxed it). Too soon to say a corner's turned, but a world away from shipping record scores at home the season before last.

The price hike does seem to have coincided with the arrival of Finn Russell, I will say that.

[inactionman]

Enjoying the saints quins game.

Surprised Bath can charge so much while being a bit rubbish. Plenty of alternatives near by.

Much as I concede Bath were shocking in seasons past, this season they're second in the league and currently winning against the top team away (which will of course have jinxed it). Too soon to say a corner's turned, but a world away from shipping record scores at home the season before last.

The price hike does seem to have coincided with the arrival of Finn Russell, I will say that.

Bah.

[sockwithaticket]

Good comeback for Saints after last weekend.

Enjoying the saints quins game.

Surprised Bath can charge so much while being a bit rubbish. Plenty of alternatives near by.

Not sure we can make that jibe while they're second in the league.

[SaintK]

Enjoying the saints quins game.

Surprised Bath can charge so much while being a bit rubbish. Plenty of alternatives near by.

Saints v Quins was a cracker!

[SaintK]

Never seen Farrell miss so many kicks in one match

[sockwithaticket]

Never seen Farrell miss so many kicks in one match

How many?

He's had an increasing number of off days in recent years.

[SaintK]

Never seen Farrell miss so many kicks in one match

How many?

He's had an increasing number of off days in recent years.

5!!!!

[sockwithaticket]

I never understand allowing the kicker to keep having a go once they get up to 4.

[Paddington Bear]

Never seen Farrell miss so many kicks in one match

I’m convinced his ankle injuries have caught up with him

[geordie_6]

Never seen Farrell miss so many kicks in one match

I’m convinced his ankle injuries have caught up with him

I think, for the good of his club career, the only option would be for him to retire from International Rugby.

Immediately.

[inactionman]

Yes the world has gone to pot.

But here is some good news guys !!!

Thanks for ruining my next 4 years, that is almost banhammer worthy

According to our most learned press, and planet rugby, it gets even better.

https://www.planetrugby.com/news/maro-i ... t-decision

tldr - according to Stuart Hogg, if Sarries make Farrell their marquee when they're only allowed one from 2024, Itoje will feck off to France.

[sockwithaticket]

Maro's on an insane wedge for a lock already, that he's allegedly seeking to increase that to £1m per season is absolutely crackers.

His current 800k is an amount he'd probably be fairly lucky to replicate even if looking across the Channel. There's obviously more money in French rugby, but they still have a salary cap to work around. From next season it's being reduced to 10m euros. According to a quick internet conversion that's about £8.7m, so even without the increase he'd be asking any prospective club to spend abotu 11% of their total salary cap on one second row (who looks to be past his peak based on the last couple of years...).

I suggest he brush up on his Japanese if he wants that kind of money.

[Paddington Bear]

It’s a no brainer Sarries making Faz the marquee player.

[SaintK]

Maro's on an insane wedge for a lock already, that he's allegedly seeking to increase that to £1m per season is absolutely crackers.

His current 800k is an amount he'd probably be fairly lucky to replicate even if looking across the Channel. There's obviously more money in French rugby, but they still have a salary cap to work around. From next season it's being reduced to 10m euros. According to a quick internet conversion that's about £8.7m, so even without the increase he'd be asking any prospective club to spend abotu 11% of their total salary cap on one second row (who looks to be past his peak based on the last couple of years...).

I suggest he brush up on his Japanese if he wants that kind of money.

The Rugby Paper reported a couple of weeks back that his agents salary demands were far too rich for even the wealthiest of T14 sides.
In other news Lewis Ludlum has completed his signing for Toulon who he will join at the start of next season. Saints couldn't compete with nthe salary offer and length of contract agreed and with the RFU dithering about the "hybrid contracts" there was no guarantee he would be offered one.

[Hal Jordan]

England backrow options are narrowing themselves without any input from our esteemed national coaching team.

[Margin__Walker]

Well this was unexpected

[tc27]

Faz has ruled himself out of the 6Ns for family reasons

[Paddington Bear]

Absolutely did not see that coming.

No doubt his family have taken a pasting from keyboard warriors

[sockwithaticket]

Possibly, but between England and Lions responsibilities he's been away a lot and has young kids. Wife just might want more support in general or might have a specific issue that means she can't work around his likely absence at the moment. All we know is what's in the statement.


On keyboard warriors, Tom Foley is the latest ref to reveal he's had death threats.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-67546611

[SaintK]

Absolutely did not see that coming.

No doubt his family have taken a pasting from keyboard warriors

Quite! He doen't deserve all the shit and personal abuse that comes with his selection.
Sarries will delighted mind you.

[inactionman]

I wonder what the odds are for George Ford getting a season ending injury in his next game out.

[Biffer]

I wonder what the odds are for George Ford getting a season ending injury in his next game out.

Maximum conspiracy theory would be v Leinster in the Heineken Cup.

[Insane_Homer]

Interesting to see if they go with Ford or continue to blood Marcus @ 10 now.

Form says Ford should be the obvious starter but Marcus needs unhindered time as the first choice if he's going to be the choice to the next WC.

I really don't see any reason to mix/match them - stick with one (except maybe against Italy).

[Slick]

Absolutely did not see that coming.

No doubt his family have taken a pasting from keyboard warriors

Quite! He doen't deserve all the shit and personal abuse that comes with his selection.
Sarries will delighted mind you.

I really, really hope it's not that. I hate the game at the moment.

[tc27]

Anyone whos directly abusing him or his family is well over the mark obviously.

Think its ok to criticise his performance and selection online though.