The Official English Rugby Thread

[ASMO]

Last run out at the Stoop for Danny Care today. Obviously he started off at Leeds, but he moved on pretty early and after 19 seasons(!) in a quartered jersey he's very firmly Mr. Quins. That sort of run at a single club is pretty unusual these days.

He's been at the heart of Quins greatest modern moments and I'd say a big asset to the league in general, scoring a bunch of great tries and some unexpected drop goals, buying into the ethos of a team that wants to entertain first and foremost. Sometimes to their detriment. He's also given fun moments like leading a season yellow card chart for a series of fairly innocuous offences (not being back 10, team yellow rather than foul play).

Playing this Exeter side should give Quins the opportunity for a perfect home send off.

I first saw him playing for England U19's in the early 2000's. He was as nippy as a Fox Terriier and was kicking goals then as well.
Great servant for Quins and England. Hopefully he doesn't disappear as he comes over extremely well on TV

An ideal replacement for that prick Healey

[Kawazaki]

Last run out at the Stoop for Danny Care today. Obviously he started off at Leeds, but he moved on pretty early and after 19 seasons(!) in a quartered jersey he's very firmly Mr. Quins. That sort of run at a single club is pretty unusual these days.

He's been at the heart of Quins greatest modern moments and I'd say a big asset to the league in general, scoring a bunch of great tries and some unexpected drop goals, buying into the ethos of a team that wants to entertain first and foremost. Sometimes to their detriment. He's also given fun moments like leading a season yellow card chart for a series of fairly innocuous offences (not being back 10, team yellow rather than foul play).

Playing this Exeter side should give Quins the opportunity for a perfect home send off.

I don't remember you posting a similar post about Alex Goode last weekend playing his 400th match for Saracens.

[ASMO]

Quins already on the beach it seems, so so sloppy, this typifies their whole season.

[sockwithaticket]

Exeter do look to have pulled themselves together a bit, but Quins definitely look like they could be taking the match more seriously.

Last run out at the Stoop for Danny Care today. Obviously he started off at Leeds, but he moved on pretty early and after 19 seasons(!) in a quartered jersey he's very firmly Mr. Quins. That sort of run at a single club is pretty unusual these days.

He's been at the heart of Quins greatest modern moments and I'd say a big asset to the league in general, scoring a bunch of great tries and some unexpected drop goals, buying into the ethos of a team that wants to entertain first and foremost. Sometimes to their detriment. He's also given fun moments like leading a season yellow card chart for a series of fairly innocuous offences (not being back 10, team yellow rather than foul play).

Playing this Exeter side should give Quins the opportunity for a perfect home send off.

I don't remember you posting a similar post about Alex Goode last weekend playing his 400th match for Saracens.

I didn't do it for Courtney Lawes last season either. What's your point?

[Kawazaki]

Exeter do look to have pulled themselves together a bit, but Quins definitely look like they could be taking the match more seriously.

Last run out at the Stoop for Danny Care today. Obviously he started off at Leeds, but he moved on pretty early and after 19 seasons(!) in a quartered jersey he's very firmly Mr. Quins. That sort of run at a single club is pretty unusual these days.

He's been at the heart of Quins greatest modern moments and I'd say a big asset to the league in general, scoring a bunch of great tries and some unexpected drop goals, buying into the ethos of a team that wants to entertain first and foremost. Sometimes to their detriment. He's also given fun moments like leading a season yellow card chart for a series of fairly innocuous offences (not being back 10, team yellow rather than foul play).

Playing this Exeter side should give Quins the opportunity for a perfect home send off.

I don't remember you posting a similar post about Alex Goode last weekend playing his 400th match for Saracens.

I didn't do it for Courtney Lawes last season either. What's your point?

What's your point is more the question. What's so special about Danny Care?

[Kawazaki]

Fairly apt that Danny Care finished his rugby career with a complete brain fart fuck up.

[SaintK]

Exeter do look to have pulled themselves together a bit, but Quins definitely look like they could be taking the match more seriously.

I don't remember you posting a similar post about Alex Goode last weekend playing his 400th match for Saracens.

I didn't do it for Courtney Lawes last season either. What's your point?

What's your point is more the question. What's so special about Danny Care?

Very good scrum half, 100 caps, 18 years at Quins.
I'm sure we will post the same for Alex Goode when he retires

[sockwithaticket]

Exeter do look to have pulled themselves together a bit, but Quins definitely look like they could be taking the match more seriously.

I don't remember you posting a similar post about Alex Goode last weekend playing his 400th match for Saracens.

I didn't do it for Courtney Lawes last season either. What's your point?

What's your point is more the question. What's so special about Danny Care?

Start a fight in a fucking phonebox wouldn't you.

I'm not the bored archivist and commissioned to write a retrospective for any stalwart club man drawing time on their career.

I was sat down at my computer for longer before the game than I usually am and decided to post something about a player I've enjoyed watching down the years. It's really not that deep.

[Kawazaki]

Exeter do look to have pulled themselves together a bit, but Quins definitely look like they could be taking the match more seriously.



I didn't do it for Courtney Lawes last season either. What's your point?

What's your point is more the question. What's so special about Danny Care?

Start a fight in a fucking phonebox wouldn't you.

I'm not the bored archivist and commissioned to write a retrospective for any stalwart club man drawing time on their career.

I was sat down at my computer for longer before the game than I usually am and decided to post something about a player I've enjoyed watching down the years. It's really not that deep.

Meh.

[Punter15]

Exeter do look to have pulled themselves together a bit, but Quins definitely look like they could be taking the match more seriously.



I didn't do it for Courtney Lawes last season either. What's your point?

What's your point is more the question. What's so special about Danny Care?

Start a fight in a fucking phonebox wouldn't you.

I'm not the bored archivist and commissioned to write a retrospective for any stalwart club man drawing time on their career.

I was sat down at my computer for longer before the game than I usually am and decided to post something about a player I've enjoyed watching down the years. It's really not that deep.

You are forgetting the golden rule of not engaging with those that choose to be thought of as cūnts than not thought of at all.

[Kawazaki]

What's your point is more the question. What's so special about Danny Care?

Start a fight in a fucking phonebox wouldn't you.

I'm not the bored archivist and commissioned to write a retrospective for any stalwart club man drawing time on their career.

I was sat down at my computer for longer before the game than I usually am and decided to post something about a player I've enjoyed watching down the years. It's really not that deep.

You are forgetting the golden rule of not engaging with those that choose to be thought of as cūnts than not thought of at all.

My shadow arrives.

[sockwithaticket]

Preliminary England training squad. No Bath or Saints players due to their European finals this weekend.

[Brazil]

There's a bloody good team in there even without the Bath and Tampon players.

[Kawazaki]

1. Rodd
2. George
3. Fasogbon
4. Isiekwe
5. Batley
6. Kenningham
7. Curry
8. Willis
9. van Poortvliet
10. Ford
11. Roebuck
12. S. Atkinson
13. Ma’asi-White
14. Elliott
15. Carpenter

16. Dan
17. Baxter
18. Opoku-Fordjour
19. Clark
20. Ilione
21. Randall
22. C. Atkinson
23. Roebuck


No Bath or Saints players in the squad - assume they will join up later.

Hill, Underhill, Spencer would all be in the 23.

[SaintK]

1. Rodd
2. George
3. Fasogbon
4. Isiekwe
5. Batley
6. Kenningham
7. Curry
8. Willis
9. van Poortvliet
10. Ford
11. Roebuck
12. S. Atkinson
13. Ma’asi-White
14. Elliott
15. Carpenter

16. Dan
17. Baxter
18. Opoku-Fordjour
19. Clark
20. Ilione
21. Randall
22. C. Atkinson
23. Roebuck


No Bath or Saints players in the squad - assume they will join up later.

Hill, Underhill, Spencer would all be in the 23.

..............as would Dingwall

[Oxbow]

Coles and Langdon should be too.

[duke]

Coles and Langdon should be too.

As an aside, are they likely to be fit for Saturday?

[sockwithaticket]

Not too much to complain about there, anyone you might have expected to be there not involved in the finals is injured (Cunningham- South, Furbank)

Pleased that Seb Atkinson's getting a look and his club mate Clark should get a good run at lock in the absence of our usual suspects. Goodness knows we need to unearth some new ones to add depth. I do not like the idea that Cunningham-South and T. Hill are our cover there for international games.

Seems a bit premature and unnecessary to bring Feyi-Waboso in with how long he's been out. Would've thought he'd benefit more from a proper pre-season than being brought into England's summer plans. It's not like there's a lack of depth in the back three and he's irreplaceably good. Radwan's on fire at the moment.

Perhaps it's just that I haven't watched Leicester enough, but I've only seen Ilione come of the bench this season and he wasn't involved in the A team during the Six Nations, so his elevation is a bit of a surprise. Capstick was involved with the A's, but i don't really see the international quality in him tbh. Definitely expect them to make way for Hill and Underhill in due course.

[SaintK]

Coles and Langdon should be too.

As an aside, are they likely to be fit for Saturday?

Haven't seen anything yet

[SaintK]

Not too much to complain about there, anyone you might have expected to be there not involved in the finals is injured (Cunningham- South, Furbank)

Pleased that Seb Atkinson's getting a look and his club mate Clark should get a good run at lock in the absence of our usual suspects. Goodness knows we need to unearth some new ones to add depth. I do not like the idea that Cunningham-South and T. Hill are our cover there for international games.

Seems a bit premature and unnecessary to bring Feyi-Waboso in with how long he's been out. Would've thought he'd benefit more from a proper pre-season than being brought into England's summer plans. It's not like there's a lack of depth in the back three and he's irreplaceably good. Radwan's on fire at the moment.

Perhaps it's just that I haven't watched Leicester enough, but I've only seen Ilione come of the bench this season and he wasn't involved in the A team during the Six Nations, so his elevation is a bit of a surprise. Capstick was involved with the A's, but i don't really see the international quality in him tbh. Definitely expect them to make way for Hill and Underhill in due course.

Radwan can count himself very unlucky!
Pleased to see Batley back in the squad at lock, he's a big old lump with good hands and pace, think Lockett has a good chance of touring as well.
Ilione has excellent pace and looks very powerful at 6 though not as good as Hill yet

[Deveron Boy]

No love for Iibitoye?

[SaintK]

Mrt Angry gone..................into retirement

Former England full-back Mike Brown has announced his retirement from rugby at the end of the season - with a parting plea to those who run the game.
The 39-year-old, currently with Leicester Tigers, will bring down the curtain on a 20-year career which saw him earn 72 caps for his country.
He also made 430 appearances in all for Tigers, Newcastle Falcons and, principally, Harlequins, where he began his professional career in 2005 and stayed for 16 years, winning two Premiership titles and the European Challenge Cup.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-uni ... vejx2eyo

[duke]

No love for Iibitoye?

Seems to have dropped off the radar, played well for the A squad so not sure why he’s out of favour

[sockwithaticket]

No love for Iibitoye?

Seems to have dropped off the radar, played well for the A squad so not sure why he’s out of favour

I suspect Borthwick is deeply suspicious of Bristol's flakiness as a collective. On an individual level, I don't think Ibitoye has a rounded enough game for test level yet.

[SaintK]

Coles and Langdon should be too.

As an aside, are they likely to be fit for Saturday?

Not sounding good! UBB will be at full strength with Penaud back.

Northampton are anxious over the fitness of a quartet of key players before the Champions Cup final against Bordeaux-Bègles in Cardiff on Saturday. The hooker Curtis Langdon, the lock Alex Coles and the full-back James Ramm are all battling to overcome injuries, while management are also waiting to discover if the club captain, George Furbank, can feature in the matchday 23.

Saints, who are already without Ollie Sleightholme, George Hendy, Juarno Augustus and Burger Odendaal, will be particularly stretched at hooker and in the back three should Langdon, Ramm and Furbank all be ruled out. Langdon has a shoulder problem, Ramm damaged a shin against Saracens last Saturday while the similarly influential Coles has a knee injury. None of that trio could train on Tuesday.

[Slick]

Mrt Angry gone..................into retirement

Former England full-back Mike Brown has announced his retirement from rugby at the end of the season - with a parting plea to those who run the game.
The 39-year-old, currently with Leicester Tigers, will bring down the curtain on a 20-year career which saw him earn 72 caps for his country.
He also made 430 appearances in all for Tigers, Newcastle Falcons and, principally, Harlequins, where he began his professional career in 2005 and stayed for 16 years, winning two Premiership titles and the European Challenge Cup.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-uni ... vejx2eyo

Every single moment - good or tough - has shaped me into the person I am today

Not a great advert for the game

[Oxbow]

Coles and Langdon should be too.

As an aside, are they likely to be fit for Saturday?

Not sounding good! UBB will be at full strength with Penaud back.

Northampton are anxious over the fitness of a quartet of key players before the Champions Cup final against Bordeaux-Bègles in Cardiff on Saturday. The hooker Curtis Langdon, the lock Alex Coles and the full-back James Ramm are all battling to overcome injuries, while management are also waiting to discover if the club captain, George Furbank, can feature in the matchday 23.

Saints, who are already without Ollie Sleightholme, George Hendy, Juarno Augustus and Burger Odendaal, will be particularly stretched at hooker and in the back three should Langdon, Ramm and Furbank all be ruled out. Langdon has a shoulder problem, Ramm damaged a shin against Saracens last Saturday while the similarly influential Coles has a knee injury. None of that trio could train on Tuesday.

I always had the feeling we could pull off a shock in Dublin, but I'm worried this could turn into a thrashing the number of players we have missing

[SaintK]

As an aside, are they likely to be fit for Saturday?

Not sounding good! UBB will be at full strength with Penaud back.

Northampton are anxious over the fitness of a quartet of key players before the Champions Cup final against Bordeaux-Bègles in Cardiff on Saturday. The hooker Curtis Langdon, the lock Alex Coles and the full-back James Ramm are all battling to overcome injuries, while management are also waiting to discover if the club captain, George Furbank, can feature in the matchday 23.

Saints, who are already without Ollie Sleightholme, George Hendy, Juarno Augustus and Burger Odendaal, will be particularly stretched at hooker and in the back three should Langdon, Ramm and Furbank all be ruled out. Langdon has a shoulder problem, Ramm damaged a shin against Saracens last Saturday while the similarly influential Coles has a knee injury. None of that trio could train on Tuesday.

I always had the feeling we could pull off a shock in Dublin, but I'm worried this could turn into a thrashing the number of players we have missing

Yep, doesn't look good.
We will be down to the bare bones at hooker if Langdon doesn't recover

[Kawazaki]

1. Rodd
2. George
3. Fasogbon
4. Isiekwe
5. Batley
6. Kenningham
7. Curry
8. Willis
9. van Poortvliet
10. Ford
11. Roebuck
12. S. Atkinson
13. Ma’asi-White
14. Elliott
15. Carpenter

16. Dan
17. Baxter
18. Opoku-Fordjour
19. Clark
20. Ilione
21. Randall
22. C. Atkinson
23. Roebuck


No Bath or Saints players in the squad - assume they will join up later.

Hill, Underhill, Spencer would all be in the 23.

..............as would Dingwall

Yes, agreed, though he needs to learn to pass backwards

[SaintK]

1. Rodd
2. George
3. Fasogbon
4. Isiekwe
5. Batley
6. Kenningham
7. Curry
8. Willis
9. van Poortvliet
10. Ford
11. Roebuck
12. S. Atkinson
13. Ma’asi-White
14. Elliott
15. Carpenter

16. Dan
17. Baxter
18. Opoku-Fordjour
19. Clark
20. Ilione
21. Randall
22. C. Atkinson
23. Roebuck


No Bath or Saints players in the squad - assume they will join up later.

Hill, Underhill, Spencer would all be in the 23.

..............as would Dingwall

Yes, agreed, though he needs to learn to pass backwards

[Kawazaki]

Luke Pearce RIP

[Rhubarb & Custard]

One could look at that late Saints score and simply consider it's a two man tackle that doesn't stop the ball getting offloaded, and so you'd want a word with two players wasting resources in defence, addressing that which you can control. Or you could blame the ref.

Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you wet your face

[Lobby]

Luke Pearce RIP

It was pretty clear from the discussions between Pearce and the TMO that Pearce thought it was forward and was looking to the TMO to provide him with enough evidence to overturn the on-field award of a try. But the TMO kept insisting that the pass and try was fine. When Pearce kept questioning him, the most he would say was that, after looking at all the angles, there was nothing conclusive to overturn the decision. Pearce even apologised to Itoje when explaining why he couldn't overturn the decision.

So your ire should be reserved for the TMO.

Having said that, Saracens had benefitted from forward passes earlier in the match that were missed by the ref and TMO, most notably when Daly's pass to Gonzalez travelled about 10 metres forward before Gonzalez caught it and scored, so these things even out in the end.

[Kawazaki]

One could look at that late Saints score and simply consider it's a two man tackle that doesn't stop the ball getting offloaded, and so you'd want a word with two players wasting resources in defence, addressing that which you can control. Or you could blame the ref.

Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you wet your face

The double tackle did stop the ball being legally offloaded.

[Kawazaki]

Luke Pearce RIP

It was pretty clear from the discussions between Pearce and the TMO that Pearce thought it was forward and was looking to the TMO to provide him with enough evidence to overturn the on-field award of a try. But the TMO kept insisting that the pass and try was fine. When Pearce kept questioning him, the most he would say was that, after looking at all the angles, there was nothing conclusive to overturn the decision. Pearce even apologised to Itoje when explaining why he couldn't overturn the decision.

So your ire should be reserved for the TMO.

Having said that, Saracens had benefitted from forward passes earlier in the match that were missed by the ref and TMO, most notably when Daly's pass to Gonzalez travelled about 10 metres forward before Gonzalez caught it and scored, so these things even out in the end.

Daly passed the ball at least 15m out the back of his hands whilst running at full tilt. It would defy the laws of physics of it didn't travel forward relative to where it was released from.

And it was about a 3m difference, not 10m.

This explaining momentum rule is getting tiresome.

[Brazil]

It cancelled out the very obvious penalty try for a tackle in the air that Pearce weirdly talked himself out of earlier. That and giving saracens extraordinary latitude in the ruck on the line, and all of the forward passes that were missed in previous tries. Pearce had a bad day at the office all over the shop, but mercifully it all balanced out and the right team won.

[Kawazaki]

It cancelled out the very obvious penalty try for a tackle in the air that Pearce weirdly talked himself out of earlier. That and giving saracens extraordinary latitude in the ruck on the line, and all of the forward passes that were missed in previous tries. Pearce had a bad day at the office all over the shop, but mercifully it all balanced out and the right team won.

It wasn't a penalty try. Goode would still have pushed him out had he waited the 0.3 seconds for Dingwall to fall the extra 15cm. And there was literally no Saints player within 30m of Dingwall when he passed it back.

[Lady P]

Jesus Christ I can’t believe Toga is still on about this

[Kawazaki]

Jesus Christ I can’t believe Toga is still on about this

All I did was post up the most egregious forward pass that was dismissed as fine by a referee and TMO that you'll likely ever see.



Pearce and whoever the twat in the van was have set a very high tariff for incompetence.

[Rhubarb & Custard]

One could look at that late Saints score and simply consider it's a two man tackle that doesn't stop the ball getting offloaded, and so you'd want a word with two players wasting resources in defence, addressing that which you can control. Or you could blame the ref.

Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you wet your face

The double tackle did stop the ball being legally offloaded.

Turns out it needed to stop it, and it didn't. So agin you could tell Daly not to make an ineffectual tackle assist, Earl doesn't need his help and Daly doesn't stop the offload, and Daly could then tackle the carrier, or one could look at the system Sarries use in defence which clearly has benefits but here one gets the downside of Tompkins having run himself out of the game (granted no system is without issue) so he too isn't there to make a tackle, and he could have been.

So you're left with addressing your own actions, or trying to foist blame on someone else because you don't want to take responsibility for your own efforts. And it should be clear which is the path to take because ref blaming in this fashion is just a toddler tantrum