@mikethesnow said in NH International Rugby:
@tim said in NH International Rugby:
Oh the irony.
It is pantomime season after all.
Oh no its not!
2 months later
@Stargazer Terrible optics considering. Mafi is a shitbag.
Fuck me, this is the same bunch that was chucking money around prior to RWC (like 6 million to upgrade the ABs finals training ground at Pennyhiil Park), and just hosted a hugely successful RWC! That's Ozzie level pissing it up against the wall.
@Machpants That would be astonishingly short sighted.
England team to play the Azzurri announced:-
England team: Daly, Cokanasiga, Tuilagi, Te'o, May, Farrell (capt), Youngs; Genge, George, Sinckler, Launchbury, Kruis, Shields, Curry, Vunipola.
Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Moon, Cole, Hughes, Wilson, Robson, Ford, Slade.
Not sure about Tuilagi AND Te'o in the centres and I would have been tempted to start Robson at 9 for the experience as much as anything. I still prefer Wilson over Shields but maybe he needs a bit of a rest.
@Catogrande I think it maybe a trial in the centres, can England get to per centres to work for them? It can work, see Nonu and SBW in the RWC final, but normally fails. And yes why is Jones building depth at nine? It's a real weak point, he knows his preferred, needs more miles on his second
2 months later
Mon 3 June, 2.30am NZT (Sun 2 June, 3.30pm local time):
England XV v Barbarians
.
It's a double header with a women's game starting at 11.45pm on Sun 2 June NZT (Sun 2 June 12.45pm local time):
England Women XV v Barbarians Women
with Kiwis at 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 and 23:
@Machpants said in NH International Rugby:
Also if I ever see Eddie (cheika, Lam), I'll kick him in the nads - finishers FFS
Please do.
See it's sponsored by Quilter.
Who are the wipers and the fluffers?
@MiketheSnow Looks like England B don't have enough PI in it, so stuck with the posh ones LOL
@Machpants said in NH International Rugby:
I guess they're following the new high tackle guidelines? In which case Brock will be on, then back off again after 4 mins with a red card.
Also if I ever see Eddie (cheika, Lam), I'll kick him in the nads - finishers FFS
Ummmmm....Brock James is renowned for high tackles now?
I imagine Butch James used to play for Taranaki...
@Bones said in NH International Rugby:
@Machpants said in NH International Rugby:
I guess they're following the new high tackle guidelines? In which case Brock will be on, then back off again after 4 mins with a red card.
Also if I ever see Eddie (cheika, Lam), I'll kick him in the nads - finishers FFS
Ummmmm....Brock James is renowned for high tackles now?
I imagine Butch James used to play for Taranaki...
Reminds me of when I got Naholo and Nadolo mixed up and you bailed me up on it.
No one likes a corrector.
@Bones said in NH International Rugby:
@Machpants said in NH International Rugby:
I guess they're following the new high tackle guidelines? In which case Brock will be on, then back off again after 4 mins with a red card.
Also if I ever see Eddie (cheika, Lam), I'll kick him in the nads - finishers FFS
Ummmmm....Brock James is renowned for high tackles now?
I imagine Butch James used to play for Taranaki...
whooooooooooops haha
@MN5 said in NH International Rugby:
@Bones said in NH International Rugby:
@Machpants said in NH International Rugby:
I guess they're following the new high tackle guidelines? In which case Brock will be on, then back off again after 4 mins with a red card.
Also if I ever see Eddie (cheika, Lam), I'll kick him in the nads - finishers FFS
Ummmmm....Brock James is renowned for high tackles now?
I imagine Butch James used to play for Taranaki...
Reminds me of when I got Naholo and Nadolo mixed up and you bailed me up on it.
No one likes a corrector.
Yeah because they're two completely different people...good logic.
It looks like the England XV v Baabaas game will be broadcast live on Sky Sport 1 in NZ. It doesn't say so in the description (it just says "Rugby: England Home Internationals", but what else could it be?
@Bones said in NH International Rugby:
@MN5 said in NH International Rugby:
@Bones said in NH International Rugby:
@Machpants said in NH International Rugby:
I guess they're following the new high tackle guidelines? In which case Brock will be on, then back off again after 4 mins with a red card.
Also if I ever see Eddie (cheika, Lam), I'll kick him in the nads - finishers FFS
Ummmmm....Brock James is renowned for high tackles now?
I imagine Butch James used to play for Taranaki...
Reminds me of when I got Naholo and Nadolo mixed up and you bailed me up on it.
No one likes a corrector.
Yeah because they're two completely different people...good logic.
I can't fault that I just hate it when you talk down to me.
27 days later
Since June 2017, the French Barbarians were considered France's "the next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team" in terms of World Rugby Regulation 8 (Eligibility). Recently, the FFR decided that that's no longer the case and the French Baabaas are back to its former status of "exceptional" team (équipe d’exception).
The FFR has created a new "next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team", the so-called "France 23".
The decision has been taken because the FFR considers it necessary to create a team in-between the French U20 and the "‘XV de France Masculin’" to allow players with great potential to gain experience at the international level, which it considers indispensible for their development towards test rugby. This "project" will start next year, with the RWC of 2023 as its main objective.
Media release of the French rugby federation (FFR):
Link to the article in Le Figaro:
I haven't seen an article about this in English, yet.
22 days later
Excellent analysis of England's game plan and the threat they pose:
16 days later
So Mr Percentage has announced his squad to play Wales in the first RWC warm up game this weekend, with the actual RWC squad named the following week, with further warm up games to come. Not too many surprises in the weekend squad, although Eddie's continued inability to consider a viable back up to Ben Youngs at 9 is again apparent. No place for Cipriani (not a surprise but baffling to a degree) and only a part time back up at No8.
Full weekend squad:-
Forwards: Dan Cole (Leicester), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter), Tom Curry (Sale), Charlie Ewels (Bath), Ellis Genge (Leicester), Jamie George (Saracens), Maro Itoje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton), Lewis Ludlam (Northampton), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Jack Singleton (Saracens), Sam Underhill (Bath), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Harry Williams (Exeter), Mark Wilson (Sale).
Backs: Joe Cokanasiga (Bath), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Leicester), Piers Francis (Northampton), Willi Heinz (Gloucester), Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Joe Marchant (Harlequins), Jonny May (Leicester), Ruaridh McConnochie (Bath), Henry Slade (Exeter), Manu Tuilagi (Leicester), Anthony Watson (Bath), Ben Youngs (Leicester).
Yes. Willi Heinz. That is not a typo.
Faletau is a big loss for you. Moriarty is a fine replacement but doesn't quite offer as much variety. Haven't seen your squad yet, but I'm sort of hoping Gatland leaves as many holes in his squad as Eddie is doing. Doubt it though.
@Catogrande said in NH International Rugby:
Faletau is a big loss for you. Moriarty is a fine replacement but doesn't quite offer as much variety. Haven't seen your squad yet, but I'm sort of hoping Gatland leaves as many holes in his squad as Eddie is doing. Doubt it though.
Strongest, most balanced squad going in to a WC.
Lots can happen in the next 4 matches though.
@Catogrande said in NH International Rugby:
Faletau is a big loss for you. Moriarty is a fine replacement but doesn't quite offer as much variety. Haven't seen your squad yet, but I'm sort of hoping Gatland leaves as many holes in his squad as Eddie is doing. Doubt it though.
Faletau of 2016/17 is a big loss World class player Starting #8 for Lions if healthy
Faletau of 2019 is no great loss Injury prone and not durable Body is breaking down
Moriaty is a much inferior player in comparison & would not start for Wales
if all other players were healthy and struggle to make their matchday squad
TBH Wales will really miss Ellis Jenkins- brilliant player who plays #6 #7 #8
I expect him to be next captain of Wales when AWJ likely retires from Int'l Rugby in 2021 post Lions tour to SA
The likes of Will Heinz "playing for England" is the reason why I don't support ENG despite having strong links to ENG
A 2nd rate Kiwi has no business playing for ENG
What do Kiwi members of TSF think of this fucking turncoat
Italians taking the piss again with Mercenary players
Callum Braley born and bred in ENG
ENG U20 captain but has a Italian granddad so plays for Italy 
This quote below is disgusting Int'l Rugby not a shopping centre where you
pick & choose what nation you want to to play and game the system
“As a kid I always dreamt of playing international rugby and I always knew that could be two avenues
so it’s one of them, whichever came first and gave me that opportunity and believed in me the most,”
@Jaguares4real There's no reason whatsoever to call him names! Personally, I don't think he's good enough for test rugby, but he is eligible under the grandparent rule, not the residency rule, so good on him if he gets selected and takes his opportunities.
@Jaguares4real said in NH International Rugby:
The likes of Will Heinz "playing for England" is the reason why I don't support ENG despite having strong links to ENG
A 2nd rate Kiwi has no business playing for ENG
What do Kiwi members of TSF think of this fucking turncoat
To be honest the "mercenary" aspect of International qualification has been done to death on here (and other sites) and we have a set of rules and mostly these are adhered to. Whether one likes the rules or not is another matter. I am not happy about the Grandparent rule as a for instance but I can see how this can benefit some of the smaller nations, the PIs in particular. It seems that every time a rule is changed to protect one part of the game it causes a problem elsewhere. What is the answer? Fucked if I know.
However I am distinctly uncomfortable with England picking guys like Heinz, Shields and Waldrom. Sure it's within the rules but it just does not feel right to me.
I'm aware of Heinz using Granny Rule
I'm being accurate in calling him a turncoat
Nothing personal but calling it as I see it
Heinz was not sniffing an ABs cap yet alone be good for play for Crusaders so he goes to ENG
There's also a big financial aspect to this with appearance money & other bonuses attached to playing for ENG
The likes of Heinz and Bralley IMO bring the game into Disrepute
Cheating!!!!