The Rugby Thread
Comments
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I have only just found out.
shocked.
always thought he was indestructible.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Must be a day for it, in the round ball game Beckenbauer has also died.
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He trained at St Mary's Paddington I think hence playing for London Welsh
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I saw JPR play quite a few times. Absolute nails. Quite typically you would see/hear and almost feel him shoulder barge a player off the pitch. No ‘no arms tackle’ rule back in day.
RIP indeed.
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Rees-Zammit quits rugby with immediate effect to try to be an American football player. Good luck to him, but it seems a high risk strategy.
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WTF? I had to check as I thought I'd missed some in joke.
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Potentially much more money to be made in American football.
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
But also a huge amount of competition from people that have played it all their lives. A few of tried before from Rugby Union (didn't Lomu give it a go?) but I don't recall any actually making it.
Edit - no Jonah was reputedly offered a $10 million contract but turned it down.
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I'm just guessing but I presume he has given the game a tentative go, thinks he has transferable skills and thinks it's worth the gamble. This is assuming running back rather than kicker. Hell, I'd give it a go as a kicker! 🤣
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
He only needs to get as far as the "practice squad" of a team to make the same sort of money (from playing) as he would with Gloucester.
It's a hell of an ask to go in as a running back against people who have been training specifically for it since school (and are just as fast).
Looks like Jordan Mailata is an ex Rabbitoh who know bashes people up for the Philadelphia Eagles, but that's about it for a good precedent, and is a bit different.
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Not sure anyone saw that coming. Shame for rugby, shame for Welsh rugby, but hope it works out for him. He's only 22 so still time to resume his rugby career if it doesn't work out.
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Surprising timing with a Lions tour next year. I hope he likes his name being mispronounced as Americans never get Louis right even when it is in the name of one of their own cities.
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I suspect he got a really good offer!
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Fair play for giving it a go but I suspect we will see him back in rugby in 2-3 years. If he gets on a practice squad he will still earn very good money (about $12k a week!). The thing that the few UK athletes who tried it have said, is how complex the patterns of play are and you are up against dozens of players who have been learning and executing them since they were kids. Even being relatively young, I doubt LRZ is going to pick these up to a level where he can make a final roster in the coming years.
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The saving grace for Walesd is that wing is one position where they have a bit of strength in depth albeit LRZ is the pick of the bunch.
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Look to have lost Immanuel Feyi-Waboso to England though
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Worst kept secret is finally out in the open. LeFaz is going to France.
Probably the end of his England career which - to be fair may another piece of thankless team play given that the next world cup was unlikely on the cards.
Owen Farrell’s England career may be at end as he signs two-year Racing 92 deal | The Independent
We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
Good luck to him. The decision has clearly been weighing on his mind for the last few weeks as his on pitch performances have been terrible.
I think it's really positive for England. Borthwick should have made a clean break from the Jones era and removed him as captain at that point. The international referees have no respect for him / his attitude, so this has enabled a fresh start.
Time to see which Smith can make the 10 jersey their own, assuming Borthwick is brave enough not to put Ford in the matchdayday 23.
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I don't quite understand why England limits the pool of national players by not using those playing in other national leagues?
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Much as I dislike his attitude on the pitch and his constant illegal tackling I do think he's never really got credit for his performances. He's never been spectacular but much like Stephan Jones for Wales (and Jenkins at the start of his career) I think you only appreciate the boring but consistent kicking game when you find those points are no longer forthcoming. I don't watch much club rugby these days so other than Marcus Smith I don't really know much about the upcoming players. Smith obviously brings a bit of flair but not sure he's as consistent from the kicking tee although Farrell had a bit of a shocker on that front last year.
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The reason is to protect the pro-game in England. There are (now) 10 teams in the Premiership.
The salary cap in France is about £4m pa more than in England and so without the restriction there would likely be a player drain from the Premiership.
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Part of the problem has been playing Farrell at 12 where he has been a road block more often than not. Having him there neutered Ford who is the more gifted 10.
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It's even worse in Wales where there are only 4 professional teams (and they are all shit).
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I agree with the first part of your post. Farrell on his day is an incredible player . . . seemed to have got a lot of stick just for being selected which was/is not his call. I now he's not everyone's cup of tea but I think England were more often than not a better side with him playing
Wilier Izoard XP0 -
Watching Slammed - The 80s on BBC Wales. I can’t remember the tour to the South Sea islands in ‘86 but that was just full on thuggery. The kick to Pickering's head that knocked him and left him with a bleed on the brain that only got diagnosed when he paid himself to see a neurosurgeon was a disgrace even for those days. Then the ‘87 5 Nations with Wade Dooley punching Phil Davies in the face at the first lineout fracturing his cheek bone and Jonathan Davies knocking out Rob Andrew with a leading elbow, neither getting sent off.
You regularly hear people bemoaning the game going soft but looking at that and what we have in the game today with head injuries it really is for the best. The game is just completely different all around.
Just had another with Glenn Webbe being taken out by a Tongan. Knocked out for 10 minutes, the medics wanted him sent to hospital but the management made him play on as they’d used their 2 subs. He then went on to score a superb try for his hat trick from inside his half but didn’t know where he was or recognise his team mates. Bonkers!
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6 Nations starts this evening.
Lots of the players I’ve heard of won’t be in it.
News of the day - Scotland wanted the roof open and now they want it closed as rain is forecast.
Hope Ireland v France can stoke some enthusiasm.
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Pressure and expectation on whoever wins tonight. In a nice way but still...
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
France seem to quite like Friday night matches (or they get given more than their fair share).
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Does anyone like Friday night matches. Wales got a bit fed up with them.
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