The Rugby Thread

[pharvey]

Just watching a summary of yesterday's game, and 1 stat came up that I thought was well worth a mention for any rugby fan....

Leigh Halfpenny, Welsh Fullback has not missed a tackle in 751 minutes of INTERNATIONAL rugby..... this prior to the game against Scotland, where I don't believe he missed a tackle either......

Fair play to the lad - a stark difference to bl**dy "Wendyballer" Bale who is embarrassing my nation by hitting the dirt after not being ****ing tackled!!

[dtaai-maai]

Well, England won...

I suppose if you're going to have a collective off day, Italy is probably not the worst choice to have it against. But fair play to Italy as well - they are definitely no longer the European pushovers that they were a decade ago.

[richard]

DTM. Just hope it was complacency and they a right bollocking and get fired up before battle with the sheepsh.............oops, Welsh next week

[pharvey]

DTM. Just hope it was complacency and they a right bollocking and get fired up before battle with the sheepsh.............oops, Welsh next week

Well, prior to the Italy game, I thought it a forgone conclusion that the Championship was heading England's way win or lose against Wales next week (superior points difference). But now that points difference is just 14 points, an 8 (possibly even 7) point victory over Beelzibub's XV would give God's own the title........ not beyond the realms of possibility!!

I didn't actually get to see the game, but from match reports and comments, seems England as well as the ref had poor games...... poor refereeing really is starting become a worry recently - some very poor decisions despite the fact that they have access to the 2 linesmen, a "3rd referee", replays etc.... it certainly should not happen at this level.

Anywho, bring on Beelzibub and his Eunuchs next week, us "sheepsh..... sorry Welsh", shall be looking forward to it...

And bl**dy Richard takes the Yellow Cap this week in the HHF League...

[richard]

English thrashed by the .............Welsh.

A deserved win for them.

As a English/Welsh/Tyke I'm not too unhappy. Should boost me on the pool too

[lindosfan1]

I see my forecast of jan23rd was right, wales were the dark horse, wish I had remembered than when making my predictions

[caller]

The Welsh really deserved their win so congrats to those from the wrong side of Offas Dyke for that. But I'll be a happy man when todays referee is finally laid to rest. I just can't accept any England game with him at the helm as being a level playing field.

[Big Boy]

I thoroughly enjoyed the game, and there's no doubt the better team won.

I'm now going to crawl back under my stone until next season

Oh, and congratulations to richard for stealing this year's honours.

[dtaai-maai]

I thoroughly enjoyed the game

Huh? You must be a masochist! I had to switch off with 10 minutes to go.

[dtaai-maai]

I'll be a happy man when todays referee is finally laid to rest. I just can't accept any England game with him at the helm as being a level playing field.

It was one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen on a rugby pitch. Unfortunately, disheartening as it must have been for the English, I don't think it contributed significantly to what looked like a rather feeble capitulation in the face of a determined Welsh performance.

[Big Boy]

I thoroughly enjoyed the game

Huh? You must be a masochist! I had to switch off with 10 minutes to go.

Maybe

[redzonerocker]

Fortunately, i had a more important sporting event 50 miles further down the M4.
I was gonna watch the highlights but won't be bothering now

Well done Richard for winning the pool

I know it's scant consolation, but the French did get the wooden spoon

[pharvey]

Well, celebrations over, house drunk dry, bad head, LHG not impressed...... the end to the 6N 2013.

Somewhat of a bizarre tournament it was too....

Pre-tournament favourites France take the Wooden Spoon.
Italy with their most successful tournament to finish above both France and Ireland.
Scotland with their best finish in a decade.
What a turn up in Cardiff in the final round! Wales with their biggest ever win over England to retain their title for the first time since 1979. A seemingly very unlikely scenario after falling 30-3 down against Ireland after just 45 mins of the 1st round. Congrats to the entire Welsh contingent - certainly a game that will stick in my mind for years to come!!

Congrats also to Richard for sneaking the HHF Tournament title at the last.......

Next up the Lions tour of Australia, with a "curtain raiser" on June 1st against the BaaBaas in Hong Kong.

Full fixture list: -

Lions.JPG (54.16 KiB) Viewed 444 times

[caller]

Walsh is a cheat, plain and simple. This is a man even NZ sacked and he had to go to Oz to become a ref again. Can you imagine that happening in any other sport?

Lots of questions being asked his refereeing against England, from many different sources.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... o-IRB.html

Edit - just to add as stated before, we were well beaten, but why does rugby bring this upon itself? Is there such a lack quality refs out there, that this guy has to be used? Its not right.

[Jaime]

Never mind that, what about SpitGate?

Watch as Tom Croft appears to spit at Halfpenny in one of the rucks: http://prem0.hiboox.com/images/1113/dia ... 0bcafa.gif

Seriously, even though Walsh is a bit of a nob, I've watched the game numerous times and I can't see one of the decisions at scrum that was obviously wrong. On many occassions he seemed to be getting advice from his touch judges too, so it wasn't all Walsh.

Graham Rowntree is on record as saying he has "studied the video forensically" and as a result he is not happy, which seems a ridiculous and irrelevant thing to say because referees do not get the same opportunity before making decisions. The truth is that Rowntree's charges were well beaten and the Welsh scrum has done well throughout the championship - that aspect of the game wasn't a surprise to me.

I will say though that Wales' first try came from a turnover that was 'on the margins' as they say. But it happened very fast and Walsh was on the other side of the ruck.

The thing is, the ref has a different view of everything from us watching from the sidelines.

During a post match 'discussion' of a decision I made in a match I refereed earlier this season, an opposition coach admitted "well, I suppose if you have to think about it, then you can't give it." He's right. A ref can only give what he actually sees, not what he thinks happens and - rightly or wrongly - has to make an instant judgement.

Whilst top level refs have touch judges to rely on as well, I have no doubt that will be Walsh's defence if Joel Jutge reviews his performance.