The Rugby Thread

[PeteC]

Here's a good clip.

https://t.co/vVbMzViiJn?ssr=true


Re the above article, this clip displays why Gatland will have a world of trouble if he's trying to change the NZ style of rugby. He'll never do it, and he shouldn't even try.

[PeteC]

https://www.facebook.com/rugbyworldcup/ ... 9021517981

[PeteC]

Screen Shot 2020-08-12 at 9.57.46 AM.png (92.14 KiB) Viewed 331 times

This is the last match of the New Zealand tournament, and the Blues vs the Crusaders should be the match of the season.


https://mailchi.mp/sanzarrugby/2017-sup ... nd-3266955

[PeteC]

The above New Zealand matches this weekend are now in doubt due to new local cases of Covid in NZ. The Blues vs Crusaders has already sold 43,000 tickets.

https://www.superxv.com/final-super-rug ... s-in-doubt

[PeteC]

The Rugby Pass newsletter for this week:

https://is-hosted-email-api-prod.appspo ... 2415937536

[PeteC]

The above New Zealand matches this weekend are now in doubt due to new local cases of Covid in NZ. The Blues vs Crusaders has already sold 43,000 tickets.

https://www.superxv.com/final-super-rug ... s-in-doubt

Blues vs Crusaders has been cancelled. Highlanders vs Hurricanes will proceed, but start time brought forward to 15:05 hours NZ time.

[pharvey]

Well, watching my first European/UK "live" game since rugby has restarted tonight (Harlequins vs Sale), and have to say it is bl**dy strange without the crowd.

Only 20 mins or so into the game and scrappy as hell - the weather not helping, but obviously there's the bit where they haven't played for some time due to the China Bug.

The referee is blowing up far more quickly - simply not allowing "static play"/players to remain on the ground - the game (and the "dark arts") will develop around this I'm sure in the future.

That said - very happy to see rugby back in the UK!!

[PeteC]

Are you noticing silly and very marginal calls the likes of which I was talking about in NZ?

[pharvey]

Are you noticing silly and very marginal calls the likes of which I was talking about in NZ?

Certainly nothing as bad as you've been watching/reporting - that I think down to certain rules being "trialed" in the SH but not in the NH. Tonight was down to some scrappy play (cr@ppy play by Sale) due to both the weather and rustiness/lack of game play. All in all I quite enjoyed the game, just not the result (have never liked the "'Quins"!

More games tomorrow with better weather forecast - let's see if that (or the referee) makes a difference.

[PeteC]

Ok Pharvey, which of these should I pay attention to, and try to find an on-line stream?


Friday

Sale
18:00
Exeter Chiefs

Gloucester
19:45
Bristol

Wasps
19:45
Worcester Warriors

Saturday

Saracens
12:30
Harlequins

London Irish
14:00
Northampton Saints

Leicester Tigers
16:30
Bath

Sunday

Ospreys
14:15
Dragons

Connacht
16:30
Ulster

[Big Boy]

Whilst you're at it pharvey, my son has remembered he's a Bears fan, and wants to follow all of their matches (more waking up at silly o'clock to watch). I think you've recommended Rugbypass in the past - is it any good please? Price looks reasonable, but I hate buffering - especially at silly o'clock in the morning.

[pharvey]

Ok Pharvey, which of these should I pay attention to, and try to find an on-line stream?

It's very difficult to say to be honest Pete - from what I've seen on the first week back it's been a real mix. There's been obvious rustiness from both players and officials and also high penalty counts - but the rugby on the whole has been good: -

Exeter look unbeatable quite frankly and will take the title IMHO. Bath seem to have improved over "lock-down" and thankfully (I'm a fan) their scrummage has improved significantly - I think they'll get into the play-off's, something that seemed very unlikely earlier in the season. Wasps also looked good last weekend, Thomas Young, son of Dai Young the former head coach having an absolute stormer of a game - also contenders for the play-off's. Sale were absolutely dreadful and Bristol were far and away from their best. That said: -

Friday would have to be Gloucester vs Bristol purely based on what I've seen in the first week back.

Saturday - For me it's Leicester vs Bath, but Saracens vs 'Quins could be interesting (the Vunipola brothers seem to have put on my body-weight during lock-down!).

Sunday - Complete shot in the dark. This is the first game back for the Pro-14 teams - I'll be very interested to see the new look Dragons. From all accounts the Dragons' squad is much improved, whereas the Ospreys look to have fallen away.... we'll see.

Whilst you're at it pharvey, my son has remembered he's a Bears fan, and wants to follow all of their matches (more waking up at silly o'clock to watch). I think you've recommended Rugbypass in the past - is it any good please? Price looks reasonable, but I hate buffering - especially at silly o'clock in the morning.

Lock-down has it's perks and I'm stuck in the UK with BT Sports who are covering all matches! Buffering is always an issue TBH BB, but free sites I've used (whilst overseas) are: -

https://buffstreams.tv/watch-rugby
https://www.crichd.com/

https://www.nowtv.com/ are offering a 7-Day free trial which would be worth a try if available in Thailand (maybe via a VPN?)

My brother mentioned another site last weekend which he was raving about - can't remember it offhand, but will check with him and post here.

[EDIT] Sorry - "Rugbypass" has been great in the past, but also suffers with bufferring when you have low bandwidth. Personally, suggest you try the freebie "Now TV" link before signing up and paying for Now TV.

[PeteC]

Thanks Pharvey , I'll see what I can get. I've got Rugby Pass built into the TRUE package I have but I don't know yet what matches they will be showing now that NZ is finished. Australia is still going so they will show those plus something from the UK.

Edit: Between deals with Setanta Sports and Rugby Pass, TRUE had a deal with BT, but now gone.

[Big Boy]

Whilst you're at it pharvey, my son has remembered he's a Bears fan, and wants to follow all of their matches (more waking up at silly o'clock to watch). I think you've recommended Rugbypass in the past - is it any good please? Price looks reasonable, but I hate buffering - especially at silly o'clock in the morning.

Lock-down has it's perks and I'm stuck in the UK with BT Sports who are covering all matches! Buffering is always an issue TBH BB, but free sites I've used (whilst overseas) are: -

https://buffstreams.tv/watch-rugby
https://www.crichd.com/

https://www.nowtv.com/ are offering a 7-Day free trial which would be worth a try if available in Thailand (maybe via a VPN?)

My brother mentioned another site last weekend which he was raving about - can't remember it offhand, but will check with him and post here.

[EDIT] Sorry - "Rugbypass" has been great in the past, but also suffers with bufferring when you have low bandwidth. Personally, suggest you try the freebie "Now TV" link before signing up and paying for Now TV.

Thank you pharvey.

Hmmmm............. I can't live with buffering. My bandwidth is excellent, as are my download speeds. However, this doesn't prevent the likes of HD Prime being impossible for me to watch most of the time. I guess $9.99 for one month isn't much to lose if it doesn't work, but it will be damned annoying - bloody good job I don't need much beauty sleep. I'll try the freebies you mention, together with Now TV before I subscribe.

[Big Boy]

I've looked at Now TV, and it's quite expensive compared to Rugbypass at £9.99/day. It also looks as though Id need to purchase a fairly robust VPN. It did surprise me though, it detected I was in the UK, but said I had to connect to it's Ireland site.