The Rugby Thread

[pharvey]

Could have been absolute cracking matches - "Saints vs Sarries" and "Bath vs Leicester", but as both Bath and Saints are playing in European Cup finals in Cardiff over the 24th and 25th, you'll not likely see many first team players on display!!

Well I've called that completely wrong with Bath at least putting out a very strong side..... Could be quite the match yet!!

[pharvey]

Stealing some of the limelight from Spurs....

European Challenge Cup final
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Champions.JPG (125.1 KiB) Viewed 526 times

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Bath: (17) 37

Tries: Dunn, Ojomoh, Obano, Spencer Cons: Russell 4 Pens: Russell 3

Lyon: (5) 12

Tries: Dumortier, Bortha Cons: Berdeu[/b]

"Bath clinched their first European title in 17 years with a commanding display against Lyon in the Challenge Cup final in Cardiff's Principality Stadium.

The Premiership league leaders survived first-half ill-discipline - with two players being shown a yellow card - to take a 17-5 lead through Tom Dunn and Max Ojomoh tries.

Beno Obano then scored their third before captain Ben Spencer dived under the posts to seal the victory.

Navit Niniashvili and Arno Botha scored the only points for Top14 side Lyon, who went into the match as the in-form team in the competition but who were outplayed across much of the field.

The game marks the start of what could be an era-defining three weeks for Bath, who remain on course for a historic treble this season.

They won the Premiership Rugby Cup in February and are heavy favourites to win the Premiership title for the first time since 1996 after securing top spot with three rounds of games to go to cruise into the play-off semi-finals."

Taken From: - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union ... 0nwzdp27go

[pharvey]

Lots on again this weekend with the United Rugby Championship Quarter Finals and the Final Round of the English Premiership with Play-off places still to be decided (aside from Bath of course ).

Times, dates and further details @ https://www.wheresthematch.com/live-rugby-union-on-tv/

[pharvey]

Well, it's "Semi-Final Weekend"!!

English Premiership: -

Bath vs Bristol 7:45pm Friday 06/06 (UK KO) - Proper "Local Derby!"

"Brizzol" will claim all bragging rights so far as they've beaten Bath home and away this season.... Bath were poor in the first match and played their 3rds in the return match. Bath are runaway leaders in the league, but emotions will run high in this match for sure! Truly looking forward to this one!!

Leicester vs Sale Sharks 3:30pm Saturday 07/06 (UK KO)

This could be a classic - very evenly matched IMHO, could give the edge to Leicester's forwards and home advantage, but then there's the Curry Bros. and Ford at Flyhalf for Sale....

United Rugby Championship (URC): -

Leinster vs Glasgow Warriors 2:45pm Saturday 07/06 (UK KO)

Leinster will always be favourites playing at home especially with their unbelievable Squad, but they'll have been disappointed with their record so far this season and there's been the odd shock - I for one hope they get busted by Glasgow!!

Bulls (Pretoria, SA) vs Sharks (Durban, SA) 5:15pm Saturday 07/06 (UK KO)

The (real) Sharks have pretty much been my team outside of European Rugby for many years in one format and another (they were Natal in years past), but they'll not be favourites this weekend..... It will be close, there will be some hard hits and THE Sharks will edge it IMHO!!

[EDIT] For ALL games and (viewing) details: - https://www.wheresthematch.com/live-rugby-union-on-tv/

[PeteC]

I watched parts of both Bath-Bristol and Leicester-Sale and the latter was edge of the seat stuff! Next week I think Bath will be favored, but it will be close.

If Pollard kicks as poorly as he did last night though, it may not be close?!

[pharvey]

I watched parts of both Bath-Bristol and Leicester-Sale and the latter was edge of the seat stuff! Next week I think Bath will be favored, but it will be close.

If Pollard kicks as poorly as he did last night though, it may not be close?!

Both games were excellent, though Bath ran away with it somewhat in the 2nd Half. Quite honestly Bristol really gave it their all in the 1st Half and just didn't have the Bench that Bath had and this could well be a deciding factor in next week's Final also.

The Final has all the makings of being an absolute classic - hopefully we'll have fair weather for it, BUT this is the UK in summer after all!!

[pharvey]

This weekend brings us the French Top XV Play-offs, but Saturday's "Grand Finals" are undoubtedly the Main Events!!

Bath and Leicester head to Twickers The Allianz Stadium for the English Premiership Final KO 3:00pm (UK Time), followed by the United Rugby Championship Final with Leinster taking on the (Pretoria) Bulls KO 5:00pm (UK Time) from Croke Park.

The English Premiership Final is available on the likes of ITV, ITVX, Discovery+ and TNT Sports. The URC Final is available through Premier Sports.

Both look set to be cracking matches - hopefully without the British and Irish Lions losing any squad members through injury!!

[pharvey]

Hopefully some Top Rugby on this weekend with the French Top 14 Semi's and International Rugby with the British and Irish Lions taking on the Pumas at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin and "An England XV" taking on "A France XV"..... Not too sure who's going to be there for England or France considering the other matches taking place!!

The British & Irish Lions will also be shorn of several players due to last weeks Finals and unavailability of many players to attend the Training Camp. Most notably, the Squad Selection for the opening match contains NO Leinster players.

British and Irish Lions: 15 Marcus Smith, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Sione Tuipulotu, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Luke Cowan Dickie, 3 Finlay Bealham, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 5 Tadhg Beirne, 6 Tom Curry, 7 Jac Morgan, 8 Ben Earl.

Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 Tadhg Furlong, 19 Scott Cummings, 20 Henry Pollock, 21 Tomos Williams, 22 Elliot Daly, 23 Mack Hansen.

Further details of match schedules and streaming @ https://www.wheresthematch.com/live-rugby-union-on-tv/

Don't forget to make your picks if in the HHF/Superbru Prediction League!!

[PeteC]

If B&IL's vs Argentina is any indicator, Australia could have a successful series.

[dtaai-maai]

If B&IL's vs Argentina is any indicator, Australia could have a successful series.

[pharvey]

There's a lot to do, that's for sure - but you also need to remember the amount of B&IL Squad Members absent for this match. Additionally, several class players were not at their best... Freeman and Finn Smith to name a couple. Whilst the commentators seemed to be loving each and every moment of Freeman, they must have been watching a different bloody match to me!!

The Defence and Lineout were scrappy, but the scrum was good and there were certainly bright moments in attack, BUT just odd errors and the last pass not going to hand.

There'll always be the comments that this team and partnerships are new and the Squad are just coming together. Yep, true to an extent and Squad Members coming in (Leinster especially) will make a notable difference.

And you can't take it away from the Pumas who played a good game - notably the Back-Row, Santi (15) and Albornoz (10).

Not good to lose, but hopefully an exciting tour coming up

[pharvey]

Dear God - Gave up on England's 2nds (well 3rds) against France's 6th's shortly after Feyi-wasa-Welshman getting sent off.

Still, a good win for Calais it seems.

[dtaai-maai]

Oh dear, I must have misfiled your reminder...

[pharvey]

Any higher and he would have missed.....
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[404cameljockey]

Crazy. You can hope that if he had manage to wrap around the neck he would have had the sense to release immediately, but I think he's having a bit of trouble returning to play and bad decisions accompany that.