Well, unless you’re French, Welsh or Scottish….
International rugby on the telly this weekend
Friday 30th August
| France v Italy | 20:10 | Premier Sports 1 |
Saturday 31st August
| Wales v Ireland | 14:30 | Channel 4 |
| Georgia v Scotland | 17:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
870 thoughts on “Oh, woe is us!”
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Ovally Balls 
The knock on came before the ball crossed the line, therefore was the ‘first’ infringement, rather than a ball being kicked through (for example) and then a Wales player grounds the ball behind his goal line?
That’s just my theory, anyway.
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CMW, the initial “offence” is the knock on whilst the ball is in the field of play, hence the scrum. If it had been kicked over the line then it would be a 22 dropout.
I know what you are saying though, it’s just one of these things
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@BB – I would guess he was pretty sure it was a try, but maybe had an inkling the replay wouldn’t prove it. Can see that the way he awarded it was a bit unsatisfactory though. Not sure in the circumstances the chap on commentary needed to get too upset, but there we are.
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BB’d
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Clyde – as I said earlier – Peter Wright is always complaining about something.
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Ticht, BB – yes I can see that (though ‘first infringement’ is the wrong term as it was the only infringement), just don’t think it really makes sense when seen alongside the way advantage is played in the game as a whole. I suppose the same thing is what allows players to regather a knock-on and then hold on for dear life without being penalised though which I sort of do agree with.
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BB- shame in a way as there was plenty to be happy about for Scotland in the bit I saw.
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@CMW, the one that annoys me is that after a penalty is given against a team in the so-called “Red Zone” you can bet your bottom dollar that another infringement from the defending team will occur at the very next breakdown, and the only thing that happens is that they go back to the original offence, no further action., it never counts as two penalties.
There are times when it will lead to a card, but only when the initial penalty would have done so anyway.
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Ticht,
In last night’s game – and some other games I’ve seen recently – the ref offered the penalty “here or there”. Waiting for a ref to offer the kick in 3 (or more) places.
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Perhaps one will offer ‘here or there’ only for the TMO to step in to tell him it is neither here nor there, but somewhere else?
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Tom, yes they do that sometimes, but it seems like players are coached to kill the ball by any means as it’s not going to get any worse than the initial penalty, after all, what is the real difference between a penalty on the 15m lineout line 7m from the try line and another the same distance infield on the opposite side?
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I’m sure I did see someone carded recently for giving away two of three penalties against his team during an advantage. Think he’d also been the offender for the penalty that set up the attack in the first place as well, can’t remember what game it was though.
Also had a false memory that Steve Walsh carded two Wales players and gave a penalty try on the same phase in the first half of the Liam Williams game. Turns out it only felt like that.
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Time for a little boogie before bedtime….
(And who better?)
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Good tune, BB. I haven’t heard that for yonks
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Ticht – that whole album is my favourite AC/DC one. Even more so than Highway To Hell or Back In Black.
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Not good from Big Dev
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“it seems like players are coached to kill the ball by any means as it’s not going to get any worse than the initial penalty”
I wonder if any of our New Zealand-based OBers have an idea when this practice started.
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Mamuka Gorgodze is coming out of retirement to play for Georgia in Japan!
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International retirement, ‘pro. Still playing Top 14.
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yesterday was T’eo’s first turn out for Toulon against Bordeaux, away. They lost and scored no tries.
Gorgodze also played for Toulon
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…….other names in the game:
Scott Higginbotham, Ben Botica, KAne Douglas, Blair Connor, Juloan Savea, Rhys Webb, Liam Messam……..
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Halfpenny, L Williams
North, Adams, Amos
Jonathan Davies, Watkin, Parkes
Biggar, Patchell
G Davies, A Davies, T Williams
Carré, Wyn Jones, Smith
Owens, Dee, Elias
Francis, Lewis
Ball, Beard, Hill, AW Jones
Wainwright, Shingler,
Navidi, Moriarty
Tipuric, James Davies
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Couple of surprises there. Rob Evans goes from first choice to not making the squad (no idea if it’s injury related). Only 5 props, just the two tightheads – I’m fine with that as the two options were both very poor.
Backs are more or less as expected. Amos>Lane and Watkin>Scott Williams are the only ones to make you think a little.
6 back rowers is one more than I thought they’d take. That’d look so much better with Faletau and Ellis Jenkins.
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There you are you scamps.
Surprised by Watkin>Scott, but I suppose he’s a big lad.
Did Brown really do better than Lee?
The best thing about yesterday was no new injuries.
Cubby boi and Shingler lucky, but they both have the potential to improve, coming back from injury.
Happy that Patchell had a good game, he really struggled for the Scarlets at the end of the season.
Hope Hill makes it.
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Solid enough.
That’s a pisser about Rob Evans. When he’s fully fit, he’s a fine player. Very pleased for the Patch. Could be the Rhys P of this tournament for us.
Now we’re not World Number 1 the pressure should be off.
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Rob Evans is, apparently, fully fit.
They have been using both Wyn Jones and Carre as tightheads in training, but whether that is what has swung the selection, I don’t know.
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Rob Evans is the only real shame for me, think he would be up there with our best scrummagers (although that didn’t show yesterday). Samson’s been out of sorts for a while.
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Well there we are.
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Gats going on the durability angle with the props. Saw it coming with Samson, but Evans a bit more surprising because he has quality. Still, if he has been playing catch up and there is a concern about being breakable, then I get it. Feel sorry for the lad though.
I suppose Gats was burned by the injuries stacking up at the last world cup, but I hope he isn’t going from one extreme to the other – durability over capability.
Yos, good call on the 5 props yesterday. C’mon Wales!
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I think Hill is in because he is AWJ’s best partner and understudy. He hasn’t played since 6N, so he will be right up against it if his first match is an outing against Oz or Q final.
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@BRB, I thought Watkin was coming along nicely as the supporting centre, but going on Saturday’s game alone he was looking a bit of a novice again, while Scott was coping better in the chaos.
I don’t think Scott ever really convinced Gatland though and is another lad prone to breaking down quite often, sometimes with long recovery times. The more I wibble on about it, the more I think that the experiences of the last RWC campaign have influenced some of the selections. Having said that, Amos is not the sturdiest fellow with his pop-out arm joints.
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I don’t think anyone would have guessed the 5 selected! Genuine shock.
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Mr Iks
Perhaps he just had a bad game on Saturday. Aki gave him a hard time, which was mean of him.
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Now there’s a thing, I’ve just looked up the Georgia rugby team and seemingly Graham Rowntree is their scrum coach, or “forwards coach” by title, and is going to coach Munster after the world cup.
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S4C continues its World Cup Classics season tonight with a re-run of the 2015 pool match v England.
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Are they also going to show the pool game vs Australia?
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ticht,
Saracens player and small businessman Richard Wigglesworth is going to be doing some coaching for Canada at the RWC. As is Sit Graham Henry. Wiggo’s then going to be at Ealing in the English Championship.
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Your Uruguay RWC squad:
Backs: Agustín Ormaechea, Santiago Arata, Felipe Berchesi, Felipe Etcheverry, Juan Manuel Cat, Santiago Vilaseca, Agustín Della Corte, Tomás Inciarte, Federico Favaro, Nicolás Freitas, Leandro Leivas, Gastón Mieres, Rodrigo Silva.
Forwards: Facundo Gattas, Joaquín Jaunsolo, Mateo Sanguinetti, Germán Kessler, Guillermo Pujadas, Diego Arbelo, Juan Echeverría, Juan Pedro Rombys, Ignacio Dotti, Manuel Leindekar, Diego Magno, Franco Lamana, Manuel Ardao, Santiago Civetta, Manuel Diana, Juan Manuel Gaminara (capitán), Juan Diego Ormaechea, Alejandro Nieto
J M Cat is no relation.
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Juan Man 🐈
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“I wonder if any of our New Zealand-based OBers have an idea when this practice started.”
Some time, back in the dim dark days, with some game involving England, I’m sure.
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Morning all!
Been out of the loop for a bit, with an exhausting trip to Mozambique finishing on Thursday and flying to Lagos on Friday. Mozambique was wonderful – great food, gentle people, buzzing city and a hugely successful trip where we took about 45 companies to explore an oil and gas sector that will completely transform the country over the next decade. Mozambique will probably reach or exceed Qatar gas levels in that time, and they’ve only just begun. The civils boys and girls on the trip wrecked my kidneys though.
Lagos? You either love it or hate it or have a love-hate relationship with it. There you go – three options in an either/or option, which sums up Nigerian accounting and the mysteries of Lagos perfectly. Off to have some spicy eggs, bacon and maybe jollof rice for breakfast. Chat later!
PS – after the latest bout of friendlies, it is absolutely clear to me that England, Wales and Ireland are all nailed on for the World Cup. Hopefully us SH guys can squeeze one into the semis. Karl to ref it.
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Testing
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“Mozambique will probably reach or exceed Qatar gas levels in that time, and they’ve only just begun.”
Hope they don’t waste that money but instead use the cash to buy Bury FC and take them to EPL glory.
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Scotland squad announced tomorrow. Word on the street is that Toonie will pick some players not selected for the WC squad against Georgia next week.
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Tonga squad:
FORWARDS
Vunipola Fifita (Brumbies, AU), Siegfried Fisi’ihoi (Stade Français, FR), Latu Talakai (Eastwood, AU), Siua Maile (Shirley, NZ), Paula Ngauamo (Agen, FR), Sefo Sakalia (Asia Pacific Dragons, SG), Ma’afu Fia (Ospreys, UK), Siua Halanukonuka (Glasgow Warriors, UK), Ben Tameifuna (Racing 92), Leva Fifita (Grenoble, FR), Sam Lousi (Hurricanes, NZ), Steve Mafi (Castres, FR), Dan Faleafa (Coventry, UK), Sione Kalamafoni (Leicester Tigers, UK), Zane Kapeli (Bay of Plenty, NZ), Fotu Lokotui (Kagifa Samoa, WS), Nasi Manu (Benetton Treviso, IT), Ma’ama Vaipulu (Castres, FR)
BACKS
Sami Fisilau (Auckland Marist, NZ), Leon Fukofuka (Kagifa Samoa, WS), Tane Takulua (Newcastle Falcons, UK), James Faiva (El Salvador, SP), Kurt Morath (Doncaster Knights, UK), Mali Hingano (Stade Français, FR), Siale Piutau (capt., Bristol Bears, UK), Cooper Vuna (Bath, UK), Nafi Tu’itavake (Northampton Saints, UK), Viliami Lolohea (Papatoetoe, NZ), Afa Pakalani (Eastwood, AU), David Halaifonua (Coventry, UK), Telusa Veainu (Leicester Tigers, UK)
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Cooper Vina’s at Newcastle now so that means 4 Engish 2nd tier players in that squad.
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Vina Vuna
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Just seen Nasi Manu’s name in there. Good on ‘im.
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@check
That would be a bit of an odd approach.
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What’s the point in announcing a squad then including other people in it.
Unless it’s to give the back ups a run out and avoid injury to some of the first choices. Still not sure I see the point.
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