The Rugby Thread

[Irishnev]

Big news. Immediate effect, apparently Gatland and Gloucester only found out this am.

https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1747273876059684971

We were debating this earlier - a punt returner? Christian Wade tried and failed also right?

[Buzzo]

We were debating this earlier - a punt returner? Christian Wade tried and failed also right?

Yeah, will be interesting to see how he goes. He scored a try at the weekend against Edinburgh that was pure NFL, sawthe space and ran through it at a speed nobody could live with. And much like NFL, that was pretty much all he did.

"Fulfilling a childhood ambition" - my arse! Fulfilling a hole in his bank balance.

Yeah - Christian Wade is back in the prem now, or was he at Racing - wiki - yeah he is at Racing, he never actually played for the Bills, wonder how much he earned?

[RichC]

Yup, Wade went there and didn't get a sniff. Big gamble from him tbh but if it works the money could be massive.

[Buzzo]

Bit of a summary of Wade here.

Seems like injury, and I would imagine COVID must have done for his first couple of seasons, I recall his TD from that pre season game. Decent. He does look a bit lost on what to do when he hits the endzone tho

[ame="https://youtu.be/GiREfk9UoKE"]Christian Wade's first NFL touchdown | England Rugby star goes 65-yards for the score! 🏈 | NFL UK - YouTube[/ame]

[spud_gun]

We were debating this earlier - a punt returner? Christian Wade tried and failed also right?

Specialist Punt Returner isn't really a thing in the NFL anymore. Punts and kick offs are too much of a crap shoot to waste an entire roster spot on such a specialized position. If a returner were to gain a reputation then the opposition team simply wouldn't kick to him anymore. Last player i can think of like that was Devin Hester

Quick Google shows that he's 6'2 so more than likely he'll be trying to become either a wide receiver or a corner back.

Interesting to see how this develops.

[Buzzo]

I'd be imagine he sees himself as a wide receiver

He has the physical attributes and speed for sure.

Listening to a few pods and interviews on this last night and what became clear was.

1. It is very rare for an athlete whi has not been brought up in NFL to segue into the sport.
2. Raw talent will not be enough
3. One of the key elements is learning the playbook, which is apparently a massive challenge, and, totally diferent to Rugby which is more based on improvisation and reading what is infront of you.
4. The money on offer for the pathway he is heading too is decent, and the money that lies behind that is life changing.
5. He is only 22, so if he goes after it for 2-3 years and it leads nowhere he returns to RU at 25 with still the best part of his career ahead of him, and he would land a (By RU standards) decent contract.

Of all the players out there he definitely has a chance, but the odds are against him.

Oh, and apparently he and his dad are life long NFL fans, so it really is him pursuing a dream.

[badpiggy]

I'd be imagine he sees himself as a wide receiver

He has the physical attributes and speed for sure.

Listening to a few pods and interviews on this last night and what became clear was.

1. It is very rare for an athlete whi has not been brought up in NFL to segue into the sport.
2. Raw talent will not be enough
3. One of the key elements is learning the playbook, which is apparently a massive challenge, and, totally diferent to Rugby which is more based on improvisation and reading what is infront of you.
4. The money on offer for the pathway he is heading too is decent, and the money that lies behind that is life changing.
5. He is only 22, so if he goes after it for 2-3 years and it leads nowhere he returns to RU at 25 with still the best part of his career ahead of him, and he would land a (By RU standards) decent contract.

Of all the players out there he definitely has a chance, but the odds are against him.

Oh, and apparently he and his dad are life long NFL fans, so it really is him pursuing a dream.

Does this imply that NFL players are a smarter group that the general population? I'm unconvinced. It kinda sounds like "one of the big challenges of American football is reading how to play".

[Buzzo]

Does this imply that NFL players are a smarter group that the general population? I'm unconvinced. It kinda sounds like "one of the big challenges of American football is reading how to play".

Apparently it is literally a phone book of plays. It’s not that it means they are smarter it’s just a different way of playing sport and certainly not one that RU has precedent for to that level.

So I guess it is discipline rather than intelligence. Fail to learn the playbook and you will be in the wrong place at the wrong time when the ball is in play (snapped???). There is less space for maverick genius which is what we tend to live in sport in Europe etc.

To me, that’s ultimately why I don’t really enjoy the sport, I like it ok, but that stop start structured approach doesn’t appeal to me.

[badpiggy]

Yeah I think I basically heard that somewhere. Same for me regarding the stop start nature etc. I know all sports are just made up but AF is particularly contrived.

[Buzzo]

Former Wales rugby wing Louis Rees-Zammit is targeting a hybrid role in the NFL, combining the running back and wide receiver positions.
The 22-year-old has joined the NFL's international player pathway (IPP) with the aim of securing a place on an American football team in 2024.
His speed and pass catching ability made wide receiver a likely role, but he has added ambitions.
"I would love to return kicks," said Rees-Zammit.
"That is something I love to do in rugby. In terms of a position, in rugby I want the ball at all times.
"So, I think it would be somewhere on the offense, running back, receiver, a bit of a hybrid. Whatever I get told, I will do.
"This couldn't have come at a better time for me, especially as I'm pretty much the same age as players coming out of college so I have time to learn the game and learn those skills."

While the wide receivers and running backs make up two of the key positions on offence in the NFL, the size and shape of players in the two roles tends to be quite different.
Typically wide receivers are taller than running backs, with NFL teams more interested in drafting sturdier running backs with a low centre of gravity.
Rees-Zammit's targeted hybrid role is one played by very few players in the NFL, however there are some who do so at the highest level.
San Francisco 49ers' Deebo Samuel is one of the best current hybrid players in the NFL.
The 28-year-old made 60 catches during the 2023 regular season while also adding 37 rushing attempts as a running back, totalling 12 touchdowns in the process.
Cordarlle Patterson, Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel are three others who have excelled in the hybrid role in the NFL in recent years.
The biggest hurdle facing Rees-Zammit is going to be his understanding of the sport, which the majority of players in the NFL have been playing since they were young children.

But stepping into this new venture, Rees-Zammit has compared his excitement for the challenge ahead to that of "a little child".
"I still can't believe this is happening," he said.
"I literally feel like a little kid. I just never thought this day would come, but I'm so happy that it has.
"I have never played the game so it's going to be very difficult for me at the start.
"There's going to be a lot of me watching film and certain plays. That's going to be the biggest challenge.

[Irishnev]

Watched the first episode of Full Contact - a ****ing Scottish love in and Finn Russell is a bigger prick than I thought

Buzzo

Oh and I know the ending……

[Buzzo]

Nah Finn is sound, I’ve listened to him on loads of podcasts and met him once his sense of humour doesn’t come across there. These guys aren’t as used to this level of media. It’s great to get a peak behind the scenes of international rugby tho.

It’s boiling plenty of piss tho

Fwiw he is mates with Marcus Smith, they went to the premier together.

[ame]https://Twitter.com/planetrugby/status/1750579284412875230[/ame]

[Buzzo]

Looks like each country gets a focus episode, I am sure - very sure - there will be more than enough Irish love in future episodes

[Irishnev]

I get the confidence, especially as a 10 but I still maintain he’s not as good of successful as Sexton and some of that is because Johnny is more serious

[Buzzo]

Can’t argue that he’s not been as good as Sexton, he’s arguable a better player to watch but he’s definitely not as successful. That said, stick him in the Ireland team right now and you’ve got a hell of a team.