The Rugby Thread

[Buzzo]

Caught the end of it and Hogg hitting the bar from about 60m

'from the car park'


An absolute monster. He'd have been run out of Glasgow had it gone over. I don't reckon that was out of play at the end either.

[ame]https://twitter.com/MattSouth7/status/1216050566494871557[/ame]

[Buzzo]

Watching Racing v Munster.

You could not have a starker difference in Rugby philosophies. Iribaren just threw a ridiculous pass for that Racing try.

Good game though.

[Buzzo]

This pass.

There is a moment where you see him considering a routine pass, then he clearly thinks, 'nah, **** it'.

[ame]https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/1216390493514403840[/ame]

[Buzzo]

Brilliant match.

Munster stayed right in it until the final 1/4.

[Irishnev]

Brilliant match.

Munster stayed right in it until the final 1/4.

Was at a funeral so missed the game but not a surprise - Munster’s players have been at it too long and not enough quality coming through. Did well to stay in it until the last 10 but class tells in the end.

Carbery is a loss and Hanrahan was just passed fit......trained in his own all week. CJ, POM, Murray and Earls are coming to the end of the road as well so the future looks a little bleak.

Leinster on the other hand are producing players at will and romping through their group. Mind you......the quality they had to face as opposed to Racing and Saracens is a massive difference

[Cormack74]

Yeah a good effort from your boys Nev all things considered.

As I said up the page they looked as if they would cause a surprise at Sarries until the medic got involved

I don't know anything about the ownership of the Provinces. Are there private individuals backing the teams or is it funding from the Irish Union plus whatever they can raise in sponsorship? If it's the latter I presume Leinster are going to be better resourced in Dublin and bringing more players through than is the case down there in the wild west?

[Irishnev]

Yeah a good effort from your boys Nev all things considered.

As I said up the page they looked as if they would cause a surprise at Sarries until the medic got involved

I don't know anything about the ownership of the Provinces. Are there private individuals backing the teams or is it funding from the Irish Union plus whatever they can raise in sponsorship? If it's the latter I presume Leinster are going to be better resourced in Dublin and bringing more players through than is the case down there in the wild west?

Central contracts and players are ‘moved’ around by the head of rugby development if there is too many of one position in a particular province. There are also overseas players and this is funded through the IRFU but extra money can be funded by a third party - Rory McIlroy was supposed to be paying fir a few if the Saffers in Ulster years ago, JP McManus for Jean de Villiers and some unknown paid for Rocky Elsom at Leinster.

It really boils down to having good academies and structures within the school system to feed them - Leinster have that nailed right now and their talent pool is ridiculous especially in the back row. As I said above some of them may be moved for game time a la Carbury to Munster

[Cormack74]

Blimey I never realized there were so many factors at play. All sounds very Irish in fact

More schools around the Dublin must mean more / better players to bring through though so a definite advantage for Leinster.

[Buzzo]

Richie Gray joining Glasgow next season to replace his brother. I havent seen Richie play for years. He’s a monster when he’s on his game. Been injured a fair bit in Toulouse tho.

Stuart Hogg named as next Scotland captain. Quite like the look of our squad. Huw Jones back in which is good. Would be interested to see him and Hutchison together.

[Cormack74]

Saracens could potentially win the Champions Cup and get relegated in the same season.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/51143657

Saracens are facing relegation from the Premiership if they are found to have breached the salary cap again.

The defending champions received a 35-point deduction and a £5.3m fine in November, having broken the cap for the past three seasons.

However, there is widespread belief they will once more struggle to get under the £7m limit this season.

The BBC has learned Saracens have been told to comply with the rules immediately or face relegation.

The bosses of the top-flight clubs met at a Premiership Rugby board meeting in London on Tuesday.

It was decided that unless Saracens could prove their compliance, they would face the unprecedented step of dropping into the second tier.

Although Saracens interim chief executive Edward Griffiths revealed to the BBC earlier this month that the club may need to trim their squad to fit under the cap, no players have yet been released.

The contract season has already run for seven months - since the start of July - with all the money paid to players who have featured for the club during that period counting towards the cap.

Furthermore, any money paid as compensation to players for cutting short contracts would also be included in the wage bill.

Meanwhile, Premiership Rugby announced last month a comprehensive review of the current salary cap regulations, conducted by former government minister Lord Myners.

[Cormack74]

And here's something from left field.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/51129870

Wales centre Jamie Roberts has left Bath with immediate effect to join Super Rugby side Stormers.

Roberts was in his second season with Bath after joining from Harlequins, but will leave the Gallagher Premiership club to join the South African side, based in Cape Town.

The 33-year-old won the last of his 94 Wales caps in November 2017 against New Zealand.

Roberts also played three Tests on two British and Irish Lions tours.

"It is bittersweet because Bath has been an amazing place to live and play," said Roberts.

"I have loved my time and being involved in some pretty special games.

"It is tough to leave and today was very difficult on my last day having to stand up in front of the lads and thanking them and I got quite emotional."

Bath have signed Fiji centre Josh Matavesi from Newcastle Falcons to help plug the gap created by Roberts' departure.

Stormers say Roberts will also act as a mentor and has joined the side through the financial support of a corporate partner with the initial dealing lasting five months.

"The Stormers got in touch and they were looking for a bit of experience to their backline," said Roberts.

"I have toured South Africa with a load of sides and it's a place that resonated probably because rugby is at the heart of what it is about.

"It is their national sport and it reminds me of Wales how passionate they are about the game.

"In life and in a rugby career these opportunities don't come around very often.

"It is an opportunity that won't come my way again now I am 33 and probably only have a couple of years left in my career.

"It is a chance I can't not take because I would have to live with that regret if I don't do it."

The centre was named Lions man-of-the-series in South Africa in 2009 and scored a try in the victorious series decider against Australia in Sydney four years later.

Roberts had hoped to be selected by new Wales coach Wayne Pivac, but was not named in the 38-man squad for the 2020 Six Nations.

Stormers open their Super Rugby campaign on 1 February with a home match against Hurricanes. The South African side are captained by Springbok World Cup winning skipper Siya Kolisi.

[Buzzo]

Saracens could potentially win the Champions Cup and get relegated in the same season.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/51143657

Saracens are facing relegation from the Premiership if they are found to have breached the salary cap again.

The defending champions received a 35-point deduction and a £5.3m fine in November, having broken the cap for the past three seasons.

However, there is widespread belief they will once more struggle to get under the £7m limit this season.

The BBC has learned Saracens have been told to comply with the rules immediately or face relegation.

The bosses of the top-flight clubs met at a Premiership Rugby board meeting in London on Tuesday.

It was decided that unless Saracens could prove their compliance, they would face the unprecedented step of dropping into the second tier.

Although Saracens interim chief executive Edward Griffiths revealed to the BBC earlier this month that the club may need to trim their squad to fit under the cap, no players have yet been released.

The contract season has already run for seven months - since the start of July - with all the money paid to players who have featured for the club during that period counting towards the cap.

Furthermore, any money paid as compensation to players for cutting short contracts would also be included in the wage bill.

Meanwhile, Premiership Rugby announced last month a comprehensive review of the current salary cap regulations, conducted by former government minister Lord Myners.

What a shambles.

They are so obviously still in breech this season, because their squad hasn’t changed at all. Ultimately because of the timing the entire season is totally devalued.

[Cormack74]

It's pretty bonkers. I'm not backing Sarries here but after being found guilty it would seem unlikely that they could instantly get their house in order so I don't quite see why they weren't given the rest of the season as a period of grace.

[Buzzo]

It's pretty bonkers. I'm not backing Sarries here but after being found guilty it would seem unlikely that they could instantly get their house in order so I don't quite see why they weren't given the rest of the season as a period of grace.

The news was delayed until the end of the WC which has given them all manner of issues.

The RFU should have just relegated them, then let the season play out. I agree it is hard for them to do anything this season, but ultimately it devalues the competition if they are still breaking the rules.

[Zapater]

"It is their national sport and it reminds me of Wales how passionate they are about the game.

Has to be careful saying things like that, football is the national sport and the PC brigade will castrate him before landing Will be interesting to see how he gets on, seems like Stormers will be looking to play a Wales style of rugby in this years competition.

The news was delayed until the end of the WC which has given them all manner of issues.

The RFU should have just relegated them, then let the season play out. I agree it is hard for them to do anything this season, but ultimately it devalues the competition if they are still breaking the rules.

I haven't been following it too closely, but there is a bit of an Enron, organisational narcissism feel to it. Blatantly not caring, even former players coming out and saying that it doesn't matter if Saracens are relegated because it's about the 'people and culture' etc.