Retiring Tom Cruse lands coaching role next season

I remember hearing all the English players and back room staff got the guided tour and a walk around the museum. The original ‘Bloody Sunday’ and it’s context was explained to them. Obviously they were unaware of it and that would be understandable. It’s hardly their fault.

Interestingly, they still had Josh Lewsey in their squad. With his recent history as an officer in the British Army, I was surprised he hadn’t been better informed? Or maybe they just whitewash their history over at Sandhurst?

Apparently the SAS website has a timeline of all their ‘heroic’ deeds down through the years. The other ‘Bloody Sunday’ is referred to merely as ‘the Derry riots!’ Not even ‘Laaaandan-Derry’ 🤣

I’d chalk that first 40 mins performance up to the stadium. Done the Bulls totally in the scrum and at the breakdown. Didn’t see that coming at all.

Leinster is unequivocally an Irish team.

The England backrow was the dominant backrow in this year's 6N with an emphasis on 3 mobile jacklers able to cover the whole field between them and support in the wide channels. There aren't loads of hulking massive power players to choose from right now. The best flankers are mobile, we don't have any giant ball carrying eights and most of the locks are lighter and more athletic. No doubt this will transfer to attack and suit a faster game which the Aussies will enjoy but I don't believe the plan has been to pick a lightweight squad in order to play fast attacking rugby. Just the way the cookie crumbled.

They also but 62 unanswered PTS on another Prem club this year.

Applies to them all - except Piardi!

He’s a day-releaser or he’s escaped from somewhere and cosplays at being a ref. Brings his own boots and pink jersey.

Destroying the sport one game at a time!

Disgraceful comment, utterly pathetic. No place whatsoever in a rugby discussion.

Toulouse in the Top 14, Bulls in Currie Cup, Crusaders in SR, Saracens/Leicester in GP.

Even in the old Super 10 Queensland fed an Aussie team that won 2 RWC in the same decade.

What I think is slippery is that they are essentially red carding based on ‘intent’ which was never really the case. It’s a tough ask to expect a ref to essentially physiologically profile a player, in-game. It should be a minimum at any level of rugby that a player wouldn’t deliberately be reckless or aim for a high degree of danger. Even with the guidance it’s still very subjective for refs. I’m not even sure if a full red has been dished out at test level since the new 20 min card arrived? It looks like they’ve forgotten they can still dish out a straight red.

WR are focused on sanctioning the dangerous act and dealing with it rather than working on removing the act itself. The big task is to remove the risky play rather than being consistent on carding it. It’s probably a coaching issue really and would take a while to bed in and have to work up from the age groups who are starting the game now.

Aki was a great example though. Short and stocky for a centre but he used to tackle high. He got red carded twice for Ireland but worked on it and I don’t think he’s had a problem since. Club or test level.

I agree with the ABs last couple of seasons. I don’t think they tackled any better or worse they just maybe didn’t keep up to speed with the law changes. I remember with Fozzie in the 2022 series, he didn’t even realise that hooking big Ardie in the second test would be a permanent change!

Verdict is still out on the 20 min reds but maybe it takes the next RWC to see if they are used or abused.