Rugby Thread 2014 - Rugby Union - "Don't hate anybody. Peace and love!"

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > Rugby Thread 2014 - Rugby Union - "Don't hate anybody. Peace and love!"

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Qwo: Sep 27, 2011

The ugliest and most uncharismatic nation. The villains of rugby. :colbert:

# ? Feb 10, 2014 20:14

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# ? Jun 10, 2024 17:24

edogawa rando: Mar 20, 2007

butros posted:

SA rugby best rugby bru.

Only if you pretend New Zealand doesn't exist. :smug:

# ? Feb 10, 2014 20:23

poly and open-minded: Nov 22, 2006; In BOD we trust

Qwo posted:

The ugliest and most uncharismatic nation. The villains of rugby.

England?

# ? Feb 11, 2014 05:01

Tyma: Dec 22, 2004; I love Leinster and I couldn't be happier that Jordie Barrett has signed with them on a short term deal.

England and South Africa had a 'best of 3' series in 2012 to determine the coveted title of 'Villains Of Rugby'. Looking over the match reports, I can see that it was very close, but England just nudged ahead of SA in the 51st minute of the final match, when Dylan Hartley received the winning Yellow Card.

# ? Feb 11, 2014 05:14

ColtMcAsskick: Nov 7, 2010

As much as I hate England for crushing my naive childish hope in the 2003 World Cup Final, I can't hate them as much as the South Africans.

# ? Feb 11, 2014 06:43

Plucky Brit: Nov 7, 2009; Swing low, sweet chariot

New Zealand are the super-villains of world rugby. Case in point:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV5zndjlv7w

# ? Feb 11, 2014 08:20

edogawa rando: Mar 20, 2007

Plucky Brit posted:

New Zealand are the super-villains of world rugby. Case in point:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV5zndjlv7w

Take that, Niall.

# ? Feb 11, 2014 09:26

Burgo: Jun 1, 2008

Plucky Brit posted:

New Zealand are the super-villains of world rugby. Case in point:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV5zndjlv7w

Never gets any easier to watch.

# ? Feb 11, 2014 11:40

DickEmery: Dec 5, 2004

Burgo posted:

Never gets any easier to laugh.

# ? Feb 11, 2014 12:24

butros: Aug 2, 2007; I believe the signs of the reptile master

ATTENTION FANTASY SUPER RUGBY LEAGUE PARTICIPANTS :siren:

Just a reminder that the deadline for having your teams selected is this Friday. The actual deadline time depends on your timezone, which you should be able to check on your team management dashboard as poorly highlighted in this screenshot (currently shows Eastern Standard Time because I live in NYC):

e: actually this makes no loving sense why it's showing a deadline for round one of 16 February when the matches are to be played on the 15th. So how about you just be responsible and get your team submitted by Thursday evening time no matter where you live.

This week as well all know has matchups of the Sharks vs. the Blue ~~Balls~~ Bulls and the Cheetahs vs. the Lions.

Starting sides are usually announced by Wednesday of the week of the match, and thus far the only announcement of a starting side that I have seen has been the Cheetahs, which is here:
http://www.superxv.com/41410/1/le-roux-starts-for-cheetahs-aaginst-lions#.Uvol-z1dW6M

As mentioned in the initial few paragraphs on the league in the OP, make sure you don't chuck in some players from a team that is not playing this weekend as a player that does not play is not able to make you points.

Finally, IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN. I'm pretty sure you can enter the league up to pretty much the season start so :getin:

butros fucked around with this message at 14:43 on Feb 11, 2014

# ? Feb 11, 2014 14:41

Apollodorus: Feb 13, 2010; TEST YOUR MIGHT

Vagabundo posted:

Only if you pretend New Zealand doesn't exist.

Like the Australians did in the RLWC final, you mean?

# ? Feb 11, 2014 14:47

Tyma: Dec 22, 2004; I love Leinster and I couldn't be happier that Jordie Barrett has signed with them on a short term deal.

The Welsh Squad have released a bunch of players back to their regions for next weekend's Pro 12 games :

Samson Lee, Emyr Phillips, Ryan Bevington, James King, Dan Baker, Dan Biggar (!), Rhys Webb, Ashley Beck, Gethin Jenkins and :siren:

Sam Warburton :siren:

# ? Feb 11, 2014 15:54

Communist Bear: Oct 7, 2008

Scotland should do the same and release all their players back ~~to their regions~~ to a fiery desert where they may be forgotten.

# ? Feb 11, 2014 18:37

SomeDrunkenMick: Apr 21, 2008

Plucky Brit posted:

New Zealand are the super-villains of world rugby. Case in point:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV5zndjlv7w

I couldn't stop myself from watching that, my heart cracks every time.

Was anyone else at the Welsh match on Saturday and notice a conspicuous absence of Welsh supporters out in town afterwards?

# ? Feb 11, 2014 18:44

tarbrush: Feb 7, 2011; ALL ABOARD THE SCOTLAND HYPE TRAIN!

CHOO CHOO

Tyma posted:

Sam Warburton

One presumes that the Blues won't play him? Or does his central contract not kick in till next season?

# ? Feb 11, 2014 19:05

tag youre fat: Aug 16, 2013; C'est l'homme ideal
charme au masculin

I'd like to think they tried to release Priestland for the Scarlets but when he turned up at training they told him to just stay with the Welsh squad.

# ? Feb 11, 2014 19:19

edogawa rando: Mar 20, 2007

Swan Curry posted:

I'd like to think they tried to release Priestland for the Scarlets but when he turned up at training they told him to just stay with the Welsh squad.

You know he's the new Barry John.

# ? Feb 11, 2014 19:48

stavros880: May 2, 2005; I like monkeys

tarbrush posted:

One presumes that the Blues won't play him? Or does his central contract not kick in till next season?

His current contract runs out at the end of the season, so until then he's an employee of the Blues. I wouldn't put it past them to cut their nose of to spite their face, and not play him though.

# ? Feb 11, 2014 21:29

DickEmery: Dec 5, 2004

stavros880 posted:

His current contract runs out at the end of the season, so until then he's an employee of the Blues. I wouldn't put it past them to cut their nose of to spite their face, and not play him though.

He's probably injured and the WRU want to lay the blame with Cardiff.

# ? Feb 12, 2014 00:02

Brony Hunter: Dec 27, 2012; Motherfucking Mannis

They'll bend the knee or I'll destroy them

Whenever is he NOT injured?

# ? Feb 12, 2014 00:28

Fenrir: Apr 26, 2005; I found my kendo stick, bitch!; Lipstick Apathy

Plucky Brit posted:

New Zealand are the super-villains of world rugby. Case in point:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV5zndjlv7w

You mean superHEROES :colbert:

# ? Feb 12, 2014 02:02

edogawa rando: Mar 20, 2007

John Taylor has just torn into Priestland and Gatland after their defeat to Ireland.

quote:

The death of the Welsh fly-half production line
John Taylor
February 11, 2014

The first time I ever saw Jonathan Davies play was on television - Neath versus I'm not sure who. Shaping to take a conventional 22-metre drop-out he dummied, tapped the ball off the outside of his right foot, re-gathered and ran the length of the field leaving defenders scattered in his path to score at the other end.

It was a moment of true attacking genius and marked him out at an early age as a worthy successor to the long line of wonderful Welsh fly-halves that had gone before. Little did we know then, they were actually a dying breed.

Max Boyce wrote a song about the fabled Fly-Half Factory back in the 70s: 'It's built beneath the mountain, beneath the coal and clay. It's where we make the outside halves that'll play for Wales one day.'

Fly-halves seemed to personify Welsh rugby at that time. Barry John was actually nicknamed 'King John' but they all played as if they ruled their domain. They were the playmakers and it was their job to dominate and torment opponents.

If you were good enough, you wanted to claim the No.10 jersey and there really did appear to be a conveyor belt somewhere in the valleys that churned out these special players - usually small in stature but able to weave their magic to such effect they were the giants of the game.

Through my school days Cliff Morgan was recognised as perhaps the most exciting attacking runner in the UK and then between 1967 and 1974 I played for Wales with three different No. 10s - John, Dai Watkins and Phil Bennett, all players who were able to transform a game with their ability to rip defences apart, particularly if we were under the cosh. They were all decent kickers but they will always be remembered most for their running. How Wales needed somebody like that last weekend.

Of course the game has changed; outside-halves no longer just have to evade their opposite number and a marauding open-side - they have to face blanket defences and they definitely have less space in which to operate but the special ones still pose a running threat. Dan Carter is the supreme example and although his magic is fading Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett are starting to look the part.

In Wales, though, the conveyor belt has ground to a halt and Warren Gatland appears to have no appetite to get it running again. Stephen Jones was at least a wonderful organiser and kicker although he posed little threat as runner but Rhys Priestland does not even offer that.

He has now played 27 times for his country but, with his boyish demeanour and innate modesty, he still looks as if he is not sure whether he should be on the field. The one element he clearly lacks is a touch of arrogance and I would argue that is essential in an outside-half.

In recent years Wales have had a decent pack of forwards and the biggest set of backs in their history. It would have been crazy not to take advantage of this unique situation but, with Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins in decline, there are signs that it will soon be business as usual and, in Wales, that means making the most of what possession you get.

It was soon obvious that things were not going well in the forward battle against Ireland last weekend. Their line-out was rampant, they were able to drive their own ball and steal or disrupt on the Welsh throw-in. Wales were on the back foot in the scrums and, because they were never going forward, they were losing the battle at the breakdown.

So it was back to the old days - Wales living off scraps - and what did Priestland do? He kicked the ball back to Ireland time after time after time. He had made one nice little break against Italy the week before but when the going was really tough he did not even attempt to tie in the Irish back-row by having a go himself. It was not even as if the kicks were probing - inevitably, he picked out one of the back three!

Gatland's reaction - or lack of it - was completely baffling. He had James Hook on the bench but, whilst he used every other replacement, left him there kicking his heels.

It made absolutely no sense. Hook is obviously not Gatland's favourite player - apparently, the move to France was the last straw - but he is one of the gifted few who can find openings in a confined space, goes for them and is then capable of finding that special pass to put a support runner through the gap.

He has also been in impressive form for his French club, Perpignan. He played poorly when he was required to start at fly-half after Priestland was injured in the World Cup but, having played nearly all his rugby for Gatland at full-back or centre, that was hardly surprising. Perhaps he has too much talent. He might have been a truly great fly-half if he had been allowed to play all his rugby in that position.

The spotlight is now on Gatland. This was not just a poor day for Wales it was endemic of a deeper malaise and they need to adjust their tactics to make the most of what is still a very talented back division. Hook could be the key but the New Zealand coach is a stubborn man and I fear he is not for turning.
� ESPN Sports Media Ltd

http://www.espnscrum.com/wales/rugby/story/214379.html

# ? Feb 12, 2014 04:52

tag youre fat: Aug 16, 2013; C'est l'homme ideal
charme au masculin

Saying "The conveyor belt has ground to a halt" is a bit inaccurate.Rhys Patchell and Dan Biggar are both great out-halves,but Patchell's injured and Gatland just won't play Biggar unless his hand is forced.There's also Sam Davies,another Ospreys player who can play at both fullback and out-half.

# ? Feb 12, 2014 15:56

Answers Me: Apr 24, 2012

The machine works fine there's just something clogging it up :colbert:

e: beaten, sort of

In other news, Matthew Rees' cancer treatment was a success and he's been given the all clear :unsmith:

vvv They are!

Answers Me fucked around with this message at 18:38 on Feb 12, 2014

# ? Feb 12, 2014 15:58

butros: Aug 2, 2007; I believe the signs of the reptile master

Are the names Rees and Rhys pronounces the same :psyduck:

^^Thanks!

Followup: Do the bags of Reese's Pieces in Wales say Rhy's Pieces on them?

butros fucked around with this message at 19:13 on Feb 12, 2014

# ? Feb 12, 2014 17:53

Vaders Jester: Sep 9, 2009

WMain00 posted:

Scotland should do the same and release all their players back ~~to their regions~~ to a fiery desert where they may be forgotten.

Sadly we can't fire them into the loving sun and save everyone from having to watch Scotland play again.

# ? Feb 12, 2014 19:11

Apollodorus: Feb 13, 2010; TEST YOUR MIGHT

Vaders Jester posted:

Sadly we can't fire them into the loving sun and save everyone from having to watch Scotland play again.

My solution from now on is to get drunk and watch Braveheart instead of Scotland Rugby.

# ? Feb 12, 2014 20:54

Tyma: Dec 22, 2004; I love Leinster and I couldn't be happier that Jordie Barrett has signed with them on a short term deal.

Swan Curry posted:

Saying "The conveyor belt has ground to a halt" is a bit inaccurate.Rhys Patchell and Dan Biggar are both great out-halves,but Patchell's injured and Gatland just won't play Biggar unless his hand is forced.There's also Sam Davies,another Ospreys player who can play at both fullback and out-half.

The weird thing about Patchell is that while he's great to watch, and appears to win games for his team, those games are all really low-scoring affairs, and Cardiff's try-scoring rate with Patchell on the field is actually incredibly low. :{

For what it's worth, I don't think Davies, Morgan or Patchell would have done any better than Priestland last week. Ireland saw a weak link in the team line-up, and exploited it by rushing down Priestland and Phillips. They didn't bother covering the wider players as much, because they knew that if either of those players were under pressure, the ball would always go up in the air. I think Biggar and Hook would have taken the contact time and time again.

I think Phillips actually did really well towards the end of the game, by just ignoring the playbook, and trying to gain ground every time Ireland set up to blitz Priestland.

butros posted:

Followup: Do the bags of Reese's Pieces in Wales say Rhy's Pieces on them?

It's a Welsh name to begin with. When it's used outside of Wales, it gets anglicized to Reese or Rees, because vowels don't work the same way they do in Welsh

I don't think we get any Hershey's branded Chocolate in Wales, but I'll keep an eye out. We do have giant cardboard cutouts of Dan Biggar selling rugby tickets and shrts in our grocery stores, though.

edit : vvvv

Deg pwynt!

Tyma fucked around with this message at 21:24 on Feb 12, 2014

# ? Feb 12, 2014 20:56

Apollodorus: Feb 13, 2010; TEST YOUR MIGHT

Tyma posted:

It's a Welsh name to begin with. When it's used outside of Wales, it gets anglicized to Reese or Rees, because vowels don't work ~~the same way they do~~ in Welsh

Tyma posted:

I don't think we get any Hershey's branded Chocolate in Wales, but I'll keep an eye out. We do have giant cardboard cutouts of Dan Biggar selling rugby tickets and shrts in our grocery stores, though.

# ? Feb 12, 2014 21:20

Tyma: Dec 22, 2004; I love Leinster and I couldn't be happier that Jordie Barrett has signed with them on a short term deal.

REPOSTING ONE LAST TIME :siren:

Super Rugby starts in 48 hours.

Pick any 20 guys and enter this, even if you don't watch Super Rugby, because it'll give you a reason to watch Super Rugby, and Super Rugby is loving amazing.

Also, I went to pick up the Grand Prize tonight, so that's definately being sent out to the winner of the SAS League.

-

If someone pictures of Quade Cooper and Jesse Mogg aren't enough to satisfy, you can join the SAS Super Rugby Fantasy League, and compete for the promise of a grand prize which I may or may not regret having to buy and then ship to the Southern Hemisphere. Before you spend hours researching obscure South African bench-warmers, please be aware that the prize will be exactly as grand as Owen Farrell's defensive tackling.

Step 1. Sign up at Fox Sports' Fantasy League site.

Step 2. Click on the tab that says �My Team�, and pick your 15-man team, and bench. Don't worry about picking the same player that's already been picked, there's enough Quade Cooper for everybody.

Step 3. Join the SA League by clicking on the �Leagues� tab, opting to join a Private League, and entering the private league code 232-3732 to join.

Step 4. Avoid missing ball for high score.

You can buy and sell players during the season. Try to keep track of who is injured, what players have byes, what players are benched etc. on a weekly basis. You need to have your team selected I believe by the Friday of each week of play (actual time of the deadline will depend on your specific time zone and these are listed in the rules section as well).

Feel free to use http://www.superxv.com keep up with starting lineups which are usually announced on Wednesday the week of the match though there can often be last minute changes due to injury, illness, or bad behavior if you play for an Australian side.�Finally, just so you guys avoid a mistake I made last year, for the first week of the competition it's only SA derbys, so make sure you don't pick a bunch of awesome players from NZ/Australia who won't even play the first week.

# ? Feb 13, 2014 01:31

tag youre fat: Aug 16, 2013; C'est l'homme ideal
charme au masculin

In what is further bad news for Connacht,their new Kiwi Craig Clarke has had to take an indefinite break from rugby after getting what was possibly his 10th concussion in around a year and a half. :stare:

I'm glad this isn't being ignored like it would have a few years ago,but you'd think something would have been done before now.

e:Joining the league,gonna pick Will Skelton every week cuz he's a loving giant.

tag youre fat fucked around with this message at 02:06 on Feb 13, 2014

# ? Feb 13, 2014 01:37

goatface: Dec 5, 2007; I had a video of that when I was about 6.

I remember it being shit.; Grimey Drawer

Dude might have a soft head. He might not have had before, but he apparently does now.

I joined the leeg, mainly by picking people whose faces I liked.

# ? Feb 13, 2014 01:53

Apollodorus: Feb 13, 2010; TEST YOUR MIGHT

Tyma posted:

REPOSTING ONE LAST TIME

All right, you got me to do what no one else has before - join a fantasy sports league.

Go REPO MEN!

# ? Feb 13, 2014 02:22

butros: Aug 2, 2007; I believe the signs of the reptile master

Tyma posted:

REPOSTING ONE LAST TIME

2 3 things.

1. Tyma, holy poo poo thanks for picking up a grand prize...what it is?!?!/

2. Sharks are announcing their squad Thursday so be sure to check either their official club webpage or SuperXV.com for it. Not sure when the Lions will announce if they will at all given the fact that they aren't exactly used to playing Super Rugby now, are they? :laugh:

3. For those of you who don't watch a lot of Super Rugby, or like me live in places where it's not regularly broadcast, there are options. Not sure how streams are regarded in terms of :files: but I can link folks up with live streams to Super Rugby stuff if you're interested (shoot me an email at maishaikosawa at the google web mail service and I'll fill you in). Also, there are multiple sources for Super Rugby on youtube if you want to watch after the fact - the best is a guy named TTRugbyVids NZ. He gets banned now and again but claims to actually have rights to the matches via some agreement with the NZ broadcasters so yeah...[mods if that needs to go please let me know]). Last year he was pretty quick on the draw in posting matches post hoc (about 12-18 hours on average) so a good option if you're not capable of wasting every Saturday for half the year in front of the TV like some of us.

# ? Feb 13, 2014 03:07

Apollodorus: Feb 13, 2010; TEST YOUR MIGHT

Along those lines, while I have a good source for matches, I don't always have a lot of time. Is there someone from SANZARia who would be willing to post a spoiler-free recommendations list after the weekend's matches? I follow one team and watch all their matches but I missed a bunch of good rugby last year.

# ? Feb 13, 2014 03:18

butros: Aug 2, 2007; I believe the signs of the reptile master

Apollodorus posted:

Along those lines, while I have a good source for matches, I don't always have a lot of time. Is there someone from SANZARia who would be willing to post a spoiler-free recommendations list after the weekend's matches? I follow one team and watch all their matches but I missed a bunch of good rugby last year.

I'll be happy to post recommendations though I won't be able to watch everything live this year unfortunately. There are always a couple YouTube posters and so almost every game in a given season is available, so if you don't mind a bit of a delay then I could probably post my recommendations by Monday or Tuesday of any given week, as long as there are uploads to watch.

E: though ninja edit here if guys are watching live feel free to post what you think is good and poo poo as things progress. Along with knowing what's good it's always nice to know what matches are boring so as to watch the replay last or avoid altogether (usually anything involving the Waratahs)

butros fucked around with this message at 03:39 on Feb 13, 2014

# ? Feb 13, 2014 03:36

Apollodorus: Feb 13, 2010; TEST YOUR MIGHT

Awesome. My club is mostly new guys (who are also Americans) and I want to make sure they have a good sense of what good rugby looks like.

Oh, and in other news, the girlfriend of one of my recent teammates is now a contracted USA Eagle! Here's hoping she makes it to the Olympic 7s!

:911:

# ? Feb 13, 2014 03:39

butros: Aug 2, 2007; I believe the signs of the reptile master

Apollodorus posted:

Awesome. My club is mostly new guys (who are also Americans) and I want to make sure they have a good sense of what good rugby looks like.

Oh, and in other news, the girlfriend of one of my recent teammates is now a contracted USA Eagle! Here's hoping she makes it to the Olympic 7s!

And if it helps, even the worst Superugby is better than that Six Nations bullshit.

# ? Feb 13, 2014 03:44

ElectroMagneticJosh: Oct 13, 2006; Lets Volt In!!

Cheers Tyma I just joined the league.

poo poo - its hard to pick a decent team though. By the time I got to the outside backs I was in the negatives and had to revise some of my earlier options.

# ? Feb 13, 2014 07:42

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# ? Jun 10, 2024 17:24

edogawa rando: Mar 20, 2007

What are your teams? The Fightin' Flatulists are:

1. Wyatt Crockett (Crusaders)
2. Mahonri Schwalger (Chiefs)
3. Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
4. Tom Donnelly (Blues)
5. Brodie Retallick (Chiefs)
6. Richie McCaw (Crusaders)
7. Luke Braid (Blues)
8. Kieran Read (Crusaders, Captain)
9. Will Genia (Reds)
10. Aaron Cruden (Chiefs)
11. Gio Aplon (Stormers)
12. Francois Steyn (Sharks)
13. Conrad Smith (Hurricanes, Vice-Captain)
14. Joseph Tomane (Brumbies)
15. Tim Nanai-Williams (Chiefs)

16. Liam Coltman (Highlanders)
17. Sekope Kepu (Waratahs)
18. Sam Carter (Brumbies)
19. Ardie Savea (Hurricanes)
20. TJ Perenara (Hurricanes)
21. Baden Kerr (Blues)
22. Jean de Villiers (Stormers)
23. Ben Smith (Highlanders)

# ? Feb 13, 2014 07:55

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > Rugby Thread 2014 - Rugby Union - "Don't hate anybody. Peace and love!"

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