NH club rugby
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@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
@Catogrande said in NH club rugby:
@Billy-Tell Connacht were good all over the field except line-out, goal kicking and composure in the red zone. Cost them points in this fixture. Marmion was all class wasn't he?
Marion is improving by the game which is great to see some possible depth appearing at 9 - Ireland are paper thin beyond Murray.
Don't know if it's just me but I think Aki has gone off he boil completely this season and looks disgruntled out on the pitch. The recent news about Lam's departure probably hasn't helped either. He's just signed himself up to a 2-year extension with Connacht in April, but I get the feeling that he'd prefer to be elsewhere. He doesn't look happy at all.I haven't seen too much of his play but I did see one game earlier in the season when he was seemingly put on the bench to have a short run around on an injury comeback. An early injury in the game meant he had to play n unexpected 70 o minutes or so and he was well off the pace.
I suspect that also aggravated whatever injury he is carrying and he hasn't been anywhere near 100% ever since.
That would be incredibly frustrating but is also part and parcel of accepting the big bucks in the NH. Investors want their pound of flesh and players seem to have to play carrying niggles that would see them have time off back home. -
No word on Hartley yet, but the RFU see nothing wrong in his action or record
"Dylan Hartley should continue as England captain despite his latest disciplinary issue, according to Rugby Football Union boss Ian Ritchie.
Hooker Hartley, 30, will find out on Wednesday if he will be available for the Six Nations next year after he was sent off for the third time in his career while playing for Northampton.
In total, Hartley has served 54 weeks of suspension during his career.
"I think Dylan's got credit in the bank," Ritchie told BBC Sport."
Christ on a bike. Very, very disappointing.
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@MiketheSnow Yeah Mike but please bear in mind this is from the mouth of that twat Ritchie. He has a habit of spouting off, making grand statements that are just his view not that of the RFU. How the fuck he's kept his job is beyond me.
Anyway, back on to the Hartley issue, it wouldn't altogether surprise me if he was banned up to the week before the 6N. Call me cynical but...
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@MiketheSnow Aaaand yes. 6 week ban. Back in time for the 6N. Quelle surprises.
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@MajorRage but his record must come into account when handing down any sentence.
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@taniwharugby yeah, my original post not clear. Taking all into account, I think the 6 week ban is fair. As the incident in itself, is not worthy of a 6 week ban.
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@MajorRage said in NH club rugby:
@taniwharugby yeah, my original post not clear. Taking all into account, I think the 6 week ban is fair. As the incident in itself, is not worthy of a 6 week ban.
Ah yeah. Poor Hartley was just a bit unlucky. It could have happened to anyone really. It was just a coincidence that it was him that did it. And of course lets not forget, it was an accident like his other accidents. Swinging arms to the back of a head happens all the time.
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@profitius ha, I remember a client of the company I used to work for several years ago, had had 8 car accidents in a bit under 18 months, yet none of them, based on the rules in the road code, were his fault.
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@profitius said in NH club rugby:
Ah yeah. Poor Hartley was just a bit unlucky. It could have happened to anyone really. It was just a coincidence that it was him that did it. And of course lets not forget, it was an accident like his other accidents. Swinging arms to the back of a head happens all the time.
Well to be fair, Hartley's swinging arm (not sure why that's an issue) was going to hit SOB about diaphragm level until SOB, unfortunately, fell in front of him.
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@MajorRage said in NH club rugby:
@taniwharugby yeah, my original post not clear. Taking all into account, I think the 6 week ban is fair. As the incident in itself, is not worthy of a 6 week ban.
You'll love the new rules then. Minimum entry point of 6 weeks then other factors.
But then, as the Irish will tell us, kiwis are thugs anyway. -
@Catogrande said in NH club rugby:
@MiketheSnow Aaaand yes. 6 week ban. Back in time for the 6N. Quelle surprises.
More chances than a game of Monopoly.
Let's hope Hartley's head goes in the shed when playing against Wales
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According to the report I read this morning he had two weeks added for being a recidivist dickhead and one removed for pleading guilty.
How you only add two weeks after numerous and lengthy previous bans is beyond me. He must be the most banned person currently playing at international level yet he get two weeks? So someone half as bad gets one week added? Someone with a quarter of his record (which would still be substantial) gets nothing?
To then reduce that because he admits he is a dickhead is crazy.If he was a dangerous driver with his record he would be at the point of jail time (or further jail time). No judge would reduce his sentence because he fronted up and said 'yes, I know I did it again, I just can't help myself'.
The messages sent out are of weakness in the system.
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Has anyone seen the footage of a player in Italy tackling the 23 year old female ref?
Fucking nasty incident. Hits her in the back with a flying shoulder. The ball is nowhere near them either.But the most outrageous part is he only got a 3 year ban. and a YELLOW card.
Should be a life ban and a visit from the police for assault IMO. -
Agreed. Dirty bastard.
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Great home win for the Scarlets against Toulon
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@MiketheSnow said in NH club rugby:
GreatRare home win for the Scarlets against Toulon
There you go mate. Got your typo sorted.
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I just watched the replay of the Clermont v Ulster game. It was a good, entertaining game. Great to see Toeava score the opening try in the first minute! Toeava's season so far has been plagued by injury - it was only his 3rd start of the season (his 5th game overall this season, scoring his first try); it was also his first game (ever) in the European Champions Cup.
Clermont was dominant during the first 55 minutes of the game, scoring 28 unanswered points. Ulster wasn't that bad during that period, but just couldn't get through the French defence and couldn't quite handle some of the elusive Clermontois backs (including Abendanon, Lopez and Fofana) and some strong performing forwards (particularly, Lapandry, Vahaamina and young lock Iturria) , who kept the Ulster defence busy. From the 55th to about the 68th minute, the game seemed to turn and Ulster scored 3 tries in that short period. They were the better team during about 20 minutes, when the Ulster forwards showed how powerful they can be (Franco vd Merwe scored off a driving maul) and Tommy Bowe's first of his two tries came after strong scrummaging of the pack. At the end of the game, Clermont took control again and were deservedly awarded a penalty try when Ulster first-five Jackson knocked down a pass to the Clermont wing that would certainly have resulted in a try (as it happened close to the Ulster try line). Charles Piutau had a quiet night and didn't have much impact.
In pool 5 of the Champions Cup, Clermont now sits firmly at the top of the pool with 8 points more than Bordeaux and Ulster. [Saracens top Pool 3, also 8 points ahead of the next (Toulon), and Leinster have a 5 point lead over Montpellier in Pool 4. Pools 1 and 2 are much closer.]
Stand-out player was again Nick Abendanon, who scored a beauty of a try after an awesome cross-kick from Lopez. That was Abendanon's 2nd try of the game.
Does anyone know whether Gatland is allowed - and inclined - to select players for the B&I Lions who are playing in France? It would be madness not to select Abendanon if he can!
