NH International Rugby
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Martin Bayfield picks a XV of the best players he’s played with or against -
Full-back: Gavin Hastings (Scotland)During my international career Gavin was, pretty much, the Scotland team.
Right wing: Ieuan Evans (Wales)
There were faster wings, but his ability to read and influence a game was enormous. Against the Maori in 1993, with the Lions down by 20 points, he took control of the game, scoring a crucial try.
Outside-centre: Jeremy Guscott (England)
Gave an efficient, effective England side a touch of finesse. An arrogant sod and a pain in the arse at times, but great fun.
Inside-centre: Scott Gibbs (Wales)
I liked the way he carried himself. He was humble and quiet, but could be scary on the pitch.
Left wing: Jonah Lomu (New Zealand)
I remember holding on to his leg, and it was like putting your arm around somebody’s chest.
Fly-half: Rob Andrew (England)Once the pressure came, he never folded. England’s gameplan was built around him.
Scrum-half: Rob Howley (Wales)
My last game for England was his first for Wales. England won, but Rob scored a remarkable try. You could see he was special.
Loosehead prop: Gary Pagel (South Africa)
If only Northampton had a player of his quality now. I have seen him destroy an opposition’s front row.
Hooker: Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand)
Sean makes you realise why the English will never get to the same level as the All Blacks: we do not have the same passion or history.
Tighthead prop: Jason Leonard (England)
Would come into your hotel room so any food or drink went on your tab.
Lock: Martin Johnson (England, capt)You do not need to say much about Johnno, he was that influential for England. Boring as hell with his American football, but intelligent.
Lock: John Eales (Australia)
We made our debuts two days apart, but, boy, was there a gulf between us. He made me look at how I played my game.
Blindside flanker: Tim Rodber (England)
One of those guys who could drift in and out of a game, but, when he got it right, he was unbelievable.
Openside flanker: Peter Winterbottom (England)
Winters played for Hawke’s Bay during the 80s. When we returned to a bar in that part of New Zealand on the 1993 Lions tour, the whole place stood to applaud him.
No 8: Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand)
There was something that set him apart. I have never come across a player with so much skill.
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Liked the fact he picked Rob Howley at 9
Considering the utterly shit packs he played behind, Howley looked world class game after game. A mix of Sid Going's running and bossing the game and Aaron Smith's passing.
Best 9 I've seen IMHO.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in NH International Rugby:
Liked the fact he picked Rob Howley at 9
Considering the utterly shit packs he played behind, Howley looked world class game after game. A mix of Sid Going's running and bossing the game and Aaron Smith's passing.
Best 9 I've seen IMHO.
Fast as fuck too, with great speed endurance.
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@MiketheSnow said in NH International Rugby:
Fast as fuck too, with great speed endurance.
So was Super Sid.
There's a video on Youtube of most of the '72 Wales NZ game. Apart from nicking the ball, seemingly at will, out of Gareth Edwards' scrum put in, he set up a try by sheer pace down the side line - absolutely blitzed the Welsh defence. Had a shit pass though.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in NH International Rugby:
@MiketheSnow said in NH International Rugby:
Fast as fuck too, with great speed endurance.
So was Super Sid.
There's a video on Youtube of most of the '72 Wales NZ game. Apart from nicking the ball, seemingly at will, out of Gareth Edwards' scrum put in, he set up a try by sheer pace down the side line - absolutely blitzed the Welsh defence. Had a shit pass though.
And a great Maori side-step!
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I may have missed this elsewhere...
'Of course it was [a forward pass]' says Wayne Barnes
!['Of course it was [a forward pass]' says Wayne Barnes](https://eu-cdn.rugbypass.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Wayne-Barnes.jpg)
Wayne Barnes has revealed how his mistake in the 2007 Rugby World Cup quarter-final spurred him on to become one of rugby's top referees.
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that's pretty solid from Wayne
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@Bones said in NH International Rugby:
I may have missed this elsewhere...
'Of course it was [a forward pass]' says Wayne Barnes
Wayne Barnes has revealed how his mistake in the 2007 Rugby World Cup quarter-final spurred him on to become one of rugby's top referees.
I was always more fucked off with WR for appointing him when he wasn't ready. Good on him for owning his mistake and using it to make him a better ref, Paddy O'Brien could learn a lesson from that.
This poor bastard apparently cried when the pitcher came over to console him after the game
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armando_Galarraga's_near-perfect_game
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Ben Skeen goooone!
With Rugby World Cup 2019 final referee Jérôme Garcès having announced his international retirement, Andrew Brace (Ireland) makes his Six Nations refereeing debut, while Matthew Carley (England) returns as a referee. Both were assistant referees at Japan 2019.Mike Adamson (Scotland), Mike Fraser (New Zealand), Frank Murphy (Ireland) and Ben Whitehouse (Wales) return to the squad as assistant referees, while James Leckie (Australia), Glenn Newman (New Zealand) and Brian MacNeice (Ireland) are included in an expanded Television Match Official (TMO) panel after Ben Skeen announced his retirement.
Luke Pearce (England) will kick-off a new decade of men’s Six Nations rugby when he takes charge of champions Wales against Italy at the Principality Stadium on 1 February.
Nigel Owens (Wales) will make his 98th test appearance when he referees France v England at Stade de France the next day, while World Rugby Referee Award recipient Wayne Barnes (England) will take charge of France versus Ireland at the same venue on 14 March, his 90th test as a referee.
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in NH International Rugby:
Ben Skeen goooone!
I hope it's not just an international retirement. I don't want him anywhere near NPC either.
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Oooh Ireland just keeps on going up on the fluffybunny scale
Joe Schmidt's not-so-fond farewell as IRFU blame him for World Cup failure
The fall-out from World Cup failure has not treated the once untouchable New Zealander well as his former employer has stuck the boot in with its Japan 2019 review.
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haha
In what amounted to a PR buck-passing exercise that ensured IRFU high performance boss David Nucifora and incoming head coach Andy Farrell – Schmidt’s assistant since 2016 – were absolved of blame
Irish Rugby to Schmidt
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What astonishes me the most is how Farrell got promoted to head coach despite never doing that job, at any level. Tells me all I need to know about the IRFU.
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Rob Howley found guilty of illegal betting on rugby matches, including Wales matches and Wales players - 18 month ban from all rugby.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/50629124
Stupid all round from Ollie (Edit: I mean Stan) but this takes the biscuit for sheer idiocy:- "Howley, 49, used his Welsh Rugby Union phone and email account to place bets."
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From Stuff:
Howley was found to have placed 363 bets with three separate bookmakers covering a total of 1163 rugby matches over a period of five years.
(Something wrong with their maths. May have mixed the matches and bets around.)
The WRU said Howley lost about £4000 on his bets
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@booboo said in NH International Rugby:
From Stuff:
Howley was found to have placed 363 bets with three separate bookmakers covering a total of 1163 rugby matches over a period of five years.
(Something wrong with their maths. May have mixed the matches and bets around.)
The WRU said Howley lost about £4000 on his bets
Likely there were some accumulators going on.
Or decumulators if you take your second point into account
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@booboo said in NH International Rugby:
From Stuff:
Howley was found to have placed 363 bets with three separate bookmakers covering a total of 1163 rugby matches over a period of five years.
(Something wrong with their maths. May have mixed the matches and bets around.)
The WRU said Howley lost about £4000 on his bets
Great coach - losing 4k
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The court heard that a conviction would likely see Mafi lose his lucrative contract in Japan.
Stiff shit.
