Aviva Premiership: something exciting happens

[cormac]

It seems very harsh, it took me a few goes to actually see the incident. Looked like Kockott was being a knob then feigned injury, he was up pretty sprightly moments later. Not sure if I would call it a tip tackle either (from that angle anyway it is unclear).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jVWO9TzJo4

I thought similar. It was reckless and stupid but I don't think it was particularly malicious. To me, he throws Kockott up in the air and then Kockott makes a meal of it as he heads to the ground. Hard to account for that at the hearing though, the onus is really just on Ashton. Still think Ashton deserved a ban, but 7 weeks is ridiculous IMO. If Kockott had landed knee, hip, shoulder (like I think he could have) then I'd say a one week ban would have been fine.

Ashton contested the charge which would explain part of the seven week ban.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

His legal team obviously didnt tell him that pleading guilty and being polite would have had the whole thing quashed.

[domhnallj]

Slightly better angle of the Ashton tip tackle,

https://youtu.be/nd9IDcVr1CM

[hugonaut]

'The Saracens chief executive, Mitesh Velani, believes the RFU should offer the clubs more assistance. “There is enough money in the professional game but there is something to be done in terms of the balance between the revenues generated at international level and the losses suffered at domestic level. You want supporters not just to pay very high sums of money to watch England play New Zealand at Twickenham but to follow clubs. There needs to be a more collaborative approach, such as the sharing of supporters’ data.”'

source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... oin-forces

It's hard to imagine somebody saying this whilst not sounding like a hissing snake.

[johng]

Well if they wait until after brexir they won't have to worry about gdpr

[ronk]

'The Saracens chief executive, Mitesh Velani, believes the RFU should offer the clubs more assistance. “There is enough money in the professional game but there is something to be done in terms of the balance between the revenues generated at international level and the losses suffered at domestic level. You want supporters not just to pay very high sums of money to watch England play New Zealand at Twickenham but to follow clubs. There needs to be a more collaborative approach, such as the sharing of supporters’ data.”'

source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... oin-forces

It's hard to imagine somebody saying this whilst not sounding like a hissing snake.

Should they put the international guys in charge of the clubs or vice versa?

[sunshiner1]

Wayne Barnes is retiring at the end of the season.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... tiring-tmo

[blockhead]

Bristol beat Bath. Madser got 4 pens. 26K at the game, wow.

[wixfjord]

Bristol beat Bath. Madser got 4 pens. 26K at the game, wow.

It's a cracking stadium for rugby. Good to see Bristol back in the big time.

(There's something about Pat Lam that I dislike though.)

[Ruckedtobits]

Wayne Barnes is retiring at the end of the season.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... tiring-tmo

Will be sorry to see Barnes retire. He has matured into the best native-English speaking ref in the world and certainly in the top four of all current whistlers. He's given superb service to the game and I wish him every success in his other career.

[kermischocolate]

Wayne Barnes is retiring at the end of the season.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... tiring-tmo

Will be sorry to see Barnes retire. He has matured into the best native-English speaking ref in the world and certainly in the top four of all current whistlers. He's given superb service to the game and I wish him every success in his other career.

I very much agree with this.

[TrapperChamonix]

Leicester Rugby are @#?€"?........

On 25th August, Polota-Nau started for Oz against NZ & Matt Toomua came off the bench after 65 mins.
During a rest week in The Rugby Championship there club Leicester Tigers insisted that they flew back to England for the game against Exeter Chiefs. Toomua started the match while came on Polota-Nau after 53 mins. I can only assume they got straight back on the plane to fly back to Oz. Talk about player welfare.
They will be required to repeat this again between rounds 4 & 5 of The Rugby Championship.

I'm delighted to report that Exeter won by 40 points to 6.

[Dave Cahill]

Leicester Rugby are @#?€"?........

On 25th August, Polota-Nau started for Oz against NZ & Matt Toomua came off the bench after 65 mins.
During a rest week in The Rugby Championship there club Leicester Tigers insisted that they flew back to England for the game against Exeter Chiefs. Toomua started the match while came on Polota-Nau after 53 mins. I can only assume they got straight back on the plane to fly back to Oz. Talk about player welfare.
They will be required to repeat this again between rounds 4 & 5 of The Rugby Championship.

I'm delighted to report that Exeter won by 40 points to 6.

Well darn that Leicester, expecting players they pay to play for Leicester to play for Leicester.

The welfare of the players wallets remains unharmed.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

The whole thing is a joke. I saw Louw was playing for Bath on Friday (so an even faster turnaround) and fell off one tackle very poorly deep in his 22 and just seemed wrecked as he tried to get back and make amends. He would have flown from SA to Argentina a couple of weeks ago and then from Argentina (and the game was in Mendoza so presumably he had to get connecting flights both ways) back to the UK which I would imagine meant he had to fly to London and then on to Bath somehow from there. I'm guessing he's gone to Australia now but whether he has or not that's crazy stuff, he must be in a right state.

[TrapperChamonix]

The whole thing is a joke. I saw Louw was playing for Bath on Friday (so an even faster turnaround) and fell off one tackle very poorly deep in his 22 and just seemed wrecked as he tried to get back and make amends. He would have flown from SA to Argentina a couple of weeks ago and then from Argentina (and the game was in Mendoza so presumably he had to get connecting flights both ways) back to the UK which I would imagine meant he had to fly to London and then on to Bath somehow from there. I'm guessing he's gone to Australia now but whether he has or not that's crazy stuff, he must be in a right state.

In contrast my understanding is that Wasps allowed Willie LeRoux to stay in SA.

[cormac]

Matt O'Connor sacked by Leicester.

[Dave Cahill]

The whole thing is a joke. I saw Louw was playing for Bath on Friday (so an even faster turnaround) and fell off one tackle very poorly deep in his 22 and just seemed wrecked as he tried to get back and make amends. He would have flown from SA to Argentina a couple of weeks ago and then from Argentina (and the game was in Mendoza so presumably he had to get connecting flights both ways) back to the UK which I would imagine meant he had to fly to London and then on to Bath somehow from there. I'm guessing he's gone to Australia now but whether he has or not that's crazy stuff, he must be in a right state.

Its his (and other players in similar situations) own choice though. They decided they wanted the money European club rugby had to offer, so they can't be surprised that they are expected to play club rugby in Europe by the people that actually pay their wages. Theres nothing stopping them either retiring from international rugby or going home full time to partake of the benefits of their home unions player management.

[blockhead]

Matt O'Connor sacked by Leicester.

Wow, that was quick, Murphy in charge for the moment.
Ulster are not the only "basket case" in their heino group.

[domhnallj]

Matt O'Connor sacked by Leicester.

Wow, that was quick, Murphy in charge for the moment.
Ulster are not the only "basket case" in their heino group.

Tigers fans not exactly inconsolable. Expectation is that Geordie will step up, but Lancaster and the elder Fords names are getting bandied about too.

[ronk]

The whole thing is a joke. I saw Louw was playing for Bath on Friday (so an even faster turnaround) and fell off one tackle very poorly deep in his 22 and just seemed wrecked as he tried to get back and make amends. He would have flown from SA to Argentina a couple of weeks ago and then from Argentina (and the game was in Mendoza so presumably he had to get connecting flights both ways) back to the UK which I would imagine meant he had to fly to London and then on to Bath somehow from there. I'm guessing he's gone to Australia now but whether he has or not that's crazy stuff, he must be in a right state.

Its his (and other players in similar situations) own choice though. They decided they wanted the money European club rugby had to offer, so they can't be surprised that they are expected to play club rugby in Europe by the people that actually pay their wages. Theres nothing stopping them either retiring from international rugby or going home full time to partake of the benefits of their home unions player management.

But they hurt their own playing assets and firmly occupy the moral low ground on player welfare.