Super Rugby

[Dave Cahill]

The new Jaguars roster and staff have been announced, including Felipe as assistant coach

http://www.jaguares.com.ar

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Imagine being smart enough to be a doctor but then being able to do that instead.

Still, will he ever have thousands of posts on an Internet forum? Not likely

[simonokeeffe]

I wouldnt bet against them going very far in this tournament

Rest might encourage more Argie teams faster to dilute them

[Dexter]

Interesting from the Chiefs, I didn't follow much Super Rugby last year so missed the original article.
http://www.the42.ie/analysis-chiefs-no- ... 6-Apr2016/

[Ruckedtobits]

Interesting from the Chiefs, I didn't follow much Super Rugby last year so missed the original article.
http://www.the42.ie/analysis-chiefs-no- ... 6-Apr2016/

It's a very interesting article and could prove to be the sort of coaching innovation wjich wasn't even considered when World Rugby Laws Committee was revising the Laws and interpretation, just like the 'choke tackle'.

The particular problem with this innovation, as outlined in the article, is the requirement to have a referee who a) knows the laws really well; b) has the bottle to call it according to the Laws, not the practise; and c) has the personality to overcome the player pressure to blow for infringements when the tactics are not eercised perfectly.

Those three requirements are tough and there are possibly only 5 or 6 refs in NH who have the skills and experience to do, i.e. Owens, Barnes, Doyle, Poite, & Garces. Can't see either Clancy or Lacey or other Pro12 Refs understanding what's going on.

Incidentally, re Law interpretation, is there a difference between playing ball out, in in-goal i.e. stepping out when ball still in motion, and trying same tactic when ball is in motion and approaching the goal-line? IMO, the latter should always be 5m scrum because ball has been taken back into in goal, whilst the former is legitimate ball kicked dead, therefore scrum back.

[simonokeeffe]

Watching Force v Bulls, the Aussie side has more players of colour in general let alone starting

[Fan with smartphone]

Glenn Jackson. Not my cup of tea.

[Oldschoolsocks]

Imagine being smart enough to be a doctor but then being able to do that instead.

Still, will he ever have thousands of posts on an Internet forum? Not likely

Are doctors necessarily smart though, I've yet to be impressed by one

[domhnallj]

Imagine being smart enough to be a doctor but then being able to do that instead.

Still, will he ever have thousands of posts on an Internet forum? Not likely

Are doctors necessarily smart though, I've yet to be impressed by one

How dare you

[simonokeeffe]

Imagine being smart enough to be a doctor but then being able to do that instead.

Still, will he ever have thousands of posts on an Internet forum? Not likely

Are doctors necessarily smart though, I've yet to be impressed by one

Doctor Hook had their moments

[Dexter]

Probably the wrong thread but...wow

http://www.the42.ie/new-zealand-rugby-o ... 3-Sep2016/


This bit is incredible...

Filipo, 18, launched an unprovoked attack on four people in central Wellington last year, stamping on the head of one victim, who was unable to work for eight months.
He dodged conviction because a judge said he did not want to derail his career, with the NZR initially saying the matter had been dealt with sufficiently by the courts.

[simonokeeffe]

Yeah shocking stuff, not least Tew calling assaulting 2 women a mistake

We had a similar case here with one of the Dublin footballers getting a slap on the wrist for an unprovoked attack on a random guy in a nightclub

[Ruckedtobits]

Watching Waratahs v Brumbies (refereed by Jackson) in wet conditions, but not heavy rain, is like watching Dragons v Zebre. 7-7 at half time and Aussie rugby is in serious grief.

The players look unfit, disinterested and lacking in skills. The game was preceded by Hurricanes v Highlanders and it looked like a different sport!

Lynagh spoke about the disarray in Sanzar at present with a decision supposedly made, but not announced, to abandon one or maybe two Aussie Teams because of finance. On the basis of what's on show, that's no surprise.

From a Leinster perspective Fardy (playing at flanker) was binning for taking down maul in first 5 mins and he looks like a player waiting for the end of the Season (hopefully).

Super Rugby needs a lot more than a change of Season, on the basis of what's on offer outside NZ.

[leinsterforever]

Watching Waratahs v Brumbies (refereed by Jackson) in wet conditions, but not heavy rain, is like watching Dragons v Zebre. 7-7 at half time and Aussie rugby is in serious grief.

The players look unfit, disinterested and lacking in skills. The game was preceded by Hurricanes v Highlanders and it looked like a different sport!

Lynagh spoke about the disarray in Sanzar at present with a decision supposedly made, but not announced, to abandon one or maybe two Aussie Teams because of finance. On the basis of what's on show, that's no surprise.

From a Leinster perspective Fardy (playing at flanker) was binning for taking down maul in first 5 mins and he looks like a player waiting for the end of the Season (hopefully).

Super Rugby needs a lot more than a change of Season, on the basis of what's on offer outside NZ.

Yeah, the Aussie sides aren't looking too hot. I think the South African teams are playing better, more enterprising rugby

[The Doc]

Watching Waratahs v Brumbies (refereed by Jackson) in wet conditions, but not heavy rain, is like watching Dragons v Zebre. 7-7 at half time and Aussie rugby is in serious grief.

The players look unfit, disinterested and lacking in skills. The game was preceded by Hurricanes v Highlanders and it looked like a different sport!

Lynagh spoke about the disarray in Sanzar at present with a decision supposedly made, but not announced, to abandon one or maybe two Aussie Teams because of finance. On the basis of what's on show, that's no surprise.

From a Leinster perspective Fardy (playing at flanker) was binning for taking down maul in first 5 mins and he looks like a player waiting for the end of the Season (hopefully).

Super Rugby needs a lot more than a change of Season, on the basis of what's on offer outside NZ.

Yeah, the Aussie sides aren't looking too hot. I think the South African teams are playing better, more enterprising rugby

I heard discussion of 1 Aussie and 2 South African teams dropping out - it's not just the Aussies that feel they are overstretched

[simonokeeffe]

Apparently the stumbling block to he reduction is SA gov want the Kings to be kept as one of the 4 bok teams, which may scupper the cut from 18 to 15

Presumably Lions would go too

Wouldve thought reducing SA teams would help transformation if anything

[blockhead]

From ESPN

AAP
Three Super Rugby teams, including one from Australia, are to be axed after this season, governing body SANZAAR has announced.

Under pressure due to financial losses and fan discontent over the confusing and unbalanced competition, SANZAAR has opted to slash it from 18 teams to 15 and from four conferences to three - the numbers that existed in 2015.

SANZAAR has left it to the national rugby unions involved to announce the teams to be cut, Australia's Perth-based Western Force and South Africa's Kings and Cheetahs widely considered the most vulnerable franchises.

The 18-team format, introduced in 2016 after Argentina's Jaguares and the Sunwolves of Japan joined the competition and the Kings returned, was widely criticised and there were fears the quality of the product was being diluted.

[ronk]

There's a lesson there about expansion.

[Ruckedtobits]

I'm with @ronk on this. The real lesson is the danger of excess expansion. Not often included in a "Risk Register" but no question it's a big issue.

[ronk]

Given that it's 2 of the existing franchises and the one expansion team from a country with existing representation it does look like they were watching elsewhere for problems.

Nice to see that there's geographic expansion and hope things go back to strong days.