Standout women's rugby moments of 2024

Fozzie replied to a question

“We got exactly what we expected from the TMO because it was what we got in the Irish series”.

In other words, we didn’t learn despite having gone through it before.

So he’s frustrated by the TMO but there aren’t any excuses because they knew in advance who it would be and to be prepared for it, which they didn’t do.

No worse or better than Andy Farrell comments about Porter leaking penalties when Ireland were beaten in the quarter final.

EW 58 minutes ago

ABs were robbed by a weak referee and a TMO who the year before had redcarded them out of the Irish series, in the 2nd test.

Steve Borthwick handed fresh injury concern ahead of Six Nations

fl 1 hour ago

If Borthwick plans on selecting Marcus Smith at 10 then the abscence of Furbank could be a massive problem, as Smith really needs distributors alongside him in order to focus on his running game. Perhaps Borthwick will need to think about drafting in someone like Daly or Malins, but that would be a big risk given they haven't trained with the team in so long.

If Borthwick plans on selecting Ford then this isn't a big issue. Ford is able to adapt to those around him and will function perfectly well with Steward.

Alex Sanderson quells Six Nations fears after George Ford has scan

Bull Shark 1 hour ago

Nobody dare call it a drama.

Flankly 1 hour ago

The time for True leadership was then.

Fair comment.

Sometimes leaders can be critical of results/referees to the benefit of their own team. Eg Erasmus.

Agree.

Not supportive of the Rassie video thing, but the media interpretation was also unhelpful. I still haven't heard anyone addressing the content of the video. To state the obvious, we would have heard a lot of commentary on the content if it lacked merit.

In the end it did achieve what he wanted, which was stricter refereeing in the tests that followed.

YeowNotEven 1 hour ago

Respect, Fozzie. You’re a man of integrity.

Government warn Premiership clubs are 'teetering on the edge'

Poorfour 1 hour ago

This is not a very clear article - it seems to flip between the three failed clubs, the surviving clubs and the wider loans to sport and culture but sometimes using the same numbers against different groups.

It sounds as if the surviving clubs are actually on schedule with their repayments (or is that the wider sports sector), but that DCMS needs more support and focus to manage the wider portfolio of loans, and will lose a lot of the money it loaned to the clubs that went under - who made up 1/3 of the loans, despite being only 1/4 of the clubs.

The only really bleak thing is how many clubs failed - but that's not new news.

RedWarrior 1 hour ago

He literally directly blamed the TMO and refereeing decisions in the Presser after the match leading to death threats against Wayne Barnes.

Why doesn't he acknowledge this in this interview?

RedWarrior 1 hour ago

"Regardless, Foster's response is how leaders should react, namely to own their results and credit their opponents."

Sometimes leaders can be critical of results/referees to the benefit of their own team. Eg Erasmus.

Foster however should not get out of jail this easily.

At the presser after the match he directly implied blame on the TMO Tom Foley and even used the opportunity to re-blame him for the second test loss in NZ to Ireland. This lead to a lot of trouble including death threats to the referee and threats of sexual abuse to his wife.

The time for True leadership was then. You wouldn't have found Joe Schmidt or Andy Farrell failing in that regard.

Better late than never, but also very much too little too late.

Ireland centre Bundee Aki ends speculation with decision over future

MattMac 4 hours ago

Bundee has more than one good season left him. Maybe Ireland can entice Leicester to come over. It blows my mind that NZ has all this talent scattered around the world that can’t play for NZ unless they go back to play there. The ABs would be unbeatable if they opened that door. Their domestic league would definitely suffer.

2 Go to comments

AlanP 4 hours ago

‘The problem with this year’s Champions Cup? Too many English clubs’

So much aggressivity...

“It isn't what you suggested.”

Yes I was the one who suggested to use a UEFA style point. And I guessed, that based on the last 5 years we should start with 6 top14, 6 URC and 4 Prem. My guess was based on my recollection on which teams where in the semis the last 5 year as this will get the most points. I have to admit, my memory wasn't quite right and I vastly overestimated the URC and underestimated the top 14. It should have been more like 8 Top14, 4 URC and 4 Prem... but then if half of the teams are from the top14 we might as well just watch the top14 and cancel the Champions cup.

“Which of my points have you "got"?”

I got your point, that will be “unfair” for the Prem as the 3 leagues are “equal partners” so suggest just 5 teams each + the winner.

“Or what about a UEFA style system where places are allocated to leagues on the basis of their performance in previous years' competitions?”

Again, I was the one suggesting that, but you didn't like the outcome of that.

And actually I think I prefer the 3*5+1 format…. Or maybe we should include some other leagues. I think it will be a fantastic way to develop rugby if we include teams like the Black lion or the Lusitanos.. 4 teams for Top14, URC and Prem, 3 teams for other leagues and the last winner, what do you think?

"Are you incapable of thinking for yourself?"

Are you capable of taking a joke? 😉

31 Go to comments

JJB 5 hours ago

Bristol vs Leinster | Live & Latest Rugby Union Scores & Results | RugbyPass

Bristol played really well, nice and fast

Flankly 5 hours ago

I did not express an opinion on whether it would have been different, just an observation that it conceivably could have. FWIW my opinion is that SA were the better team, more settled, more versatile, had a better game plan, and were better coached. I expect they would have found a way to win regardless of the red card.

Some modern coaches actively train and select their teams to avoid red cards. In this case NZ did not do that well enough, resulting in two red cards in a single RWC campaign.

Regardless, Foster's response is how leaders should react, namely to own their results and credit their opponents.

RedWarrior 5 hours ago

I don't agree the 2023 final would have had a different outcome. SA were leading and in control when the incident happened. SA made a mistake by trying to manage the result thereafter... and nearly f-ed it up. That's all.

RedWarrior 5 hours ago

SA beat NZ by 35-7 on the eve of the tournament. Clearly superior. SA overcame a team in France that were also far superior to NZ. SA were flat and fatigued in the semi final against a rested England and they were even more tired in the final. NZ breezed a semi final team of the same standard as Wales.

Ireland and France can have some claims of unfairness with the draw pitting them at QF stage against treble champions with RWC finals and medals galore amongst their squads.

But nobody can argue with SAs victory.

If NZ had won, it would have just meant the dodgy draw won.

England almost bounced SA and would have been hammered in the final. We were that close to seeing the tournament draw turn the tournament to utter farce. SA had to win.

‘The problem with this year’s Champions Cup? Too many English clubs’

fl 5 hours ago

"Were talking about what it should be in the future, not now."

so you're saying that the deals that form the basis of EPCR should be completely torn up and we should start again?

"I am suggesting an equal share. England is not 1/3 of european rugby, and yet it gets the same number of entrants does it not?"

England has a 1/3 stake in EPCR. I don't even understand what it would mean to be "1/3 of european rugby". South Africa isn't part of european rugby at all. Germany and Czechia are though, so should they get more teams in the champions cup?

"6-8 last year, or the year before Finn?"

the teams that qualified for last years champions cup as the 6-8 placed teams in their leagues. So I'm talking about CC performance in the 23-24 season, and league positions in the 22-23 season.

"Of Exeter Chiefs, Bath, and Bristol Bears, first none had a winning percentage in the prem, where Bulls, Connacht, Sharks, all had winning seasons, as did France's Bordeaux Bègles, Toulon, Bayonne, with of of each getting to their semi finals, with two of those also making, and performing well I may say, in the CC quarters"

Ok so firstly you can't compare perfomances in one league to performances in another. First because in a stronger league, good teams will win fewer games, and secondly because Exeter, Bath, and Bristol might have made the semi finals of the prem, if the prem had an 8 team play-off like the URC and Top 14 do.

Secondly, I'll present the performances of the 6-8th qualifying teams in a table-type format:

Exeter: QF

Bath: R16

Bristol: group stage

Bulls: QF

Connacht: group stage

Sharks: D.N.Q. - replaced in competition by Cardiff, who exited in the group stage

Bordeaux: QF

Toulon: group stage

Bayonne: group stage

You're actually right that this wasn't a significant overperformance by the premiership clubs - I initially thought it was because I was including Harlequins (who made the SF) instead of Bristol, but that was a mistake. It is still an overperformance by the prem sides though.

"No on is doubt the English teams performances for the most part, especially while they remain a 10 team league, that also isn't really what an EPCR style tournament is about."

I get what you're saying, but I don't really agree. The European Super League was a really unpopular suggestion because there are 50-something countries that play club football in europe, about 30 of which are actually quite good, so the fans want a competition that brings all those countries together. Rugby doesn't have that. Maybe Georgian, Russian, German, and Spanish clubs should be given a seat at the table, but that has never really been what the EPCR is about. In terms of Wales, Scotland, South Africa, and Ireland needing equal (or less drastically unequal) representation in the CC to England and France, I would sympathise if each of these countries had their own professional leagues, but they don't. The purpose of the EPCR comps is, I think, the facilitate competition between the best of the 3 leagues. If it because more about each nation getting representation then you're just recreating the URC, both in the sense that the makeup of the competition would be similar to the URC, and in the sense that a really large number of fixtures would just feature the same URC sides playing each other over and over again.

31 Go to comments

Flankly 5 hours ago

Credit to Foster. Modern rugby culture is boring, with winners crowing and losers blaming, and too few fans, players and coaches embracing results, like adults.

The truth about red cards is that some teams find ways to avoid them, and others don't. None of Scotland, Australia and South Africa has had an RWC red card in over 25 years. How do you do that? Well, I am sure that it helps to bring in an experienced ref to advise the team, to train the players on tackle technique, and to select players that don't play too close to the edge.

It is true that a 2023 RWC final without the red card could have had a different outcome, but it is also true that NZ created an incident that many refs would call as a red card. They did not get away with it, which is not the same as being unfairly treated, much less being "robbed" (which arrogantly suggests that they had a right to the win).

Great to see Foster being sportsmanlike, despite a tough loss. Fair play.