RugbyRebels

Lizard wrote:Here we go - ANZ Stadium, Suva, 24 June 2017.

Who wants to come with me?

http://officiating.worldrugby.org/index ... ents&id=48

Thanks Lizard. Only 3 months away you'd think the SRU would announce this or include it in the fixture list. I've found it impossible to obtain the info (short of contacting the SRU directly).

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:

Lizard wrote:Here we go - ANZ Stadium, Suva, 24 June 2017.

Who wants to come with me?

http://officiating.worldrugby.org/index ... ents&id=48

Thanks Lizard. Only 3 months away you'd think the SRU would announce this or include it in the fixture list. I've found it impossible to obtain the info (short of contacting the SRU directly).

The SRU website for fixtures is terrible.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/ ... =hootsuite

Interestingly only Scotland and italy opposed the 5 weeks

Wales were "concerned" but didnt oppose,

Surprised that Ireland didnt object also, they have complete control over the 4 teams and an extra rest week would benefit them

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/ ... =hootsuite

Interestingly only Scotland and italy opposed the 5 weeks

Wales were "concerned" but didnt oppose,

Surprised that Ireland didnt object also, they have complete control over the 4 teams and an extra rest week would benefit them

The SRU are right on this one. I'm pretty sure Dr Robson will have had input too.

Shame about the lions tours being shortened.

Interesting? Yup. Surprising? Nope.

If you rank the teams in order of player resource it'll be France/Ireland/England then Wales a fair bit behind then a huge gap to Scotland & an even bigger gap to Italy.

Not surprised we & Italy opposed it whilst Wales had some reservations.

What better way to maintain the status quo in world rugby? We do not have the depth to deal with the injuries this will create.

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:Interesting? Yup. Surprising? Nope.

If you rank the teams in order of player resource it'll be France/Ireland/England then Wales a fair bit behind then a huge gap to Scotland & an even bigger gap to Italy.

Not surprised we & Italy opposed it whilst Wales had some reservations.

What better way to maintain the status quo in world rugby? We do not have the depth to deal with the injuries this will create.

I completely agree with England and France, they are 3 - 4 deep in probably 10 - 13 positions , they wouldn't like it but they can cope with it
Ireland doesn't have that number though, even 3 weeks in a row if you have 2 head knocks and a bad injury in the first game that could be your 6N in real trouble, especially when you consider refs have started ignoring high tackles again

So Oz in Oz, Fiji in Suva and Italy in Singapore.

Also, how utterly fucking pointless is playing Italy in singapore. Why not play Singapore or go to HK and play HK (which would be my preference).

Big D wrote:Also, how utterly fucking pointless is playing Italy in singapore. Why not play Singapore or go to HK and play HK (which would be my preference).

Agree with another game against Italy being fairly pointless but you're just being silly suggesting we play Singapore or HK.

Why? If we are intending on squeezing another game in why not the 2nd best team in Asia in HK? Or if we are desperate to play in Singapore at least get the locals interested by playing the local team.

Not every game needs to be a high intensity test match. They would be a decent old fashioned tour game where we could give youngsters a run out.

Doesn't even need test match status, could be a Scotland A team. Would be a great boost to Asian rugby.

Big D wrote:Why? If we are intending on squeezing another game in why not the 2nd best team in Asia in HK? Or if we are desperate to play in Singapore at least get the locals interested by playing the local team.

Not every game needs to be a high intensity test match. They would be a decent old fashioned tour game where we could give youngsters a run out.

Doesn't even need test match status, could be a Scotland A team. Would be a great boost to Asian rugby.

Agreed. More to the point. Italy are f*cking grim to watch. Would have much rather seen us stop off in Japan or gone to another PI nation.

SO what do we think, Australia rugby seems to be tearing itself apart right now, i still think we will be lucky if we have 3 lions so presuming we are 3 down can Scotland win all 3 games or is 2 a reasonable expectation

We should be looking to win all 3. Suspect Toony will use the first two easier tests to find his best team & play them against Aus.

Agree playing in Singapore is daft. They're not even playing the World Cup there any more.

I think we have to say 3 wins is an achievable goal, even with a squad minus Hogg and possibly a few others. The Aussie super rugby teams are a bit crap at the moment and their rugby looks like it's on a bit of a downer. Time to put the boot in.

Assuming Hogg goes with the lions who plays full-back? Kinghorn seems to have lost form, Maitland never looks as good as he does on the wing and Murchie hasn't come back from injuries the same player. Other options like Taylor or Jackson are a stretch and well out of position. We look very short.

Big D wrote:Why? If we are intending on squeezing another game in why not the 2nd best team in Asia in HK? Or if we are desperate to play in Singapore at least get the locals interested by playing the local team.

Not every game needs to be a high intensity test match. They would be a decent old fashioned tour game where we could give youngsters a run out.

Doesn't even need test match status, could be a Scotland A team. Would be a great boost to Asian rugby.

Sticking 100 points on a bunch of amateurs is hardly ideal prep for Aus the following week.

Plus we have no obligation to Asian rugby.

ARM wrote:

Big D wrote:Why? If we are intending on squeezing another game in why not the 2nd best team in Asia in HK? Or if we are desperate to play in Singapore at least get the locals interested by playing the local team.

Not every game needs to be a high intensity test match. They would be a decent old fashioned tour game where we could give youngsters a run out.

Doesn't even need test match status, could be a Scotland A team. Would be a great boost to Asian rugby.

Sticking 100 points on a bunch of amateurs is hardly ideal prep for Aus the following week.

Plus we have no obligation to Asian rugby.

We have no obligation to Asian rugby? No but there's no harm in spreading the word.

Over the last few years I think we could be proud to have played pretty much all over the place. If we are going back to Asia it would be nice to say we're doing more tham.most rise one international teams.

switchskier wrote:Assuming Hogg goes with the lions who plays full-back? Kinghorn seems to have lost form, Maitland never looks as good as he does on the wing and Murchie hasn't come back from injuries the same player. Other options like Taylor or Jackson are a stretch and well out of position. We look very short.

It has to be Maitland, he's done fine there when he has filled in. Kinghorn is one for the future but has been flogged to death this season and still has something to learn.

Wylie Coyote wrote:

switchskier wrote:Assuming Hogg goes with the lions who plays full-back? Kinghorn seems to have lost form, Maitland never looks as good as he does on the wing and Murchie hasn't come back from injuries the same player. Other options like Taylor or Jackson are a stretch and well out of position. We look very short.

It has to be Maitland, he's done fine there when he has filled in. Kinghorn is one for the future but has been flogged to death this season and still has something to learn.

Maitland has his fans, think he will go over Seymore

This could be a spanner in the works for the money men

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39567024

Tom Youngs hinting at a strike

Just realised that the next RWC draw is on 10/5 at 9am. Bring it on.

Ireland, Fiji, Scotland would be an interesting group

Although a repeat of

ireland , France RG will have some people sh!tting it

Lets hope for

NZ , RG and Wales

I suppose for us Australia or ireland are the best we can hope for with a diddy third team

Band 1: New Zealand (1), England (2), Australia (3), Ireland (4)
Band 2: Scotland (5), France (6), South Africa (7), Wales (8)
Band 3: Argentina (9), Japan (11), Georgia (12), Italy (15)
Band 4: Americas 1, Europe 1, Oceania 1, Oceania 2
Band 5: Africa 1, Americas 2, Europe/Oceania play-off, Repechage

So best case probably:
Oz/Ireland
Scotland
Italy
USA
Namibia

Worst:
NZ
Scotland
Argentina
Fiji
Samoa/Tonga

A group of; England, SA, Georgia, Fiji, Tonga/Samoa would be pretty physical.

Can we go 3rd in the rankings if we beat Oz and don't lose to Italy and Fiji?