RWC Training Squad

[Danno]

Flatman is the best pundit.

Puja

Absolutely.

And funniest.

There isn't really any competition there.

[Mellsblue]

Absolutely.

And funniest.

There isn't really any competition there.

This is true.

[Which Tyler]

Flatman is the best pundit.

Especially when he agrees with me

[Spiffy]

You would really be comfortable with Malins covering fly-half for England if Ford went down injured in the first minute?!

Also, I don't get the "Malins is not a wing" argument. That's where he's played the majority of his professional appearances, as Saracens have rarely played him anywhere but there. Say he's not your type of wing or that he's not good enough, sure. Saying he's completely out of position seems wild.

Puja

Sorry, you've lost me. Why would Malins end up at FH if we had started him at FB? If both Ford and Smith (at 10/22 or 22/10) were injured, do you mean?

Well, the point of having Smith play 15 is so that we can have him on the pitch as a sub without having to take off Ford and disarrange the incredible cohesion of our backline by changing the 10. I thought you were suggesting a direct swap of Malins for Smith in the XXIII - that they would've been better putting Malins at 15 and, since he was a FH originally, he could then be the 10 cover. Obviously a crossed wire.

Puja

Everyone is missing the bleedin' obvious in this endless round of musical chairs. Play Faz at 15 where he can be second playmaker, make breaks, carve openings and provide a rock-like last line of defence with his immaculate and powerful tackling. Now come on Silly Bogger, do what's right. You know it makes sense.

[Mellsblue]

Sorry, you've lost me. Why would Malins end up at FH if we had started him at FB? If both Ford and Smith (at 10/22 or 22/10) were injured, do you mean?

Well, the point of having Smith play 15 is so that we can have him on the pitch as a sub without having to take off Ford and disarrange the incredible cohesion of our backline by changing the 10. I thought you were suggesting a direct swap of Malins for Smith in the XXIII - that they would've been better putting Malins at 15 and, since he was a FH originally, he could then be the 10 cover. Obviously a crossed wire.

Puja

Everyone is missing the bleedin' obvious in this endless round of musical chairs. Play Faz at 15 where he can be second playmaker, make breaks, carve openings and provide a rock-like last line of defence with his immaculate and powerful tackling. Now come on Silly Bogger, do what's right. You know it makes sense.

Like a test match Christian Cullen animal?

[Puja]

Sorry, you've lost me. Why would Malins end up at FH if we had started him at FB? If both Ford and Smith (at 10/22 or 22/10) were injured, do you mean?

Well, the point of having Smith play 15 is so that we can have him on the pitch as a sub without having to take off Ford and disarrange the incredible cohesion of our backline by changing the 10. I thought you were suggesting a direct swap of Malins for Smith in the XXIII - that they would've been better putting Malins at 15 and, since he was a FH originally, he could then be the 10 cover. Obviously a crossed wire.

Puja

Everyone is missing the bleedin' obvious in this endless round of musical chairs. Play Faz at 15 where he can be second playmaker, make breaks, carve openings and provide a rock-like last line of defence with his immaculate and powerful tackling. Now come on Silly Bogger, do what's right. You know it makes sense.

Banned

[Puja]

Telegraph going hard on the RugbyRebels conversation topics: Why Maro Itoje is actually doing a shit-tonne of really good work at rucks, but maybe he shouldn't have to be: https://12ft.io/proxy?&q=https%3A%2F%2F ... d-cup-2023

Puja

[Danno]

Telegraph going hard on the RugbyRebels conversation topics: Why Maro Itoje is actually doing a shit-tonne of really good work at rucks, but maybe he shouldn't have to be: https://12ft.io/proxy?&q=https%3A%2F%2F ... d-cup-2023

Puja

This is happening too often, time to invoice them

[morepork]

Well, the point of having Smith play 15 is so that we can have him on the pitch as a sub without having to take off Ford and disarrange the incredible cohesion of our backline by changing the 10. I thought you were suggesting a direct swap of Malins for Smith in the XXIII - that they would've been better putting Malins at 15 and, since he was a FH originally, he could then be the 10 cover. Obviously a crossed wire.

Puja

Everyone is missing the bleedin' obvious in this endless round of musical chairs. Play Faz at 15 where he can be second playmaker, make breaks, carve openings and provide a rock-like last line of defence with his immaculate and powerful tackling. Now come on Silly Bogger, do what's right. You know it makes sense.

Banned

Come on, how great would it be to see Fazlet utterly skinned by a wee Kolbe or Villière and totally throw his toys out of the pram. Vanilla Ice would just lose his shit.

[Puja]

Telegraph going hard on the RugbyRebels conversation topics: Why Maro Itoje is actually doing a shit-tonne of really good work at rucks, but maybe he shouldn't have to be: https://12ft.io/proxy?&q=https%3A%2F%2F ... d-cup-2023

Puja

This is happening too often, time to invoice them

I still remember (and gripe about) the day back on the old Planetrugby forums (back when the forums were anonymous and my signing my posts was a necessity rather than an affectation), where I posted a screed about the Pacific Islands not being included in the world game and was disconcerted to find it large chunks of it repeated word for word in Stuart Barnes's Telegraph column the next day.

Puja

[Danno]

Telegraph going hard on the RugbyRebels conversation topics: Why Maro Itoje is actually doing a shit-tonne of really good work at rucks, but maybe he shouldn't have to be: https://12ft.io/proxy?&q=https%3A%2F%2F ... d-cup-2023

Puja

This is happening too often, time to invoice them

I still remember (and gripe about) the day back on the old Planetrugby forums (back when the forums were anonymous and my signing my posts was a necessity rather than an affectation), where I posted a screed about the Pacific Islands not being included in the world game and was disconcerted to find it large chunks of it repeated word for word in Stuart Barnes's Telegraph column the next day.

Puja

Colour me surprised, finding an original thought in that head would be El Dorado (not the show)

[Mellsblue]

Just realised that Serin isn’t in the France squad which means that a player who is better than all our 9’s can’t even make the France squad.

[Mellsblue]

And then there’s Penaud who would be our best 13 despite playing on the wing for club and country.

[Mr Mwenda]

And then there’s Penaud who would be our best 13 despite playing on the wing for club and country.

I'd probably still pick Galthie over any of our lot.

[Mellsblue]

And then there’s Penaud who would be our best 13 despite playing on the wing for club and country.

The offload that wasn’t:

[FKAS]

Just realised that Serin isn’t in the France squad which means that a player who is better than all our 9’s can’t even make the France squad.

Isn't even the best French 9 not in the squad. Baptiste Jauneau is going to be an absolute star. He's more than handy as is. Any other country would have him fast tracked into the first team, poor sod is very unlucky to have the start of his career overlap with Dupont.

[Mellsblue]

The tide is turning:

https://x.com/garygoldrugby/status/1700 ... MV3j-SK8yQ

[Mellsblue]

Is a different animal > a test match animal?

https://x.com/rugbypass/status/17007509 ... MV3j-SK8yQ

[Mikey Brown]

Oof. Cringe.

[Mellsblue]

More on the test match animal vs different animal battle:

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/marseill ... aced-with/

‘Regardless, Argentina crumpled like a punctured lung.‘ was my favourite turn of phrase.

[Mellsblue]

Anybody know if there is a highlights programme?

[Danno]

Anybody know if there is a highlights programme?

Just individual matches, there isn't a compilation

[Beasties]

Anybody know if there is a highlights programme?

Just individual matches, there isn't a compilation

Bloody annoying that. I get that ITV maybe want to leave some room for normal programming but you’d think a round up show at midnight wouldn’t be beyond question. Doesn’t even need an array of pundits to give their opinions just show the bleeding highlights.

[Banquo]

Anybody know if there is a highlights programme?

Just individual matches, there isn't a compilation

the bleeding highlights.

Harsh on Curry

[Danno]

Anybody know if there is a highlights programme?

Just individual matches, there isn't a compilation

Bloody annoying that. I get that ITV maybe want to leave some room for normal programming but you’d think a round up show at midnight wouldn’t be beyond question. Doesn’t even need an array of pundits to give their opinions just show the bleeding highlights.

Worst part is you have to watch 3mins of ads for ~7mins of highlights on a match. Makes me ****ing apoplectic