Fast off the mark...

[urlhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/my_club/gloucester/8380221.stm[/url
Gloucester eye move for Tadulala... again

www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... s-strategy Another article questioning the state of entertainment in Yanwion, and another managing to avoid mentioning the elephant in the room. We all know how to improve the game as a spectacle.

www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... s-strategy Another article questioning the state of entertainment in Yanwion, and another managing to avoid mentioning the elephant in the room. We all know how to improve the game as a spectacle.

Now it's the turn of the British media to moan. Little has changed since Jonny kicked England to the union world cup. That of course was acceptable and 'stirred the nation'. It's ok for two teams to kick each other to death... as long as Jonny and the chaps win.

Indded. It's no coincidence that Rob Andrew is the man in charge of England. He was the least creative half back I think I've ever seen.

Great kicking game though




[urlhttp://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyunion/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rugby/09/11/27/RUGBYU_Sale_Nightlead.html[/url

[i'Referee David Rose was happy for the game to go ahead.'[/i

[iWasps director of rugby Tony Hanks said: "We got advice from the referee and as far as we are concerned we have gone down the right channels."[/i

Manchester 14 vs 41 Sedgley Park
Manchester 0 vs 148 Esher
Nuneaton 95 vs 0 Manchester
Manchester 12 vs 145 Blaydon
Wharfedale 124 vs 5 Manchester
Manchester 3 vs 93 Otley
Manchester 3 vs 93 Cinderford
Redruth 91 vs 5 Manchester
Manchester 0 vs 93 London Scottish
Stourbridge 95 vs 5 Manchester
Manchester 0 vs 59 Newbury
Tynedale 93 vs 0 Manchester

And after a week off nothing changes

Blackheath (40) 82 Manchester (0) 0



-------------- Plyd Won Dw Lost - PF -- PA -- BP - Pnts
Manchester 12 -- 0 -- 0 -- 12 -- 33 - 1211 - 0 - -2

Double that indeed - the current men at the top of English rugby in Johnson and Andrew both achieved their success as players in England sides that played a 10-man game of kick, chase, pressure and convert your penalties.

No surprise their current charges have amassed one try in 240 minutes this Autum, late on against a tiring, under strength Argentina side.

Of the three home nations in action this weekend, not one of them managed to cross the opposition try line. Kind of sums up the northern hemisphere approach to the game.

I have never seen England play expansive wugger in the near 40 years.

Attempts to do so arguably cost Dick Best and Andy Robinson their jobs, when the players proved incapable of the basic skills required.

[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/dec/02/coventry-rugby-club-liquidationCoventry Rugby Club put into liquidation[/url

It has been a bleak season for clubs in the Championship with three clubs facing financial difficulties, Coventry following in the footsteps of London Welsh and Birmingham and Solihull.

This just gets better. Even Andrew himself, the grand poo bar of boredom thinks that Yawnion has got too dull.

[urlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/6711125/Rob-Andrew-warns-IRB-that-breakdown-laws-are-killing-rugby-as-a-spectacle.html[/url

Indeed:
[urlhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8391643.stm[/url
[urlhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby_union/article6941612.ece[/url

Rugby union clubs aren't as dependent on crowds as say rugby league. Just look at the recent internationals. Many people attend union games for range of reasons, none of them, being events on the pitch.

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8394083.stmTicket prices announced for 2011 Rugby Union World Cup[/url

[iTickets for the final of the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand will cost between NZ$390 (£170) and NZ$1250 (£545).
Tickets for many group matches will be much cheaper, starting from NZ$15 for children and NZ$30 (£13) for adults.
Tournament chief Martin Snedden admitted prices for major games were "expensive by New Zealand standards".[/i

Got to admire the IRB. Ticket prices announced 2 years before the tournament and tickets to go on sale a year and a half before the cup starts. The RFL and RLIF could learn a thing or two.


[iThere will be 25,000 tickets for the final available to the general public, who will have to enter a draw to try and secure a place at the 60,000-capacity venue.
The other 35,000 seats for the final go to the IRB for its corporate hospitality and travel packages, with the same deal also applying to both semi-finals.[/i

Not as impressive

Andrew is probably the most oveerrated sportsman I have ever seen. 71 tests & 2 tries (IIRC), one which he literllay fell on a ball dropped over the line. He had nothing to go with his kicking apart from a public school & Cambridge education. His current noises are just an attempt to deflect attention from his continued lack of ability.

Sedgley Park 80-3 Manchester

And apparently it was a blinding penalty.

good day at the office

Manchester 3-50 Cambridge

pfft, Cambridge!

So what is the deal with Manchester?

They lost their coach at the end of October and he was replaced by Elaine Vassie.
Looks to me they are a division or two above their level.
Say what you like but at least there's a rugby union club in Manchester. Whatever happened to the Manchester RL club? Wasn't that long ago they were advertising for players.


One of the messages on the Manchester RU message board:

=#0000FF[iI wish all those involved with rugby union would applaud manchester 1st team and the club for the guts, courage and determination they show week after week on and off the field. It is so annoying when you hear from other rfu club sites and the feed back that each club put in their match report. about the heavy defeats Manchester get. Come on fellow folks give them some words of praise and encouragement, Yes they are getting beaten each game, but these lads go out to play the sport they love and enjoy and what will make you admire their spirit even more these lads DONT GET PAID TO PLAY , like the rest of the teams they play. Manchester play for the love of the game not for cash. so come on folks give the club and players your full support .. [/i

French rugby's top-flight teams will be forced to implement a salary cap for the start of the 2010/11 season. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8420139.stm Australia's Quade Cooper will undergo an extensive personal development and counselling course following a string of off-field incidents. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8420155.stm Stade Francais scrum-half Julien Dupuy has been banned for 24 weeks after being found guilty of eye gouging. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_u ... 421489.stm

French rugby's top-flight teams will be forced to implement a salary cap for the start of the 2010/11 season. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8420139.stm Australia's Quade Cooper will undergo an extensive personal development and counselling course following a string of off-field incidents. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8420155.stm Stade Francais scrum-half Julien Dupuy has been banned for 24 weeks after being found guilty of eye gouging. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_u ... 421489.stm

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 421956.stm Er......better not day what I'm thinking I'll get banned.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 421956.stm Er......better not day what I'm thinking I'll get banned.

Good on him. Can't have been an easy thing to do.

Well done to the lad for finally coming out. Shame he had to wait so long to do it.