ITV should never be allowed anywhere near sport. They are gash.

We're accused of being arrogant by a New Zealander?? Good call. We've reached more World Cup finals than the All Blacks so maybe we're allowed to be arrogant.

What did they want him to say? Comparing swearing at a player who has just gouged your eyes to a player swearing DIRECTLY into a camera after scoring a goal is the most pointless thing in the World. It's like comparing rugby league to rugby union.

Wales knock a kick between the posts and it's not given and then the the world's pundits, like Jonathan Davies, say that's life and Wales lose by a point.
Maradonna de javu.
It doesn't matter that some doesn't check it out on a replay.
That's life.
Yeah it will continue to be in a world populated by Blatters.
It needn't be this way.

Wasps beat Leicester Tigers 35-29

It's easy to believe that Union has closed the gap in recent years...until you watch some of it.

I was channel hopping on Saturday morning, every time there was a stoppage in the Broncos vs Warriors game I'd flick over to ITV & see what was happening...had to do this SIX times before I saw the ball in play...even then the second guy to touch the ball dropped it

The lack of basic skills and game awareness in northern hemisphere players is truly shocking.

Witness Delon Armitage running parallel to Ben Foden but 25 yards away waiting for the pass as an example.

You're absolutely spot on there Andy. I said the same thing pre-tournament. We're light years behind the big three and I fear a real hiding for one of the six nations sides when/if they come up against them.

They must have been in that Martin Corry Rugby Camp off the adverts, passing tubs of whey protein to each other.

I'ds argue that the Top 14 is catching up slowly, but the Aviva is utter garbage. Then again, this might be because the French teams are now full of Saffas and the army of New Zealand who got about two caps and will dine out on this in the NH for all time.

Quote ="Wildmoose"It's easy to believe that Union has closed the gap in recent years...until you watch some of it. I was channel hopping on Saturday morning, every time there was a stoppage in the Broncos vs Warriors game I'd flick over to ITV & see what was happening...had to do this SIX times before I saw the ball in play...even then the second guy to touch the ball dropped it '" Reading the Daily Mirror this morning in the butty shop whilst waiting for my order and it was highlighted there. The Welsh Captain, Sam Warburton, was awarded the man of the match after a [size=150staggering[/size 20 tackles. Sean O'Loughlin this season (league only) has averaged 38 per match whilst Micky McIlorum who doesn't play the full 80 has averaged 25. www.mirror.co.uk/sport/sport-fro ... -23414022/

Quote ="Wildmoose"It's easy to believe that Union has closed the gap in recent years...until you watch some of it. I was channel hopping on Saturday morning, every time there was a stoppage in the Broncos vs Warriors game I'd flick over to ITV & see what was happening...had to do this SIX times before I saw the ball in play...even then the second guy to touch the ball dropped it '" Reading the Daily Mirror this morning in the butty shop whilst waiting for my order and it was highlighted there. The Welsh Captain, Sam Warburton, was awarded the man of the match after a [size=150staggering[/size 20 tackles. Sean O'Loughlin this season (league only) has averaged 38 per match whilst Micky McIlorum who doesn't play the full 80 has averaged 25. www.mirror.co.uk/sport/sport-fro ... -23414022/

Completely different sports so you can't really make fair comparisons.

I know which is what I said earlier, but it isn't exactly staggering in RL terms which highlights the differences in the two codes.

That's the point I was making anyway.

I get you mate. I think what it highlights is just how much graft league players do and how fit they have to be.

Terrible isn't it.......I mean to say, when compared with the RLWC of 2008 it's shocking how bad Union is.......

Average points scored in RLWC 2008 = 49
Average poinst scored per game in RWC 2011 = 47

Average tries per game in RLWC 2008 = 7 (try every 11 minutes)
Average tries per game in RWC 2011 = 5 (try every 16 minutes.....shocking)

Average attendance at RLWC 2008 = 16,331 (all but 1 games played in RL heartland)
Average attendance at RWC 2011 = 27,757 (games played all over the country)

TV Viewing figures for England games in RLWC 2008 = 350,000 (am KO)
TV Viewing figures for England game in RWC 2011 = 4,000,000 (am KO)

.....God only knows why those 4,000,000 got up so early just to pretend it was good and interesting? Maybe they are all on the RFU's payroll

I realise you're fishing (trolling) but I'll try to reason anyway.

Here we go again. Two different sports so why compare? Of course union is going to come out on top as it's a global game compared to the provincial, Northern, M62 game of rugby league. Why not compare the 2011 RUWC to Euro 96 or the 2008 Olympics?

I'd expect that figure to come down once the whipping boys are out and the sides who can actually defend are still in.

NZ is a union mad country. It's the national sport which dominates the media from Kerikeri to Invercargill. The whole country could be classed as heartland.

It's hardly fair to compare a nationwide major sport that gets plenty of column inches and is on terrestrial television to a regional sport which is on pay tv.

Sarcasm really doesn't work on internet forums.

All I did was respond to the poster who said people would pretend the RWC was interesting and Good when it wasn't.....I used facts, compared the 2 games in question (this is a Union thread on a League Forum) and showed that Union isn't as boring as some would have you believe.

As you point out, they are 2 different games, but the poster decided to come out with an of-the-cuff comment that had no basis, so I responded.

I have watched England yawnion for 40 years. They have never been exciting to watch. Yet they still sell out Twickers, but it has nothing to do with the fare on offer. I know numerous people who attend, it is either for a weekend away with the lads or corporate freebie. The vast majority of these couldn't even name the players never mind their club sides.

If they are not exciting to watch, why have you put yourself through the last 40 years of pain????? Are you a Steward at Twickenham?





I know many Union fans who do know the names of the international players, their clubs and where they played before.....yours is a non-argument.

It is not an argument, it is a fact.

Courtney Lawes has been suspended for two games for recklessly striking an opponent. Fortunately for England the inclusion of extremely poor teams in the world cup means that they'll only be without him for the games against Romania and Georgia.

Time for that ultra-dynamic, athletic second row pairing of Louis Deacon and Tom Palmer.

Didn't see much wrong with the Lawes challenge to be honest, just looked a bit clumsy. Not sure there was anything deliberate or malicious in it - unlike the attempt to gouge Haskell which seems to have gone unpunished.

Surprised they haven't done Haskell for swearing.

Yep....have to agree.......the RLWC is better because there are only 2 possible winners rather than 5 and only 8 whipping boys instead of 15

It's not like Australia would put 52 points on opponents in a semi is it.....





Romania, in case you weren't paying attention, ran a scottish outfit pretty damn close last weekend and Georgia managed to scare the crap out of Ireland in 2007.

Yet more off-the-cuff comments that don't stand up to scrutiny

What on Earth has my post got to do with rugby league?
Ask Martin Johnson if he'd rather be without Lawes for the games against Georgia and Romania or Scotland and the knockout game against most probably France.

Samoa (-32) v Namibia
Scotland (-17) v Georgia
Tonga (-6) v Canada

Treble paying 3/1 with Paddy Power is looking really tempting, as is a 19/1 trixie that will return the stake with 2 winners and a loser.

I put this on this afternoon;
Samoa -33
Tonga -7
Scotland -17
USA -7

Four-fold accumulator pays 14/1.
I've had a yankee on too as I'm not too sure about Samoa.