It's a somewhat double edged sword similar to SL and the NRL.

IMO the more English players playing in the NRL, the better for the England test side and better for the youngsters in SL.

Surely it is the same for WRU? The more players testing themselves at a higher level each week, the better?

But you have to balance it so as not to leave your home fans, your bread and butter with such a poor spectacle that they don't bother turning up.

[url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-2076823/An-SOS-Save-Our-Scrum-Set-piece-shambles-ruining-rugby-spectacle.htmlScrums ruining rugby union.[/url
I've said it for a long time but have always been shouted down. Pundits and the blazer brigade can continue to say everything's fine with their fingers in their ears, but the game as a spectacle is dying.

As someone who's always played in the front row, in my opinion scrums are an important part of Union.

The best way to manage them, I think, would be to have a standard speed of call for the referees. As a front rower you've enough to think about without having to guess when the referee is going to let you engage, and so end up either going too early or being on the back foot because they guessed better than you did.

There's the drinking games, rubbing winter green on your mates' gonads, slipping aftershave into drinks, how to dodge taxation.....heaven knows if you had to pass, tackle, run....

..Ah...the Dark Arts that us "girls" in the backs would never understand

USA union international considering move to rugby league. www.wearerugby.com/news/articles ... oin-legion I knew Newcastle and Wasps were having serious financial problems, but Sale too? www.rugbynetwork.net/boards/read ... 4,12915278 Some of the comments by Sale Sharks fans with regard to Stockport County are disrespectful, arrogant and crass at best.

USA union international considering move to rugby league. www.wearerugby.com/news/articles ... oin-legion I knew Newcastle and Wasps were having serious financial problems, but Sale too? www.rugbynetwork.net/boards/read ... 4,12915278 Some of the comments by Sale Sharks fans with regard to Stockport County are disrespectful, arrogant and crass at best.

It's funny watching some of the old games from the 80s and 90s on ESPN, before the era of "crouch, touch, pause, engage". Somehow, front rows managed to find ways to engage, bind and push without scrums continually needing to be reset or collapsing without the assistance of a referee to talk them through it.

I can appreciate the whole safety aspect of a controlled engagement, but it's gone much too far the other way now to the point where - as you say - front rows are trying to anticipate the cadence of the referee to steal a march on the initial hit, causing more problems than it solves.

From the olympics.org official website:

[i[uRugby variants[/u
At the end of the 19th century and start of the 20th century, this sport saw a rise in popularity at all social levels and was exported worldwide, thus giving rise to different variants.
The two main ones today are rugby union and rugby sevens. There is also “touch rugby”, “rugby flag”, “rugby 10s” and “beach rugby”. Each has its own variation of rugby’s rules, but all share the same spirit.[/i

Am I missing something here?

Can't say I am surprised.

Quote ="Catalancs"From the olympics.org official website: [i[uRugby variants[/u At the end of the 19th century and start of the 20th century, this sport saw a rise in popularity at all social levels and was exported worldwide, thus giving rise to different variants. The two main ones today are rugby union and rugby sevens. There is also “touch rugby”, “rugby flag”, “rugby 10s” and “beach rugby”. Each has its own variation of rugby’s rules, but all share the same spirit.[/i Am I missing something here?'" Feel free to send your comments to here https://secure.registration.olympic.org ... k-question I have said that they remind me of the vichy government.

Quote ="Catalancs"From the olympics.org official website: [i[uRugby variants[/u At the end of the 19th century and start of the 20th century, this sport saw a rise in popularity at all social levels and was exported worldwide, thus giving rise to different variants. The two main ones today are rugby union and rugby sevens. There is also “touch rugby”, “rugby flag”, “rugby 10s” and “beach rugby”. Each has its own variation of rugby’s rules, but all share the same spirit.[/i Am I missing something here?'" Feel free to send your comments to here https://secure.registration.olympic.org ... k-question I have said that they remind me of the vichy government.

Lets see Gutterfax explain this

[url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/sonny-bill-williams-to-return-to-the-nrl-with-the-sydney-roosters/story-e6frexnr-1226233913691Sonny Bill Williams to return to the NRL with the Sydney Roosters.[/url

'He is known to be bored in rugby union and has made no secret of his desire to return to rugby league once he is freed from having to pay the Bulldogs any compensation.
French and Japanese rugby union clubs are still chasing the All Blacks star with offers of up to $1 million a season.'

Kyle Eastmond makes the bench for Bath today and is expected to make his debut.

He's not been named from the preview I've seen. Be interesting to see how he goes as I don't think there's a as much pressure on him as some other rugby league players who have moved to union. After all the fuss and bother when his move was announced, things have camed down and I think many have forgotten about him. Saints have been very fortunate in a way in that Eastmond's move, subsequent behaviour and injury led to Jonny Lomax being given a chance, hich he took with both hands. Lomax is a much brighter prospect than Eastmond and could be a real England star for many years to come.

He played about 15 minutes but it was a forward-dominated affair in which Bath had a big lead and were closing the game out, so very little opportunity to impress.

With the relatively little RL they have played I find it hard to distinguish between Lomax and Eastmond and it's a shame we will never get to find out how they will both turn out in RL. Eastmond's attitude let him down a bit towards the end of his time at Saints and I'm not sure how much that affects people's opinions of him. They are both outstanding talents.

Just seen the report on the BBC and he is indeed named on the bench before playing on the wing. It's just a personal opinion with regard to Lomax and Eastmond.

Of course. I agree with you regarding the expectaions of Eastmond too, seems to have slipped under the radar a bit. The Bath coaching staff seemed really excited about what he might bring to them in the match preview, although you wouldn't expect them to say anything else.

Sale Sharks have announced Steve Diamond will take over as chief executive in February, but will also continue as director of sport. Two for one. Costcutting?
Sharks say a decision on a possible ground move will be made within six weeks. They're linked with move to Barton, sharing with Salford.

England have dropped Danny Care from their forthcoming Six Nations campaign following his arrest for drink-driving on New Year's Eve. news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 408098.stm

England have dropped Danny Care from their forthcoming Six Nations campaign following his arrest for drink-driving on New Year's Eve. news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 408098.stm

I thought it was only RL players who do this type of thing.

Really? I must have missed the post where anyone on here...or anywhere else ever claimed that brain farting was a unique attribute of RL players?

Maybe the fact that his dropping for his DD receives more column inches in the broadsheets and tabloids of the UK will further fuel your misplaced and misguided (IMO) opinion that the media don't cover the "bad bits" of Union and instead sweep them under the carpet


[urlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jan/04/danny-care-drink-driving?newsfeed=true[/url
[urlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/8993578/England-interim-coach-Stuart-Lancaster-reveals-his-iron-fist-over-Danny-Cares-antics.html[/url
[urlhttp://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/2012/01/05/england-chief-stuart-lancaster-flexes-his-muscles-with-danny-care-getting-the-boot-115875-23679861/[/url
[urlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-2082026/Danny-Care-fails-drink-drive-test-dropped-England-Six-Nations.html[/url
[urlhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/16408098.stm[/url
[urlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/international/danny-care-dropped-from-england-squad-after-second-drink-related-offence-6284717.html[/url
.......must be a pretty big effing carpet

A row has erupted between the Scottish Rugby Union and the Welsh Rugby Union over the eligibility of Steven Shingler, who was named in Scotland's RBS 6 Nations squad. www.sportinglife.com/rugbyunion/ ... ml&BID=504 He's not even that good. Things must be bad if two of the top 10 teams in the world are fighting over him.

A row has erupted between the Scottish Rugby Union and the Welsh Rugby Union over the eligibility of Steven Shingler, who was named in Scotland's RBS 6 Nations squad. www.sportinglife.com/rugbyunion/ ... ml&BID=504 He's not even that good. Things must be bad if two of the top 10 teams in the world are fighting over him.

Quote ="Catalancs"A row has erupted between the Scottish Rugby Union and the Welsh Rugby Union over the eligibility of Steven Shingler, who was named in Scotland's RBS 6 Nations squad. www.sportinglife.com/rugbyunion/ ... ml&BID=504 He's not even that good. Things must be bad if two of the top 10 teams in the world are fighting over him.'" Seems to have crammed a few highlights into his career thus far and he's only young. Wales don't hand out those "10" shirts like confetti & London Irish fans rate him. If the IRB are sticking to the letter of the law then this kid is Welsh......

Quote ="Catalancs"A row has erupted between the Scottish Rugby Union and the Welsh Rugby Union over the eligibility of Steven Shingler, who was named in Scotland's RBS 6 Nations squad. www.sportinglife.com/rugbyunion/ ... ml&BID=504 He's not even that good. Things must be bad if two of the top 10 teams in the world are fighting over him.'" Seems to have crammed a few highlights into his career thus far and he's only young. Wales don't hand out those "10" shirts like confetti & London Irish fans rate him. If the IRB are sticking to the letter of the law then this kid is Welsh......