Jim Botham was well enough to travel home with the Cardiff squad yesterday, that's good news as it looked like a nasty injury due to the length of time he was treated on the field.
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Pacific Heights? Rugby 2022
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- Aug 2008
- 25227
- The zero meridian
- Swansea, Gaziantepspor and the Zeugma Franchise
- Bahlsen Choco Leibniz Dark
Just starting to watch this now, it seems really well made and produced.
The point of how things changed after Graham Henry came back to Wales after coaching the Lions and how that caused a breakdown in the relationship with players is an excellent one.
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Originally posted by Antepli Ejderha View PostJust starting to watch this now, it seems really well made and produced.
The point of how things changed after Graham Henry came back to Wales after coaching the Lions and how that caused a breakdown in the relationship with players is an excellent one.
Overall, I really enjoyed the series but it's a pity that it didn't show more of the destructive, horrible infighting between the WRU and the clubs that bears a great deal of responsibility for why we were in the doldrums in the first place. It would have been good to hear from David Moffett and the battles that he had to fight to take the WRU at least part of the way towards becoming a professional operation. Unfortunately, the BBC aren't going to pick fights with the blazers by washing dirty linen in public so they skirted this altogether. Alun Carter, the Welsh team's video analyst, is interviewed briefly and he wrote a very good book on this period (called Seeing Red) which is worth digging out if you want to go into the nitty gritty.
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- Aug 2008
- 25227
- The zero meridian
- Swansea, Gaziantepspor and the Zeugma Franchise
- Bahlsen Choco Leibniz Dark
Originally posted by Trevor Red View Post
This is the key point. This doesn't change the fact that he still managed to lay the foundations for 2005 (for instance, he was the one who brought Mike Ruddock back to Wales by getting him to run the A team.) For all the crap Henry took in the later years in Wales, his subsequent record with the ABs showed that he was the best coach in the world. It's just a pity that he took the Lions job.
Overall, I really enjoyed the series but it's a pity that it didn't show more of the destructive, horrible infighting between the WRU and the clubs that bears a great deal of responsibility for why we were in the doldrums in the first place. It would have been good to hear from David Moffett and the battles that he had to fight to take the WRU at least part of the way towards becoming a professional operation. Unfortunately, the BBC aren't going to pick fights with the blazers by washing dirty linen in public so they skirted this altogether. Alun Carter, the Welsh team's video analyst, is interviewed briefly and he wrote a very good book on this period (called Seeing Red) which is worth digging out if you want to go into the nitty gritty.
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Originally posted by Antepli Ejderha View Post
Thanks for the recommendation, I've bought the book.
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Originally posted by Ray de Galles View PostI always wonder how much, if at all, Ruddock's experience with the WRU influenced his son Rhys's decision to leave Welsh rugby at the age of 18 and eventually play for Ireland.
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So, an ex-England but still current Sale player is being questioned about an alleged drugging and rape of a teenager (apparently assisted by a 41 year old woman, apparently a sex worker). I'm 100% certain I know who the player is, but obviously not naming names given the position.
All I can say is, if true, what the fucking fuck? What part of you thought this is acceptable or would turn out well?
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Not quite sure how Cardiff managed to lose that against a badly misfiring Quins. Terrible game management in the final stages mainly.Last edited by Ray de Galles; 14-01-2022, 23:34.
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Quins are basically the Barbarians with a clubhouse at this stage.
We've come a long way since I was watching Paul Burke turn down the penalty advantage for the chance of a pot at goal by presenting flat palms to a pass to intentionally knock on. Not that he's anything but a Quins legend nonetheless.
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- Aug 2008
- 25227
- The zero meridian
- Swansea, Gaziantepspor and the Zeugma Franchise
- Bahlsen Choco Leibniz Dark
Does anyone know the background of Ali Oz the Racing 92 prop?
From what I've seen he was born in France but his name suggests a Turkish background or possibly Arab. He's been in the France squads recently.
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I can't find anything definitive, but it strikes me as reasonably likely.
He was born in Voiron, 25 km outside of Grenoble and made his pro debut there, He also began his sporting career playing football. Voiron has a meaningful Turkish populationLast edited by ursus arctos; 15-01-2022, 15:17.
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This is where my less than comprehensive knowledge of RU shows itself. Leinster beat Montpellier 89-7 on the Rugby Champions Cup today. I see that Montpellier lie about half way in their group and fifth in the ‘Top 14’ French top flight. Does this result simply mean that Leinster are a superb side, that the French league isn’t as strong as I thought it was, that Montpellier don’t give a damn about European rugby or that they just had a really bad day? I’m genuinely curious,
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Some of all of that.
The quality of the French League has declined in recent years, in large part due to a crackdown on the top clubs' chronic evasion of the salary cap. French attention to European competition as a whole has also taken a huge hit this season because of the COVID travel restrictions and what seems to be a general sense that the competitions aren't worth the trouble given the circumstances. Add to that that Montpellier were fielding a young side, got a red card, and that Leinster were very much up for it, and you get a result like that.
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