Comments on: Rugby Predictions for 2016: Who will win what?

By: Prophet Enoch

Prophet Enoch — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 20:48:11 +0000

No its the standard anti English rugby feeling that everyone in Wales feels towards the so-called greatest rugby nation in the Northern hemisphere…the team that’s won F++k all for 12 years and had the largest player pool as they’ll pick a leprous Pitcairn Islander if they thought it would get the a GS.

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 11:48:07 +0000

You are right Ben. I read this morning that he is not starting until next June, which is probably the best the RFU can do.. However, in many industries contracts will carry a clause which prevents people from transferring potentially damaging intellectual property to a competitor organisation fro a period that equates to the amount of salary that they are given as a pay off. I would certainly think that is relevant in this situation. Given that Farrell had about five years left on his contract I would imagine that he got at least one year´s salary in lieu, and a suitable clause would have kept him out of the clutches of another six nations team for a full year, by which time his knowledge would be less up to date. Having said that, he has always seemed like a pretty genuine sort of bloke and I hope he is successful.

By: Ben H

Ben H — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 09:29:55 +0000

Andy he isn’t going till after the 6 nations, presumably because of a clause in his contract. The RFU can’t stop him from getting a job so this is the best they can do and for once they haven’t cocked it up!

By: Phil Metter

Phil Metter — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 07:22:34 +0000

LEON SAD TO ADMIT YOUR PREDICTION FOR THIS YEAR’S SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE RUGBY CHAMPS LOOKS CORRECT. WITH THE SA GOVT. INTERFERING IN SELECTION POLICIES FROM CURRIE CUP UP TO NATIONAL LEVEL MANY MORE YOUNG SAFFERS (WHITE) WILL TRY THEIR LUCK IN EUROPE. I PREDICT A MASSIVE INFLUX FROM 2017 ONWARDS. SOON THE ‘BOKS WILL BE BEATEN BY A TEAM OF EXPATS PLYING THEIR TRADE IN EUROPE

By: Jacob

Jacob — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 17:26:45 +0000

All the positions you list are just debates between players that were being selected for England anyway. Picking Youngs or Care won’t mean some sort of rebuilding job. Nor will pick Haskell or Robshaw.

It is only centre and 7 where current options need completely replacing.

Don’t agree on Marler and Cole being shot. Brookes and Vunipola certainly both seem in better form (but again both were involved heavily previously), and both Cole and Marler will continue to be in England squads.

The point is – the mythical upheaval doesn’t exist.

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 16:56:14 +0000

Who was it who sung “Every step you take, every move you make I´ll be watching you”? Owen must be feeling that Ireland will have him analysed to the nth degree and completely neutralised within weeks. Thanks Dad!
Another cockup by the RFU. Surely they should have ensured that contractually he couldn’t go straight to another six nations team? Prophet Enoch will be on here gloating very shortly I suspect, and he will have the right to.

By: Leon

Leon — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 16:48:20 +0000

Hehe
Good work Rob I haven’t seen an Enoch rant like that for months
Way to poke the sleeping bear

By: Leon

Leon — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 16:44:09 +0000

NEWSFLASH:
Who predicted Andy Farrell would get a job as defense coach for Ireland?
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jan/06/andy-farrell-ireland-defence-coach

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 16:36:55 +0000

Not sure I agree entirely that the only issues Jones has to resolve are at centre and 7. Cole and Marler didn´t look any too impressive in the WC and I don´t think Cole has ever got back to his best since his neck injury. There are also choices to be made at hooker (I really hope he doesn´t revert to Hartley), at lock, where Kruis is playing out of his skin at present, at 6, where Haskell and Robshaw are both putting their hands up, and possibly at scrum half where I still think Care offers more than Youngs when he is at his best. He also has to replace Johnny May. Having said all that I think that those survivors from the WC will be really hurting and will bring an edge to England that has been somewhat lacking. I certainly think they can beat Wales and with that large monkey off their back I don´t see why they shouldn´t win a Grand Slam. It is well past time we had something to celebrate!

By: Prophet Enoch

Prophet Enoch — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 16:29:18 +0000

Oh right you are then Rob,

‘a few tweaks’ like replacing the coaching team that was supposed to be with us until 2019?

‘we were 3 points from a Grand Slam in 2014 and 6 points from the Championship last year’

Another view would be……………….

‘We didn’t win enough games or score enough points every season under Stu and in fact for over a decade under everyone else.’

Unless you count the blown GS v Ireland in the last game of the 2011 6n as a triumph.

2011 England’s best rugby year in the last 12 because it led to the RWC 2011 where at least you made it to the 1/4 final.

Rob where’s the admission that……??

‘we were 28 points from beating Wales in 2013 for a GS and 16 points from beating Ireland in 2015’

How about…..?

‘At RWC 2015 we really screwed up by blowing a 10 point lead v Wales at 16-6,19-9 and 22-12 and then Knobsure still managed to throw it away at the end.’

‘We were appalling against the Aussies..a laughing stock in fact’.

Wales almost crashing out….Wales were not the hosts and had lost the 2014 and 2015 6n games v England so whose sorry now??!!!

Yet more Orwellian-speak from the England fans I am afraid.

Its like that North Korean news agency that reported their team had won the footie World Cup.

As my old Grammar School History Master used to say….(my selective state education was earned via my 11+ results not daddy’s chq book!)

‘If is the biggest word in the English language boys…if I’d only done this….if I’d only done that…if my aunty had testicles she would have been my uncle’.

By: Henwill Kuit

Henwill Kuit — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 12:43:45 +0000

Boks to give good account of themselves in Championship and I also see the Lions getting into semis of superrugby,big squad,currie cup unbeaten,great vibe,and the English or the French to win the 6nations!Saracens to win a couple of tropheys and also watch out for argentina,both club and countries!aka rooies

By: Jacob

Jacob — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 09:44:36 +0000

I’ve got the same feeling. I don’t think they’ll go with Gatland again. Cotter for me.