Rugby Thread

[GB72]

World's moved on etc. But someone got round to asking Mbonambi's view on the Curry affair.

Bongi Mbonambi on his alleged racial slur to Tom Curry and the RFU’s reaction:"I think it is a very sad thing when you live in a first world country [England], you think the rest of the world speaks English," Mbonambi told BBC Sport Africa."It was unprofessional on their part. They could have gone on a website and looked for an English dictionary and looked for the word in Afrikaans."People understood [in South Africa] but obviously their side was misunderstood."He added: "I have never racially swore at him."
BBC article

I assume all of those who were calling for him to be banned from the final based on Curry's statement alone will now similarly demand action against the RFU and England management based on his. Right?

No. Now I never thought there should be a ban for the final but I also note that the explanation, and it is a perfectly reasonable one, was being extolled across social media before it became the official stance. Now trying to impose the blame on another party is also classic deflection and gaslighting and so I am not willing to take any stance on who was right or wrong in what they say. For example, it might be slightly disingenuous to say that Curry had no knowledge of Afrikanns bearing in mind the number of South Africans he plays with week in and week out at Sale.

It is, as it always will be, the word of one person against another and whilst I do not think it needed to go as far as it has, both parties have the right to put forward their point if they feel that they are right.

 

[AmandaJR]

Re-read my post. Looked in the mirror. Wouldn't change it.

I had moved on though

 

[Captainron]

Our Spalding Colts team went up to Kesteven and beat them last night. This is the first game this age group has beaten Kesteven in over 10 years of trying. Was a cracking tight game too at 15-12. The joy on lads faces was brilliant.

Love rugby!

 

[GB72]

Our Spalding Colts team went up to Kesteven and beat them last night. This is the first game this age group has beaten Kesteven in over 10 years of trying. Was a cracking tight game too at 15-12. The joy on lads faces was brilliant.

Love rugby!

Wish I had known would have dropped down for a beer as only live a few miles from the ground.

Good result, still get grief from the Kesteven lot I know for being an ex Oakham player

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Edinburgh v Bulls was a great game of rugby.
Lucky to watch it on catch up yesterday without knowing the result.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Stuart Hogg…what a class act……

 

[HeftyHacker]

Good to see local lad and our club coach Sam Dugdale grab the player of the match award for Sale Sharks against Stade Francais today.

Obviously, I taught him everything he knows.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1745408465214796003

Good choice

 

[GB72]

Time will tell. He is the best choice out of the available home nations coaches (surely we could not have thought about another run for Gatland). Farrell has benefited from an established Ireland team and behind the a system at club level that it designed to support the national team. Not belittling him as Ireland have been excellent for a while now but they did fall at the first big hurdle in the World Cup and the Lions takes a whole different type of coaching set up that can bring together the different personnel and playing styles of 4 nations and mold that into a team in a very short space of time in a pressure cooker environment. Time will tell if that suits Farrell

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Rees Zammit leaving Union to move to the NFL

 

[Paperboy]

Rees Zammit leaving Union to move to the NFL

Worked out really well for Christian Wade

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Worked out really well for Christian Wade

i think they get $500k for being on the practice team

 

[Bdill93]

i think they get $500k for being on the practice team

Yeah its all part of the "international programme" stuff.

Teams that take an international player get an extra spot on their roster too.

 

[WGCRider]

i think they get $500k for being on the practice team

It's closer to $200k. "Veterans" - players with at least 2 years experience get around $300k. They actually only get paid for the 18 weeks of the season (providing they remain in the squad) and are then released at the end of each season.
This assumes he makes a squad - which isn't certain. Each of the 32 teams has to take at least 1 international player for their practice squad - so there is a chance.
On the face of it it doesn't seem like money is his motivation - he may just actually want to give it a go.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

He is also young enough to come back and restart his rugby career if it doesn't work out.

 

[GB72]

He is also young enough to come back and restart his rugby career if it doesn't work out.

Very much this. We are at the start of a World Cup cycle and so it will be a couple of years before international teams are looking to build their squads. Effectively he has a free hit to do what he wants for that period and then can come back if it does not work out. OK, it does not normally mean changing sports but New Zealand normally let their players have a sabbatical for 2 years at the end of each world cup to play where they want and rake in some cash before coming back to a super rugby side for the world cup build up.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Six Nations Preview
Scotland.......on for 4 Calcutta Cups in a row.
England.......Come on, sort yourselves out with your own Anthem and stop borrowing others.
Wales........Second favourites for the wooden spoon
United Ireland.....Favourites for the title.

 

[GB72]

Six Nations Preview
Scotland.......on for 4 Calcutta Cups in a row.
England.......Come on, sort yourselves out with your own Anthem and stop borrowing others.
Wales........Second favourites for the wooden spoon
United Ireland.....Favourites for the title.

I would have France favorite for the title.

I am at least happy that Borthwick has picked a side based on form in the Premiership rather than just recruit the old guard in full (though using Cole and Mahler does show our lack of depth at prop). The interesting thing will be to see if he can abandon his very rigid kicking game and make use of some of the backs, especially those from Northampton, who have been on fire this season.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I would have France favorite for the title.

I am at least happy that Borthwick has picked a side based on form in the Premiership rather than just recruit the old guard in full (though using Cole and Mahler does show our lack of depth at prop). The interesting thing will be to see if he can abandon his very rigid kicking game and make use of some of the backs, especially those from Northampton, who have been on fire this season.

I think it's the first time he's had real freedom to pick who he wants.
His first squad was largely restricted to Jones' choices, with a handful of changes allowed. He then went into the world cup and hadn't seen many other players playing together. So the sensible thing to do was stick closely to what he'd seen before.

Now he has 4 years to build his own squad and build his own game.

 

[GB72]

I think it's the first time he's had real freedom to pick who he wants.
His first squad was largely restricted to Jones' choices, with a handful of changes allowed. He then went into the world cup and hadn't seen many other players playing together. So the sensible thing to do was stick closely to what he'd seen before.

Now he has 4 years to build his own squad and build his own game.

Totally agree but he was very rigid in his territory based kicking game at the Tigers and he may not have had many options but to bring that to England to start with. It will be interesting to see if he evolves that for the squad that he has now picked.