It's odd isn't it- he was their hero five minutes ago, and they were lauding him as some kind of bizarre proof that RL players have to move to fulfil their rugby potential.

As for tackling- he's not a magnificent tackler, but then in their amazing world where every body type apparently has their place in the team because everyone is allegedly a specialist, you'd think the rest of them could do it. Especially with two extra players knocking about.

Must be on something then.

He will probably end up at Rochdale Hornets then.

Nice to see England have reacted to their defeat with the usual level of humility. Clearly playing like they did they would have won under any other referee

Why does it not surprise me. Building up to the game there was the usual hyperbole about England's new generation & how Lancaster had turned them around blah blah blah. It was the day after the game before I actually heard they had got beat. It was as if there was a news blackout.

Weird wasn't it? Other than to suggest that it was actually positive because Owen Farrell will learn from it all or some such guff.

I've been working in Cardiff all week though, the known RU fans from England have been getting a right ribbing- the one RL fan visiting (i.e. me) has been treated like a Welshman!

Nice to see that the bosses at Old Trafford have had a change of heart over allowing yawnion WC games to be staged there

Neil Jenkins appointed assistant coach for the Lions. Says a lot about international Union. Terrible player but great kicker. Looking forward to following the Lions... Not.

25,000 out at Twickenham to see Toulon kick 7 penalties (plus a drop goal) to Saracens' 4. The pinnacle of Northen hemisphere rugby, they tell me. Pah.

Surely a 'masterclass'. Or so the papers said. Therein lies the problem.

Some interesting venue choices for the 2015 RUWC.

Italy vs a qualifier at Elland Road, New Zealand vs Argentina at Wembley, South Africa vs a qualifier at the Olympic Stadium.

No doubt the press will be all over the All Blacks calling them the best sporting team on the planet etc etc so they will fill Wembley – similarly SA a big name and the Olympic stadium is a draw for some

The Argentina game at Elland Road is a gamble for me, they will have to work hard to get a full house of paying customers

From the BBC..
[urlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22379872[/url

Somethings gotta give here...there are only 2,578,166 available tickets according to the listed venues, their capacities and the schedule published....112% ticket sales or 11% increase in ticket prices?

I think they have been a tad ambitious .. even the diehard RU fans are a bit dubious. I particularly can't see them filling St James' Park, Etihad and Elland Road without throwing cheap tickets out.

Remember, the beauty of union lies in the diversity of methods of scoring, apparently. Hmmm....

There are penalties & drop goals, that's it.

Disappointing for Leeds Carnegie to go out by such a narrow margin at Newcastle.

Would have been interesting to see all the internationals Newcastle have already arrogantly signed on the basis that they were going to be promoted playing at Doncaster and Nottingham next year.

Plus, anything that rains on a Dean Richards parade cannot possibly be wrong.

So it's them vs Bedford in the final and Bedford can't go up anyway right?

Had the radio on Friday morning and they talked about the Magic Weekend for a few minutes but not even a mention of today's Aviva Prem final. Club RU is just dwarfed by the international game.

81,703 at Twickenham.....hardly dwarfed.



Magic weekend is 7 games....will it get close to 80k?

I suggest you stop trying to put down the bigger and more popular code and instead, concentrate on the positives of TGG.......union is a far bigger code and all you're doing is making yourself look like a bitter little man!

TBF, he is hardly unique in this.

Why are you twisting my words? And why are you comparing two completely different events?

Even when it was the Premiership final, all that anyone bar Tigers and Saints fans cared about was Lions selection.

This thread is about Union and not League, so stfu with your ridiculous comparisons.

297 empty seats at Twickenham I am sure heads will roll at the RFU

Did I say that ?

The Aviva averages 12,500 this year, down 4%....but still 1,700,000 fans through the doors.....International Union in England will see about 800,000 through the gates of Twickenham this year.
BBC Sports landing page yesterday had the aviva result and the rabo result highlighted.....not a dicky about the magic weekend. Your assertion that international union dwarfs the club game is incorrect.....as full houses at Twickenham and the RDS clearly show.

oh, by the way, you mentioned magic weekend first....57,000 over 2 days and 7 games and half the column inches that the aviva final received.....I'd stop trying to put down the bigger and better run code if I were you...as I said.....you look like a bitter and twisted individual.