If ever an article summed up the media attitude to Union it is this in today’s Standard... www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard- ... licious.do The piece at the bottom about France in the final includes the following “No one would doubt that Wales would have beaten France comfortably had Sam Warburton not been sent off. Even with 14 men, they were the better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising side in the semi-final.” How can one sentence be so wrong... I for one would doubt they would have beaten France even with 15 men and as for Wales being better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising – well, you could just about muster an argument for the first two but how anybody could call that Welsh performance imaginative and enterprising I have no idea... they were utterly clueless and only had themselves to blame for not posting more points

If ever an article summed up the media attitude to Union it is this in today’s Standard... www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard- ... licious.do The piece at the bottom about France in the final includes the following “No one would doubt that Wales would have beaten France comfortably had Sam Warburton not been sent off. Even with 14 men, they were the better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising side in the semi-final.” How can one sentence be so wrong... I for one would doubt they would have beaten France even with 15 men and as for Wales being better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising – well, you could just about muster an argument for the first two but how anybody could call that Welsh performance imaginative and enterprising I have no idea... they were utterly clueless and only had themselves to blame for not posting more points

Quote ="Dunbar"If ever an article summed up the media attitude to Union it is this in today’s Standard... www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard- ... licious.do The piece at the bottom about France in the final includes the following “No one would doubt that Wales would have beaten France comfortably had Sam Warburton not been sent off. Even with 14 men, they were the better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising side in the semi-final.” How can one sentence be so wrong... I for one would doubt they would have beaten France even with 15 men and as for Wales being better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising – well, you could just about muster an argument for the first two but how anybody could call that Welsh performance imaginative and enterprising I have no idea... they were utterly clueless and only had themselves to blame for not posting more points'" So if it wasn't 'inner rage' and RU players aren't capable, what was up with Marc Cecillion and Bees Roux? Boys on tour?

Quote ="Dunbar"If ever an article summed up the media attitude to Union it is this in today’s Standard... www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard- ... licious.do The piece at the bottom about France in the final includes the following “No one would doubt that Wales would have beaten France comfortably had Sam Warburton not been sent off. Even with 14 men, they were the better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising side in the semi-final.” How can one sentence be so wrong... I for one would doubt they would have beaten France even with 15 men and as for Wales being better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising – well, you could just about muster an argument for the first two but how anybody could call that Welsh performance imaginative and enterprising I have no idea... they were utterly clueless and only had themselves to blame for not posting more points'" So if it wasn't 'inner rage' and RU players aren't capable, what was up with Marc Cecillion and Bees Roux? Boys on tour?

76,000 less australians tuned into the RWC than did the NRL Grand Final.......and, when you add the Kiwis, as the NRL like to do.....5,207,180 is the figure you come to.....18% bigger than State of Origin including Kiwis.
Not saying union is a better game, because it's not, but it does put into perspective the inane ramblings of certain aussie posters on this and other sites...

Australia v All Blacks gets 18% more viewers than two 'counties' playing each other. Hardly a surprise. If anything I'd have thought Aussie national pride being put to the test by the rugby union mad folk across the Tasman would have rated much higher.
What is surprising is that 76,000 more Australians chose to watch a club game than the biggest union international in 8 years.

Blimey, is that right – 76,000 fewer Australians tuned into the WRC semi than the NRL Grand Final

That’s amazing – a World Cup semi final between Australia and its biggest Union rival attracts a smaller audience than a RL club game (where one club wasn’t even from Australia where the biggest rivalries naturally lie)

Thanks for posting that – really puts the Australian sporting landscape into context

Someone sent me a text this morning saying Warren Gatland has come out and said Wales considered faking injury in the game against France so as to gain an advantage. He didn't send a link and I can't find one so I told him it's utter tripe. Imagine the crap that would stir up after, for example, 'Bloodgate'! If this is incredibly true and someone does find a link, please post it on here. Thanks.

Someone at work mentioned about the scrumming rule where there can be no contested scrums. That was my perception from what he said despite him not being aware of the rule but claiming to prefer yawnion to rugby.

its in the london evening standard.

Quote ="Catalancs"Someone sent me a text this morning saying Warren Gatland has come out and said Wales considered faking injury in the game against France so as to gain an advantage. He didn't send a link and I can't find one so I told him it's utter tripe. Imagine the crap that would stir up after, for example, 'Bloodgate'! If this is incredibly true and someone does find a link, please post it on here. Thanks.'" Take your pick of 2055 pieces news.google.co.uk/news/more?q=wa ... CB0QqgIwAA Yet more shame for union. Oh and from what I could stand of that semi final was shocking I know it rained but simple passing and catching is awful. Well at least in two weeks time I wont have to watch pot shot after pot shot on the news while they are reporting the world cup.

Quote ="Catalancs"Someone sent me a text this morning saying Warren Gatland has come out and said Wales considered faking injury in the game against France so as to gain an advantage. He didn't send a link and I can't find one so I told him it's utter tripe. Imagine the crap that would stir up after, for example, 'Bloodgate'! If this is incredibly true and someone does find a link, please post it on here. Thanks.'" Take your pick of 2055 pieces news.google.co.uk/news/more?q=wa ... CB0QqgIwAA Yet more shame for union. Oh and from what I could stand of that semi final was shocking I know it rained but simple passing and catching is awful. Well at least in two weeks time I wont have to watch pot shot after pot shot on the news while they are reporting the world cup.

Sadly unless we are only part of the 6,000 who have a box that calculates the tv viewing public in the uk it doesnt matter if we were watching union or babestation.

Anyone remember Ian Millward summarising a Wales RU match on tv 7-8 years ago?

Don't think he got invited back

Agree 100%.....but let's face it, without TV ratings to argue over, what would Australian RL fans and AFL fans have to talk about

Glad to have been of assistance

Quote ="dids858"Sadly unless we are only part of the 6,000 who have a box that calculates the tv viewing public in the uk it doesnt matter if we were watching union or babestation.'" My mistake. Are most of those boxes in West Yorkshire or South-West Lancashire? I only ask as rugby league always rates highly. Quote ="dids858"Take your pick of 2055 pieces news.google.co.uk/news/more?q=wa ... CB0QqgIwAA Yet more shame for union. Oh and from what I could stand of that semi final was shocking I know it rained but simple passing and catching is awful. Well at least in two weeks time I wont have to watch pot shot after pot shot on the news while they are reporting the world cup.'" But you know it will all be forgotten about within a few weeks. I found a link to the Wales cheating story on The Guardian website. I don't know what's more incredible; Gatland and the Welsh coaching staff considering cheating [ior[/i not cheating and then telling the world you seriously considered it. Quote ="gutterfax"Agree 100%.....but let's face it, without TV ratings to argue over, what would Australian RL fans and AFL fans have to talk about '" And don't forget Australian union fans. Well, maybe not

Quote ="dids858"Sadly unless we are only part of the 6,000 who have a box that calculates the tv viewing public in the uk it doesnt matter if we were watching union or babestation.'" My mistake. Are most of those boxes in West Yorkshire or South-West Lancashire? I only ask as rugby league always rates highly. Quote ="dids858"Take your pick of 2055 pieces news.google.co.uk/news/more?q=wa ... CB0QqgIwAA Yet more shame for union. Oh and from what I could stand of that semi final was shocking I know it rained but simple passing and catching is awful. Well at least in two weeks time I wont have to watch pot shot after pot shot on the news while they are reporting the world cup.'" But you know it will all be forgotten about within a few weeks. I found a link to the Wales cheating story on The Guardian website. I don't know what's more incredible; Gatland and the Welsh coaching staff considering cheating [ior[/i not cheating and then telling the world you seriously considered it. Quote ="gutterfax"Agree 100%.....but let's face it, without TV ratings to argue over, what would Australian RL fans and AFL fans have to talk about '" And don't forget Australian union fans. Well, maybe not

[i"No team wants to play boring rugby, but everyone you come up against at international level is good opposition and that makes it harder. No-one cares about how you're playing if you're getting results. The result is the priority, the performance is number two. That's rugby, that's the way it always has been and that's the way it always will be."[/i
- Mark Cueto


Looking like Joel Tomkins to Saracens could go through as early as next week. What stood out for me in a recent article were Wigan chairman Ian Lenaghan's comments.
"I’m not worried about rugby union," said Lenagan.
"It irritates me that they are able to pay more to get players, but look at the phenomenal losses they are making. If I was an owner losing millions of pounds I’d be concerned. They are in a mess financially and we are stronger than that."


[iFrom the New Zealand Herald:[/i
The BBC reports that the IRB are privately stunned and shocked and considering what action to take against Wales. Faking injuries is treated as an extremely serious offence. But Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Roger Lewis said Gatland should be praised, not admonished for his admission.
"Warren Gatland should be applauded in this professional era where tough things and tough decisions are made that he didn't go into that particular zone," said Lewis.

Priceless!

Very true. Newcastle, Leeds, Wasps, even Sale...all looking grim. Leeds looking ever more likely to go the way of Waterloo, Orrell and London Scottish. One of two things happens now- either the RFU formally accept the licencing argument (rather than just the informal method of trying to keep out the povo clubs) or someone goes bust within 5 years.

Its understandable that Gatland had these thoughts. And I dont think that it would have been that big a deal if in a couple of years time he'd "written" a book in which he disclosed the discussions that took place in the box.

What really makes me want to puke is the way he's made these comments now in an attempt to claim the moral high ground over the ref who sent off the Welsh captain. Despicable.

...a decision that was 100% correct when following the letter of the law in Union.

I don't get it.....if that had been a frog that dumped a taff on his neck then everything would have been OK.
Simple fact, Wales, even with 14 men should have hammered the french....but they didn't. That's why he's bitter.......he thinks Graham Henry has his job and he's upset that the AB's made the final.......

According to Jamie Roberts, after their performances at the World Cup, Wales are now a global force which is a bit strange as they have lost to France, South Africa and Australia. They did of course beat those giants of the world game Fiji, Namibia and Samoa (and Ireland of course)

If you take out the top three, who are on a different level in my opinion, you could argue that Wales [iare[/i a global force. It's also a good idea to ignore the fact that apart from one side from South America all other contenders to the global force that is Wales are European.

Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
------------------------------------
France, Wales, England, Ireland
------------------------------------
Argentina, Italy
------------------------------------
The rest

Bit harsh on Scotland that list – they are consistently better than Italy

Anyway, my point is that if you made that list before and after Wales performances in the World Cup, nothing would have changed... get beat by the best teams, hammer the also ran’s and competitive against the home Nations and France. The fact Wales got to the semi finals is testimony to the way the knockout stages unfolded, not their quality

....yep, it's not like Tonga and Samoa are getting better over time is it?

I'd also point out that whilst there is still a bit of inevitabilty about the RU, with the same 4 or 5 teams there or there abouts at the final, it's in a lot better state than the other code....where there are 3 teams and 2 of them are playing for the chance to meet the third in a final every time there is a tournament.
Couple of pretty boring semi-finals in this RWC, but I'd rather that than a niling of Fiji in a semi-final

Missed the Jocks. I'd put them on the same level as the Italians and Argentina.

There you go again bringing up rugby league when we're talking about international union on a union board. Get that chip off your shoulder son.

[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/oct/22/bill-beaumont-international-rugby-board?Beaumont on ropes as IRB vote descends into Fifa-style farce[/url 'The meeting turned ugly when it became clear that the associations representing the smaller unions, such as Asia, Africa, North America and Europe, held the balance of power. They were wooed with offers, but some delegates were warned about the consequences of voting for the other side, threatened with the loss of financial support and an end to development tours.'

Talking of financial problems in the game;

[url=http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/rugby/news/article/-/10691481/lomus-old-french-club-goes-under/?Lomu's old French club goes under.[/url

[url=http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2011-12/rugby/story/152889.html?CMP=OTC-RSSWasps will not pursue their interest in Pumas flanker Genaro Fessia after boss Dai Young conceded he was out of their price range.[/url