Well, it is personal choice. But I personally cannot understand why anyone would prefer to watch a scratchy feed from Albania over going to an actual game (especially my fellow City fans, as the ticket cost is probably similar to an afternoon in the pub). And I'd also hope that most people support their local team regardless of whether or not they're any good.

And there's actually six professional teams in Manchester

I dont read planetrugby. Why are you reading it?

To stick up for the game I love along with the likes of Gort who also is an RL fan who happens to stick up for RL if that is alright with you.

I'm sorry, but how anyone can say that a team getting almost one hundred points put on them in European rugby union's second most important club cup competition is beyond me.

I meant it wasn't really embarrassing, as in it could have been a lot worse.

You seem to know a bit about Union so you should know the difference in the levels between Spanish and English Rugby. We are light years ahead

We are one of the poorest top flight teams at the moment and we mauled the Spanish champions. We spilled so many balls, it really could have been over 20 tries. I can't find the scores but Brive put around 80 past them last year and Newcastle around 60.

It is the 2nd highest competition yes, but not many teams take it seriously. Realistically there's only the Aviva Premiership and Top 14 sides who have a chance of winning it. And even then the French teams don't really care about Europe. Connacht usually have a good go at it too.

Yes we beat them heavily, but I just meant they stuck at it. Stole a few balls, had a break away try in the first 5 minutes and showed a few signs of competitiveness.

I would say Marc Cecillon set the bar pretty high for all other sports.

Congratulations rugby union.

Forget light years, it's pretty much a different dimension! I saw some Spanish RU on tv when I was in Spain in May, and I can concur that it is seriously lacking in technical ability.

Are there no qualifiying rounds a la Champions League to reduce the number of such teams getting through to a stage where they will be annihilated by the pro teams?

When this happens in yawnion they are plucky enthusiasts expanding the game. When it happens in RL it is an embarrassment.

I didn't see the game in it's entirety but if you're telling me it could have been [ireally[/i embarrassing you've got to worry for them when they come up against stronger opposition.


I agree 100%. I'd much rather there be a third tier of European club rugby union. El Salvador are easily one of, if not [ithe[/i, strongest teams on the Iberian peninsula and just look what happens when they play an average British side.


I really hope they improve, as pastings like the one you men handed out do nobody any good at all.

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Can see some floggings in the Amlin Cup this weekend.

Gloucester, Harlequins RU, Brive and Sale could really embarrass their opponents.

The European setup bemuses me. Does anyone in the top flight not qualify?

Qualification for both the Heineken and Amlin cup is a bit of joke for me. I mean both Scottish teams gain automatic places in the lucrative Heineken cup regardless of their Magners league position.
All top division English, French and Magners league clubs that do not qualify for the Heineken cup enter the Amlin cup.

Big rumour over here that USAP are going to take on Toulouse at the Camp Nou in early April.

Gloucester 90-7 Rovigo
Harlequins RU 55-17 Cavalieri Prato
Petrarca 9-56 Sale
And one surprise for me as Jonboy Wilkinson and the Toulon chaps let in 45 at Munster.
El Salvador v Brive result still to come.

El Salvador 3 - 116 Brive

I thought we beat them well

I think that puts Brive top of the group now. We better put in 2 good performances against them

For those who don't know, the 5 winners go through and 3 teams from the Heineken Cup drop down. So it's ideal to be the highest seeds as it means you get to play the 8th seeded Amlin Cup team.

Jesus Christ, that's ing ridiculous.

Does that qualify as embarrassing?

It's like Real Madrid playing Altrincham!

Looks like the mention of Marc Cecillon scared off the troll...





I raise you a Bees Roux...

Quote ="Old Darlin"Looks like the mention of Marc Cecillon scared off the troll... I raise you a Bees Roux... '" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ru ... _incidents This fairly demonstrates that RU is no better than RL for this kind of thing. Ironically, for all the condemnation of football bysome supporters of the rugby codes, I can recall a few examples of death by dangerous driving, but no premeditated murders or attempted murders.

Quote ="Old Darlin"Looks like the mention of Marc Cecillon scared off the troll... I raise you a Bees Roux... '" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ru ... _incidents This fairly demonstrates that RU is no better than RL for this kind of thing. Ironically, for all the condemnation of football bysome supporters of the rugby codes, I can recall a few examples of death by dangerous driving, but no premeditated murders or attempted murders.

"No better"...

Understatement of the year.

We sure won't have two current murderers in jail by the end of this year. Rugby union will.

Actually, it's three- one of Caerphily's players is also doing porridge for strangling his girlfriend.

Horrid.

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Yawnion public doesn't come to watch, half of the time half of the crowd haven't a clue what is happening. They come to be there.