Other Odd Shaped Balls: The Official Bit-Tech Rugby Union '09/'10 Season Thread

Well, not long now until the start of the new Guiness Premiership season, and the Heinken Cup / European Challenge Cup.

Here's the place to discuss your Rugby related news, your team, fixtures, results, sing dirty Rugby songs and swap good natured banter with supporters of the ene... sorry other teams.

Who do you support?
How do you think you'll do this season?

For the curious, non followers, here's the teams in the top flight:

Leicester Tigers
Harlequins
London Irish
Bath Rugby
Sale Sharks
Gloucester Rugby
London Wasps
Northampton Saints
Saracens
Newcastle Falcons
Worcester Warriors
Leeds Carnegie

And info on the main competitions:

Guinness Premiership (Domestic)
Heineken Cup (European)
Challenge Cup (European)
EDF Energy Cup (Anglo Welsh)

And as Rugby can be a confusing game for the uninitiated, here's the rules.

 

Right, I'll go first:

I'm a Saint's supporter - only Natural as I live in Northampton. I'm hoping that we can get to at least the top third of the table this year, as I still believe we're still rebuilding after our relegation and immediate promotion a couple of seasons ago.

We're back in the Heineken this year after winning the Challenge cup last season, so that's nice.

Big news at the moment in Rugby is the whole Quins fake injury debacle - Dean Richards has been banned from coaching for 3 years, the player involved (Tom Williams)was banned for 12 months but has had his ban reduced to 4, and the club has been fined nearly £260K for it. Apparently it wasn't the first time it's happened either!

 

Saracens supporter here. Now I've moved to Canada I won't get to see the Men In Black play much at all, but I'll be keeping my eye on their website for news & results.

 

Another Saints supporter here - although I think we knew this GOO!

Yeah big news about Deano - totally deserved in my opinion, seeing as the game has been in such disrepute for the past season for various reasons. I think the reduction on the Williams ban was appropriate - as I understand he grassed them all up to get it though! I think it was pretty deplorable that Deano was going to let Williams take the majority of the rap however, and although Deano proved to be an incredible coach with Tigers and did some great things at Harlequins, I would be happy if I didn't see him coaching again. 4 previous occasions....wtf. We have no idea what those occasions led to etc. Imagine if they got that drop goal and beat Leinster!

As for Saints - Top 4 is naturally my hope, I would probably be content with 5th. Ultimately, it's all about progressing out of the HC pool stages though in my opinion, if we can do that, then Saints have really recovered.

I would like to see Leeds stay up this year with Worcester to go down, and either Exeter, Bedford or Nottingham end up in the top flight; we need team diversification in the GP.

Should be a corking season though. Are you a season ticket holder GOO? I am, sit 2 rows above the tunnel and slightly to the left if you are looking up from the ground. We should meet up for a BT pint!

 

I vote for Chuffs to replace Warriors.

Yes I am am a Season ticket holder; Tetley's stand, Block E, Row D, Seats 143 & 142 (Me & MrsGOO). Hopefully our flash new credit card stylee tickets will have arrived this morning, ready for Friday night!

Coooooome on you Saiiiiiiinnnnntttts!

 

I think you should wear your Fez on match days. That'll freak the locals out.

 

Haha, I should!

 

Quins not out of the wood yet over Bloodgate:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/harlequins/8219075.stm



Does make you wonder, If Quins did it - how many other teams have tried it on this way?

 

COME OOOON YOUU SAAAAAINTS!
GOO, I didn't know you were a Northamptoner, I went to a lot of Home games back in '04 '05 I believe but haven't been for a very long time. Very much thinking of going to some games this year. Naturally I want us to do well and we seem to be clawing our way back to how we were.

 

Quite a few - there was an incident at Franklins Gardens a few years ago, with Sarries if I remember correctly; I do remember a bit of a fuss a few rows down in the Churchs stand...

I do hope Saints have never been involved in anything like this. Having just read the excerpts of Tom Williams testimony on PlanetRugby - I'm quite shocked at what was banded around to convince him to keep schtum; how on early any Quins management thought they'd get away with it and that it was acceptable I do not know. Totally lost the last shred of respect I had for quins, it's awful, really is!

 

Yep. Been a season ticket holder for a long time. I'm now a season card holder.

So:
3 Saints fans
1 Sarries fan

Any more? I can't believe that with the amount of people on Bit that that's it.

 

Word on the Saints forum and COYS forum is a certain SA player with VM for initials is going to be joining us....

 

Matfield? He's been linked with us several times in the past, but nothings ever come of it. What's different this time?

I hope KB isn't sticking his nose in again, getting expensive big name players signed rather than what Jim & Doreen believe the squad needs...

Look what happened last time he was left to meddle.

 

Well I suppose nothing much different - I'm only the messenger! A couple of members on the forum are very insistent that it is most definitely going to happen, post currie cup probably.

Doubt it's KB, Melinda seems to have complete control of what goes down and I think KB publicly has said this IIRC.

Matfield would have signed last year, but the Bulls offer came in the night before he was due to sign the paper and that was that. Saw an interview with him on Sky around the time of the Lions.

I personally don't see how he'd fit into the squad, what with Vickerman and Lawes.

 

Well, Deano's career is now over.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/harlequins/8233248.stm

 

So - round 1 is over. How did your team do?

Looked like Saints where going to chalk up a season opening defeat, thanks to a couple of soft interception tries from Wuss (17-0 to them at one point!), but we managed to squeek the win. I'm worried about Myler's ankle though. Why the hell didn't Mel & Doreen sub him straight away? How much more damage did he do to it?

Geraghty looks pretty handy on the field. Easy to spot too, with that hair.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/rugby_union/english/8235723.stm

Meanwhile, back at Quins - they really didn't need this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/rugby_union/my_club/harlequins/8240152.stm

46 seconds into the match and a straight red card. Is that a record?

Here's the table:

http://www.guinnesspremiership.com/rugby/table.php

Tigers lost? My heart bleeds.

 

As is Foden easy to spot - why would anyone chose to dye their hair ginger?

Thought the Geraghty and Myler combo did not work AT ALL, Shane seemed to be playing a crash ball style game and it failed epically. Played well when he slotted into 10 though. Agree about Myler and the injury - it looked like a physio decision given their body language. Castration ensues I hope for that. If he is more crocked because of it - I will be furious.

We missed Lobbe until he came on - Lawes doesn't seem to have the bulk for 4 and the scrum suffered because of it. Maybe he should stick to his preferred position of 6? Best was too slow to the break down, Gray should have started at 7. No end of times before that, forwards were getting isolated and penalties given away. That all stopped when Gray came on...Best is a 6, not a 7! Reihana had a stonker of a game though I thought, the only player to make any decent ground in the first half. Overall I think the Saints got lucky - if Walker got his kicks, which in reality, any other day he would have, you and I GOO would be sorry losers today. I was trembling in my seat though, talk about a stressful game!

All the other results this weekend went exactly how I didn't think they would...quite strange really!

And nice one Quins lock....fool! If that had not happened though, by the sound of it Quins would have won.

edit: forgot to say, rumour on the saints forum is Matfield rejected our offer of 425k pa last week. I think KB has got involved again if that's true...

 

Yes, it was all a bit sqeeky bum, wasn't it.

Ah well. [PunditMode]A win's a win at the end of the day, we'll take the points and look forward to the next match...[/PunditMode]

Speaking of next matches, anyone going to Wembley for the Sarries match? MrsGoo and I are going.

 

I was going to go - until Sky announced they were televising it. I don't like soccer grounds much, and feeling the pinch et al. Especially after dishing out for a season ticket in one go...!

highlights from 3 of the round 1 games including saints here:

http://www.itv.com/rugby/

 

Well Worcester clinched it over Leeds last night which I found a bit disappointing - but early days for Leeds yet so we'll see how it goes.

As for this weekend? Hope Barf plonk all over the insects and sincerely hope the sarries/saffies can't handle the pressure of a soccer stadium...!