European Club Rugby

[Derm McCrum]

Stephen Donald won’t be joining Ulster after getting an injury in his last game in Japan. Given Ulster’s shite performances, the wags have already been guessing the headlines:

Donald ducks Ulster.

[Crucial]

Watching Pat Lams Bristol against Bedford and boy will they need to improve to be competitive in the prems (if they make it back)

Scrum is weak, kicking is very average and breakdown work is terrible.

With the latter, I'm not sure if it is a product of the new laws which have removed all desire to compete unless in a position to do a perfect Pocock like jackal from behind the tackle. It's like a poor mans version of Brumbie ball from the late 90s.

[Chester Draws]

@pot-hale

Looks standard for any NZ school hoping to play in the big leagues. I would think there's forty schools at least training to that sort of routine, although they won't all have the specialist facilities.

Not every school would have weekly video sessions, but most would have them quite often.

Specialist weights/fitness for different positions is standard.

[Catogrande]

New Northampton Saints head coach named. This might not please everyone.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union

[Stargazer]

@catogrande No, it doesn't!

[Derm McCrum]

James Lowe enjoying himself at Leinster - post match interview after getting MOTM and two tries in their win against Scarlets at the RDS. The end of interview is funny.

[antipodean]

[Stargazer]

Finally, good news for Adam Thomson.

Former All Black Adam Thomson checks out of Japanese hospital after two-month stay

[Tim]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/102190526/colin-slade-knocked-out-and-taken-to-hospital-after-injury-in-france

[mariner4life]

[Billy Tell]

Watched Scarlets take down La Rochelle. Inexplicably Kerr-Barlow was on the bench. The LR starting 9 was pure gash

[Derm McCrum]

Just looking at the latest update on Irish senior squad provincial hires, transfers and releases for 2018/19.

Ulster
In
Moore - Irl capped
Murphy Irl capped
Addison (Eng) IQ uncapped
Out
Piutau (NZ) - Bristol - capped
Herron (Eng) - Jersey Reds - uncapped
Bowe - ret.
Black (IQ) - Worcs - uncapped

Connacht
In
Claffey, Gallagher, O'Donnell (Irl) - Academy
Copeland (Irl) capped
Godwin (Aus) capped
Horwitz (Aus) uncapped

Out
Heenan (NZ) uncapped - Bristol
Pita Ahki (NZ) uncapped - released
Ilii (NZ) uncapped - released
Deegan (Aus) - Brumbies - capped
Dawai (Fij) - capped - released
Muldoon (Irl) - ret.
Coulson (Irl) - released
Brennan (Irl) - released
O'Toole (Irl) - released
Crosbie (Irl) - released

Leinster
In
Larmour (Irl) Academy - capped
Out
Murphy (Irl) - Ulster - capped
Heaslip (Irl) ret.

Munster
In
O'Connor, Wycherley, Nash (Irl) - academy
Beirne (Irl) uncapped
Haley (Eng) - IQ uncapped
Out
Zebo (Irl) - Racing - capped
Copeland (Irl) - Connacht - capped

4 NZ leaving
1 Aus leaving
1 Fiji leaving
1 Eng leaving
2 Irish leaving Ireland
2 Irish transfer between provinces
2 Irish retired
4 Irish released

2 Irish returning
2 Aus NIQ
2 Eng IQ
7 Irish academy
2 Irish transferring

The foreign player contingent seems to be changing - so far anyway

[antipodean]

Connacht having a cleanout.

[Derm McCrum]

@antipodean said in NH club rugby:

Connacht having a cleanout.

Aye - and there’s more to leave apparently.

And up in the north, once the IRFU/Ulster Rugby complete their review of the Jackson/Olding case, I expect a few more of the lead-swingers in the squad to be gone too.

[Bones]

Wow, toulon lose to Munster after Owens drops nuts in the euro quarters. About half a dozen opportunities to award toulon a kickable penalty with time up, but he finally awards one the other way due to brainless Ashton.

[Derm McCrum]

Munster look like they’re down and out after conceding a score and are 6 points down to Toulon in the last five minutes of the European Cup quarterfinal. Trinh-Duc receives the ball from a breakdown and kicks for safety of touch on the halfway line. Except, Andrew Conway used to play GAA football and is used to fielding overhead balls. 8 seconds later, Thomond Park lifts off...

[Paekakboyz]

Conway is bloody rapid! Great hands, pretty much saw the try line as soon as he caught it

[Nepia]

TBH from Pot Hale's description I thought there'd be a massive jump to take the ball, so was disappointed that he just caught it over his head.

Still. awesome way for Munster to win a match.

[Catogrande]

@paekakboyz said in NH club rugby:

Conway is bloody rapid! Great hands, pretty much saw the try line as soon as he caught it

He took his chance bloody well but where was the kick chase? Where was the defence?

[Billy Tell]

@catogrande said in NH club rugby:

@paekakboyz said in NH club rugby:

Conway is bloody rapid! Great hands, pretty much saw the try line as soon as he caught it

He took his chance bloody well but where was the kick chase? Where was the defence?

No no you’re doing this all wrong. Weak defence only exists in Super Rugby.