villamark Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Sad news about the death of Jerry Collins and his wife. I met him a few times and he was a really nice guy without any ego. The story about him playing for Barnstaple 2nds is typical of the type of guy he was. RIP 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 (edited) Fabulous stuff from Ireland today to beat the All Blacks for the first time and bring to an end their 18 game winning streak. From the Beeb: Quote The All Blacks are 22-1 ON to beat Ireland today. The bookmakers believe that a 24-point defeat for Ireland is par Edited November 5, 2016 by snowychap 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heffoman Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Amazing game one of the greatest Irish performances in a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villakram Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 Was there... still buzzing! That moment when they ambushed Savea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 Great achievement by England , just a shame it's so far before a World Cup. Also would've been good to see how they coped against the all blacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 Correct me if I'm wrong but this England side is still young? I am a casual fan so don't know the numbers. Despite the derision from those bitter [insert alternative six nations team] they deserved their grand slam victory and since then they have just gotten better and better. Whether they can maintain that for the next 3 years remains to be seen, obviously, but the potential is there. Are they the best side in the world at the minute? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 1 hour ago, dont_do_it_doug. said: Correct me if I'm wrong but this England side is still young? I am a casual fan so don't know the numbers. Despite the derision from those bitter [insert alternative six nations team] they deserved their grand slam victory and since then they have just gotten better and better. Whether they can maintain that for the next 3 years remains to be seen, obviously, but the potential is there. Are they the best side in the world at the minute? It is a young side and luckily we have options. Hard to say if we are best side, Ireland are good and of course, New Zealand can be untouchable when in top form Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted March 27, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 27, 2017 Didn't think it worth opening a new thread, especially seeing as "egg-chasing" never seems terribly popular around here. Anyone heading to NZ for the Lions tour this summer? I'm thinking of going but am trying to justify the cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlwaysAVFC Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 2 minutes ago, choffer said: Didn't think it worth opening a new thread, especially seeing as "egg-chasing" never seems terribly popular around here. Anyone heading to NZ for the Lions tour this summer? I'm thinking of going but am trying to justify the cost. My parents are going, my mum has always wanted to go to New Zealand and they've both wanted to do a Lions tour for ages. They've paid off their mortgage so taking the opportunity just before they retire and have less money coming in. It's extortionate with the way you have to do it, there's no way (or at least very hard) to get tickets, flights and accommodation yourself, it's all through tour operators. I'm sure they will have a great time though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted March 27, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 27, 2017 Yep. I looked at it last year and they've got the whole thing sewn up - no ability to do your own thing. If you want tickets, you have to pay their extortionate rate for a package deal. Sickening really how much it's about making coin and so at odds with the way the Kiwis do things. Over there sport is all about accessibility and keeping the costs reasonable. I went to NZ/Australia test match last year for £40. Five days of cricket for a third of the price you'd pay to see one day at Lords! I think I've access to a ticket to the Auckland test and the game against the Hurricanes. I don't think I'm able to pass them up even if it does end up being brutally expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post choffer Posted April 6, 2017 VT Supporter Popular Post Share Posted April 6, 2017 All booked. 10 days in NZ. Maori All-Blacks, Auckland Test and Wellington Hurricanes tickets in the bag. Now I just need to find some money to pay for it all. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derryvillan Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 (edited) Sky have a competition running for a month trip including I think nearly all the games.No spending money though. Edit.Sorry its 6 games.Trip from 12th June to 11th July. Edited April 6, 2017 by Derryvillan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 (edited) If the leaked squad rumours are true then **** hell. My enthusiasm was already pretty low thanks to the Gatland/Howley axis but now it's through the floor. Jamie Roberts - what a pisstake. You almost couldn't make it up. He can run all the straight lines he wants, it never has and never will trouble the ABs. Davies and Halfpenny have no place in that squad either. No Joseph, Ringrose or Carberry and there will be some disappointed Scots. I was hoping it wouldn't be Warrenball as it doesn't take a genius to know that won't work against the ABs but it looks like it's on the cards again. I think we'd have had a decent chance with the right personnel and a positive approach. Glad to see Daly in there. Just hoping that players like him aren't nullified by our approach. We look strong up front (gutted for Robshaw, mind) so I'm hoping that will keep things relatively competitive. If any other NH nation had had the past year and a bit that England have, the squad would be built around them. Needless to say, it will probably all be England's fault when we lose. Edited April 19, 2017 by JB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colhint Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 yup agree with that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post snowychap Posted April 19, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2017 Unlucky for Launchbury after his performances in the 6 nations. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 (edited) Joseph in after all. No Roberts. Phew. Still some very lucky boys in that squad, though. Biggar over Ford is questionable to say the least. I'd have picked Ringrose over Davies. The biggest one for me is Moriarty being chosen over Robshaw. One of them had a decent game for 50 minutes of a 6N game, the other has been a warrior for years and man of the series in a 3-0 tour win down under. At some point you have to look at who knows how to win against the SH teams. A lot of those guys have proven on several occasions that they don't. Edited April 19, 2017 by JB 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_avfc Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 (edited) 14 minutes ago, JB said: Joseph in after all. No Roberts. Phew. Still some very lucky boys in that squad, though. Biggar over Ford is questionable to say the least. I'd have picked Ringrose over Davies. The biggest one for me is Moriarty being chosen over Robshaw. One of them had a decent game for 50 minutes of a 6N game, the other has been a warrior for years and man of the series in a 3-0 tour win down under. At some point you to look at who knows how to win against the SH teams. A lot of those guys have proven on several occasions that they don't. Can't argue too much with the squad selected. Potentially, Ford would have been a better call as he could continue his partnership with Farrell if Sexton were to get injured (and he's bound to be a target for the All Blacks). I don't see too much between Ringrose and Davies and this Lions tour may have just come a bit early for Ringrose. If the tour was in a year's time I'd be pretty sure he'd be in. I thought Moriarty had a pretty decent Six Nations and ultimately Robshaw's lack of big game time has probably cost him as well. Had Robshaw not been injured for almost all of the serious matches this season he may well have found himself on the tour. I would add that Launchbury can consider himself unlucky not to make it but he is in the most competitive position on the whole tour. Edited April 19, 2017 by tom_avfc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Oh yeah, on the whole I'm pretty happy with it. I'm nitpicking, really. Davies and Halfpenny were always going to be picked and that's the annoying thing. Those two and Biggar don't deserve to be there based on their form over the past couple of years. And I say that with no bias at all. Hopefully they won't be anywhere near the test team. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 For once I feel for the jocks. only 2 selected. The gray brothers are unfortunate that there are so many great second row players out there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 To be fair, although it does look harsh based on the fact that they beat Ireland and Wales, I'm struggling to see which other Scots deserve a place above the guys selected. I'd maybe have picked Huw Jones but their forwards were over-powered in pretty much every game. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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