2021 Autumn Rugby internationals...

[DodgyGeezer]

seeing as there isn't a thread yet I thought I'd start one up... saves the general/prem-rugby thread from being clogged up.

Missed most of the Scotland match but Tonga were well beaten.

Just finished watching the Wales/NZ match... WOW! What the fk happened there?? In with a (tiny, miniscule) sniff @ 60minutes then in 20 minutes shipped another 35 points. Totally battered

[Ian Lancs]

Def not the best NZ performance, but when you see a tackled player back on his feet and taking 2 further passes and then scoring you know there's something special in the team

[Smollet]

An impressive display. Until the last 20 minutes Wales had given a fair account of themselves.

[fttm]

Last 20 minutes was a masterclass , ABs are so good to watch , even Welsh fans were applauding .

[the tribester]

My Amazon Prime was stuttering like mad I had to turn it off. I take it I can go back and catch up?

[Smollet]

Yes

[the tribester]

Smollet said:

Yes

Thanks, so I can.

Some sublime handling at the end there.

[DodgyGeezer]

the tribester said:

Some sublime handling at the end there.

I suspect that Italy could feel quite some pain next weekend!

[Boom78]

I know the French ref is getting a hammering for his display but we played poorly; serious lack of accuracy at set piece, no drive, slow ball, too many mistakes in critical areas of play. How Elias keeps getting selected I don’t know?

You simply can’t let NZ off and need to keep pressure controlled and constant.

A very disappointing display. However, I did think Basham played well.

[DocJock]

Scotland's performance is hard to assess, given the poor quality of the opposition.

The only things I took from the match was Kinghorn showing we have good depth of cover at 10, and Rufus McLean has a nifty sidestep.

[Welshbeef]

Wales have a tough November series will be injuries for sure.

[anonymous-user]

DodgyGeezer said:

seeing as there isn't a thread yet I thought I'd start one up... saves the general/prem-rugby thread from being clogged up.

Missed most of the Scotland match but Tonga were well beaten.

Just finished watching the Wales/NZ match... WOW! What the fk happened there?? In with a (tiny, miniscule) sniff @ 60minutes then in 20 minutes shipped another 35 points. Totally battered

Tonga could have given Scotland a good game if they had access to all Tongan qualified players playing for other countries. Rugby must revise the selection criteria for internationals and stop the top teams taking players from other countries, to make competetive teams.

[Smollet]

Metal Guru said:

Tonga could have given Scotland a good game if they had access to all Tongan qualified players playing for other countries. Rugby must revise the selection criteria for internationals and stop the top teams taking players from other countries, to make competetive teams.

Burn him. Burn him. How dare you suggest ridding the ABs of potential players.

[The Mad Monk]

Metal Guru said:

Tonga could have given Scotland a good game if they had access to all Tongan qualified players playing for other countries. Rugby must revise the selection criteria for internationals and stop the top teams taking players from other countries, to make competetive teams.

Fair enough.

How about - first rule, you have to be born in the country to play for the country?

What's that? Well, let's talk about the exceptions later, do you agree with that as a first principle?

[Tyre Smoke]

The Mad Monk said:

Metal Guru said:

Tonga could have given Scotland a good game if they had access to all Tongan qualified players playing for other countries. Rugby must revise the selection criteria for internationals and stop the top teams taking players from other countries, to make competetive teams.

Fair enough.

How about - first rule, you have to be born in the country to play for the country?

What's that? Well, let's talk about the exceptions later, do you agree with that as a first principle?

So what if you are born in NZ from Tongan parents? You view yourself rightly as Tongan, but also qualify for the All Blacks. Who wouldn't want to play for the All Blacks?

Great game yesterday and a fantastic atmosphere inside the Principality Stadium. A true masterclass in Rugby. Believe me, the AB took their foot off the gas a bit. Could have been an even bigger gap.

[The Mad Monk]

Tyre Smoke said:

Great game yesterday and a fantastic atmosphere inside the Principality Stadium. A true masterclass in Rugby. Believe me, the AB took their foot off the gas a bit. Could have been an even bigger gap.

I read the bit about the last 20 minutes were a masterclass. Said this to a friend who saw the game and he said - words to the effect that it was only a masterclass because we (Wales) were crap.

Edited by The Mad Monk on Sunday 31st October 09:37

[Tyre Smoke]

Can't disagree to be fair. Wales were poor. The AB were brilliant, but Wales made them look err, brillianter.

[The Mad Monk]

Tyre Smoke said:

So what if you are born in NZ from Tongan parents? You view yourself rightly as Tongan, but also qualify for the All Blacks. Who wouldn't want to play for the All Blacks?

Would you view yourself as Tongan? Possibly, but not necessarily.

Any road, do you agree with my first principle?

[Tyre Smoke]

No. Plenty of people born outside the country of their nationality.

However, I do think the 'rules' need tightening up. I agree with you there. Not just rugby though, football is the same, Ireland (Eire) is like England B. Simply because someone had an Irish grandmother.

Remember those two players who qualified for the Welsh rugby squad by having two fictitious Welsh grandparents? Memory is a bit hazy, Western Samoans?

[DodgyGeezer]

who you qualify for is an interesting one. If we apply the 'grandparent principle' I could qualify for:

Czech Republic
Germany
England
Burma

(there are a couple more possibilities in there too I believe!)

For people like me (well like me but talented ) there are a host of options and I can understand why you'd choose to play for (for example) England over Burma Myanmar (for example