: Mon Feb 16, 2009 5:31 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

already a 2 horse race. scotland and italy are available at 500/1.
all the stick about the world cup being a 2 horse race and how union was much more competitive and open.

Not really a fair comparison though is it?

In the Union World Cup anyone of a number of teams could win it. In League it is either NZ or Australia.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:05 am  

Nemanja wrote:

Not really a fair comparison though is it?

In the Union World Cup anyone of a number of teams could win it. In League it is either NZ or Australia.

really? and who are they? at the last world cup NZ and SA stood out for the bookies and england and the aussies were a bit behind them. after that there was more daylight than a mid summers day in spain!

and how many countries play union compared to league? if you listen to the union propaganda virtually every country plays union in some form or another.
the RLIF has Australia · Cook Islands · England · Fiji · France · New Zealand · Papua New Guinea · Russia · Samoa · South Africa · Tonga as test nations.
the IRB has 18 'top nations' and boasts that the game is played in over 120 more.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:47 pm  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/homepage/d/int/ ... 893734.stm Surely if the league has no cap, they can get the best players on high contracts, so the quality of the league improves?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/homepage/d/int/ ... 893734.stm Surely if the league has no cap, they can get the best players on high contracts, so the quality of the league improves?

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:56 pm  

Raiders: Just Win Baby wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/homepage/d/int/sport/top/1/-/news/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/london_wasps/7893734.stm

Surely if the league has no cap, they can get the best players on high contracts, so the quality of the league improves?

whilst the other leagues see a drain of their best players, thus lowering the standards in said leagues.
the french clubs are throwing profane amounts of money at players in the current economic climate and don't seem to be planning for a rainy day or indeed the monsoon that many financial experts are predicting.
what will they do if it all goes 'POP!'?

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:58 pm  

Raiders: Just Win Baby wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/homepage/d/int/sport/top/1/-/news/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/london_wasps/7893734.stm

Surely if the league has no cap, they can get the best players on high contracts, so the quality of the league improves?

It means they get more highly paid players, not necessarily that the quality improves. How highly motivated will players like Palmer and Flutey (who are getting towards the tail end of their careers) be if they are on a massive wedge?

The recruitment of SBW by Toulon has hardly improved the quality of the French Top 14 now, has it?

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:00 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

It means they get more highly paid players, not necessarily that the quality improves. How highly motivated will players like Palmer and Flutey (who are getting towards the tail end of their careers) be if they are on a massive wedge?

The recruitment of SBW by Toulon has hardly improved the quality of the French Top 14 now, has it?

and if the standard of the english union league declines, could this lead to a rise in popularity of rugby league?
the standard of the guiness prem is (in my opinion) a way off the super league at the moment.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:10 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

the standard of the guiness prem is (in my opinion) a way off the super league at the moment.

It varies - I've seen some keenly contested, fairly exciting GP and Heineken Cup games over the last couple of years. I've seen some absolute dross in SL over the same period as well.

They are different products for a different audience, it's not always appropriate to draw direct comparisons.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 2:04 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

It varies - I've seen some keenly contested, fairly exciting GP and Heineken Cup games over the last couple of years. I've seen some absolute dross in SL over the same period as well.

They are different products for a different audience, it's not always appropriate to draw direct comparisons.

i was only talking about the GP. the HC is bound to be better as the idea is that it's the cream of european union.

: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:31 pm  

interesting to see the governement throw its support behind the rfu's bid to host the union world cup in england in 2015. not been so forthcoming in their support for the 2013 rugby league bid. shame we haven't got anyone on the inside! where's andy burnham when you need him? ...oh wait http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyunion/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rugby/09/02/18/RUGBYU_RFU_Nightlead.html

interesting to see the governement throw its support behind the rfu's bid to host the union world cup in england in 2015. not been so forthcoming in their support for the 2013 rugby league bid. shame we haven't got anyone on the inside! where's andy burnham when you need him? ...oh wait http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyunion/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rugby/09/02/18/RUGBYU_RFU_Nightlead.html

: Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:07 pm  

6 Nations weekend again

Friday, 27 February 2009

France v Wales, 20:00

--------------------------------------------

Saturday, 28 February 2009

Ireland v England, 17:30
Scotland v Italy, 15:00

3 home wins?