Egg chasers of the SMB

Played loads when I was a lad. Saturdays I'd play for the school in the morning then play for Sunderland (Ashbrooke) 2nds or 3rds in the afternoon. Sunderland Schoolboys, County Schoolboys.

Came down south and played for Oakham then got me knee knacked. Tigers are the big local(ish) team round here and I sort of follow them but kindest not to quote their results this season.
 


I always try to follow the 6 Nations, but Scotland games seem to invariably clash with Sunderland games, or another big football game, and frankly there's only ever going to be one winner in that contest for my attention.

That's it though. I liked it more when I was a kid and a) I used to play a bit myself, and b) Gavin Hastings played and Scotland were a competent outfit.
 
I always try to follow the 6 Nations, but Scotland games seem to invariably clash with Sunderland games, or another big football game, and frankly there's only ever going to be one winner in that contest for my attention.

That's it though. I liked it more when I was a kid and a) I used to play a bit myself, and b) Gavin Hastings played and Scotland were a competent outfit.

It's getting a bit desperate for Scotland. I don't know what the problem is at grass roots level, but it must be in the same state as the grass roots at Murrayfield.

I do know that my son showed an interest in Rugby and some ability, but the set up at his school was so poor that he lost interest. The coaches were basically voluntary, one training session a week which would be cancelled several weeks in a row. Then the moron coach would be berating the players on match day for not looking like a unit. Stupid cunt.

I think a lot of lads who would end up decent local club players to prop up the bottom of the pyramid and support the game as paying spectators are being lost as it all declines. Any really talented players are going south of the border, and English premiership sides have players on the replacements bench who would walk into the Scottish national team.
 
Any of you follow a club rugby team, or is it all about the international games?

I'm watching a lot of Aviva premiership games and the standard's excellent. But I'm wondering if I should throw my lot in with a club. The North East team is a non starter - Newcastle Falcons, my arse. My local team is Saracens so maybe them, but they're not exactly a flair team. Of the teams with real attacking ability they're the big clubs and something isn't right about being a glory bastard whatever the sport...
Because I play on Saturdays I don't really see many Falcons games

I go to a few games when I can.

I like watching Northampton saints. They play some class rugby at times. Saracens try to bore a team into defeat too often for me.

Bath look a good prospect this year mind
 
It's getting a bit desperate for Scotland. I don't know what the problem is at grass roots level, but it must be in the same state as the grass roots at Murrayfield.

I do know that my son showed an interest in Rugby and some ability, but the set up at his school was so poor that he lost interest. The coaches were basically voluntary, one training session a week which would be cancelled several weeks in a row. Then the moron coach would be berating the players on match day for not looking like a unit. Stupid cunt.

I think a lot of lads who would end up decent local club players to prop up the bottom of the pyramid and support the game as paying spectators are being lost as it all declines. Any really talented players are going south of the border, and English premiership sides have players on the replacements bench who would walk into the Scottish national team.

my experience is that you are fed the big one at school and you can play at rep level and all of a sudden you are out of school and at a club. the standards vary wildly and you get clubs like heriots who aren't fully pro and a bit of a gap between them and the pro teams. the pro teams are chocked full of journeymen too. just look at the standards in france. I am a big fan of the policy of selecting internationals from those playing domestically.

as a student I played for Scotland students and we regularly beat England.

Bath look a good prospect this year mind

you wait til sam burgess gets there. if you think manu can run straight and hard, watch this boy.
 
My local village team (Horden) has a thriving rugby scene for such a small village, three senior teams on a saturday, 3 junior teams and 5 colt teams. Very much still a amateur club with nobody getting paid to play. The first team are in Northern league, north east one along side teams like Sheffield, Driffeld, West Hartlepool. They are finding it a struggle but its a superb effort to get to that league in the first place

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/hordenrugbyclub/
Whenever I've played against horden it's just been a fight fest

f***ing pit yackers only turn up for a fight, the ashington of durham if you will ;)

my experience is that you are fed the big one at school and you can play at rep level and all of a sudden you are out of school and at a club. the standards vary wildly and you get clubs like heriots who aren't fully pro and a bit of a gap between them and the pro teams. the pro teams are chocked full of journeymen too. just look at the standards in france. I am a big fan of the policy of selecting internationals from those playing domestically.

as a student I played for Scotland students and we regularly beat England.



you wait til sam burgess gets there. if you think manu can run straight and hard, watch this boy.
Used to watch him in his league days. Family of fantastic players

I reckon Lancaster is smacking his lips at the thought of the competition in the centres
 
Whenever I've played against horden it's just been a fight fest

f***ing pit yackers only turn up for a fight, the ashington of durham if you will ;)

played for and against horden. just come out swinging. hard but fair :)

Used to watch him in his league days. Family of fantastic players

I reckon Lancaster is smacking his lips at the thought of the competition in the centres

very talented set of centres now. even burell who was fantastic last time out might struggle to nail down a frequent starting slot. now, if we can just find a fly half....!!
 
One of the few teams I've hated playing against. I think I'm psyched out by them now after years of batterings :lol:
Stockton and west Hartlepool were always my least favourite as a kid up to cold level. on the account we used to take a gubbing every time. drew 3-3 with Stockton in the final of the county cup once :cool:

the met police down here are the worst. best thing is they lose their protection when the cross the white line
 
I reckon Lancaster is smacking his lips at the thought of the competition in the centres

I think he's gone from smacking his lips to genuinely wondering how to pick his best team. Even without Burgess it was looking decent, with Burrell showing potential, 12T good with ball in hand, Manu, and that lad Eastmond at Bath who appears to have stolen Jason Robinson's legs.
 
I think he's gone from smacking his lips to genuinely wondering how to pick his best team. Even without Burgess it was looking decent, with Burrell showing potential, 12T good with ball in hand, Manu, and that lad Eastmond at Bath who appears to have stolen Jason Robinson's legs.
olly devote and more importantly henry slade I'd say are both ahead of eastmond in what England need. as much as it pains me to say it eastmond isn't a top international centre. he's fantastic but new Zealand was a bit of a final shot at it in my view. was great in argentina
 
I think he's gone from smacking his lips to genuinely wondering how to pick his best team. Even without Burgess it was looking decent, with Burrell showing potential, 12T good with ball in hand, Manu, and that lad Eastmond at Bath who appears to have stolen Jason Robinson's legs.
Oooo another jason Robinson. Imagine the prospect:D

Not a fan of twelvetrees myself. He makes all the wrong key decisions.

As monkeytassle said, we need a 10 to orchestrate it though as Farrell just has something missing for me. Great kicker but not great on the attack

Ford long term for me. I'd be very tempted to give Myler a run, even though he's 30. And whisper it, but there's even signs that Cipriani could be making a comeback this time.
Fuck I hope not.
 
Oooo another jason Robinson. Imagine the prospect:D

Not a fan of twelvetrees myself. He makes all the wrong key decisions.

As monkeytassle said, we need a 10 to orchestrate it though as Farrell just has something missing for me. Great kicker but not great on the attack

was but he's shot his bolt now. although it was absolutely criminal to drop him after the Scotland game in the 6N at Twickenham.
 
olly devote and more importantly henry slade I'd say are both ahead of eastmond in what England need. as much as it pains me to say it eastmond isn't a top international centre. he's fantastic but new Zealand was a bit of a final shot at it in my view. was great in argentina

Shame. I know he didn't have a great tour but I honestly though he was younger (and taller) than he is.
 
Oooo another jason Robinson. Imagine the prospect:D

Not a fan of twelvetrees myself. He makes all the wrong key decisions.

As monkeytassle said, we need a 10 to orchestrate it though as Farrell just has something missing for me. Great kicker but not great on the attack


Fuck I hope not.

Cipriani has to live down his past but he genuinely looks like he's going to die trying. He still does things on the ball no other Englishman can do and actually defends now. Still question marks.

Out of the current crop. I'd play Ford at 10, Burrell at 12 and Manu at 13.
 

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