The All-Purpose Rugby Thread (League and Union): Champions Cup Semi-Finals on Today

Lions backrow are carrying well into contact, Kriel especially is a tank.
 
Talk that we are about to sign Leailifano - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-un..._source=facebook&ns_linkname=northern_ireland
Ulster are set to confirm the signing of Australia fly-half Christian Lealiifano before the Pro14 season starts, BBC Sport NI understands.

The 29-year-old has won 19 caps for the Wallabies and recently returned after recovering from leukaemia.

He will fill the gap left by Paddy Jackson, who has stepped aside from playing pending legal proceedings.

On Thursday, Ulster utility back Charles Piutau signed a deal to join Bristol next year.

Ulster chief executive Shane Logan said last week that the Irish province intended to a sign a new fly-half before the start of the season.

Lealiifano was diagnosed with leukaemia last year while playing for the Brumbies in Super Rugby.

He was born in New Zealand before moving to Australia at the age of seven.

Ulster start their Pro14 campaign against South African newcomers Cheetahs at Kingspan Stadium on Friday, 1 September.
While I would feel bad for Brumbies fans, from my own selfish pov this would be fantastic. Or even if it was just a short term deal it would be good.
 
Pro14 started now...exciting times with the South African expansion.

From an Ulster perspective (and I have only seen a few bits and pieces of the other games so far), things look very promising. Especially because of how shite we looked in pre-season, though of course you have to allow for the other factors (SA teams in transition periods, the travel etc.). But the against the Cheetahs was a great match, wish I could have went to the stadium and saw it live buit I had to work.

The Cheetahs looked dangerous in open play, extremely pacey back three (lots of rugby sevens converts like Cecil Afrika), but quite a few errors from them (apparantly their 10 normally plays 15)if the rest of the team can start clicking I think they will be extremely dangerous on the break. Their left winger, forget his name now, made Piutau look slow lol.

But from an Ulster perspective our backline is still looking really sharp despite losing Jackson and Pienaar, Cooney looks a very good buy, generally gave quick and accurate service...especially compared to Paul Marshall, who is painfully slow (with Shanahan on the bench he looks out of the picture thank god), and Lealifano is obviously an excellent short term contract to get, was calm on the ball and pulled the strings well, some good kicking options etc. though you feel there will be more to come from him. Bowe also looked quite comfortable at 13, he's lost too much pace to play wing and I wasn't sure how he'd get on but he clearly knows his way to the tryline still...also happy to see that Piutau looks properly fit again, he was starting to look a bit overweight and lazy towards the end of last season...hope he really gets his act together for his last year with us, he is an outstanding player when he puts the effort in and is on a big contract.

But the big difference is our carries from the forwards, Coetzee is fully fit and a beast, and Deysel looks to be a solid ball-carier as well. That's what we really lacked last year.

Highlights of the Ulster-Cheetahs game:


@Shamrocker
 
Talk that we are about to sign Leailifano - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-un..._source=facebook&ns_linkname=northern_ireland

While I would feel bad for Brumbies fans, from my own selfish pov this would be fantastic. Or even if it was just a short term deal it would be good.
Rimbaud I surprised no Rugby fans or players have reacted to BBC1 NFL ex Giants and Falcons NFL player Osi Umenyiora interview on BBC Breakfast basically making out Rugby can be played by anyone but NFL is special ?
 
Rimbaud I surprised no Rugby fans or players have reacted to BBC1 NFL ex Giants and Falcons NFL player Osi Umenyiora interview on BBC Breakfast basically making out Rugby can be played by anyone but NFL is special ?

Didn't see that, don't really watch much TV. Never heard of him but if he said that he sounds like an ignoramus.

So yeah, something that stupid barely deserves the be dignified with a response.
 
Didn't see that, don't really watch much TV. Never heard of him but if he said that he sounds like an ignoramus.

So yeah, something that stupid barely deserves the be dignified with a response.
You might get it on BBC I Player but he co hosts with another former NFL player Jason Bell and the main host is Mark Champmen who does the Rugby League Challenge Cup matches.
 
Ireland just won the Six Nations yesterday with a game to spare.

And the NRL is back, happy days-

 
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So other than Ulster still being horribly inconsistent and generally shite, our newly announced head coach leaving for 'personal reasons' and our star out-half and key playmaker + one of our best young centres being out all season and unlikely to play for us again due to a rape trial....

Things are actually going really well in the rugby world. On Saturday Ireland won the Grand Slam in this years Six Nations (meaning they won every single game) for the third time in our history, even sweeter because we beat England (who finished 5th as a result) and did it away at Twickenham on St Patrick's Day! And it all started with a Johnny Sexton last minute drop goal -



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In the process Rory Best is now one of three Irish Grandslam Captains, one of two Irishmen to win two Grandslams, the only Ulsterman to have 100 caps for Ireland, the man who captained Ireland to their highest ever World Ranking and the first Irish Captain to beat New Zealand (first time ever), Australia and South Africa in one year!

And Jacob Stockdale (one of Ulster's young talents) was hugely impressive, turning into one of the best wingers/finishers in the world and he's only 22. He broke the try scoring record with 7 tries in the tournament, the only players with 8 tries are nearly 100 years ago when it was still the Five Nations. So that's very good for Ulster to say the least
 
And in the NRL my team the Warriors have started off with 2 good wins out of the first 2 games for the first time since 2009 I think it is. A brilliant start in either case and they played well in both games, forwards made good metres and got the backs on the front foot (the new signings looked good), and the addition of Blake Green seems to have freed up Shaun Johnson and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to play their natural games, for the first time since RTS signed they both look excellent in tandem with their footwork. RTS made a few good breaks and was throwing sidesteps/jukes as americans would say all over the place...obviously he did it plenty at the Roosters, but it's been lacking at the Warriors:


And what a try this was by Fusitua, some jump and catch:

 
And in the NRL my team the Warriors have started off with 2 good wins out of the first 2 games for the first time since 2009 I think it is. A brilliant start in either case and they played well in both games, forwards made good metres and got the backs on the front foot (the new signings looked good), and the addition of Blake Green seems to have freed up Shaun Johnson and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to play their natural games, for the first time since RTS signed they both look excellent in tandem with their footwork. RTS made a few good breaks and was throwing sidesteps/jukes as americans would say all over the place...obviously he did it plenty at the Roosters, but it's been lacking at the Warriors:


And what a try this was by Fusitua, some jump and catch:


I just wish the NRL had some chiefs who actually care about the scheduling of the game.
 
My team the Queensland Reds just won 3 games back to back for the first time since 2013. Yeah boiiiiiiiiiiii
 
My team the Queensland Reds just won 3 games back to back for the first time since 2013. Yeah boiiiiiiiiiiii

Haven't followed any Super Rugby this year, really need to catch up. Good for the Reds though!
 
Haven't followed any Super Rugby this year, really need to catch up. Good for the Reds though!

I was at every home game from 2006 - 2012 including the finals in 2011. I've been a Reds supporter since around 1996 or whenever my uncle started dragging me to games. To see them finally playing some decent rugby again is good for the soul haha
 
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