Aviva Premiership - Round 1

[ratsapprentice]

There isn't a big Welsh community in the city at all. I'm assuming you've lived here before... where do you remember seeing loads of taffs? (I don't mean geographically... I mean day to day, I cannot remember the last time I did)

ODP is literally 2 miles away from the Stoop of course they're competing for the same fans - how could they not?

It was really tempting to add a second one for lulz.

He's negged you too then?

 

[goodNumber10]

I'm from London Rats. I lived east london for 33 years, was born and grew up there.

Maybe community is the wrong word, as there is nothing like the Irish which has a genuine expat community, but they are like rats, f*cking everywhere.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Not much good in Richmond then!

 

[goodNumber10]

It doesn't have to be locals. London is a big place and people will travel.

Anyway, we'll have to agree to disagree, it's all theoretical anyway as LW seem to not give a t*ss.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Let them relocate to the east then - rather than trying to continue where there is already a massively successful club.

Can't really agree that people will travel - I know I wouldn't go to support a team in the east or south east.

 

[goodNumber10]

it won't matter because they'll be relegated before Christmas and back where they belong from next May not preparing for the season after next.

 

[Peat]

Let them relocate to the east then - rather than trying to continue where there is already a massively successful club.

Can't really agree that people will travel - I know I wouldn't go to support a team in the east or south east.

And the concentration of clubs around the west ruled out supporting a London club for a south-east boy like myself. Sometimes I dream of becoming horrifically rich and bankrolling Blackheath, but my main memory of them is getting paid in drink for kicking their 4s scrum-half in the back...

 

[Thingimubob]

Well you lot are charming aren't you. Give them a chance at least, it's only been one game!

Also really not surprised to be seeing the same names recurring for anything Welsh bashing esque

 

[ratsapprentice]

No hate towards anything Welsh at all, Thingy... lots of Welsh family and even have relatives that are lifelong LW club players and supporters.
Just Craic, as our esteemed green friends like to say!

LW are stinking up the joint though.

 

[goodNumber10]

don't think there is any welsh bashing going on (the rats comment was possibly taken wrong - so apologies if that's what you're referring to).

 

[big ginger 8]

No hate towards anything Welsh at all, Thingy... lots of Welsh family and even have relatives that are lifelong LW club players and supporters.
Just Craic, as our esteemed green friends like to say!

LW are stinking up the joint though.

You don't get to say that word only we can say that word.

 

[Peat]

Sorry Thingimubob, but bóllocks.

There are very valid reasons for neither being able to see a chance, nor wishing to give them a chance, and it's no surprise that people are going to react with annoyance if people dismiss these reasons as mere snobbery or, indeed, anti-Welshness. Those things have nothing to do with it.

I'm not here to charm. I'm here to talk about rugby. I don't like clubs that axe the squad that got them promoted and I don't like clubs that take up Premiership space without the requisite infrastructure to add to the English game. If people want to talk intelligently about that, I am all ears. But if you or anyone else just want to go on about bad attitudes, then don't bother. It adds nothing but more ill-feeling.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

hahaa. They were really poor though.

However I do agree we won't know exactly where they are until we've seen 4 or 5 games from them. The issue would seem to be though not just about unit cohesion and all that, but even more fundamentally the actual players they have which is not quickly rectifiable

 

[TRF_Olyy]

There's a vast difference between bashing the welsh and bashing not london not welsh.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

I don't like clubs that axe the squad that got them promoted.

I don't enjoy reading the same thing from people who haven't bothered looking into this. I pointed out earlier where actually almost all bar one or two went, it was hardly an axing. Few key players retired. If people got their facts straight with this it would help. Not by much but something .

To be fair how much did you see last year of London Welsh and the players they let go? Lot of people in this thread have just seen that LW released a lot of players but not considered who are what was released.

The only players they should have looked to have kept was Lees, Edwards, L'Estrange and Quill. Ajuwa, Nimmo, Moss rarely cut it last year, Tonga'uiha was never truly fit, Parker, Denbee, ***terrell and Frost retired. I'm sure losing Cai Griffiths back to the Ospreys was the biggest blow

But agree with that their recruitment policy wasn't as good this time as it was last time. You look at the front row they brought in last time to this time and there is no comparison.

Lot of the same faces do have a tendency to have a slag off at the same or similar things regularly, much like fanboys of the RWC'11 game and RC games era on this board. So I do agree with Thingimubob. If there is a valid and fair argument then I am all game, but regardless of whatever Peat there has been some unfair bashing going on in this thread an example was a post about the owner leaving (infact Byron was a backer not the owner). However some of the things discussed I agree with in particular the recruiting this year has been dire, what they have brought in in lots of areas has been nothing short of shocking. What was probably one of the biggest factors was on Saturday was London Welsh's fitness too. It was dire.

 

[Thingimubob]

Sorry Thingimubob, but bóllocks.

There are very valid reasons for neither being able to see a chance, nor wishing to give them a chance, and it's no surprise that people are going to react with annoyance if people dismiss these reasons as mere snobbery or, indeed, anti-Welshness. Those things have nothing to do with it.

I'm not here to charm. I'm here to talk about rugby. I don't like clubs that axe the squad that got them promoted and I don't like clubs that take up Premiership space without the requisite infrastructure to add to the English game. If people want to talk intelligently about that, I am all ears. But if you or anyone else just want to go on about bad attitudes, then don't bother. It adds nothing but more ill-feeling.

I understand that there is an element of craic to it, obviously this is the interwebs so not always clear at first glance, but I have noticed a fair few comments in general that come across as ignorant that don't always sit too well with me. Might not have meant it, but don't think people quite realise that there's always been an element of snobbery associated with some of the stuff that gets said. That's all I'm saying.

Honestly, I think the PRL's regulations really have not helped with this whole Oxford situation. If they'd been allowed to play at their actual home ground, they'd probably have better attendances and certainly a better atmosphere. Yes they have a **** ton of other clubs to compete with, but their historical home ground has to count for something.

Different situation I know, but Cardiff leaving the City Stadium to go back to the Arms Park has boosted atmosphere had games, therefore making it a better experience, and better attendances.

 

[goodNumber10]

I understand that there is an element of craic to it, obviously this is the interwebs so not always clear at first glance, but I have noticed a fair few comments in general that come across as ignorant that don't always sit too well with me. Might not have meant it, but don't think people quite realise that there's always been an element of snobbery associated with some of the stuff that gets said. That's all I'm saying.

Honestly, I think the PRL's regulations really have not helped with this whole Oxford situation. If they'd been allowed to play at their actual home ground, they'd probably have better attendances and certainly a better atmosphere. Yes they have a **** ton of other clubs to compete with, but their historical home ground has to count for something.

Different situation I know, but Cardiff leaving the City Stadium to go back to the Arms Park has boosted atmosphere had games, therefore making it a better experience, and better attendances.

They could have played at their own ground if they had invested in it.

They could have had a better squad if there had been some succession planning put in place like any normal club would have done when they were relegated.

They could have avoided relation of they'd maintained over site of their staffs actions and not been docked 5 points.

Let's be certain the bagging has nothing to do with the Welsh as a nation but everything to do with a club being run like an amateur set up.

You and hulk can moan about the old boys club but other teams have come in and survived.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Where's this snobbery angle coming from?

Straight up - I'd much prefer to get rid of London Irish and London Welsh and replace them with Cornish and Yorkshire clubs.
That's not out of snobbery - that's just a desire to have a healthy competition that doesn't over-saturate one market at the expense of representing/exposing another.

 

[Thingimubob]

They could have played at their own ground if they had invested in it.

They could have had a better squad if there had been some succession planning put in place like any normal club would have done when they were relegated.

They could have avoided relation of they'd maintained over site of their staffs actions and not been docked 5 points.

Let's be certain the bagging has nothing to do with the Welsh as a nation but everything to do with a club being run like an amateur set up.

You and hulk can moan about the old boys club but other teams have come in and survived.

1) Do we have any way of knowing whether or not that was even a possibility, especially with how godamn awkward planning permission is? Considering all the sh*te my family has had to wade through concerning even just the option to be able to build on my grandfathers land, let alone actually building it, likely more complicated that we know.

2) I'll agree, they have cut too many players, but hardly as if the players they've brought it are ****e? Given time to gel, they might be decent. Lot of games to go before anyone is relegated.

3) Was on about the forum in general rather than just this thread...

4) While I do like LW for obvious reasons, can't say I have much faith in Burnell as a coach - Blues were godamn awful under him. Were Lyn Jones still around, I'd be much more confident in them.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

They could have played at their own ground if they had invested in it.

They could have had a better squad if there had been some succession planning put in place like any normal club would have done when they were relegated.

They could have avoided relation of they'd maintained over site of their staffs actions and not been docked 5 points.

Let's be certain the bagging has nothing to do with the Welsh as a nation but everything to do with a club being run like an amateur set up.

You and hulk can moan about the old boys club but other teams have come in and survived.

1. No they can't. Look it up. If they could have they would have. Know this off a very good source.

2. Think they were surprised with promotion this year, not an excuse however as their squad recruitment has been dire (this keeps being said, doesn't seem to be sinking in). There is no real excuses for it.

3. Again read into the situation you will find that London Welsh infact reported the issue themselves as soon as they found out and took immediate internal discipline. Even before the sentence was given. Quite professional to be fair.
4. You might not think so but it is coming across that way. Whether you think you don't mean it or you do it is certainly coming across like that.

5. Plenty of clubs haven't too. Swings in roundabouts.