HEC Opponent watch

[johng]

We don't seem to have a thread on the Aviva Premiership so thought I'd slot this in here from today's Indo and makes for curious reading as to how at sea the entire elite end of English rugby is with this rubbish being allowed to occur:

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/a ... 54569.html

Keep it up lads. Your rugby sure isn't entertaining so you have to do something to keep people interested.

I can vaguely recall an Irish international tackling by the dreadlocks but can't remember who or where - against NZ perhaps?

I think it was Jamaica in the Autumn Internationals.

[cormac]

We don't seem to have a thread on the Aviva Premiership so thought I'd slot this in here from today's Indo and makes for curious reading as to how at sea the entire elite end of English rugby is with this rubbish being allowed to occur:

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/a ... 54569.html

Keep it up lads. Your rugby sure isn't entertaining so you have to do something to keep people interested.

I can vaguely recall an Irish international tackling by the dreadlocks but can't remember who or where - against NZ perhaps?

It was BOD up against George Smith at the RWC in 2003. Pretty sure the ref gave a penalty for it.

[ceemec]

He did. It's on YouTube. It was unintentional. Went high and made a few grabs. Smith's hair was flying about and BOD ended up grasping one of the dreads accidentally.

[TrapperChamonix]

He did. It's on YouTube. It was unintentional. Went high and made a few grabs. Smith's hair was flying about and BOD ended up grasping one of the dreads accidentally.

Accidental my backside!

[Degz]

Ouedraogo out with injured rib, likely to miss the Glasgow double header.

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/n ... -Ouedraogo

[Mauler]

He did. It's on YouTube. It was unintentional. Went high and made a few grabs. Smith's hair was flying about and BOD ended up grasping one of the dreads accidentally.

Accidental my backside!

Accidental or not BOD went straight over to George Smith and apologised to him at the next breakdown in play.

[Vamos los azules]

We don't seem to have a thread on the Aviva Premiership so thought I'd slot this in here from today's Indo and makes for curious reading as to how at sea the entire elite end of English rugby is with this rubbish being allowed to occur:

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/a ... 54569.html

Keep it up lads. Your rugby sure isn't entertaining so you have to do something to keep people interested.

Hey - that was actually a really good match even without the fight. A fine full-blooded local derby. And it gets better because they've now thrown the book at Ashton and banned him for being a hair-pulling girlie and left the other 5 free to play this weekend.

Geordie was hilarious, acting all innocent towards the ref after the fight when he had probably thrown the most punches of them all

[nelly the elephant]

We don't seem to have a thread on the Aviva Premiership so thought I'd slot this in here from today's Indo and makes for curious reading as to how at sea the entire elite end of English rugby is with this rubbish being allowed to occur:

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/a ... 54569.html

Keep it up lads. Your rugby sure isn't entertaining so you have to do something to keep people interested.

Hey - that was actually a really good match even without the fight. A fine full-blooded local derby. And it gets better because they've now thrown the book at Ashton and banned him for being a hair-pulling girlie and left the other 5 free to play this weekend.

Geordie was hilarious, acting all innocent towards the ref after the fight when he had probably thrown the most punches of them all

The poor ball boy was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.....

[Vamos los azules]

Hey - that was actually a really good match even without the fight. A fine full-blooded local derby. And it gets better because they've now thrown the book at Ashton and banned him for being a hair-pulling girlie and left the other 5 free to play this weekend.

Geordie was hilarious, acting all innocent towards the ref after the fight when he had probably thrown the most punches of them all

The poor ball boy was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.....

He was actually carrying the mike for the ESPN coverage rather than a ball boy - apparently they ask kids at the ground to volunteer to do the job. They have to get as close to the action as possible (so that ESPN then has to apologise when they pick up all the swearing from on the pitch). I think in his case he can safely be said to have fulfilled his duties. Hope they slipped him a cash bonus for ending up right in the middle of the action!

[simonokeeffe]

Nah best part of that match was Agulla doing the Ashton dive for the winning score

In general though that Northampton team have a bad attitude, a kind of arrogant bully boy mentality like the Ospreys used to have, compounded by a lack of leadership and experience, cost them in the final against us

Can see Glasgow winning at home to Montpellier, just hope they don't away if they decide to rest players/that their jig is up if they do lose in Glasgow

[cormac]

BATH RUGBY
Additional Player - Chris BILLER
Date of Birth: 11.10.85
Position: Hooker
Height: 1.82m / 6'0"
Weight: 104kgs / 16st 5lbs
De-registered - Lewis MOODY


GLASGOW WARRIORS
Additional Player - Rory LAMONT
Date of Birth: 10.10.82
Position: Full back
Height: 1.89m / 6'2"
Weight: 97kgs / 15st 3lbs
International record: Scotland
De-registered - David McCALL

[hugonaut]

Interesting news - thanks for the update, Cormac.

Lewis Moody definitely out of their back row reinforces our advantage in that unit.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I noticed Lawes waded in straight away with a few punches too. I think he's quality but he's a dirty dirty player. I know he wasn't the only one but I just feel that he goes out of his way to hurt people.

[TerenureJim]

I noticed Lawes waded in straight away with a few punches too. I think he's quality but he's a dirty dirty player. I know he wasn't the only one but I just feel that he goes out of his way to hurt people.

Himself and Armitage are arsewipes on the pitch of the highest order. Both clearly class players but they're so far past the line in terms of dirty play they'd make the Claw look clean.

[fourthirtythree]

I noticed Lawes waded in straight away with a few punches too. I think he's quality but he's a dirty dirty player. I know he wasn't the only one but I just feel that he goes out of his way to hurt people.

On that single incident that's a bit unfair. Murphy was straight in too for example. A bit of a mill was developing, it is Lawes job to not allow Ashton to get isolated in a two or three on one.

Guardian report -

The citing commissioner for Saturday's match, Mike Rafter, issued retrospective yellow cards to three players who became involved in the melee: the Leicester wing Horacio Agulla, the first player to react to Ashton's action, Geordan Murphy, who exchanged punches with Wood, and the Northampton and England lock Courtney Lawes, the first Saints player to come to Ashton's assistance, will have the yellow added to their records: three in the Premiership campaign for foul play automatically results in a disciplinary hearing and an almost certain suspension.

He (Lawes) obviously has form the length of his career, but this one isn't anything to comment on I think.

[TerenureJim]

He (Lawes) obviously has form the length of his career, but this one isn't anything to comment on I think.

Counting the world cup how many suspensions & cards is this lad on for the year so far?

[fourthirtythree]

He (Lawes) obviously has form the length of his career, but this one isn't anything to comment on I think.

Counting the world cup how many suspensions & cards is this lad on for the year so far?

I think it's three suspensions this year and one would imagine more than twice that in cards. I agree that he is pretty awful, and I was furious at him during the WC, just this one isn't worth worrying about.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I just think Lawes is almost looking for an excuse to be a thug all the time. I agree that he had to go in and help Ashton but did he have to start throwing punches immediately? Would grabbing the Leicester player not have been enough initially? It definitely didn't warrant the barrage of punches that he unleashed. I'm not one of those who hates fighting in matches because tbh I think it's fair enough a lot of the time and once it had kicked off completely I've no issue with anyone wading in with punches,I say fight fire with fire tbh. But to me Lawes (and Armitage as TJ pointed out) just seemsto look for any excuse to be dirtbags.

EDIT: I'm not outraged by this one incident, just think it illustrates the kind of character he is. It was just overly aggressive and unnecessary imo.

[jezzer]

I'm not that bothered with Ashton's "tackle" nor with the scrap afterwards. Pulling yer man's hair is one thing - dragging him along the ground by it is probably asking for trouble (from the man himself as well as the authorities) but I can't get worked up about it. It's not a high tackle, a stamp on the head, a gouge or a kick in the nuts. Outside of that, I can't get worked up over much. The scrap after was nothing much either.

Lawes definitely likes a bit of aggro. Gets you folk hero status in England if you're a scumbag lock!

[simonokeeffe]

If you look at any match Lawes plays, Munster this season a good example, he has a massive inclination towards late hits/off the ball hits and/or shouldercharges