www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/106...pean-club-rugby.html

Here's that article from the telegraph. Headline doesn't live up to the article, sadly.

Edit: Also, googling 'Europe' and 'Daily Telegraph' produced some interesting results.

I hope it's finally over. It's been so bloody drawn out.

Nick Sutton(@suttonnick) has just tweet a PIC of tomorrows front page in telegraph. Headline is euro peace deal . He is apparently exclusively revealing that SKY and BT have agreed to share rights for European rugby.

Darragh507 wrote: so i have a question for you all. how far away are we realistically to being a consistent challenge to the other 3 provinces?

the reason i ask is if we look at the buzz and current posiiton around the national team right now, it is built on 3 provinces and seems to be a case of connacht who???

pains me to see marty moore, etc get the attention they are when realistically we should have 2-3 grizzled home grown props to send up there.....in fact it would likely have been easier a few yrs ago to offer this, than it does now?

none of our props put the fear into anyone....look at loughneys spectacular fall from grace.....he is just about a pro still.

so how long until we can compete evenly

in player development for the national team squads.
in terms of league finishings say top 4-6?
in terms of beating the provinces regularly?

how far away are we from being truly equal?

I keep thinking about the original brumbies team...they were pretty competitive from the start of that franchise. canberra ain't the most rugby mad place on earth either, so in theory, they faced similar challenges to connacht...?

3 yrs?
5 yrs?
10 yrs?
Never?!

We are nowhere. Sinking in quicksand. The new deal ensures competing in the Amlin is as good as we can hope for.

The IRFU don't want 4 competitive provinces . If they did they'd have ensured they have them.

pinky wrote: Interesting that The Guardian seem to have more or less stopped reporting this story.
Anything they do have is from wire services. Kitson and Rees are ignoring it and talking about other stuff.

Perhaps their good friends in the PRL no longer require their services in publishing their propaganda?!!

Celtic rugby Ltd released a statement this afternoon stating that a positive and constructive meeting took place in London this morning between irfu, sru, wru and fir. Another is scheduled for next week.

Which isn't to say, John, if you're reading this, that you're not a PR genius. Please don't sue. We can't afford to pay you off.

pinky wrote: Interesting that The Guardian seem to have more or less stopped reporting this story.
Anything they do have is from wire services. Kitson and Rees are ignoring it and talking about other stuff.

Next year's European competitions will almost certainly have the same names and broadcasters. They will, however, be administered from the offices of a national-unions-controlled entity (6 nations) in Dublin 4 instead of the offices of a national-unions-controlled entity (IRB) in Dublin 2.

Those clowns make John Waters look like a PR genius.

Interesting that The Guardian seem to have more or less stopped reporting this story.
Anything they do have is from wire services. Kitson and Rees are ignoring it and talking about other stuff.

FACECUTTR wrote: Yes true but maybe the board should twist or strong arm him into it.

I agree and said this a few months ago. Bottom of a league with zebre in it in spite of never having lost to them says it all. The minimum it requires is a DOR above him for the next 15mths or so.

Getting back on topic the meeting went very well today. All the feedback has been positive but no concrete announcements yet. Rumour mill is awash that BT are prepared to step back as RFU offer them olive branch of their AIs for duration of sky deal as apparently its also up for tender.
Poor old RRW are just going to return home and unpack thier suitcases! Lol.

Yes true but maybe the board should twist or strong arm him into it.

FACECUTTR wrote: Lam is short on coaches and although other teams get by on the same amount of coaches we simply cannot. Would getting on to Dr Pretorious be visited again to help us out ?? We need somebody's fresh input along with a clear out of dead wood. I want Lam to get a helping hand.

Apparently Lam doesn't!!!

Lam is short on coaches and although other teams get by on the same amount of coaches we simply cannot. Would getting on to Dr Pretorious be visited again to help us out ?? We need somebody's fresh input along with a clear out of dead wood. I want Lam to get a helping hand.

swift4prez wrote: Eric had heart and was limited in his coaching but who ever is in charge should be calling him and see if he is bored and if he wants to come back.

This stage last season, we had 6 wins and 3 losing bonus points for a total of 27 competition points, with a far more experienced squad.

This year with a shower of kids we have 5 wins and 6 losing bonus points for a total of 26 points.

You still want Eric back?

We have never been further away from the other 3 provinces
I do believe we have better players then results say but what's the point in looking for better players if our game plan is awful.
We need to be lead proper then simply going out blind

Still sick, can't believe we lost vs Glasgow. Or backs are clueless, unless they have a clear pitch ahead of them, they don't know what to do or can't find a gap to save there lives.

Eric had heart and was limited in his coaching but who ever is in charge should be calling him and see if he is bored and if he wants to come back.

so i have a question for you all. how far away are we realistically to being a consistent challenge to the other 3 provinces?

the reason i ask is if we look at the buzz and current posiiton around the national team right now, it is built on 3 provinces and seems to be a case of connacht who???

pains me to see marty moore, etc get the attention they are when realistically we should have 2-3 grizzled home grown props to send up there.....in fact it would likely have been easier a few yrs ago to offer this, than it does now?

none of our props put the fear into anyone....look at loughneys spectacular fall from grace.....he is just about a pro still.

so how long until we can compete evenly

in player development for the national team squads.
in terms of league finishings say top 4-6?
in terms of beating the provinces regularly?

how far away are we from being truly equal?

I keep thinking about the original brumbies team...they were pretty competitive from the start of that franchise. canberra ain't the most rugby mad place on earth either, so in theory, they faced similar challenges to connacht...?

3 yrs?
5 yrs?
10 yrs?
Never?!