England V Wales

[32nd Man]

Mediocre at water polo is akin to world class in any other sport…… other than pétanque.

I tried playing in goal at water polo many years ago. It was just about the hardest physical activity I've ever experienced - slightly easier in salt water but crazily difficult in fresh.

Scandal when you were found to be smuggling twenty kilos of Saxa into your local baths?

[Oakboy]

Mediocre at water polo is akin to world class in any other sport…… other than pétanque.

I tried playing in goal at water polo many years ago. It was just about the hardest physical activity I've ever experienced - slightly easier in salt water but crazily difficult in fresh.

Scandal when you were found to be smuggling twenty kilos of Saxa into your local baths?

Lovely thought but actually it was sea-water for outdoor matches and fresh water in baths for away matches. I was nowhere near good enough for the local team but I did try out in both situations. Treading water in goal and launching yourself to make saves is spectacularly difficult just as an exercise. Having the stamina to sustain it for the duration of a match adds another horrible physical target - at which I failed miserably.

Watching the experts could be amusing. The home team was used to sea temperatures but the visiting teams, normally in heated indoor surroundings, whinged loudly.

[Stom]

I tried playing in goal at water polo many years ago. It was just about the hardest physical activity I've ever experienced - slightly easier in salt water but crazily difficult in fresh.

Scandal when you were found to be smuggling twenty kilos of Saxa into your local baths?

Lovely thought but actually it was sea-water for outdoor matches and fresh water in baths for away matches. I was nowhere near good enough for the local team but I did try out in both situations. Treading water in goal and launching yourself to make saves is spectacularly difficult just as an exercise. Having the stamina to sustain it for the duration of a match adds another horrible physical target - at which I failed miserably.

Watching the experts could be amusing. The home team was used to sea temperatures but the visiting teams, normally in heated indoor surroundings, whinged loudly.

We (underwater hockey team) played water basketball and underwater rugby with the water polo team. The first was super tough. I just remember cramping up so much after.

[Mellsblue]

Looking forward to seeing England’s next training camp with the GB underwater polo team but…. not as much as finding some footage of underwater basketball on YouTube. How long does it take to bounce the ball just once?!?

[SDHoneymonster]

Love the idea of taking all sports into the ocean. 'Confused shark stops play at the cricket.'

[32nd Man]

Love the idea of taking all sports into the ocean. 'Confused shark stops play at the cricket.'

Give it 10 years and it may well be the only way to get through most fixture lists in the UK.

[Mr Mwenda]

Underwater rugby is excellent fun. I was getting into it and then real rugby training switched its times to clash.

[Banquo]

Underwater rugby is excellent fun. I was getting into it and then real rugby training switched its times to clash.

Save time and join...er....Bath

[Banquo]

Mediocre at water polo is akin to world class in any other sport…… other than pétanque.

I tried playing in goal at water polo many years ago. It was just about the hardest physical activity I've ever experienced - slightly easier in salt water but crazily difficult in fresh.

Scandal when you were found to be smuggling twenty kilos of Saxa into your local baths?

Paxo more like

[Mr Mwenda]

Underwater rugby is excellent fun. I was getting into it and then real rugby training switched its times to clash.

Save time and join...er....Bath

It would sort out their stadium issues if they just switched codes to benefit from their pitch being below the water table.

[Stom]

Looking forward to seeing England’s next training camp with the GB underwater polo team but…. not as much as finding some footage of underwater basketball on YouTube. How long does it take to bounce the ball just once?!?

Water, not underwater, unfortunately. Though I can imagine it would be fun under the water, too. Though then I guess it's just underwater rugby...


Back on the actual rugby, and I still would love to see a backline with Tuilagi at 13, Daly and Nowell on the wings and Steward at FB.

And while we're likely to see a backrow with Lawes at 6, having the options of Curry, Willis, Willis, Barbeary, Dombrandt, Kenningham...

I like the sound of that.

Also, on the 9 debate, I felt Randall left more than just his box kicking to be desired, and would like to see more of him...but I rate Quirke more and I think you can only have one or the other in the 23, really. Though there is an idea that you should partner Smith with someone he's played with before more than once.

I'm also another one who feels Marler is a better bet than Genge to start, while I'm starting to lose faith in Stuart, which is a shame as he looked good at Wasps. The Bath disease seems to have got a hold of him.

[Mikey Brown]

Back on the actual rugby, and I still would love to see a backline with Tuilagi at 13, Daly and Nowell on the wings and Steward at FB.

Are you absolutely sure you wouldn’t like to see them all in some bizarre positional configuration to outfox the opposition and show the blazers what’s what?

[morepork]

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pro ... 20villages.

[Stom]

Back on the actual rugby, and I still would love to see a backline with Tuilagi at 13, Daly and Nowell on the wings and Steward at FB.

Are you absolutely sure you wouldn’t like to see them all in some bizarre positional configuration to outfox the opposition and show the blazers what’s what?

No, you're right.

9. Slade
10. Nowell
11. Tuilagi
12. Steward
13. Smith
14. Quirke
15. Daly

OK, maybe that last one is a step too far.

[Stom]

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pro ... 20villages.

Did this, too Not with a 35kg rock, though, a lighter one. Was a great game, really tough to stay down on the bottom for that long. I'm glad we didn't play it when we had a freediver on our team, though, he would have wiped the floor with us. He was an insane athlete.

[Mellsblue]

‘Kasivaki is an ancient Tongan sport very similar to rugby, but it was played in the ocean, under the water and with a rock.’
Running through water and throwing passes as if the ball were a rock, you say. Farrell would dominate the world of Kasivaki….

[Which Tyler]

‘Kasivaki is an ancient Tongan sport very similar to rugby, but it was played in the ocean, under the water and with a rock.’
Running through water and throwing passes as if the ball were a rock, you say. Farrell would dominate the world of Kasivaki….

[jngf]

If Launchbury is fit straight back into starting XV as we’ve missed his physical presence. Still not sold on Lawes as the best starting 6 we could field (though happy if we was a lock/flanker bench impact player ). Personally would prefer to see Curry, Simmonds, Dombrandt starting back row.

[Mellsblue]

…………

[fivepointer]

Thats just in the 6N's though.

I'm no admirer of Jones but that is a wilfully misleading stat that doesnt present the full picture. His win ratio has certainly fallen but its still high and comparable with anyone else.

[Mellsblue]

It literally says ‘Six Nations matches, 2000 to present’ on the graphic so it can’t be wilfully misleading. I could argue that Jones stated when he first started the job that the 6N are the important matches as it is tournament rugby but I treat everything he’s says with a lot of scepticism.

[Raggs]

It literally says ‘Six Nations matches, 2000 to present’ on the graphic so it can’t be wilfully misleading. I could argue that Jones stated when he first started the job that the 6N are the important matches as it is tournament rugby but I treat everything he’s says with a lot of scepticism.

It puts it in small font at the bottom, after boldly proclaiming his Win Rate is worse than those two. It's deliberately deceptive. I'm sure they could have found an extra 3 characters worth of space to say 6N Win Rate.

[Mellsblue]

It literally says ‘Six Nations matches, 2000 to present’ on the graphic so it can’t be wilfully misleading. I could argue that Jones stated when he first started the job that the 6N are the important matches as it is tournament rugby but I treat everything he’s says with a lot of scepticism.

It puts it in small font at the bottom, after boldly proclaiming his Win Rate is worse than those two. It's deliberately deceptive. I'm sure they could have found an extra 3 characters worth of space to say 6N Win Rate.

It’s from an article about the 6N and I’ve posted it in a thread about a match in the 6N and the graphic clearly states it’s only 6N matches. I know we’re in an era where we don’t read beyond headlines or Twitter imposed character limits before forming an opinion but bloody hell.
Anyhoo, back to underwater table tennis.

[Raggs]

It’s from an article about the 6N and I’ve posted it in a thread about a match in the 6N and the graphic clearly states it’s only 6N matches. I know we’re in an era where we don’t read beyond headlines or Twitter imposed character limits before forming an opinion but bloody hell.
Anyhoo, back to underwater table tennis.

It's tough to read beyond headlines when you only post an image, and not the article, or context of where it's from.... Just being in a 6N thread doesn't mean much, since it's just the most current international thread etc. I agree, if it's in an article that's clearly talking about 6N success, then it doesn't need the clarification (I'd still argue that placing 6N in the title would be better).

[SDHoneymonster]

Also: he might have a worse 6N win rate than Lancaster, but he's also got three 6N titles, including one Grand Slam, under his belt when Big Stu managed a grand total of zero (somewhat unfortunately though it does have to be said - 2015 and that collapsed maul in the dying minutes against France in particular will always stick in the craw).