Rugby Union

[Murphy_Slaw]

You have to feel for Wasps. Even if they do play on Saturday, their training will have been disrupted. As a Bristol fan I don't want Briss to play. We were well beaten by Wasps in the semis and as Pat Lam said, the final is between Wasps and Exeter.
This has been a crazy season but Exeter are clearly the best team in England at the moment. It would be a travesty if they are not crowned champions.

 

[Fang_Farrier]

You have to feel for Wasps. Even if they do play on Saturday, their training will have been disrupted. As a Bristol fan I don't want Briss to play. We were well beaten by Wasps in the semis and as Pat Lam said, the final is between Wasps and Exeter.
This has been a crazy season but Exeter are clearly the best team in England at the moment. It would be a travesty if they are not crowned champions.

Although given Exeter are off the back of a bruising European Final, am not sure how much time they will have to train when not in with the medics and physios!

 

[Fang_Farrier]

And speaking of bruising finals, it does mean that Scotland are short a few key players for Friday's clash with Georgia

 

[MuddyOldEngineer]

Although given Exeter are off the back of a bruising European Final, am not sure how much time they will have to train when not in with the medics and physios!

Id argue that Rob Baxter has done such a good job with the entire squad, that they are ticking over (injuries apart) and have the reserve to play and win the final

 

[retread2]

England's Quilter cup squad has been announced:

FORWARDS​

Alex Dombrandt, Harlequins*
Tom Dunn, Bath Rugby*
Charlie Ewels, Bath Rugby
Ellis Genge, Leicester Tigers
Jamie George, Saracens
Joe Heyes, Leicester Tigers*
Ted Hill, Worcester Warriors
Maro Itoje, Saracens
Alex Moon, Northampton Saints*
Beno Obano, Bath Rugby*
David Ribbans, Northampton Saints*
Will Stuart, Bath Rugby
Sam Underhill, Bath Rugby
Billy Vunipola, Saracens
Mako Vunipola, Saracens
Mark Wilson, Newcastle Falcons

BACKS​

Ali Crossdale, Saracens*
Fraser Dingwall, Northampton Saints*
Owen Farrell, Saracens
Piers Francis, Northampton Saints
George Ford, Leicester Tigers
George Furbank, Northampton Saints
Willi Heinz, Gloucester Rugby
Jonathan Joseph, Bath Rugby
Ollie Lawrence, Worcester Warriors*
Joe Marchant, Harlequins
Jonny May, Gloucester Rugby
Alex Mitchell, Northampton Saints*
Ollie Thorley, Gloucester Rugby*
Anthony Watson, Bath Rugby
Ben Youngs, Leicester Tigers

 

[MuddyOldEngineer]

Those pesky north London spivs get everywhere...

Barbarians squad to face England finalised - Rugby World

The Barbarians squad to face England includes some household names, including former captain Chris Robshaw and Richard Wigglesworth

www.rugbyworld.com

 

[johnboyzzz]

Those pesky north London spivs get everywhere...

Barbarians squad to face England finalised - Rugby World

The Barbarians squad to face England includes some household names, including former captain Chris Robshaw and Richard Wigglesworth

www.rugbyworld.com

No surprise as they have nothing better to do whereas there are 2 6N games and a friendly games going on Friday and Saturday for the other teams

 

[johnboyzzz]

Lions to play Japan at BT Murrayfield, as expected

 

[johnboyzzz]

Wasps given the all clear

 

[johnboyzzz]

Scotland and Lions rugby star Roy Laidlaw reveals dementia battle

The former Scotland captain and Lions scrum-half believes his condition is linked to tackling.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Fang_Farrier]

Scotland and Lions rugby star Roy Laidlaw reveals dementia battle

The former Scotland captain and Lions scrum-half believes his condition is linked to tackling.

www.bbc.co.uk

This is the difficulty with such diagnosis in sports men. Is the condition related to their sporting career or not?

He says 67 is not old for dementia, technically it is not but I have treated numerous patients in that age group with the condition over the years.

 

[feu_de_joie]

Wasps given the all clear

Hooray. No new positives and one sample damaged in transit, so he (coaching staff) stays in isolation pending result of retest

 

[feu_de_joie]

This is the difficulty with such diagnosis in sports men. Is the condition related to their sporting career or not?

He says 67 is not old for dementia, technically it is not but I have treated numerous patients in that age group with the condition over the years.

As you say, it could be. I can think of a number of players who have had to retire due to repeated concussion, Ibanez for one. Is there any sort of study going on like they have for footballers heading the ball?

 

[johnboyzzz]

As you say, it could be. I can think of a number of players who have had to retire due to repeated concussion, Ibanez for one. Is there any sort of study going on like they have for footballers heading the ball?

Yes there is at one of the Glasgow uni's. John Beattie, when he croaks it, is donating his brain for them to play around with and they are also doing current work with former players as well as wendyballists.

 

[Murphy_Slaw]

Good news for Wasps although the smart money is on Exeter doing the double.
Sad news about Laidlaw, a great servant to Scottish and British rugby.

 

[feu_de_joie]

Good news for Wasps although the smart money is on Exeter doing the double.
Sad news about Laidlaw, a great servant to Scottish and British rugby.

Yes, Exeter will have had uninterrupted preparation but who knows, that’s the draw of live sport. Anyway, Bristol can crack the beers open now

 

[johnboyzzz]

Toony tombola for Friday nights game against Georgia

Scotland team: Kinghorn; Graham; Harris, Lang; Van der Merwe; Hastings; Price; Sutherland, Brown (capt), Z Fagerson; Toolis, Cummings; Ritchie, Watson, M Fagerson.

Substitutes: McInally, Kebble, Berghan, Harley, Haining, Du Preez, G Horne, Russell.

 

[retread2]

This is the difficulty with such diagnosis in sports men. Is the condition related to their sporting career or not?

He says 67 is not old for dementia, technically it is not but I have treated numerous patients in that age group with the condition over the years.

As you say, it could be. I can think of a number of players who have had to retire due to repeated concussion, Ibanez for one. Is there any sort of study going on like they have for footballers heading the ball?

There is an interesting article here: 'Mum couldn't stand watching me play' citing Matt Dawson's experiences with concussion. "He believes he was concussed once a year in matches and up to four times a year in training". I'm tempted to be flippant and ask who hasn't wanted to belt a scrum half (including referees probably), but I reckon with the way the game has changed this will only get worse. I acknowledge that steps have been taken to protect players, but head injury protocols only apply after the head injury.

 

[Fang_Farrier]

There is an interesting article here: 'Mum couldn't stand watching me play' citing Matt Dawson's experiences with concussion. "He believes he was concussed once a year in matches and up to four times a year in training". I'm tempted to be flippant and ask who hasn't wanted to belt a scrum half (including referees probably), but I reckon with the way the game has changed this will only get worse. I acknowledge that steps have been taken to protect players, but head injury protocols only apply after the head injury.

I would like to state for the record that any injuries inflicted on scrum halves as I trundled round the front of the line out and hit them from behind were entirely accidental.

Honest.

Signed.
A Prop.

 

[Fang_Farrier]

As you say, it could be. I can think of a number of players who have had to retire due to repeated concussion, Ibanez for one. Is there any sort of study going on like they have for footballers heading the ball?

The effects of multiple head impacts is now well recognised in terms of long standing brain injury.

That's without doubt.

However there are numerous other conditions that occur as we age that affect brain and nervous system.

A prime example is Mohammed Ali and his Parkinson's.