Your 2011 Rugby Union Highs and Lows

I know there's still four days to go until we say ta-ta to 2011 for good, but I thought it'd be great to do a little thread about your personal rugby highlights and some low ones. It can be absolutely anything rugby related - a favourite moment during a game, a particular try, something you heard in an interview or in the crowd...anything you like as long as it's rugby. So come on, let's have 'em...

The

- Meeting Tommy Bowe in January. No further elaboration needed... awesome!
- The Heineken Cup Final in Cardiff in May. Absolutely superb weekend, and the match didn't disappoint either. Epic. Brilliant atmosphere everywhere.
- The "wrong ball" try during the Wales v Ireland Six Nations match. Just cause it looked good from where I was sitting! Good day out that was too.
- Ireland v England match in the Six Nations. The best game of the competition this year I reckon.
- Wales v South Africa in the World Cup. I did cry at the end though, but a much needed performance from the Welsh boys to set the tone for the rest of their tournament.
- Shirts - some tidy ones about including the ladies Wales home shirt (much better than the previous ones) and Ireland's red training top which looks Welsh
- Tommy Bowe's run against Australia in the World Cup pool game. I think I had an organism.
- Watching the world cup semi final in the Millennium Stadium with all the other fans. It was just like a match day without the the squad on the pitch.
- The Ospreys winning start to the newly named Rabo season...shame it didn't last, but it was fun whilst it did.

The

- The closure of old 606 - just a bummer. Although I won't moan too much cause it did bring us this!
- Injuries - there's been a lot of them, most notably for me was poor David Wallace getting a serious knee injury in a warm up match just before what would have been his last RWC.
- Warbs red card - not disagreeing with the decision, I just think it was a fly in the ointment for our RWC. Over there and on here.
- My next door neighbour being a noisy git and spoiling some RWC viewing for me cause I couldn't get to sleep early enough to get up/stay up in time for one or two games.
- James Hook going to France - I know it's better for him in the long run, but I miss him at the O's
- Ospreys missing out on (what was then) the Magners League as well as the Heino.

I'll probably think of more as time goes on, but if I don't post this now, I never will...

Massive high and moment of the entire world cup


1F picking up Will Geina and running about hundred miles down the pitch with him. It was just class

The 8 weeks in New Zealand !!! and seeing my mates Allan & Frances 15 years after they went back
The Italy trip and my birthday out there. The top of Mt Vesuvius was -4c before you factored in the 'wind chill'
The 'pub meets' - Wales v Ireland, Leinster v Toulouse, Leinster v Northampton (the biggest meet yet with over 40), Ospreys v Scarlets, Blues v Edinburgh, Scarlets v Munster, Bath v Leinster and Munster v Scarlets. All the great people, love you all


The RWC Semi-Final
The continual 'punching below their weight' from the O's
'Smiler' having to miss out on the RWC

The high was Leinsters second half comeback in the HEC final. Saints seemed to have the game in the bag after 40 minutes. I was stunned. The match was effectively decided in Leinsters favour by the 65th minute. Even more stunning. Another highlight was Leinsters win over Toulouse in the semi final. They're the club I admire most and beating them meant a lot to me. It meant we really were the best.

The lowlight was losing to Wales in the RWC quarter final. We've never made a semi final. We'd gotten ourselves into a position to play a team ranked below us in the quarters for the first time ever. And we totally blew it. Tactics were wrong. We were out-thought and out-played. Everything was wrong from the tactics to individual performances. It was just a dismal failure that I had to endure for 80 minutes. I was happy for the Welsh because they did play well and deserved the win. But I was to depressed to watch any more rugby or read about it or post here much for a while. I didn't even watch the final.

High- beating Leinster 24-23 in the league with a typical Munster performance. Ferris picking up Genia and getting that win.


Low- The Welsh quarter final and losing a cup final I played in.

Highs:

Ireland almost getting things too right against Australia and Italy.

O'Connell back where he belongs; on the field, red faced, and red stubble headed, with his Braveheart 'silent scream' mouth open in defiance and combat. How can Ireland truly replace his beating heart?

Leinster backs factory operating at seemingly almost meltdown productivity. One gets injured or is rested and another fresh faced clone rushes into the breach. Ok, so it's only a 'seeming' smokescreen. And of course "These young lads haven't been tested in the real world of International or Heineken" etc, etc, yawn. Yes, I know, I know the morbid reality that can always hit back at you on these pages, but for now I still say the factory seems an endless production line and enough for a smile for now at least.

New Zealand rightfully winning the Cup. They played the best rugby most consistently, not only during the competition itself but in the intervening years. And if the World Cup should mean anything then nobody should begrudge truly the best international side picking up the biggest International reward. But of course, many did begrudge them the win anyway, which proves all is right in the wonderful world of envy

O'Driscoll finally looking after numero uno and getting his shoulder seen to.

Lows: Ireland proving me right in the first place by getting things absolutely wrong against Wales. Complacency was dragged out of the pool stage success and it left feet turgid and minds bereft of an idea that suggested anything of a Plan B strategy. The World Cup route will never be as 'easily' plotted out again and Ireland so casually in the end just blew it.

Fitzgerald doing everything he could to get on the plane by doing everything he could to jusify him being thrown off it.

Howlett injury.

Cari wrote:- Ireland v England match in the Six Nations. The best game of the competition this year I reckon.

Seems an odd choice, unless you're an Irish fan or you just enjoy seeing England getting beaten Ireland played very well and outplayed a poorly-performing English side in pretty much every aspect of the game. Not sure that it had that much in it for the "neutrals". It wasn't that great a game.

The Italy v France game has to be up there as a highlight from the last 6Ns. A real watershed moment for the competition.

Seeing Paul O'Connell, Rory Best and Stephen Ferris each recovering from injuries that were feared to be career ending to play at the World Cup- and each of them playing absolutely superb rugby. Some of the best rugby of those guys career has been played at and since the World Cup.

The three of those guys were absolutely outstanding against the Aussies- as were Healy, O'Brien etc. We dominated their pack, smashed the Italians and were all poised to go on a great run... only to inexplicably fail to turn up in the same way in the quarter-final. That was the great disappointment of 2011. That we didn't do ourselves justice in the knockouts; that we left not having fulfilled our potential.

In terms of Ulster, reaching our first Heineken Cup final in 12 years was something I have been waiting for for many years. So many great memories from that campaign. The emergence of young players like Nevin Spence, Paddy McAllister and Craig Gilroy at Ravenhill has been exceptionally satisfying. And then, just a short time ago, we had this;

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/8884522/Ulster-16-Clermont-Auvergne-11-match-report.html

For me, Adam D'Arcys break and pass for Ian Humphreys to score is my moment of 2011.

The greatest Ulster disappointment of 2011 is the one and only defeat Ulster have suffered at Ravenhill this year; we lost to Treviso and it hurts because it's a game we just didn't turn up to with the right attitude, the right focus and the proper respect for our opposition. And they punished us for our misplaced arrogance. We could have been targeting a calendar year unbeaten at home if not for that. That defeat hurt more than many, many much more prominent Heineken Cup games or test matches.

Safeasmilk - I picked that Ireland game simply because I found it the most enjoyable, and not because of the result. Of course everyone has a different view, which is the point of this thread - each answer will be different, and that's good.

High was evidently seeing Richie McCaw lift the Webb Ellis Cup. Just so happy for the players who give NZers so much to be happy about. But in a year where we lost people in a mining accident and an earthquake, they gave us something to distract us as well.

Lows was when Carter, Slade and Cruden went out injured. Who would´ve thought Beaver would kick the winning points. A low that turned into a fairytale high.

Low was the Brisbane match deciding the 3N. No side has won the 3N and the World Cup in the same year. That will always be the case as it´s no longer the 3N. But giving those Wallabies something to be supremely confident about may have been a blessing in disguise. That sky high confidence maybe saw them take Ireland too lightly and put them into an unenviable side of the draw. That semi final win was the high of the tournament strangely for me. I was a blubbering wreck in the second half of the final and it was more relief than a high what I felt at the final whistle.

The fairytale didn´t happen for the Crusaders. They travelled the world (even playing in London against the Sharks) and somehow managed to get to the final with no home game in Christchurch. McCaw shouldn´t have played I think but the Reds were just too good and deserved the win. A high though that didn´t turn into a low as the Reds played a wonderful brand of rugby and entertained us along the way.

2011 was a sweet year for me in rugby. I got married in Spain in late July as well so you could well say the perfect year. Of course that was conditional on what happened in October but don´t tell the missus that... She already knows. She was with me at the final. Hoping we would win so I wouldn´t be a misery guts for four more years!

Northampton getting ripped apart against Leinster. Heartbreaking rugby or the best comeback in rugby depending on who you support.

Hi...Wales win over Ireland in the WC
Lo...the pathetic performance v Australia last month

The best game I've seen this season was Munsters win over Northampton in the HC.

Highs - Going to Cardiff for Wales-Ireland game. Great day/night in Cardiff. Well it must have been, because I didnt realise Wales had used the wrong ball for line out, till we were in the car on the way home next day.

Connacht being in the Heineken Cup.
The win over Australia, great session after to celebrate.
The win over England in final 6 Nations game.
The emergance of Connor Murray on the international scene.

Lows- Losing to Wales in quarter finals.
Losing to Wales in the 6nations(although was great craic before and after).
Connacht not getting a win in the 2 Gloucester games, we were close, but will learn from this experience.
Losing BOD for 6 months.
Not putting money on an All Blacks- France final(which I was so tempted to do the week before).

Highs

Scoring on my rugby comeback. Well everything about the day was good anyway, as I only helped out because my team were short.
First game back for my first team this season, where I have never walked off a pitch so happy.
Dragons v Ospreys and Blues were probably the best nights I've had down on Parade, just standing there and feeling the atmosphere in the Hazell was unreal.
The away trips with Dragons to Sale, Scarlets, Toulouse, Wasps.
Wales v South Africa was a great buzz, despite the result. Was made up to see Faletau truely arrive on the international scene.
The Heineken Cup final was an unreal day, especially as a neutral. Great company.

Lows

The trip to Gloucester wasn't bad, but the result of the LV semi was a disappointment, the way we were torn a new one.
Wales v Ireland (6 Nations) was a pretty good day, but a dreadful game and I have never been so bored at the stadium.

2010-11 has been the longest season in history. lots to consider but i dont think there was a worse moment than the red card. (warburtons red will go down in history (at least in wales) as the red card)

best of the season must be the selection for wales of Faletau, and that he stepped up so magnificently and justified his selection.

nice thread, Cari.

Week before the tournament I should add

Highs
-The World Cup
-The Crusaders' run to the Super XV final without a home ground, with most of the squad getting 100,000 airmiles under their belts between February and June
-The Heineken Cup final in May, great craic
-Managing to attend 14 matches this year; in England, Wales, and New Zealand; across the HEC, the Amlin, the English Premiership and Championship, Super XV, the 6N plus the Barbarians and HelpforHeroes games. Leinster, Harlequins and London Scottish were the only teams I saw more than once (twice each for them).


Lows
- Wales vs Ireland in the 6N. Dire match, in spite of the fantastic atmosphere & good company at the ground
- The Amlin final, a small crowd rattling around CCS and a dire match until the last 10 minutes.
- Barbarians vs Australia. Terrible Baabaas side

Highs:

Ireland beating England in the 6N.
Ireland beating Australia and Italy in the RWC.
Ulster beating Biarritz and Clermont.
Stephen Ferris returning from a career threatening injury.
The emergence of Sean O'Brien.
Leinster winning the HEC. Munster winning the Magners.
O'Gara's last minute drop goals against Saints and Castres.
Rory Bests form and the emergence of Ulsters young guns.

Lows:

Irelands 6N performances up to the England game.
Ireland losing to Wales in the RWC.
Ireland losing to England in the warm ups.
Ulster losing to Treviso and Leicester Tigers.
Jared Payne, David Wallace and BOD's injuries.
Munster not making the HEC QF and losing to Quins.

Nice idea for a thread.

My Rugby highs are easy:

Watching my son, the Hooker, back in April return a kickoff straight on for a try. He was 12 at the time playing for the club's U13s against the club's arch rivals. Just great watching him grow into his body and become a real athlete (as well as a hell of a person).

Going on holiday with the family at the beach in South Carolina. Watching my other son, the 14 year old flanker/out half, get approached by a few girls when wearing his clubs Rugby t-shirt on the beach. Ain't nothing in the world cooler than that for a Dad.

You could be wearing the same rugby t-shirt and some of them approach you too Doc. That sounds cooler Dad!

Err, I think there are laws about a man chatting up 14 year olds?????????

Haha didn´t see the age. That did sound pervy.

High:
Heino Final in the Diff and the joy of sharing it with 40 others on and off here. Best day ever. All those club colours as One. Tears ensued after many beers. I phooking love rugby.

Low:
RWC. Dont want to talk about it.
Suffice it to say Elmer Fudd was found out and let us down.

Yeah, I though you missed it, but I couldn't resist having a go. It did appear a bit twisted. Got to admit some of the older sisters and the younger mommies were a bit tasty.

Those two events with my boys were simply off the chart events for me.

Loving your post Doctor. Watched my 2 lads grow up into good men. No greater joy in Life.

And, I miss the yummie-mummies...

Oh please sir, another one.

2 weeks ago, AsLongAs organised a marathon rugby tour, taking in 4 ERC games in one weekend. Madness ye say? Course it was. But, it was superb. Never laffed or sang as much in my life with dead-on rugby fans.

Getting our taxi-convoy lost in the Mendips from Bath to Exeter was a riot. We drank our way through it.

Games were:

Blues v Edinburgh (HC)
Scarlets v Munster (HC)
Bath v Leinster (HC)
Chiefs v Dragons (Amlin)

Red Stag and RugbyDreamer were the only ones who made all 4. Legends.

Sounds like a primo weekend. Not crazy t'all. If I was local i would do that in a heartbeat.

Nice thread.

Highs….

People – lots of them, and too many to mention individually. The Wasps crew, the 606 pub crew for the Amlin & HC finals weekend in Cardiff* and the guys and girls at Ealing RFC** *

*The atmosphere in the Westgate Tavern in Cardiff after the Amlin final was superb. Fans from all over the place in there singing anthems….and telling me where I could stick my chariot (cheers Penfro!)

** Ealing’s promotion to National 1. What a day/ night.

The Toulouse fans going through their entire repertoire of songs on the rail replacement bus to Amersham after we had beaten them at Adams Park in the final Pool game of the HC. What stars.

The Dubai 7s – just a monumental week of laughter and drinking…oh, and some rugby (and England won). And the Thursday night in Fibber Magee’s was awesome.


Lows….

That first scrum at Lansdowne. I knew England would not be claiming a Grand Slam at that very moment.

Ealing getting stuffed at home by Jersey’s pack on a pig of a pitch.

Wasps’ abject performance at Firhill that saw our HC quarter final chances disappear.


Bitter sweet moment…

Wasps could not qualify for the HC going into our final Pool game against Toulouse and with the game tied we were looking forward to an away Amlin q/f at La Rochelle. Then Lemi scored at the death to win the game…jubilation


Then the realisation that we would now be going to the feicen Stoop to play Quins!!!

Highs for me -

Ulster qualifying fro the HC Quarters and the Magners Semis. Probably achieved more than they should have.

The many miles travelled in the support of my team home and away. Some great trips and some great people met on the way.

The Ireland win over England at Landsdowne Road. The first scrum of the game was awesome. Being at that game with Mickado and getting pished during and after.

The Heinekin Cup Final in Cardiff. Brilliant craic before hand with the Regs from 606.

Lows: -

There are a few but I prefer to concentrate on the highs.

What I would really like for 2012 (at this stage) would be five points against Leicester in Round 5 to set up a winner takes all clash against Clermont.

Gibson wrote:High:
Low:
RWC. Dont want to talk about it.
Suffice it to say Elmer Fudd was found out and let us down.

Yeah, its true. Plan A against Wales was for Sean O'Brien and Ferris to run through them. Didn't happen. Plan B... see Plan A.

So whats the plan for the Six Nations? Well, we haven't employed a new backs coach after Gaffney left. Is that a clue?

Highs:

My last Wales v England 6 nations match whilst living in Cardiff. May have to go back next year, as it's more fun being in the minority.

Glos not bottling it and winning LV cup.

Beating Ireland at the Aviva.

The HC final - pure, hard, fast and brutal rugby.

Lows:

England's fall from grace throughout RWC.

High and lows cover both Englands and Ospreys form in 2011. Best of the highs being the demolition of Italy and beating (finally!) Ireland in Dublin. The lowest of the lows- Ospreys stumbling into the play offs and getting a deserved beating at Munster. Englands constant media attention over non stories and the pitiful defeat to France at the RWC.

Highs.
The Dragons new stand.
The Dragons doing the Ospreys and Blues.
The Welah back-row.
Chris Paterson's grass cutting conversion in front of the posts v Romania. That certainly woke me up at 2.30 am.
How well the tier 2 teams performed at the WC.
England imploding.
Going to the Wales v England game in 6 nations and meeting Guscott and Martyn Williams.
Getting an evil stare from Dan Bighead for giving him some stick at the Deagons v Ospreys game.
Watching Rhus Thomas blocking a main road in Newport with his posh Merc whilst he dashed into Tote. (the blokes oblivious).
Watching the Faletau family leaving Rodney Parade packed into a Ford Focus.
Eddie Butler's commentary in the 6 nations. "Wilkinson the England 10
Is on the pitch......wearing 21. Plum.
Lows.
The Dragons not building on last season and losing Charteris.
Obviously the WC semi.
The Wales v Australia December throw about. What a farce!
Talksports Abysmal coverage of the WC.
The new Rabo pro 12. Rubbish.

As a Saints and England fan this isn't going to be easy

Highs -
England winning the 6N
Wales doing well at the wc. Although I will deny it if anyone says anything.

Lows-
The second half and result of the HC final
Saints falling away (again) in the last month of the AP season
England's lads p*** up tour of NZ and the fallout from it. If the results were not bad enough some England players who should have known better showed a serious lack of respect to their own fans.

high
meeting the welsh backrow and training with them for a session- was immense
wales doing well at wc


lows
that card
welsh teams doing rubbish in magners (last year)
the six nations

Low

Turnbull missing the World Cup and most of the season so far

High

The Scarlets trouncing Leicester in the low value cup

My greatest high was also my greatest low - being in Wellington for the Scotland v Argentina game but then the agony of the full time result!

Highs include the Reds winning their first pro era Super title and the wobblies winning the Trinations for the first time in a thousand years courtesy of a great try from the 'fro Samo.

The Lows were getting our pants pulled down by Samoa and the fairly embarrassing lack of hunger shown against Ireland. Also, every time Quade Cooper touched the ball in the RWC.

Low Points
Richies foot
Dans groin
Slades groin
Crudens knee

High point
Stephen Donald giving up a weekends whitebaiting (22/23 October) to help out graham Henry and his teamwho were short of a first 5 eighth.

highs

winning in SA
getting to RWC semis
winning the last ever 3Ns

lows
every game we lost, ok so a few there then, but specially the semis..

Happy New Year everyone!!!

Highs

Frans Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Schalk Burger and Danie Rossouw's form in the world cup.

Lows.
Pieter de Villiers
Bruce Lawrence
And just about every match we played for the last year, maybe two, nah four.

Highs

England winning the 6 nations
(some people seemed to have forgotten about this FACT)

Wales world cup exit.


Low's

Bath (can it get any worse for the greatest team and fans in the country)

Wilko retiring from England (a very very sad day)

John Inverdale signing a new contract with the BBC.

Bath (can it get any worse for the greatest team and fans in the country)

Oh yes, and then some. Look at Coventry.

High

Wales performance at RWC 2011

Low

Wales performance at RWC 2011 (and mystiroakey)

High

Heiniken cup final

Ireland smashing England after a huge build up about a grandlslam etc, one of my favourite games of 6n as a neutral supporter.

Italy beating France

1st half of Aus victory over NZ in Brisbane (samo's awesome try!) which sealed tri nations

Barbarians vs England, really entertaining game! Was very happy Tim Visser scored twice too.

Ansbro try against Ireland

Edinburgh vs Racing Metro

Low

Chris Ashton swan dive

Argentina being offside when Parks attempted drop goal in dying seconds (Scotland should never have got into that position in the first place though)

Johnathan Davis negative and biased commentary (but that's every year i guess haha)

Quade cooper during RWC (behind the back pass in front of tommy bowe!?!? idiot!)

Scotland's performance against Wales at Murrayfield

Lee Byrne foot in Hugo Southwell's face (I know its technically legal but it put a downer on a game that from a Scotland fans point of view had already hit rock bottom)

The cheeky quick line out

Nathan Hines/Chris Paterson retiring

bsando wrote:

Quade cooper during RWC (behind the back pass in front of tommy bowe!?!? idiot!)

Check this out, it sums up that bit of comedy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ldqFm2Ajxs

High

Going to my first 6 nations match Wales v Ireland with my non rugby interested brother in law. He loved it, we had a great day sitting with a load of Irish supporters and before the match I shook the great Gareth Edwards hand. Awesome!

Low

It would be obvious to say Wales going out to France or Scotland losing to England but actually it's my old club Brackley doing so poorly and languishing at the bottom of Midlands 3 East South.

They have previously won the Lewis Shield three times and had a great supply of talent from the local school but the current head doesn't support a rugby tradition of over 100 years. Poor form and has lead to Brackley being a bit rubbish

Highs

4) RWC, apart from England. The right result for the tournament and the game as a whole, NH sides as competitive as they've ever been. NZ overcoming the devastation of the quakes to host a good tournament
3) The way Quins' squad players have stepped up to the plate in the new season
2) The Amlin final, especially the 79th minute
1) the Amlin Semi at Thomond Park

Lows

3) the England team's failure to perform in Dublin and NZ
2) the way the English press and RFU have conducted themselves this year
1) the ongoung farce that is the "hit" and the refereeing of the scrum

What I want for Christmas

4) Quins to keep doing what they're doing and the squad to stay healthy
3) A sensible England selection that plays to the players' strengths
2) Consistent refereeing of the breakdown and penalising of teams slowing the ball down
1) The IRB to adopt Brian Moore's recommendations for the scrum in their entirety on a trial basis

Poorfour has it pretty much covered there for Quins! I think I have a couple more though

Highs for Quins
1. Winning away at Toulouse. Simply incredible and another massive step forwards for the youngsters.
2. Everyone else realising what some of us have stated for a while now that Robshaw has to play for England
3. Mike Browns form
4. Winning the Amlin, I went up to the Stoop to watch the game and the atmosphere was brilliant.

Highs for Eng
1. The eventual sacking of the coaching team.

Lows for Quins
1. Losing to Saracens. Toulouse hurt but they're Toulouse, Saracens had such a simplistic game plan and there were a few chances for us and for once we never took them. Gutting.

PF, YS watched the second half of your game yesterday, cracker. To turn the screw and get back into the lead was championship form.