London Welsh v Tigers - a mouthwatering Jeff opener

First topic message reminder :

According to google maps:
Ricmond to Kassam - 54.2 mi, 1 hour 7 mins
Leicester to Kassam - 85.6 mi, 1 hour 43 mins

A new Jeff side in a new location should entice a number of locals through the doors - especially considering the opposition plus the curiosity value of Gavin.

The fixture may pull Welsh's biggest gate of the season although it will be interesting to see which sides fans forms the majority.

The Tigers should be wary of falling down the all-too-familiar heffalump trap of underestimating newly-promoted opposition, but should not overlook the tricky fixture of Quins and Sarries later in the month.

I'd be inclined to blood some newcomers and give a few of the returning injured players a re-test.

Castro, Youngs (T), Stankovich
Parling, Crane
Croft, Waldrom, Mafi

Harrison, Ford
Forsyth, Allen
Benjamin, Murphy,Tait

bench:
Cole, Mulipola, Chuter, Slater, Newby, Young, Manu, Hamilton

beshocked wrote:ScarletSpiderman London Welsh are definitely not hated more than bankers.

Signing Tango man is certainly not going to win them too many friends in the AP though.

My team will be looking forward to hopefully giving London Welsh and Tango man a hammering when they face. Bit of spice because Henson did not make a very good impression at my club.

On you boasting about beating the Tigers in the Low Value Cup. Seriously who cares? The Low Value cup is worth so little that Tigers won it playing a 2nd string most of the time.

And in the HEC, when it really mattered, Tigers thrashed the Scarlets so comprehensively, it was embarassing.

I would say that Oxford Welsh arent the most popular right now, but they arent hated more than bankers (he did say 'bankers' - right?). I've written down my reasons for disliking them, which are I suspect, the reasons that most people dislike them.

It doesn't matter, they'll be manshamed in the AP and all will be well.

It's actually quite nice that London Welsh have taken the bad boys tag from Saracens. Thanks guys.

All the focus is on them so we can actually go under the radar. Crazy I know.

Scarletspiderman don't exaggerate. It would not be close!

As already mentioned the LV cup is a joke competition.

https://www.606v2.com/t32366-which-is-more-hated-london-welsh-or-bankers-or-politicians#1387650

Lets find out. I have added Politicians too.

Scarlet, I don't think London Welsh are hated.

I think a lot of people (and that includes Championship fans) don't like the media storm that their management created and a lot of English fans are a bit suspicious of their apparent connections with an Union that is other than the RFU.

It's not about their team - I think everyone is aware of the number of different nationalities that ply their trade within the Jeff - however it's the connections with the WRU that people are wary of.

As a passionate Welshman, how would you feel if an English lawyer (on the Tigers or Quins board) created a team in Cardiff called the Cardiff Saxons, which then went bankrupt causing problems to the local clubs, then were resurrected, then forced their way into the RABO on legal grounds and then moved their ground to Wrexham. How would you feel if they then started bringing in English players (mebbes Cipriani) with a view to develop them for the English team - whilst playing in the RABO under the WRU (and competing for a Welsh slot in the Heinie)?

How would you like it if they then trumpeted their triumph saying its a good thing for Celtic Rugby and their (few thousand English folk working in Cardiff, with names like Perigrine Wooton-Fortescue and Horation Biggins-Smythe - to say nothing of Chelsea-Chardonnay Fetlock) fans claim that they have blown the rotten RABO cartel out of the water and opened the way up for the smaller clubs?

I'm not saying that this is what LW are doing, however to your average one eyed English fan it certainly looks like it.

If LW get absolutely tonked in every game then it will do no good to the concept of promotion/relegation and can only encourage the administrators to bring in even stricter measures to ensure that the promoted team can make the grade. I just hope Falcons can get back up before the Iron Curtain is implemented.

TrailApe wrote:Scarlet, I don't think London Welsh are hated.

I think a lot of people (and that includes Championship fans) don't like the media storm that their management created and a lot of English fans are a bit suspicious of their apparent connections with an Union that is other than the RFU.

It's not about their team - I think everyone is aware of the number of different nationalities that ply their trade within the Jeff - however it's the connections with the WRU that people are wary of.

As a passionate Welshman, how would you feel if an English lawyer (on the Tigers or Quins board) created a team in Cardiff called the Cardiff Saxons, which then went bankrupt causing problems to the local clubs, then were resurrected, then forced their way into the RABO on legal grounds and then moved their ground to Wrexham. How would you feel if they then started bringing in English players (mebbes Cipriani) with a view to develop them for the English team - whilst playing in the RABO under the WRU (and competing for a Welsh slot in the Heinie)?

How would you like it if they then trumpeted their triumph saying its a good thing for Celtic Rugby and their (few thousand English folk working in Cardiff, with names like Perigrine Wooton-Fortescue and Horation Biggins-Smythe - to say nothing of Chelsea-Chardonnay Fetlock) fans claim that they have blown the rotten RABO cartel out of the water and opened the way up for the smaller clubs?

I'm not saying that this is what LW are doing, however to your average one eyed English fan it certainly looks like it.If LW get absolutely tonked in every game then it will do no good to the concept of promotion/relegation and can only encourage the administrators to bring in even stricter measures to ensure that the promoted team can make the grade. I just hope Falcons can get back up before the Iron Curtain is implemented.

Actually, I think that this is almost exactly what they're doing and my point of view has nothing to do with being 'one-eyed' which is not only patronising, its completely disengenuous.

I just hope Falcons can get back up before the Iron Curtain is implemented

I hope we never see the day that an iron curtain is impelemented. The AP should never be ring fenced. Ok, LW maybe aren't the most deserving of teams promoted but it's a new club to visit and a different day out. New fans to meet home and away and a whole new team of players to watch. Very interesting, even if they are likely to lose badly. Great stuff, it's what I like to see. Exeter were brilliant the other year when the came up like a fresh breeze into the AP. Bristol, Falcons, Bedford or the Pirates could come up next year and there's some good away trips right there. I'd much prefer that to the same 12 teams and same 12 cultures and same 12 fan bases every season ad infinitum.

TrailApe - I see you point fully. However there are limits on how many non-englsih players area aloowed to be involved ina match day 23 (15 have to be english?). As I said earlier on this thread there area numerous welshmen plying their trade in the Jeff alread, Wasps and Sale being quite bad for it of late. It does seem that it is a name issue, if they were called Old Deer Park Rovers I doubt there wouls have been as much fuss.

Actually, I think that this is almost exactly what they're doing and my point of view has nothing to do with being 'one-eyed' which is not only patronising, its completely disengenuous.

Not sure what you are trying to say here, if you feel that you are not one-eyed' well good for you.

I applaud you binocular vision and hope you go on to do great things.

Me - I'm one-eyed, I'm not particular proud of it, however I try to remind myself that not everyone sees things the same as I do and appreciate that othere may have a different opinion - and of course it's just that - an opinion.


Jeez - if I was not one-eyed I certainly wouldn't be a Falcons supporter - in fact sometimes I have to squint through that one eye just to make things more palatable.

Scarlet - yes I agree with you with reference to the playing and coaching staff.

However, it's more than that, and for me with my cyclopic tunnel vision (I'm so bad I'm not English I'm Northern English) and no doubt for a reasonable percentage of English supportes who are not as objective as they could be, the links with the WRU that London Welsh are so proud of do cause a smidgeon of concern.

If LW and their supporters are going to push this part of the club in people's faces then they might rub a few people up the wrong way.

London Irish are an English club that have produced internationals through their academy and so can get away with the Green Hats and Leprachaun shennagins, London Welsh seem at heart a Welsh club, so may cause disquiet - but I cannot see this rising to anything like hatred.

Good God Man - that's too much like passion for us soulless Anglo's.

Trail - I think if they stay up LW will end up either producing (or signing youngsters who will become) English internationals, as it is the only realistic way to stay alive in the league.

There is no arguing they are trying to milk the welsh angle to p!$$ people off and to try and gather interest amongst the welsh communities around England for support. But again that will most likely die down after a match or two.

Also with the ring-fencing of the Jeff, I really prey they don't go down that route. The English system of clubs and promotion and relegation is brilliant it give little clubs an aim, and sometimes there are Cinderella stories (Like Leeds or Exeter).

sometimes there are Cinderella stories (Like Leeds or Exeter)..

So then what are Falcons - the coach that turned into a Pumpkin or one of the Ugly Sisters?


No don't answer that - I don't feel like facing the truth today

Ring fence the AP? Good God man, don't be daft.

You'll be suggesting next that teams within the AP get virtually automatic qualification to the the Heineken Cup (because we have to be inclusive these days don't you know) and so can field their weakest teams outside of cup competiton. No, no, that wont do at all, if that were to happen, the league would become a farce.

I have no problem with Welsh bringing in ex-Welsh internationals. Most of their WQ players are dual qualified with England. I think it would be nice for English players of Welsh heritage (or English-born Welsh players) to play for London Welsh. Same goes for London Irish. I'd much prefer that to what Youngs is doing at Wasps.

What I, and probably most other English fans, don't like is that they left it to the last minute (actually after the last minute as it was a late application) knowing that the pressure would be on for a quick decision. Not only this but it also shafted the other championship clubs, who if they knew they could have applied, would have. AND they lied when they had the appeal saying they met the criteria when they very quickly admitted they didn't in the appeal. It feels like a victory for the lawyers not for rugby.

If they had challenged the criteria at the beginning of the season I would have welcomed them with open arms.

If they had challenged the criteria at the beginning of the season I would have welcomed them with open arms.

You and everyone else Hammer.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

If they had challenged the criteria at the beginning of the season I would have welcomed them with open arms.

You and everyone else Hammer.

Id still think they were sh1t though

That's a completely different matter. Would they have even gone up if Pirates were fighting for promotion? We'll never know.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Beshocked - ok, bankers was a bad example but i bet if you did a poll it would be close.

beshocked wrote:It's actually quite nice that London Welsh have taken the bad boys tag from Saracens. Thanks guys.

All the focus is on them so we can actually go under the radar. Crazy I know.

Scarletspiderman don't exaggerate. It would not be close!

As already mentioned the LV cup is a joke competition.

After 12 hours the vote stands 9 hate LW, 8 hate Bankers, 9 hate Politicians. Told you so (ok, most of its just tongue i check), sad but true.

No, 9 people 'hate' Politions - whatever they are.

Bushys wrote:No, 9 people 'hate' Politions - whatever they are.

And whats worse I don't know how to change the poll so its stuck there.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Beshocked - ok, bankers was a bad example but i bet if you did a poll it would be close.

beshocked wrote:It's actually quite nice that London Welsh have taken the bad boys tag from Saracens. Thanks guys.

All the focus is on them so we can actually go under the radar. Crazy I know.

Scarletspiderman don't exaggerate. It would not be close!

As already mentioned the LV cup is a joke competition.

After 12 hours the vote stands 9 hate LW, 8 hate Bankers, 9 hate Politicians. Told you so (ok, most of its just tongue i check), sad but true.

You could say 17 voted for bankers and politicians (not London Welsh) out of 26 voters. Only 9 voted for London Welsh and most of them were probably just to wind you up.

beshocked wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Beshocked - ok, bankers was a bad example but i bet if you did a poll it would be close.

beshocked wrote:It's actually quite nice that London Welsh have taken the bad boys tag from Saracens. Thanks guys.

All the focus is on them so we can actually go under the radar. Crazy I know.

Scarletspiderman don't exaggerate. It would not be close!

As already mentioned the LV cup is a joke competition.

After 12 hours the vote stands 9 hate LW, 8 hate Bankers, 9 hate Politicians. Told you so (ok, most of its just tongue i check), sad but true.

You could say 17 voted for bankers and politicians (not London Welsh) out of 26 voters. Only 9 voted for London Welsh and most of them were probably just to wind you up.

I see we are airbrushing the votes for Saracens from history