Mako Vunipola announces his retirement from international rugby
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67962448
Mods: I don't know if there is a more suitable thread for this, please move as necessary.
Mako Vunipola retires from International rugby
Moderators: Tigerbeat, Rizzo, Tigers Press Office, Tigers Webmaster
Mako Vunipola retires from International rugby
Omnia dicta fortiora si dicta Latina
Re: Mako
Could never scrummage but a very good player around the field at his best ,sadly has been nowhere near that for a while now
"Rugby isn't a contact sport,ballroom dancing is a contact sport. Rugby is a collision sport" Heyneke Meyer
-
Rugbygramps
- Super User
- Posts: 7432
- Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2022 3:29 pm
Re: Mako
Precursor to a move abroad possibly.
England options at loosehead for 6 nations reducing with Genge an Rodd injured
England options at loosehead for 6 nations reducing with Genge an Rodd injured
-
Soggypitch
- Super User
- Posts: 2288
- Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:18 pm
- Location: Market Harborough
Re: Mako
Marler also struggling......Rugbygramps wrote: ↑Fri Jan 12, 2024 5:06 pm Precursor to a move abroad possibly.
England options at loosehead for 6 nations reducing with Genge an Rodd injured
And good luck Mako - you don't get 79 caps for England and a handful for the Lions unless you are a very good player. Great servant for England and Sarries.
Soggypitch
Re: Mako Vunipola retires from International rugby
He's luck he played in an era where little emphasis was put on scrummaging and his other talents in the loose were needed.
The reality there was an era where none of the top international sides put real emphasis on the scrum as a weapon, partly because that they knew that the refs allowed the weaker scrum to get away with it.
England dominating Australia in the 2003 final was the start, with a ref allowing the Australian front row to go up and down at almost every scrum, yet randomly penalising England, was the template others used. Australia and New Zealand were not great scrummaging sides for decades and perhaps that influenced the refereeing of scrums for many years?
Not until the 2019 final where Macko was munched in the scrum, and Dan Cole inappropriately blamed did it become apparent the scrum could contribute to winning games again.
The reality there was an era where none of the top international sides put real emphasis on the scrum as a weapon, partly because that they knew that the refs allowed the weaker scrum to get away with it.
England dominating Australia in the 2003 final was the start, with a ref allowing the Australian front row to go up and down at almost every scrum, yet randomly penalising England, was the template others used. Australia and New Zealand were not great scrummaging sides for decades and perhaps that influenced the refereeing of scrums for many years?
Not until the 2019 final where Macko was munched in the scrum, and Dan Cole inappropriately blamed did it become apparent the scrum could contribute to winning games again.