Rugby Union Thread

[Dave Summers]

Just discovered this thread, marvellous !!!!!!.

I'm a huge Rugby fan and as well as being a season ticket in the Trinity, am a member of the England Rugby Supporters Club.  I was at Twickenham yesterday and it was an entertaining game with plenty of encouragement (at last) for England, albeit I thought that AB's were always likely to win and could have gone up a gear or two, if needed.   I was lucky enough to be sitting in the top tier of the corner where all of the tries were scored.  I don't think the first NZ try should have been allowed and for anyone of three reasons, neither should Hartley's (Ashton offside, forward pass to Hartley and double movement).

I think Johnno and the lads are slowly getting there and what was especially pleasing was that by the end of the game yesterday we had just two players over 30 on the pitch which surely bodes well for the future.   Would maybe look to get a little more creativity and pace in our centres, difference between Nonu and Sonny to Tindall and Hape was immense.  As someone said in an earlier post would love Simpson-Daniel to get a run instead of Cueto, but the rest looks okay to me.

It's a huge match next Saturday and one I shall enjoy via Sky+ when I get home from Villa Park.  I think we are capable of beating the Aussies and if we do, we should follow that up with two wins v Samoa and South Africa which will put us right on track for the World Cup.

Glad to have discovered this thread and look forward to further discussions througout this month.

[cheltenhamlion]

Too many handling errors by both sides on Saturday but theer were some encouraging signs.

We are still well short of the required creativity in the backs mind.

[Dave Summers]

Yes I agree with you we do lack a bit of creativity.  I think if he is fit then Flutey could come back in.  I would like to see Armitage tried at outside centre in a similar role to Hook with Wales.  He has played there quite often for Irish I think.   

Our main problem as I see it at the moment is No 10.  I quite like Flood but he just isn't going to make that searing break that a Carter or a Cooper would do.  Wilkinson has never had that pace or creativity really and the like of Geraghty,Lamb, Hodgson, Goode all have some question marks against them somewhere along the line.   Which brings us to Cipriani !!.  Hands up, I am a massive fan and saw his first start when he ran the game against Ireland in possibly the most creative performance by an England 10 I have ever seen.   But, for whatever reason, he seems to have burnt his bridges with Johnson and probably won't be back until there's a change at the top.

I wish him well in Australia and look forward to seeing how he copes, is he as good as I think he is or is he as flaky as a lot of my mates tell me he is.   I think if he was an Australian or NZ player though, they would have stuck with him and concentrated on what he can do, as opposed to what he can't do.  And there lies the difference between the North and South Hemispheres.

[Mac]

Hmmm, if the ref had not have been French we might have won that.  Whilst we lost by 10 points it took England 70 minutes to realise that NZ were playing poorly.

A good day out again.  Twickenham service/treatment of fans is far superior to Wembley. Well, the selling of beer is.

[peter w]

Villa are playing in London on the same day and you decide not to go but to watch this instead? I'm a rugby fan too but could never go to another game when Villa are playing in an area not too far away. Especially as you would have had to travel down to the same area also!

[cheltenhamlion]

Well I want to see a more imaginative centre pairing than Tindall and Hape this weekend.

What does Simpson- Daniel have to do to get a chance?

[Dave Summers]

Well you haven't had your wish as the backs are as they were.  I think Johnson is trying to show a little consistency in selection and a bit of loyalty as well and to be fair, Hape and Tindall were the centres in June when we beat them.   Here's hoping for the same outcome this weekend and think we have a heck of a chance, I think it will be close though.

As to the question Peter W, as to why I would go to Twickenham instead of Craven Cottage.  I have a season ticket at Villa and generally go to around 7/8 away matches all season.  If I am lucky and at the moment I am, I may get to Twickenham to see England a maximum of 3 times a year.   If I get that chance I will take it, as I will on 27th this month when I am there for the South Africa game and my mate will take my season ticket.   

I love both sports but to me there is a massive difference in going to see Villa and going to International Rugby.  It's a far more pleasant environment at Rugby, for instance you don't get any Tracy Andrews songs and at my time of life, I am being drawn more to that aspect than say a night running the gauntlet at St Andrews.

[lovejoy]

Well I want to see a more imaginative centre pairing than Tindall and Hape this weekend.

What does Simpson- Daniel have to do to get a chance?

Play for Leceister probably.

[peter w]

Fair enough. Just couldn't be at any other sporting event myself knowing Villa are playing at exactly the same time. Still, each to their own.

[cheltenhamlion]

Well I want to see a more imaginative centre pairing than Tindall and Hape this weekend.

What does Simpson- Daniel have to do to get a chance?

Play for Leceister probably.

You might be right. Anthony Allen was hopeless against us and got called into the England squad a few days later.

The considered opinion from my Kiwi boss on the game between Australia and Leicester he went to yesterday:

"Fuck me, it might have been the midweek side but the Aussies were shite. You should hammer them"

[Mac]

Villa are playing in London on the same day and you decide not to go but to watch this instead? I'm a rugby fan too but could never go to another game when Villa are playing in an area not too far away. Especially as you would have had to travel down to the same area also!

Yup

i get asked in the summer if I want to go to an autumn international.  I say "yes" and get a ticket.   I don't have much say in the specific one and wouldn't turn it down once it was got for me. I think I had more fun at Twickenham than Fulham.


Whisper it but I didn't go to the Blues game either, I went to the 49ers at Wembley.  I brought that ticket in Feb.  And I don't feel guilty about either.  Since this is no longer "sport" but entertainment I thought I'd like to vary what I watch, rather than "shows" I've seen 10-20 times before.

[PaulWinch again]

England really need to win today to build on last week.

[PaulWinch again]

Youngs and Ashton are brilliant.

[TheTimVilla]

Some fella ran a long way for a bit a while ago for England and everybody clapped. Too much detail?

Why are England not wearing white, at home?

[PaulWinch again]

That was fucking brilliant, superb performance.