Rugby Union 2012/13

[PaulWinch again]

Robshaw what were you doing?

[PaulWinch again]

We were better this week, but terrible decision at the end by Robshaw and shocking performance by Flood those missed kicks cost us.

[paul_e]

for all the comments about the decisions last week I never thought robshaw got those wrong but the decision today was terrible, even if we'd won the ball clean scoring from your own half against SA was always going to be a nearly impossible task (they'd have given us a penalty in our own half).

Manu, yet again, offers a threat but nullifies the rest of the team too much.

Brown did better than I expected but still made the wrong decisions at key times.

[PaulWinch again]

Brown isn't a winger. Launchbury really impressed me, Flood was piss poor. Barritt and Manu can't both play.

[paul_e]

Aside from the odd decision, yet again Robshaw was outclassed as a 7, he carries well but he's had a couple of very poor weeks where his lack of ability around the ruck has really shown.  Whenever we got close they slowed the ball down (just about legally) far too easily, robshaw should be stopping that.  We just don't generate quick ball in the 22 and a good 7 is key to doing that.

Flood should be dropped after today, he was really poor, not just by missing the kicks, but in general his tactical kicking was awful (Farrell made the same mistakes as well) and his general play was very average.

I'm not sure why Botha for Launchbury was made as an impact sub but JJ was left on the bench, particularly given how much JJ scarewd them in the summer.

[paul_e]

Brown isn't a winger. Launchbury really impressed me, Flood was piss poor. Barritt and Manu can't both play.

Spot on.  That's my biggest issue with him being picked in the 22.  He's not as good a FB as Foden or Goode and he's not a winger so he's started on the wing despite the reality being that he's our 3rd choice fullback (personally I put Olly Morgan ahead of him as well but he'll never make it with his injuries).  I'd rather see us pick sharples in the side to provide some attacking threat.  It's odd that we seem so eager to pick wingers for defensive reasons in England and then complain that we're not a free flowing side like NZ and Oz.

[PaulWinch again]

Botha is a shocking player, never should be on his handling skills are appalling. Robshaw being questioned by the team for his decision is a bit of a concern as well.

[cheltenhamlion]

Problems at ten? Burns, ahem, that's Freddie Burns...

[cdbearsfan]

Robinson has resigned as Scotland coach.

[cheltenhamlion]

I am not sure why. They only lost by a short margin to Tonga.....

[cdbearsfan]

Tonga cheated, you're not supposed to score tries.

[lovejoy]

Burns and Wood both called up by England. Glos absolutely destroyed Sale on Saturday but the weather meant no chance of a bonus point.
Also met Nigel Davies in Cheltenham after and he's a thoroughly good bloke. The futures bright.

[paul_e]

Burns and Wood both called up by England. Glos absolutely destroyed Sale on Saturday but the weather meant no chance of a bonus point.
Also met Nigel Davies in Cheltenham after and he's a thoroughly good bloke. The futures bright.

Burns has been with the squad for most of the autumn before being sent back to glaws, hopefully he'll stay around in the 22 this time, but debut against the all blacks is a bit much to ask.

[Dave Summers]

This has been a sobering Autumn hasn't it?.  Before it started I was looking at winning 3/4 to build on the encouraging start by Lancaster.  I can't honestly say that we have deserved anything more than we have got out of each of the games.

On Saturday I thought the forwards were okay to be fair.  We seemed to have the edge at scrum time, although not sure how legal Corbs scrummaging was and we committed more players to the breakdown as well which was positive.  Line out we were very wobbly, but not sure how much of that fault lies with Youngs or the jumpers?.

So the forwards were okay and then we come to the conundrum that is the backs.  In terms of handling and passing we bloody woeful is all I can say.  Youngs box kicking was a massive improvement on Care and I just think he brings more to the table, but I know it's a close call between them.  Flood didn't have his greatest game, but what chance have you got when the centres are just two big bruisers like Barritt and Manu?.  We go from side to side so nicely and no one, except Ashton, ever cuts a line or tries to straighten or fixes a man.  I guess Goode does it a little, but that is it.  Why oh why wasn't Joseph brought on at some stage?. 

The sum result of all of that was we created nothing of note, apart from a charge down at the start and Manu's interception.  Brown did okay on his start, but he is a full back and not a winger and oh for a May, Wade or Sharples when Ashton got the ball from Manu's break?.

Looks like Flood has now been ruled out of the AB's game and the interesting call would be to give Burns the start.   We all know that isn't going to happen and Golden bollox Farrell will play.   No point in Ashton, Brown or Goode playing in that case, they will never see the ball.

New Zealand by 40 pts if they can be @rsed.

[paul_e]

As bad as it sounds I'm quite relieved things have gone the way they have.

No one can have missed how little decent ball we generate for the wings or how dated our kicking game is.  Hopefulyl an autumn of 3 defeats in 4 following a summer of defeats will open up their eyes that, to take on the best, we need to score from our chances.

We have a very good pack who work well as a unit and get us into positions for the runners in the backs to go at people, but the lack of basic skills in the midfield means we never take those chances.  Come the 6N we need to see a wind change to move us towards playing the rugby our outside backs will thrive on.

We all know Ashton can score, his lack of tries keeps getting brought up as his problem but it isn't it's a team problem.  We have one of the best finishers in world rugby and can't create a sniff for him.

As an aside, how much do you reckon you'd have to offer Lawes to give Farrell a couple of big hits, not enough to stop him playing, but enough to restrict him to no more than a half?