Rugby Union 2012/13

[PaulWinch again]

It's over. Brilliant effort.

[peter w]

All over. 33-20. Great response last 10 mins or so. Into the final against Wales. Its the first time NZ have not appeared in the final at this level. jack Clifford, and Hankin or Rankin, the number 7. Henry Slade kicked 7 from 7 from all angles. Overall too much firepower. If this is it the future is very bright.

[PaulWinch again]

It is very bright and the back row were fantastically mobile.

[bertlambshank]

Well done the babbies.

[tomd2103]

Great results for both Wales and England today in the Junior RWC.  Beating the junior South African and New Zealand sides are great achievements.

[paul_e]

Youth rugby in europe has come on massively in the last 10 years and the national sides at this level and seniors are starting to really feel the benefit of it now.

I didn't see the game today unfortunately but this young England side looks a bit special.  Anthony Watson is the star turn and I see he got a try just before half time today, I fully expect him and Elliot Daly to be fighting over the 15 shirt in the seniors with Foden in the next 2 years.

One of the comments is praising the backrow - we;ve got a very strong set of young back rows, all 3 spots are going to be heavily contested going forward,  Clifford is going to be a big player, he's played a lot of 7s and gets around the park superbly.  He's not on a par with Vunipola (who's the same age) but I think he'll become a good utility backrow if he can improve in the tight, if not he'll probably end up as a 6.

[paul_e]

I've watched the highlights:

Clifford's 7s experience showed for the first try, a lovely step, great turn of pace delayed the pass long enough to take the fullback completely out of the game, really good try.

Watson interception and put on the burners to stroll in for the 2nd.

3rd was great work on the try line, just nudged our way over, kept it secure by head down and going really low at the line and getting players up and in behind quickly to avoid the turnover.

Slade kicked brilliantly.

The Baby Blacks looked a really good side and were rightly favourites, it was a massive win for us.

[Dave Summers]

Staggered that Gatland has seen fit to pick 3 Englishmen for the starting test team.  Slightly surprised that Youngs is in ahead of Hibbard, even though he is a far superior hooker.  Nothing that I have seen so far has changed my opinion that the test team was largely picked before the tour party left.  Adam Jones, although a great scrummager has not had the greatest of tours and yet is picked in front of Cole who has shown a lot more.  Mike Phillips has been ponderous in the extreme and yet is picked because he "is a big game player".  If he hadn't been injured then Jamie Roberts would have been a certainty despite being a complete one trick boshing pony and the best centre on tour Jonathan Davies would have been left out.

To re-iterate the above posts, fantastic for Northern Hemisphere Rugby that both England and Wales beat the SH to reach the U20 final.  Can't wait to watch it on Sunday and hoping for the same result as in the U20 Six Nations at Colwyn Bay.

[UK Redsox]

Great to see a fellow "Son of the A48", Alex Cuthbert, starting for the Lions

[lovejoy]

Great to see a fellow "Son of the A48", Alex Cuthbert, starting for the Lions

Born in Glos actually (like me), and went to Newent school. Close to Forest I guess.

[paul_e]

Great to see a fellow "Son of the A48", Alex Cuthbert, starting for the Lions

Born in Glos actually (like me), and went to Newent school. Close to Forest I guess.

As Dave has said above the team was picked before they left in the main, I'd add cuthbert to the list of those who probably isn't in the team based on Lions performances so far.

[tomd2103]

Great to see a fellow "Son of the A48", Alex Cuthbert, starting for the Lions

Born in Glos actually (like me), and went to Newent school. Close to Forest I guess.

As Dave has said above the team was picked before they left in the main, I'd add cuthbert to the list of those who probably isn't in the team based on Lions performances so far.

Don't think Cuthbert would be in the team if Bowe was fit to be honest.  Gatland plays a certain way and certain players are key to that style of play (Phillips and Roberts being two examples). 

[paul_e]

Great to see a fellow "Son of the A48", Alex Cuthbert, starting for the Lions

Born in Glos actually (like me), and went to Newent school. Close to Forest I guess.

As Dave has said above the team was picked before they left in the main, I'd add cuthbert to the list of those who probably isn't in the team based on Lions performances so far.

Don't think Cuthbert would be in the team if Bowe was fit to be honest.  Gatland plays a certain way and certain players are key to that style of play (Phillips and Roberts being two examples). 

Which sums up why I'm not impressed with the way he's handling things so far, I still think the lions will win the series, I think Australia will just be totally outgunned in the pack.  Warburton is the biggest problem, he's been poor for a year other than the game against England and yet he's the captain.  I also think he picked too small a squad and picked too many players with dubious fitness (Bowe being the prime example), making late call ups is ok, making the amount of late call ups he has is wrong, another 6-7 in the original party and a much stricter fitness deadline wold've meant the other teams (read England) wouldn't have been changing their team on matchday to cover for very late call ups.

[OzVilla]

All very surprised and a little disappointed in Queensland that Quade Cooper isn't in the Wallabies side (let alomne the squad).  Moving James OÇonnor in to Fly Half is a risk and Cooper would have been perfect in the back end of a high tempo, physical game when there's a little more space - also OÇonnor would have been perfect running the lines which Cooper could have fed him in to. 

Expect the Lions to out scrummage the Wallabies and win the forwards battle, partucularly at the breakdown as Pocock is a big loss.

Weather is wet today but tomoorow will be fine and Sunny and about 15c at kick off, with little wind or no wind - perfect conditions that might suit the Wallabies running style more.

[Dave Summers]

Great to see a fellow "Son of the A48", Alex Cuthbert, starting for the Lions

Born in Glos actually (like me), and went to Newent school. Close to Forest I guess.

As Dave has said above the team was picked before they left in the main, I'd add cuthbert to the list of those who probably isn't in the team based on Lions performances so far.

Don't think Cuthbert would be in the team if Bowe was fit to be honest.  Gatland plays a certain way and certain players are key to that style of play (Phillips and Roberts being two examples). 

Which sums up why I'm not impressed with the way he's handling things so far, I still think the lions will win the series, I think Australia will just be totally outgunned in the pack.  Warburton is the biggest problem, he's been poor for a year other than the game against England and yet he's the captain.  I also think he picked too small a squad and picked too many players with dubious fitness (Bowe being the prime example), making late call ups is ok, making the amount of late call ups he has is wrong, another 6-7 in the original party and a much stricter fitness deadline wold've meant the other teams (read England) wouldn't have been changing their team on matchday to cover for very late call ups.

I'm with you now Paul on disliking Gatland.  I thought it was an insult to the England team that he chose Wade on the day of the match as they must have known whoever he was covering was injured beforehand, think it was Bowe.  Wouldn't surprise me if it was a deliberate move to cause maximum damage to the planning for the test v Argentina

Can't wait for this tour to be over so Gatland can get back to his day job of picking giants in a rugby team and trying to bosh everything that moves.  The Six Nations game at Twickenham is one I am eagerly awaiting in the hope we will exact full revenge for Cardiff last March.  Just have to trust Lancaster to get the right players in the right positions