Rugby Union 2013-14

[PaulWinch again]

Dynamic try from Farrell.

[PaulWinch again]

Important win for England there, take your wins and then build performance.

[paul_e]

Happy with the result, but not the performance particularly, we scored twice, which was nice but one was a sucker punch and the other was the result of some shockingly lax play from australia (good break and finish from Farrell though).

Lawes and Launchbury looked good together, back row all played well, front row was good but Youngs had some throwing issues early on.

Dickson did what he was there to do and got the ball out quick but we largely didn't want to play in the open so Farrell kicked away a lot of possession, Farrell also had a very ropey first half, credit for coming out in the 2nd half and looking much better.  in the centres twelvetrees was anonymous in attack and made a couple of mistakes in defence, Tomkins was also anonymous but tackled better.  Yarde and Ashton did well despite both getting done a few times and, to give him his due, Brown played very well, it's the first time I've seen him look mentally capable of playing at this level, Billy V should've got man of the match though, he was at the centre of everything we did well.

[taylorsworkrate]

Yep, a win but an average at best performance.

I do like the look of the pack now. Problem is it seems much more dynamic than the backs.

Get Wade in next week, and possibly Burrell.

I do prefer Ben Youngs at scrum half also

[PaulWinch again]

Brown was excellent today.

[paul_e]

Yep, a win but an average at best performance.

I do like the look of the pack now. Problem is it seems much more dynamic than the backs.

Get Wade in next week, and possibly Burrell.

I do prefer Ben Youngs at scrum half also

Ben Youngs works better with Flood or Farrell at 10, if we pick Dickson we need a 10 with the vision to make the most of the quicker ball they'll get, Burns is that man, but despite his good tour in Argentina and fine start to the season the none performances of the glaws front 5 have cost him a place in the match day squad.

I agree on Wade, we need some dynamism in the backs, I'd give eastmond a shot at 13 as well.  For 12 Twelvetrees deserves another chance but if he doesn't perform next week I agree we should look at Burrell who is the form centre in the league.

[Jon Crofts]

Any predictions for tomorrow then?

I'll go with England by 6 points.

OK by 7.  A win is a win and against the convicts worth so much more.  Could have been by 16 points had Farrel put his kicking boots on.  Scrum solid,
lineout very average.

[paul_e]

Any predictions for tomorrow then?

I'll go with England by 6 points.

OK by 7.  A win is a win and against the convicts worth so much more.  Could have been by 16 points had Farrel put his kicking boots on.  Scrum solid,
lineout very average.

The line out was fine after the first 3-4, genereally we were fine in all of the set plays, if was after that where we looked short of quality.

[PaulWinch again]

Twelvetrees was really disappointing today, which makes for some difficult decisions next week. I think Ashton and Yarde did pretty well over all. It's one of those games where it's just good to get out with a win, also to shut out Australia completely in the second half was impressive.

[lovejoy]

Brown was excellent today.

For a ******

[lovejoy]

Twelvetrees was really disappointing today, which makes for some difficult decisions next week. I think Ashton and Yarde did pretty well over all. It's one of those games where it's just good to get out with a win, also to shut out Australia completely in the second half was impressive.

Ashton seriously? I toughs he was atrocious. Yarde also looked a little like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

[paul_e]

Twelvetrees was really disappointing today, which makes for some difficult decisions next week. I think Ashton and Yarde did pretty well over all. It's one of those games where it's just good to get out with a win, also to shut out Australia completely in the second half was impressive.

Ashton seriously? I toughs he was atrocious. Yarde also looked a little like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

I don't think you can really judge either of them too much, Yarde had a lovely burst down the wingbeating his man and the fullback before ashley-cooper got across and bundled him out, that glimpse is about the lot for either of them with ball in hand.

As I've said, our gameplan is a direct copy of sarries from the league, be big up front and play for territory and have backs who'll tackle anything that comes at them and punish errors.  The issue is the top sides aren't going to gift you tries like farrell's today.  Our frist try was decent but came after a very long break and a lucky bounce caught them off guard.  Fair play to Robshaw he did really well with the finish but it's not the type of try you build your team to score.  They scored from a couple of missed tackles but the first one (ashton) was a direct result of their game plan, which was to tempt someone out of the line with a flat line, they hooked Ashton and nearly got straight through and then a couple of phases on 12trees got his tackle very wrong, but australia had already created the chance and got us defending on the line, we never really did that, and that's my worry.

[Dave Summers]

Had 24 hours to reflect on my afternoon at Twickenham.  At half time I was spewing with the regression into early 90's hoof and chase and although the Aussies didn't do anything particularly outstanding, we deserved to be behind simply for kicking the ball away all of the time.

From 50 mins onwards I was however very impressed with England.  It was uncannily like the game this time last year only this time we found a way to get over the line.  Most of the forwards played very well and after a couple of dodgy lineouts we got that aspect resolved and as a result, with the extra grunt that Lawes/Launchbury/Attwood provide I hope they don't bring Parling back into the 23.  Big well done to Robshaw who I thought had an excellent game with his backrow colleagues Billy and Tom Wood.  Obviously if he is fit Corbs comes back and I would start Hartley too, feel Youngs and Mako will be better off the bench.

The backs?  Still not sure why Youngs was dropped from 9, we improved so much when he came on.  I believe Dickson is an excellent club player but short of international class in my view.  Our two scrum halfs should be Youngs and Care for the run to the World Cup.  Farrell was very poor first half but all credit to him for a good comeback in the 2nd period.  I would still prefer a Burns or Ford or Cipriani but accept it won't happen for the forseeable.

The centres for me were an unmitigated disaster and I wouldn't have either of them in the squad next week.  Billy needs to get back to Gloucester and pick his form up if he can.  I have no idea what Tomkins brings to the party that Eastmond, Burrell, Trinder don't and I want to see a combination of two of those three next week.

The back three were a mixture of sublime (Brown) and ridiculous (Ashton).  I have just seen Christian Wade score two tries v Gloucester yesterday and the time is now, no more waiting.  As Sir Clive says, being small didn't stop Billy Whizz so that argument is finished before it has started.  Very pleased for Mike Brown and he played as well as I thought.

No win against Australia should be sniffed at, so pleased with the outcome.  Little tweaking of the team in the right areas and I shall enjoy my 2nd and final visit to HQ this Saturday

[paul_e]

I largely agree with that dave, the centre was definitely the weak point, I do think twelvetrees was made to look worse by getting nothing from Farrell though.

The 1 bit I'd question is your comments on Dickson.  In the team and system we played yesterday Dickson looks very average and we'd be better with the 2 you mentioned, but with a side looking to get the backs more involved in play dickson does a much better job of getting the ball out to the 10 quickly to use the space when defenders are drawn in.  The slow ball from 9 and 10 has been englands problem for a long time and the only way to solve that is to pick a pairing for it.

As for 10 I'll let farrell's inclusion go, he's clearly seen as the new Johnny Wilkinson within the rfu so I give up worrying about him, but the idea of Flood coming in as a game changer is just silly, Burns and Cipriani are clearly the 2 you look at to change a game.

[PaulWinch again]

Not overly happy that there's no Wade on the bench and Goode is back on the bench.