Rugby Union (was 2014-15, now an ongoing thread)

[PaulWinch again]

Clark should of ruled himself out of the World Cup. I have got zero tolerance for poor discipline there is no excuse.

[PaulWinch again]

The scrum has been a real worry in the second half.

[PaulWinch again]

Good to get a win, but major worries about the forward replacements. I like to see Watson and May playing, as they're both try scoring wingers.

[paul_e]

Clark should of ruled himself out of the World Cup. I have got zero tolerance for poor discipline there is no excuse.

Was never a yellow, the guy was rolled out by brooks not by Clark pulling on his neck.  Clark has had discipline issues but I don't think it is fair to say he's out of squad for that.

I think the main difference between the teams was that they were slightly fitter, but that's okay given it's a month from the WC. On the other hand we had far more class, when we got Watson into the game we ripped them to bits.

I'd like to see Watson at 15 and JJ on the wing outside Slade next week but I doubt he'll try it.

[Dante Lavelli]

That was, shall we say, a frustrating performance.

I'm concerned that Lancaster seems to want to pick Farrell over Ford.  I assume Ford will play in Paris which is a much tougher audition compared to what Farrell has just had - and in my opinion was pretty average.  Too much kicking away, especially when on the front foot.

[PaulWinch again]

I think Ford will be first choice. If you look at this team it was more experimental on the whole.

[Dante Lavelli]

I think Ford will be first choice. If you look at this team it was more experimental on the whole.

Agreed.  But based on tonight it is not inconceivable, probably likely, that France will win next week. I can see Lancaster using that as his justification to select Farrell v Fiji... In isolation that decision would not be too bad, however it would ignore all the positive from last year, where Ford was looking close to World class.  The Bath v Saracens final will also be used as justification. 

[paul_e]

I think Ford will be first choice. If you look at this team it was more experimental on the whole.

Agreed.  But based on tonight it is not inconceivable, probably likely, that France will win next week. I can see Lancaster using that as his justification to select Farrell v Fiji... In isolation that decision would not be too bad, however it would ignore all the positive from last year, where Ford was looking close to World class.  The Bath v Saracens final will also be used as justification.

What tonight showed is that the eagerness to get rid of Hartley is misplaced and Parling isn't up to it anymore. That coupled with Mako not being great in the scrum and Brookes showing a bit of inexperience meant they dominated the front 5. The benefits of that, oddly, we're that they were funneling in and leaving us 1on1 out wide, which is suicide against the pace and footwork of our wings.


Hit post by mistake, the point I was getting at is:


in that situation a fly half who is happy to default to kicking anything in his own half and kick away after 7-8 phases can work in that type of game, no decent side in the world cup will give Watson and May that much time and space unless there's gaps around the breakdown which 9 and 10 are using, it's the lack of threat from Wiggy and Farrell in those areas which makes them both very limited and makes the decision from France to defend so tight at times so strange.

[PaulWinch again]

If Brooks has broken his wrist that's him done. Again with Hartley he's a good player, but I don't have much sympathy his poor disciplinary record is something he should have dealt with years ago.

[paul_e]

If Brooks has broken his wrist that's him done. Again with Hartley he's a good player, but I don't have much sympathy his poor disciplinary record is something he should have dealt with years ago.

Hartley's a difficult one, the last couple of big bans were both, in my opinion, bans for Hartley the person rather than bans for the offence and they've cost him a place with the lions and a place in the world cup.  I might be being rather cynical but I can't help feeling that both were intentional.  If you look at the length of bans given to most players in those circumstances they always happen to end a week or 2 before the tournament, with him they've been calculated to force him out.

The Brookes one was odd, an 'egg' like that is usually from a kick rather than a break so I wonder if the player who runs across him caught him and the following 'collapse' was because it hurt rather than being the cause of the injury.  We'll have to see what comes out from the camp but it would be a massive shame if he misses out as he's a far better prospect coming off the bench than Wilson.

For next week we need to go stronger and closer to the team we expect to see in the world cup. The 'best' front 5 (Marler, Youngs, Cole, Launchbury and Lawes) haven't played together for a while so they should start the next 2 for me.

[Jon Crofts]

Just back from Twickenham.
Was there any explanation on TV as to why the truly abysmal referee didn't send the French 12 off for the trip?  We all assumed because the ball was already dead anyhow?  He was gash.

[paul_e]

Just back from Twickenham.
Was there any explanation on TV as to why the truly abysmal referee didn't send the French 12 off for the trip?  We all assumed because the ball was already dead anyhow?  He was gash.

He refused to even watch it back despite the TV official and the touch judge both asking him to, it was just shit.  Given he gave 2 soft yellows (the Burgess one you just give them 10 yards and take it again, it happens all the fucking time; the Clark looked bad on the first angle but the reverse clearly showed the guy being pushed onto Clark by Brookes, and he just ignored it) to us it took the piss that he let that go.  I'm also pissed off that he didn't even look at the Slade/Picamoles thing when both sides started to kick off.  Wasn't a yellow but leaning your head into someone like that when they're on the floor is pathetic and is done to provoke a reaction, he should've reviewed it and told him to stop being a c**t.  To me it was another case of a ref deciding early on that we were the team that was doing the silly shit and punishing us from that perspective rather than based on the actual incidents unfortunately that happens a little too often in rugby, particularly at the scrum and the breakdown where reputation matters too much (I've said it lots of times McCaw is the biggest cheat the sport has ever seen but no ref ever tkaes the blind bit of notice because "Richie McCaw's not like that, great guy!").  It's exactly the same as in football where Shearer never got a red card for elbowing despite jumping in with his elbows up 2-3 times every single game he ever played.

[PaulWinch again]

Yesterday was fine from an experiment point of view, but from now on I think we should be getting out best 15 out where possible.

[Dr Butler]

Just back from Twickenham.
Was there any explanation on TV as to why the truly abysmal referee didn't send the French 12 off for the trip?  We all assumed because the ball was already dead anyhow?  He was gash.

(I've said it lots of times McCaw is the biggest cheat the sport has ever seen but no ref ever tkaes the blind bit of notice because "Richie McCaw's not like that, great guy!").  It's exactly the same as in football where Shearer never got a red card for elbowing despite jumping in with his elbows up 2-3 times every single game he ever played.

I pretty said much the same thing on Sat night.....

UTV
The Doc

[PaulWinch again]

From the way Lancaster talks I think Burgess is going to make the squad.