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Author Topic: International Rugby  (Read 381569 times)

Online paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1050 on: May 29, 2016, 05:43:04 PM »
This will be an impressive win considering how awful Ford has been.

The thing Is Ford has done well in game, it's just his tee kicking that has been shocking.

Thing is though as a kicker you can't miss that many kicks.

Oh absolutely, I'm just frustrated because I think his kicking from hand was good and at times we looked like most of that 23 are capable of much better than we saw, the commentators called it close but in truth we won by 14 and butchered about 15 points on top of that.  Considering how good people think Wales are that's a good performance with so many players unavailable.

Offline DaveD

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1051 on: May 29, 2016, 05:47:16 PM »
I thought it was very encouraging how well the guys who didn't feature in the 6 Nations played. And how fantastic is it to have four locks of the quality of Kruis, Itoje, Launchbury and Lawes.

Offline Jon Crofts

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1052 on: May 31, 2016, 01:13:00 PM »
Beating Wales by 5 tries to 1 isn't to be sniffed at especially as they were almost at full strength, they'll get hammered in New Zealand whereas I have a lot more confidence in England getting a series win against the bread stealers this summer, which, followed by a couple of Autumn internationals against Fiji & the Pumas sets us up really well for the 6 Nations in 2017.

When is Jonny May due back from injury?

 

Online paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1053 on: June 07, 2016, 09:41:13 PM »
JUst watch the U20s beat Italy, was very ragged in places but Harry Mallinder was 2-3 levels above anyone else on the pitch, I reckon he'll be in the full squad for the 6N, he's such a fantastic talent, big, quick, strong, good hands, great kick, runs solid lines and is generally a very smart player.  He's got it all to be a genuinely world class 12.

Online paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1054 on: June 07, 2016, 11:21:59 PM »
To add to my post from earlier

https://vine.co/v/i3OiiFeZ6t1

I'm just going to leave that there.

Offline nigel

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1055 on: June 08, 2016, 09:50:20 AM »
JUst watch the U20s beat Italy, was very ragged in places but Harry Mallinder was 2-3 levels above anyone else on the pitch, I reckon he'll be in the full squad for the 6N, he's such a fantastic talent, big, quick, strong, good hands, great kick, runs solid lines and is generally a very smart player.  He's got it all to be a genuinely world class 12.

Agree, Mallinder must be pretty close to a call up.

Offline UK Redsox

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1056 on: June 08, 2016, 10:24:22 AM »
I he Neil's son ?

Online paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1057 on: June 08, 2016, 10:44:42 AM »
I he Neil's son ?

Nope, his dad is Jim (the Northampton head coach and former Sale full-back).  I think Neil (I assume you mean the cricketer) is spelt differently.

Online PaulWinch again

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1058 on: June 09, 2016, 10:29:23 AM »
Interesting selection for first Test. Surprised to see Yarde start, but good opportunity for Burrell. Not shocked to see Ford dropped for Farrell. Shame there's no involvement for Slade.

Online paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1059 on: June 09, 2016, 10:54:42 AM »
Interesting selection for first Test. Surprised to see Yarde start, but good opportunity for Burrell. Not shocked to see Ford dropped for Farrell. Shame there's no involvement for Slade.

Yarde in for Nowell is the only shock there for me.  Burrell had to start after how well he played against Wales, he was the one who made the backline work.  I find myself hoping for Brown to take a knock and be replaced by Nowell with Watson going back to 15, that's about the best backline we have available on the tour then (I don't like the 9 and 10 options though, of the 4 the only 1 in anything like good form is Farrell, should be robson, chudley and cipriani in the other spots).

I don't like Haskell at 7 though, he's a 6 and an idiot, I'd really hoped that he's use the tour to give Harrison a proper chance to make the spot his own, maybe when Pocock embarrasses Haskell at the breakdown it will prompt the change that he promised when he took the job.

Offline DaveD

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1060 on: June 09, 2016, 12:15:57 PM »
Yeah, I don't get Yarde for Nowell either.

Farrell had to start at 10, and Burrell earned his chance.

I would have liked to have seen Goode at 15,    given the form he's been in.

Unfortunately, we have the same 6/7 combo as in the world cup, just wearing different shirts, which means we are going to get killed at the breakdown. Again.

Offline peter w

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1061 on: June 09, 2016, 12:30:15 PM »
There must be a reason for Yarde over Nowell considering the latter performed well and is a great finisher. Carrying a knock? Jones thinks that more outright speed from yarde against his marker will suit England in this game? maybe he wants Yarde to do a lot of running and then when the Aussie defence are tired to bring on Nowell who can finish well against a  tiring defence? There must be a plan.

As for 6 and 7 maybe Jones thinks they deserve a game after being part of a Grand Slam winning team just 3 or so months  ago. It sends the wrong message. We're good enough for Northern hemisphere rugby but not against teams from the South. First-half first test and they should be okay and any player being completely dominated can be replaced and we go from there.

The only other one I'm not particularly keen on is Mako V. I don't think he's good enough in the scrum.

Online paul_e

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1062 on: June 09, 2016, 12:51:27 PM »
There must be a reason for Yarde over Nowell considering the latter performed well and is a great finisher. Carrying a knock? Jones thinks that more outright speed from yarde against his marker will suit England in this game? maybe he wants Yarde to do a lot of running and then when the Aussie defence are tired to bring on Nowell who can finish well against a  tiring defence? There must be a plan.

As for 6 and 7 maybe Jones thinks they deserve a game after being part of a Grand Slam winning team just 3 or so months  ago. It sends the wrong message. We're good enough for Northern hemisphere rugby but not against teams from the South. First-half first test and they should be okay and any player being completely dominated can be replaced and we go from there.

The only other one I'm not particularly keen on is Mako V. I don't think he's good enough in the scrum.

The issue is we don't have a 7 on the bench either so the only real option would be to bring on Launchbury and push Itoje back there.  He might be ok, he's certainly good over the ball on the floor but unless they've had him training as a 7 it's going to be completely new to him playing there and it's different enough from 4,5 and 6 that I'd be nervous for him.

I agree on Mako, he's excellent off the bench against a tiring side because of the extra mobility he brings but I think I'd have started with Mullan.

On Nowell there's an interview with Eddie Jones on the England rugby facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/OfficialEnglandRugby/videos/10153848889619825/) where he outright says that Nowell "probably a little bit short of where we need him to be" so I assume losing the final has knocked his confidence a bit.  It could be an injury but that's not the feeling I get from it, watch the video and see if you agree, it's the only bit where Jones seems a bit unsure of what to say.

Looping back, in the same video he also specifically states that Harrison and Clifford are unlucky to miss out so I do wonder if the back row is likely to change for the 2nd game.

Online PaulWinch again

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1063 on: June 10, 2016, 08:29:46 PM »
Jones thinks Farrell's decision making is developing, I agree with that.

Online PaulWinch again

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Re: International Rugby
« Reply #1064 on: June 11, 2016, 09:17:38 AM »
NZ are making a right hash of this at the moment.

 


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