International Rugby

[PaulWinch again]

Appreciate loads of injuries but we need to get better.

[Jon Crofts]

Made very hard work of that and the officials didn’t help, inconsistent refereeing and poor touch judges allowing Wales to drift offside in second half when England were threatening the line on several occasions.

Wales kicking was frankly hopeless, Brown gobbled pretty much everything that was hoofed up to him.
Robshaw gets better and better at 7 every game as does the FordFarrell combination.
Not sure how Ford got MotM surely May was ahead, personally though I’d have given it to Launchbury.
2 weeks off now, time to recover & regroup.

[Jon Crofts]

Christ there’s some whinging Welshers out there tonight as well.

[taylorsworkrate]

Some odd officiating. Wales only conceded 2 penalties all game, which either shows the discipline of 15 monks, or some pretty inconsistent refereeing. In all fairness Wales did have what looked a perfectly legitimate try not given. Some of the penalties we continue to concede just seem so needless. We really need to get that in order and pronto.

The game itself, we looked ok in patches, and caused them a no of problems when Care got quick ball. Defensively solid for the most part (Underhills try saver probably the tackle of the season winner). We did look disjointed and careless for too many spells though. I'd give the performance no more than a 5/10

[Jon Crofts]

I’ve watched the non try several times it’s not a difficult rule to interpret, even if it was given Wales would still have lost even if the try was converted.

Wales will beat Ireland.

[Risso]

I've watched it a few times, and I say not a try.  The Welsh lad's hand brushed it before the ball was on the ground, then it was Watson who actually grounded it.

[tomd2103]

Christ there’s some whinging Welshers out there tonight as well.

As someone who's loyalties lie west of Offah's Dyke, I would say with good reason!!  Think it is pretty clear that Anscombe's hand applies downward pressure on the ball first, but there you go.  In all reality though, even it had been awarded there would have still been a long way to go and the pattern of the game would have been completely different.   

I thought it was a hard fought test match and was a bit reminiscent of the 2015 World Cup game in that England threatened to run away with it only for Wales to come back into it in the latter stages.  England's kicking game was far better on the day and it's hard to see why Wales so often persist kicking possession away when it clearly isn't working.  I thought England just missed that little creative spark today and wonder if Daly could provide it at 13 when he returns. 

[JD]

I've watched it a few times, and I say not a try.  The Welsh lad's hand brushed it before the ball was on the ground, then it was Watson who actually grounded it.

I agree Risso. The Welsh New Zealander although applying some downward pressure did not have control of the ball or actually ground it imho.

[paul_e]

It's a tough one for me.

First I'm far from convinced that the winger doesn't knock it on, there's 2 times that the ball is very close to his hands and goes forward but it's hard to say whether he makes contact.  On top of that the 2nd attempt he makes at it he clearly has a foot in touch but again that comes back to whether he makes contact.

After that I think there are 3 distinct touches during the grounding,Watson gets the back of the ball (nearest to them), THEN Anscombe gets the side and finally Watson slaps a hand on top.  That makes there 2 key decisions, Does the first Watson hand come away from the ball before it's grounded and does Anscombe have control of the ball during grounding.  I don't think you can can definitively say yes to both of those so, as much as I'd be livid if that was an England one that was disallowed, I can understand why both the ref and the TMO have decided they can't give it.  I've watched it about 20 times now and I still don't have an answer so I understand why they reached the same conclusion.

[PaulWinch again]

I've watched it a few times, and I say not a try.  The Welsh lad's hand brushed it before the ball was on the ground, then it was Watson who actually grounded it.

I agree I don't he's controlling that.

[Dante Lavelli]

England need to find a way of keeping the scoreboard ticking over.  With both Ford and Farrell they should be able to engineer drop kick opportunities quite easily.

[taylorsworkrate]

Scotland not started too brightly today either

[taylorsworkrate]

Really enjoyable game this so far. France displaying some lovely technical skills at the moment

[taylorsworkrate]

And then France completely fall apart in the 2nd half and lose all semblance of discipline.

[Jon Crofts]

And then France completely fall apart in the 2nd half and lose all semblance of discipline.

Quel surprise as they say in Calais.