International Rugby

[Jon Crofts]

Brown dropped is pretty big news.

He'd been struggling for fitness in the past week apparently and Daly is fit.

[PaulWinch again]

Jones didn’t suggest it was to do with injury.

[Jon Crofts]

Strange one, from man of the match to benched in the course of 4 weeks, he was mentioned in a fitness update a week ago but no mention of it today when starting 15 announced.

[paul_e]

Before the tournament started it was a discussion between brown and watson and longer term there's only 1 winner there.  If an unbeaten 6n had been on the cards i thunk he may have stuck with the experience but now i suspect he's thinking towards the world cup.  If simmonds gets 30mins at 7 then that will back the idea up nicely.

[cdbearsfan]

Mon Scotland!

[PaulWinch again]

We’re too laboured at the breakdown.

[PaulWinch again]

Again, not good enough at breakdown.

[paul_e]

The backrow just doesn't work, Robshaw at 7 is a terrible choice.

[PaulWinch again]

This is a poor game.

[PaulWinch again]

Poor again.

[PaulWinch again]

Awful, look laboured and without any sort of plan.

[paul_e]

Terrible performance, letting them slow everything down and leaving our backs with no space at all.  As we were a few years back teams know that they can nullify us by smashing us at the breakdown.

[PaulWinch again]

We’re badly lacking intensity and dynamism.

[paul_e]

That's a result of the breakdown, because it's an arm wrestle every time our timings in the backs are all wrong so we look totally flat.  We need to start getting quick ball.  Personally I'd take Itoje off, push Lawes forward and Robshaw to 6 and bring Haskell on at 7.  He's not much of a 7 either but at least we might see a bit more fight in there.  Itoje has been really poor for me.

[paul_e]

Also, this is why Hartley starting and George off the bench works better, Hartley would've been throwing himself into things today after the scotland game.