International Rugby

[PaulWinch again]

Wakes are a good side, but I think home advantage is massive for them probably more than any team.

[Jon Crofts]

That average team haven't lost a game for a year to this day and made England look one dimensional.

England made themselves look one dimensional, Wales had nothing to do with that aspect of the game.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/wales-havent-beaten-anybody-note-15822630

[luke:lamf]

One thing that I noticed about Wales, that really cheesed me off as an Englishman was watching the line-out form, then watch their hooker sneak a half-pace to the left and then bitch and moan about England encroaching. He must have done it 3/4 times.

England also seemed to be trying the All Blacks trick of pretending blatantly forward passes are flat. Only problem is we get pinged for it.

[Tuscans]

That average team haven't lost a game for a year to this day and made England look one dimensional.

England made themselves look one dimensional, Wales had nothing to do with that aspect of the game.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/wales-havent-beaten-anybody-note-15822630

Nothing at all...ok.

[taylorsworkrate]

Its unfair to say Wales didn't influence the result at all. It was noticeable that during the build up to their first try, their forwards wised up to the English tactic of committing no one to the ruck, and picked and rolled from the base of the ruck numerous times. They also realised that England had zero intention of keeping ball in hand, so adapted their defence accordingly.

I will say that I think for how shambolic France were against us, in the 2nd half on Saturday we were not far off that level of ineptitude and point blank refusal to adapt to what the opposition was showing us. Jones, the coaching staff, Farrell and other established players have to shoulder a lot of the blame for that.

Overall? I think Wales are a decent side that equate to greater than the sum of their parts. England, besides the odd performance here and there equate to lesser than the sum of their parts. It's been systemic in English rugby for years. One grand slam since 2003 with the player pool and resources of the RFU is a woeful return.

[paul_e]

Its unfair to say Wales didn't influence the result at all. It was noticeable that during the build up to their first try, their forwards wised up to the English tactic of committing no one to the maul, and picked and rolled from the base of the maul numerous times. They also realised that England had zero intention of keeping ball in hand, so adapted their defence accordingly.

I will say that I think for how shambolic France were against us, in the 2nd half on Saturday we were not far off that level of ineptitude and point blank refusal to adapt to what the opposition was showing us. Jones, the coaching staff, Farrell and other established players have to shoulder a lot of the blame for that.

Overall? I think Wales are a decent side that equate to greater than the sum of their parts. England, besides the odd performance here and there equate to lesser than the sum of their parts. It's been systemic in English rugby for years. One grand slam since 2003 with the player pool and resources of the RFU is a woeful return.

I'm not sure on the last point, I think grand slams are going to be a lot rarer going forward because the intensity of the games is so high that every team can have an off day.

On the specifics of that try, live i thought Liam Williams should've been penalised (and the game taken back for a Welsh penalty) about 3-4 phases before they scored. Watching it back I'm certain of it.

About 10-11 seconds in, Nowell tackles him and the tackle is clearly completed, Williams gets back to his feet, then places the ball on the floor and picks it back up again before rolling forward a few yards. He has to release before he gets to his feet not after, it's piss poor that the everyone ignored it. It might not change the result as they'd have had a penalty right in front of the posts but it's the sort of error that happens far too often from some referees.

[Tuscans]

Its unfair to say Wales didn't influence the result at all. It was noticeable that during the build up to their first try, their forwards wised up to the English tactic of committing no one to the ruck, and picked and rolled from the base of the ruck numerous times. They also realised that England had zero intention of keeping ball in hand, so adapted their defence accordingly.

I will say that I think for how shambolic France were against us, in the 2nd half on Saturday we were not far off that level of ineptitude and point blank refusal to adapt to what the opposition was showing us. Jones, the coaching staff, Farrell and other established players have to shoulder a lot of the blame for that.

Overall? I think Wales are a decent side that equate to greater than the sum of their parts. England, besides the odd performance here and there equate to lesser than the sum of their parts. It's been systemic in English rugby for years. One grand slam since 2003 with the player pool and resources of the RFU is a woeful return.

I think I agree with that.

[Tuscans]

Its unfair to say Wales didn't influence the result at all. It was noticeable that during the build up to their first try, their forwards wised up to the English tactic of committing no one to the maul, and picked and rolled from the base of the maul numerous times. They also realised that England had zero intention of keeping ball in hand, so adapted their defence accordingly.

I will say that I think for how shambolic France were against us, in the 2nd half on Saturday we were not far off that level of ineptitude and point blank refusal to adapt to what the opposition was showing us. Jones, the coaching staff, Farrell and other established players have to shoulder a lot of the blame for that.

Overall? I think Wales are a decent side that equate to greater than the sum of their parts. England, besides the odd performance here and there equate to lesser than the sum of their parts. It's been systemic in English rugby for years. One grand slam since 2003 with the player pool and resources of the RFU is a woeful return.

I'm not sure on the last point, I think grand slams are going to be a lot rarer going forward because the intensity of the games is so high that every team can have an off day.

On the specifics of that try, live i thought Liam Williams should've been penalised (and the game taken back for a Welsh penalty) about 3-4 phases before they scored. Watching it back I'm certain of it.

About 10-11 seconds in, Nowell tackles him and the tackle is clearly completed, Williams gets back to his feet, then places the ball on the floor and picks it back up again before rolling forward a few yards. He has to release before he gets to his feet not after, it's piss poor that the everyone ignored it. It might not change the result as they'd have had a penalty right in front of the posts but it's the sort of error that happens far too often from some referees.

...on the other hand you were awarded a pen after 2 minutes for a perfectly good tackle ( with arms ). Peypar makes strange decisions every time I see him.

[paul_e]

Its unfair to say Wales didn't influence the result at all. It was noticeable that during the build up to their first try, their forwards wised up to the English tactic of committing no one to the maul, and picked and rolled from the base of the maul numerous times. They also realised that England had zero intention of keeping ball in hand, so adapted their defence accordingly.

I will say that I think for how shambolic France were against us, in the 2nd half on Saturday we were not far off that level of ineptitude and point blank refusal to adapt to what the opposition was showing us. Jones, the coaching staff, Farrell and other established players have to shoulder a lot of the blame for that.

Overall? I think Wales are a decent side that equate to greater than the sum of their parts. England, besides the odd performance here and there equate to lesser than the sum of their parts. It's been systemic in English rugby for years. One grand slam since 2003 with the player pool and resources of the RFU is a woeful return.

I'm not sure on the last point, I think grand slams are going to be a lot rarer going forward because the intensity of the games is so high that every team can have an off day.

On the specifics of that try, live i thought Liam Williams should've been penalised (and the game taken back for a Welsh penalty) about 3-4 phases before they scored. Watching it back I'm certain of it.

About 10-11 seconds in, Nowell tackles him and the tackle is clearly completed, Williams gets back to his feet, then places the ball on the floor and picks it back up again before rolling forward a few yards. He has to release before he gets to his feet not after, it's piss poor that the everyone ignored it. It might not change the result as they'd have had a penalty right in front of the posts but it's the sort of error that happens far too often from some referees.

...on the other hand you were awarded a pen after 2 minutes for a perfectly good tackle ( with arms ). Peypar makes strange decisions every time I see him.

I agree that was a shocking decision but that wasn't Peypar, it came from the TV official.  I added the link above mainly because I was really pissed off about it at the time and I couldn't remember if I bitched about him on here.

[Gareth]

Hopefully now the Grand Slam has gone Jones will look forward to the World Cup and give Robson proper time, preferably starts for rest of 6N. 

As it stands he will revert to type and end up bottling it at WC & going with Youngs & Care which is average for me.  Always thought Youngs looks class as a replacement but bog standard when starting - if (big if) we had a world class 9 to start and Youngs to finish would feel more confident.

Rest of the back line picks itself with Tuilagi / Te’o (even though Mills is actually Worcester’s best English 12 lol) alternating at 12

Unfortunately Ford will remain in the main 23 but we have to cross everything that Farrell stays fit for next few months

[paul_e]

I don't think he knows what he wants in centres, we had years of him picking a creative option at 12 and, effectively, an extra winger at 13 and now he's gone completely the opposite way and put a creator at 13 and a wreaking ball at 12.

He's also currently got Devoto with the squad who struggles to get into the Exeter team and wouldn't work in the current game plan at all and he's ignoring Marchant who is the best English centre in the league right now.

He did the same with the back row, picking 2 6.5s in Haskell and Robshaw for a couple of years before going to a much more traditional 6 and 7 in the last few months but then picking Shields despite him not being remotely settled in English rugby.

I agree with you at 9, what I find particularly weird with that is Robson was the best 9 in Europe for 2 seasons and didn't get a sniff, this season he's had injury problems and struggled to get fit and in form for Wasps and suddenly he's in the 23.

I just find Jones very stubborn in his decision making, once he's decided a player doesn't fit he refuses to admit he was wrong, Cipriani is a brilliant example, ignored him for a couple of years, eventually relented and gave him a chance where he was superb and then ignored him again.

[UK Redsox]

World League


First that I've read about this plan

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47398739

[paul_e]

The version of this which is currently proposed is fucking shit, it's nothing more than a cash grab by the bigger unions and world rugby at the expense of player welfare and developing nations.

[UK Redsox]

The version of this which is currently proposed is fucking shit, it's nothing more than a cash grab by the bigger unions and world rugby at the expense of player welfare and developing nations.

Strikes me as similar to the way that the ICC has excluded developing nations from competitions

[paul_e]

The version of this which is currently proposed is fucking shit, it's nothing more than a cash grab by the bigger unions and world rugby at the expense of player welfare and developing nations.

Strikes me as similar to the way that the ICC has excluded developing nations from competitions

Pretty much, but with the addition of thinking it would be ok for an NH team to play USA, SA and NZ away on consecutive weekends.