International Rugby

[Gareth]

I literally haven’t watched a moment of rugby since Worcester went bump so to see the squad still contains Youngs, Care & Cole is a Wtf moment….might as well have kept Eddie the idiot in charge, thought the idea of changing to Borthwick was sack off the old guard that Jones kept picking

[PaulWinch again]

I think England still look like a side who lack an identity. People get confused and think doing the basics is an identity in and of itself. It’s not, it’s a fundamental part of whatever style a team wants to play. England don’t even have those basics right yet, and just seem quite confused as to what they’re trying to do.

[PaulWinch again]

Didn’t see it, but pretty underwhelming result.

[PaulWinch again]

Watching it back it was a bloody hopeless display. Mistakes and bad decisions all over the place.

[DaveD]

I think England still look like a side who lack an identity. People get confused and think doing the basics is an identity in and of itself. It’s not, it’s a fundamental part of whatever style a team wants to play. England don’t even have those basics right yet, and just seem quite confused as to what they’re trying to do.

Agree with this entirely. In the 2022 Prem final, Borthwick's Leicester ground out a win over Saracens in a horrible kickfest. Sarries completely changed the way they play as a result - going through the hands as the default option from every turnover - and scored a ton of points on the way to the 2023 title. England seem to be caught somewhere between the two - they run when they should kick and kick when they should run, and they have lumbering forwards at first receiver way too often...

Farrell's gonna get a six game ban now given his previous, so gotta commit to Ford at 10 from here - Smith is all wrapping and no content for me without the threat of the fantastic Esterhuizen outside him. I'd go with an all pace and turnover back three of Earl, Willis and Curry, with Lawes back in the second row for ballast.

[UK Redsox]

Farrell gets away with it.... Red Card overturned

[DaveD]

Surprised by that. I mean I know he couldn't wrap his right arm or duck his head because of Jamie George, but I didn't think that would be enough mitigation to overturn, as he was never hinged at the waist, and it looked to me like he was moving towards the ball carrier.

I guess the committee were shown more than we have seen.

[paul_e]

Surprised by that. I mean I know he couldn't wrap his right arm or duck his head because of Jamie George, but I didn't think that would be enough mitigation to overturn, as he was never hinged at the waist, and it looked to me like he was moving towards the ball carrier.

I guess the committee were shown more than we have seen.

Personally I'm guessing the committee were looking to avoid banning the England captain from the world cup. Just like they were looking to avoid banning an Irish legend from his planned world cup retirement.

I have no trust for those panels because they make things up to fit the decision they want far too often, generally with nonsense about previous good behaviour and temperament, or conversely giving someone an extended ban because of some unrelated incident years earlier.

Farrell is a liability who has tackled recklessly for his entire career but always gets lenient bans despite doing nothing to correct his technique.

[JD]

Correct paul_e.

The ban should have stood. This isn't the first time Farrell has been guilty of a tackle without using his arms. He is a liability.

[Jon Crofts]

The ban may yet be reinstated as World Rugby look to overturn the ruling.

[Brazilian Villain]

I see Eddie Jones is still a pr!ck.

[UK Redsox]

Two certainties in rugby….Owen Farrell can’t tackle properly and Eddie Jones is a nob

[PaulWinch again]

The Jones routine is a bit tired now. He needs another record, there used to be a degree of wit to it but now it’s just overtly unpleasant.

[nigel]

Surprised by that. I mean I know he couldn't wrap his right arm or duck his head because of Jamie George, but I didn't think that would be enough mitigation to overturn, as he was never hinged at the waist, and it looked to me like he was moving towards the ball carrier.

I guess the committee were shown more than we have seen.

Personally I'm guessing the committee were looking to avoid banning the England captain from the world cup. Just like they were looking to avoid banning an Irish legend from his planned world cup retirement.

I have no trust for those panels because they make things up to fit the decision they want far too often, generally with nonsense about previous good behaviour and temperament, or conversely giving someone an extended ban because of some unrelated incident years earlier.

Farrell is a liability who has tackled recklessly for his entire career but always gets lenient bans despite doing nothing to correct his technique.

Although it pains me to agree with David Campese he’s correct in saying that Farrell does this sort of thing time and time again and doesn’t seem to learn from it.

[paul_e]

He is and it's because officials have been overly lenient with him for his entire career. Why bother changing if you get away with it time and time again?