[Closed] 2013/14 Rugby Thread

You'd just love to see him have a go at a big lad only he seems too sneaky a little bastard for that.

Whinge whinge.
Great to see England have found some wingers at last.

Wingers who drop the ball over the line! England butchered at least two tries by not drawing and passing.

You'd just love to see him have a go at a big lad only he seems too sneaky a little bastard for that.

POM has run over him a number of times

[i]Wingers who drop the ball over the line! [/i]

I think he was high tackled then the ball was knocked away by a great tackle. Little bit different but hey ho.
Still, better than Ashton.

The prospect of Farrell and Spikey in a fortnight. There may well be handbags.

I mean actually have a go so that someone would give him a proper hiding.

Just as well it wasn't BOD. He'd be facing the death sentence if he ever tried to travel to Ireland. 😀

DezB - Member

Still, better than Ashton.

That's not something to brag about really. My boy is better than Ashton. And he's only 11 and at least he can tackle.

Spikey will be unlikely to start. He's a proper hard nut though unlike Farrel who is just a cheap shotter.

Big Jim Hamilton?

Grewcock would be a candidate too. Never mind that he was on the same side.

Where are England touring in the summer? Please let it be SA.

Exciting stuff, one big break may decide this.

Three (poss 4) great 15s at the moment. Good to see Kearney back at his best.

Let's hope it's a classy moment that wins it.

like a knife through butter...

Classy moment?

There's one.

Bllx, spoke too soon, but good try Kearney. Irish come at pace better than the rest of us. All from a moment of stupidity.

[i]not something to brag about really. My boy is better than Ashton. And he's only 11 and at least he can tackle.[/i]

Not bragging, just pleased to see the right players being picked at last. Now for the centre!

Ah. Damn Kearney!!

😆

👿

Our new guys showing a bit of immaturity here and we are getting punished hard.

Tackler doesn't roll away, but Irish more gobby than England and Joubert falls for it????? FFS!

Swing low sweet missed overlaps!

Game on. Bitter turns sweet 😉

Oh no Youngs warming up. Kiss the line out good bye.

Neither side looks like scoring from long phases do they...defence is excellent from both sides.

Cracking game.

YESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!

8)

😀

Phew 😆

As I said, cracking game. No complaints. You can tell from the England players' reaction how big a result that is for them. And well done to them.

Best match of the 6N so far, could have gone either way. Well played Ireland. How did we survive being scrummaged off the park??

Right, where have my fingernails gone?

Epic match - really high quality. 😀

Pulsating match there! MASSIVE hits going in right to the last. Well done eng for keeping discipline and condistency

well done England now if you dont mind losing next week I'll be really happy.... or is it the week after?

So, Ireland beat Wales
France beat England
Wales beat France
England beat Ireland

All going to form 😆

Best #15 of the 6N so far? Tough call!

Blimey 40-51 mins was ropey to say the least. Brilliant defence from both sides.

How did we survive being scrummaged off the park??

Excellent defence, a very poor re-start from Sexton that led to the try and poor handling by Ireland in the last quarter. It was England's defence that won them the game, but on the flip side, it was Ireland's that kept them in the game when they lost momentum in the third quarter.

Not Sextons best match this time. Our wingers looked good in attack but not so sure in defence or under pressure.

I would have liked to have heard Brown say "I think England wanted it more today" in the MOM post-match interview 😀

As much as Ireland mixing up the tactics between matches can often work to catch the opposition unaware, I couldn't help thinking they could have played to their established strengths a little more today and mixed it up a bit too much.

Great to see England with a backline actually capable of running the ball too.

Why does May set off going forward changes his mind then just runs anywhere. I thought it was a dull game with defence shouting everything down.

Farrell is becoming the new Ashton the major hate figure in an england shirt, Brown is getting there.

anagallis_arvensis - Member
well done England now if you dont mind losing next week I'll be really happy.... or is it the week after?

Not going to happen. Great match from both teams. O Connell won or at least helped that try by cheating but we all know that. Glad England won, but on balance we have the harder job to do to win. Ireland should win all thier matches, England Wales will be close England and Ireland need to bank points in case of a draw at the top and I think perhaps Ireland might win the points completion.

Great to see England with a backline actually capable of running the ball to

seriously? they butchered no end of overlaps.

Pigface, its always a high quality, best match of the season classic when England grind out a win. Get with the programme.

Loved the fact that a choke tackle ended the irish slam dream!

Not Sextons best match this time. Our wingers looked good in attack but not so sure in defence or under pressure.

No. He'll have some apologising to do after that bloody restart. Ireland should have realised that the kicking game wasn't working for them after the first half. They looked dangerous when moving the ball quickly. Their long phases of possession all seemed to fizzle out eventually.

As for O'Connell cheating for the try, well, I'd be disappointed if a forward didn't do what he did. The only transgression I saw worthy of a yellow today was Farrell's hit on Murray - but hey, it wasn't the winning or losing of the and everybody knows he's a little prick anyway. The game was played in excellent spirit and while I'm no fan of Joubert! I couldn't see anything he got wrong in a big way.

These are the games you can't complain at losing. No controversial refereeing decisions to whinge about. No lack of effort from your own side. Could have gone either way. Best game of the tournament so far.

He's right, England do have runners. Just not the guile as to how to use them to best effect. We need Andy Farrell's one up attack principles gone. One wonder if anyone's listening to mike Catt or as I believe Catt isn't that great a player anyway or our players just default to an unknown dead spot when facing international opposition.

Yes Farrell's a petulant ****. Needs a ticking off from the coach IMO.

Pigface, its always a high quality, best match of the season classic when England grind out a win. Get with the programme.

Oh, why so bitter? 🙁

😆

petulant

I think you're understating it there a bit Kryton. 😉

I am English DD, being overly polite is a cultural trait 😉

Oh, why so bitter? 

I'm not bitter its just the way it always is with england fans. England are world beaters again until they get their next pasting. Its part of the charm of the six Nations

England are world beaters again until they get their next pasting. Its part of the charm of the six Nations

You should try being Scottish

Why does May set off going forward changes his mind then just runs anywhere

'Tis the England way. See also Jason Robinson. 😉

Do any of the irish think that for all Schmidt out thought Gatland last week he kind of out thought himself this week? The irish pack seemed stronger than england but didnt apply the screws until the second half.

I'm not bitter its just the way it always is with england fans. England are world beaters again until they get their next pasting. Its part of the charm of the six Nations

I don't think any of the above have said England are world beaters - on the contrary comments are about the quality of the game.

Good point. It's hard to see how either England or Ireland would beat the AB's when both of them are best of the northern hemisphere today.

seriously? they butchered no end of overlaps.

I might have overstated the England back line by calling them "capable" runners 😀 Lets call them "willing but not particularly efficient" for the time being 😀 Nevertheless, the way the back line are getting involved, some of the lines from Burrel, the way the wings are really getting involved, etc is a massive contrast to what could be called the Barritt/ Ashton era 😉

Do any of the irish think that for all Schmidt out thought Gatland last week he kind of out thought himself this week?

Completely agree. They mixed it up too much rather than playing to their strengths with the odd play to out think the opposition. England must have been bloomin' happy they didn't play the same as they did against Wales. It must unsettle the team too without being able to find a consistent pattern from game to game with the odd variation to tweak the overall strategy.

petulant

As far as I'm concerned he can be as much of a knob as he likes if he starts knocking over penalties with a higher percentage than a part time junior kicker 😀

Also, made me laugh how Lancaster made a big deal of how England have been so brilliant at "blooding" players and having a large and capable squad yet theres no shifting daddy's boy and no one with any real international experience waiting next in line.

The problem of inexperience outside the same matchday squad isn't limited to 10 either. Eng are like the anti-French when it comes to team selection and getting young players experienced at the highest level 😆

anagallis_arvensis - Member
I'm not bitter its just the way it always is with england fans. England are world beaters again until they get their next pasting. Its part of the charm of the six Nations

AA, you should have a look at the first few pages and see who is bigging up England the most!!

Burrel does time those runs angling back very well, looking at the number of tackles missed by North playing at 13 yesterday he might wont to change that for the next game though. He should run straight at North rather than angle back towards Roberts. Shame all the 13's are broken as North is wasted there in attack and poor in defence.
Looks like Vunipola may be out for a while so the fat turk scumbag will start, wonder how he'll go against fresh legs, doubt he'll last a full 80.

Scot Johnson sounded pretty tetchy when interviewed going on about vindication and consistency.

AA are you talking about Ben Morgan? Amazed he lasted yesterday. Ball looked to be blowing hard in Cardiff but must be hard work carting that beard about 😆

Think the England bench celebrations told the story. And someone needs to teach Farrell a lesson. Preferably the coaching staff.

Yeah Wales will will try to move Morgan around the fat tubber. Ball has an excuse he's young and that was his first international, he tackled and rucked well imo. One for the future. Norths defence is my big worry.
Did you notice the Ospreys inspired attacking plan for scotland, shift the ball aimlessly left and right without ever getting over the gainline. Very much like the Ospreys of a few years ago!

Lovely language there AA.

May sometimes run around the pitch like that, but has the pace largely to get away with it at Glaws.

Fat useless turk **** is a term of endearment in ospreylia!
Morgan is like a white martyn madden.
[img] [/img]

Yep, Farrell should have been made to sit down for 10 for that. It really is about time he grew up, or his attitude will cost games.

I'd have thought farrels poor penalty kicking is a bigger immediate concern. Can't miss so many kicks and pass up kickable penalties if you want to win the wc. Everything inside the opponents half should be 3 points for the very best teams...

I've just watched ire match again and I'm less than impressed with Joubert. He gave 3 first half pens to England that were not pens. One of which was given for wheeling the scrum yet when England did the same in the second half the scrum was reset. Farrell and Lawes should have been binned and the Ire try should have been disallowed for obstruction by POC. The refs really need to improve their performance it's just not good enough.

On the whole though I think Eng did deserve the win, individuals in the Ire team were poor but at least we are still top!

Poc "obstruction" was so minor and completely acceptable IMO. That is the minimum you want you forwards getting involved in off he ball and is part of their job as far as I'm concerned. Hartley got away with a whole heap more in terms of obstruction in the act of scoring a try recently (aus?) and even the TMO judged the blatant obstruction that made the try to be fair game!

Lawes should have got yellow for sure. Farrel was lucky too. More worrying for englanders is not Farrels kicking but his and 12trees inability to spot and exploit clear overlaps.

Was Lawes' a blatant yellow (in isolation) or would it have been a yellow had the ref been penalising him all game? (just asking)

I am not a fan of jouberts generally. He was poor with the scrum IMO but as Moore said its funny when packs want to scrummage properly they will do.

[b]What he DID do well IMO was to make loud and very clear instructions to allow the runners to chase a kick. [/b]Far too much blatant obstruction (and offside) in most matches these days.

POC blocking was par for the course. Can't see much between that and most dummy runs. There was a lot of slowing down in the rucks which went without comment with one side playing that better than other! That was worse than minor blocks as more persistent.

Lawes just lay over the ball killing it near the tryline when a quick recycle could have seen a try. Its what yellow cards were invented for.

Can Hartley actually strike for the ball? The first scrum yesterday the ball was there for him and he didn't raise a leg or anything, then they got shunted backwards.

Lawes was a yellow for me. If not for the offence, then for the pathetic mouthing of innocence to the ref. Take your medicine and shut up!

Has the thread gifmesiter a gif of the offence? I think I was thinking of the wrong one (at the Irish maul).

The Lawes of old would of lost his head after that but this version calms down and gets on with his job. Most improved player for england

An excellent, tight high quality match which could have gone either way. Just the sort of match you get in the RWC. Strange decision not to kick for 3 before half time (thats Robshaws call so no critism for Farrel there but i agree eith @DanW his kicking under pressure has dropped a notch). A lesson for both sides about silly mistakes in lead up to both tries, push and restart. Brown was outstanding again and May will improve, we are missing Tuilangi as 36 hasnt really ceased his chance. We do need to blood Ford and get him some gametime. Farrell was a bit naive not to put his arms up/around on that hit, had he done so its no penalty imo.

I love the sniping on here from the Welsh, typical comments about back play etc, fact is we won a tight game without playing our best and without the comfort that the missed first try would have brought. England Wales now set up very nicely, England favourites as we are the home team. Hard to read much into Wales win as France where so poor. England scrummage needs to be better.

Sniping about back play! Did you hear Moore screaming on the commentry, maybe he's anti english too! England should have no problems with Wales as they have only beaten a poor France!!!

@aa yes I did hear Moore as I watched the game again at 1am as you do after ample guiness. Still wasnt any wiser about scrummaging. Wales will be difficult, Moore also said after the first scrum we would lose the match. As posted above by another May had the ball knocked away as he stretched for the line. England arent thr only side to fail to convert every overlap. The margin of victory or defeat on 6th will be more than we saw yesterday. I still say homefield advantage will be key.

Regarding Lawes - I take it its because the maul was technically finished as the two Irish players broke away and formed a new ruck that penalty was given as if it was still a maul Lawes could have 'tackled'a nd stayed where he was?

Fofana out for rest of six nations, Nyanga broken too and Picamoles dropped from squad. Go Scotland!

Vunipola out too. Morgan due to start against Wales & Italy.

This is how Morgan felt when he first pulled on the Mordor shirt against Wales after his dream of playing for Wales fell apart. 😉
[img] [/img]

I was just reading about how Saint-Andre dropping players because of their attitude and needing to respect playing for their country etc etc.... then noticed:

"Morgan Parra has been recalled, although he faces a disciplinary hearing after receiving a red card for head-butting a Montpellier player at the weekend".

Those crazy French 😆

Glasgow have signed "worlds fastest player" Carlin Isles.

Not sure he has played 15s before, an interesting but possibly unnecessary signing.

Glasgow have signed "worlds fastest player" Carlin Isles.

Look up some of the footage of him on youtube playing 7s, he is incredible (at 7s)