[Closed] 2015-16 rugby, world cup year

Argentina were my pick at the start to continue causing some upsets and they *could* have a decent run towards the final. I wouldn't fancy them against France but a game with Ireland could be a cracker. Some good tries from both sides in the Tonga game

Hooper cited, Burgess gets a slap on the wrist.

Great ban him for 8 days please. Oh and can we have Giteau and Folou and both starting props banned too please?

does this mean the irish fella who got the yellow will be cited?Of course not that would be too consistent.

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Surely the fact that it's Mike Brown is a significant mitigating factor?

Really unimpressed with the behaviour of English [s]fans[/s] ticket holders in this tournament.

Beyond that, +1 for enough about England.

I would be hoping for cited and commended under normal circumstances but given who we play next week. cited and banned will have to do

I was surprised Hooper wasn't carded at the time. Farrell kept the bench warm on the Lions tour and had Ford had more game time prior to the Tour he would have gone instead.

Yes indeed enough of England, we lost against Australia and Wales, it's not like we suffered a defeat to Japan or struggled to beat the Italians with a big game against France coming up. Endless hours to debate what next after the tournament. As above finishing second in Eng/Aus/Wales group meant a very very tough route to the final which even if you made if you'd likely be spent, the draw meant to have any chance you have to win the group. Australia, France or Ireland have a very good chance as NZ and RSA have to play each other in the semis (I think that's right).

Looking forward to Sunday, Allez les Blues.

Hooper cited

I like Mike Brown. Others don't and I doubt he cares at all. If some [i]rugby[/i] fans are happy to see this done to a player, frankly it says more about them than it does about Mike Brown.

Calm yourself wrecker, its not like he was hurt.
Brown does have issues though and the opposition will seek to exploit it.

meanwhile the implosion continues
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11524131

He's not even that bad! Look at Huget for example; diving, stamping on peoples heads etc. Brown is a bit lairy, but he's not a dirty player.

That article is highly inflammatory, it accuses England of hooking.

Does anyone really think Wales can beat Australia?

Hmm... two coaches involved but not Lancaster 😆 First they didn't send 10 players for the media get together now they talked to the ref. It's a shambles I tell you 😀 Jokes aside, Robshaw should be getting the low down on scrum interpretation and Marler was well aware of his "technique"... just got exploited well by the Aus front row

Does anyone really think Wales can beat Australia?

i do. its unlikely but it could happen.

Wrecker, I dont think Brown is a dirty player, he just has angry little bloke syndrome and people will play on that. In the Wales game he was trying to fight Warburton for gods sake when he had to run in from miles away to have a go.

We can beat Australia, cant see it though. I didnt think we would get out of the group so everything is a bonus.

What I dont like about Brown is he is like a football player, choppsing at the ref, always gobbing off and getting involved.

He was brilliant 18 months ago has gone off the boil a bit now.

Haven't wales got an angry full back too? What's his name again? And Phillips was lauded for his abrasiveness despite being as gobby as any player. Not to be too victim syndrome, it smacks of more reasons to hate england to me. Now, had people been glad to see Hartley take a whack, I could fully understand....

Brown has got the personalty of a scrum half.

Liam Williams isn't angry...he's just a proper traditional Welsh full on fruitbat 15 - not so much aggressive more bonkers.

Mike Phillips on the other hand...

he was trying to fight Warburton for gods sake when he had to run in from miles away to have a go.

True, and he is a total prick IMO but it's funny how in the 1974 Lions Tour to SA it was seen as commendable for the full back to run 30yds to join in a fight. 😉

Haven't wales got an angry full back too? What's his name again? And Phillips was lauded for his abrasiveness despite being as gobby as any player

Liam is much younger and touch wood the welsh coaches seem to have had a positive influence on him. Phillips was also seen as a massive liability until he got control of his temper and then became a massive pain in the arse to other teams. Brown just seems to mainly get himself into trouble and get himself angry. If he wanted to try and provoke someone in the welsh team going after Warburton the calmest bloke in the team who I have never seen raise a fist was stupid. Maybe he was to scared to go after Bradley Davies.

Maybe my zero is a bit off as we had Delon before him and he makes Mike look like a normal well balanced individual. I think "total prick" is a few rungs higher than "unspeakable bellend" 😀

rue, and he is a total prick IMO but it's funny how in the 1974 Lions Tour to SA it was seen as commendable for the full back to run 30yds to join in a fight

but in those days you could have a fight and JPR ran in and smacked the SA hardman.
Gareth Thomas did similar after Grewcock kicked Peel in the head once. He got a yellow the daft ****.
Brown ran in and grabbed Warburton and then shit himself when Warburton didnt back down.

Armitage was a cheapshot merchant, Brown isnt that for sure but I think his cards will be marked for a while. Would love to see Phillips try and wined him up

it smacks of more reasons to hate england to me.

Valid assessment old chap 😉

True he's English whilst Phillips is welsh

I always like Phillips, maybe I like the more abrasive players. I was a fan of Mark Regan and he was as bad as any. It was a bit of a disappointment when I first met him to say the least.

You have got to love Loopy Liam!!

hated him here though!!

Wasn't Brown offside at a ruck in that clip? It looked like legitamite clearing out to me. Perhaps on a higher def video it's more clearly foul.

Edit: perhaps the ruck hadn't formed as the second Aussie was scrum halfing. But it did with third Aussie so still a legitamite clear out.

Brown was the tackler so can stand up and do what he wants. The clear out used no arms so was illegal.

It wasn't a clear out. No arms, no attempt to wrap and directed at the neck/head. There was nothing legitimate about it.

Fair enough - no arms. Once you pointed that out I looked again. Not even a pretence of arms.

On the directed at head bit, Brown is a bit of a short-arse so there are mitigating circumstances there. 😉

Brown is a bit of a [s]short-[/s]arse so there are mitigating circumstances there.

😉 sorry wrecker!

Pound Shop could have easily got himself into trouble with the ref against Warbs, running thirty yards to get involved in something which had nothing to do with him.

At least England have guaranteed qualification for the next world cup, a game early too before the potential banana skin against Uruguay.

Brown is a bit of a short-arse so there are mitigating circumstances there.

sorry wrecker!

Meanwhile in internetland.

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#KeepEnglandBeautiful #RWC2015

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Congratulations to Wales getting to play one more game than England 😉

If the Wales result against England had gone the other way I don't think there'd be a cry of "Henry must go" and it it wan't for the obsession with Farrell Jnr and Burgess I'd be happy for Lancaster to stay.

Henry??????

I'd be happy for Lancaster to stay.

SL would still have to carry the can for letting AF walk all over him even if he'd done nothing else wrong. He was supposed to be in charge. However, he did almost everything else wrong too. In 4yrs he has created nothing and still had no idea who his best 15 or 30 or even 50 were going into the RWC.

Lack of leadership both on and off the field has hurt England the most. Continuity is all very well but only if the thing being continued is any good - which it isn't.

Ian Ritchie must go too. A good businessman but sadly lacking any understanding of rugby. He's the clown who appointed Lancaster and if he stays then he may appoint another total failure.

f the Wales result against England had gone the other way I don't think there'd be a cry of "Henry must go"

Finally we agree on something!

Eddie Jones reported to be "...open to offers from the RFU..."

Yes please Eddie, when can you start?*

Yes please Eddie, when can you start?*

Four years ago would be ideal......

Eddie Jones reported to be "...open to offers from the RFU..."

He wrote a byline for the Daily Mail saying just that this morning, which was pretty quick off the mark, i thought.

@nameaste, I'm not sure about these Farrell Snr stories. I'd rather see the back of Rob Andrew (who costs the RFU £500k pa) and who IMO had more to do with Lancaster's appointment than Ritchie.

We have plenty of good coaches who can run the England team, definitely do not need a foreigner. Personally I'd like to see us try and get Shaun Edwards back from Wales if we make a change. Alternatively promote Catt and remove Farrell senior. Lancaster can stay.

Lancaster appointed himself really. He had a very good run of results as caretaker, and the media and the public got behind him. The irony.
I'd still go for either Malinder or Baxter.

Jones is in contract after the WC though (Stormers???)

A Farrell did the talking at the press conference. Looks like someone's packing. Mind you AF sounded like an unrepentant man made to apologise.

I'd rather see the back of Rob Andrew

@jambalaya - yes, he can go too. You're right.

I don't think Lancaster is a bad sort - just not a strong enough character for the job.

The worst thing that happened to his tenure was the thrashing of the ABs in 2012. It convinced SL that he was a top international coach and that England were a world class team. Neither were true.

With hindsight it was a tired ABs team at the end of a long season further weakened by illness. England never got close to them again except for the 2nd string side which nearly knocked them over in the 1st test of the tour down there.

Jones is in contract after the WC though (Stormers???)

Indeed, but I'm sure there's a buy-out clause. Money talks.

Mind you, if the RFU had to buy him out and pay the fired coaches another year's salary they'll be paying a lot of money for nothing - which some might say they've been doing for the last 4 years anyway. 😉

which some might say they've been doing for the last 4 years anyway.

ba-doom-tish 😆

Farrel Snr has a vid up on Facebook. The comments are pretty scathing to salt the least!

NO code changing centre can be better than Alan tait.

Fatty Gibbs?

Fatty????

I think that's how he was referred to in Mickey Skinners wonderfully bad Out to Munch video.

[quote=Kryton57 ]Farrel Snr has a vid up on Facebook. The comments are pretty scathing to salt the least!

Where?

Tait changed and changed back of course.

RU wing, RL full back, RU centre as I recall

NO code changing centre can be better than Alan tait.

Yeah but he played Union first didn't he?

As did Gibbs.

So did Gibbs, he went from Swansea to League and back and was better for it. Ditto quite a few Welsh players - Paul Moriarty was awesome when he came back from League. The interesting player was Jiffy - he was rubbish when he came back. His heart wasn't in it and he was just playing until he earned his money. He was even dropped into the Welsh team for a while and was dreadful.

The problem is that the bulk of RL players who come over to RU just take too long to learn the game. It may be based around the same shaped ball and all that but they really are two distinct sports.

On a similar note, saw Jared Haynes (spl?) playing for the 49ers yesterday. He looked bored!

Jiffy was pretty old when he came back. Quinnel was much younger and much better

From the touch line it looks bad from the other side he does bind! See many as bad every game.

gwaelod - Member
I'd like to see Wales give it a go against Oz, strongest squad possible hammer and tongs stuff and beat them...downhill to the final then with only the [b]sweaties[/b] or Japan to beat.

POSTED 22 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

Thanks for your contribution,now best get back under your rock,eh?

Lancaster's finally been brave, albeit a bit late... ...team for Uruguay then:

Alex Goode, Anthony Watson, Henry Slade, Owen Farrell, Jack Nowell, George Ford, Danny Care, Mako Vunipola, Tom Youngs, Dan Cole, Joe Launchbury, Geoff Parling, James Haskell, Chris Robshaw (c), Nick Easter.

Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Joe Marler, 18 David Wilson, 19 George Kruis, 20 Tom Wood, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Jonathan Joseph, 23 Mike Brown.

...and now Jake White throws his hat in the ring for SL's job.

sweaties

You need a thicker skin duckman.

Living up here in Jockland for 40yrs plus I've been called a FEB so many times that I take it as a term of endearment. 😉

Hooper one match ban misses Wales

Happy to hear that, depends whether Gatland gambles now

That's a few of them out then and Folau is a doubt as well, maybe just maybe.

What is a "sweatie" - that is a racial epithet that has passed me by.

Also, how about somebody start a new post-mortem thread about England, as this was more fun when it was about the RWC. Or maybe we need an RWC sans England thread.

Wales cannot beat Australia if both sides play like they have been doing. As such Wales should save themselves for the QF. Hooper deserves the ban, no point asking how that might have impacted the game as the loss to Wales was the killer.

I know I said no more England 😳

England side who cares really, just give some of the squad a run out. Farrell junior Lancaster cannot drop as that would make him look even more ridiculous.

I think there is a comparison of sorts to be made between Catt and Farrell. Catt was not an international quality flyhalf but excelled when moved to centre. Farrell jnr has not developed as a 10 and his passing is nothing like thank of Catts but IMO he needs to reinvent himself.

What is a "sweatie" - that is a racial epithet that has passed me by.

Threads, we do need to stop talking about England, we are out. =More interesting to debate if Ireland or France could make the final to avoid it being a RSA or NZ vs Australia showdown

I'll be in Germany…do they even know what rugby is?
Really want to see us do the Aussies…for England 😉

anagallis_arvensis - Member
From the touch line it looks bad from the other side he does bind! See many as bad every game.

And in that footage Brown very lucky not to be talked to about the initial tackle - pick and dump style.

And in that footage Brown very lucky not to be talked to about the initial tackle - pick and dump style.

+1

Just shows how much the Aussies had England rattled. I actaully think there is a decent England team somewhere (unfortunately) but right now they aren't beg game players.

So Warburton vs Pocock should be some turnovers and space to counter attack. And England did show that at times you can get around the Aussies, so if Wales are to win they need to execute well and take their chances. Not sure how Wales will manage in the scrum, i.e. manage not to give away a lot of penalties.

Wales cannot beat Australia if both sides play like they have been doing

Why not? Were England any good V Aus? Fiji v Aus and Wales were about the same if we excuse Wales fading badly after the 5 day turn around. Wales have about as much chance of beating Aus as they have of beating SA. Which isnt much but they could do it. I'm sure if I go back a month you were massively confident of England beating Wales too. Hopefully Wales will keep it tight and not play into Pococks hands like England did.

Why save ourselves for SA? When we could beat Aus and get Scotland or Japan? Most likely we will lose our next two games but seeing as we are in it we might as well try.