You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
So ducks, who is happier? You, that Ashton has been treated appropriately/harshly, or the English fans that he wont be playing? Tough call 😉
Still cant see anything beyond a crap tackle and a penalty/yellow card. Any contact with the eye can only have been co-incidental. Still chance for more new young blood...
Dylan set to be named England captain according to the bbc - suspect that's why Tom Youngs is dropped from squad, can't have a player better than the captain on the bench!
Must admit, I'm quite surprised, but I have no idea who I would have given it to, so that'll have to do.
I hear a lot of rubgy pundits talking up the Hartley-for-captain thing on the radio - saying England need a bit of in your face belligerence, a bit of edge, a bit of this, a bit of that. I dunno...do we really think he can keep a lid on it and stay on the pitch? Seems a bit suicidal to me. I hope not (honestly, because he's a bloody good hooker) - but in today's game I can see other teams targeting him...
He has less Yellows - 3 - in an England shirt than Johnson DD. He seems remarkably restrained when dress in white.
But yes does have a passionate anger about the pitch and I'd agree we need this.
Meh. I don't think it's a big deal. Whoever it is will be a placeholder until Jones gets to know the players. He has to name someone.
Woah, he is good around the park but Angryabusingbiteygougey Kiwi is a rubbish at actually hooking 😆
He's better than Youngs!
Dylan set to be named England captain according to the bbc - suspect that's why Tom Youngs is dropped from squad, can't have a player better than the captain on the bench!
I think this is a bad appointment. I see the reasoning, Hartley is a top player, and Eddie Jones wants to make his mark and appoint a captain whose the polar opposite of Robshawe. I would have gone for Dan Cole, but maybe he didn't want it, who knows.
struggle with the concept of a cap'n that needs to be subbed at 60!!
"Ritchie/POC mate, off you come, time's up!"
So ducks, who is happier? You, that Ashton has been treated appropriately/harshly, or the English fans that he wont be playing? Tough call
I will bite, I think Ashton is being treated harshly,what damns him is the fact he turns the "offending" hand into a fist as soon as it comes off the face area. That made the ex ref in me suspect there might a bit more to it. I have less worry about England's backs than their pack. For all the brave new world of Eddie,it will be with one notable exception, the same England backs;none of who have kicked on.
It is quite an enjoyable situation for a Scot to be looking at Hogg and Jackson deciding they aren't quite good enough for Scotland's backs just now. Two years ago we were arguing over Shindler and playing Tom Heathcoate.A back row of Cowan,Hardie and Strauss will also do nicely. If Cotter can adopt the same defence against the catch and drive game that Glasgow used against Saints, then you lot are in for a game.
You've not been watching the premiership then Duckman, or noted any of the "new" names appearing in this very thread?
I think you should be a lot more worried about England backs than you would have been in 2015, and might have been in the 3 years preceding that. Eddie's going to open up the attack - with attacking and skillful players not a backline which revolves around Barrit.
[hijack]duckie, did you get my email?[/hijack]
I will bite
Are you Dylan in disguise? 😉
But no need, it was a straight question!
Kryton57 - Member
will most certainly be cheering the Aussies in their match!Me too. Warrens lost his best forwards and England will tear them a new one their, and now our back line is up to the defence with attack options at last. Aus much closer vs Wales, but England to beat both. I do fear our lack of a 7 will cause issues against Aus, so we need to carry and stay standing up / be fast onto the ball or lose by pens.
England V Aus is the decider of that group, Wales will lose to both
I do love it when you make predictions!
Sorry THM,we have previous and it was the suggestion I would be happy that he may have been treated harshly. I think the ban was a 50/50 call.
DD,just checked both replies were in junk mail,many thanks;sound advice.
Ok, no worries duckie. You're welcome.
nae probs pal!
I do love it when you make predictions!
Hindsight does show that there were extenuating circumstances, we should have won, and everyone (english) knows that.
But just on the basis of my own incredible ability to predict the opposite, I'm predicting that in no way whatsover will England win the 6N 😀
I will bite, I think Ashton is being treated harshly,what damns him is the fact he turns the "offending" hand into a fist as soon as it comes off the face area.
I kind of agree but there have been far more dubious ones getting longer bans. He had hands in the face and this is treated very seriously at the moment. As you say going to a fist didn't help the replays look any better.
Some of Harley's bans have been pretty harsh and the Ritchie Rees eye gouge ban is one that sticks in the mind. He was in the middle of a ton of players, he couldn't remember anything happening, Hartley (the victim this time) couldn't remember happening, the TV replays couldn't find anything but Rees still got 12 weeks.
Given the choice between Hartley or Youngs I would far rather "my team" to come up against Youngs and I'm sure the players themselves would too. Why is Brown's temperament lauded by the English press and fans but Hartley is a liability? Maybe Hartley is just better at getting punished poor chap? 😀 Anyway, England had to implement something quickly and this isn't the worst option out there.
Having lots of exciting youngsters is all well and good but stepping up a level and functioning as a team overnight isn't going to happen. Scrape through the 6N and then push on in November with more time to assess the situation and build further (although we all know the pressures above will likely keep a stodgy team until the dawn of the next RWC when overnight change will suddenly then be demanded). 😆
I have had somebody's fingers in my eyes,it isn't nice ( don't think he liked me biting his wrist as best I could!) One of the Quinnell bros lost an eye in an incident nobody was ever charged with,so yeah fair play if the err on the side of caution to send out a message.
Why is Brown's temperament lauded by the English press and fans but Hartley is a liability?
Didn't know Brown had been sent off / banned a number of times, including a premiership final for calling the ref a "cheating ****" just after being warned!
Not the best hooker in the country, neither in the loose nor the set piece.
Not captain of his club side.
Geting on a bit, and unlikely to be a starter at the next World cup.
Likely to play less than the full 80 minutes.
Sometimes lets his passion get in the way of the right decision making,
But, he's got a good bit of fight in him* and should make a decent leader that the younger players will raise their game for.
Good call as captain for now, Rory Best.
*Playing on with a broken arm...
teamhurtmore - Member
struggle with the concept of a cap'n that needs to be subbed at 60!!"Ritchie/POC mate, off you come, time's up!"
POSTED 2 HOURS AGO #
Makes a lot of sense for an interim captain. Succession planning.
Let a younger lad get a taste of leading for 20 minutes towards the end of each game without all the pressure, politics, Title, commitment and drama of being the New National Captain.
Pretty sure it's how the ABs brought Ritchie through at the start, and Sam Cane had a go too in the last WC, and allows the coach a little room to have a look at their leadership without committing.
Pretty sure Best won't be leading the teams out in Japan but if the coach plays this out right they could end up with the right man for the next 10 years.
A strategy worth copying, perhaps.
Youngs isn't in the squad because he can't hook, apparently Jones wants a hooker who can deliver quick channel 1 ball.
That's would be good to see...fast scrum ball
"hindsight does show there were extenuating circumstances"
Like what exactly?
The Ref didn't blow for the end of the match after 55 minutes?
Or that England were not allowed to be given the shot at goal after the failed line out as correct decision making isn't really part of the game and doesn't count?
The penalty Brown gave away was just not fair?
Or that Wales should not have been allowed to play a scrum half on the wing and AN Other supporter plucked out of the crowd to make up the numbers? 😉
Youngs was hooking perfectly well against Treviso at the weekend. Fair enough not the strongest side in the world but he can do it. And he's better in the loose than most of the other hookers that have been mentioned for England. Fair enough his throwing has not been a total success but Leicester always seem to be ok in the line outs so he can't be that bad.
Yes I am a Tigers fan and i'm not saying Youngs should definitely be in the squad, and i'm not saying the Hartley is shit or shouldn't be in the squad either. But looking at the season so far George should be the 1st choice hooker for England, and Youngs is far better than Luke Cowan-Dicke!
I just think it would be a bit silly to pick a captain that is not the best for his position and before you've even had a training session yet.
Thing is, Youngs and Hartley will both be 32/33 at the next RWC. EJ has decided that there isn't much point in having two players at that age there and is actually planning, something England haven't done in a long time, if ever. Even the saxons team is normally full of older players. Youngs is certainly better than LCD at the moment, but will he be in 4 years?
Youngs was hooking perfectly well against Treviso at the weekend.
He wasn't from what I have seen, but I may have a different view of what constitutes good hooking.
Youngs was hooking (he often doesn't), but his lineouts were looking a little dodgy, although I think they all went to hand.
Wrecker - that is the clearest I've seen the argument for not having both in the squad put, and makes a lot of sense.
Anyway, 2 weeks to 6 nations - can't wait!
So, Toulon owner keen on joining the Aviva Prem according to rumours in France.
Youngs was hooking
I am not saying he wasn't, I was questioning the use of "well". Anyway here are Brian Moore's thoughts, he probably knows a bit more about hooking than me - [url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/12104689/Six-Nations-2016-Eddie-Jones-mean-streak-will-serve-him-well-as-England-head-coach.html ]here[/url]
So, Toulon owner keen on joining the Aviva Prem according to rumours in France.
He won't like the salary cap.
He prefers the English salary cap to the French one (is this new?) apparently, not sure that this is a good thing.
Just saw this posted on the tigers forum, thought it might interest a few.
Hindsight does show that there were extenuating circumstances, we should have won, and everyone (english) knows that.
Ho ho ho
Today's Saries kit is awful
It obviously put Owen Farrell off to, when he dropped that ball. Oops!!
Did he fix his hair after he fell over?
Exeter are through to the QF!!! What a match and a result! Took everyone a few minutes after the game to work it out but they effectively went from 3rd in the group at kick off to winning the group By points difference (I think that's it?). Clermont out by 3 points, and Parra tapped and went under the posts in the 79th minute 😆
Parra tapped and went under the posts in the 79th minute
No he didn't. He tried to and failed miserably and he deserves to be slapped by every Clermont fan in the stadium for that idiotic bit of play.
Nice to see the Ospreys achieving exactly the same as they do every year lately. Donkeys.
Even though they beat the 'Spreys, bravo Exeter! A real achievement for a real club.
A real turnaround for the English clubs this year - only Bath didn't make it through. I'm not sure why, but the Irish provinces have really gone off the boil.
only Bath didn't make it through.
#BlameBurgess
Maybe blame the Burgess Saga - not sure I blame the man himself for going back to league.
So :
Sarries v Saints
Tigers v Stade F
Racing v Toulon
Wasps v Exeter.
I think!
I'm sure Parra is disappointed with himself, but for me his only fault was not looking to the bench for direction at the crucial moment. Somebody should have been sat as an "as it stands" advisor with so many permutations possible. And a message should have got on to the field as to what the correct decision would be close to end of the game.
Well done Exeter all the same. Fantastic achievement to progress to the QFs.
Nice to see the Ospreys achieving exactly the same as they do every year lately. Donkeys.
To be fair they did well to get what they did. Dont have the resources to compete at that level.
Just got back from the Chiefs match - what a game!
You could here the singing from nearly a mile away from the ground afterwards 😀
To be fair they did well to get what they did. Dont have the resources to compete at that level.
I'm just about keeping my bitterness in check, don't get me started! 😕
(2nd or 3rd division English clubs seem to have better funding and facilities than so-called top level Welsh clubs. Even the Italian teams are better funded. How on earth can we compete? Blah, blah, blah, same story for the last how many decades? How long can the national team remain competitive when below that level the performance is so dismal...)
So whats Eddie Jones done here? Apart from Paul Hill sub, Jack Cifford likely to start at 7, & Devoto covering centre he appears to be starting with the same 'ol players that left the RWC. Granted that Robshaw will be in position and Hartley likely to play for 50-60mins, but all the shining stars (Itoje / Daly) have gone home.
Other indications he'll play Ford, Farrell & Joseph in the back line. Farrell, whose playing well at 10, and not a "player at the top of his position" as he promised.
Not the new blood he promised? Why couldn't he test Itoje & Daly for at least the final 20?
Whilst on paper it's somewhat disappointing to see some of the names being sent home, I think he's had to go for a result more than anything, win ugly if he needs to but it has to be a win. And in what's likely to be a very close game do you really want any more than 3 debutants in the 23? If it is close going into the last 20 mins you want experience coming off the bench not young kids making their debut. Hopefully this is a win at all costs mentality for Scotland, blood some of the other youngsters against Italy and then select a bit more of a mix for the remainder of the tournament. Worth bearing in mind that Jones has only had the players for two sessions (mad I know!) so he hasn't got much to go off first hand.
I was also a bit disappointed to see some of the names going home but I can kinda see why.
Hartley likely to play for 50-60mins
Perhaps with a ten minute rest during that period as well.
Fair points. That probably leaves Clifford, Billy V, Nowell, Watson & JJ as our main strike players with Farrell kicking. Then Lawes & Haskell for impact?
Yeah although I've a horrible inkling Haskell will start at 7 😳 but I hope I'm wrong!
It's not really that bad a team, very similar to the one that did well in the 6Ns last year. Hopefully Jones can instill a more ruthless streak and make them mentally stronger. I am loving his approach to dropping players though by telling them they need to go and work on the things that they do well and not the things they don't 😆 apparently he's told TomYoungs he needs to work on his carrying and tackling and Wood on his workrate (which is about the only thing he has going for him!)
Yeah although I've a horrible inkling Haskell will start at 7 but I hope I'm wrong!
So do I, as my father would have said he is all fart and no shit.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3o...eicester_sport
Youngs cited for a punch and Laurent Sempere and Paul Gabrillagues cited for gouging
Former skipper Chris Robshaw is expected to start at blind-side flanker.While James Haskell and Billy Vunipola could make up the rest of the back row.
That doesnt solve the 7 issue really does it?
Course it does aa! Swapping the shirt numbers round fixes everything! 🙁
Hopefully this is a short term fix. I wonder whose chips kvesic constantly pisses on to never even get a look in with either coach? He's standout in the league as the kind of seven we've all been looking for but for whatever reason cannot seem to break into the England squad!
Reading the various articles, those players will be back on Sunday after thier club matches. In that regard what a good idea - keep them match fit for the following week. So as said above, we go with experience for Scotland, get the win and try a few new boy combos second half with Italy after there's some points on the board.
So as said above, we go with experience for Scotland, get the win and try a few new boy combos second half with Italy after there's some points on the board.
Love it!!
I can't see any of this in the papers today so have no idea what's going on.
However, there were only 10 swaps allowed in the elite player sqaud. That's it. EJ is tied by the same rules as everyone else. In the mean time he'll have spoken to players that are almost there (Kvesic for example) and told them what to work on ready for the next allowed change. Crap rules, but there we go.
Tom Youngs is not going to have been told to work on work rate and carrying. I think it's far more likely that's a rumour from the Tigers message board, and should be treated as bobbins until you see the quote from EJ.
Agree on the Welsh regions. How the hell do the national team play so damn well? They should be pap - or England should be sodding world beaters putting 50 past the southern hemisphere 3!
Bravo Exeter, home games are a big advantage in the knockout stages. I still think Toulon will turn it on now.
How the hell do the national team play so damn well?
We have about 20 good players. Half dont play in Wales. The welsh regions budgets are smaller than French, English, Irish and Scottish teams. Its not rocket science to work out why they do so badly in Europe. Squads are smaller and of much lower quality.
[url= http://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/14589/10146237/lions-chief-says-stuart-lancaster-is-candidate-for-new-zealand ]Lancaster for Lions[/url], hopefully a joke!
Rather him than Gatland buggering off from Wales for another year!
When is Ashtons appeal getting heard?
Really disappointed to hear ex players criticising the ban, he made contact with the eye area, bang to rights.
Talking of bans for gouging ****s
Stade Francais hooker Laurent Sempere and lock Paul Gabrillagues have been handed suspensions for eye-gouging to take the club’s tally of players currently serving a ban for the offence to three.Sempere was handed a 15-week ban after he was found guilty of committing the offence on Leicester prop Marcos Ayerza during the French side's 36-21 victory in the European Champions Cup on Sunday.
Second row Gabrillagues was in the dock for eye gouging prop Dan Cole and he will now serve an eight-game suspension.
Believe they had some banned for gouging a few weeks ago as well, plus Duprey has previous. Can't understand how it's seemingly acceptable in that team.
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
Uncanny.
Side note - when did "back-rower" become acceptable? Wing forward or flanker please. "Back row" if you wish to generalise the wing-forwards and number 8.
Antipodean guff.
Antipodean guff.
And then when they've finished talking about the half back being stand offish they start doing fractions.
Jesus shitting christ Fitzgibbon you blind ****. Thats the worst decision I've seen a pro ref make and you had the replay to help you. If the first umpact is shoulder to chin its a high tackle. Breath takingly bad decision
I haven't got a lot of love for the Dragons but they are better than the Scabs and the oafs from the capitol but that was a good win against Leinster.
What decision was that AA?
It seems we've signed Rhodri Williams. I'm happy with that!
What decision was that AA?
Fitzgibbons insisted that the Glagow 9's tackle on Sam Davies was chest high, all the while the replays were showing him driving his shoulder into Davies' face.
This was just after he allowed a try, after checking with the TMO for a previous double movement. He allowed it even though the Glasgow player actually crawled forward, then made two more movements.
My favourite bit of inept reffing though was a simple one. 29minutes in, Glasgow had blatantly sealed off the ball at every ruck. Fitzgibbons decided to penalise the Os for that. Then he allowed Glasgow to do the same 30 seconds later. And for the rest of the game.
Muppet of a ref.
Since the 80s? I can't remember when I started calling them back-rowers but it was a long time ago.Side note - when did "back-rower" become acceptable? Wing forward or flanker please. "Back row" if you wish to generalise the wing-forwards and number 8.
And I can't remember the last time I heard anyone refer to a wing- forward.
Cheers IJ
Fitzgibbon was awful. You have to wonder if he was actually trying to be bent. Mostly refs can be crap but you dont sit and watch thinking how can they be that bad. The high tackle was the one that made me wonder as it was so obviously high and he said " we'll have a look at it then" and then he stood staring at the floor after telling the tmo it was fine to start with.
Also - who on earth decided that Sam Davies was MotM? Nigel Davies?
He missed kicks at goal, missed kicks at touch, threw passes into touch and tried a badly advised drop kick and missed, a move that should have continued going through the hands. He was generally awful.
Couple nice breaks though!! Gareth Thomas thinks Matt Morgan should start at 15 away in Dublin too...twas ever thus!