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Forward pass and foot in touch. Bloody irish refs 😉
That idiot Wood says that it was good that Doyle got two things wrong on the try because it was quick as he didnt go upstairs. Dadt ****.
Foot not in touch though.
Am sitting in a French bar grinning like a loon
Poirot was robbed there. Good rucking penalised 🙁
Why does my man-crush, Parisse, look "different" this season?
Two minutes to go scrum. Castor goes straight to the arm.
Gaahhhhhhahhahahhhgggghhhhnooooooooooo! 🙁
Oh, Sergio!
🙁
Moral victory Italy.
Why didn't doyle mMarch parissi back 10? He's in danger of getting too big for his boots, arguing with the ref.
Why didn't doyle mMarch parissi back 10? He's in danger of getting too big for his boots, arguing with the ref.
Parisse is a wonderful player but has been too big for his boots for some time. Imagine the outcry if Faletau missed a drop goal in front of the posts when the ball could have gone to the outside half.
Piss weak defence
Englands mid field defence doesnt look great either!
Close game so far, neither side playing that well.
And these breakdowns need Clifford.
England forwards second best so far. Ford is showing his (lack of) form. Parity in the back row though, which is a surprise.
Englands defence doesnt seem great so far
Agreed. Ford off, Farell back at 10 and Devoto on at 12. Fords like a rabbit in the headlights, he only appears to play well off a winning team.
Ford needs front foot ball to thrive. I don't think he has the mental fortitude to be an anchor.
Looks like a good win for England. Nowt new though.
Different story in the 2nd half. England good for that win in the end. I'd start Mako, George and Clifford next week. Possibly Hill or Devoto (or Manu) too.
Yeah, we still need teeth in the Centres.
Better team won.
Scotland still no grit.
Couple of unfortunate calls against us but even if Billy hadn't been fortunate with the first half ruck call. Not sure we would have ground out a try.
Better team won.
Worse team lost more like. I think we have a mental block about the 6 nations. That England side would have been shredded by the Scots who turned up against Australia.
In the end though, England's forwards (mainly Billy and family) were better and that saw them through.
Oh yes one last thing, a push in the back off the ball? This isn't football we have standards round here - should have been yellow Mr Farrell.
Doubt it would have changed the result though.
Without Billy V, England would have lost that. I don't think it was our strongest first XV either. Wales and Ireland will rip us apart if we don't change some things.
Oh yes one last thing, a push in the back off the ball? This isn't football we have standards round here - should have been yellow Mr Farrell.
I saw nothing wrong with it, and would have done exactly the same.
The ref and linesman disagree hence the penalty, but I think that play a man without the ball is a sin bin as I recall - albeit a bit of a technicality in this case.
Didn't one of the England backs get the opportunity of a little rest in the World Cup for playing the man without the ball - may even have been Farrell giving him previous. Dirty player.
Billy V on the other hand richly deserved his MotM award - I wish we'd imported him first. 😉
Penalty for foul of play? Should have been sanctioned. 30 match would have suited me. Nasty piece of work farell 😉
Much as the after dinner speakers now love to remind everyone how much Healey and Carling were disliked by pretty much everyone on the pitch, when farells cohort stand up with the port they'll say much the same of him I reckon.
I know you're right, I'd still have done it! I don't see why you can't challenge someone ushering the ball out (but you obviously can't).
Penalty for foul of play? Should have been sanctioned. 30 match would have suited me. Nasty piece of work farell 😉
Much as the after dinner speakers now love to remind everyone how much Healey and Carling were disliked by pretty much everyone on the pitch, when farells cohort stand up with the port they'll say much the same of him I reckon.
I like the story when Carling had complained of being punched, the opposite captain shrugged and said "it could have been any of 15 of us sir", Carlings own captain said "actually, 29" and the ref said "make that 30"!
deja vu
I like the story when Carling had complained of being punched, the opposite captain shrugged and said "it could have been any of 15 of us sir", Carlings own captain said "actually, 29" and the ref said "make that 30"!
Heard the self same story the other week from the lips of Jason leonard himself. Can't beat a good tale, true or otherwise, we all want to believe!
In fairness it was about time Farrell got pinged for something 🙂
Agree that the worse team lost. Scotland make life more difficult for themselves than it needs to be and England scrape by... Same old
Really happy to see Billy V have a good game and Hogg looking sharper/ less petulant
To be fair wrecker, the ref another day might have done Laidlaw for obstruction
Glad to see some "attitude" from England - EJ is correct, put a bit venom and scare factor in there. Even start with that pleasant chap Lawes too 😉
Neither 10 covered themselves in glory today.
Wish we had the mike in Brown versus Hogg ding dong, both excellent players but prone to being ****s. I bet they love each other, each team should have let them get stuck in to each other. 😉
England have a monster pack some dangerous back three players and no mid field distribution.
I thought england lacked bite in the first half. The scots were more dominant at the breakdown in defence, winning the collisions and looked dangerous.
Scots wise, Hogg and Cusiter were excellent but Denton looked a shadow of himself.
In fairness it was about time Farrell got pinged for something
He's obviously been blessed by the Pope for high tackling. Or something.
I thought Matt Scott was good too. Scotland attacked Farrels outside shoulder with pace and he looked vulnerable. Englands forwards ground them down. Scotland needed to move them about more and keep the ball in play. Englands bench was far far stronger than scotlands too.
...dangerous back three players
Who are the other two?
Matt Scott is a fantastic rugby player. Great to see him back and keep Scotland going forwards. Always made ground even running in to a wall of white.
Not sure on Cusiter though wrecker 😉 ... Or the England "venom" THM
Kryton57 - Member
...dangerous back three players
Who are the other [b]three[/b]?
ftfy - hth
On that subject; Roko looked very strong for b*** last night.
I'm pretty sure Custer ran out for Sale at Welford Rd earlier this afternoon, did he have a private plane to get him to Murrayfield?
Given the shit ball they got I thought the England back 3 looked sharp. Farrel was rubbish at 12.
? I thought Farrell did well. If anyone, Ford looked iffy. Joseph didn't look too hot either.
For me, Ford was pretty anonymous all game.
I'm pretty sure Custer ran out for Sale at Welford Rd earlier this afternoon, did he have a private plane to get him to Murrayfield?
Well spotted! I always get him and Laidlaw confused (racist etc etc)! 😳
Was Ford playing?
England look very beatable. Slow ball, woeful in midfield.
Scotland reverted to type, after a decent start, just became turgid and lacking direction.
Don't know why, Laidlaw is quick of thought and hand, whereas Cusiter moves and thinks like treacle! And I say this as a Sale fan, we were hoping he would be called up by Scotland..
Dunno! Mental block. I think Cusiter is/was a fine player though.
Put it this way, Sale move up several notches when Stringer is on the field.
Yeah, but to be fair he is exceptional still. Bath are missing him big. Matawalu doesn't even compare.
Is the Ireland wales game on bbc ? they were pushing the radio 5live coverage for it today,have sky bought the rights or something?
ITV, I think. Sadly.
I thought Farrell did well
At what?
Put himself about, kicked well. Made his tackles (or at least connected). Not sure you can single him out for being particularly poor considering the performance of those around him. Go on, admit it, you just don't like him do you a_a? 😀
Farrell was better than Ford, who basically disappeared. Farrell is going to cost England a game though, his push on Laidlaw was not only petulant but really thick thinking. I understand he was trying to get Laidlaw to knock the ball into touch, but even I know he should have wrapped Laidlaw up "to stop him falling over Sir, sorry it made him knock on" 😉
He was all over the shop in defence, got bailed out by the 13 once when the winger went outside him. Made 0 impact carrying or passing. Bloody good kicker though.
Poorish game but England won't mind - they got the win.
The midfield was pedestrian but there was little quick ball and no turnover ball to work with. The breakdown is still an issue.
If Russell had simply shipped the ball on to Hogg after he'd made that interception, instead of hoofing it away, it was surely a try.....
anagallis_arvensis - Member
Bloody good kicker though.
His kicking out of hand was ok but he missed a penalty he should have got if he's going to justify his place in the team as a kicker. I didn't think he did much else.
I'll admit to not liking him though largely because of the annoying niggily stuff he does like the push on Laidlaw today. I can't help thinking if he'd tried that 15 years ago someone like Scot Gibbs or Johnson would have made him aware very early in his career that it was a bad idea; although to be fair Schalk Brits did his best...
I feel the same about Ashton.
I wasn't hugely encouraged by today - we still can't pass the ball down the backline without most players over running and we still run out of ideas in the opposition 22 after about 5 phases.
Put it this way, Sale move up several notches when Stringer is on the field.
Agreed. He is better in every department that Cusiter. Shame we will likely only get 1 more season. Bit like Hines (water boy yesterday) who came to Sale, fitted in but was too near the end of his career.
Odd that Farrell was there for his kicking but missed half of them. There's no inventiveness or worrisome size in the backs with the exception of Watsons pace and running into space, but that becomes 1 vs 15 - note how Watson had to go looking for the ball.
We need line breakers and guile. I wondered if jones saw Farrell as a gitaeu-a-like for this match, but Slade is more suited to that. All the good teams have a Tindal/Greenwood, Nonu/Smith, Giteau/Mortlock.
Roberts/ Davies (Williams) 🙂 I guess Tuilagi/ Slade is close but not defensively ideal???
I think Jones see's Farrel as another kicking option to go with his monster pack. You wouldnt pick that back row and play with a distributing 12.
If Jones sees Farrel as a Gitaux like player you lot have picked the wrong coach.
I did say "for this match".
I'm wondering if he play 10 with deveto at 12 at least for the second half next week.
Right, predictions please.....
With a touch of pessimism, I'm going to say Ireland by 5.
I think Wales by 3 -5 points.
I think Ireland's kicking game will be too much for our back 3 and then they will maul us to death. Expect to see Biggar dropping back to field high kicks a lot.
Sanjay in for Anscombe....
Loopy Liam has played 1 game since the World Cup, mind you Anscombe has only played about 3 and those have been at 10.. I is worried.
Ireland can kick and chase all they want, but without Kearney and some others, I can't see the Welsh back three having any great problems with that game. Meaning the green machine would have to revert to Plan B. There is no Plan B. No O'Brien, no Healey, so the Welsh pack will have plenty of fun and games with their opposite numbers. Man for man, they're way better up front.
In the unlikely event of Wales having to catch up in the second half, they have lots more options on the bench. Ireland have Cronin, Madigan and (maybe) Kearny.D to do something different...but not different enough.
Plenty of pundits predicting Wales by 10-12 with which I'd agree.
The green machine is a bit too broken to repeat last year's feats, apart from losing to Wales, which they will.
Never under estimate Wales abiluty to be shit!
Nor Ireland's. 😆
Game of the tournament so far!
Good gamecso far. Shame about the score!
****ish irish crowd booing their player getting lucky with a tip tackle
Classy booing from the Irish there.
Tips tackle is a penalty. Deal with it.
The Irish treatment was nice done earlier. Good game, this.