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Well that was terrible. We all knew Borthwick's favourite 15 would be bad, but holy cow they exceeded expectations.
Will an awful england make it to the final by playing dull rugby .
That was just painful.
I have never seen the master race look less masterful
The what? Some pretty sinister undertones to that phrase.
Ignoring the national slur, England were dire. As an Englishman I was almost sorry to see Samoa lose after that incredible effort.
I've never been able to put my finger on it, but the England rugby team is plagued with poor technique and atrociously poor discipline, and has been for a long time. Is it the professional club game? Possibly. It's possibly endemic from the junior level where the 'big lads' always get preference (viewpoint gained from my 2 boys both playing but actually one of them being one of the big lads).
Anyway. A win. That will do for now. If we make the semis, France (if they make it) will embarrass us. Cmon Wales and Ireland and Scotland 😁 (currently checking to see if there is any South African or Kiwi in my heritage 😂😂😂)
Will an awful england make it to the final
No. I agree with Woodward, its Ford OR Farrel (we know what that means for Ford) and we need Lawrence and & Marchant in the centres. Earl is a weapon but needs to stop the whooping.
As an Englishman I was almost sorry to see Samoa lose after that incredible effort.
+1, I would have loved Samoa to make history today.
Just seen the Faletou news, thats bad for him and one of Wales best players too. Damn.
Well on to the main course after an unexpectedly spicy starter!
In any other circumstances I would be wanting Scotland to win for the style of all-out win or bust rugby. Should be fun and we know Scotland will give it everything
Ireland do need a victory irrespective of qualification to carry momentum into the quarters
My favourite moment was when the big useless lump of a lock tried to do the tackle release get up and pick the ball up again that the Samoans kept doing and just fell over and threw the ball into touch!
The following makes me feel dirty and I'm going to have to go wash my mouth out with soap and carbolic acid in a minute... but ..
C'MON SCOTLAND.
Oh yeah..and weren't Ingurlund dire. It's pretty evident the intelligence gene skipped a generation in the Farrell lineage after Andy.
Whoops!
Great Irish defence
Beautiful rugby
This is a level or two above the previous tier 2 game.
Ah well.
if only we’d been in England’s group.
But que sera
Scotland being as dumb as England
BP
We should have kicked those penalties early on.
There was probably 6 points or so and a dent in Ireland’s confidence there.
Actually the smart move at this point from Ireland’s point in view would be to let Scotland run up a cricket score and eliminate RSA (‘cos Scotland ain’t a threat to the final)
Actually feel sorry for Scotland, nothing worked for them. Can’t understand why they didn’t take points early. Line out is awful so we can just kick the ball out and know we will get it back
Ireland living up to their status as No.1 team in the world.
Line out is awful
It's a mystery to me how the ref cannot see Ireland closing the gap at every lineout.
FFS Ireland don't get riled. If some idiot gets suspended with ABs waiting
The comeback is on 😃🤪
Why can't they play like this for a full game!!
Try of the tournament?
The ref isn’t good round the breakdown.
There’s been quite a few penalties given the wrong way. Reaching over, hands on the deck, then preventing release.
Congratulations Ireland.
Can't argue with who was the better team.
Well beaten, not even the architects of our own downfall as Ireland just pressure teams all the time. Hard to split them and France as the best at the WC.
Well played Ireland, Scotland were never in it. If Ireland have a weakness it probably is in "broken play".
For Scotland Graham was a weak link Steyn would have provided better defensive cover, but I can't blame Townsend for selecting him. The loss of Kinghorn and Ritchie for HIA did'nt helps us . However I can't say they would have changed the outcome.
We can go home as the first team to put two tries past Ireland this World Cup at least.
I wonder if NZ are going to be looking at those Scotland tries, because they looked so easy when they came - really opened up the (probably fairly relaxed) Irish defence.
I actually thought that we (Scotland) didn't play too badly, which is a massive compliment to Ireland. You guys blew us away. Good luck for the rest of the tournament and I'll be drinking Guinness the next few weeks. Well played.
Yeah, fine display from Ireland.... Really controlled and clinical.. Well done, win the damn thing now !!
Scotland were never going to blast them away but the vast chance was to use scoreboard pressure and then try and nick it in last quarter. Dumb trying to play expansive rugby against one of the best defences.
Agreed.
Should have kicked for 6-5
Should have done the one pass, crunch and offload once thing - tried to keep rolling the Irish back.
The one time we did that was the first Scots try. It wouldn’t have been a try every time but it would have kept the Irish less comfortable
Ref was pretty bad around the break down. Ireland and the big nations are really good at hitting the ruck on the fringe, lifting defenders leg then swinging round the ruck. So the attacking player is now on the wrong side, slows ball and interferes with 9. Two knock ons against Ali Price when they did this.
I have no issue with Scotland going for the corner. We are not going to beat Ireland in 3s. Scotland have to be true to themselves and play an attacking fast game and over the years our return on the kicks to the corner is good.
Irelands defense was stonewall. We threw the kitchen sink at them and it never broke. 600+ m run by Scotland. We only made 3 clean breaks all game. 27 defenders beaten but we never broke the Irish defense down. Ireland had to make 195 tackles (out of 222)
Ringrose deserves special mention. The key difference in attack
Hope the ruddy Irish go on and win the thing now. If they don't I'm going to be very cross :-)<br />*walks off grumbling*
That’s the thing you aren’t breaking the Irish defence through the middle or going side to side, need to pressure them in a different way.
game plan is fine against lesser sides, the top 3 sides are just different altogether.
I don't think you are breaking the Irish defense no matter what you do. SA couldn't do it - they tried the power game. We put them under pressure alright. No team is going to find scoring 4 tries easy. We got two.
Where is the weakness? Where do you attack the Irish?
Where is the weakness? Where do you attack the Irish?
Kick the points and defend like hell.
What pissed me off is the continued itv commentary shite. Why were they surprised when Scotland kick to the corner? They do it all the time.
"Kick the points and defend like hell" - then try to nick it at then end got to be in the game for 80 mins, lost it in the first 20.
I think this Japan v Argentina game is what you might call 'end to end'!!
Shane says the same as I'm typing this 😃
Wales v Argentina then. Their no.11 looks dangerous.
A Scotsman walks into a bar. But it’s empty because the Englishman, the Welshman and the Irishman are still in France.
Yes it’s an old joke but sadly still a topical one.
I enjoyed that Arg-Jpn game. I was hoping Japan would win but very entertaining, on the edge of my seat until the end.
A Scotsman walks into a bar. But it’s empty because the Englishman, the Welshman and the Irishman are still in France.
Yes it’s an old joke but sadly still a topical one
It's a shame Scotland (and Italy) are going home. All that preparation for a couple of wins against much weaker teams. Another 4 year wait now 🙁
Cracking game that.
The only way I can think of breaching the Irish defence is by kicking. Your kicking game has to be outstanding though.
Kick to touch Ireland have a very good lineout.
Kick and chase, Irelands backs are very good under the high ball so your kick chase has to be fast and terrifying bùt legal.
Kick points - 3 wont beat 5 or 7 so that puts pressure on your own defence.
I said earlier that Irelands weakness if they have one is defending from broken play.
So I would mix all 3 and back your own running/ passing game when it's on.
Apparently the Tongan wing is going to Leicester after the World Cup. Just in case anybody isn’t watching it.
The only way I can think of breaching the Irish defence is by kicking
Well we could see Wales face Ireland in the semi if all goes well for both in 1/4's. Wales will kick the leather off the ball again again and again and hope to be in with a shout with 10mins to go... I doubt it will work but it's what we'll try.
Not really sure what I think about Tuisova not going home for his son's funeral but I wouldn't presume to have any clue what would be the right thing in that situation.
Could be a good game this.
Hoping Portugal win, but Fiji get two bonus points 😃
Could be a good game this.
Great so far.
What odds on Australia winning the World Cup and Eddie Jones being the hero? 😉
This is not going how Fiji or Australia imagined it.
I’m torn between wanting the group underdogs to win this match and the world underdogs to progress further at the expense of the Aussies…
The lower tier games have been awesome!! Go Portugal!
dantsw13
Full Member
The lower tier games have been awesome!!
I see the IRB have said they won’t be looking at any future ‘shield’ matches for the lesser teams at World Cup tournaments.
Which is obviously what all rugby fans are thinking and wanting…🙄
How come all these international governing bodies completely fail to have their finger on the pulse of what fans and teams want?
I’m torn between wanting the group underdogs to win this match and the world underdogs to progress further at the expense of the Aussies…
Yes, I guess there must be a lot of us thinking the same. You can see why the most successful teams don't play quite like this, but it has been very entertaining.
Get in!!!!
What would these countries do if they got regular tests from tier one sides? Just highlights how much of a closed shop the game is.
😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃
Absolutely fantastic!!!
They have played so well all tournament!
Very entertaining match 😁
Yep, perfect ending for me. I just hate the ****ing adverts when we could be seeing all the post-match back-slapping and general celebrations.
So England news;
Rumours abound that the players are befuddled and confused but Farrell is basically bullying them on behalf of the management and the basis of "Captain"
To that end Andy Goode (I know) is proliferating on YouTube that Arundell had a fighty argument with Farrel during training and is basically excluded on that basis.
Will we ever find out? I guess only if Borthwick gets the sack and someone spills the beans. The problem England have right now is accidentally getting to the semi's and somehow justifying some post Eddie Jones praise from the RFU, whereas in reality they really need a dose of the truth.
I was wondering if Farrell was getting in the team because RFU want Andy Farrell but he's said he'll only coach them if Owen gets to be captain. Schoolboy rugby team politics...
I do feel for Lawes in all of this he has been Stella in an England Jersey and realistically he is on a downward trajectory for a professional in a physical role. Farrell on the other hand is like a petulant school boy.
All bets are off for the next match Farrell will be targeted.
Absolutely. Ford won’t stand up to the mass coming at him so Farrell has to be in even with the high tackle / toys out the pram risk, we can only hope everyone else starts in thier correct positions. It should be a simple strategy of scoring more than Fiji, so the backs should be Tuilagi/Laurence(sub), Marchant, Arundell, Mallins, Steward/Smith(sub).
Cole should be left out up front, Ludlam and Underhill on the Bench, Itoje, Chessum, Lawes, Curry and Earl.
Let’s at least go out with a team of in form and in position players on the field. This is Fiji’s big match, they know England are rattled, will smell blood and come hard.
News of the England punch up is leaking into the press now.
It should be a simple strategy of scoring more than Fiji
Genius 😂
Well I thought it’d be one up on Borthwicks 😜
Don't punch each other on the bus trip to the game
Well I thought it’d be one up on Borthwicks 😜
True!
Speaking of which - you wonder what Ford has to do in order to be seen as the No.1 choice ahead of Farrell…
I would pick Farrell ahead of Ford for this game, his technique may be rubbish but he is a far better defender against big men, Biggar had to make a shed load of tackles against Fiji, Ford would be run over.
I'd pick Farrell too but under strict instructions to not try to strip the ball and put every tackle in low.
Problem is plan A must work, there's only Smith to bring the imaginative play.
I’d pick Farrell too but under strict instructions to not try to strip the ball and put every tackle in low.
He probably gets the same instructions from every coach before every game, before heading off to clothesline the first player he comes across.
Instagram has all the England team doing tackle practise under a limbo type arrangement piece of string.
England to face Fiji:
15. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 28 caps)
14. Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 76 caps)
13. Joe Marchant (Stade Francais, 23 caps)
12. Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks, 56 caps)
11. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 62 caps)
10. Owen Farrell – captain (Saracens, 109 caps)
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 9 caps)
1. Ellis Genge – vice-captain (Bristol Bears, 55 caps)
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 82 caps)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 104 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 73 caps)
5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 15 caps)
6. Courtney Lawes – vice-captain (Northampton Saints, 103 caps)
7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 47 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 22 caps)
Replacements
16. Theo Dan (Saracens, 6 caps)
17. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 86 caps)
18. Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears, 66 caps)
19. George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 7 caps)
20. Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 73 caps)
21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 93 caps)
22. George Ford – vice-captain (Sale Sharks, 89 caps)
23. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 18 caps)
No real surprise, albeit should Farrel, Mitchell, Cole or May be on the pitch. Note that Freddie Steward doesn't get on the bench, so we've no Full back in the match day squad, I suppose Daly can cover. Arundell pays the price for arguing with Farrel. I wonder what Ludlum did to piss off Borthwick, I guess faith in Curry and the need for a fresh front row keeps him away.
My predictions for quarters - Argentina, Ireland, Fiji and France to win.
My predictions for quarters – Argentina, Ireland, Fiji and France to win.
I would be pretty happy with that!