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"just not all up side"
No its not, that's the point.
If Scotland lose to Georgia in the plate .... George take their place in the 6 nations.
Just an idea, probably stupid... but good fun 🙂
There’s a lot of chat about the incredible Irish “conveyer belt” of talent. Why then is fully half their starting back line, well, not Irish?
I guess there is 2 things going on here. People who are Irish qualified by birth through a parent and people who qualified through residency. The former I quite like and will continue to happen, we are not quite as good as Scotland but provinces are busy hoovering up players like Mike Halley, Antoine Firsh and even Billy Burns who are Irish qualified at birth, the second one like Lowe, JGP & Bundee is a bit different, qualified through residency. I suspect this will happen less and less now the qualification period is 5 years although there are a few in the system that may make it. Funniest one is Jean Kleyn who is in the SA squad this world cup having previously played for Ireland so becoming the first Irish International to make a world cup semi final!
That’s the fun thing about Wales rugby. You probably know someone who went to school with a top player, or if not you know someone who does. Jamie Roberts went to the same primary school as my kids
Was it Jac Morgan who was doing the press conference after one of the group games and recognised his old PE teacher who was there as a reporter for Radio Cymru, and said "I gyntaf, haia Miss!"
Ok so maybe Borthwick isn't as stupid as he looks!
15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 29 caps)
14. Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 77 caps)
13. Joe Marchant (Stade Francais, 24 caps)
12. Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks, 57 caps)
11. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 63 caps)
10. Owen Farrell – captain (Saracens, 110 caps)
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 10 caps)
1. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 87 caps)
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 83 caps)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 105 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 74 caps)
5. George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 8 caps)
6. Courtney Lawes – vice-captain (Northampton Saints, 104 caps)
7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 48 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 23 caps)
Replacements: 16. Theo Dan (Saracens, 6 caps) 17. Ellis Genge – vice-captain (Bristol Bears, 56 caps) 18. Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears, 67 caps) 19. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 16 caps) 20. Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 74 caps) 21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 94 caps) 22. George Ford – vice-captain (Sale Sharks, 89 caps) 23. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 19 caps)
Possibly. Look at football. Champions League, Europa and now third tier Conference.
Europe's had three club competitions for decades though, so it's nothing new.
I’m half English half French and have hated the way England play, and am gutted about France…….. but have a suspicion England could pull it off on Saturday . Looks like a pretty dynamic set of replacements. Won’t help much if Cole and marler get mullered though
Sadly I think the days of describing Billy Vunipola as dynamic are well past. Maybe a plan to try and deal with the Bomb Squad but struggle to see them matching up. Disappointed they haven't put Smith at full back and Steward on the wing as struggle to see where any spark comes from in that back line. I expect to see a lot of kicking in this game.
Smith isn't available on account of getting his head smashed in
Its an obvious defensive team to hold the scrum (maybe), kick chase and collect the high balls. England will be looking to kick for points to edge out a win.
There won't be an England win, and it looks to be blustery in Paris tomorrow, but anyway...
There won’t be an England win
As an England supporter the knowledge that they're almost guaranteed to lose make the match more appealing!
Although I'm glad they made it this far there are two other teams that really should have taken their place.
Nice to see the mighty Dregs represented in a world cup semi final!!
This game seems depressingly predictable! Hope I'm wrong.
Yep.
I’d hoped for more from Arg but NZ are so in-your-face that it’s impossible to play most of the time.
Too easy for the ABs.
Barrat yellow for cynical play. The ruck earlier where he was being commended for causing a knock on, I'm not so sure a barrat swinging arm wasn't the cause of that too.
Sooooo boring to pick on the little shitty things you don’t like in the NZ play. What a superbly professional showing. I just love watching them when they’re on form. Will Jordan hattrick, legend in the making.
Yay....
Put a quid on a winning margin of 31-35 (9/1) and 36-40 (14/1).....
What's Englands losing margin tomorrow?
Argentina fans all chuffed to have selfies taken with the Barrett brothers. Proper rugby spirit…love it.
TJ - is the pillow fort available to hire, you could make some money as a few of us English supporters may need it later……
🙂
so maybe Borthwick isn’t as stupid as he looks!
On the strength of that, I'm not sure
Earl is a quality player - he's not an 8 though. May used to be fast but now isn't. When he catches the ball he stops, rather than accelerating. It's odd.
Arundel is a real prospect but he's had a fight with Faz so he's not even on the bench. It's nice to see Steward back, though, coz Smith isn't a full back either.
I'll watch it, although the result seems in little doubt.
Good stuff that ^
Not that it fills me with any confidence seeing him start, but you have to say fair play to Dan Cole....fairly sure that he was the first choice TH at the 2011 world cup!
Genge and sinkler are the dynamic props in that squad but both seem to drop their heads when on the back foot. Cole just plods on now and is lucky not to concede more penalties.
"As an England supporter the knowledge that they’re almost guaranteed to lose make the match more appealing!"
Ask any Scotland fan, they'll tell you it is easy to turn up knowing you'll be beaten. It's the hope that kills you
edit what the hell has happened to the quote function?
It’s being reported those wily rascals NZ rested Scott Barrett for the last 6 minutes of last night’s game, choosing to play with 14.
So, are we on for that rare beast, a double-humping by SA in the cricket and the rugby on the same day?
Rugby can play with freedom knowing whatever happens it won't be the worst Saffer humping today
How many HIAs will SA coaching term call? Cynical ploy to give players a little rest?
Despite my negativity towards England and how they play. Beating SA I can live with.
If
Rugby can play with freedom knowing whatever happens it won’t be the worst Saffer humping today
Yeah that was embarrassing.
Watching from behind the sofa! 🫣
futonrivercrossing
Free Member
Watching from behind the sofa! 🫣
can you move a bit further along please it’s getting crowded down here
Supporting England today because SAffers and in particular Rassie are my least favourite team because of general level of gamesmanship and I will never forgive for the level of unsporting cynicism from the Lions tour
... If England can hold defensive discipline then SA don't really have the game to quickly destroy a good team - unlike ABs. Problem is scoring against SA...
C'mon England!
I've actually moved from the back of the sofa to the front! For now! Not the the mullering from the off I was expecting, though I know there's plenty of time for that. C'mon England!
Big call to put Pollard on - probably right though, but why the hell not start with him??
What a thriller.
Itoje interfering with a player going forward from the ground.
Well that’s a surprise. It’s the hope that kills you.
I'm fearing for my finger nails!
Well **** my old boots, who'd have thought?
Well I i wasn't expecting that score at half time!
Not exactly exciting but SA not being allowed to play they probably want to.
It’s the hope that kills you.
Very much this. 😳😬😬😬😬😬
It’s a lucky sofa now !! 🫣 but for how long? 🥴
Little tense but not a great first half. Still we’ve finished the first half in the lead, England can never been ruled out completely.
How smug are all the predictors feeling now? 🤔
Not over yet
This game is ****ing dire.
Stick it up the jumper lads
How smug are all the predictors feeling now?
Easy now. They’ve just learned our game plan, likely a very different 40 mins to come.
Big call to put Pollard on – probably right though, but why the hell not start with him?
They’ve always had a habit of not knowing what to do at no.10… remember when they always picked Elton Jantjies and he was hopeless!
They usually make substitutions in batch too, don’t they? Ol Razzy seems to be having a mare 😁
Shittest game of the tournament, easily.
I landed in Paris this afternoon, it was 40mph winds and pissing down.
If we can get another 3………..
Well, that’ll do!!😎
Can someone who knows about rugby explain why SA are always kicking the ball away when it's clearly not working?
South Africa obviously still not recovered after the brutal physical pounding they took from Scotland a few weeks ago. Well that’s what my glass of whisky has just told me. 😀
English scrum beginning to creak
Aren't SA just really terrible today?
Edit: just noticed how much it's raining.
Dull yes. Six penalties and a drop goal FFS.
Like watching paint dry for a neutral this. Good on England though but **** my boots it's dull.
Where's that ****ing sofa!!!
Bugger.
Oops
Fair enough, SA are clearly the better side. If England pull this off it will be a hard fought - and deserved - miracle.
Hold it together lads!
Now it's interesting.
Double bugger!
Bugger ☹️
Brave from England, but felt inevitable once the English scrum started to struggle.
Ah Bollocks
Unlucky England. Won in the front row replacements
Why did they go down the blind side on that last play?
And the commentators still only talking about England... It's the disrespect that really annoys me.
Bollocks! Well played England.