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I think Ford is a talented fly half and historically we've seen Ford and Farrell play together (age group and seniors). However Ford is only just coming back from injury so can he step up to the level to play against Frane and Ireland? Also, given that Farrell is captain that suggests one of Slade or Lawrence wouldn't play if Ford is picked. Or Ford is simply back up and Farrell will play 79 mins anyway...
Capuozzo out for rest of six nations. Great shame, most exciting player to watch since Shane. I was quite looking forward to watching us aimlessly boot the ball to him and seeing him run rings around us in return.
Increases our chances of winning by quite a lot, but I am still not confident.
They'll drop Lawrence which is daft, if keeping Farrell, faz can't control the 13 channel well enough and his suspect tackles would get a card.
Some great matches this 6N... and also some Welsh games 🙁 It is great to see the majority of sides having the ability and desire to play in a way which entertains.
Anyway, apologies if this has already been discussed, but can someone explain why the tap and go within the forwards seems to have come back in to fashion? For the last 10-15 years I don't recall the option used much. In the near past a team would call for a scrum or kick to the corner. Still options of course but there seems to be a lot more tap penalties. Has anything changed to make a tap an go close to the opponents line more attractive. Maybe my perception is wrong but it does seem to be a more used option and it makes sense IMO. Maybe it is just that forwards now have decent enough handling skills to manage to nudge the ball forward with their feet and not then fumble it spectacularly as they try to pick it up 😀
The refs allow latching before contact, sealing off and taking out defenders way past the ruck
latching before contact,
Is legal isn't it?
(I was on an rfu course a while back where they demoed drills to train for this, would be hella funny if it was illegal)
Edit - we were told one latcher was legal only - it seems that is the case?
Is legal isn’t it?
(I was on an rfu course a while back where they demoed drills to train for this, would be hella funny if it was illegal)
**** knows, it's hard to tell these days. I was horrified to see it happening in an u12's game my son was playing in last week. Opposition were doing it. I was going to step in if they tried it again and tell the ref what I thought of his attitude to safety
Some more on Welsh rugby's death spiral.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/welsh-region-admit-dont-enough-26356758
Cardiff's budget is set to drop from £7.8million to £5.2m next season, then down to £4.5m the following year
Meanwhile they have to pay the 80% of Team Wales contracted players the the WRU was supposed to pay.
Jarrod Evans next to leave, going to Quims.
The refs allow latching before contact, sealing off and taking out defenders way past the ruck
I asked what was new 😉 But yes I guess you are right. The latch law is one I missed too.
edit rongwread
I heard something abou tthis a few weeks ago, but kind of dismissed it as I don;t really understand how or why it happen...
Ealing potential merger with Ospreys, as they can;t be promoted because of ground size!!
From what I gather it's more Ealing taking over Ospreys and playing in URC, rather than O's moving to Ealing.
Where are they going to play, Swindon?
I'm sure all this bollocks is really going to help Wales give their best this weekend...first time I have ever expected Wales to lose to Italy
Taulupe Faletau: Welsh financial plight is making it hard for players to ‘give their all’
Wales No 8 was speaking after Cardiff team-mate revealed he cannot feed family on contract he has been offered
Steve James
The Wales No 8 Taulupe Faletau has admitted that the financial crisis in Welsh rugby makes it difficult “to give your all” for some players.
The Wales squad threatened to strike for the Six Nations match against England but, though that was averted by the Welsh Rugby Union agreeing to some of their demands — most notably in reducing the number of caps required to be able to play outside Wales while still representing the national team from 60 to 25 — no financial deal has been signed between the four regions and the WRU. This means that many players are still uncertain about their futures, as the regions attempt to deal with reduced budgets.
Faletau’s Cardiff colleague, the centre Willis Halaholo, last week posted an emotional statement on social media, revealing that the new contract he had been offered may not be enough to feed his family.
Asked about Halaholo’s plight, Faletau, 32, said: “It’s gutting, really, and I’m gutted for him. I don’t know what else to say about that. It’s just unfortunate and the situation we are all in at the moment is not great for anyone involved.
“You are always going to try to put your best foot forward but when things aren’t going well off the pitch it’s hard to give your all then. I don’t understand because I’m not quite in it, but I guess it’s just a tough time to give your all, I suppose.”
Cardiff, in particular, are in real trouble because they signed high earners such as Faletau, Liam Williams and Josh Adams on the understanding that the WRU would pay 80 per cent of their wages, but that will stop next season, with the regions being asked to pay full salaries for all internationals.
As a result, some players at Cardiff are being offered as little as £30,000 a year, with — as it stands — only £400,000 left in the club’s budget to pay for 15 players next season. Some of those players earn six-figure salaries at present.
Halaholo, who has suffered an achilles injury and is likely to be out for a year, with his Cardiff contract running out this summer, said: “I can’t accept an offer that can’t even feed my family on a month-to-month basis. Regrets are running through my mind as I turned [down] offers to go abroad back in October in the hope of still representing both jerseys [Cardiff and Wales, for whom he has won ten caps]. But now I’m hating myself because of this situation we are in.”
The starkness of the situation has been confirmed by the Times columnist and former Wales captain Sam Warburton, who said on The Ruck podcast: “I was chatting to my brother, who is a physio at Cardiff. Lads are considering getting a job as a tradie, and then playing as a semi-professional, so they can top up those salaries by £15k, and they will be earning more money than being a professional rugby player. It’s because they’ve got families to look after, it’s not because they are throwing their toys out of the pram.”
An exodus is feared, with Cardiff already resigned to losing Jarrod Evans, the fly half, to Harlequins, and rumours circulating that Williams, Adams and others could move to release money for their less-established regional colleagues, although that would require WRU approval first. Faletau, however, is not out of contract and apparently does not intend to move, with no such conversations having taken place.
“To be honest I haven’t really asked the question,” he said. “I know that the boys who are coming out of contract, it’s affecting them, but nobody has told me personally that it affects me. I don’t know if I want to find out either!”
Where are they going to play, Swindon?
I expect England RU would not allow allow a URC team to play in England so would imagine the Neath Trailfinding Swanfxxxxxs would play in Swansea
I expect England RU would not allow allow a URC team to play in England so would imagine the Neath Trailfinding Swanfxxxxxs would play in Swansea
I think they should merge and then play their games in Aberdeen.
SRU wouldn't give a **** 🙂
I’m surprised it hasn’t been mention but…
England team to face France, same as previous yet Smith starts and Farrell to the bench. Genge Captains.
Not sure what to make of it, attacking mindset?
Genge should be captain. Should not have given Farrell the captaincy at the start. Genge was a great captain at Leicester.
We need to see Smith with proper centres. Then again maybe Borthwick is setting him as a scapegoat before bringing Ford back in for the WC....
I think giving Smith the confidence of a start may work wonders for him, and as others have said before, a wounded Farrell is a motivated Farrell so it might do him some good too.
Meanwhile, seeing the rest of the discussion about Wales up there, again, you have my sympathies, this looks like a major balls up.
At least Italy don't have Capuozzo this week..
Really looking forward to weekend, three games that may not be 50:50 but you can at least make a strong case for either outcome. Scotland really worrying me but part of me thinks a narrow loss Sunday with a bonus point (or 2) and hopefully clinch the Championship at home to England might prepare us better for the world cup than a grand slam.
Ireland under 20s looked good tonight.
Predictions as per DD rules?
Margin plus who gets bonus point?
Italy (losers and try 2bp) vs Wales (try 1bp) Wales win by 5 - 10
England (0) vs France (0) France by 1-5
Scotland (0) - Ireland (try1 bp) Ireland by 10-20
England (0) vs France (0) France by 1-5
The U20's lost 7-42 last night, and on that basis I'm assuming your scoreline means number of tries rather than points and I'm in full agreement. 😀
We are gonna get smashed Kryters, start drinking now.
This will be tense!!
Well that was lucky..
That bounce was insane.
I hadn't realised that Josh Adams was playing til just now. He seems to be really off his game at the moment.
Rhys Webb being picked was disappointing for me, but he is bossing this well.
Wales doing really well.
He seems to be really off his game at the moment.
Along with about 35 other Welsh players. Adams just needs to be given the ball once or twice
Yay, no wooden spoon. I'm off to walk the dog!
I think the score was rather flattering to Wales, but a win's a win.
Italy feeling the stress of expectation going into that I think.
Welsh experience did the job there.
Lots them have won plenty of big games. and lost a few. So they know how to keep their heads.
Italy didn't get the bounce of the ball. One or two decisions seemed strange. Ref probably needs more experience.
Nice try
Well it’s Amateur hour in Englandshire. This’ll be two weeks of difficult viewing.
Any chance the professional England team will turn up at some point??
Genge's petted lip is showing.
He'll need to control himself.
England do look rather rudderless to be honest, not sure why Dombrand keeps getting picked, doesn't seem to offer anything. Nice to see Smith trying to do something different.
Short career as captain for Genge?
It isn’t Genges fault, although he is moping around slowly a bit with the body language. The defence out back is shocking, we are slow at the breakdown, and aren’t holding on to the ball giving it back easily to a superior team.
England are lucky France aren’t in form.
Players showing solidarity with Linker by refusing to turn up?
Well that's just pathetic. I'm an 1/8 Welsh again today 🤣🤣🤣
England getting the humping they deserve here. All boding well for the WC.
Beautiful try
Your right it's not Genge's fault but he so obviously wears his heart on his sleeve and when he can't see a positive he can't captain, can't inspire, can't lift his team.
That's an awful spanking
Embarrassing
he can’t captain, can’t inspire, can’t lift his team.
nor Farrell it would seem.
Or the coach at half time
they were somehow 5th best everywhere in a two-team game
from the Guardian blog
I would laugh but we are playing them next week 😱😱😱😱😱
Thank God England have an easy one to regroup with next week. 😀
Part of the problem is that England haven't had any real leaders (certainly none with any intellegence) on the field for about 15 years - basically since Martin Corry.
And there's none in the current squad, except Ford, who's still coming back from injury.
Also England still are clueless at 12 and 13.
As an English fan I'm glad that happened. France where fantastic.
England need to rebuild and start again. Getting shot of Farrell for a start.
Me too, England are abysmal, despite Scottish amour for how great our team are, the juts keep showing every game how pedestrian they are.
I'm wondering if Borthwick should do a Galthie and just sack all the old boys and start again.
Out on my bike to calm nerves. Strongest Ireland team for years; what can go wrong? Lots.
Well this could be a cracker.
And breathe....
Great game so far
Don’t know if the telly gives it out properly but it is absolutely electric here.
A pen and two tries *believe* 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
Irish lineout better than the Welsh one when they have no hookers!!
It’s only a surprise if you believe that VanderFlier is a real human.
It’s only a surprise
Not that surprised tbh!
Was there and what was striking was the how France were always in position, in attack or defence, moving players around to create space, and doing it quickly. England just lumbered about the pitch, seemingly unaware of where the French players were. Other obvious bit was England slow down into contact, France speed up, run harder try to break the tackle. Frustrating day, not looking forward to Ireland
Noticeable disintegration from Scotland as soon as the subs started coming on.
Fraser Brown being shown up by a flanker.
Really impressed with the number 1 side in the world in the face of a fair amount of adversity to turn the screw in the third quarter. Fair shift by Healy at hooker too. 😀
A good win for Ireland, no 1 team for a reason.
Meh; better team won,Ireland are bloody good! Off to Bennett’s for ale with guys I have been going to Murrayfield with since we were schoolboys. I have seen some absolute pish here over the years, we aren’t that anymore.
Yup
Where do you attack them? Where is the weakness? Scotland have been impressive in attack this se3ason but could not find a way past. Impressive discipline as well
Meh; better team won,Ireland are bloody good! Off to Bennett’s for ale with guys I have been going to Murrayfield with since we were schoolboys. I have seen some absolute pish here over the years, we aren’t that anymore.
A fair assessment duckers. Have a cracking evening.
Ireland were the better team by a fair margin. I think a win next week will make this a good six nations for Scotland.
Good game but the best team,(in the world) won. Scotland are heading the right way when I'm disappointed they lost
Scotland appeared to give Hansen the freedom of the city of Edinburgh everytime he got the ball in midfield in that second half for some reason. Once Scotland got behind they forced it too much and when they started attacking wide off poor ball and the forward effort had dropped off and the weren't getting front foot ball they were easy pickings for Ireland.
You have to wonder why the didn't try booting it to the corner and pressure the Ireland lineout.
Fair play to Ireland they got through some really tough breaks to win fairly easily in the end.
... yeah, it was a bit disappointing that Scotland stuck to the same script and didn't try to negate that impressively fast Irish defence in the second half. It should have been obvious fairly quickly that the second half was going differently to the first.