THM; Haterz gonna hate... Just because Brown is the new poster boy of the rUK press,doesn't make him better than h/p. Brown may have upped his game recently but Halfpenny has set the standard for 15 for the last three years. And besides,once Hogg leaves school and can start his driving lessons he will be able to train harder/more often.
That B&W (homo-erotic??) photo of Victor that appeared not so long ago was extraordinary. Was it photoshopped?
Agree Duckman, (see posts above)
Brown v 1/2p equal
Nowel v North wales
Burrell v Davies england (on form)
36 v Doc Jaw wales
May v Cuthbert wales
Farrel v Priestland Eng
Care v Webb Eng
Fatty M v Talupe Wales
Wood v Lydiate Eng
Robshaw v Warb even on form
Lawes v AW Jones adv eng on form
Launchbury v Charters adv eng on form
Fat bloke from Bath v Adam adv wales
Hartley v Hibbard adv eng
Marler v Gethin adv wales
Vunipola v James equal but very different players
That scrum halfs brother v Owens equal
Thomas v Rhodri both shit
Attwood v Ball adv eng
dont know v Tipuric adv wales
Who is spare 9? V Spikey adv wales
Ford v Biggar adv wales
Tuilagi? V Liam Wlliams adv eng
Mike Brown (Harlequins), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Danny Care (Harlequins), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), David Wilson (Bath Rugby), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby).
Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks), David Attwood (Bath Rugby), Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Alex Goode (Saracens).
Damn. Twelvetrees still in there.
[s]Damn.[/s]Excellent! Twelvetrees still in there.
FTFY. 😉
It's a shame to see how he's deteriorated in form recently. Two years ago or so, I thought he was really going to progress. Seems to have gone backwards in form, and being up against a Lions centre partnership, and/or Big George, charging at him could either make or break him. (Remember Tait? One game against The Tanned One and his career stalled heavily)
[i]Excellent! Twelvetrees still in there.[/i]
Indeed! From an opposition point of view it must be great to see such an ineffectual attacking force in the line. Rather that than young Manu...
Of to twickers to see this one, English bench looks a bit crap if I'm honest. Too close to call though. As a neutral I love England V Wales games I wouldn't use hate but I would say it is the most intense rivalry in the 6N.
Long term I can see a Burrell / Tuilagi mix with 12T / being the bench option and allowing someone with a bit of pace (Yard / Wade) being on the bech ready to inject some life in the last 20 instead of the death of Goode! However, that's not realistic yet, (give it until the summer tour) so 12T is the best we're going to get.
Wales by 7 for me.
Brown's had a storming tournament but 1/2p would still be the Lions pick as we (I) now know quite how good his kicking is under pressure. It's going to be a great match, I hope the weathers good. Could be my last Eng Wales game for a long while as Mr Grumpy is not renewing his debentures after the RWC ticket fiasco (my seat neighbour who didn't care about RWC as it was too expensive had invitation to apply and Mr Grumpy did not)
On paper, wales' match to lose. Only a paper contest in the second row. But at least this time, our boys won't have the mass choirs and a goat standing right behind them turning them into lumps of jelly!!!!
We shall see, roll on Sunday!
(Jambalaya, mind the road closure on Sunday with the half mara!!. avoid town centre, spectrum and Burpham areas)
I fear England have made a big mistake leaving out Ashton. Come on Lancaster its not too late!
But at least this time, our boys won't have the mass choirs and a goat standing right behind them turning them into lumps of jelly!!!!
Nah, they'll be in the Library.
Shhhh, don't tell anyone we've only got one song!
😉
However, on a more rugby related note, this is a tough one to call for me.
Both teams have some players on great form, Brown, North, Hovis for example. Both teams have a few question marks, Davies and 36, for example. Both teams have their liabilities, Hartley and Spikey for example.
England, by a nose, sadly. 🙁
And, in the other games;
Ire v Ita - Ireland by a good handful of points, but will be made to work for it
Sco v Fra - I dunno about this one. Scotland have been written off a little too harshly for me. However, while I'd like to say they'd scrape a win, France by ten in a messy match.
@TMH - thanks but I'm coming up from Hamble, not based in Guildford post Decree Absolute 8) , lets catch up - I'll send you an email ... enjoy the run I'll be working on a large breakfast as blotting paper.
On paper, wales' match to lose.
er bookies dont agree england firm favourites. You just trying to play it down as usual.
No idea why other than odds are getting adjusting based on crazy optimism based on England on just not loosing against Ireland.
Wales have a load of BI Lions, are defending champions and basically, are a bloody good team.
As a side note, if Wales and the Welsh don't start believing they are a good side, and can go to places and beat their opponents, then they're never going to do well at the world cup. You've got to have confidence to win, the underdog mentality won't last forever.
I dont think it makes any difference what I think about the welsh team and they wont win a world cup anyway!
As for the odds I think they are based on how the teams are currently playing
nope, odds are always effected by how the bets are being placed after the initial assessment of the bookies.
Odds at kick off depend on the bookies possible losses for possible outcomes.
In a patriotic betting country like England they're always skewed massively towards English victory due to the shear number of backers.
This effect may not be as visible in Wales 😉
R Kearney, Trimble, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, D Kearney, Sexton, Murray, Heaslip, Henry, Henderson, O'Connell, Toner, Ross, Best, Healy
Replacements: Cronin, McGrath, Moore, Ruddock, Murphy, Reddan, Jackson, McFadden
Rhys O'Ruddock on bench! Suprised Zebo hasnt made the team
Healey once again doing his best to show what a ****ing moron he is. Apart from anything else he doesnt even seem to grasp the positions Davies and Roberts play!
A Welsh reject No8 better than Faletau? Healey's just writing clickbait these days. Pathetic.
Morgan and Faletau are very different players but no way is Morgan better. As for Wilson being better than Adam!
My mate has tickets to Sunday's match, won in the local residents ticket lottery. He's not much of a rugby fan.. unlike several of his colleages, particulary the Welsh ones... 😯
Agree, tongan blokey is far better than welsh reject, but ive not seen recent form of tongan. Is he doing OK?
Adam Jones is fading force as far as I can see. Now the impacts gone from the 'hit' hes nothing like as effective at doing a number on his opersition, however I'd have him a mile ahead of Bath Fatman! Hopefully fatty is a fair bit fitter now and can last for a while. I wonder if Tom Youngs has been taught the lineout calls yet as well. If he could sort that he would be a real impact sub.
Oh, and I thought Healy got the centres pretty much right in the descriptions, even if in the wrong positions?
He said J Davies is the best 12 in europe, he's a ****ing 13, always has been. Played 12 a few times with the lions but he's a 13. I didnt read the rest of his tripe about the centres when I saw he'd got them wrong!
Fofana is the best 12
Triumph Spitfire has been at the crack pipe again.
But he is probably the best 13, which is what I'm getting at. He's been playing really well. You're just upset that your no2 man crush Mr Jones has been playing quite poorly this season!
Never mind, I think Me Henson is heading back over the bridge...
Ok welch rugby fans, if your team are so good how come you've not won the rugby world cup or even got to a final yet? These odd grand slams/championships are all well and good ( still not won as many as england) but until you actually compete for a world cup you can never be taken seriously in the wider rugby world surely?!
Here we go again.....
The welsh rugby team isnt very good as evidenced by losing to australia 240 000 times in the last two years. Winning the odd grand slam is about our level and we have over performed compared to say ireland in recent years. The more pertinant question is given their huge playing resources why are england so shit?
Ok welch rugby fans, if your team are so good how come you've not won the rugby world cup or even got to a final yet? These odd grand slams/championships are all well and good ( still not won as many as england) but until you actually compete for a world cup you can never be taken seriously in the wider rugby world surely?!
I don't think you understand them. As long as they beat us, that's all that counts.
If you look at the historical record of wales vs england [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rugby_union_matches_between_England_and_Wales ](here)[/url] you will find it is exactly 56/56.
I don't think we should be discounting them just yet..
AA to help you, england have more eligble players than all of the rest of the world added together. We should be ruddy amazing. Alas not. I wish I knew why.
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And...in case you get your talking cars muddled up....
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The best althletes in South Africa and NZ play rugby. Wales not too far behind. In England we have a huge number of other sports which take take talent. Of course we have mire grass roots players as we are a country of 45+m. Real outstanding peformers are the ozzies as league is so much bigger than union. Winners in 2003, losing finalists in 2007 not such a bad record, 2011 was a disaster as the tournament was wide open.
Oh so england are unsuccesful at rugby because the football team is so good?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/26484739
Charteris out Jake the Beard in. Massive blow to the already weak welsh lineout. England will just need to kick to the corners and put two men on AW. Jake Ball has not been rhrown the ball once in any lineout in 1 1/2 games!!!
yep, but he's a pretty handy player around the park, so it's starting to look like England are going to need to play boring rugby to win....
We've had years of practice at that! 😀
But tinybits...The Times is all about England's new attacking style,so what is this boring rugby you talk about. Oh and they have even gone to the trouble of explaining to us non believers why Brown is the better 15, thats a STW argument settled then.
Suprised Zebo hasnt made the team
Zebo's off field antics haven't endeared him to our new coach.
Tinybits he's a 22 yearold lock who has one season as a pro behind him. He shows promise but isnt near the quality of Lawes or Launchbury. He looked out on his feet after 20 mins v France but stuck to the task well.
Fair enough - I haven't watched him in great detail, but had read a few good things about him.
But tinybits...The Times is all about England's new attacking style,so what is this boring rugby you talk about. Oh and they have even gone to the trouble of explaining to us non believers why Brown is the better 15, thats a STW argument settled then.
But it's clearly crap though, England are still woeful in attack, they really don't have much of a clue about breaking down a defence.
I was thinking back last night to the attacking of Lewesey, Cohen and Robinson, with that back row linking well with them and seeing them run rings around defenders. I can't remember the last time I saw an Englishman do that other than Tuilagi (a true Englishman in every sense of the word) knocking holes though the opposition.
Can't disagree with any of a_a's assessments of Wales vs England. It would be very surprising to see England lose at Twickenham. Yes, Wales have most of the big names back in the starting line up but the form and game time between them isn't great at all. If the England pack don't dominate everything outside of the scrums I'd also be very surprised. After that they just need to find a back to fall over the try line with the ball in hand 😆
Also surprised not to see Zebo playing. He looked at least 3 or 4 times as fast as anyone else on the pitch last weekend. What has he been up to off the field?
He's been a [url= http://www.thepotato.ie/2013/08/conor-murray-and-simon-zebo-didnt-engage-in-threesome/ ]very naughty boy. [/url]
Just been away for a surprise birthday treat - wife booked Pennyhill Park not knowing that it was England RU HQ. As we arrived Andy Farrell parks next to us. Amazing set up for them with the rugby pitch and their own mega gym and basement area to keep themselves to themselves and watch the videos etc. But the players come into the bar and the spa. My neck hurts from rubber necking. Had nice chats with the Kiwi (told him to stay on for the full 80m!!!), Burrell, Launchbury (really nice bloke) and Robbo. Watched Parling and a few squad guys I didn't recognise having some Physio in the pool. Had a good discussion about the line out with JL who was praising the kiwi!!!
The backs - Care and Burrell etc looked ripped and v strong but not impossibly so. You think you could at least attempt 😉 to tackle them. But (even as an ex hooker albeit with flankers physique) I could not imagine trying to get my arms around Hartley and the other forewards. His shoulders and upper body are like a barn door that shut out the light. Ditto Robshaw, Parling, Launchbury. The physical bulk is awesome. Wife and I in the hot tub with the England captain this lunchtime - had to be done on my birthday!!
Impressive how approachable they are. Then Andy Flowers turned up and we had a chat about the cricket. Was tempted to ask about KP but thought better of it.
All over now and can stop feeling like an excited schoolboy.
