Sounds foreign to me
Well they both kind of are foreign to you 😉
Whereas this bloke is clearly welsh
wrecker - MemberThe welsh wibbler born in kings lynn to an english father?
I heard she was kidnapped and carried over the border by a dastardly Englishman.
Whereas this bloke is clearly welsh
he's obviously a confused Bristolian!
Hartley is properly English.
His folks moved to NZ and he was born there but grew up only wanting to play for England. Despite going well in the NZ system he jumped ship over to the UK as soon as possible with a single-minded intention of getting into the England side.
Cips has already proved he can do it at international level and he performs wonders for a less fashionable club and don't forget how good he's been off the bench in his recent, limited, opportunities in a white shirt.
However, Eddie Jones, alledgedly referring to Cipriani, said something along the lines of:
"If somebody tells you that some bloke's an idiot and someone else tells you he's an idiot too and then some other people tell you he's an idiot too, then you get to thinking - that bloke's probably an idiot."
Hartley is properly English.
Sounds about as English as Chris Froome.
Sounds about as English as Chris Froome.
I'd say he sounds a bit less English with that Kiwi accent of his.....
What is less english, kiwi or african?
Carter starred / started at 30, just sayin'
Yes Kryton but he'd been the established truely world class 10 for a years before that. Cirpirani is trying to start / re-start his international career.
Sam Davies was very good tonight for the Ospreys
2nd half was good, that's for sure! Let's not discuss the first half....!
Cracknell and Underhill impressed again.
Manu did OK tonight. Even looks like he's learnt to pass in his year off.
Joking aside, he looked in good shape too unlike his brothers who used to pile on weight away from the pitch. Wonder if EJ will bring him back as quickly as mooted?
He did aparantly put on 2 stone on a holiday to Samoa! Anyway, yes, looked good and my man crush was well satisfied!
Looked good at 12, always good ground, and if he's leant to pass out of the scrum of markers around him, he's going to be lethal.
Ireland missing SoB, McCarthy and Dave Kearney for GD trip to twickenham is a big blow.
Cracknell and Underhill impressed again.
Cracknell looks very good, Lydiate wasnt great.
Is this the same Manu who coughed up the ball 'making ground' leading to the winning try?
Commentators mentioned it last night, but when did this thing of backs running the width of the pitch to congratulate forwards for winning a scrum start?
Commentators mentioned it last night, but when did this thing of backs running the width of the pitch to congratulate forwards for winning a scrum start?
Yes, agreed. I'm far more impressed with teams that get on with their jobs efficiently, without histrionics. We've scored? Great, let's score more. We've won a scrum penalty? Carry on with the job. No need to run around celebrating everything. (High fives all round because we managed to pass the ball 6 times without dropping it...)
Wasn't it Scotland v Wales where a Scot scored with a minute or so to go and threw the ball towards the crowd in his joy. Perhaps if he hadn't wasted that time they might have had enough time and focus to actually win the game?
Agreed, Manu did well. Third time I've seen that full back Chisholm play, he looks good. For all the fuss, O'Connor didn't look great.
We beat Sale !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Warriors !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My old man will be dead chuffed .
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Naughty
[url= http://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12508/10176916/france-forced-to-drop-david-smith-from-six-nations-squad ]Apparently, he'd once been within 200yds of a baguette. [/url]
Who's in the clip AA?
Not sure about naughty, more crap at punching!
I was thinking about you while watching the Leeds NQC RL match yesterday - the high tackles, tip tackles and neck rolls would have had you in a frenzy!!
The run and wriggle mob did well didn't they 🙄
Not sure about naughty, more crap at punching!
The punchee then failed a head injury assessment and had to be subbed, so not that crap!
OK - stand corrected!! Oops
Did they exchange pleasantries while the medics were on? (BBC website picture)
Devoto and Beaumont out of England Squad (not that they were going to get a game) and Burrell in. Thought it'd be Manu (who isn't playing well enough yet) so I'm pleased.
I don't think Burrells playing at his best. But will EJ use him or continue with Farrell? He's a much heavier runner than Farell, has experience and has worked with JJ - once touted as the RWC partnership.
If the fans have their way Ford off for Farrell and Burrell in. Right?
I don't think Burrells playing at his best.
He's been very good indeed for the last 3 games.
If the fans have their way Ford off for Farrell and Burrell in. Right?
That's exactly what I'd do.
I don't think Burrells playing at his best.He's been very good indeed for the last 3 games.
At 13... which is where he was pretty impressive for England when he first came on the scene. I don't think he's a 12, he's a big, quick guy but doesn't break or bend the line enough to be a out and out bosh 12, and he doesn't seem intelligent enough (as a player) to be a ball playing 12. His strengths seem to be out wide where he can use his size and pace a bit more, so for me he's 13 or bust, and I can't see him ousting Joseph.
I've not seen much of Saints' games recently but have seen plenty of praise for Henry Mallinder, with some suggesting that its he who has brought the best out in Burrell again. Can anyone confirm?
Looking at how a Hooker can play nowadays are you sure you don't want the chubby centre to have another go at 12 for you? 😀
In which case Ekul, we'd see Ford/Farrell again (groan), and potentially Burell / JJ subbed for different jobs?
I do think we'll see Ford and Farrell again, I think our only hope is that Ford plays himself into some form in the next couple of games! I do feel for him a little, a couple of times against Italy I could see him looking for the pass only to either have a lumbering idiot (Haskell and Robshaw) jogging alongside him with no arms up to receive the ball and blocking him from passing it to anyone more useful, or there was simply no one there at all, hence why he got smashed a few times.
It might be symptomatic of whats happened at Bath but last 6Ns Joseph was running really good lines off Ford and just ghosting through gaps thanks to Ford's flat passing on the gainline, this year there's none of that. Have they been worked out? But it doesn't even look like they've tried anything like that in the past 2 games.
I've not seen much of Saints' games recently but have seen plenty of praise for Henry Mallinder
Deservedly, I've seen I think 3 games he's played now. One at fullback and he was excellent in all. He looks like a 10 year old, mind. A 6ft4, 17st 10 year old 😯
Ross Chisholm at quins has been looking very very good at Fb too.
Disagree about ford though, he's getting smashed, because at present he is shit. Currently he does not deserve to be wearing an england shirt, nor, arguably a bath shirt either.
Wales make 3 changes Cuhbert for James, Lydiate for Tips and Davies for Girafferis. Shame Girafferis the maul buster is out big loss. Lydiate coming in to chop down the big French forward runners makes sense. On the wing Forest Gump 1 replaced by Forest Gump 2. Anscombe and Ball are on bench. If they play well they should beat France but it'll be tight. Not many players other than Roberts and Faletau are playing at their best tbh.
Some interesting comments by EJ on whether Tuilagi can be the next Nonu:
"If you look at it purely on athleticism between Manu and Ma'a Nonu, Manu is not behind Nonu at all, He starts in a good situation and then it's a matter of how hard you work at your game and how desperate you are to want to play for England."I think 12's his best position, yes. He's not a 13. That's what I know he's not. He's definitely a 12. He can carry the ball across the gain line.
"He threw a beautiful left to right pass on Friday night, threw a terrible right to left, so maybe he's left handed, I don't know.
"But he's got the ability to catch and pass. I haven't seen him kick but there's no reason he can't learn to kick. We have a reasonable kicking mentor (Jonny Wilkinson) here. He's got all the attributes to be an outstanding 12."
And on Burrell:
"The reason I left him (Burrell) out in the first place was because he wasn't good enough to be in the squad. He had flaws in his game and was making a lot of mistakes. I think he's done that brilliantly and looks like he's getting better every day."
[url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11593960 ]http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11593960[/url]
ON the All Blacks - I was reading about how Kieran Read will be the next captain and how Sam Cane will fill the No7 jersey vacated by McCaw.
Cane is 24 and already has 31 caps, including having captained the side. Contrast this with Matt Kvesic who's nearly 24 and has 2 caps to his name. Maybe Kvesic is the answer for England or maybe he's not but the point is - if he was a Kiwi they'd know by now.
It seems like he's been wasted. He's been on the scene for a few years but we've never found out if he can cut it.
The ABs are also talking about when Hansen is going to go. That's the difference. THey know when someone is going and they know who's gonna replace him.
Contrast that with England (or France) over the last 10 years......
George North has 50!
There was plenty of blood letting in NZ rugby when they were losing.
George North has 50!
Indeed and he'll probably get 150 if he avoids too many more bangs on the head. The cream seems to rise to the top a lot quicker in Wales.
There was plenty of blood letting in NZ rugby when they were losing.
True but I don't recall much losing going on of late - a couple of RWC knockout games aside.
Cane is 24 and already has 31 caps, including having captained the side. Contrast this with Matt Kvesic who's nearly 24 and has 2 caps to his name. Maybe Kvesic is the answer for England or maybe he's not but the point is - if he was a Kiwi they'd know by now.
I disagree. How many other NZ 7's have got caps in the last 8 years?
The difference is the ABs identify talent early and ensure that the individual is ready when he needs to be. As per the above example, they didn't just know that Sam Cane would make it, they made sure of it.
We just flit around trying this and that, hoping that the clubs come up with the goods.
The cream seems to rise to the top a lot quicker in Wales.
The vastly smaller number of options helps but Wales do make more effort to identify talent early and bring it in to the international game.
In case the country they actually are from cotton on and cap them.....
Dylan? Vunipola x2 Tuilagi?
