[Closed] 2015-16 rugby, world cup year

England will get thumped. My reasoning, my spies say the team only managed 5 minutes in the outdoor pool at Penny Hill y'day before deciding it was too cold. Big girls 🙂

Burrell & JJ

Not a combo I think Wales will enjoy defending against... Tuliagi or Farrell is much more up their street.... but if Farrell was directing things it would make me a little happier, although he obviously brings the penalty points to the table. It's a Twickers anyway so the question is not who will win, but "England by how many" 😉 Conservative win or total humiliation? 😳

Conservative win or total humiliation

I think thats a good call. England to win by 3-5 points, or lose by 20.

I spoke to some Welsh people yesterday, they have the same level of anxiety as we do.

Scamps - but they went into the ice room * in the spa to talk tactic instead

* ice wall and crushed ice to smother yourself in. Feels great.

So - Manu is in the match day 23!!! Goode misses out.

Brooke's in for Hill too

I don't see Daly or Manu starting, so that's Roberts running at 10/12 all afternoon.... If Roberts flattens Farrell, he takes out our best kicker too.

*worries*

Nothing wrong with farrell's tackling. Haskell will need to gain a yard in pace if he's to cover up the defensive hole called George Ford. JD2 could have some fun running at JJ too.
On the bright side, I expect the English scrum to be dominant.

Nothing wrong with farrell's tackling

On the bright side, I expect the English scrum to be dominant.

Are you sure? Joubert is refereeing so the entire game will have an added twist of unpredictability 😕

When it's not illegally high and late, it's just high. Not an ideal technique against the Doctor.

Don't worry, he'll growl a lot and pull some faces too which always helps

When it's not illegally high and late, it's just high. Not an ideal technique against the Doctor.

...and the good Dr has a penchant for going on the high side of legal too!

He wrote a good piece in the Torygraph today though.

expect the English scrum to be dominant.

Based on?
Last game we had Gethin and Francis as starting props. This time we have Evans and Samson who is starting to come back to form they have gone pretty well so far. I would expect England to have the edge but dont see it as a dominant weapon. Could be wrong though.

Could be wrong though.

Not to be argumentative, but my opinion is that you are. We made a mess of Samson Lee last time, same again here.

Your back 3 are better on the floor though, we are penalty magnets, and the rumor is Itoje is benched for Launchbury which I think is a mistake. Itoje should be in for his floor work and speed, Launchbury 2nd half/ 20 mins if we have a lead and his bulk helps with some smashing Walkers backwards.

I see Biggar's been making a nuisance of himself in the papers, lets see how long he lasts on the pitch - he'll be a target for sure.

Still a close call whatever our respective opinions are.

I would expect England to have the edge

Don't know about edge, but Marler will be all over the side.
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We made a mess of Samson Lee last time, same again here.

Samson didnt start last time and was just coming back from a snapped achilies when he did play later in the game. He was very off the pace.

Cant see due to the arrow but I'm preety sure thats Francis. We managed to get away with him and gethin last time. This weeks front row is a lot syronger2

CFH - on your graphic, the Welsh number 1 is doing an almost identical angle, as is the flanker.

Can't see us being dominant in the scrum, I'd say it'll be evenly matched. And if Joubert gets it into his head early in the game that Marler is coming in on the angle (which he does tend to do) it could swing the scrum in Wales' favour.

I thought that earlier. The sensible thing would be to start with Mako, win the scrums and get it into Jouberts head that the Welsh are the problem, then sub to Marler later.

CFH - on your graphic, the Welsh number 1 is doing an almost identical angle, as is the flanker.

No the loose head isn't and I though flankers could drive in at an angle on their props hip to help keep the prop straight.

Although clearly as s Scot I have no real axe to grind either way, so get on with it.

The sensible thing would be to start with Mako, win the scrums

Assumptionist is assumptioning.

Based on?

When?

Forever.

Certainly now. I seem to remember a thing welsh fans liked to do; how many of the english team would make the welsh side. Well if we did the same for the front rows now, none of the welsh players would make the england bench.

Forever

The sensible thing would be to start with Mako, win the scrums

I thought scrums were Makos weaker point?

Wrecker I would take both our Hookers over Cowan-Dickie. He was a a dribbling mess in the world cup.

Those videos prove two things.

1: All of the strums were a mess
2: It was all about Mr S Walsh.

He was to be fair, he is only in as George is injured and Jones wants to move players on (hence no TY) but he has been quality in the AP and easily held his own in the euro cup games. I hope he gets a crack, he needs exposure at this level.

@CFH and the Welsh 7 (Warburton?) ? You could draw all sorts of arrows on that photo

@Drac we can agree to differ on 6N vs Investec, far more important how we do against Aus, RSA, NZ than say Scotland or Italy. I've paid to watch Eng v Italy twice in 20 years (some of that before 6N of course), never saw the point.

2: It was all about Mr S Walsh.

#dreamboat

To be fair that photo, and in particular the arrow is complete bollocks.

#dreamboat

I've no idea what the videos were about as I was lost in his piercing eyes and flowing locks #perfection

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I couldn't resist a quick Google but it looks like he's let himself go 🙁

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Ref pushes England coaches during rwc match, Ref gets sent on anger management course. Ref gets to ref England in Grand Slam decider. You really couldn't make it up.

But you do,even for you that's quite the #jambafact. What really happened was Walsh became involved in an argument with your fitness coach on the touchline after England cheated against Samoa by bringing on a 16th player. Walsh was the 4th man and your coach approached him in the tunnel,pushed him and challenged him to a fight,Walsh threw water at him. The irb suspended Walsh for one game,three days for innapropriate behaviour,intensive anger management course that must have been.England's management decided not to investigate the tunnel incident. After the game you are all back bleating about, Rowntree made public the fact you were submitting a complaint about elite performance. Something that happens from time to time...but NOBODY has ever made public...Except that one time England did.It isn't actually a complaint,it is a request for clarification on how the ref views part of the laws of the game. Is this us back to the idea that England lost that game because of Walsh's reffing of the Scrum?

CFH and the Welsh 7 (Warburton?) ? You could draw all sorts of arrows on that photo

Whats your point? There is no requirement for a flanker to drive straight at the scrum. Indeed angling in bybthe flanker will help keep his props hips in and allow the prop to drive straight.

If only someone had said that earlier...

(albeit with a typo)

If the England pack got its tight five tight and driving straight they'd make a mess of most oppositions at scrum time. But they've, and most others, got this scrum penalty mentality. Just go straight you'll get the penalty and/or mess with the opposition's minds.

I would expect the Englands forwards coach will be more focussed on disrupting the welsh lineout and mauling their own ball. Thats where Wales will be weakest without Charteris starting. They'll have a go at Rob Evans in the scrum for sure but lineout out maul to drag in the backrow and then Billy V off the back of the maul would be my go to tic tac

England lost that game because of Walsh's reffing

FTFY

Everybody knows Walsh was biased against England, it's no even a point to argue.

Everybody knows Walsh was biased against England, it's no even a point to argue.