Watching England is too stressful for me! I should just enjoy the win and the real positives.
I suppose the other obvious question is why Wales can't at least attempt to play the way they played in the last 20 for a full 80?
I know England tired and ultimately ended up with 14 men but to me Wales always look much more dangerous when they throw it around instead of playing a one dimensional kicking game.
Priestland, Tipuric and Owens. Plus england ran out of puff
Ok I just ran that last tackle on North through frame by frame. He got the pass away before his knee hit the ground. Would his support have gone clean through without Joubert's whistle? Who knows? But the Welsh would have retained the ball at least.
Joubert strikes again.
On the basis of the last 10 minutes Wales should have won. Based on the other 70 - England.
A good experienced team with 15 men
A good inexperienced team with 14 men
Must have been particularly fun for a neutral
And who won the back row battle - perhaps the lack of stupid penalties (Haskell's neck roll apart) gives the answer??
Tallie - the space isn't there early in the game. You have to earn the right to play that way late on.
Must have been particularly fun for a neutral
Yes. Apart from Joubert.
[quote=igm said]Must have been particularly fun for a neutral
Yes. Apart from Joubert.
+1, though interesting more than fun.
Anyone else notice that they replaced robshaw with a prop? He must have been shattered, he played very well indeed today. Watson, Brown, Kruis all did well too. Nowell was getting pulled all around defensively at the end, hence North getting joy where he wasn't getting any earlier on. Mako was out there making cover tackles!
Enforced substitute, Wrecker
Priestland, Tipuric and Owens. Plus england ran out of puff
Agree but it's also a question of intent - Wales seem to need to have their backs against the wall and be down by a fairly big score before they start to throw it around.
I also think that 19 points didn't really reflect the dominance we had in the first half - we still missed far to many chances and ended up with 3 points where we should have had 7; for which I largely blame Youngs.
And who won the back row battle - perhaps the lack of stupid penalties (Haskell's neck roll apart) gives the answer??
Warburton has been quiet all year and Lydiate. Thought Not Toby was the better 8. Hard to tell which backrow was better when an entire team is being mullard. Hask and Robshaw did set the world on fire and Vunipola was handled well.
Igm - balance that against the fwd pass for his first try then.
Nowell was getting pulled all around defensively at the end, hence North getting joy where he wasn't getting any earlier on
It looked like the midfield defence of England got too narrow. Maybe Manu's positioning at 12 needs work?
dantsw13 - I might give you that one. But as a neutral I love a come back and a grandstand finish.
Edit - and as a Scot I have to moan about Joubert
Playing Itoje at 4, with Haskell and Robshaw and Vunipola is a very strong unit.
Igm - oh, it was certainly that! I thought they'd do it.
Also Priestland is able to hit Williams on the outside of the 12 or 13 which creates space
Tallie - the space isn't there early in the game. You have to earn the right to play that way late on.
Tell that to the ABs or Aussies or indeed most Super teams? I'd agree it wouldn't earn such spectacular results earlier in the game but it's more entertaining and arguably successful than smash and kick. Plus Wales do largely have the players that can play fast open rugby?
Aa - and Daly. He will be great, but is finding the step up from the Aviva a big one.
You look at the stats -ABs kill teams in the last 5 mins of the first half, and the last 20.
Dan You look at the stats -ABs kill teams in the last 5 mins of the first half, and the last 20.
Yes but they're playing heads up, fast open rugby for 80 min and teams tire at the end of halves.
Not sure what the answer is with the scrum, but we are in the danger of massively over-thinking and analysing the scrum - its a bit like a certain academic subject 😉 where practioners have introduced so much Maths in an attempt to make it seem precise!
Eight v strong men straining against each other with marginal factors creating relative dramatic results. Amost impossible - even for a hooker 😉 - to know what's going on and static photos and the spider cam give a false sense of insight. The experts are anything but....
Playing Itoje at 4, with Haskell and Robshaw and Vunipola is a very strong unit.
Still think they'll get found out against a good team.
Ok I just ran that last tackle on North through frame by frame. He got the pass away before his knee hit the ground.
You didn't need frame by frame to see that.
Joubert had a fair game, if only by passing the buck to the TMO.
At the end of the day it was a fair result. Wales made too many mistakes in the first half and England couldn't put the game away. Wales haven't lost it, as they showed at the end, and England haven't got the stamina to finish a game on top.
As far as the scrum goes Smason Lee needs something to push against so the scrum doesn't wheel. Jus' sayin'.
Anyone else notice that they replaced robshaw with a prop?
Only because they need to bring another prop on after Cole's yellow.
It looked like the midfield defence of England got too narrow. Maybe Manu's positioning at 12 needs work?
I think you're right.
Brown was immense today, also heartened to see him direct the england med bloke towards Charteris to help with his finger. He ain't made of stone 😉
There was a moment between Brown and Davies, both those two like a push and shove!! Loopy Liam pissed off Nowell too!
also heartened to see him direct the england med bloke towards Charteris to help with his finger
He may be an utter shit, but he's a rugby utter shit. 🙂
If the tackler is expected to roll away immediately surely the tackled should be have to release the ball immediately?
Is the tackled player allowed to get tackled, roll over and present the ball? Or is it just one of those things that has become the norm like not putting in straight at the scrum?
It's been that way since I can remember ctk. Certainly when I played junior rugby.
[img] 
[/img]
Shame we cant see what he's looking at.
Give the TMO glasses. Shameful. Citing and banning on the way. In fact the whole use of the TMO is getting daft IMO, why make a decision as the match official when someone elce can do it for you....
It doesn't even matter if it was intentional. Contact with the eye area always earns a healthy ban. I've seen 12 weeks given for less obvious cases than that but you never know. He had better get down to waitrose.
It's starting to get as bad as football when a player can react like that to a bit of tickling. What happened to turning the man by using his nostrils? #Goodolddays
I didnt think there was much in it at the time but that looks pretty damning. I'd like to see if he takes a look and aims for it or is he just trying to grab something to shift out of the ruck.
Indeed, in that clip it looks like he isn't focussing on where his hand is going, but his hand pinches rather than a wide grab for a body/ shirt.
Shameful eye gouging (or attempted) big ban and dropped from squad hopefully.
I didnt think there was much in it at the time but that looks pretty damning. I'd like to see if he takes a look and aims for it or is he just trying to grab something to shift out of the ruck.
Can't be any worse than Mike Brown's boot. No intent, no problem. End of and beyond discussion, and no blood was drawn.
Citing and banning on the way
Let's see a gif of Marler as well, for balance. Oh, and anyone got a sound replay of his "gipsy boy" comments.
No place for any of that in the game.
End of and beyond discussion.
I'm stealing that comment!
Is it the same posters who thought that Brown's boot was ok who are now a bit breathless and hysterical over the attempt at the fastest eye-gouge in history? 🙄
That was a tad stressful! I'm hoarse after screaming at the TV in the pub.
The first 40 from England was very, very good I thought. Scrums were a lottery but the line out went well, the line speed in defence was very good (even Ford showed up Ok in defence). Wales looked like they'd run out of ideas but started the second half well. I thought we'd got away with it when Brown seemed to save our bacon when faffing about in our 22. The Biggar try seemed to really, really rattle them...what Ford was thinking kicking that away with Biggar bearing down on him is beyond me. The pass from Youngs wasn't sympathetic, but still.
The Welsh bench made a huge impact...squeaky bum time. Francis was lucky I thought. Given that it was to the eye area I think he'll get banned. Itoje was immense, for such a young man with few caps he looks at home on the international stage and gets through a lot of work.
Will be interesting to see how we front up in France next week with pressure on them to win.
Italy were bloody awful today. They played so well in Paris and loosing a game that they should have won seemed to make them give up. Wales will muller them next week.
It's been a good weekend of rugby for me...Worcs won, Exeter beat the Falcons and denied them an LBP ans Wasps beat Tigers And England won.
Is it the same posters who thought that Brown's boot was ok who are now a bit breathless and hysterical over the attempt at the fastest eye-gouge in history?
Firstly, I hope you enjoyed that game idlejon. I did 😀
Secondly, one was illegal and one was not. That should set it straight for you, glad I could help.
