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The Aussie goal line defence was awesome. The speed which the back line was up whenever Wales tried to spread it wide was incredible. What struck me was that there was a back rower at every single breakdown, no matter where on the pitch it was. Well played to both sides, Wales didn't leak any try's, just gave away too many penalties. SA next week will be a much more abrasive experience for both players and fans.
Nick Eater for the lions!
Discipline, penalty in the first min and now a neck grab. Shouldn't have that been yellow?
No yellow for the same offence by Falatau in the earlier game. Think they are generally just giving penalties for first offence/no malice.
Ok.
Anyway, subdued or what. We look a bit shite. No disrespect to the Uruguayans, they are a good side, and working V hard, but we should be 40+ points up by now. A bit dire.
I don't think we have turned anything over at the breakdown.
Uruguay are probably the weakest side at the tournament, sad to say. England should have already put a cricket score on them.
Not good enough, sorry.
Uruguay are like terriers at the breakdown. Seems to be working for them.
They do look like they're all about 7/8th the size of their opposite numbers though.
I have watched two amazing, nail biting games today: Wigan v Leeds in the Superleague Grand Final and Wales v Australia in the RWC. While both games went the wrong way for me, my goodness they are worlds away from this England v Uruguay drivel.
Time to watch Strictly on Sky+.
Wales were 10 points down and needed a try. A draw wouldnt have helped them and a kick wouldnt have pulled them level.
It was 6-12 at the time of the yellows with what 15 mins+ left? I know you couldn't really predict Aus to have defended quite that well but I wonder what Wales would/ should do if in the same situation again against RSA? If anything 2 yellows made it almost guaranteed that the decision be made to go for the try... without the yellows Wales might have even fared better by keeping the scoreboard going and kicking points. Funny old game rugby 😀
To say that this picture is full of win would be an understatement!
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The commentators have severe short term memory.
Saying that this hints at positive things to come..... Seriously have they forgotten the previous 2 weekends?
No offence to Uruguay but they are basically amateurs playing.
I hope to God this doesn't let them think there are not massive issues in the England teams
Uruguay are probably the weakest side at the tournament, sad to say. England should have already put a cricket score on them.Not good enough, sorry.
shove it.
Classy.
What's that thing on the back of all their shirts? A tracker for post game analysis?
Yip. It's a GPS tracker and it's mainly used to determine g-forces and impacts during a game.
used to determine g-forces and impacts during a game.
Are you sure, I thought the g force impact thing was worn behind the ear?
You need an accelerometer for that WLM not GPS... Two could be combined though I suppose
England were always going to win that, however Slade is such a good player. Give him a bit more time and he'll be bloody awesome. Him JJ and Tuilagi, that's a decent centre setup. Maybe there's a future, but they'll need some coaches who'll let them!
Anyway, well done Aus, well done Wales, Can't wait to get to Uraguay in 8 days, I reckon I'll get myself a shirt!
Who knew Care was a decent SH too 😉
Are you sure, I thought the g force impact thing was worn behind the ear?
It's certainly what the Scotland team use theirs for.
http://statsports.com/technology/viper-pod/
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I'm catching up here so only ten minutes into the England Uraguay match. Is Farrell such a bad bet as a potential 12 outside Ford? He doesn't seem too shabby a tackler to me, and seems to have a bit more about him as a runner than simply going for contact.
Farrell's need both to be kicked into touch. Decide on your best backs and accept they will need to play together and make mistakes while they learn the international game. Worked for us,Laidlaw,Russell,Scott,Maitland,Seymour,Hogg and Bennett,all we had and so were played,suddenly we have a good set of backs. Conrad Smith and Nonu were gash when first capped,now look at them. Why do England think they can make players better without playing them? E.G Slade.
And by God,you need an entire back row!
Is Farrell such a bad bet as a potential 12 outside Ford?
Don't forget who the game was against. Uruguay.
That's U-R-U-G-U-A-Y.
Decide on your best backs and accept they will need to play together
No, no. That's old hat.
Today it's all about "respect", creating a "core culture", performing "brilliantly" during video analysis, "being the last one talking at meetings" and having one cap earned on the eve of the RWC in a warm up game. That's what makes a back division.
Playing together - tsssssssk!
Failing that - have your dad as coach and chief selector. 😉
Yep, the future is youngs, ford, Slade, JJ. Farrell can be boot boy.
No idea who the back row is. Possibly robshaw at 6, but it's someone new at 7 and it's not Nick Easter at 8!
Ford, Slade and JJ wont work. Too small.
Farrel is a shit 12 in defence, shoots out of line and misses too often. Ford, Tuilagi and JJ could work. England need to find a 7 with some wheels if they were to play an expansive game. Even NZ and Aus play Nonu or Kuridrani in the centre with a smaller play maker like Gateux or Smith. With Englands backrow options you would be better off with Burrel and Tuilagi and keep it direct.
Any ireland france today should be good.
Looks like Loopy Liam is out again so christ nows what backline we will have v SA. It would also appear that Cuthbert despite being awful for ages now will have to be picked
Ford, Tuilagi and JJ could work.
It could work if Tuilagi could be coached into being a decent 12. NZ managed to turn Nonu from a one-trick-pony into one of the best inside centres ever but they had decent coaches to do so.
I seriously doubt whether Tuilagi has the mental capacity TBH. Plus he's never fit.
Some great games yesterday (stand fast England Uruguay) - the Wales Australia match was the most compelling tryless match I've seen in a long time. It also confirmed that England were well beaten by 2 better teams.
I think all the discussion about the centres is moot unless we can sort our breakdown out - even Uruguay were slowing down our ball and beat us on turnovers; the best back line in the world can't do anything with slow ball.
Awesome games from Aus and Wales yesterday, both showing why they beat England.
I watched the Uruguay game, and with the exception of Launchbury, Care and Slade there's nothing else to talk about. It's quite clear Slade should be in the team, JJ and Slade are a pretty compelling option at 12/13, with Watson outside. IMO that combo should be played through the 6N.
Nowell was good, alhough it's not difficult to look good with Slade and JJ doing what they were doing.
Forwards - work to do I'm afraid, Wood added nothing to Haskell bar a penalty, Tobshaw ordinary as he has been all RWC, Easter showed 80 mins of experience against a weaker side.
Anyway, and exciting 3 week of rugby now, can't wait for these bigger teams to be head to head, although huge congrats to all the "minnows" of world rugby all of which have obviously increased thier stock and provide this tournament with plenty of exitment and discussion.
The Winner? I'd have Aus and SA in the final, with Aus edging it. The AB's appear to be having a shocking time at the moment.
Yes I looked back at my comments about last night, and I have no regrets, it was a dire lacklustre performance. Fair play to Easter and happy with JJ, Slade, Watson, Goode, Brown, Mako, and the new hooker. Nowell proved he was excellent at goalhanging, which is part of a wingers job. I dunno if he has the capacity to develop Shane like skills though. Care was as always skilful, brilliant, and a selfish prick who butchered a couple of smart opportunities by hunting for glory for himself. That's the England of old who squandered their own abilities by being thundering ****s (TJ's trundlemuppets). The new England of the RWC2015 were not even that, they were just shit.
With regards the pack.
I thought Parling, LAunchbury and Kruis were all ok, dunno about world class though. We missed Lawes big time. Robshaw seemed a bit anonymous, we are probably better off without him.
Haskell, Cole, MArler, Youngs, and probably Wood can all GTF.
FArrel I think of like a poor mans St Johhny, he can kick (although last night he was off form) but he isn't the greatest playmaker and is a charmless ratbag so he can't keep his place in the nations hearts like JW can.
Oh and I loved the well deserved cheer Brown got when he came on. The man is awesome.
I have a "friend" on FB who has had a major Benny that Gatland has to go, Howleyband Mcbride are incompetent Edwards can stay but the team are a disgrace and as they couldn't score a try against 13 🙄
You really can't please some people.
Isn't there some talk of him crossing the severn? Would he? Do we want him? seems a bit weird. He has done awesome things in Wales, but is it possible to find someone to do better in Wales than him?
Howley and McBryde have not moved the attack or the scrum and maul foward.
The AB's appear to be having a shocking time at the moment.
No, as someone else said they are on cruise control until it matters. They have a habit of being pretty lazy until the last second when they go nuts.
Unless they come up against France then I can see them walking it easily to the final.... of course that requires Ireland to beat France by some miracle and then France to play properly from then on 😀
Ireland don't need a miracle to beat France. They're more than capable of beating them. France haven't beaten Ireland competitively since 2010 or 11...can't remember which...though there have been a couple of draws. I don't think the green machine will prevail today but that's borne of 4-yearly disappointment at the RWC. So, yes, France will win today but it would be no miracle if they didn't.
NZ are vulnerable, even without looking at their RWC campaign so far. Besides already losing to Aus this year, they came very close to a loss against a very understrength SA team. Then there was the Argies pushing them close too. Now Woodcock's out. They're still capable of some superlative performances, but something's gotta crack and all it takes is a single game.
France will win today but it would be no miracle if they didn't.
Sorry, just reread the post... what I meant to say was "of course that requires Ireland to beat France and then by some miracle France to play properly from then on".
Today's game should be a cracker!
Ah sorry, that makes sense now Dan. I'm looking forward to it...kinda. 🙂
I was quite impressed with the lack of bitterness from English fans towards Wales.. quite warming. I think Welsh fans could learn a thing or too.
Things is molgrips, most non English supporters profess to hate the team and their supporters, I'm never sure how much of this is real or people can't admit what I'm about to - perhaps it stems from colonialism or our poor quality daily rags. Most English I know will support thier teams to the death, but we know when we are done, and recognise talent near our borders which should be supported as second claim - and do. Personally I'm not blind to England's failings even if I won't admit that when they are winning 🙂
I'd now rather Wales, Scotland or Ireland won this thing over anybody else, and particularly Wales (not forgetting Japan) efforts bring a massive amount of respect to thier team and country whilst doing do. How - if you have any honesty in your body - could you not admire that?
Imagine the vast majority of the sporting journalism you had access to came from France. You have to sit through endless half times dedicated to analysis of France despite the fact that France isn't even on the pitch. Most newspapers and websites dedicate the majority of their coverage to France. You have to put up with the bias shown by commentators, both conscious and unconscious, towards France.
Do you not think that after a lifetime of that you would hate the French too?
But it's not mine, or most other England supporters fault as to what gets written in <insert crappy media source here> is it?
This team hasn't won anything of note; do you really think a man of even my limited intellect thought we were going to win the cup? No. But ill carry a whiff of belief for as long as I can, miracles occasionally happen. You be only got to be in any pub during an England / Wales game to see how this apparent arrogance and non-acknowledgement of other teams stirred by the media isn't actually real.
We all love rugby for rugby's sake , and long may that continue.
An aside - a great morning this morning. Jnrs been a bit tackle (well tag) shy in defence, so I targeted him with 5 tags and he gets a post-training bacon roll in the club house, else it's home for a ham sandwich. 8 tags and 3 tries, good lad!
There are a few issues that the Welsh generally have with the English team and their fans, I think (all my subjective opinion ofc):
1) The English seem to be very boorish when they win, which is annoying when 1a) you've lost - only natural.
2) The national press is hugely English biased, which does not help with 1a) above and is really bloody annoying. The English fans may be in the majority but that's no excuse when you're a national media outlet and the other nations are long term rivals.
3) The English historically behaved pretty badly towards the Welsh - in some ways this is not forgotten. It's in the back of some people's minds when 2) happens, or English people are so casually anti-Welsh all the time. It's apparently okay to mercilessly take the piss out of the Welsh in some quite nasty ways, and then say 'don't worry, I was only joking'. Compare Anne Robinson's comments with sexist or racist jokes in the 70s. And the BBC defended her with the same line.
4) In England Rugby is very much a posh boy sport, and in Wales it's working class. That's always going to cause tension.
All of those things contribute to a greater or lesser extent to anti-English rugby, depending on how bitter you are. To be honest, it's mostly 1, 2 and 4 I reckon - and it's mostly anti-English *rugby* rather than anti English. Most people I know have nothing at all against English people, for example English football seems to be pretty popular and people will support the English national side.
4) In England Rugby is very much a posh boy sport, and in Wales it's working class. That's always going to cause tension.
I'm sorry I don't agree. In the seasons i played the teams and league I played in (Kent) was mostly builders, painters, and other working class folk. Same with my boys club. You view is of you reading of the Will Carlings if this world (didn't he look a fat greasy mess last night on TV). The Welsh team has plenty of well off the pitch qualified personnel in it.
Can't help but think that this world cup has come to life since England were eliminated.
No it hasn't - removing England hasn't upped anyone's performance - no more than England being praenr dampened anyone else, they are all just playing themselves in or better as the oppo changes / need to qualify occurs. After that it's pretty much natural selection that leads to all of the better teams playing against each other. England missing doesn't change that.
What an odd thing to say.