Well, I'm sure we'll see lots of replays. Same as we will of that Itoje 'turnover' just gone.
Anyway, England are probably going to win this and if they do it'll be thanks to the front 5. Not so much size or power but mobility Scotland's front 5 can only dream of.
Or of that Scotland dangerous play
I think Marcus Smith isn't a good enough tackler to play 15.
Lucky lucky England
Ach well, can't complain too much. Like I said, too many points left in the 22. Well done England, wish we had your front 5.
Or of that Scotland dangerous play
To be fair, his feet were still lower than Itoje's were on his 'turnover' 😉
Epic game that! So glad of the win for England...
Scotland should be rightly disappointed in themselves... They played better than England for most of the game, but made far too many mistakes and conceded too many penalties.
What a day for Fin Russell to forget his kicking boots though!
Well that was crap.
Cracking game, disappointed to lose but thoroughly enjoyed it. England forward power is the difference.
Have just watched the Calcutta cup after successfully avoiding being told the result at work The England try was a mistake by the referee but it was missed kicks that cost Scotland the match. We have only ourselves to blame.
The England try was a mistake by the referee
Discussed above but I don't think he did. The TV replays are inconclusive, don't show it being definitively grounded but don't show it not being grounded either, it doesn't have a complete set of images either way. Instead you have a referee right on top (look at picture in link) who with his own eyes has seen it down, not just 'I think' but enough to not need to ask for the video ref's help either.
If he's asked for confirmation I still think would have been given because there's nothing that definitively says not down.
If he asked for a reason to give it (ie thought not a try) then it wouldn't have been given.
Even the player was honest enough to say not sure - which I can understand; he could feel downward pressure but has no idea whether that's onto ground or hand. You rely on the ref and accept their decision which I thought was a cornerstone of the respect rugby has for its officials.
So far the list of people who think it was a try is you and Pierre Brousset, with even Freeman embarrassed about it.
“The referee awarded it, therefore I grounded it so…” Freeman said, and by all accounts, the Northampton Saints man went a bright shade of red as a smile grew across his face.
“I think, well, as much as the referee saw at the end of the day. He awarded it so that’s the end of it and I’m not going to say anything different.”
Keep searching and I'm sure you'll find more people to join your club.
So Freeman didn’t really think he’d scored but wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth?
I missed the match sat waiting for folks in arrivals at an airport, but I had the text feed and we lost that in the first half from what could tell. So many opportunities and so few points. We should have buried England by the break and we paid the price.
(and Duhan could have stepped a couple of yards towards the posts to make Mr Russell’s job a little easier 😉)
Not didn't think, didn't know.
Didn't know he hadn't either.
Players play, officials officiate. That's the deal
So far the list of people who think it was a try is you and Pierre Brousset
I think the scoreboard operator and the people who "typeset" the score in the papers are okay with it too.
I'll check for you - yep, it's there in black and white 😉
Wow. It’s just a joy to watch the French when they are in this sort of mood.
Quite a display from France .. Fun to watch.
Some reaction from the French. Poor Italy to be on the receiving end of that.
Re Freemans try I don't believe it matters. England were playing with advantage and may have gone to the corner and Scotland could then have infringed again and had someone binned with a yellow. Ref was actually in a good spot.
But if you want to complain about the referee's performance I watched the aftermatch on ITV having caught the 2nd 1/2 of the French game. Didn't realise that although Duhan could have gone more to the posts the referee actually pulls Fin back out a metre or 2 from where Duhan actually touched it down. That might be the metre he missed by!
Anyone else see itoje complaining to ref to shift russel conversion attempt further towards touch?
Anyone else see itoje complaining to ref to shift russel conversion attempt further towards touch?
Yep, good gamesmanship. The kicker is already under a pretty decent amount of time pressure for conversions. Just wandering up complaining as Itoje was doing can put the preparations off. If you can then convince the ref it's in the wrong place (it wasn't) then that's even better. Make the kick more difficult, cause the kicker to set up again, all the time the clock is ticking down.
Ref should have stopped the clock, checked the positions with the TMO, told Itoje to get back behind the line, and then reset the kick clock and let Russell get on with it.
As it was Russell could have risked complaining about Itoje wandering around complaining but then all that might have done was eaten further into the time (think he had about 20 seconds left when told to move the ball). Probably the best option was just to take the new position and get on with it.
Itoje managed the situation really well. Ref had an absolute shocker by letting him get away with it.
https://twitter.com/jamiehuwroberts/status/1893658251629092962
Feels a bit like Scotland lost that rather than England winning it. Good to see Wales showing progress, I thought they had a pretty good game.
Respect the kicker Ireland respect the kicker!!
Ireland lost that in the first 20 not getting a couple of scores down with all that pressure. If you give France anything they will take you apart.
Wals making Scotland look good again!
Scotland looking good again, hopefully it will last through the second half....
Christ; we are sleeping.
Scotland trying to lose this
Held out.... We need two seconds rows and another tighthead though...
Scotland went to pieces when Russell went off, all they had to do was kick the leather off the ball and watch Wales implode, instead they went all Harlem Globetrotters
All Harlem Globetrotters without the success .......... Disappointing lack of cohesion
Oh no just seen my man crush DuPont limp off.
Not seen any of the games today
Scotland had the opportunity to put on a bit of a show today but they didn't manage to. I felt the middle part of the second half was poor especially after Russell went off. The look on his face when Wales got their last try said it all
Wales were very poor in the first half but they didn't give up . Overall not much for anyone to cheer
Oh no just seen my man crush DuPont limp off.
That was a nasty injury and looked at best careless from Bierne
Does ITV had two sets of commentators talking over each other or is just my tellybox
How that was not a penalty try from the collapsed maul I will never understand. He claimed no maul formed I believe.
That Italian Number 8 is a bit rapid
Great weather for a 6N match in London yesterday. Who knew rugby was a summer sport? England weren't sensational but the score probably flattered Italy who were kept in it by the 8 & 15 alone pretty much.
This forum is in it's death throws
Ouch if you're Welsh🤔
I haven’t enjoyed an England performance this much for ages 🙂
Thought Wales were going to give us a challenge early on in the first half, then it changed… rapidly.
Next up Scotland to win.
Clocks in the red, scrum in the centre, ok lads, one last try eh?
Next up Scotland to win.
Can't see it somehow. It's taken me a while to come round to the conclusion everyone else seems to have come to but I reckon it's time for Townsend to move on.
Hopefully the next 80 minutes will make me eat my words but I really don't see that happening.
Yeah they’re a bit mixed team this year, but they are capable.
I haven’t enjoyed an England performance this much for ages 🙂
I thought the Italy Ireland game was a much better game to watch.
Does ITV had two sets of commentators talking over each other or is just my tellybox
Not sure but its terrible commentary
