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Good Welsh line-up, almost 100% full strength side
3rd choice hooker and 4th choice lock appart, I'd have started with Hook at 15 amd 1/2p on wing as Hooks work as a second distibuter on the edge of the blitzing 13 has been very good. apparently he has chicken pox a the moment so the bench could chage.
Tuilagi is a real threat, certainly would prefer him not to play.
Can't wait for the front row battle.
Pah I'm dreading it all. This is the least confident I've felt about england ever.
I have to admit, I am a Tuilagi fan. Not just Manu, but the whole 5 brothers who've all played GP and international rugby. That's a hell of a family!
+1
I would expect that the front rows will cancel each other out as both tightheads should have the advatage over the looseheads. That said Owens isnt as strong a scrumager as Rees or Bennett and scrumaging is a strength of Hartley. Owens is pretty good at the darts though so hopefully the lineouts will function OK
Aye, but who is he throwing to? I would expect Lawes to wreck havoc in the Welsh line.
Tuilagi should give the England side some go forward they have been missing. Still struggling for creativity inside him tho - Flood does not look to be at his best yet
Ian Evans and AW Jones are both very capable, Lawes is middle jumper is he not/ Dont think he'll worry Ian Evans much as long as the chucking in is OK. Ian Evans was pretty damn good against both Ireland and Scotland (scotland game the welsh lineout was good once Owens came on second half). Hartley's darts have been poor thus far so I'm not too worried about the lineout TBH
Really do expect Wales to put a bucket-load past England. England have been really, really poor so far and were very lucky to sneak wins against equally poor Scottish and Italian sides.
Don't expect Tuilagi to make much difference - agree with TJ that he's pretty one-dimensional. Strong runner, but doesn't seem to offer much creativity, either for the players outside him or to beat a man himself (other than running over the top of him...).
stevomcd, this is pretty much the way I feel. I wish we had an Englishman who is anything like George North.
I think Wales will dominate the match and win comfortably but not by a huge number maybe a similar scoreline to the one they beat Scotland by. The 6 Nations very rarely throws up massive beatings (on the scoreboard at least) these days.
I don't think Jackson will start for Scotland think Robinson will stick with Laidlaw. Close match, winner by less than 7 and could go either way.
Ireland to beat Italy by 6-12 points
I believe Tuilagi was an overstayer, 6 years on a tourist visa, and was in line for depoartation, not sure how he wriggled out of that one. Got arrested in NZ at the World Cup too. It stinks to high heaven... more so than Zola Budd...
😳 I've just won tickets for Twickers, my son is already plumbing the depths/winding me up with his great-grandma being Welsh.
I've told him that still doesn't qualify him to support Wales. He'll just have to MTFU, although my inner fantasist is still hopeful that Robshaw and co will win. 😆
In fact I am going to lower the tone and say it's cheating to defraud the immigration system in this way to get good players. Unless the All Blacks do it of course, in which case it is heroic.
I believe Tuilagi was an overstayer
Bit different to;
an illegal immigrant overstaying on a tourist visa ??
I don't think they made allowances for him and it certainly doesn't stink. Have a look at some UK immigration cases, they cannot even deport rapists, murderers and known terrorists.
I am with Toys19 on eligibility. Rule is 3 years residency at present right or wrong it is the same for everyone. Overstayed visa or not Manu T has been here 3 years and he may not be the most skillful player in the game but hs is good to watch and the English backline needs fired up up since the back three aint getting the ball.
glitchybump
hels, I understand that he was wanted by Leicester, who then checked out his work visa. He didn't have one. He then went back to Samoa to apply. Got it, and returned. Played for Tigers for 2 years, and then got slected by England - after making it very clear that would be his prefered team, and qualifying on residancy roughy 5 years before being picked.
Seems above board? Or maybe I'm missing the daily mail, have a rant half a story side of things?
Didnt seem to be posting!
Anyway I hope Lancaster brings in Morgan and Dickinson otherwise he is following in the steps of Martin Johnson.
Also would like to see Farrell, Barrit and Tualagi in 10, 12, 13. Hodgson will get run over and Im not sure Flood is ready yet. If they keep a close hold on them until about 60mins bring Flood on but if we dont stay close to them in the first 60 we have no hope
arsebuggerglitchybump
Also would like to see Farrell, Barrit and Tualagi in 10, 12, 13. Hodgson will get run over and Im not sure Flood is ready yet. If they keep a close hold on them until about 60mins bring Flood on but if we dont stay close to them in the first 60 we have no hope
Agree with all of that. Personally I'd like to see Simpson-Daniel outside of Tuilagi in attack, with the wing/full back running off him.
Cannot see wales winning by much at twickenham it just wont happen. England are a solid team who will be hard to beat, Morgan andTuilagi should get them over the gainline which has been the problem till now. If they can do that then the back 3 might see some ball. Without Hook can Wales create against a good defence, I'm not sure. That said it will right spoil my b'day if wales loose.
I'm not sure of the legalities of imigration to Wales but , if there's an issue about fielding "foreigners", this lot certainly weren't born there:
Alex Cuthbert - Gloucester, England
Jonathan Davies - Solihull, England
Dan Lydiate - Salford, England
George North - Kings Lynn, England
Toby Faletau - Tofoa, Tonga
Ian Evans - Johannesburg, S Africa
Anyway, back to the rugby - England to win by a couple of penalties.
Wales will struggle for ideas when they find players in midfield tackling them, they've not come across that yet this 6nations.
loum, that's my point. Who gives a shit really, the authorities have decided it's fine, nationality is an arbitrary line anyway, lets just set it and play over it.
Meanwhile. AA stop it.
Wales will struggle for ideas when they find players in midfield tackling them, they've not come across that yet this 6nations.
Just re-read my post above and need to clarify that it's not meant to do any disservice to Scotland, they defended well but got hit hard by the sin-binnings.
Ireland, on the other hand, looked like they were playing three Ronan OGaras in the middle.
Ok ioun where did Botha and Stevens come from or Hartley
botha, stevens =saffa
hartley = kiwi
WGAS.
WGAS.
+1
looking forward to the game, very uncomfortable about it though.it goes against the grain to be going into a game as favourites, hope the team live up to the reputation, and that its another good game to watch.
WGAS?
Who Gives A Stuff
I certainly dont just dont see how some welsh players being born in england majes them less welsh. Didnt know ian evans was born in south africa.
AA I agree, I'm happy that any player any of us have is valid if the sanctioning body says they are valid, I hope everyone else is too, can we move on, this is dull.
Always made me laugh when Dewi Morris played for England and Rupert Moon played for Wales. Surely some mistake?
I do think the qualification should be tighter than it is
England 22 announced
http://www.rfu.com/News/2012/February/NewsArticles/210212_players_retained.aspx
a bit thin in the back three
Biggest problem with Moon was that Rob Jones was available and that ****in big nosed donkey was picked!
I give a stuff, I know folk who have been deported for much much less. Normal people, if they overstay a tourist visa thats game over, literally and metaphorically, no second chances, not even a passport wedding can save them.
It just annoys me that there is one rule for some folk and another for sports stars, but I guess to qote another welshman, it's not unusual.
Heard a rumour that Danny Cipriani is being courted by Sale, rumour mentioned in the MEN and Dave Swanson of Sale has contacts in the paper.
Hmmm, I wonder....
P.S.
I would have thought being born in England would have a lessening effect on being considered Welsh... 😉
Hels i agree with your point to an extent but not bothered about him being in the england rugby team.
I would have thought being born in England would have a lessening effect on being considered [s]Welsh.[/s]Scottish.....
🙂
Twitter feeds and the Sale message boards all wittering about an iminent announcement about Cipriani..
Sale had previously announced they were looking for another No10 player, could Cips be the one?
Na CFH. We are claiming Ben McFoden and George McNorth having discovered they are actually Scots. We already have Tim McVisser
The Cipriani story was in the Sunday Times.
If Sale want a half-good sleb fly half at ten, he's the ideal!
I'm unconvinced by Cips but Dimes has made a good job with a certain big and daft Welshman.. 😉