Tight that was. Good kick Greg
Bit nervy that one!
On the other hand the Scots need to get used to winning tight matches. It might do them good.
I'll take that, now to get totally pished. It's colder than a witch's tit here.
Some interesting scores this weekend. Great result for Italy against SA! I'm in San Diego so missed the games live sadly.
My South African friends are stunned! For the second week running . . . .
Forza Azzuri!
Just caught up with scores after an overnight flight. Wales are just pants at the moment. Shouldn't be scraping past teams like Japan, really. Not that Japan are bad, but that Wales really should be so much better.
Hogg is a complete **** isn't he? Makes Ashton look like a sound bloke.
POSTED 12 HOURS AGO #
Laidlaw not much better constantly trying to claim penalties from players apparently holding onto the ball on the floor. Told to get on with it a couple of times by the ref. Git.
What did Hogg do? Loopy Liam, Angry Man Brown and Hogg? Are fullbacks the new 9's?
Was at Twckenham and enjoyed the game. England's passing game looked very slick at times, especially when you compare into the crap they served up at the WC just over a year ago. The press are bemoaning the defence, but Fiji were always going to get on the board at some point and it must be hard to keep up the energy and commitment when you're that far ahead so quickly. The press seem to have forgotten very quickly that yesterday was the most points put on Fiji this year (it was mentioned an awful lot in the build up that they're no mugs etc).
Feel for Japan, would have been great result for them to draw. The Welsh tactics appear to be very muddled combined with some players not being on top form.
Scotland really needed that win. Laidlaw needs to stop whinging though. He's a very good player but it gets tiresome.
All Blacks were very much 'on the edge' of the laws yesterday, if not over them. They seemed up the physicality a lot and put in a few cheap shots etc.
Great result for Italy. Where now for the Boks? Not a good tour for them at all.
Australia pipped France despite their scrum getting monstered. Cheika not happy with the angles of the French props at all by the sounds of it.
Howley and Mcbride have got to go,
No mention of the georgians beating Samoa?
Gotta be the upset of the weekend, and adds to the argument that they deserve inclusion into a major comp?
It wasn't that long ago that Italy and Argentina got thumped every time they took the field. It was only the exposure to the top level which bought them on.
Come one World rugby, if you want the sport to grow, you have to let it!
The Welsh tactics appear to be very muddled combined with some players not being on top form.
I take issue with this. The tactics are not muddled they are clear same as they have been for years they are also clear to the opposition and are outdated and ineffective.
As for some players not being on top form almost all of them are underperforming to a massive degree and are not even getting to average form.
They have a woman commenting on the England Fiji game.....make it stop! 😥
They have a woman commenting on the England Fiji game.....make it stop!
Agreed - shouty monotone and inane.
I would love Scotland to step out of playing tier1 teams for a while and get early season games against the likes of Japan and Georgia.
Japan show that they are a handful and I think the tier1 nations struggle with them because they are so used to playing in set tier1 patterns that they can't break out of it when the opposition don't do the expected.
I see Launchbury was cited for a kick - anyone seen it? He's not considered a dirty player? Not impressed with the approach of the ABs this weekend.
Laidlaw just talks at the ref like every other 9.
Hogg, is he looking a bit heavy? Think he's lost the edge? There were a few off the balls from him but there's loads of pros that do that. Another sign his powers are not what they were.
You may not like him, but there's nothing in that clip. Look at his legs, he trips over, plus there's no contact I can see between his elbow and the player on the ground.
I think there is plenty of intent, just doesn't make contact
dantsw13 - MemberYou may not like him, but there's nothing in that clip. Look at his legs, he trips over, plus there's no contact I can see between his elbow and the player on the ground.
Posted 1 hour ago # Report-Post
I saw it on the highlights, he does make contact and burst the old Irish guys mouth. They played the replay quite a few times during the game and it looks bad. That is a crap angle A-A has posted.
It still looks like he tripped over though, rather than intentionally dropping on his elbow.
Guess who?
I was watching the game and Donncha O'callaghan got in a scuffle after the event and his mouth was bleeding. It was only when you saw the replays that you realised he'd been elbowed in the face as he lay on the ground. Then I realised who the miscreant was and it didn't seem so surprising.....
It still looks like he tripped over though, rather than intentionally dropping on his elbow.
When I trip over I put my hand out not my elbow.
I've just seen the other angle.
He knew. It was deliberate.
Scummy player.
I've only seen that one AA posted and that definitely showed he tripped. If, as it appears there is another more damning angle then I'm sure he'll be cited.
He may have tripped that doesnt explain the elbow drop. Looks pretty clear to me.
got to agree with AA there. And besides, he's a scummer.
Yeah if he tripped he'd put his hand out to break his fall but he clearly sticks his elbow out after he started falling.
Utter scum bag, should have been banned from the game after the Rob Hawkins incident.
Launchbury
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I'd give Launchbury the benefit of the doubt. Seems a good player with no previous. Doesn't appear to get involved in much that I have seen. I think it was clumsy and he was possibly being shoved around a bit which ruined his aim. In that situation why would he try to kick the player?
Clark on the other hand has form, Its a shame as he is a very good player. The Hawkins incident will follow him his whole career and this looks deliberate to me.
Surfer, in once sense I agree about Launchbury but it should be on him to avoid kicking a bloke in the head. If the ball is the other side of a head dont kick at the ball. I have said this a number of times and have highlighted this issue before when naff all has happened. Would be a shame for Launchbury if the authorities decide to wake up to this now.
Launchberry should be banned for that - should have been a yellow / maybe a red. Yes there may be no intent but its reckless use of the boot and he connects with someones head - by the laws thats a probable red card.
IIRC last year a welsh player got carded for a similar one
Launchberry gets two weeks ban - about right
"Launchbury accepted the act, missed by the officials, warranted a red card.
The kick was deemed reckless rather than intentional by an independent disciplinary committee, resulting in what would have been a four-week suspension.
However, this was reduced to two weeks because of mitigating factors, including the Wasps forward's guilty plea, his previous clean record and good conduct at the hearing."
IIRC last year a welsh player got carded for a similar one
I thought the welsh just got kicked!!
My fav example
I think it was the first one I was thinking of. Of course the welsh would not get up to skulduggery. Whatever was I thinking of? 😯 😉
I spotted the Clark thing at the time, what set my ref Spidey sense tingling is that he doesn't fall where he should. To me;he changes direction in a way that isn't natural in an attempt to make contact with an opo body.
2 weeks for Launchbury
Lawes will continue to start - doubt they'll bring Kruis back as a starter so who partners Lawes? Atwood hasn't played much Ewels has only just won his first cap.
Will be interesting to see what they do with the backs - May will be back in the running, T'eo has done pretty well and offers something different to the other centres. Both Daly and Roko put down a bit of a marker.
Seems reasonable for launchbury. Shouldn't have done it, it's reckless but I very much doubt it was an aimed kick at the head.
Interested to see what Callum gets, he certainly should be nowhere near a rugby pitch - there's enough potential for injury in the game without getting deliberately harmed by a nutcase.
Liam Williams reported as signed for Saffercens.
End of his international career then ( and his career?) Shame for Wales I rate him as a player even if he is fighting for the twerp of the year award with a couple of others
Why the end of his career?
