Why are the French wearing Spiderman costumes?

Dilly dally is blinder them me!!

Awful start by England so far.

Looks like the wheels are about to come off Eddie's chariot. Gulp.

That English line out was dire.

Good to see that england don't have to adhere to the rules this year.

Are we all looking forward to the gif of that lineout?

🙄

England seriously undercooked in the pack. Missing Billy, Hask and Robshaw big time.
Youngs having a mare, Ford anonymous.

Picamoles is looking imperious.

Has lawes got the worst hands of any professional rugby player in the world?

CJ Stander took the award for "Butter Fingers" in the first game.

Mike Brown has bagged the "**** of The Week" already with one and a half games to go.

Itoje is lucky another high hit is ignored.

Has lawes got the worst hands of any professional rugby player in the world?

Aled Brew?

Aye, spotted that second Itoje attempt. Why's he going so high?

Some kick that was! 😀

What did brown do?

Mike Brown has bagged the "**** of The Week" already with one and a half games to go.

To be fair, the Pound Shop Phil Mitchell had that sewn up before the tournament began.

18 nil to the ref!

the Pound Shop Phil Mitchell had that sewn up before the tournament began.

Shoulder charged a player without the ball on France's first excursion down the right wing.

And for being Mike Brown.

🙂

France have managed to rattle England big time. We look very inaccurate and nervous. The scrum hasn't been the disaster that I was expecting.

In attack we seem to be running out of ideas very quickly and are resorting to kicks or just being rubbish and knocking on.

Shoulder charged a player without the ball on France's first excursion down the right wing.

The scrum hasn't been the disaster that I was expecting.

Been fiddling about Aussie style has a scrum been completed without a collapse?

We do look like a pack with a lot of players out of position... and no back row.

I'll take 9-9 though particularly given the yellow card - hopefully the big French units will tire in the 2nd half...

In attack we seem to be running out of ideas very quickly

Because the forwards arent generating quick ball so the small england backs have no space and lack someone to bang it up

SCW has been pretty scathing about our back row. Wood needs to come off or the ref will tire of him constantly infringing.

What a mess.

Been fiddling about Aussie style has a scrum been completed without a collapse?

None, but at least we haven't been penalised off the park or found a prop in the bin. I'll take that up against those French lumps.

"Scrumtime"

AAAARGH! STFU, Dayglo!

Why the fudge is Brown competiting at the breakdown to win turn overs? Where the hell is the back row? Jeez.

So close by Daly. Great tackle.

That is a ****ing ruck. How were england not holding on?

Justice done

England forwards are getting shat on and can only respond by trying to pick on the young 9

What the F*** are you on about?

**** me...

The lack of Billy and Mako is really showing up now. We can't generate any go forward.

What the F*** are you on about?

Wood hit him late after the whistle then Cloe had a go later. Open your other eye!

Wood has hit pretty much everyone on the field late, resided offside, gone in at the side and generally been a brainless muppet.

I'm just hoping the Northampton effect on North is like Picamoles not Wood!!!

Lets just get ask and harrison (never thought I'd say that) on.

The magic arm band!!!

LOL.

MOTM Picamoles, kind of says it all, not a decent player in today's england team.
#PissPoor&Lucky

Thank **** for that.

Some good stuff from England and did enough to go into the book as a win. Give France credit for the massive improvement from last year.

Well we got away with that...

Did EJ pull it out of the bag with the timing of his replacements?

Lots of work to do - not sure Wood can keep his place? The MO at 6 experiment wasn't a success - he looked a different player once he was back at lock?

Bottom line is we won't win much if we keep getting beaten in the pack...

Good gutsy win by England.

+ the ITV after match host is particularly annoying and clearly knows FA about rugby.

+ the ITV after match host is particularly annoying and clearly knows FA about rugby.

David Flatman? Your probably right ... 😀

V lucky England - far too many school boy errors..

Well played New Zealand! Your try saved the game.

LOL @ "magic arm guard"!

England were utterly shit. But they won, so there's that!

Why was Itoje going high and looking for trouble? Why was Wood such a donkey? Why is Courtney Lawes? Etc.

Generally poor by England, let off my unforced French errors. Ultimately good subs, but they should have been on at least ten minutes earlier. Not surprised by the MOTM, and he's been well out in front in the premiership stats.

Agreed on Picamoles. Immense.

MOTM Picamoles, kind of says it all, not a decent player in today's england team.
#PissPoor&Lucky

It's very satisfying that it has upset you so much. Happy days.

When's the next time New Zealand play Fiji?

I believe that teo has an English parent, he has that in common with George north at least.

I believe that teo has an English parent, he has that in common with George north at least.

Does he speak fluent welsh too?
What about Hughes thats a welsh name!!

? Vunipola x2, Captain Gouge? People in glass houses etc!!

I believe that teo has an English parent

Any Samoan parents as well? After all, he played rugby (league, admittedly) for Samoa.

#armguardforhire

Oh dear... a win is a win but WTF? I am looking forward more to watching Daughter and Barnsley ladies play at Derby tomorrow it will be a hard game but will be played with passion and skill something mostly lacking today. Last 16 of womens junior cup( finalist last year 😀 😀 looking good for this year as well, send the lads down to watch!

The Samoan/Kiwi try. Nice blocking from Lawes.

[img] [/img]

Vunipola

Both educated in England once at secondary school (Thornbury then Harrow) and played age grade rugby for England. Also both made senior appearances for English clubs...

The residency rules are way too short. There were enough imports playing in the first game too...

Anyway, the bench made the difference. We got away with that big style.

The back row was useless and the pack generally got schooled. Itoje at six really didn't work. Lots of work to do before we head to Cardiff. Wales won't be worried about anything they saw today.

I'm still in shock.

Both educated in England once at secondary school (Thornbury then Harrow) and played age grade rugby for England.

Mako does sound very welsh though!!

Wales won't be worried about anything they saw today.

? Vunipola x2, Captain Gouge? People in glass houses etc

And your Samoan international, wrecker?

Well I think before the game someone said the England pack looked a little undercooked.

It turns out I was right!

England were pish but got away with it. What was up with the tackling? The backs didn't seem to have played together before. Farrell was poor too - some aimless kicking.

The bench shored it up.

I'm glad we weren't playing SCotland.

But importantly, England, however shit they were, still won. It doesn't have to be a try fest, 3 points to 0 works ok! So much to improve on, and I suspect France won't lose all games this year. So a good French side lost to a crap English one, there's been worse starts to the 6 nations.. (certainly if you're Irish right now...)

And your Samoan international, wrecker?

He played international rugby for Samoa. Made his choice, surely?

It's very satisfying that it has upset you so much. Happy days.

You think that england were anything but dire.

Yeah not great. France were by far the better team in the first half but that ended all square despite england having a bloke in the bin for 10 minutes. England the better team in the second half, and got the points to go with it.
It's not luck, one of the things I like about rugby is that there are very rarely "lucky" results. Despite not playing great rugby, they took their chances and did what they needed to. France didn't.

He played international rugby for Samoa. Made his choice, surely?

namastebuzz - Member

I'm glad we weren't playing SCotland.

Thank you. It's not often you hear that from (I presume) an Englishman during the 6N.

To be fair I'm glad Ireland only turned up for the 2nd half.

Wrecker, I know it's not your call, and I suspect we very much agree! Residency rules are a joke, and made even more so by code switching, country switching mercenaries.

He's a mercenary. 😉
[img] [/img]

Not the first, either.
[img] http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/nov-2000-lesley-vainikolo-of-new-zealand-is-congratulated-by-his-team-picture-id1080628 [/img]

Whatever happened to the great talent that was Lesley "Volcano" Vainokolo?
Oh yes, he kept getting sacked down through the French leagues!

The most pertinent thing is, I can't remember us ever getting a proper (3 year residency) mercenary with no heritage qualification who was any good!
Henry Paul, Mauritz Botha, and a few others; all shite!

http://www.planetrugby.com/news/all-black-tests-positive-for-banned-substance/

the [s]All Blacks[/s]New Zealand lock was tested last year for performance enhancing drugs before New Zealand’s Test against France, which led to the player going back to New Zealand, citing personal reasons for his departure.

So, caught doping and then covering it up with 'personal reasons'?

Incidentally I leant a little more about the law today...

(a) Minimum. At least two players from each team must form a lineout.
Sanction: Free Kick on the 15-metre line

(b) Maximum. The team throwing in the ball decides the maximum number of players in the lineout.

(c)
The opposing team may have fewer lineout players but they must not have more.

Thanks Vern.

Went to cinema/dinner mid way through so only just caught up. The great thing about England playing badly is the vitriole it stirs up among other nations!! Good to see us able to win ugly where necessary and bench were superb. But so may errors!

Well done England, for a tremendous run!

vitriol[s]e[/s]

Itoje at 6 didnt work.
France failed to take chances.
Haskal was very good when he came on and as I said the lack of go forward up front meant the small England backs couldnt do anything as they had no space. Teo helped that by running straight. Also the ref was a massive homer. How a struggling England scrum got away with not actually scrumaging for 50 mins was inredible.

How do we get away in it - bungs, big ones. Why do you think we are able to cheat consistently?

Two teams who could and probably should have won both lost. Two teams who could and probably should have lost both won - just. So which teams are happier, which ones are top of the table and which ones should be copping the flak!!!

Why do you think we are able to cheat consistently?

I think France, Italy and Argentina get routinely shocking deals out of refs who cannot speak their langauages and I think home advantage on top of that played a part. The differences in how long English players had to be over all ball to get a pen compared to the French was massive. Look at ghe ruck before Daly's non try. The ref was not consistent.

I am still shocked by that Scotland performance. The finally did what they have been threatening to do for a while and blew Ireland away in that first 30 mins. Intensity and pace and a little bit of Russell magic.

Superb defence that was so well organised that even tho they missed too many tackles Ireland hardly got an overlap all game. Again its the speed - both linespeed and the speed with which they get back up and into the defensive line

The Gray brothers were immense. Watson showed plenty of fight and did his job well. Nice to see a specialist 7 on the field being a bloody pest on defensive rucks and clearing out in attack.

Fagerson - he is only 21, played a full 80 mins, held up his side of the scrum and very useful in the loose with a couple of turnovers and some good runs. He is going to be very special indeed.

Russell - what can you say. Today most of the passes stuck and so he is the hero. Its always heart in the mouth stuff watching him but his eye for space and ability to put players into space is incredible and he was the difference in the two sides. Plays so flat and bambooozles defences

Laidlaw - a good captains game. Got a bit of pace on the ball when it was on, slowed it down only when needed. Nailed his kicks.

Fantastic performance all round. Finally showed the bottle to close out a close game

Correct AA, it's institutionalised favouritism. Refs are complicit. Plus our foreign imports are better than theirs - actually not true, I though Spedding looked very dangerous. Must be all the biltong a l'ail he eats.

So two sides blew great chance for away wins - cheating aside - who should be the fall guys?

Stil two (arguably) lucky winners - one unbelievable, one dreadful. What does that say?

Anyway good luck Wales - one "sure" away win this weekend?