Just leave it as is.

I think world rugby have said they not going to look at it specifically. a.k.a. stop whinging. There's been a ridiculous amount of hand flapping, Two other good games of rugby and all the press have is outage that England were made to look silly.

Can't see it becoming commonplace, has has been said above, its now obvious how to get around.

There were many many occasions where Italy started with men in the ruck then withdrew. They then went offside

coulda sworn I said that already!

yep, I watched the match again last night, it was actually shockingly refereed. I can see why there was utter confusion. At one point in the second half, England counter rucked, got the ball back, 3 Italians got out and then they proceeded to run around the other side as the ref shouted tackle. How you're supposed to play to that I have no idea.

I also saw nothing wrong with hask talking to the ref to understand how it was going to be reffed, however the fact that nobody on the England team seemed to know what to do about ti was quite worrying.
Not sure I immediately follow that every other nation would however...

Maybe its just me but the England v Italy game, reminded me of a game from my school days. I don't have an issue with that, all this crap about rugby isn't rugby without an intensely contested breakdown is garbage IMHO.

The International referees wash up might be interesting this week! I wonder if Poite enjoyed the game or not - certainly was different!!

Storm in a teacup now

The only thing that matters is the next matches

Wales v Ireland on Friday evening (after a big lunch, marvellous!) and a hard fought Calcutta Cup on the Saturday. Shame we have a "missing" weekend. But more time for the build-up...

This is when Lions places will really start to emerge instead of too many players harming their chances to date!!

Yep - the next round will set up the final weekend. 2 big home nation clashes, with the Europeans doing their own thing. Hopefully we will find out a lot more about both England and Scotland. As I said earlier, I'll happily accept a 1pt W. I'm sure Scotland will be travelling in expectation rather than hope for the first time in a while.

Then again, post WC, Sco were favourites for the first game v us last year. Seems a long time ago now. 17 times now I've heard "they'll need to play a lot better if they want to beat xxxxxxx" I would imagine a lot of teams find England quite hard to play now.

I've got 17hrs flying the morning after the Wales v Ireland game. Not clever!

Bad timing Capn, you'll miss the better match!! 😉

I've got 17hrs flying the morning after the Wales v Ireland game. Not clever!

Will you be wearing rugby boots?

Booked flights to make sure I didn't....! Wales v Ireland is the pick of the games next time.

Who wants to watch a one sided affair at the Library? 😉

Might watch some of it, midnight kick off though. 🙁

I'm sure Scotland will be travelling in expectation rather than hope for the first time in a while.

I don't know about that, surely England are still significant favourites despite the last few matches, maybe I'm pesamistic but after the last few years of 'potential' but I'm living in fear of Scotland fizzling out again.

Who wants to watch a one sided affair at the Library?

Look we might have a team full of thickos but dont rule England out that quickly. 😉

Three home nations in a row cant throw victory away can they?

17 hours Flashy?? You spend longer on aeroplanes than I do!!

I'll be watching both games on t'internet in St Lucia - tough job this week 🙂 I watched the last Lions Test there 4 years ago when we destroyed Australia - 20 of us gathered around an IPad at 7AM with intermittent wifi!!

CX to SIN via HKG.

UVF, eh? Isn't that a Gatwick route?

SIN via HK?

Yep, am coming back through HKG later in the week, and this route works out cheaper on CX than using Dan Air 😉

Also, breakfast in The Pier fLounge at HKG.... 🙂

You must love being on planes - I have has a long haul sabbatical over past 2 years (sniff no gold card!) and have missed BAs attempts to dress up the same meal under different names! Also missed out badly on films!!

Anyway, we digress, back to the English thickos...

Yes, out of LGW. We fly from both on the 777 fleet.

Don't love it, but work means I have to, and it pays the bills! All business class, so not too terrible.

Anyway, anyone else think Italy could do a number on France? Might be worth a punt!

Could -yes.
Will - doubt it.

France much more disciplined than previously.

English thickos...

In the interests of balance and because Orcs has previously been used, I'm assuming its OK to re-introduce the words, Taffs, Frogs & Jocks into this thread. I mean, I just want to make sure no-one's being overly racist and there are level terms with regard to the use nationalist nicknames of the Rugby teams in this thread seeing as AA and THM can't help themselves.

Kryton - I've given up. Now I just use if to justify my smugness if we win.

😯 have you switched your irony filter off, kryton?

He cant help being a thicko!!

Oh, national and personal too. Thanks for the precedent, I just want to understand the rules of engagement.

I thought THM was English, its hard to tell though!!

Well, a sense of humour might help.....
#Obviouslyajoke

For you perhaps? Obvious for everyone else.

Seriously krypton can you not spot irony - does it need to be in CAPITAL LETTERS? Yes and as CFH says a SOH helps!

Did Kryton not have to self moderate after the Wales game? For somebody who is very touchy when anybody mentions pudding, he is fairly wanting to chuck it out. Oh; and THM is one of your own Kryton, so it is a TRIFLE unfair to use him as an example of somebody abusing poor ickle England.

English thickos isn't one of those traditional national insults... is it?

the white orc on steriods thing came from those nasty kiwis didnt it?

a TRIFLE unfair

😆

My prawn sandwich comment from a few pages back wasnt picked up on. Bloody Tarquins.

Tut, tut ducks - not using words out of context to take the proverbial are you 😉 nice choose of capitals though 😀

Thin skinned folk get q upset and best avoided, it's takes them years to get over it!!

Sorry AA - we just ignored you! 😈

Plus I can't eat sandwiches on my low carb diet.

😉

Does the humour improve when there is a weekend off!!

Sorry AA - we just ignored you!

Sob, just like the Lions to the welsh players...becoming an irrelevance

In the interests of balance and because Orcs has previously been used, I'm assuming its OK to re-introduce the words, Taffs, Frogs & Jocks into this thread. I mean, I just want to make sure no-one's being overly racist and there are level terms with regard to the use nationalist nicknames of the Rugby teams in this thread seeing as AA and THM can't help themselves.

Double post

Bit of an anti-climax for 3000 a_a 😐

This is funny. Funnier because CFH is as English as anyone in this thread!

Are there many English who pretend to be something else?

If you say so.

As I've regularly said - Welsh father, English mother. Was brought up on Welsh Rugby.

So was I but as a supporter of the losing side. 😯 Regulalry beaten up by the great Welsh teams on a consistent basis.

Still fun to be part of an U12 (yes U12 and in those days) English touring side to Wales and stuffing John Bevan's school team 52 - 0 in the 70s. Helped that we also had a Welsh coach!!

Apparently Bevan was as blind as a bat and they whistled to him when passing the ball!

prawn sandwich

That's because in the West Car Park, Black Velvet and Oysters is more our thing.

Bit of an anti-climax for 3000

In keeping with the previous 2999

[i] Are there many English who pretend to be something else?[/i]

I qualify for all home nations, Irish Grandparents, Scottish grandparent, born England, residency rules for Wales 4 years and some.
Brought up on Rugby league and then to Union as a player in my teens.

Personally enjoy going to Murray field more than Twickenham for many reasons but just like Rugby.

@aa I was going to say I'm normally too full of London Pride for Sandwiches of any kind. I'm glad I wasn't at the game I'd have burst a blood vessel shouting at the Italians 🙂

TMH lost my Gold Card back in 2009, change of policy meant all flights under 10hrs where in economy. Stupid really as we never took a red eye thereafter, eg day flight back from NY, nothing ever arriving / leaving on a weekend ... lifetime tier points on the statement are a constant reminder of the past !

I qualify for all home nations, Irish Grandparents, Scottish grandparent, born England, residency rules for Wales 4 years and some.
Brought up on Rugby league and then to Union as a player in my teens.

Samoan, then? 😉

Like vondally, Scottish grandparents, born in England, lived in Wales. So I support Italy.

Fijian 8)

An Islander then?

Barry Island?

Like most Welsh fans, born and bred in England and only watch when we play the orcs 😉

As I've regularly said - Welsh father, English mother. Was brought up on Welsh Rugby.

Apart from when living in Wales. Or France.

🙂

Wait......WHAT ARE YOU SAYING ABOUT TJ?
😉

Ooooh a_a....

I know I am hugely biased but any player who can do that on what is pretty much his first game of the season has to be something special. What a shame his head and his body werent up to it. He could have played 150 times for Wales by now.....wistfully stares into the distance and wanders off......

I was going to post about that Henson performance earlier, but thought it must've been done already - amazing that he can just slot in at no.10 in a premiership club, put in a man of the match performance and beat the club that sacked him in the progress. As a_a says.. what coulda been eh?

put in a man of the match performance and beat the club that sacked him in the progress

Did Bath sack him? I thought they just didnt renew his contract... I lose track Blues sacked him and Toulon....wasnt he at Saffercens for a couple of weeks too....
Playing only 5 matches every 2 seasons he could go on forever I imagine.

Maybe they didn't sack him, but you know, a former club! (I guess there's a few of those 😆 )

The stuff I hear about him from some other bristol players is hugely complimentary. If he used to have attitude problems, he doesn't now.
If/when he can't play on, I hope we keep him in a coaching capacity.

Watched the bath Bristol game on skyplayer Henson was head an shoulders the best player in that match.

For all his past demons, he's a glorious player to watch. Ghosting in to gaps, offloading deftly, kicking like some sort of God. Lovely to watch him on song.

What a player he could have been............

🙁

Watched the bath Bristol game on skyplayer Henson was head an shoulders the best player in that match.

Decent sized crowd, what sort average gate are Bristol getting?

Pretty well attended - I think maybe 12-13k for home games. The Bath game would be a blip. Obviously that's going to attract a massive crowd. [EDIT: even the full length wax jackets have a short trip from Bath so I'd imagine the away crowd would have been substantial.] Think that was 15k+? Worth noting that Ashton Gate is a pretty fine stadium these days. It'll need Bristol City to maintain Championship status though - and that's looking shaky at the moment. We're I not doing in-law duties in the W Midlands, I'd have gone. I bet it was rocking there.

Good to see such decent sized crowds.

Reported 16k at the bath game. Attendances usually between 8-12k dependent on the comp and opposition. We pulled in around 8k even in the championship. Cider and ale on tap, get down there!

So on to the calcutta cup!

I think Scotland will need to come out all guns blazing. No settling into the game but attack from the off. I think contestable kicks to the wings(which worked well against Wales) when we have to kick but otherwise move the ball around as much as possible. Attack Ford as well and go for turnovers and counter attacks.

Scotland will create chances but making them count will be hard.

England have to deprive Scotland of possession. I fear for our scrum and lineouts will be a good battle.

The breakdown will be interesting. Speed V Power. Watson is by far the fastest of the lot but I've seen big guys throw him around like a ragdoll. He has a point to prove in this match.

In the end I think the bench is what will do it for England. I expect Scotland to be in touch at the hour but England to win it in the last 20. I hope Scotland make sure England have to play wellto win, but if England do play well they will win

I think it depends to a large extent which England team turns up, and to some extent which Scotland team turns up. I hope it's the Scotland that have finally learned how to finish their fine work with a try. Against the England who have learned to salvage wins despite playing poorly, it could be a fine match.

I think it depends to a large extent which England team turns up

Careful, I'd say they have a point to prove. I don't think Scotland will be a pushover but that's good, I think England need a tough game going into the Ireland match if they are even to dream of a Grand Slam.

The scrum will be a major issue for Scotland against England, pretty much expecting the same as against Ireland.

Given how well the Scots back row performed against Wales it will be a fascinating encounter but I feel Scotland will have the edge.

Second rows will be a tremendous tussle, possibly the best locks in the 6 nations in action. Johnie Gray has been outstanding but so has Launchbury, add in Lawes tackling and it will be a crucial element.

Cracking game, I hope!

Should be a cracker and personally had the game been at Murryfield I would have given Scotland the edge. As it stands I think England will in the end run out clear winners after a few edgy moments and a close first half. It's good to see Scotland back and following up their RWC QF with further progress.

With the scots performing as well as they have, and with england misfiring and looking underwhelming in the back row; I'm not overly optimistic about an england win. If Eddie can get them going as we know they can then it would be an england win, but he hasn't done it so far this tournament.

Last season Scotland could have won Laidlaw missed a couple of penalties and Russell kicked when he had Hogg outside him for a long range try ....All ifs and buts.

I hope it will be close game both sides are hugely reslient, and can score with limited opportunities.

England seem to have forgotten how to lose - which is handy.

Scotland can win if they get far enough ahead that England can't turn them over in the final 20 but I doubt that they will.

England have been poor so far and were only good in patches in the Autumn so maybe they're due a decent 80 minute performance.....

Good show currently on RTE2 called toughest job.

Shane Williams playing GAA in Ireland and a GAA chap over at Clermont

I take it everyone has seen the image google has seen fit to use for st davids day? 😀

A Welsh love spoon you mean?