If we lose the next two we are unseeded for the next world cup
Being in the Gruppo del Morte didn't do you any harm in the last RWC 😉
@namaste no the Lions aren't going to beat NZ
Wee bit of a stink in the papers today about Swing low, some prof in the USA has written a paper about the appropriation of it being wrong. I have never seen it as anything other than being sung as a rugby song, I think it's great that people in Salmon coloured chinos want to bring some of the atmosphere you get at rugby matches to Twickenham. But all the same;maybe "HQ" should lay a wreath or donate to the rugby eq of Rhodes must fall just to be certain.
Brown; Nowell, Joseph, Farrell, Daly; Ford, Youngs; Marler, Hartley (captain), Cole, Launchbury, Lawes, Itoje, Haskell, Hughes.
Replacements: George, M Vunipola, Sinckler, Wood, B Vunipola, Care, Te'o, Watson
Should beat Scotland with something to spare.
[Kryters] Should [s]beat Scotland[/s] smash the Jocks with something to spare. [/Kryters]
😉
“Such cross-cultural appropriations of US slave songs betray a total lack of understanding of the historical context in which those songs were created by the American slave,” Josephine Wright, a professor of music and black studies at the College of Wooster in Ohio, told the newspaper.
If it has been the College of Jeeves, one might treat her view with more credibility.
On a more boring note, I used to play the game with the people credited with starting it - I dont think their cultural hinterland stretched sufficiently far to make the connection.
Oh dear Scotland. All the Jocks wandering around telling people they are going to smash England for the first time in 34 years at Twickers
Are they?? My feeling is, as an ardent Scotland supporter, we're going to get soundly beaten. I sincerely hope not and logically, based in performances so far I can see Scotland have a chance of winning. I just have a gut feeling its going to be one of those games where Scotland don't get the bounce of the ball, the discipline goes, England get some wind in their sales and win by 14 points 🙁
scotland team up. No surprises
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Billy and Watson on the bench with Nowell, Care and Joseph starting. Can't wait for the game now, England by 10
The only thing worse than FoS - the worst anthem by a country mile - is the abomination that is SWSC.
Other than the tenuous/dubious link to Chris Oti, it has no relevance to English rugby at all. It's dull, repetitive and meaningless like a lot of the marketing BS that's blights the modern game
Has there ever been an entertaining Calcutta Cup game? It seems that both teams go out with a grim determination not to lose. I'm really hoping that Scotland keep up the creativity we've seen so far and I finally get to see an entertaining Scotland v England game.
The only thing worse than FoS - the worst anthem by a country mile
Worse than than God Save the Queen? Really? At least it has a tune rather than just a dirge...Italian is my fav...no idea what they are saying but it bounces along nicely!
The Italian anthem is all about killing their neighbours and that Italians are the greatest IIRC
Billy and Watson on the bench with Nowell, Care and Joseph starting. Can't wait for the game now, England by 10
Care is on the bench, Youngs starts.
Farrell possibly out, possibly Teo at 12.
That changes things.
The Italian anthem is all about killing their neighbours and that Italians are the greatest IIRC
Bit like flower of scotland then!!
Flower of Scotland is a lament for the past and a vision of the future. Its not all about killing folk!
"those days are past now, and in the past they must remain
But we will arise now and be a nation again"
Written in the 60s by a folk duo !
Flower of Scotland is a bloody waltz.
Must be time for my yearly moan about Friday night 6 Nations matches, just plain wrong. Really hacks me off.
Love Friday night games, suit my lifestyle better either to attend or watch on TV. Can go to Cardiff Friday and still get back Saturday to spend some of the weekend with the family.
As anthems go personal favourite is
la marseillaise
Rollicking good
Worst
God save the queen
Right its back to private Frazer mode "we're doomed!"
I still think the benches will be the difference in the Calcutta cup. compare:
J George, M Vunipola, K Sinckler, T Wood, B Vunipola, D Care, B Te’o, A Watson.
to
R Ford, A Dell, S Berghan, T Swinson, C Du Preez, H Pyrgos, D Weir, M Bennett.
Fords - good player but past his best and no game changer.
Dell - inexperienced prop who has been found wanting by Ireland
Bergan - very inexperienced
Swinson - industrious but ineffective
Du Preez - SA import who has been blowing hot and cold in a crap Edinburgh side
Pyrgos - Good SH coming back into form
Weir - barely a decent club 10
Bennett - excellent centre
Hardly a bench to scare England tho is it. I think Scotland will remain in touch for 60 mins - within a score and maybe even ahead. However I think Englands bench will change the game and England will be comfortable in the end. England by 10
BruceWee
I'll be very disappointed if Scotland don't go out to attack. Our tactics surely must be as they have been. Aggressive defence, high tempo and move England around. Attack thru the backs trying to put people into space / mismatches. I bet Scotland will score more than one try
England need to deprive Scotland of the ball and territory and their wide defence will need to be sharp. Look out for high diagonal kicks from Scotland for the wingers to contest - something they tried against Wales with a fair amount of success. Scots wingers are big lads and good in the air. Dunno what the english back 3 are like against the high ball
Dunno what the english back 3 are like against the high ball
Brown, Nowell & Daly? 😀
The Marseillaise is also pretty blood curling which made the irony of singing it after Charlie Hebdo so notable
England should have their own anthem separate from GSTQ and we dont know silly chants - leave that to the wendies
Sorry, but Wales win in not only with LoMF but also Guide me o they great jehovah and Delihah!! 😉
Dunno what the english back 3 are like against the high ball
Well you've surely seen plenty of Brown? For all his limitations elsewhere, he's solid under the high ball.
Nowell is a great all round rugby player and has played at 15 a lot so no worries there either although he's not the tallest.
Daly doesn't play much at wing/fb but Wasps use him as their main kick chaser on kick-offs so he's not too shabby either. (His contibution against the Pumas not withstanding.)
THM - GSTQ is the English national anthem isn't it. Lines about crushing Scots and all.
Farrell possibly out, possibly Teo at 12.That changes things.
Let's hope it's not a penalty fest then given Ford's kicking!
Hopefully Wales can do us a favour tonight and beat Ireland, but I'm not sure I can see that happening.
Nervous about the game tomorrow but am really struggling to call it. The breakdown is my biggest concern because the Scottish back row and their centres have been very good in that department. Unlike us. Our bench looks much stronger with the Big V's, George and co to come on and carry hard. i think they may well be needed to dig us out of a hole again.
Farrell injured 😉 Top mind games from Jones (he fell over my dog). Farrell will start, Billy V will come on as an impact sub on 60 mins
The Marseillaise is also pretty blood curling which made the irony of singing it after Charlie Hebdo so notable
It's a proper battle song with suitably feisty lyrics and totally relevant to the terrorist attacks ("Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes" and then the following rousing final verse). Seemed totally appropriate to me to be singing it in Trafalgar Square post Charlie Ebdo / Hyper Kacher attacks. Do you respond to a terrorst attack with Cum By Ya ?
On a rigby note I'd say being a packed bar in Marseille in 2007 singing with gusto ahead of the semi-final is one of my most memoral moments of a fabulous weekend.
Farrell has missed training again today - looks like he really is struggling with the knock that he picked up.
Relying on Ford's kicking? God help us.
Even if Farrell starts I bet on him being nailed first time he gets the ball. Scots midfield will be hunting for him 😉
Moriarty stylee
Whereas the rock solid 10 that is Finn Russell will be given and nice easy ride by Lawes and co 😆
Please don't hurt Finn - he is the only one we have got
Finn Russell vs Billy V.
Only one winner there.
So tonight - Wales or Ireland? I'm cheering for Wales on the basis a win helps secure the title for us.
Aye; Duncan Weir on the bench like some unflushable jobbie. England by 10-15; I have no idea why anybody is talking up Scotland, even Dan Cole will look like an adequate scrummager against our front row tomorrow, starved of ball our defence will tire and there isn't anything on the Scotland bench to shake things up.
Kryton57 - MemberFinn Russell vs Billy V.
Only one winner there.
Finn as he baffles big billy like a matador?
Really looking forward to tonight!
Will we see a resurgent wales, able to turn possession into points or a slick, pragmatic Ireland able to adapt to whatever is thrown at them?
Fascinating contest, and I have no idea what to expect. Hoping for a thriller!
^Same here love watching the 6n games as a neutral, especially if it's a good game!
Worrying that Farrell missed training today. I know that he was awful against Italy, but take him out of the team, and with the state of Ford's kicking we start to look pretty beatable! (not that we've looked anything other than beatable so far this tournament!)
Really looking forward to tonight!
I'm not!
Will we see a resurgent wales, able to turn possession into points
Er
I'd be more more worried about Russell being Courtney'd
I put Wales as slight favoutites via my usual home advantage logic. Hoping for a good game, Wales can't continue the slump in form surely ?
Good luck everyone. Ireland by 5 for me. Wales attack will be too blunt for Irelands defence
