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Nothing in any of those teams to worry Engerland yet though is there. Their biggest problem will to not be complacent
/troll
Great try from Thomas left that donkey Stockdale for dead...oh well
mindmap3 - agreed. A classy last kick, but France should have kicked their penalty to force Ireland to get a try to win.
Is it fair to say, that France often lack a quality goal kicker?
I’ll echo my comment from earlier:
I hope Johnny makes it through in one piece.
And he did. 😎
Nothing in any of those teams to worry Engerland yet though is there.
Is that the 1st, 2nd or 3rd XV that England have available?
Would have preferred France to hang on until their shenanigans with the HIA. Nigel Owens wasn’t impressed
I hope Johnny makes it through in one piece.
And he did.
Not for lack of trying though - did he get MOM?
Is that the 1st, 2nd or 3rd XV that England have available?
The 3rds that are playing tomorrow, of course. 🙂
Showtime had a poor game by his stellar standards, but there you go, sometimes it takes a world class moment to get the right result.
Not for lack of trying though – did he get MOM?
Nobody deserved MOM in that game.
I do, for watching it
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<p style="padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: unset; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5rem; margin: 1rem 0px !important;">Gutted</p>
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From a rugby POV it makes absolute sense for the Welsh to support France in this fixture. Wales are far more likely to beat France in Cardiff than Ireland in Dublin so having Ireland a game down from the start would be great.
Whereas I was supporting France simply because I hate the way Irish teams play these days. 🙂
Oh ffs! I don’t like this forum at the moment.
Whereas I was supporting France simply because I hate the way Irish teams play these days.
Yeah, I see where you're coming from...and it's nothing new. 🙂
I’ve hated the Ospreys for years DD. Makes me very conflicted and irritable. 🙂
I hate rugby
*sulks*
I'm really quite conflicted about that game. Part of me thinks that Ireland didn't really look too hot, but then the other part of me has seen in the most un-french way possible; a french team that was relatively unimaginative but remarkably organised and structured. They are going to cause some serious problems this year if they carry on like that because that Irish team are no mugs.
Wrecker, I agree. France almost managed to look like a team! They looked pretty structured but the lock (can't spell his name) was a liability today and was pinged four or five times.
We all have them mindmap!
All the pundits were saying how awful conditions were, “far worse than it looks on tv” yet there were few handling errors, just lots of 1-out & bash.
Scotland are becoming the New France! They will win big games, but never any championship with their sevens-style rugby. In an earlier post I asked TJ if Scotland believed they could win the 6N. It was the actual team I referred to, and on today’s evidence I think it was an emphatic no.
I thought you meant the fans
Before today Scotland had been competing well with some of the best teams in the world - today we were very muchg second best.
I think any fan has to believe you can win a match otherwise you wouldn’t bother. For the players, without belief, the tough games will always just slip away. How many games have NZ just found a way in the last 5 minutes. Lots. And lots.
It looks like every team could well lose this year.
Damn I missed the first 10minutes of the game so that must have been the time we weren't shit. Price had a 'mare.
We've got great broken play runners but not a scooby in the face of organised defence.
What’s the deal with the hia assessment “cheat” then? Seems the same as last yr in the 100 minute wales game. You go off for “hia” assessment even with a broken leg and then France can put a prop/ scrum half back on who’s already gone off as they don’t have cover for those on their bench. Seems like a cheat to me.
The official match doctor who told nige that he player definitely had a head injury - who does he work for? Is it the team, coach, team doctor who3ver just lies to this guy and because of the worries over concussion he has to say yes to getting the player assessed? It’s just not worth the risk not to?
Wales have to go away to Twickers next week and then Dublin the week after..still very little hope but more than I had this morning. Christ Scotland were shit though!
Its supposed to be an independent doctor for the match.
If he maintains he needs to take a player off for an HIA Ref cant argue with the medic.
French 21 was having a shocker of a game, getting him off without costing a sub was the objective.
Stinks and been done before.
Ref should raise a complaint.
That’s two years now that france have manipulated the HIA protocol to their “advantage”. It completely took the piss last year when they won, but thankfully they haven’t profited from it this year.
They bloody did it earlier in the game too - when Jalibert took a knock to the knee but went off for HIA.
Really, they need to be punished somehow for using a player welfare issue to gain competitive advantage. Thankfully, Ireland didn’t let it rattle them this year and just went about their task of winning the game.
dd - thats my point. the last Wales game last yr and the first weekend this yr, same tactics.
also - just read the team write ups in the guardian what a load of bo&%ox.
scotland players all rated 5 or 6 out of ten. Wales players rated 6 or 7 out of ten except shingler who was rated 8.
hogg 5/10 and halfpenny 6/10 (despite 24 points)
finn russel 6/10 and patchell 7/10
price 5/10
scott williams 6/10 really?
laid law comes on and gets 6/10
anscome comes on and gets 5/10
I know its all rubbish but really?
I thought Scott Williams was one of the keys to the victory denying the scots centres any space or go forward. Deffo more than 7 Patchell was not a world beater on that showing but 8 or 9
I don't think any scot deserved more than 4 bar perhaps McInally hogg and Jones
Its the worst performance for a long time - since gifting Italy 3 tries at Murrayfield?
townsend gets a 2. That team was badly prepared and the tactics were poor. 3 of his questionable selections let him down, Harris, Du Preez and McGuigan
CYMRU AM BYTH
i thought we’d win at home, but I wasn’t expecting that. Both sides spurned two or three tries through handling errors, but what a game! The first 15-20 minutes was insane!
so proud of of the the boys, and 1/2p appearsto of wound the clock back by 4 years! Awesome!!!
Burko, I agree. Those ratings for the Scotland players were generous from where I was sitting. The Welsh ones were a bit harsh; Halfpenny had a very good game. I imagine they'll feel pretty confident about the trip to Twickers next week especially with the extra day of rest.
Going to be a big decision over starting North or not next week. Adams did nothing wrong and defended well. North is world class when on form though.
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 16px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: #eeeeee;">I imagine they’ll feel pretty confident about the trip to Twickers next week</span>
Well, lets wait until 6pm tonight shall we? If England show a solid organised structure and some ruthless finishing then all of those teams should be worried - we could be head and shoulders above already and carry confidence into a home game based on performances yesterday. However if not and they get messed about by Italy they’ll get slated by the press and it evens up the Welsh game.
Wales havent the forward power to be confident v England. England will not go wide early like Scotland and the lack of midfield pace will be exposed more.
tj again
Townsend deserves a pay cut for the Scotland tactics and media hype.
Everyone gives Gatland a hard time but he worked the Scots (and the media) over tactically there. Classic. Loves to be the underdog.
Did anybody feel the similarity between Sexton and Wilko in the 2003 WC? It was definitely going to happen there was no doubt in my mind that at some point during those phases Sexton was gonna nail it. Incredible calmness under pressure, and I loved the interview after, he was laid back about it.
The HIA thing as a neutral - isn't the Dr independent, in both situations the French players were seemingly motionless for a bit. Maybe Dr would/should ignore the videos and just think, he might be out cold, I'm doing a HIA for safeties sake. Think of the reverse, eg what happened to George North when he was motionless but claimed he was OK? And in other sports where HI are ignored or not treated seriously. Perhaps French Docs are just cautious, I would not blame them. Imagine if Owens had overruled and Jalibert had a bad concussion? Better safe. Fairness of the game becomes irrelevant to the Dr on the spot.
In the Wales game, lots of talk in the press about incredible Wales performance, however I thought it was pretty even, other than foolish wide passes from Scotland, and then they tired at the end. There was a stat around HT where all the action was Wales possession between Wales 22 and Halfway. Scotland were defending well I honestly thought after HT they might come out firing.
Disappointing for Scotland who seemed to be on a charge up to yesterday. Anyway, I said before, never dismiss Wales as the underdog..
I was lucky enough to be at work yesterday and missed the Scotland match. Forcing myself to watch the ahem "highlights" later to see just how useless we were.
What can I say, Gatland was right.
Having a dry February, Scotland matches without beer to celebrate/dull the pain is not a good experience. At least we'll be the underdogs again and have low expectations.
Been thinking about the Wales game. I think the Scottish team and coaches were a bit arrogant/over confident and didnt do anything to tie in defenders or hold the midfield.
"I thought it was pretty even, other than foolish wide passes from Scotland"
Not saying Wales were brilliant or anything but they comprehensively beat Scotland in all areas.
burko73 - I agree completely and said as much further up
AA - I don't see "completely outplayed in all areas" but in key areas. Defensive line out, not challenging Scottish ruck so fanning out, blitzing with great effect etc.
Previously Scotland have used tricks to gain space in midfeild and therefore get some momentum going. this game the Welsh centres never once bought the tricks so no go forward in the midfield
Our replacement props held up very well in the scrum - where we really missed our usual props was in the loses. Usually they do a fair amount of the heavy yards, the guys on the pitch didn't / couldn't so that meant no go forward in the forwards either with the lightweight back row we had out there
Having lost the two main sources of getting over the gainline there was nothing else left.
Tactically out thought.
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12px;">Not saying Wales were brilliant or anything but they comprehensively beat Scotland in all areas.</span>
that is reflected in the scoreline, but the stats at half time showed very even no's.
EG here, lots of close numbers. A few glaring differences.
http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/matchstats?gameId=291689&league=180659
"that is reflected in the scoreline, but the stats at half time showed very even no’s"
Which stat is the most important.
Wales were better in lineouts, gainline defence, carrying by forwards and try scoring by backs. Scotland were ahead in no areas of the game. Not one player from Scotland was better than their opposite number. Watson was very good but so was Navidi. Ironically the scrums were pretty even.
"EG here, lots of close numbers. A few glaring differences.
http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/matchstats?gameId=291689&league=18065 9"
They appear to show Wales beat NZ 18 nil in november....pretty ****ing sure I'd remember that!!!
And Scotland beat them 17 -0!
if you click on the scores to those stats they link through to the game reports which are a more accurate reflection...
"Which stat is the most important."
I am just saying that I thought both teams were very good, we know that small differences can make enormous impacts on the scoreline. My point is that the game stats show that the result is not an indication that Scotland are a spent force in this years tournament, nor that Wales will reign supreme.
" Scotland were ahead in no areas of the game"
1st half, more territory and more possession.
Across the whole game, more defenders beaten, higher percentage of ruck and mauls won.Higher percentage of tackles won/completed.
"gainline defence"
Which stat is this?