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"Billy V fit" - is he?
I thought Simmonds was good, but he looks quite small for a number 8. I'm sure he's mahoosive BTW, but just not as big as Billy or Hughes. Anyway I wonder how well he will do against more challenging opposition than Italy.
Question: It seems to me that given how we put them to the sword in the last 20mins, it is easy to look good against a side that is pretty tired and have put in a massive effort. Do the 2nd half glittering performances of Simmonds, Nowell and others really stack up against Ireland or Wales who won't be dead on their feet at 65 mins?
"<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12px;">Do the 2nd half glittering performances of Simmonds, Nowell and others really stack up against Ireland or Wales who won’t be dead on their feet at 65 mins?"</span>
Yes 😀
No Billy out for the tournament, I’m just projecting.
If you think back, every game against Italy is an arm wrestle- they are always in it at half time. You don’t (often - apart from Scotland this weekend😂) put away a tier 1 team in the first half.
Simmons was up against a world class 8 in Parisse, and a decent back row. I think England will be happy with the option he presents - if all fully fit he’s a great “finisher”.
To be honest, (Sorry Teej) Italy played better than Scotland on the weekend, so you’d be as justified asking that question of any welsh performances.
7 tries , 5 points, backs looking sharp, new boys playing well. I’ll take that compared to our match v Italy last year 🙈 We haven’t started the 6N well for a few years, so I’m pretty chuffed. I want our defence to improve for next week, but not as much as Scotland do 😁
The welsh defence for the Scotland consolation score was pretty awful too.
Very happy about the result in Cardiff, didn’t expect it which makes it even sweeter.
Happy birthday Scott Gibbs
Wales will struggle to hold the power of the English tight five but they will be more bile and quicker.
Not convinced Simmons will be much use to England when the front five dont dominate. Why is he not a 7? Looks custom made to fill that gap for England.
AA - when BillyV/Hughes are fit, he may well do.
Getting Lawes/Itoje international exposure in the back row makes for a very flexible match day 23 though. The same with talk of playing Nowell in the centre, and Daly moving to the wing/FB.
I must say, Eddie Jones has been very good/perceptive at challenging prescriptive roles for each position. There is a lot of bluster and bu####it but under it all he is very astute & innovative.
Wales will need the entire pack to be channelling the ghost of Dan Lydiate( from when he was good) v England and try and chop the likes of Lawes, Itoje and Launcbury down early behind the gainline to have any hope. Without muscle like Lydiate or Warburton on the gainline Shingler is not going to be any use if he goes high.
If Wales can hold there own in set piece ( lineout might struggle more than scrum) and chop the bigger England pack quickly we have a chance, however slim.
"Getting Lawes/Itoje international exposure in the back row makes for a very flexible match day 23 though"
Still reckon NZ would see either of those two on the flank as a weakness
Kryton Dantsw13, that's reassuring. I am always a bit of a chicken likken and don't like to think a win against Italy makes us into RWC winners. Whilst they did look good at the end we should not get ahead of ourselves.
"I must say, Eddie Jones has been very good/perceptive at challenging prescriptive roles for each position. There is a lot of bluster and bu####it but under it all he is very astute & innovative."
I think this is a good point, the traditional roles for each position have changed in NZ.
I like the idea Simmonds at flanker and Nowell at centre.
2 closely matched teams, so errors, basics & discipline will decide the result.
London weather forecast this week is mixed, with Saturday looking cold but dry. Both teams will be looking to play - could be a high scoring classic, probably less than a score in it.
You could see it on the pitch, and Jones admitted it post match, the team plan was different with Simmons than with Vunipola/Simmons. Nowell has been class against all opposition, as is Watson.
Watson v Evans worries me. Evans is great going forward but poor in defence and Watson is both faster and stronger.
England, as shown v italy, will try and grind us down upfront for 50mins and not try to run around us early on like Scotland. If we can still be in with a shout after 60mins it will come down to whether we can get England to get twitchy like we have before.
Hopeful and looking forward to seeing if we can kick on after last week but not expecting a win.
AA, I’d say different rather than a weakness. Very few players can do everything, all have strengths/weaknesses. If you have enough strength in depth/variety in your squad, you can counteract the opposition tactics/strengths. Very few teams have that strength/flexibility. Arguably only NZ/Eng have the depth of players to manage it, and I believe Jones certainly is aiming for that flexible approach.
I’m in San Francisco this w/e so need to find somewhere open early to watch the match, and not interfere with my planned 100k ride too!!
No expert but very impressed with Simmonds, but not sure he'll find the space quite as easily against stronger sides. The pundits made the point that he isn't a ball carrier in the traditional sense but he did carry quite effectively. Is he quick enough over those first 15m to play centre?
I think his tackling was quite good, he was stopping people dead.he also did a lot of tackling!! 22 tackles vs Robshaws 15.
"No expert but very impressed with Simmonds, but not sure he’ll find the space quite as easily against stronger sides."
If he plays in a pack with 3 locks and a 6.5 he'll be ok unless the front 5/6 gets turned. I suspect that was why Teo was bought in too.
Billy unlikely to return this tournament and Hughes is out for at least the first three - would be a bog ask to parachute him back in with no rugby. So I imagine that Simmonds will stay - he's set the bar pretty high. At least the gameplan adapted to his lack of bulk.
The Wales game should be good - both teams have had a good start and will be full of confidence. It sounds more and more like Wigglesworth will be the replacement scrum half based on Jones' comments about picking a kicking option (Robson's kicking isn't his main weapon). I think Wales may target the breakdown more this weekend because that is definitely a weakness in our game and Scarlets got a lot of rewards against Bath by doing so. I hope we win - if we do we'll sneak past Wales with not much in it all.
I’m in San Francisco this w/e so need to find somewhere open early to watch the match, and not interfere with my planned 100k ride too!!
Odds on you’ll be in an Irish bar somewhere. 😀
Yep - the Chieftan is my usual, but they charge $20 entry 😳
im hoping I can find somewhere mid ride up in Marin County, otherwise I’ll be riding over the GG bridge at lunchtime, which is peak time for selfie sticks and instagrammers 😣
A few years back I was watching Eng/Ire in Seattle. It was only when England scored, I saw the looks on the Ireland fans and realised I was wearing an emerald green T-shirt. They weren’t amused by my celebrations!!
Dan, Kezar isn't too dreadful as Oirish pubs go and usually shows rugby. If not, The Chieftain.
Dan I had this in Ireland once, but we all had pints and it was fine.
Oh, it was fine, just the slow realisation I was supporting the enemy!
cfh - I might check out the Kezar if I don’t find anywhere north of the bridge
North of the Bridge?
Got to be somewhere in Tiburon!
Quick search shows Salitos in Sausalito though. Looks decent.
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12px;">England, as shown v italy, will try and grind us down upfront for 50mins and not try to run around us early</span>
Did you watch the opening 15 of the England game? Two very good backs moves to get the ball nice and wide to watson, and 2 tries up....
However, I expect Wales to be too organised for that to happen. I also thought that England looked poor defensively out wide. Who on earth May, Watson and Brown thought were marking the Italian wingers as they came in to do erm, err, well to be honest I haven't actually worked out what they were doing!
Grinding down upfront and going wide are not mutually exclusive. England will batter us in the tight to draw in defenders and then going wide. More gaps will appear later. Scotland forgot to draw the defence in but England wont was my point.
" Who on earth May, Watson and Brown thought were marking the Italian wingers as they came in to do erm, err, well to be honest I haven’t actually worked out what they were doing!"
Yup, for both Italian tries we were too arrogant about our defence, May was off his line and he got skinned, and the same for the other one, I think it was Brown? Disappointing to get sucked in like that. Even my 1 dimensional rugby brain saw both tries coming because of the holes we left out wide.
If we do that against Wales we are dead.
Our defence has been good in recent years - making errors in a game we won easily doesn’t worry me, something to work on in Training. I imagine the welsh are more concerned over us adding back line potency to a strong pack.
who is the ref?
Garces
Don’t mind Garces - he’s happy to make decisions without constant TMO input.
As above, I watched England v Wales in the Bryn Meadows Ystrad Mynach once. It was noisy and I celebrated quietly, but my accent was taken in the best possible way and I got very drunk with some people.
There’s very few rugby pubs where the opposition fans aren’t welcome - one of the things that stand this great sport apart from football! Doesn’t mean you can’t expect some strong banter, but it won’t be a “problem”
Mike Phillips
@mikephillips009
·
3 Feb
I think there should have been more Scottish on the lions tour! #6Nations #6Nations2018
Super Gavin Henson
@UnrealGavHenson
·
3 Feb
"It was like Scotland were playing with 13 men..."
Their tighthead was Jon Welsh and inside centre Huw Jones.
Hmmmmm
As feared Wigglesworth has been called up to replace Youngs.
Assuming that Care now starts, I'm more sure Wigglesworth is a finisher / game changer like Care had been for us,
Youngs looking to be out for four months with a ruptured MCL. Shame for him and no doubt a big blow for Tigers.
Whilst I’m not thrilled about Wigglesworth being called up, I kind of get it. He’s already got 27 caps, has won the AP and Europe so is used to pressure and is a different player to Care. Shame for Robson who will hopefully get his chance in the summer.
He’s definately a safe 9, who knows the England setup, so as a bench option makes sense
North in for Watkin on the bench, otherwise, no change.
Happy with that.
Glad Cory Hills head is ok but cant help thinking Davies extra bulk might have been useful. Looking forward to it. Its a big test.
......for both teams!
Would have been harsh for Gatland to make many changes given how well Wales played. They'll be confident I think.
Out of interest, which Home nation has the highest Home win rate in the last 10 years? Maybe the worst away record as well? Any Stato’s?
TeeJ will be along to tell us it’s Scotland.
I think he has slunk off for the week............
I'm genuinely interested. If I get a spare 30 min tonight I might investigate.