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And HQ’s effort...
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So for me, if the 6N was decided on the quality of the team sheet graphic, Wales win it. (Even if there is an element of Warrenball about it)
People shat a brick at England playing a blindside flanker at open side during Lancasters reign, now we have a blindside at open side and a ****ing second row on the flank. How good is a 6ft7 lock going to be on the ground or getting to the BD quickly? It's ridiculous and it winds me up. Neither Lawes or Itoge are going to be international quality back rows. Not ever. Robshaw isn't quick enough to cover for Fords defensive frailties which leads to Farrell having too much defensive work to do. That french 7 is an excellent player - I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him do to England what Barclay did.
That Wales team worries me. Its either going to run Italy ragged from the start or be utterly shite and lose and I'm not sure which.
Pleased with the selection then wrecker...? 🙂
As for worst team graphic this wins by a country mile;
Really looking forward to Scotland Ireland now. Thats about as good a team as we could put out. I feared by this point we might be really badly affected by injuries but in actual fact we have more to chose from than we did the first match. Speed all over the park bar Ickle Jonny. Plenty of really smart players like Barclay and Horne. Exciting fast and elusive runners in the backs and even Impact off the bench with Denton and Grigg to come on. The Irish seem to hate Barnes as well. My only real worry is tiny tim ( Swinson) as bench lock. We even have Nellie the scrumephant to come on!
Presumably this means Russell will revert to being rubbish and we will get pinged off the park at the breakdown 🙁
AA - every welsh team worries you!!
Wrecker..how about a swap, you can have Tipuric and we'll have Itoje...or Lawes, I'd settle for Lawes, or even Kruis, shit OK then whats Attwood doing these days?
AA – every welsh team worries you!!
True, but when AWJ is fit and not picked it has the potential to go very very wrong. Especially with the second choice front row. Combined with a back row containing 2 7's with another on the bench we could well be dicked up front by italy
Hope it stays dry for you teej.
AA - 2x7 worked well for Scotland.
So do I DD - however even if it does not I think both teams will be equally disadvantaged. also if Ireland kick deep a lot that will just allow scotland to counter
Wrecker..how about a swap, you can have Tipuric and we’ll have Itoje…or Lawes, I’d settle for Lawes, or even Kruis, shit OK then whats Attwood doing these days?
It's tempting. The truth is, we have plenty of open side talent even with Underhill injured. I'd even prefer to have seen Hask(tm) playing than a 2nd row. Eddie's doing something even worse than what he took the piss out Lancaster for doing. Itoge is ball bagged at present, I'd have dropped him. Attwood is "on loan" at Toulon. It seems he's suffered a bit (mentally) having been injured for so long so he's gone for some Vit D.
Yeah Itoje is probably the 'biggest hangover' from 2017 Lions.....quite a few of the test team have missed the 6n's actually! Fantastic to see you as optimistic as ever a_a!
Lawes at six didn't bother me initially because he's done really well for Saints in the back row this season, but it was really shown up against Scotland. Robshaw has proved so many times that he works at six not seven, yet Jones is doing a Lancaster. Haskell worked well at seven initially but his form had been poor since his injury. I was really surprised that Jones didn't look at other options after Scotland highlighted our biggest weaknesses.
Agree re Itoje. Mako is the same. They've both played a lot of rugby for Sarries due to injury etc and need some time off.
Agree re playing guys out of position yet there's a lot of people calling for Simmonds to play at seven despite Exeter using him exclusively as an eight...
Agree re playing guys out of position yet there’s a lot of people calling for Simmonds to play at seven despite Exeter using him exclusively as an eight…
But he is clearly not an 8. Barclay plays 8 for Scarlets mostly and is clearly not an 8. Tips has been playing 8 for Ospreys and is clearly not an 8.
The number on your shirt matters less than the role you play.
So is Teddy Thomas broken or still on the naughty step? Hope he stays there v Wales!!
The number on your shirt matters less than the role you play.
True but more importanter is the balance of the backrow. Chucking a 5 at 6 is not helping Robshaw at 7. If a 6 was at 6 Robshaw would be ok at 7.
Scotland seemed to play with 2 7s and a 7.5 🙂
Well, thats why Simmons is on the bench. If we start getting turned over like the Scotland match - and the team say they’ve address that - maybe Simmons will come on. I suspected we’ll sick a 3 rather than 2 man pod system against France, although the general tone in the media from England is that they expect France to be slower to the ball.
Re Itoje - whilst I’m in general agreement I think theres an element of truth regarding Jones view on the subject. Sure he’ll want to inject confidence in Itoje, but he’s stated that other teams have worked him out / are marking him. We’ve seen this many times - new/star players come into teams and do brilliant things and then seem to be less and less prominent. IIRC over the last few games Itoje has been less prominent in the breakdown also - is this becuase Jones has requeasted that, or that Itoje is indeed tired/less enthusiastic?
I do think this - especially a loss to France, Ireland or both will be the winning or losing of this England team and the real test of Jones tenure. The gloss has worn off, new tactics played with success yet discovered, individual roles and skills made aware, how now to ensure we don’t get predicated over the coming year.
My memory isn’t good enough to compare the path to the RWC with the 2003 crowd but it’d make an interesting comparison.
Scotland seemed to play with 2 7s and a 7.5
And got pumped by Wales
"Re Itoje – whilst I’m in general agreement I think theres an element of truth regarding Jones view on the subject. Sure he’ll want to inject confidence in Itoje, but he’s stated that other teams have worked him out / are marking him. We’ve seen this many times – new/star players come into teams and do brilliant things and then seem to be less and less prominent. IIRC over the last few games Itoje has been less prominent in the breakdown also – is this becuase Jones has requeasted that, or that Itoje is indeed tired/less enthusiastic?"
I read that he has an awful lot of sponsors to keep happy and is spending more time than he maybe should "growing his brand"
The number on your shirt matters less than the role you play.
I’m going to base a series of motivational talks on that one phrase, maybe a poster or two as well and then a book.
I now see TJ as a loin-clothed Scottish swami who speaks spiritual truth. (And no, you’re not having any royalties when my book is an international bestseller! ) 😁
But he is clearly not an 8. Barclay plays 8 for Scarlets mostly and is clearly not an 8. Tips has been playing 8 for Ospreys and is clearly not an 8.
But from what I've seen he's not really played like a traditional seven, so I'm not sure why people think he'll be the answer for us in that position. Yes he's quick, but he's not really prominent at the breakdown which remains one of our biggest weaknesses.
Betsen doesn't think too much of our back row.
But from what I’ve seen he’s not really played like a traditional seven
Well he's the right shape and quick. He wouldnt be prominent at the breakdown if he's playing 8 would he..chicken and egg. At international level you need to be the right type of athlete for your position to make it.
Yes you do, but you also need practice in that position. a second thinking time means you won't win the ball at a ruck, it's got to be totally instinctive, and that you get from playing the position.
So, Exeter, as I really don't mind where you end up in the league, please start playing him at 7, with Slade at 12 and Nowell at 13. That'll do me nicely!
Lolz@ idlejhn
AA - and we gubbed England so surely Wales are the best NH team and thus being beaten by them is no disgrace?
AA – and we gubbed England so surely Wales are the best NH team and thus being beaten by them is no disgrace?
Of course!!
Although I still think playing the dirt trackers v Italy is a risk!
Scarlets 0 Leinster 0 at half time.
Big win for Italy U20s there! Given how little rugby they're likely to have played at school level, that's a huge result. Wales looked clueless in comparison.
Scarlets 0 Leinster 0 at half time.
10 all at full time
Double red for the French U20s, apparently.
https://twitter.com/greub1/status/972227820402470912?s=19
Quite right too looking at that - complete disregard for where the player lands.
That looked like something the WWE would ban. Red for Harrison for sinners as well. Helped by Catt 's immediate complaint which I kind of get, but it wasn't especially edifiying. Remember when headbutting a prop meant you would need eyes in the back of your head for the rest of the game?
Brilliant! Anybody who gets the London Times take a look at the scrum section. When it gets to talking about Scotland it uses a graphic to show how we like to play quickly and uses 4 slides as an example. The caption on one is "Owens gets in the way of the defence." Lads,lads, get over it! 😁😁😁
Predictions?
England by 5
Ireland by 15 ( although I would love to see Scotland stuff them out of sight)
Wales with a technical knockout in the 79min after loads of turgid shite
Tip tackles seem popular in u20 games. Here is some English thug getting a red for one!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NAyA53Lk7Ik
Who’s the English player? Anyway, both the above clips are red cards.
cant believe the press is still doing a ‘we was robbed’ England were out played and out thought. Simply didn’t deserve to win however one eyed you look at it.
hope for a response today but I really think that the lock at 6 debate has been settled. I was alright with laws / itoje there, but they really, really aren’t in the same league as a decent back row. Tough as nails, won’t take a backwards step but just not used to scrapping over the ball in each ruck.
oh yes, it’s the same back row as before. I suspect the French will do is then.
He didn't need to wait for the card there. Should have just taken himself off for an early shower straight away.
Predictions?
England by 20
Ireland by 5
Wales by 10 after 70 minutes of utter shit
Oh, and the French U20s had clearly been inspired by someone. Wonder who....?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fTVhckB3juk
Who’s the English player?
Ross Moriarty
The Ire Sco game seems a real clash of styles. Will Scotland be smothered? I thought Ireland have got away with games they didn’t really deserve to win twice so far this tournament, but can Scotland put it all together 2 games in a row?
Blade Thompson looks like he'll fit right in at Scarlets!!
Yes you do, but you also need practice in that position. a second thinking time means you won’t win the ball at a ruck, it’s got to be totally instinctive, and that you get from playing the position.
This. Simmonds may well look like a seven but he's not played no there. My understanding is that the the most effective sevens rely on instinct an awful lot and really understand when to tr and Jackie and when to leave it. This is gained from experience of which Simmonds has little or none of now he's been used at eight.
Managed to find a VPN! How did Jones blow that!!!