MegaSack DRAW - 6pm Christmas Eve - LIVE on our YouTube Channel
Looks like England will be without Morgan and Tuilagi for the Wales game. Wales have worries over Samson Lee and Liam Williams plus who will be back up hooker. If Hibbard gets crocked we're screwed.
A post on shedweb claims that aecurity guards had to intervene after the Glos/Sarries game as several Saracens players had JP Doyle up against a wall & had to be pulled off him.
Disgraceful behaviour if true, can players be cited for such behaviour?
Lets hope Mr Doyle puts it into his match report.
In a complete non-shock London Welsh took another huge step towards the abyss.
Creative Billy 12T @CreativBilly12T · Jan 11Hope you can see how I used my creativity to play terribly vs Sarries in order to engineer situation for Hook to prove he's not shit.
More excellent wisdom from the answer to England's No12 problem at [url= https://twitter.com/CreativBilly12T ]CreativBilly12T[/url]
Not a bad kick at all 8)
Toulon look tasty today - could be a tough day for Ulster here
Is 1/2p playing?
Yes, slotted one pen.
Ulster making a fist of it now though
Sarries stuff Munster. Sat in the pub on the way to Sale V Clermont. The Clermont team look like a who's who of rugby.. Gulp..
2 forward passes in the second Toulon try. 😯
How about the other 6?
How about the other 6?
Oof!
That's a good effort by sale. Looking at the clermont team, there are few teams who could handle that. Johnathan Davies on the bench FFS. 😯
Oh well, that's Sale's European adventure over with - apart from the ritual humping by Munster next week.
Still, got to see Clermont play & see how good that back row is!
Looks like England will be without Morgan and Tuilagi for the Wales game. Wales have worries over Samson Lee and Liam Williams plus who will be back up hooker. If Hibbard gets crocked we're screwed.
I think - perhaps unfortunately for England - this forces us into our "standard" forward orientated game and Wales are going to get a mauling.
I wonder who our centres will be - in my mind this 6N HAS to be to the world cup team playing together. The time for messing about is over. Burrell and Barrit, Tuilagi for Barrit off the bench in the near term and Tulagi to start for the W/C. Ford & Farrell to swap as appropriate. If Lancaster doesn't choose Burrell he's bonkers - he's big, he plays and he scores.
Wingers though? Yarde and... Nowell?
I guess we'll find out this week...
Another classic from Nigel 😆
Wow - what a start from Bath!
Somewhere in Wales Warburton shakes his head again.
https://amp.twimg.com/v/4d279d85-f263-4dc0-b5ff-81583aaf8af1
Just heard Lawes out needing ankle op. Big loss for England he's really come on in the last year.
Lucky Kruis ban ends in time eh!!!
What we looking at for the first game?
Wales be something like
1/2p
Cuthbert
Davies
Roberts
North
Biggar
Webb
Faletau
Warb
Lydiate
Ball
AW Jones
Lee/Adam Jones
Hibbard
Gethin/James
James
Baldwin (dear god no injuries for hibbard)
Adam Jones/ Jarvis ( see above)
Spikey
Priestland/Anscombe
Scott Williams
Liam Williams
Oh well, that's Sale's European adventure over with - apart from the ritual humping by Munster next week.
Still, got to see Clermont play & see how good that back row is!
It got off to a very difficult start losing in the 81st minute to Munster in a game they should have won. The first game against Sarrys was also a very close affair but after that it was just about makig the games as difficult as possible for the big names. "A" string out on Saturday and they pushed Claremont hard but from where I stood they looked like they had a little in reserve and they probably could have added a few more points if they had gone all out.
The weather may have favoured us (It hailed incessentaly and was bitterly cold throughout)
Anyway given it was the group of death we didnt do too badly agains 3 great teams. I think Munster away will be a bit more "B" string!
As an aside their is a real buzz everytime Hailey catches the ball! I really think he is destined for greatness! Also a lot of rumours about Marc Jones and others moving to Bristol 🙁
Somewhere in Wales Warburton shakes his head again.
The whole of Wales (and my part of England) too perhaps. Trigger happy ref ruined that game if not the tournament. I still think Wales would have beaten a NZ team paralyzed by nerves.
Agreed on Lawes being a loss. Joseph had a good game against Toulose would like to see him get a chance too, not least as he's an MTB mate of mines nephew.
Also a lot of rumours about Marc Jones and others moving to Bristol
I think He's coming to Briz, as is Mr Henson. Not heard about any other Sharks players though.
I wonder who our centres will be
I think that question has been posed once or twice already?
JJ should be at 13. Not just because of his brilliance yesterday - he's been consistently good. Barritt should be nowhere near the team. He's a 12 but SL seems to think he's the 2nd best 13 in England after Tuilagi as he's played him there when Manu has been injured.
With Barritt at 13 it doesn't really matter who's on the wings. Burrell at 12 and JJ at 13 would work.
Marc Jones just confirmed coming to bristol.
As for centres, Burrell should be first on the list. Either Slade or JJ the other. Both deserve a chance.
Oh well good luck to him at Bristol. He has been an excellent player particulalrly over the last few months while Taylor has been injured. The players brought in to provide cover havent played well meaning he has played an awful lot and he is a very physical player so we have been lucky he has remained injury free.
Not heard about any other Sharks players though.
There was a rumour about Tuitopou but that seems to have disapeared.
Certainly spending big, lets hope they dont blow it!!!
lets hope they dont blow it!!!
I think you mean don't blow it AGAIN!!!!
The side's already wracked with injuries; Jones hasn't played much. Lam injured. Rennie retired. That's three of our best players. Despite the "high profile" tags, the only high profile-ish backs we have signed are Matthew Morgan and Dwayne Peel(who has been poor so far).
Big fan of Dwayne Peel so hopefully he will come good.
How old is Peel these days? He needs Henson outside him!! 😉
He needs Henson outside him!!
Sounds like it is quite likely to happen!
"I'm a big admirer of him as a player," said Holley.
"He's a good guy to work with and I'd love to work with him again.
"We'll just have to see if it happens to fit for all sides - which includes Gavin, ourselves and Bath."
34 I think. The view at Sale was that he was moving to be nearer home in his final season then may turn to coaching at Bristol (this is made up of various bits of info I have picked up so may not be fact!)
So Scott Andrew the Blues 4th choice tight head is picked ahead of the first choice Adam Jones? Nearing the end of my tether with Cementhead.
WALES 2015 SIX NATIONS SQUAD:
Forwards: Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Paul James (Bath), Rob Evans (Scarlets), Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Scott Andrews (Cardiff Blues), Richard Hibbard (Gloucester), Kristian Dacey (Cardiff Blues), Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Bradley Davies (Wasps), Luke Charteris (Racing Metro), Dan Lydiate (Ospreys), James King (Ospreys), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).
Backs: Mike Phillips (Racing Metro), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues), Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues), Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro), Jonathan Davies (Clermont Auvergne), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Tyler Morgan (Newport Gwent Dragons), Hallam Amos (Newport Gwent Dragons), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), George North (Northampton Saints), Liam Williams (Scarlets), Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon).
So Scott Andrew the Blues 4th choice tight head is picked ahead of the first choice Adam Jones? Nearing the end of my tether with Cementhead.
Cementhead is the right name, he's not one for being open minded. He'll do what the F he wants.
Cant see Wales beating this lot, England have at least two front 5's better than Wales
England senior training squad:Forwards:
Props: Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Alex Corbisiero (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), David Wilson (Bath Rugby); Hookers: Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers); Locks: Dave Attwood (Bath Rugby), Graham Kitchener (Leicester Tigers), George Kruis (Saracens), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers); Back-rows: Calum Clark (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Wasps), Nick Easter (Harlequins), ), James Haskell (Wasps), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, captain), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints),
Backs:
Back three: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby); Centres: Brad Barritt (Saracens), Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints), Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby); Fly-halves: Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints); Scrum-halves: Danny Care (Harlequins), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).
cloning Haskell was a good call too
Wales have home advantage and it will be the first game so both sides will be fresh if not totally polished in terms of preparation. I make England slight favourites.
Glad to see JJ get a call up. Main hope is for Ford to be first choice 10. Calling up Cirpiani is regressive, he's old news.
Cips is old news? Who else would you suggest? Andy Goode is still at wasps, Freddy Burns is playing quite poorly at Leicester, Barf, Saracens, Northants and Sale called up. Can't quite recall the name of the Exeter guy, but he's not world class and other than that it leaves Newcastle, Irish and Welsh's 10's which lets face it, aren't ever going to be there.
Anyway, it'll be Fazlet 1st and Ford 2nd, with Barrett outside so no point worrying about any other kind of attack!
what sort of team you expecting?
I make England slight favourites.
The bookies don't.
The exeter chap - Steenson - is Irish isn't he?
No big surprises in the england team. It's a crying shame that the likes of twelvetrees and Goode get selected and Slade and Daley get saxons places.
IMHO, that Saxons team looks really quite good!
@tinybits - Flood or Burns (appreciate he's not having a great season and Leicester are struggling). They won't pick Flood due to stubbornness over home players and Toulouse probably signed him on the basis he wouldn't play internationals anyway. Chippy won't play it will be Ford and Farrel, I suspect he won't be in any match day squads and may get released back, that's what I am hoping for.
@aa, are you asking me for an England side ? I've no real idea to be honest as long as Ford's at 10. We'll be solid and strong upfront. I'd like to see Eastmond and JJ get a run out together, perhaps against Italy.
Are we likely to see Dank Hole and Corbisero?
[url= http://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/latest-breaking-news/20439/yoann-huget-warned-for-diving/ ]Slippery slope.... I love the Youtube title[/url]
Cips in the squad but unlikely to get any game time unfortunately.
Update for A_A;
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-Rugby-closing-deal-sign-Bath-Rugby-centre/story-25900032-detail/story.html#ixzz3PSfObmEj
Thought some of you might appreciate this (I know I did);
http://therugbybusinessnetwork.com/2014/12/18/video-jason-leonards-funniest-moments-rugby/
@wrecker thanks for that video on Leonard. I see him around in London and he looks more trim now than when he was playing. I didn't know he was going to be RFU President, replaces my old head of sports at Bristol Uni Bob Reeves. Helps to remind me how old I am getting when everyone is retiring from their post retirement jobs !
Cant see Wales beating this lot, England have at least two front 5's better than Wales
Never underestimate the English ability to implode 😆
good to see Twelvetrees picked (I might be biased as a Sussex boy who supports Gloucester though) as he's been working well with May.
Predictable enough England squad.
Looks like they've picked Cipriani as 4th FH to stop him signing for Toulon - which seems a little disingenuous to me. Who's FH for the Saxons?
Dan Cole in? How can he be on the bench in Cardiff? He's not fit yet surely?
No room for Christian Wade but Nowell and Goode are in the back three slots.........?
Barritt and 12T in the centres along with Burrell, Eastmond and Joseph. Any bets OF and BB will start?
Calum Clark (spitting noise). No Armitage - nothing deemed "exceptional" enough yet?
Youngs instead of Webber - seems a little unfair on the Bath man.
The whole England thing is starting to fill me with dismay. It sounds un-patriotic but I wouldn't be too sad if England failed miserably in the 6N in the hope that the coaches would see some sense. We'll probably grind out 4 wins out of 5 so SL can bleat on about "progress". 🙁
good to see Twelvetrees picked
Well "good" in the sense of aimless kicking, paper-thin defence and ignoring three to one overlaps.....
But then that's just going on what I've seen of him.
No Armitage - nothing deemed "exceptional" enough yet?
He isn't that good.
Who's FH for the Saxons?
Slade I think.
Youngs instead of Webber - seems a little unfair on the Bath man.
Youngs has been on great form recently, and they've only named two hookers which leads me to believe that Webber will probably feature.
I agree with your point about Goode, but Nowell has also been playing very well. It would be a toss up between the two, and nowells size probably edged it for him.
I wouldn't be too sad if England failed miserably in the 6N
Because they haven't picked your favorites? 😐
I'd like to have seen Slade in the elite squad and maybe Simpson and Ewers too but the elite squad and the Saxons are now more veiwed as one great big squad than they used to be. I'd be surprised if a good few of the saxons didn't get 6N games.
Good points wrecker.
Maybe Armitage isn't that good but we'll never find out if he doesn't get another shot will we? The French media certainly seem bemused by it all - mind you, their own selection policies probably confuse them even more.
Goode is a solid player and I agree Nowell has been playing well but who would you rather not have running at you? One of those two or Christian Wade?
It's a good observation that the two squads can be seen as one. Slade has been mostly at 13 hasn't he? It just seems they've promoted Cipriani to keep him in England in case they ever need him.
Because they haven't picked your favorites?
Ha ha! No, not really. It's more because of the way England seem to want to play and the players they then pick because they want to play that way. Even if poor Foden had been fit he wouldn't have been picked over Goode - which sums it up really.
(You know, much as I enjoy these discussions it would be a lot better over a pint.....)
What would really bug me is that England have a great squad with good players throughout and real strength in depth, whereas Wales have a good first 15 and then often a massive drop in quality and yet have performed better in the six nations over the last 10 years. the answers are in that squad.
AA - this in spades. In 2006-2008, I'd have said that their simply wasn't the talent in the English ranks, where as now, I really, really think there is. Yet somehow, it's never there to show in an England shirt. Bloody bemusing to me.
We haven't always had a good squad though. We haven't had a convincing centre partnership since 2003.
Remember Paul? Vesty? Erinle? Abbot? Tait? Hape? Turner Hall?
We haven't always had a good squad though
Wales have never had a good squad, we won a grandslam with Hal Luscombe on the wing and Rob Sidoli in the second row. England have underperformed massively since they won the world cup, Wales have over performed in the six nations over a similar timeframe but been found out against the top 3. England are however improving at present and Wales are not which is why I am surprised England are not favourites against wales this year.
Not sure if I want Ford to be picked v wales. He has great potential but could come unstuck in Cardiff as he will not have experienced a game like it before, his kicking can be erratic too.
Not sure if I want Ford to be picked v wales. He has great potential but could come unstuck in Cardiff as he will not have experienced a game like it before, his kicking can be erratic too.
I hear you, but Farrell has not played enough rugby this year. His form is on the floor. That leaves Myler or Celebriani. Polar opposites but both capable of doing a job.
I'll be scared shitless if they select Ford, eastmond and Joseph whilst Roberts and co would be smacking their lips.
True but whoever england pick wont out muscle roberts and davies but those three would attack their weaknesses.
Wont matter as I doubt the ball will go past 10 too often. England just need to kick to the corners and pressure the welsh line out and maul.
Here we go 😆
cheers Pigface 😉
so then guys how you feeling about next friday night?
Sean Maitland off to Irish.
Next Friday?!
True but whoever england pick wont out muscle roberts and davies but those three would attack their weaknesses.
Indeed but SL seems to think the best way to combat Roberts/Davies is with Barritt/Burrell. Which it isn't.
Read an interview with Frank Bunce a while ago and he said the player he most feared going up against was Jeremy Gusset. He said all other centres tried to take him on in a physical contest (and lost) but Guscott stayed clear of all that and his pace/step gave Bunce nightmares.
I doubt the ball will go past 10 too often. England just need to kick to the corners
A sad reflection on the limited ambition/ability of England and a prediction for a dull game.
No Armitage - nothing deemed "exceptional" enough yet?
He isn't that good
Callum Clarke's in ahead of him. 😆
doubt the ball will go past 10 too often. England just need to kick to the cornersA sad reflection on the limited ambition/ability of England and a prediction for a dull game.
More a sad reflection of the welsh lineout and maul tbh. I hope SL shares your view.
People seem to think that Wales will be defending the whole game. They won't. Someone has to stop the doc and JD2, and I don't trust eastmond and ford to do it.
BTW; Henson confirmed coming to briz.
Jamie Roberts vs Luther Burrell in a rugby Talent contest? Burrell may be no magazine star, but he's very very good and is more than a match for desparate Dan.
Its quite obvious to most that England have centres to match Wales easily if used in the right combo. Burrell, Tuilagi, JJ and Eastmond and Barrett all pose very different threats, and if we discover the right pair in the next few months we coud be turning all those centre partnership questions on their head.
IMO, England easily have the measure of Wales in the selected squad, if the Team is picked correctly and allowed to play. with Corbs & Cole back the forwards have the potential to be stronger than ever.
I think you underestimate Roberts tbh but agree with Burrel being a good player and England having by far the stronger squad on paper.
.I don't underestimate Roberts or Davies. They've ripped us apart before and are more than capable of doing it again.
quite obvious to most that England have centres to match Wales easily if used in the right combo. Burrell, Tuilagi, JJ and Eastmond and Barret
I dont think any combination of those would match the established and proven welsh pair.
Thats a one eyed view, but then that isn't a surprise. Everyone knows how they play. I didn't say they weren't good, but I think the England setup can be more dynamic and less one dimensional then them.
Burrell outplays desparate dan easily IMO.
to be fair to AA, at least the Welsh pair are proven
Krypton accusing someone of being one eyed 😆
My irony meter just exploded 😆
Burrell, Tuilagi, JJ and Eastmond and Barrett all pose very different threats
What "threat" does Barritt pose exactly? 😉
Old brad gets a bad press. We should remember how he played against the ABs and aus when England beat them last, and the he has a starting berth in one of the best club teams in The NH.
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't start him but he's a lot better than he gets credit for.
Joe worseley used to get similar criticism, but I remember him putting Powell and Roberts in his pocket one game.
Of course England will have to defend and counter the Welsh threats, of which they have more than just their centres.
worseley used to get similar criticism, but I remember him putting Powell and Roberts in his pocket one game.
That Wales won.
Burrell outplays desparate dan easily IMO.
In your opinion but never actually on the pitch. 6 caps 27 year old compared to a 28 year old 50 plus cap multi test Lion. He may out play him but it wont be easily.
That Wales won.
They'd have won by a lot more if not for worseley.
Worsley was a back rower. He was in the side primarily to tackle and do other back row jobs.
Barritt is a centre. He's supposed to pass, run, create, kick etc as well as defend. Somehow his tackling ability has been held up as an exotic skill akin to a Phil Bennett sidestep or a BOD pass. It's not.
he's a lot better than he gets credit for
True, he is. All these players we argue about are terrific rugby players. I'd have loved to have been half as good as any of them. However, he's not good enough to be an international centre.
Obviously he is good enough though. So were Hal Luscome and Matthew J Watkins!
Worsley was a back rower. He was in the side primarily to tackle and do other back row jobs.
You're missing the point. Sometimes you need to prevent the opposition playing.
However, he's not good enough to be an international centre.
And Kyle eastmond is????? I don't think so.
Anyway,
Massive rugby weekend still to come before all the usual "international banter" nonsense is due to start.
Gonna let heart rule head and say the two away teams to get their results in the big head to heads, Leinster to beat Wasps (despite the injuries) and Saracens to beat Clermont (away, yes I know).
Saints to win the other big ( vs Racing Metro) one at home.
Can't see "other" results going the right way for Leicester or Bath even if they win their own.
Good win for Edinburgh in the plate last night too.
TBH, I can understand why the Welsh want to focus on next week already, but there's still loads of rugby to be played for others before that though. Don't get drawn in 😉
(ps think Benson Stanley got a knock last week, the Welsh reserve looks to be getting a run-out opposite Barritt in Clermont , worth a watch)
Sir Clive's pick in the Daily Fail
Brown; A Watson, J Joseph, K Eastmond, J May; D Cipriani, B Youngs; A Corbisiero, D Hartley, D Wilson; G Parling, G Kruis; C Robshaw (capt), B Vunipola, J Haskell
Healey's pick is almost more bonkers
