Well a win for the Saxons despite being unable to win their own scrums or lineouts.
Kvesic played well and Simpson looked electric when he came on. Christian Wade got one touch and took his try well. Somehow SL thinks he's England's 6th best winger.....
Burgess is nowhere near being a union player just yet.
Agree on Kvesic and Simpson, and Slade went well. Ewers was a monster, how he got up (he didn't even go all the way down!) from that charging headbut is remarkable.
Good win for the Saxons against a very experienced Wolfhounds side in Cork.
Thought that Henry Thomas was the best England player. Suspect he will be getting game time in the 6N
Henderson and Jones were looking good. Some fair performances in the pack I guess but not really an easy game to shine in and so many players coming back from injury. SOB wasn't storming but you can see his natural strength even when far from full fitness. I love watching Isaac Boss play too- such a smart rugby brain to open up a gap from nothing from time to time. Earls was looking slippery but all too often pulled out schoolboy errors- great to see him run but no change from normal.
Chris Pennell. What a player, and what a loyal bloke too! He easily merits playing in ERC games, not in the English Championship.
Agreed. Pennel and perhaps Wade were the only Saxons looking close to ready for a first team outing. Daly had moments of showing his talent but wasn't really shining throughout. The biggest let down (compared to fan/ media expectations) has to be a toss up between Burgess and Yarde. Not at all great! You'd have thought Burgess would have loved to line up against D'Arcy and Earls from a physical point of view but was easily contained. Not surprising for 60 days of Union but hey. Not sure on Thomas. As a back it is hard to appreciate the subtleties of a good individual forward performance but I can't help thinking he is living on a reputation that isn't justified at this level
I thought hendo and Pennel were the best players from each side.
I feel sorry for Burgess, the expectation and hype on him is immense and he's only started playing the game at a decent level. Even Earls stepped him
Wade touched the ball, what twice? Really not sure how you manage to get that, and Shane Horgan agrees!
Slade, Thomas, Kvesic, Simpson and Ewers really did their chances no harm at all. Perhaps LCD too (line out notwithstanding). Itoge did OK, especially seeing as he's only played 8 games of AP rugby.
I'd put Simpson in ahead of Wigglesworth and Youngs, Kvesic instead of Clark. Ewers deserves a slot, we need a rock hard grafter like that.
Bbc reporting J Davies an injury worry for Wales
Wade touched the ball, what twice?
Seemed twice more than Yarde and probably twice more than the average English wing sees the ball in a Test 😆
Jokes aside, it was interesting to see Gatland's comments that he and Northampton are desperate to try and get North seeing the ball more- not just for his size and obvious skills, but also for his general lack of involvement sometimes. Probably also designed to try and motivate North ahead of the 6N but it is difficult for wingers to get involved in the modern game
We can play him at 13 now Jiffy Junior is broken!!
Nah, Mini Jiffy will be fine .... hopefully! 😕
it is difficult for wingers to get involved in the modern game
True but a lot of the better ones go looking for work and it often pays off.
Wade was on the left wing but got himself over on to the right for his try.
Interesting stuff, I have often thought the reason that welsh players have been so poor in france is down to how they peak ie not for club games.
Interesting interview. It makes a lot of sense. They know what the target is, when it is , and how important it is. It is the total priority above all else, and using all the time available to make as many incremental gains before a future Big Target is just modern sports science. Look at Brailsford and Sky/ Brittish cycling results before then during last Olympics.
Not surprised that Haskell seems to think that Gatland's entire focus is on Welsh preparation for the World Cup. he's worked with him before, and trained under him. Knows what he's talking about.
I've been saying that since before the last Lions tour. Makes a lot of sense why there were so many Welsh getting prep and experience against Oz, what with their record against Oz and them in the same group. Need all the advantage they can find. 😉
Going back to the Wolfhounds game, agree with BM that Henderson was prob most impressive on his team. Amazing effort after so long out. Thought Dominic Ryan put in a good shift too, for a seven playing at six. As someone above said "[i] Dunno who he is but the irish seen to have tasked one guy with marking burgess[/i] " - pretty sure it was Ryan nearly every time.
The one time he wasn't there was when Burgess made some yards then got the offload away behind the gain line to set up the play leading up to the first try. IMO, that's exactly what he was brought in for, and created the key score, so that's a successful game for him whatever the haterz think. Some mistakes too, but so did most, and progress for a player on 500 minutes .
Ewers looked best of the bunch for England. Could do a decent job as bench cover for 6 and 8 next week, Billy's not always an 80 minute man at International intensity, (Morgan neither, TBH, even when fit). And if Haskell starts at 6 then that's all back row injuries covered if he can switch to 7. Can see this happening as he's more versatile than Easter/Kvesic/Croft.
Simpson (?) did his chances no harm as impact nine as Barnes said. Made an impact.
So, after his AWESOME performance for the Saxons, Burgess moves straight in to the full England training camp.
😐
I get the feeling Lancaster is just hoping that some sort of run'n'wriggle hard man aspect will appear in the centre to stop Dr Desperate Dan running through the England midfield.
Good grief, we are screwed...
Could be yet worse if you win, Kryters my old fruit. If that happens, all of a sudden, Lancaster will be a tactical genius and Burgess the greatest rugby* player of all time.
*Proper rugby. 😉
The conditioning thing from Haskell on Wales is really interesting- sounds tough on the players! I get the aim of this approach but I don't think you can normally fault the Welsh for lack of conditioning- more lack of basic skills at crucial moments and a little nous, against SH sides in particular. Of course lack of conditioning makes errors more likely but I think it is more due to a lack of a plan B and any subtlety in the playing style. I do sometimes think they (Gatland?) kid themselves that SA/ Aus/ NZ/ etc aren't putting as much effort in to conditioning and it's a way to gain an advantage- doesn't seem to be working as there are a lot of tough, strong, fit dudes that can actually handle the ball well and have a great rugby brain on top in these successful nations 😕
I'm sure they aren't excluding the technical aspects but I think the good teams can more than handle Gatlandball- Wales have to utterly dominate ever facet of a game against the SH sides to scrape a win and somehow just matching them or being good in one area of the game doesn't seem to be enough. I guess this equate to a lack of tactical genius amongst the coaches which is hardly an unique opinion about Wales 😳
Burgess isn't in the team, he's just having his ego stroked:
[i]Sam Burgess, who made his Saxons debut in Ireland, will also be linking up with Stuart Lancaster's squad in Surrey, but only for a couple of days to continue his union education - he will rejoin his Bath team-mates on Monday.[/i]
Wales have to utterly dominate ever facet of a game against the SH sides to scrape a win
Given how few these wins are I'm not sure how you worked this out 🙁
Wales coach Robin McBryde on the Haskell interview above.
Wales forwards coach Robin McBryde has brushed off England flanker James Haskell's comments that Warren Gatland's team are training too hard ahead of the two teams' meeting in the Six Nations opener next Friday.
Haskell said on TalkSPORT that he was amazed at the amount of fitness work Wales were doing when told about it by an unnamed member of the Welsh squad and that the strategy is risky.
McBryde responded by saying the tough fitness regime was a plan designed to bring success at this autumn's World Cup - when England and Wales will again meet in the group stages at Twickenham - and that Gatland had decided to take a "different approach" to previous Six Nations tournaments.
"Warren has made everyone aware of where our focus is and that the World Cup is the bigger picture," McBryde said. "It was the approach we took into the autumn and we have plotted our course going into the Six Nations.
"The Six Nations stands alone as a tournament and we are not taking it lightly, just taking a bit of a different approach. It paid dividends in the autumn, although we had four games then back-to-back, and the Six Nations is over a longer period. Warren has experience of managing players, when and when not to train and its intensity.
"He has a big advantage over a lot of coaches and we are not far away from that balance. Time will tell, but there is deeper thinking behind our approach to the Six Nations than it seems on the surface."
McBryde insists England have plenty of strength in the forwards and says French referee Jerome Garces will have a "big role to play" in controlling the battle up front.
"All their players are used to a highly competitive set-piece game every week in the Premiership and in Europe," McBryde said. "You only have to talk to our players who are based in England and they tell you how much scrummaging driving mauls they do. They will be tough to crack at the set-piece and the man in the middle will have a big role to play.
"In the last two games we have fallen on the wrong side of one referee but not the other. We have regular contact with the head of the referees in the northern hemisphere, and looking at Jerome Garces' recent performances, he knows what he is looking for and we have clarity of what he looks for in the scrum. We have to make sure we are as legal as we can be and effective as we can."
[url= http://www.espn.co.uk/six-nations-2015/rugby/story/254525.html/url ]
Given how few these wins are I'm not sure how you worked this out 🙁
Ha ha 🙂 Good catch, lets call it what is required for a hypothetical win 😳
What I meant is that if you think back to the games from the last RWC onwards, Wales have started extremely strongly in almost all games against the SH sides and in a lot of cases have had 60-70% territory and possession for the first 30-40 minutes, i.e. been pretty dominant. In this time the scores were level or maybe Wales a few points ahead but as soon as even the slightest errors creep in or the game inevitably gets more 50-50 Wales don't look close to winning.
I guess the main point is that the big 3 are more than capable of absorbing the pressure of Gatlandball without conceding many points. I don't mean to completely discredit the recent SA victory but it was a strange one in that SA had a bit of an off day and I don't think we can keep praying for off days... or can we? 😐
Also, this could be mind games. Given all we know England will likely play a strong forward orientated game. Wales might want England to think that they are trying to match them there, when in reality they may well move the ball away as quickly as possible and test our much discussed centres / back 3.
Also the comments involving the ref my be a deliberate plot to get into his head. We all know England tend to have a poor reputation for forward infringement, Haskell - in the past - being quite a target for pings. It'd suit Wales to force the ref to Watch England hard and nullify that edge to our game.
In my mind Engalnd need to play the game in the Welsh half if not the 22 to nullify the Welsh centres penetration, which will rely on Ford/Cipriani clearing and kicking intelligently. This the ideal game to put that particurly piece into practice, so,etching which we've been weak at with Farrell IMO.
Whoever England pick they will have a strong set piece a well organized defence and a good maul. Wales will play away from the set piece but they wont just chuck it wide they will try and batter england through the centres and look to dominate the england ball carriers with their blitz defence. As said england will look to kick to the corners which is a good tactic v wales as 1/2p is usually on his own at the back as the welsh wingers defend up in the line rather than dropping back and because the welsh lineout is poor due to no real middle jumping lock or good options in the back row.
Just been overtaken on my ride in Bath a little close for my liking... by a Ferrari... and I noticed the number plate was p1rop. So it there a successful private investigator with the initials ROP or is there a Bath prop who thinks he's number 1 hooning around? 😀 Paul James? David Wilson? Can't see any of them driving a Ferrari and I like the idea of it being someone like Jason Leonard (no Bath connection) or Samson Lee (but he'd probably drive a blacked out German saloon).... yes my mind did wander a little during today's ride 😆
seem to remember Victor Ubogu had a Ferrari, or he did when I played cricket against him....
Bear - Member
seem to remember Victor Ubogu had a Ferrari, or he did when I played cricket against him...
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😉
Now that is a good fit for the p1rop number plate!
Well it wasnt Adam thats for sure.
The few times I've seen Adam have been mostly when he's being dragged around John Lewis in Cardiff- not quite the same lifestyle as Ferrari man 😀
Was there a hooker alongside him in the car?
Wales team as expected, Baldwin and Jarvis on the bench are major weaknesses.
Wilson confirmed out
15-Leigh Halfpenny, 14-Alex Cuthbert, 13-Jonathan Davies, 12-Jamie Roberts, 11-George North, 10-Dan Biggar, 9-Rhys Webb; 8-Toby Faletau, 7-Sam Warburton, 6-Dan Lydiate, 5-Alun-Wyn Jones, 4-Jake Ball, 3-Sampson Lee, 2-Richard Hibbard, 1-Gethin Jenkins.16-Scott Baldwin, 17-Paul James, 18-Aaron Jarvis, 19-Luke Charteris, 20-Justin Tipuric, 21-Mike Phillips, 22-Rhys Priestland, 23-Liam Williams.
Baldwin and Jarvis on the bench are major weaknesses.
Still managed to beat SA somehow with only 2/6 front rowers you'd trust to get the job done- and Bladwin started. It makes the rare SH victory even more of a mystery. Did Ken Owens play in the end last week?
Still not sure what to think of Webb but I guess he is the best option for the moment.
England also reportedly training with loudspeakers to try and recreate the Millennium Stadium experience 😕
I have been critical of Webb in the past but he has been very good this year. I still worry that a btainfart will come soon. G Davies at scarlets is a good player but has been injured a lot. Phillips is a good bench option imo.
That is a fair assessment. It is the brainfart bit that bothers me too!
Jenkins form has been wayward the last few times that I've seen him. Webb is a bit untested at this level, Biggar meh I'm not a fan but he's better than Priestland that's for sure. Other than that, it's an incredibly talented and settled starting XV for Wales.....bench looks very weak though!! If England can stay close for 60 minutes then even with our injuries I'd hope that we'll be bringing the stronger subs....Wilson out is a huge blow imo though 🙁
Two tackles, one kick
England's midfield?
Right you are, ladies and gents, here it is!
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:large[/img]
A little worried that "Hartley cheats" is a 3 drink penalty. Another NHS Crisis looms, surely! 😀
Oh, and Adam coming out of retirement and Will Carling ones are ace!
Whats the likely England 23?
Brown
Watson
Joseph
Burrel
May
Ford
Care/Youngs
Marler
Hartley
Cole/Brooks
Attwood
Kruis
Haskel
Vunipola
Robshaw
Corbs
Youngs
Brooks/Cole
A N Other lock
A N Other Backrow
Youngs/Care
Cipriani
Goode
Thats not at all bad other than the locks and Tuilagi the missing players arent much better
Last I hear Burrell was injured. JJ/36? I'd like to see Slade and JJ.
I think Cole will start, not sure about 9.
I think that teams close aa, but suspect it's actually 12t being [s]creative[/s] shit in the English midfield.
I think that teams close aa, but suspect it's actually 12t being [s]creative[/s] shit in the English midfield.
My predication is that 12t becomes temporarily possessed by a combination of an angry Samoan in defense and Quade Cooper in attack to almost single handedly win the game for England. Now how many drinks is that in the 2015 drinking game? 😀
