But, but how did a team with 12 lions lose THM?

😆 😆 😆 😆

Agreed if they beat France, just don’t think there’s been much of a difference up until now.

what were the average ages of the respective teams?

Are you suggesting the Lions players picked were not as good as the stout Yeomen English left behind? Or is that a defecto admission that you have just been trying some poor trolling all along with your stance that Wales are much the better team?

I think the Lions hangover has not helped Wales, of the Lions players only really Roberts is playing anything like he’s capable of and he was injured for much of the tour. Even 1/2p isn’t in the form he was. Look at the English players who were heavily involved; Corbisero, Cole, Croft, Tuilagi and Youngs. Ireland have done well without SOB whilst O’Connel and BOD are still playing well (showing their quality), they have missed the finishing prowess of Bowe and Zebo who have only just come back from long injuries.

England didn’t do too badly today and will no doubt be pleased with not losing to Wales again, especially after the thumping they got last year. However, Wales didn’t really turn up today either. AFAIR, they only won one scrum penalty and were battered all day up front, so much so that Gethin had a ten minute rest for repeated infringements. They dropped the ball (rather than were turned over) during most of their visits into the 22. England’s discipline (6 kickable penalties given away) was poor and would have been punished harshly by a better team. Had Wales scored a try or two (and they had a fair few opportunities let down by poor execution a few times with either final pass or grubber kicks), it would have been a very different game.

No, everyone one of the welsh players in the Lions deserved their spot and I even agreed on the BOD decision. On paper, Wales are a better side. England are very inexperienced but maturing. Back three is closer this season mainly due to Brown but north and Cuthbert (wherever he playes) are still better. The rest of the back have been interesting. The only clear advantage on paper pre match for me was 2, 4 and 5. The rest was close or adv wales.

There’s no trolling in saying that another team (Wales) is better (on paper) than the one I support. Makes the result sweeter though I will admit. I agree with you (I think it was your point) about home advantage. You had more home games but not the key ones. We had the advantage of Ireland and Wales at home to offset France in Paris.

Old billy wasn’t that bad today was he!?!?

Scrum stats were interesting – only 2 to Wales and 7 to England. Of the 7, how many were for knock ons?

12trees? He’s OK but I’d pick Burrell and Tuilagi when Tuilagi is back.

The games not played on paper anyone who has seen Wales play this season would no they were going in with Hope rather than expectation.

Which is different from what you said earlier. I believe the average age of the welsh team is about 26 and England was about 25 and I think I read that before Girafferis dropped out to be replaced by Ball who is 22. Just because Jamie Roberts has been around forever doesn’t mean he’s old he’s only 27, Davies is 25 younger than Burrell, Faletau is 23, AW Jones is 28. Only really Gethin, Adam and Phillips are over 30.
Remind me again of the ages of England world cup winning team? (not that Wales are even nearly as good, or have any hope of winning the cup).
Much is down to Wales having to pick Lions playing off form due to lack of options

I forgot to mention Parling above too, whats happened to him?

Anyone else get annoyed by the English fans singing that song?

He was injured, then when he returned Lancaster finally realised that he isn’t very good.

Good result for us today. Disappointing to concede all them penalties though. Did 1/2p have a kick within 40 metres? None of them came when the try line was under real threat. I’m amazed that Hartley lasted as long as he did….penalty magnet and could have picked up a yellow IMO. Should have been subbed much earlier.

Chuck in Carbs, Cole (although maybe Wilson is in better form) Billy V, Many, Wade and Yards, and we’ve got a pretty tasty looking side. Farrell is improving all the time and was excellent today-it’d be nice to have a solid understudy for him though.

No need. Wales kept dropping the ball. 🙂

when was his return? I think he’s still broken isn’t he?

Chris Oti was a big unit wasnt he! Those were the days, what was the name of the irish wing who was all knees and elbows?

England showed more spark and more initiative. They also made fewer mistakes. When you do that in top level sport you get the correct result nine times out of ten because everyone on the pitch knows what they are doing. This reduces the available potential turning points to a few key ones.

Wales were asleep for the Care try. Absolutely fatal. Wales butchered at least two scores by taking the wrong option.

Halfpenny was just brilliant again. I wouldn’t mind wagering his tackle on Burrell was deliberate self-sacrifice as it was the only way to hit him hard enough to stop the score.

I reckon you’ll find a lot of Wales scrum problems emanated from the second row. Wyn Jones is good value for ‘spittle down face’ physicality, but I’ve never been convinced by his technique. Ball is not test class, at least not for now.

Geoghegan is how it was spelled Flash.

And in typically baffling Gaelic pronunciation, that would be pronounced “gaygan”. 🙂

Also it was good to see Twelvetrees come good again. I’ve always believed a centre pairing should be one creative one battering ram (or both if you’re BOD). Wales centre pairing is just an extension of the pack and it showed when Roberts attempt at a grubber through was both poorly conceived and executed.

Doubt that will happen…

Parling controls the line out very well, and is very good in defence. I don’t think he has played this season as he came back broken from the Lions tour… the one that Attwood wasn’t invited on 😉

🙂 I love the Parling ‘lineout guru’ tag…..England had the worst lineout stats of the 2013 6n’s, when he played every game.

What worse than Scotland or France, i doubt that very much

Yhat clip sells Geoghegan short,I remember him as the punchiest winger ever.