That’s the point though – players can excel in the 6N with a limited skillset (good player though Lydiate is).

All Blacks can generally do it all.

We only play well against good opposition a_a.

Hence why we’re rubbish in the 6N.

Jesus, if England fans think England have played well against SH teams in recent seasons, their expectations are lower than I thought.

Exactly. 😉

Going out in a narrow loss against one of the finalists in a game that many (after the game and none before) thought we might have won?

I’ll take that. We could with a following wind, have made the final and been completely humiliated by NZ. Better we went out as we did really. Still miffed by the Aussie penalty and no Scotland penalty at the ruck from the restart though.

6 weeks every year. Once every four years. It’s ok. I get it jamba.

I dont think I have ever seen anything as comical and juvenile as that Castro stamp. A premiership wendyballer would be proud of that as his contribution to the fray 😀

Or… Started too slowly against SA and didn’t finish far off, were robbed of the chance to beat France, sulked about our dear leader and didn’t show up against Aus and would have given NZ a run for their money in the final as the ABs were trying their best to lose to France! Too many what ifs but it was doable with the wind in the right direction:) certainly more doable than it is likely to be for a long time to come which is what got my flippin hopes up at the time… although in reality in was never their WC to win as you say a_a so a fair result in the end. Still, I wouldn’t mind if Wales could go back to playing that sort of attacking rugby with the current standard of defense…

It is also odd that players like Biggar and Roberts have been some of the form guys for Wales but equally are the style of player that hold a more fluid, attacking game plan back. I’d love to see a 2011 Priestland back again but it doesn’t look like it will happen any time soon.

I’m not sure someone like Morgan is the answer to the missing Shane mojo as a lot of people seem to want but do wonder if 1/2p on the wing (assuming a decent FB alternative) could be close, getting back a smart, fast, niggly runner in the team.

Again though, what 1/2p does so well at fullback in defense pretty much eliminates all the attacking threat that got him first noticed when he broke on to the scene as he has so much work to do at the back. No idea what the solution is and if it was obvious I guess it would have already happened by now!

Neil Francis always has something to say and this article about the “doctors” who called for reduced contact in a letter last week is quite interesting reading…

Aye your dead right there John

Neil Francis always has something to say and this article about the “doctors” who called for reduced contact in a letter last week is quite interesting reading…
Brilliant link, thanks for that Albanach.

I’ve read a lot of his pieces over the years – he generally has something of interest to say.

Cheers for the link. 🙂

Indeed. Not nice.

Anyway, Lawes is out. That means Lunchboy is a shoo in for man of the match.

I started watching Eng v Wal in the 70’s – I think it’s been bred into me 😆 I used to have to answer the phone to my Dad’s mate (with a 70’s non-pc nickname relating to the river in Cardiff)
“No, sorry, Dad’s out at the moment”

Still at least Steve Walsh has given up refereeing so it stops you Walshmen having that advantage.

Its Tuesday, what is there to say. No he’ll come on as sub. Ford will start at 10. It should be a cracking game and as I posted before I expect Wales to improve massively from what we’ve seen so far, as such the result hangs in the balance. England to win the meaningless post RWC 6N but a Grand Slam is far from certain.

? 😯

I just can’t decide who will give away the first daft England penalty that will make me bury my head in my hands – Farrell or Haskell?