Peyper has no control of the offside line.

This is good, but it reveals how valuable Tuilagi is.  Very different team with him in it, and they need to learn to play like this without him.   Ford is on song today also.

Having 3 marauders in the back row is good for England. The big question is, does it offset the lack of a big 8 to smash it up?

Was started by ireland five

Nope – started by Itoje holding him off the ball and ripping his shirt off. Should have been pen ireland for holding the man

Winning margin?

The big question is, does it offset the lack of a big 8 to smash it up?

Lawes is doing that.  I think England have worked out a way to relieve the pressure on Curry and allow him to come in as a natural seven on the follow up play.  Best of both worlds. It’s stopped Ireland exposing Curry.  Curry’s never come off the base, Ireland need to pressure Young’s at the scrum to expose that.

ive a feeling Genge is going to rip this apart in 20 mins or so, Marlers holding the scrum but Genge will tear into them.

Here we go.

TJ – correct, but then Stander charged across the pitch and smashed into him.

Nope – started by Itoje holding him off the ball and ripping his shirt off.

Nope it was started by the ireland five going for the cheap shot clearout of Itoje, Stander got involved later.

Smart play by Stander running off with Faz trying to hump his leg like a randy terrier

Has Sexton put his boots on the wrong feet?

Genge 1, Ireland 0.

And another cheapshot from ireland five.

Ruddy awful game tho.

May about 1m offside there!!

That Ireland winger on May. Late, and no arms.

Scrums are pretty boring imho, I’d happily see them gone somehow.

I’d happily see them go back to putting the ball in straight so there was an alternative to playing for penalties to try and gain an advantage.

That Ireland winger on May. Late, and no arms.

yep. Debatable pen try.

So the big question, Wales v England who wins and will Ireland beat France?

Pretty good by England today.

Ireland in the first half were utter shite. They need to find a replacement for Sexton; his best days are well behind him.

Can we replicate that sort of intensity against Wales in two weeks time?

Interesting stats from the game…

England – Ireland

Possession: 39%-61%

Territory: 41%-58%

Metres run: 202-234

Clean breaks: 3-2

Defenders beaten: 9-15

Tackles made/attempted: 175/190 (92% success) – 97/106 (92% success)

Penalties conceded: 12-7

With those stats, you’d expect Ireland to have won.

yep. Debatable pen try.

Yep, however May was never onside at the previous ruck so it shouldnt have counted.

Yep, however May was never onside at the previous ruck so it shouldnt have counted.

True, but it looked like a no arms tackle to me. Henshaw made no attempt to wrap the arms.

You’re only offside if the ref blows the whistle…..

You’re only offside if the ref blows the whistle…..

Indeed but had he scored, I’m pretty sure they’d have checked it, although had they gone the pen try route they might have got so involved in that they could forget. If you English are taking that as a pen try I’ll take the intentional knock on as a pen try in the Wales game!!

I suspect the no arms bit was because he was trying to charge down the kick by the way!!

It’s completely immaterial to the outcome of the game thankfully, but it shows the complete inability of Peyper to manage the process. I hadn’t seen whether May was offside originally – if he was then it’s even worse. The whole match offside was poorly reffed.

Watching it on slo-mo, the Irish defender is upright until May kicks the ball, then he barges him & takes him out.

Will CJ Stander he cited this week? The end of his Itoje spat where he chased across the pitch to smash him, and punching Farrell on the floor (Farrell was holding on, but you can’t just punch people.

Is this the end for Sexton & Murray? Coney looked a different class when he came on. I wish England would blood a new 9.

Will CJ Stander he cited this week? The end of his Itoje spat where he chased across the pitch to smash him, and punching Farrell on the floor (Farrell was holding on, but you can’t just punch people.

He very clearly had an open hand, so I doubt it.

I’m a big fan of Stander – he did seem to be the wrong side of emotional control today.

This years England team have me undecided. I can’t decide if EJ is trying to ensure positional flexibility within his squad, or is just pig headed in selection.

Why take Mconnochie to the RWC, then not select him this year when we are short of wings? JJ actually played well today, but he wasn’t really tested defensively.

What is the long term scrum half plan ?

Never a penalty try as there was cover coming across, a penalty most likely.

Offside in general is not reffed, but the game doesn’t penalise the attacking side in general, there are far more penalties given away defensively. The attacking players continually enter rucks from the side to clear out.

I suspect the no arms bit was because he was trying to charge down the kick by the way!!

Are your cataracts troubling you today?

Peyper is a shit ref and was particularly poor today I thought.

Jones’s selection are very odd and he does have a habit of selecting players and discarding them.

God knows what the scrum half plan is. Mitchell is there as an apprentice but doesn’t look like he’ll get a shot. Youngs was OK today, but that means he’ll be piss poor next week.

Are your cataracts troubling you today?

Well the ref, assistant ref and tmo didnt agree with you so, well, you know

He very clearly had an open hand, so I doubt it.

Sean Connery would approve, I’m sure.

I saw an open hand as well and he was hitting Farrells arms trying to get him to let go ( then into the body)

I have no idea what Farrell thought he was doing. Ok hold on for a bit if you must but Farrell gave away a pen that led to Ireland scoring. Idiot

but that means he’ll be piss poor next week.

That’d be fine as long as he’s better for the week after… 🙄

That’d be fine as long as he’s better for the week after… 🙄

Ha ha. Ain’t gonna happen; Youngs has one good game in ten. He’ll be shite for the rest of the 6N.

Scrum half is one area where Jones really hasn’t developed his squad. Care is currently in good form and has a decent number of caps, Spencer should have had more of look in as should Robson. Simpson has also gone well since moving to Gloucester.

Whatever the stats seem to say Ireland were smashed, England seems to have worked out that we have an inability to cope with a simple ball kicked in behind. Sexton was awful and the extensive strapping on his leg seems worrying. On the plus side our U20s look like we have some good players coming through.

The most telling stat for me was how many times the commentator picked out Stander prior to the Farrel moment
Twice, IIRC, once for his hand bags at dawn moment with Itoje and once for managing the ball at the back of a scrum.

He is usually one of the most commentated on players in the Irish team. Was allowed to do virtually nothing by England yesterday.

Good for Engand to win, but on reflection disappointed they did not properly finish off Ireland and at least get the bonus point.

Good for Engand to win, but on reflection disappointed they did not properly finish off Ireland and at least get the bonus point.

They declared at half time didnt you hear?

England didnt look that great, if Wales were playing well I’d be confident, as it is I expect Wales are in for a tough afternoon next weekend.

England did nothing in attack bar kick(very well) and either try to drive over from short range or hope for a good bounce. England were also really niggly all game.

Blitz defense was good tho – scoring against them will be difficult.