He is steady; not as talented as Palmer, but I don’t think that Palmer has been as talented as Palmer this year.

^^This also^^

But, surely “steady” goes against this morning’s little mind games that England are, and I quote, an “exceptionally dangerous side”?

Steady ain’t dangerous.

Actually, TJ has a special place in his heart for Laidlaw while I only have eyes for Weir. Could have something to do with which side of the M8 we’re on though 😉

I think that Weir is getting an unfair reputation as only having a kicking game. Ball in hand he’s got real talent as well although I don’t think Glasgow’s game plan for him gives him many options to show it. He’s more than proved himself at every level up to full international and it’s high time AR mans the **** up and plays him.

I’m not trolling, just pointing out that your admiration is misplaced. The England team behaved badly enough in NZ, and compound it by flaunting immigration laws of their own country. Poor poor form, and brings the game into disrepute.

Glitchy?

He’s in there to organise the lineout. He’s taken that job when he’s come on in the last couple of matches, and improved that phase. i think Croft was running the lineouts before Parling came on to the pitch, and they were pretty shoddy.

England team looks pretty good actually, I’m quite happy with it.

Parling is a good lineout man which is seen as Wales’s weakness, Dickson added some pace in the last 2 games and Morgan in for Dowson also seems fair.

Strong bench for England as well, though I still think the Welsh should win.

Poor poor form, and brings the game into disrepute.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/oct/10/rugbyunion.rugbyworldcup20078 – That nice Doug Howlett smashing up cars.

Maybe a little Zac Guildford as well? Drunk, naked in a bar assaulting tourists. Nice.

Shall we talk about all the islanders (Non-NZ) playing for New Zealand as well? Are you 100% sure that all of those went through the proper immigration channels?

I’m not trolling, just pointing out that your admiration is misplaced. The England team behaved badly enough in NZ, and compound it by flaunting immigration laws of their own country. Poor poor form, and brings the game into disrepute.

This will be my last comment on the matter;
I don’t think you’re trolling, I think you’re plainly wrong.
England did behave poorly in NZ, but that has no bearing whatsoever on Manus’ status in the UK. Manu had residence here before the RWC so nothing was compounded at all. The immigration laws in the UK have nothing to do with the state of rugby, so “bringing the game into disrepute” is quite frankly a joke.
I’m not even going to comment on the behaviour of NZ as I don’t have to. Your argument has been torn apart without the need to.

hels – sorry if you’re offended with calling it trolling, maybe that was a bit premature.
As for your point on imigration, I think we got it the first time.
BTW, neutral on the England-Wales game so no “misplaced admiration” here. However, from what I’ve read, England have recognised they were bad in NZ, made significant changes, and been a lot more “reputable” in this 6nations. There’s not a lot more they could be expected to do.

Oops, sorry, Wrecker, I bit before you posted…! 🙂

I agree with wrecker.

Anyway back to the rugby.

Thanks for info on Parling. Lets hope he is worth it.

So

Scotland team tobe announced today. from another forum I hear a (supposedly credible) rumour of lamont and morrison as the centres.

Can you all please cross your fingers for me this is not so?

Any chance at all of Ansbro being fit this 6N TJ?

Don’t know. I think he has fallen out of favour anyway

Parling assesments are spot on. Palmer is a better player, but he’s not playing better so the right call really. Botha and Lawes, going to have 5 back row forwards on, sounds like there really is a push towards a faster style and a scrum that’ll ‘cope’. We’ve seen this before somewhere… oh yes, Wales!

That’s a shame TJ, I though he looked one of the more dangerous players in the Scotland team when I watched them. Ansbro and Lamont would be a potent centre partnership IMO.

Has the England team been announced? I can’t find it anywhere.

Ansbro did look good. Hopefully he will come back

We also have Matt Scott – another Edinburgh player who looks the part and who was a big part of the A team demolition of England Saxons

wrecker
http://www.rfu.com/News/2012/February/NewsArticles/210212_players_retained.aspx

Players retained by England
Forwards (12)

Mouritz Botha (Saracens)
Alex Corbisiero (London Irish)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers)
Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints)
Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Ben Morgan (Scarlets)
Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers)
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
Matt Stevens (Saracens)
Rob Webber (London Wasps)
Backs (10)

Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints)
Brad Barritt (Saracens)
Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers)
Ben Foden (Northampton Saints)
Charlie Hodgson (Saracens)
David Strettle (Saracens)
Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Last thing I’m going to say about Weir today, I promise (unless the team gets announced today). From the Daily Record.

Jimmy Reid – PE teacher at Cathkin High in Cambuslang – said: “It was only a supreme piece of mischief by Duncan that got him into rugby.
“He had been taken on to Celtic’s books when he was about 14 and that looked like the route he was going to take.
“When he started playing for the Celtic youth team they made him promise not to turn out for the school side in case he got injured – and he kept that pledge.
“But the wee rascal began playing for the school rugby team instead, insisting the people at Parkhead had never told him not to.
“He had a big choice at the end of that season and loved rugby so much he gave up football.”
Glasgow Warriors ace Weir – who looks like being used as an impact sub today – said: “I did play more football in my younger days but then saw the light and got into rugby.”

Ansbro and Lamont would be a potent centre partnership IMO.

Agreed. Ansbro looked pretty damned good to me.

BruceWee – Member

Actually, TJ has a special place in his heart for Laidlaw while I only have eyes for Weir. Could have something to do with which side of the M8 we’re on though

I think that Weir is getting an unfair reputation as only having a kicking game. Ball in hand he’s got real talent as well although I don’t think Glasgow’s game plan for him gives him many options to show it. He’s more than proved himself at every level up to full international and it’s high time AR mans the **** up and plays him.

I just saw this. I’d be happy with either starting. Weir is very young yet but if you are good enough you are old enough and I love his mental attitude / toughness.
He has not shown much of a running game when I have seen him play and he is not as unpredictable s Laidlaw but perhpas a steadier player Potential to develop in the best of them tho for sure.

It would be interesting to see how they each did in the others team – and by all accounts Weir was great in the demolition of the england saxons

I was disappointed that he did not get on the pitch against Wales. I really fear he will be dropped for Jackson tho despite outplaying him for Glasgow

I would like to see Ansbro back at 13 with Matt Scott or Alex Grove at 12.

If Scotland are doing ok upfront i think Weir should be given 20-30 minutes on Sunday.

*Sobs*

Looks like its true – Morrison and Lamont in the centre, Barclay out of position at 6. Ramont, Hogg, Jones might as well have a picnic in the deadball zone for all the ball they will see

At least the halfbacks are finally right for now – at the third attempt. NOt much use tho with two players who don’t pass outside of him and we now have a winger who has been playing 12 playing 13

15 Stuart Hogg
14 Rory Lamont
13 Sean Lamont
12 Graeme Morrison
11 Lee Jones

10 Greig Laidlaw
9 Mike Blair

1 Alan jacobsen
2 Ross Ford
3 Geoff Cross
4 Richie Gray
5 Jim Hamilton
6 John Barclay
7 Ross Rennie
8 David Denton

Substitutes

16 Scott Lawson
17 Ed Kalman
18 Alastair Kellock
19 Richie Vernon
20 Chris Cusiter
21 Duncan Weir
22 Nick De Luca

Happy with the forwards, Barclay is good enough to play at 6.

Would have preferred to see one centre with passing ability playing at least then a decent miss pass can take one out, trying to miss two is asking for interceptions.

Scotland have a 6 playing 8, a 7 playing 6, a winger playing 13, a 13 sitting on the bench, and an on form 12 and 6 sitting at home.

What could go wrong?

Arrggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

its a bloody awful selection. we will be mullered and we will be unable to score anything! Static ball in midfeild and be turned in the rucks, back 3 and Laidlaw will get desaprate and try to hard leading to mistakes.

Robinson is an idiot

good job I have a welsh granny

If he was going to play Morrison surely Wales would have been the game to do it. Ignore the numbers on the flankers, I think that has better balance. At least the Half backs should be sharp. But yup, two water carriers in the midfield. Having said that trixie la froo-froo (or whatever the new French centre is called)ain’t the biggest so at least we will soften him up for the Welsh slam.(done it now AA,) YES I SAID IT AND I’LL SAY IT AGAIN….WELSH GRAND SLAM

Yo got a welsh granny as well duckman?

Wife 😀 and I suppose both my sons would qualify. Eldest is a horrible wee shect of a 7 as well.

england team announced

England: Ben Foden (Northampton Saints); Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints), Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), Brad Barritt (Saracens), David Strettle (Saracens); Owen Farrell (Saracens), Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints); Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Mouritz Botha (Saracens), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), Ben Morgan (Scarlets)

Replacements: Rob Webber (London Wasps), Matt Stevens (Saracens), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers), Mike Brown (Harlequins)

http://www.espnscrum.com/six-nations-2012/rugby/story/159924.html

Farrell (at 10) , Barritt , Manu in the middle. dickson and morgan starting. Strongest England team so far IMHO

Interesting. Like Dickson / Farrel as halfbacks. Looks a good team

I like it as well, strong team, i’d rather have Palmer than Parling but other than that it looks good.

Wouldn’t have rated Catflap’s chances of stopping North/Cuthbert running through the 10 channel. Farrell’s a far better defenfer and gives them half a chance there now. Should be a good game (but without expecting much running rugby) 😉

(but without expecting much running rugby)

I dunno….

I reckon one team will try and play running rugby.

The other will see the scrum half at the back of the ruck, with his foot on the ball, pointing and shouting at his line to get formed up for about two minutes, givnig the opposition more than enough time to get fully lined up to smash them backwards in “defense” before a short ball to a prop who’ll run straight back in to the same ruck. Repeat ad infinitum.

🙂

There are some bold choices by Lancaster. I like it.
Still too fresh to have a team like Wales over but we could see an entertaining game.

England team is much as expected. Hodgeson is injured, which must have helped the selection process. Farell was always likely to start, if for no other reason than he is a better defender than Flood. Tulangi at Outside Centre was always certain, glad to see that Barritt has been retained – he has done nothing wrong to be dropped.

Pack looks ok – Palmer can probably feel a little cheesed off, but Lawes was always going to be involved, as based on performances so far Botha was going to stay.

Concerns – Ashton is way under in terms performance is is lucky to still be selected. Bench looks light for cover of the centres and back 3. Mike Brown is really only a full back, he either needs to start or not be selected at all. Ironically the player that England need on the bench is the idiot Armitage, as he can cover centre, wing and full back. But his chance of being selected for England, is only a little better than mine (never played rugby, overweight, nearly 50 and dodgy knees)

I think that for this match we will see a different approach from England. The first two games, England had to win and they did that (just), results mattered. (It should be noted that all the critics said that England would lose both). This match is different, I would expect Wales to win the 6N, so England losing to them is not the end of the world. In fact the pressure to win is on Wales, lose this one and it will make the RWC losses seem minor. Therefore England need to take a more open approach. Ironically enough this probably the best way to beat Wales.

Wales will still win, probably by 10-15 points or more. But expect a better England performance!

mmmm, maybe England wont get thrashed after all. At least Lancaster is being refreshing in his selection. Wales should still win but it could be closer than expected depending on how youth vs experience plays out.

ioum – a little pessimistic perhaps? On paper, I would have thought the backs look pretty exciting on both sides. Busiest person on the day? The physio tending to the bruised shoulders/collar bones in midfield after the match!!!! Could be brutal!!

CFH – who could that be!!!

CFH – who could that be!!!

It’s a précis of some rather good analysis in one of my weekend papers (Forget which!), that described how that “scrum half foot on the ball” way of playing simply plays in to the hands of a fast defence such as the Wales defence. It also boils my piss, in that there are often rucks where the player’s not bound in, with the ball effectively “out” for what seems like an age.

Quick ball is key. Look at what happens when Spikey Mikey breaks off the back.

Quick ball is key.

Indeed

Look at what happens when Spikey Mikey breaks off the back.

he usually stands around for a bit and gets caught by a quick player 🙂

England team is much as expected.

It’s a very different team to that predicted by the press yesterday.