I want Ickle jonny to have babies with  Rebecca Adlington!  think how big they would be

You can make as many tackles as you want but they need to be the right sort of tackle. I would suspect it is an area that is broken down into at least 5 different types, they’ve got to be the right ones to count.
Stats on the screen are for joe public, teams have way more and the analysis is amazing.

They should have played this Johnny Gray v Wales or at Twickers last season.

Robbo retiring from commentating, about time, bellowing oaf who should of gone years ago. I

He still topped the stats against Wales.  Add together runs, passes and tackles and his numbers are the highest ie he was involved in the game more than any other player on the pitch

Eatmond needs to go back to run and wiggle!

https://mobile.twitter.com/Dukedando/status/962690890656571393

Make sure you watch till the end to see his first one too!

“He still topped the stats against Wales. ”

and yet was totally anonymous.
Stats mean nothing

http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/matchstats?gameId=291693&league=180659

Wales ran for more m, beat more defenders and conceded 8 less pens and yet lost!!

Here’s a good one though, Wales have not had a pen kicked against them in two games

HAs there been a yellow card in any
Of the matches yet?

I don’t remember a single yellow card yet?  should have been a couple 😉

Those tackles by Eastmond were bllody awful – Wasps still hammered Quinns though a man down.

‘and yet was totally anonymous.
Stats mean nothing’

Agree. Gray not missing tackles won’t make up for the ones that Russell fails to make…

Wales with some selection dilemmas for the Ireland game.

Back 3 could be 1/2p, Liam and North.
Biggar set to be fit but I’d stick with Patch.
Faletau could be back at 8, then Shingler or Moriarty at 6 meaning Tipuric may not even make the bench.
Anyone see if Liam was any good for Saracens yesterday?

Cipriani leaving Wasps.

Again.

Not surprising he’s off with Sopoaga on his way over and the lack of England call ups.

Shame because he was very good yesterday, showing what he brings to the team. No official announcement on where he’s off to yet – is France still the number one suspect?

And….

French flight home grounded, several players being questioned by the police about an alleged brawl…  developing story!

Brian Moore

February 12 2018 2:30 AM

Events of the last week have revealed a fact that appears to have been a bit of a shock to some people in rugby – Eddie Jones, the England coach, is not necessarily a thoroughly nice person. Really? He is a former Australian rugby player and played hooker, the position of agents provocateurs extraordinaire. I’m shocked; shocked, I tell you.

What was also revealed is that some people can give it but not take it.

Wales fans, and remember there are many in the English media, have selective memories and sensitivities. You can use the lazy and pejorative prefix of arrogant against anything English-related without criticism.

Your coaches and media can be provocative in all manner of arenas around the world but shame on you if you have a jab at one of rugby’s self-styled minorities.

So, Jones questioned whether a 24-year-old Wales fly-half, with very few caps, might struggle with the extra pressure of Twickenham and an England defence that, unlike the Scots the previous week, might tackle players behind the gain-line. In fact, Rhys Patchell found playing on the back foot difficult and was substituted in the second half.

Many chose to infer from Jones’s use of the word “bottle” that he was alleging Patchell was not brave – a daft interpretation because anyone who plays international rugby has that quality. What Patchell does not yet have is the requisite experience that, say, George Ford and Owen Farrell possess, having played considerably more games.

Now, on to the allegation of incompetence at best, and perfidy at worst, against the officials on Saturday at Twickenham. I thought they erred in not awarding Gareth Anscombe a try but, after the game, it was open season on television match official Glenn Newman – respect for officials seems for some to extend only to decisions they like. The officials were biased towards England; that must be why they awarded five times more penalties to Wales.

England won ugly, in an ugly game, in ugly conditions, and should not apologise for doing so. They, perhaps, should have had the game won in the first half when they scored the game’s only tries and were comfortably in control. England’s habitual, and now glaring, flaw of giving away penalties kept Wales in touch on the scoreboard and in terms of territory in the first half.

When Wales came into the game in the second half, England’s defence was tested fully and, as on other occasions, it bent but did not buckle. It was another incomplete England performance that, nevertheless, had many elements that were good.

If you want to develop a defining characteristic, being able to absorb pressure without imploding and find a way to win, and do so consistently, is a good one.

If you are Welsh – well, Wales didn’t lose because of the officials or because of wicked pre-match slights against defenceless players. They lost because they kicked poorly; did not compete sufficiently well in the air; played on the back foot for substantial amounts of the game; made too many handling errors under pressure and, despite having three try-scoring chances, two other clean line-breaks and a penalty-count advantage of 10 to two, could not score more than six points. Blaming anyone else will not change those facts.

Finally, for fellow hacks – do not lap up Jones’s copy-making comments and then get prissy when he says something you do not agree with, or allege disrepute, when you regularly disparage in similar fashion.

(© Daily Telegraph, London)

Interesting comment from Brian Moore who seems happy..

So, watching the Wales/England game it seemed as though every time the Welsh ball made it to midfield it immediately met a white wall that would stop it dead.  Now I don’t know if the English were rushing forwards particularly, or Wales were playing very flat – couldn’t really tell.  But could some of the blame lie with Patchell for lack of options?  Or was it the game plan? He seemed to be firing out fast accurate passes to the centres who had nowhere to go with it.

Watching Scotland/France it looked like Scotland were deeper giving themselves more running options.

“and played hooker, the position of agents provocateurs extraordinaire”

I do like Moors and he clearly knows the rest is the usual mindless drivel.

“So, watching the Wales/England game it seemed as though every time the Welsh ball made it to midfield it immediately met a white wall that would stop it dead. ”

Its because the Welsh tight forward pods in the 1,3,3,1 system were not getting any go forward. It was a similar problem that Scotland had v Wales

CFH – apparently nothing in it.

Officers said their inquiries had established that no crimes were committed

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/12/french-rugby-players-questioned-over-edinburgh-bar-fight

So, watching the Wales/England game it seemed as though every time the Welsh ball made it to midfield it immediately met a white wall that would stop it dead.

This isn’t quite true though is it, they did make some good breaks and had us on the back foot for a good long while. Close game.

I thought the Scotland France game was much more scintillating.

Its because the Welsh tight forward pods in the 1,3,3,1 system were not getting any go forward.

Why tho?  Help me out, I’m not that knowledgeable about rugby tactics.

This isn’t quite true though is it, they did make some good breaks and had us on the back foot for a good long while.

True but I reckon most of Wales’s ball ended that way, at least in the first half.  And for all that play in the last 5 mins or so.

True but I reckon most of Wales’s ball ended that way, at least in the first half.  And for all that play in the last 5 mins or so.

Yeah, I am only going on memory and by the 2nd half when wales had all the momentum, I was a bit drunk. In the end we stopped them.

1,3,3,1 is how Wales set up their forwards in attacking play. Two pods of 3 in the middle and two faster players out wide. Shingler on one side made a few breaks and I think it was owens on the other. The middle two pods have the front five guys. Wales are very light on carriers to make the hard yards and this meant Patchel was getting shit ball with a lot of defenders as our carriers got smashed back more often than not.

I’ve just got back from the States, catching up on all the reports of the weekend matches.

Guscott on the BBC says The “Try that never was” for Wales can be seen, in frame by frame, to be a knock on by Evans anyway(apparently in single frame you can see the finger being back by the ball).

So after Gatland et al castigating the TMO publically, it never was a try anyway.

“So after Gatland et al castigating the TMO publically, it never was a try anyway.”

Video ref said it wasnt a knock on and Watson got there first so he was wrong twice…tbf the knock on needed a magnified view to spot whereas a blind man could see that Watson did not get to it first.

The key to the TMO decision is the question “try or no try” the TMO has to be sure its scored.  “any reason not to award the try” then the TMO has to be sure it is not

Viewing the video  you cannot be sure Anscombe got it touched down.  so correct decision given the question asked.  I think he probably did but thats not good enough

AA – Anscombe did touch it first but the ball was in the air at that point.  as he pushed it down his hand was rolling off the side of it.  You could not be sure  that he was in contact with the ball as the ball touched the ground.

AA, I didn’t say is process was correct, merely that after Gatland saying to the press everyone knew the TMO had disallowed a good try, it turns out it wasn’t, that’s all. Coaches shouldn’t criticise refs IMHO.

Not in air

https://goo.gl/images/pBCEYw

Let me “try” that again!!

https://i2-prod.walesonline.co.uk/incoming/article14273373.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/CDF_100218_CF_England_v_Wales_030JPG.jpg

Irrelevant if already knocked on by Evans, if we are using all available evidence.

AA – in the air when he first touched it.  That is a couple of frames later as his hand rolls off it.  Is he still in contact with the ball?  Probably yes but you cannot see it from that angle for sure – blowing the pic right up it does look like it  – was that available to the video ref?

I think he probably did score it but the ref asking “try yes or no” means the TMO has to be certain and I have yet to see anything from which you can be certain

To me it wasn’t so much the fact he said it wasn’t a try (debatable) but more the fact he stated  that Watson <span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>touched the ball first which was clearly wrong</span>

“Irrelevant if already knocked on by Evans, if we are using all available evidence.”

True and its over and wasnt given. Just dont think what TJ is saying is right and it is a cast iron certainty that Watson did nit get their first like tge tmo said

I watched the disallowed try again, earlier and I think they made the right decision: Yes, Anscombe did touch the ball first, but he failed to put any downward pressure on it. In fact, the ball was rolling out of his fingers before it came in contact with the ground.

If the ball is on the floor and your fingers are on top of it thats downwards pressure surely. Irrelevant that some pressure is sideways…he didnt clearly knock it on. Had the video ref chosen his words and said Anscombe knocked it on then there would be less controversy. I am not really that bothered. A bunch of out classed kids pushed England all the way and in real time the first reaction is no try.

On looking back over the highlights I’m more annoyed that North didnt run a support line that would have blocked Underhill

you don’t need downward pressure – all he needs is to be in contact with the ball as the ball is in contact with the ground.  thats the lawbook nowadays

Its the hand rolling down the side of it that gives rise to the doubt  small doubt but enough

Cipriani: well by French standards he’s reliable and disciplined 🙂

He’s been linked with Toulon for a long time although Lyon might be looking past Freddie M. Can’t see Stade taking him with Plisson and Stern

Anyway best of luck to him and she should take the money and maybe some sunshine, he was never going to be picked for England again as he has too many indiscretions topped by the drink driving (mind you that puts in the same club as Dan Carter)

U woz robbed A-A

we woz luckeee

“U woz robbed A-A

we woz luckeee”

Wrong as usual.