Viewing 40 posts - 2,801 through 2,840 (of 3,061 total)
  • Rugby Thread 2018/19
  • martinhutch
    Full Member

    Everyone else except the English is entitled to laugh at England’s dramatic collapse

    That’s a bit discriminatory. As an Englishman, I’m entitled to have a laugh as well. 🙂

    Well done Wales, BTW.

    duckman
    Full Member

    Getting away from the puddingless one. As a Scot, to see my team come back; to ram that bellend Jones words back down his throat while short of 9 first choice players was just amazing. And FINALLY Russell showed for a decent period time what a player he is, he dragged Scotland forward by the scrff of the neck. Scotland; reigning Calcutta cup holders.

    joelowden
    Full Member

    😁😁👍👍

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

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    joelowden
    Full Member

    Let’s hope our girls have a second half like the boys 👍

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    And FINALLY Russell showed for a decent period time what a player he is, he dragged Scotland forward by the scrff of the neck.

    I thought he was mad in the first half with his plays and tgen he was a mad genius second half.

    mefty
    Free Member

    I would be interested to see the penalty count for the whole tournament, my guess is Wales’s is a fraction of anyone else’s. England’s defence looked more impressive at times, but the discipline Wales showed throughout was at a level I don’t recall seeing before, knock backs for show, discipline for dough.

    Didn’t see the second half of Eng Sco today, apart from the last few minutes, as a Huddersfield Town fan I was quite relieved to see the final try.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    ok

    tjagain
    Full Member

    I am still a little shellshocked from yesterday. I actually gave up watching in the first half but saw all the second. I think Russell was right to be gutted not to have won that game at the end but overall a draw is fair and retaining the Calcutta cup no mean achievement.

    Russell – that was a display out of the top drawer and he had Farrell and co chasing phantoms. I can’t wait for the squidge report! Now do you understand what we see in him? Russell showed good control and a good kicking game as well bar the obligatory missed penalties to touch. Normally the FB would be taking them but you buggers have broken all our fullbacks!!

    Over all 6N – well done to Wales for a grand slam. No mean achievement and a tribute to Gatland as a coach that he has got the best out of these guys. Boring to watch as a neutral tho. 😉 Ireland – just looked spent. England – in patches unbeatable but in patches very beatable indeed. France – glimpses of potential as with Italy
    Scotland – disappointing with only one win. The sheer amount of injuries was just too much. Missing half a dozen first choice forwards and loads of backs including in some places being down to 3rd or 4th choice! However that last half brings a little hope and many of those players should be back for the WC.

    Tom-B
    Free Member

    Pretty good summary there TJ…..Gatland has to now be considered as an all time great I think. The amount of injuries and changes that have happened to Wales over the last few years and yet they’re grand slam winners. Ireland have almost done an England of last year, although not quite as bad…..they look knackered and Sexton looks a shadow of the world player of the year. England…..we’ve got to sort this second half problem out. We were comfortable against Wales and having Scotlands pants down big style at half time and folded big style both times. Scotland, hard to say, so many injuries….Finn Russell when good is great, when bad must be very frustrating to be around! France just looked like France, I doubt Morgan Parra will play for them again. Italy havled their -points difference of the last two years I think, looked vaguely competitive against Wales and probably should have beaten France yesterday, it’s a worry that they just don’t seem to have a clue how to win or control a game (why would you when you lose that often I guess)

    Overall a great tournament, even my girlfriend was gutted when she realised that that was the final weekend. She’s gotliterally no clue about rugby, but there’s always such a great atmosphere in the pubs around here when they show the games. I hate the day after it’s all over, it’s as far away as ever now!

    Gats for 2021 Lions coach?

    Tom-B
    Free Member

    Ooh also…..player of the tournament.

    AWJ I reckon.

    Honourable mentions to Tom Curry and Josh Navidi.

    sprocker
    Free Member

    I have watched every single England test since 2002 live and yesterdays was the single most useless game I have ever seen and that includes some total cack.the moment I saw Dan Cole lumbering around a ruck I knew we were in trouble. Almost looked like match fixing.
    Fairplay to Scotland who should be furious with themselves for not winning and well done to Wales who got better throughout the tournament. I see Ireland going well at the world cup with expectations lowered, Wales doing well and Engkand to play some great first halves.

    Pigface
    Free Member

    Am I right in thinking the england women’s 15 is professional team, whilst the rest of the 6 Nations are amateurs? They put 80 points on Scotland to nil and smashed Wales. It is hardly a level playing field if they are.

    onehundredthidiot
    Full Member

    I think a couple of the Scotland team are semi/professional.
    Lisa Thomson, another hawick player, is a “supported player”. But yes your going to get pumped by a pro team if your amateurs.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    It is hardly a level playing field if they are.

    No but you can’t ask England to take a step back, it should help raise the profile given the coverage which should get more funds into the game which can help the other 5 to invest and develop

    Pigface
    Free Member

    Jeez the men’s game in Wales is a shambles, can’t see the girls going pro for a long time, how long are sponsors going to put up with such one sided games. How long are people going to be interested when the outcome is preordained and how long are women going to want to play when they have no chance of getting a result?

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    and how long are women going to want to play when they have no chance of getting a result?

    About as long as Italy’s Mens side?

    Women’s Six Nations Table

    Women’s Fixtures & Results

    The games below the England ones are more competitive, it’s not all about winning the overall here.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    You have to wonder if England need to look at their conditioning.

    Tom-B
    Free Member

    I know it’s daft coming up with ‘faults’ when they’ve won the Slam, but is it just me that thinks Anscombe at 15 Liam on a wing and Biggar at 10 is the best Welsh formation? Add Webb at 9 Scott Williams back at centre, Falatau back at 8 and it’s a very threatening team.

    Add Mako and Maro back to the English team and ditto. I reckon Mako was a huge loss for us.

    Once Ireland have got all first team players back fit…..man I can’t wait for the RWC.

    theotherjonv
    Full Member

    Maybe, but I think it’s more tactical and mental. Against Wales they had no plan b, lost faith in being able to win, and consequently lost. Yesterday…. there’s no way you should lose a game from 31-0 (I know they drew but tell me it wasn’t a loss really). Conceding to 31-7 gave a glimmer but even so, it’s still 4 scores and three tries in what, 15 mins…..that is purely in the head, that feeling of ‘****, we’re going to blow this’ and then everyone loses their heads, belief, focus, misses tackles, tries to chase the game to get control.

    And then inevitably you start to get tired, because being **** like that makes you feel sorry for yourself and when that happens, you do feel it physically too.

    namastebuzz
    Free Member

    Now do you understand what we see in him?

    I’ve always understood.

    Anyone who thinks Farrell is a better fly half is a neep.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    I know it’s daft coming up with ‘faults’ when they’ve won the Slam, but is it just me that thinks Anscombe at 15 Liam on a wing and Biggar at 10 is the best Welsh formation? Add Webb at 9 Scott Williams back at centre, Falatau back at 8 and it’s a very threatening team.

    I think Anscombe at 10 with Loopy at 15 and North 14 is Wales best bet. Having said that Biggar at ten in a monsoon like yesterday doesnt weaken us. Scott Williams legs have gone, he’s slower than Parkes now. Parkes stays. Web b at 9 would be nice and Faletau back at 8 means Moriarty, Navidi or Tips are dropped, we could also have McShingler in the mix for 6 which will help the lineout. One of Navidi or Moriarty might not make the World cup squad if they are all fit!

    but I think it’s more tactical and mental

    Not sure, having all the heavy runners on from the start sees them blowing out their arse after 50 mins and then Dank Hole lumbers on to add impetus!!

    Tom-B
    Free Member

    I can’t quite believe Dan Cole is back playing.

    Last day of the prem season last year Leicester hammered Sale at home….my only memory though is every time Dan Cole was a guard at a breakdown Far dr Klerk literally ran around him and made a break….. honestly it was like watching a pro v a binman! We’re **** if he’s playing against SA in the world cup!

    No way at all that Navidi isn’t going to the RWC…. throughout the Autumn and 6n’s you can make the case for him being the best player!! Moriarty looks out of form, didn’t he have an injury lay off?

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Moriarty looks out of form

    Really you need to open your eyes, true he’s no 8, he’s a 6 but he was fantastic. You have to remember he’s at least 10-20kg lighter than Billy V, Picamoles, Parisse and Stander.

    Tom-B
    Free Member

    Agreed he’s not an 8. I’d have Navidi at 6 over him any day of the week. As for him being ‘fantastic’ I’ll have to take your word for that then. I’d didn’t see the Wales Scotland game, but didn’t see much from him in the other games.

    bigblackshed
    Full Member

    but didn’t see much from him in the other games.

    But he wasn’t doing the normal no8 work. He was playing as another 6. All of the hard nasty work at the breakdown. Navidi is a better allround back row player, he’s deceivingly strong and a powerful ball carrier. And NotToby is a proper footballing 8.

    namastebuzz
    Free Member

    Conceding to 31-7 gave a glimmer but even so, it’s still 4 scores and three tries in what, 15 mins…..that is purely in the head, that feeling of ‘****, we’re going to blow this’ and then everyone loses their heads, belief, focus, misses tackles, tries to chase the game to get control.

    Indeed but can you imagine an England side containing Martin Johnson, Jonny Wilkinson or, dare I say it, Dylan Hartley doing that?

    England needed a bit of leadership but there was none.

    Tom-B
    Free Member

    As you may be able to tell, I’m a bit of a Navidi fanboi…..work rate, strength, carrying ability, breakdown work…..I rate him right up there. I could actually see him at 8 if NotToby was out injured.

    Did a Warburton Navidi Falatau back row ever happen?

    psling
    Free Member

    a_a, that clip up there ^^^
    My lip reading’s not brilliant but is that…

    Hello.
    Nice to meet you.
    I love you

    ?

    (“,)

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Anyone else have an embarrassing trip to the bottle bank today?

    🍻

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    “Hello.
    Nice to meet you.
    I love you”

    I thought “thank you mate” “I love you”. You could be right though.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Did a Warburton Navidi Falatau back row ever happen?

    Not sure, dont recall it. Problem for Navidi is that he’s still not the best flanker for Cardiff even now Warburton has retired. Ellis Jenkins is a better player.

    Moriarty was **** immense though, all six nations. England spent so much time smashing him behind the gainline and trying to run him over and it was them who got knackered. Having Faletau back would be great though. Keep Moriarty on the bench.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Oh and post World Cup I back Wainwright to displace them all at 6.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/playerstats?gameId=294259&league=180659

    Navidi 20+ tackles
    Wainwright 12 in 9 mins

    POM 1 in what 60 mins!!!!!!!

    DanW
    Free Member

    It is easy to look at the shiny things these players get up to and forget what they bring to a team. I think Wales have a formula which can be adapted to Japan so it’s a case of “if” there are injuries then who fills the same roll and in the more likely case, how do you adapt overall with who is available?

    For me, you want Williams or 1/2p at 15 with the former the preference for x-factor attack. Both need to cover a lot of ground and read the game exceptionally well. I’d probably have Patchell as the third option. It was a good call to keep Anscombe kicking to try and get rid of up the perceived inability of him to kick points under pressure. Some of those kicks were immense. You now have 3+ guys with the mentality of being class goalkickers which is a strong position to be in with a lot of rugby to be played.

    As a_a says, Biggar isn’t a weakness coming on but isn’t necessarily the guy you want for what will probably be hard fast pitches. Anscombe is the long term direction and does exactly what the team needs. Patchell is the next most similar but needs a run of games. Biggar comes in if anything happens to Anscombe but it would be interesting to see what that means for the overall shape.

    Tomos Williams or Aled Davies are the style Wales need at 9. One is injured, one has been searching for form after a good season for the Scarlets which feels like an age ago, though I thought he was good yesterday. G.Davies is the one with the most work to do IMO and Webb while wouldn’t be awful is a bit like Biggar in taking the team shape/ play back a tiny backwards step, despite all their abilities.

    I don’t know what others think but Scott Williams is more similar to Jon Davies, or at least he was before injuries. Wales don’t really have anyone in the tough, grafter mold of Parkes. Parkes would be a big loss for the structure of the team and got through a ton of work. Backup options in the centres are a little lacking (what a novelty for Wales)

    I don’t see it as simple as the big names come back when fit. Wales have (thankfully) moved past that attitude and the team is bigger. If Jenkins and Faletau make it back in time then those two plus Navidi/ Moriarty/ Shingler/ Tips would give loads of options but they’ll do well to make it back in time. It is really good to see the locks coming on well too and if a few more like Ball come good then happy days. Front row is probably the one to work on with more backup and the starters have been immense…. as well as finding the very best cotton wool/ bubble wrap for AWJ 😀

    The most important thing is Wales look like they know what they are trying to do which hasn’t always been the case!

    psling
    Free Member

    The stature of Alun Wyn was confirmed for me before the start of yesterday’s game when he took off his tracksuit top to wrap around the shivering lad (mascot) while they were lined up in the pouring rain for the anthems.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Psling, another grand moment was the sight of AWJ leaving the pitch chatting to Best like a couple of old mates.

    Good people, good sport.

    juanking
    Full Member

    Plus love the photo of AWJ sat in the almost empty stadium while the rest of the team party drinking in the achievement.

    https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/poignant-scene-inside-principality-stadium-15986081

    Ps, I think I might have a wee man crush…

    IdleJon
    Full Member

    AWJ looked like an excellent player the first time he turned out for Swansea RFC, about 14 years ago. He captained them before the end of that season, iirc?

    My sister worked for his father. Small town! I have seen him hobble out of Morrison’s* on crutches, glaring at everyone. He’s a big man. 😂

    *Morrisons next to the Liberty Stadium. I have chosen cold/flu medicine next to Paul Thorburn in the Boots there. Had coffee in the Starbucks sitting at a table alongside a handful of Welsh players. I have held the door of Starbucks open for Paul Moriarty and got glared at for thanks. If you want to stalk Welsh stars, that retail park is the place to go. 😁

    burko73
    Full Member

    I once went to a 2 day conference at the vale hotel – I was walking round star struck for 2 days. It was the start of an autumn campaign and the press were in etc. As a Welshman it was nuts.

    The blues have breakfast in the hotel restaurant- queuing up for breakfast I must have been the only person not having 6 poached eggs and beans!

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Gussets team of the tournament on Beeb is comedy!! Did England win the Grandslam?

Viewing 40 posts - 2,801 through 2,840 (of 3,061 total)

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