[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jIMxTZr5mnY[/video]

Andy Robinson?

Sky News has just mentioned England’s “confidence boosting win over Wales a fortnight ago”!

WTF?

Am sure something else happened in between……

I’ll miss the game today. We’re off to Reading festival for the day. Pulp! Yay! I would like to nominate you Flashy, yes, YOU to defend the multiple green machine breakdown infringements in my absence. Go on, make like we love one another really. 🙂

🙂

I knew I could count on you.

*High fives Captain O’Flashhearty*

I am pleased to report that coffee wipes off a Motorola XOOM screen.

🙂

DD and Flashy sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g 😉

Anyone else watching Australia v New Zealand atm?

The Kiwis look half asleep… to be honest I hope they get pummelled, it’ll open up the tournament a bit psychologically. Aussies look sharp tho.

Yup
http://www.vipbox.tv/sports/rugby.html

Weird game that, as said the Kiwis looked disinterested. Good 20 mins in the second half then back to sleep.

Nice win for England, much improved than the last game. Still improvements to be made

Hi folks sorry if this has been answered in one of the many pages but does anyone know if the home nation world cup games are on itv or bbc or has sky snapped them up,hope not.

Nice to see the ref taking control of the game. Too many high tackles. 🙁

All games are on ITV

*Hopes Count Dracula isn’t the anchor*

Houns – Member
Nice win for England, much improved than the last game. Still improvements to be made

I’ll probably be accused of being an England-hater, but sorry, they were crap. The only reason they won that game was because Ireland were even worse, not helped by losing their structure completely because of the back row injuries.

The improvements they (England) need to make are pretty much everywhere. No consistency or dominance in scrum, line out, breakdown, back play, anywhere. They look like a team that has one plan – trundle. Even Foden and Ashton have been limited to trundle gear to match the rest of the team.

And where do you start with Ireland? They need to borrow one of TJ’s fabled Scottish scrumhalves, certainly. They desperately need BOD to be fit, and hopefull ROG is immortal because Sexton isn’t good enough at this level.

For the second game in a row they spend loads of energy pushing back the opposition scrum without making sure that the oppo no8 isn’t picking up the ball and making ground anyway! 🙄 And so many stupid pointless kicks that gave England possession!

Italy must have sat up and realised that they could progress into the quarters if Ireland play like that. And I might change my mind about whether Argentine can beat England…

Idle, I agree.

Don, the problem wasn’t the high tackles per se, more the inconsistent application of the law.

Yep both looked pretty poor

At least England can take some confidence that despite being crap Ireland were crapper.

Had money on Ireland too, still, they could pull it together who knows

don simon – Member

Nice to see the ref taking control of the game. Too many high tackles.

Seriously? Or is that irony?

Even fatty Barnes was right, for once, about the “high tackles”. They weren’t.

That Welsh twit of a ref just likes being the centre of attention. 🙄

If they weren’t high tackles, then why was only one side penalised for them? Either they weren’t high tackles and neither side should have therefore been penalised, or they were and both sides should have been penalised equally.

Fwiw, I dnt think there were many, or any, dangerous tackles (apart from Tuilagi’s shoulder barging), more that there was inconsistency in how the ref penalised perfectly safe tackles.

Neck = high tackle and from both sides. Or perhaps I was watching a different game.

Didn’t see game but irelands ploy of trying to hold players up in tackle means they go high and gives more chance of going too high. Was it bod who missed the easy tackle on tuilagi?

A poor game. England simply do not look threatening at all and ireland seem to have lost their way. Nothing to scare the trinations teams there

So I missed it. Seems from reading that Kidney is not trying to lower expectations at all, and that indeed, we’re just shite. 😐

What’s all the stuff about the high-tackles?

News from Sydney. England U18 squad today completed a 3-0 drubbing of the Aussies, winning the last game 46-19. A good friend’s son is out there and has won his first cap. 18 years old, 6’8″, 100Kg. Scary.

My mistake, tackling in the area between the chest and chin is now acceptable? I haven’t seen to much modern rugby so I can’t really comment on how the game has changed, but I did see what I would call an unacceptable number of high tackles.

If you want to see a proper high tackle YouTube xavier rush on lawes!
Seems bod wasn’t playing and missed tackle was from the shit Keith earls, is bowein the squad he’d be a better 13

is bowe in the squad he’d be a better 13

Yes, he’s in the squad. Has been off games with a minor foot injury. On twitter during the week, he mentioned that he was back in training. I’m assuming he’ll be ok for the RWC. By jesus, they need him to be!

Really do not know what to make of the game yesterday other than it was poor, very poor

Would say England will be happy. Whether that is justified or not is another story. Winning in Dublin is never easy but Irealnd certainly tried to make it easier than normal

At this moment Wales look the most likely ‘home’ side and they are likley to be a very distant 2nd best to the SH.

Think I am a bit depressed 🙁

England were pedestrian and Ireland just didn’t turn up. Seems strange when the commentators talk about the Samoan in and England shirt. Getting so that the Lions will be SH players on the next tour.

don simon – Member
My mistake, tackling in the area between the chest and chin is now acceptable? I haven’t seen to much modern rugby so I can’t really comment on how the game has changed, but I did see what I would call an unacceptable number of high tackles.

As has been said above, there were several high or dangerous tackles that were waved on and several that were simply a player ducking into the tackle that were penalised. No consistency from the ref – or even common sense.

I’d be more concerned about the constant last warnings than anything else. Iirc, England were told that any more infringements at the breakdown and a player would be in the bin. 3 English breakdown infringements later an English player was carded.

That Welsh twit of a ref just likes being the centre of attention.

That’s exactly it.

Disagree with all the above.

England avenged their Grand Slam defeat and achieved a brilliant victory.

Mike Tindall is the answer to all our prayers at inside centre and the pack are world beaters. Jonny is back to his 2003 self.

England for the RWC!

😆 @namastebuzz

Edit: I don’t really get Tindall. Obviously a good player to reach that level but what is/was he good at?

He’s got no pace, no sidestep, not really great hands that I’ve seen. Defence? Is his selection based on past performances?

http://www.itv.com/rugbyworldcup/2011/matches/

The TV schedule.

NZ v Tonga as the opening game? Yawn. Well I suppose the All Blacks don’t want to get too tired early on in the competition. 🙄

But seriously, why is the opening game not a game worth watching? NZ v France would be a better advert for the game, surely?

namastebuzz

Can I have some of what you are smoking? Have you forgotten its 2011. 2003 rugby will not win you a world cup

I thought Wilko was poor. Not taking ball at first receiver and running across the field delaying passes when he did. Also one of the culpable players who mucked up a scoring chance.

Pack world beaters – yeah right. Made very few yards today and gave penalties by the bucketload

Why do England play so many donkeys?

I was being ironic…..

Also predicting what the (English) press will be saying in the lead up to the RWC. 😆

But seriously, why is the opening game not a game worth watching? NZ v France would be a better advert for the game, surely?

Because that was what they drew oh about 24 months ago.
EDIT: And also, being what it is, the old kiwis have a bit of a sore spot viz a viz France and RWC so I don’t think they were keen for a rerun of the last game. Where they lost.

Best opening game was SA OZ. Apart from it ruining my accumulator bet 12 correct predictions ruined by the first match

Been off up the hills since Friday,only just watched both games.High tackle is defined as any tackle which in it’s execution rides up above the centre of the chest. ie every single hit at international level. Poor game,almost like a Friday run-through.Whould would worry me if I was either sides coach is that neither side has improved during the warm up games.Is BOD still being held to ransom? (well,has anybody seen him?) England are pretty one paced compared to the teams THEY feel they should be competing with (the tri-nations)As a Scot, I was left with the impression that if we can live with the English pack, then the result is no means as clear cut as it should be.

namastebuzz – Member

I was being ironic… 😳