think Benson Stanley got a knock last week, the Welsh reserve looks to be getting a run-out opposite Barritt in Clermont , worth a watch)

Didnt Rougerie get broken too?

Read an interview with Frank Bunce a while ago and he said the player he most feared going up against was Jeremy Gusset. He said all other centres tried to take him on in a physical contest (and lost) but Guscott stayed clear of all that and his pace/step gave Bunce nightmares.

This kind of sums up the English selection lately for me, as in what they are not doing right. As a Welsh fan, every time the England squad/ team has been released for the past few years I breathe a sigh of relief that the dangerous exciting young players that provide a real threat to Wales haven’t been selected (or haven’t ever been selected so haven’t built up the international experience) 😀

Wales (and probably Scotland/ Ireland to some extent) are forced to spread the experience through a range of players and have more of a culture of trusting the lesser capped players- because they have no alternative. The way a lot of these players come on for the international experience is staggering even if they aren’t always world beaters at the end of the day. England seem to have so much talent at their fingertips but fear defeat more than than aim for victory meaning the exciting young guys don’t have the structure to come in to the side and succeed.

I know daddy’s boy #2 is starting to place a little more and give daddy’s boy #1 a rest occasionally but there isn’t a lot of tried and tested experience in the England side outside the first choice guys, particularly in the backs. There isn’t a single back I’d fear looking at the team sheet… but I guess that isn’t England’s game plan…. Farrel kick for territory then lineout/ maul for points from the forwards. Lets hope they try and convince themselves then can play exciting rugby and try to play through the backs to give Wales a chance 😀

Didnt Rougerie get broken too?

Rougerie broke 10 minutes in, so JD got a good 70mins last week.
He was only on the bench because Nalanga pulled out before kickoff, promoted from travelling reserve, but he’s back this week.
Should do him good to get a couple of big cup matches in before next week.

Can someone please remind me how to watch Sky red button stuff on the Sky website? It would be nice to see Scarlets – Toulon later today

sorry dan, no sky

roberts v burrell now on bt

So is Burrell easily better?

Whoever said that needs to have a look at the saints v racing game.
Roberts looking v skillful on top of his normal stuff.
Burrell looking flat footed , Imhoff absolutely skinned him earlier.
Farrell and Rowntree in the crowd to see it too, can’t see him starting. Only real English ray of light is Corbs looking back to fitness.

JR tryscorer too now

Jeez. Saints have been comprehensively beaten in all areas of the field.

can’t see him starting.

He’s one of our best defensive (and attacking) centres!
Mylers’ been awful.

Treviso Ospreys was a bloody close one eh?

Ospreys had an awful team out.
Not been able to see any games today as on childcare duty.

Can someone please remind me how to watch Sky red button stuff on the Sky website? It would be nice to see Scarlets – Toulon later today

Anyone have any ideas how to watch the Scarlets game on Sky online? Ulster Leicester will probably be more entertaining but nonetheless 😉

Ospreys had an awful team out.

Still…..Treviso?

Burrell wasn’t that bad, but the Northants team didn’t show up. They can play far better than that! Desperate Dan looked ok, but certainly not stand out (that pickup excepted).
Looking forward to the six nations but suspect I’ll be just as disappointed with a crappy English team.

Liverpool v Bolton footie on bt now.

On today’s form there’s a couple of Bolton players better tacklers than Burrell.

Still…..Treviso?

Its the level they are at.

Has everyone found the new wiziwig?

Adam Jones has retired from international rugby, 3 grand slams, world cup semi final, 5 Lions Tests. Legend.

Jeez. Saints have been comprehensively beaten in all areas of the field.
can’t see him starting.

He’s one of our best defensive (and attacking) centres!
Mylers’ been awful.

He’s not though has he? I’m sure I read somewhere that his tackle completion rate in the AP was something like 76%. Even Eastmond with his ‘poor’ defense was in the 80’s. I think it’s just a different kind of tackle though. Eastmonds a drag em down tackler (similar to Ford) as opposed to a smash em back. Maybe Lancaster feels it’s a risk having two people in the middle three that give away gain line metres in the tackle.

Has everyone found the new wiziwig?

I have now. Thanks. 😉

I’d gone over to cricfree.tv after Wiziwig’s demise which worked ok too.

He’s not though has he?

Eh? I wasn’t criticising his tackling or previous performances. He was plain rubbish in the RM game, that’s all.

Ospreys at Trviso, to make some excuses, dead rubber, playing away, none of the Internationals want to get hurt. Yes should of turned Treviso over.

Diolch Adam, a legend and a top bloke as well. 95 caps and the Slams is an incredible achievement.

Aw, Glasgow stuff it at the end. It was there for the taking!!!

What was the score?

Could someone possibly link to the new wiziwig please? Google has thrown up several different ones.

http://Www.wiziwig.ru

20-15 I think. Glasgow on the bath line at 78 mins.

It was Bath’s forwards who won it for them in the end. Carl Fearns and Dave Attwood coming off the bench gave them the impetus. Exciting game though – Glasgow played with real attacking intent and scored a cracking try late on.

Bath win the group after Toulouse were pipped at the death by Montpelier.

Just watching Clermont v Sarries and Farrell was taken off with a knee injury. Didn’t look too serious …..but you never know.

Mad set of score this weekend.
Montpellier do Bath a massive favour, and leinster too.
By my reckoning, that’s made it a home quarter final for them, when it looked like the draw had blown it. 🙂

Farrell’s injured. A shame for any player but I can’t help thinking that benefits the England team.

Massive applause for Adam Jones. A legend of the game despite being Welsh*.

*last 3 words purely for AA’s benefit.

Yeah , A Jones always came across well, old school.
Sad the way it ended for him, deserved more respect from his manager IMO.

Oh well, 4 English sides qualify for the last 8 but all away from home.

Wasps were let off the hook by Leinster then lost the chance to snatch it at the death. Saints hammered by Racing. Bath fortunate to hang on against Glasgow and Sarries well beaten by Clermont.

Wasps have the un-enviable task of going to Toulon.

Still, at least I saw a good performance from an English back – shame he happens to play for Clermont.

Racing v Sarries

Toulon v Wasps

Clermont v Northampton

Leinster v Bath

loum I agree but this is the cold hearted world of professiona rugby and the game has lost a bit of its heart.

Farrel’s injury could make England’s RWC

Adam Jones is a legend indeed. I was quite critical of him a while back as he seemed to have slipped from his best and it seems Mr Stubborn agrees. I do think with RWC coming up dropping him from the squad was a mistake and now he’s no longer an option. I wonder whether he’ll consider a few seasons in warmer climes ?

@loum, being lazy here but what weekend are those games scheduled – normally April post 6 Nations I recall

4/5 april

2 v 4, 3 v 1 semis

Thanks, just checked too and one game might/will be on the Friday.

Any news on injuries? Parling, Wood, Eastmond, Farrel? Burrels pride? Havent heard of any Welsh players. Parling would be a massive loss for England not having him or Wood would really even up the lineouts

I still don’t get all the hype about Parling at lineout time. Last time he was in charge internationally (2013 6n’s) England had the worst lineout stats of the tournament. Lawes is a much bigger loss imo.

Yeah lawes and launchbury are a very very good pairing good in the lineout and immense work rates. However with Parling out it will be Attwood and Kruiz who dont worry me half as much. Was 2013 when Youngs chucking went haywire?

Yeah Young’s didn’t help! Pretty sure the biting kiwi was chucking the majority of the first 3 games though at least.

Kruis and Attwood are both very promising players, but together….I’m not sure that there’s quite enough grit, especially if Wood isn’t there to back them up either.

Injuries are really wrecking our selection choices currently-the way the game is played nowadays I guess that it’s just the norm though.