STW 2014/15 Rugby Thread

England didnt so much neutralise Roberts et al but cut them off at source. Biggar, no doubt under orders kicked away all the shit ball and seeing as thats all they got Wales went nowhere. I still think they should have bought on Tipuric and tried to stretch the game. Billy V lasted the full 80 as he didnt have to run more than one pass out yo each ruck. Making Billy and Haskel run around a bit would help as with Tip on for Lydiate the backrow of Wales would have been much quicker. All round they played shit and as usual totally failed to adapt the game plan.

Please no – of all the wingers pushing for a place, not him.

Did you see the saxons game. Hate to say it but he looked good. With a FH with some nouse, he could get some results.
I know his tackling is shit (so is wades but he seems popular at present) and I know he’s a complete knob BUT on form, he’s an absolute menace. More potent than May anyway.

I **** hate Ashton but he could indeed work well with Ford at ten.

Their much vaunted centre combination was pretty quiet

You have to remember mini Jiffy has sod all game time too which never helps. On the flip side, I thought Cole played very well returning back…

Ashton scored a lot of tries for England when Flood was at FH and virtually none when Farrell was.

Still, I’d put Watson at full back with Wade and Strettle on the wings.

But then, what do I know?

As you know I’ve always liked Ashton, so I would be happy to see his return. 😆

Good news for the Welsh, George North didn’t undergo a concussion test for the second incident and could well play on Sat. Now I’m only a dumb teacher,not a neurosurgeon, but allow me to save the WRU a few quid in medical fees, Warren; he was sparko, don’t play him.

No way to Ashton coming back. Wade’s defence is a bit suspect, but he will create tries from nothing…Ashton creates sweet FA and relies on others to do it for him. Some of the tries Wafe has scored this season have been pretty impressive. Given his attitude, I’d be surprised if Lancaster will have him back. Nowell will be back soon too.

Ashton is still liable to giving away silly penalties. Can’t remember who they were playing, but Sarries were doing pretty well and after a restart he went flying after the ball and clattered the receiver in the air. It was just dull…he had so much time to stop but carried on. His temperament / mindset isn’t tight for high pressure games.

Watson looks like he could be a fine player. I quite like May…we just need to work out how yo get him into the game more because he’s got proper gas.

JJ going well was great, but it just gives us another conundrum at centre. Manu will most likely be back when he’s fit who gives us a bit of extra go forward. But who to partner him with? Slade looks like he could be class. Hopefully Barritt won’t be back in a hurry.

I’m more worried about Lee not playing. As long as he is okay and has been properly assessed its fine to play him. Seems a bit strange O’Driscol getting so agitated about it. I seem to recall his nephew coming back on after much worse last season. North shouldnt have played on though. Reminds me of that flanker, the one who had the dreads, for Aus v the Lions its a disgrace.

You boys took a hell of a beating 😆

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/31319836

Had it been Ashton on Fords shoulder here not Haskel this would have been a try.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/31250806

Probably. But then again, he’d probably have tried to tackle Hibbard by the hair and get carded.

Wade would have scored that too.

Interesting to see that the WRFU have admitted that North should have been taken off. Given the focus on concussion at the moment, will there be any fall out?

I can see a valid argument for wade. He likely would score a few tries, but lets be honest, he’d be targetted in defence and it’s not just his tackling. He’s about 4ft2 and he’d have cross field kicks rammed down his throat. As for Ashton? Maybe we’ll see him again, maybe not. He started for the Saxons ahead of Wade so he obviously has some credit.
Watson is already a very good player. May needs to start coming into the line and looking for a bit more ball (as Ashton does). If that happens, he could be very potent.
Oh, and I hope Gatland listens to Duckman. George needs a little rest.

I hope Gatland listens to Duckman. George needs a little rest

I hope he listens to medical experts.

Ashton should not be allowed an England shirt purely for his effing ridiculous swallow dives. One day he’s going to drop the ball mid-flight and won’t he look like an even bigger bellend then. I hate arrogance and showmanship in rugby. Get over the line, get the effing ball on the ground as quickly as possible and get on with the game. Hmmph!

Wade’s given a pretty good account of himself in Europe this year. The try he scored in Dublin was fantastic. If he doesn’t get a shot, we’ll never know. However Nowell and Roko are both ahead of him. Watson is playing well and May has credit after the autumn.

I think Wales need to add some variety to their game…you kind of know what they’ll try and do. Guys like Liam Williams seems to offer something different to North and Curthbert. This weekends game against Scotland is a biggie. They’ll be a pan at the breakdown and will look to play fast which could cause Wales problems if they’re flatfooted and lacklustre again.

Wade’s given a pretty good account of himself in Europe this year.

So has Ashton! He’s scored more tries than Wade in the euro cup.
I know he’s a difficult bloke to like, but I don’t care. I want tries and wins!

Ashton’s no wonder winger, but appears to be able to read a game wel and pop up in the right places to score. If May could do that, there’d be no doubt about continuing with who’s there. However, it appears he just can’t.
Mind you, Ashton is a hateful little thug who needs a good shoeing a lot of the time so I’m in no hurry to see him return for England, I’d rather have Vanrdel!

So has Ashton! He’s scored more tries than Wade in the euro cup.
I know he’s a difficult bloke to like, but I don’t care. I want tries and wins!

He just won’t bring that form to the international stage – his last few caps whilst in supposed good form for Sarries have been dire. I really do think that his international career is over. Thank God.

@ashton has no discipline, he’s not a team player. He was repeatedly asked not to swallow dive but insisted on doing so and disrespected the coaching staff. We don’t need him in he squad thank you very much.

Meh Ashton…
lost all interest in seeing him play when he dragged Alesana Tuilagi off by his hair.

I know he’s a difficult bloke to like,

and there’s the rub it can be dispiriting hanging around with a **** – so I guess he’d be bad for the English team spirit

I hate arrogance and showmanship in rugby. Get over the line, get the effing ball on the ground as quickly as possible and get on with the game. Hmmph!

http://theeastterrace.com/pyke.shtml

Well unless May does a bit more (as tinybits correctly says), I don’t think we have seen the last of Ashton.
You all love him really. 😀

I mean, come on….look at that not at all punchable face….

Wade is not only the best finisher in the Premiership but he has the nous to create things for others too. He’s not the worst defender despite his size and the odd bouncing ball blooper this season.

Anyway I once heard an answer to a question about Martin Offiah’s poor defence which was along the lines of:

“When you got a bloke that scores tries like he does, you can pay the other twelve blokes to do the tackling.”

He was brilliant in his one international start (1st Test in Argentina 2012) but missed his second cap because he got called up to the Lions. Injury has since kept him out.

SL is big on “credit in the bank” but, for me, Johnny May’s only credit has been his exceptional try against the ABs. A mediocre 6N last year plus several other average performances should have him deep into the red.

I don’t think Nowell has quite enough gas to be an international winger.

I bet you if they polled other wings in the 6N as to which Englishman they’d least like to face – Wade would be the most comon answer. May’s pace would frighten people too but his ability to run sideways wouldn’t.

I mean, come on….look at that not at all punchable face….

Love him or loathe him, I did admire the way he took all those punches in the face from Manu Tuilagi without going down “in the manner of an association footballer.”

I wonder why Ashtons diving is hated but Shanes much better dives werent.

He’s not the worst defender despite his size and the odd bouncing ball blooper this season.

He’s certainly one of them.

Fair point a_a, Shane’s dives never wound me up like Ashton’s, and he was a Welshman 😉

EDIT: in fact they didn’t wind me up at all, I loved watching him play. Strange that.

Some of Shane’s best work was against Scotland,but he clearly loved rugby and seemed to love playing. Ashton plays to promote “Brand Ashton” I am suprised he didn’t try to patent the splash.

Interesting article on Rory Best’s concussion

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/concussion-problem-not-going-away-any-time-soon-30978496.html

Ashton took that punch better than Matt Smith took Hartley’s elbow a few weeks ago!

This is why I’d use Yarde. He is a powerful runner, and follows the ball like Ashton, yet doesn’t come with the Ashton attitude. But he can pick lines and runs into spaces not people.

He does however have the same defensive frailty as all of the above and isn’t a kicker. Guess you cant have everything.

Another Anthony watson please. His brother is a very good england 7s player apparently. Get him in!!!

Yarde was absolutely awful in the Saxons game the other day, and has been pretty crap the few times that I’ve seen him in the prem this year too.

Ashton is an utter ****, but if we;ve finally got a midfield capable of passing him decent ball then I can think of worse things that could happen….like Farrell getting back into the team!

Anyway, we all know that Tom Varndell is the best winger in Europe. End of 🙂

Varndel makes shane williams look like brian lima

Varndel makes shane williams look like brian lima

I don’t get it. And I want to because he’s coming to bristol!

Varndell can tackle, and so could Shane! Not like the chiropractor granted.

Not many were/are like Lima.

That was a superbly timed tackle. He sort of looked like he was keen to make sure Hougaard was OK before carrying on as well. I like to think he was.

That’s the right way to play. Hard, but fair.

Varndell is a quality club player but no more. Yarde has the physique and running ability but has looked all at sea lately on a rugby field. Wade has real potential and I’d love to see him get a few games under his belt for England. It is weird that there is the perception that he doesn’t fit the mold of an international wing where certain defensive duties are expected- North and Cuthbert can’t kick or defend, Ashton is yet to learn the meaning of the word tackle… in fact I can’t think of many home Nations wings known for there defensive solidness…. yet many are flippin’ good at scoring tries! Wade has the ability to do exactly that… but it seems too logical 😆