STW 2014/15 Rugby Thread

The opposition?

On the subject of bans, couldn’t we save people who make clumsy challenges and replace with the marketing muppets who think it’s a good idea to mess about with shirts. Scotland are navy not turquoise or red and England white not purple. What next, the Irish in pink hoops?

This is not Wendy and we don’t fall for the need to buy new replica kit every week.

Been in hospital visits most of yesterday ( 🙁 ) so missed all the live action. Caught the snippet highlights of the Italy win. Some determination at the end. Glad they pulled things round and can be competitive. Need to coordinate visiting times pre or post the big one today.

The opposition?

Scotlands pack is nowhere near as good as Frances. A lot of Wales lineout errors v england were unforced. Mind you England and France showed that a close in offloading game combats the welsh chop tackle defence.

Great win for Italy. Any away win In Paris is notable no matter how ugly, those two side have some serious work to do or this Autumn they aren’t going feature. Amazing to think France coukd have wilon in 2011 and Wales where the form team of the last RWC

Today is going to be epic

Wales the form team of the last world cup? They lost to SA, France and Australi and beat Fiji, Samoa and Ireland.

Good win and good performance from Wales yesterday. Thought Biggar was MOM imo, looking like a very good player this year. Looks almost Irish 😉 with his kick and chase, gets up really well. Far better than the bigger lumps around him. Got to admit Roberts did what he’s good at too, and the fat ginger kid done well up front.

Was surprised too at set pieces ‘cos France are tough.
Despite their two losses, I’m still not buying into the “this France team are crap” line. They’re a few small details away from being a very strong side.
Well earned win for Wales, IMO.

Should be a good game later, too. If Ireland hold their own scrum, expecting to see some running moves come out now the WC groupmates are out the way. England are bigger and stronger, especially in front and back rows, hopefully Ireland are quicker. It’d be silly not to try and get them moving all over the pitch.
Can’t help thinking that dropping May on the back of Brown missing too, means there’s a chunk of pace missing that Zebo and Bowe will fancy a run at.
Bit of a fearful, negative team selection – or at least defensive? 😉

But biggest battle is Ross v Marler. Could be were England win it, tbh.

Here we go. I never realised that Ireland had an actual leprechaun for their president!

Sexton v ford, no contest so far!

Does Ben Youngs start a new sponsorship form each time he gets the ball?

Bit dull for the neutral.

in layman’s……england are shyte.

In laymens terms Ireland are very well organised and hard to beat. Match england up front and the lack of grunt behind may be an issue.

England will be happy to be only 9-3 down. Poor attacking line out. Ireland must be honest and say they’ve not made the most of their field position. All to play for.

@aa Wales where the form team at the knockout stages and a poor France nearly beat NZ in the final. I doub they’ll ever have a better chance to win the World Cup

**** Rolland….

Ireland are being a bit Welsh with a lot of possession but not a lot of points. England haven’t shown much but look quite comfortable besides silly penalties. Sexton looks like a man possessed and Henshaw and Zebo have looked good in the backs. Just need to stop butchering overlaps a la England 😉

Hahaaaaa look at Alex Goode go!

Goode work that.

Worst I’ve seen England play in a long time. Ford is having a shocker. Crap game too

What a try!

england need to get some new forwards on.
haskell, kruis, robshaw are pretty crap today.

Poor. Very poor.

Ireland are just out classing them.

And how can no one keep up with Billy!

Cipriani needs to go on.

Begorrah, the Bristolian Leprechaun will be insufferable this evening 🙂

Terrible high ball handling from England,

Robshaw is such a whingey captain when things aren’t going England’s way!

The commentators are giving Ireland a hard time for letting England back in the game but they look absolutely spent- not much more they can do with such little energy left!

Good job Ireland 😆 DD over to you 😀

Pity the ref wasn’t quite as strict on Ireland holding on to the ball in the tackle as he was against England in the first half. But it’s not an inconsistency that was going to change the course of the game,.

Not exactly pretty rugby in any of the games this weekend but I say Italy pack were the best to watch.

Ireland deserved winners, very good getting over the ball. As long as England didn’t deal with the kicking game it was always going to keep coming. We kicked too far with no pressure on the receiver. None of it’s pretty but it’s a win. You’d have to fancy Ireland for the Grand Slam now.

Now all Wales need to do is beat Ireland and thump Italy away…….

poor english forwards.

well done ireland.

Now all Wales need to do is beat Ireland

That’s nailed on. 🙂

Hahahahaha! Ireland have to play us, commentary muppets said it wasn’t a foregone conclusion.
Came to that GA thing as well.

Can I be the first to say “multi faceted attack”

thats nailed on

The ball boys are primed!!!

Looking forward to Twatling’s words of wisdom. 🙂

Still ireland get a grand slam they’ll have as many as Adam Jones.

Who?

Adam Jones Lions legend, you Scots wouldmt know about them!!

Ireland went about it the hard way in the end but a heroic effort to get the win. There will be some sore bodies over the next few days!

England showed virtually nothing but still came reasonably close. Normally that would be the sign of a quality team but I don’t think that is true when Goode is your best player 😆 I honestly wouldn’t have known that Hartley, Marler or the back row were actually playing today for England if it weren’t for the team run down at the start of the program!

Irish breakdown work from 1-15 is amazing, so well coached, but when your main attacking ploy is a maul and a cross kick it does make for tough watching.

Be interested to see again the lineout they caught and then shifted as it looked like they passed it to a guy at the back of a maul thatcwas formed before the ball got to it. Pen to england. I thought Joubert got the pen for collapsing when ireland didnt engage wrong too.