Winters coming;all inclusive rugby thread.

Can’t see any news anywhere about 1/2p…… 😕 Fingers crossed for the little fella.

Tom B –
Matthew Tait back to former glory at 12, Foden back at 15

He’s getting back to his best and had a great game yesterday against Bath, though I reckon he plays best with a 15 on his back, if his fitness stays with him Lancaster will fit him in somewhere. Bad news for Leicester though 🙁

Has Matt Tait had much glory at 12? He played quite well at 13 when england got to world cup funal but I dont remember him being glorious.

Regarding 1/2p

Dan Forbes ?@DanForbes
@brianmoore666 having MRIs on neck but has regained some feeling in arms and hands

sounds bad to me

having MRIs on neck but has regained some feeling in arms and hands

😐

Fingers remain crossed…..

Didnt know that 1/2p was that bad feel a bit sick now.

Just catching up with the England game, not overly surprised really but we were well and truly shut down. Had to happen. Not sure heard any excuses coming forth from NZ other than they were beaten ?

Healing vibes for Mr Halfpenny.

Not sure heard any excuses coming forth from NZ other than they were beaten ?

Except the virus. The BBC has England down as being game changers and resposible for a new dawn in the world of rugby. Let’s hope they can live up to the hype, or they will look silly. 😐

The level of intensity from England was unexpected.

They didn’t just win, they dominated NZ in the scrum, at the breakdown, in the backs and basically did what NZ do to other teams. Against Wales, the All Blacks had only 1 or 2 people committed to the breakdown, against England they were having to put in 4 or 5 and were still getting turned over.

Yes, NZ scored a few times but you will never keep a clean sheet against a team like the All Blacks. No matter how badly it’s going for them, they will always have a purple patch and punish loose play.

It was England’s response to the 2 All Black scores just after the break that really impressed.

Hmm I’d thought that Tait was 12 at the 2007 WC. It’s good to see him back anyway. I hadn’t realised 1/2p was that bad either-here’s hoping that he makes a full recovery. The lack of news is slightly worrying though 🙁

Davidjones, isn’t the beauty of rugby at the moment, it’s very unpredictability? In the 6N there are 4 possible winners and it all depends (as last year) on who gets the early momentum. Several of the Autumn internationals could have gone either way – with the exception of all the AB ones funnily enough!!!! Hence its great to watch IMO

Rolling 24hr news coverage, constant updates on websites and yet the only news on Halfpenny is exactly the same as when he was lying on the pitch yesterday. This despite news being spread around on Twitter and other media, it seems. 🙄 Although having searched I can’t find anymore than the WRU tweet.

DanW – Member

Watching Wales …… plus you always have the feeling the game was 10-15 minutes too long for them.

I’d say the game was almost exactly 1 minute too long. They didn’t struggle in the last 15 minutes. They lost to a try which was as unexpected as the English performance. 🙂

Great performance from England. It must be nice to support a team, any team, that threatens to win games properly. 😥 One that looks dominant in every area – against the Best Team In The World never mind against 3rd tier nations. At the moment I’d put money on England beating anyone and Wales losing to Portugal 2nds.

(My match prediction was spot on. Up until the 1st English try!)

Idlejon I thought wales looked out on their feet with ten to go. With all those injuries before and with charteris off early they had to use Ryan Jones early and had nothing to come off the bench in the way of props or locks. Suprised Scott Williams didnt come of the bench to help the mid field defence, both Roberts and Davies looked shot. I wonder how many of the bench were carrying injuries. They were also terrified of Pocock turning then over or forcing a pen so kicked the ball back to aussies which was their undoing.

Just watched the highlights of the England/NZ game and i’m still shaking!
A small thing, but i reckon it started to go wrong for NZ before the kick off – the crowd completely drowned out the All Blacks during the Haka and they looked rattled even then.

1/2p out of hospital. Seems all OK!

Good to hear. Although Wales have been awful this Autumn, they have been so unlucky with injuries…..that pack yesterday was a shambles really-with everyone back to full fitness for the 6N’s (will Lydiate even have a chance?) I can see them challenging for the title again.

Lions predictions based on the Autumn then chaps?

Cole and Tuilangi in.

England were brilliant yesterday. All of them. Best I can remember seeing them play, and against an absolutely top side. Well played.
My predictions were well off, but what a great day’s rugby.
Healing vibes to 1/2 p too, that fella’s got massive heart.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/20570491
good news

Lions based on those currently fit and with apologies to ireland who i havent seen much

1/2p
Bowe
Davies
Tuilagi
er…. No idea
Sexton
Phillips
not sure about 8 Heaslip i suppose
Warburton
Wood
Launcbury
Grey
Cole
er?
Healey

Lydiate wont make six nations, had a very nasty leg break, if he goes well he might be back for the end of the season. Awful luck that guys had. Broke his neck a few years ago.

Christ!

My lions:

1/2p
Bowe
Tuilagi
Roberts?!
North
Sexton
Care/Spike too close to call
Heaslip
7, god knows! Warburton probably but he’s in awful form.
Ferris if fit?
Grey
Lawes (very fragile though)
Jones/Cole
Hartley
Corbisiero? Sheridan?!

Muddydwarf, that is exactly what I thought!
Two of my favourite moments yesterday was “Swing Low” drowning out the Haka and Tuilagi celebrating with a “loser” sign on the forehead after his try! 😀

anagallis_arvensis – Member

Idlejon I thought wales looked out on their feet with ten to go.

I didn’t notice that, but then I spent the last 15 staring at the time in the corner, willing it to go down quicker.

The atmosphere at Twickenham was noticeable even through the TV. The singing sounded fantastic – better than anything I’ve noticed in Cardiff in the last few years.

WRU administrators should sit up and notice more than just England playing well. Maybe getting 70,000 hopelessly drunk Welsh people with no interest in rugby, just an interest in getting smashed, isn’t the way to generate a positive atmosphere for your team? Hmmm….

Warburton was excellent against NZ and very good yesterday too, he’s quality and will come back better.

I would imagine Adam Jones, AW Jones maybe Lydiate, North and Roberts will be thereabouts for the Lions come June. Ferris, SOB, Donacha Ryan and maybe BOD too. Lawes has to improve to get into the england team.

Not an AW Jones fan myself, Warburton neither but he was better yesterday I didn’t catch the AB match. Why no game for Scots/Ireland today?

To be fair the atmos at twickers has been very patchy in the last couple of years, although y’day sounded a lot better!

Well AW Jones is a 3 test Lion with two grand slams and 60 odd wales caps in his locker and he’s only 27 so just coming to his prime. If you dont rate him your frankly barking mad.

🙂

I don’t rate Henson either 8)

It’s a no to ferris for me. Either lydiate or wood.
SOB or Morgan at 8. There’s a long way to go yet though. Bring on the 6N!

But you do rate Coutney Lawes who has achieved nothing apart from a few cheapshots.

Oi Richie!!

Tom B – Member

Not an AW Jones fan myself, Warburton neither but he was better yesterday I didn’t catch the AB match. Why no game for Scots/Ireland today?

No game for Ireland or Scotland because it falls outside the Autumn international window, I’d guess.

Wales only played a 4th game to generate money as has been talked about a lot. However, playing – and especially losing – the game makes them drop out of the top 8 and messes up their draw for the World Cup, injures players who played a needless game, and causes all sorts of disruption to the regions who have now got 6 days to prepare for their most important competition, the Heineken Cup. A win for the WRU, a lose for everyone else.

Lawes would be way down the pecking order at the moment. He’s not a particularly dirty player though. He seems to have hot that rep for one incident. As for achievement, I’m not sure what you mean. Not that it matters. If you’re good enough it doesn’t matter how many medals you have.
If I remember correctly, you don’t rate a lot of the England 2003 team and every single one had a higher “achievement” than any welsh player has.

Lawes is rightly seen as having great potential-as I said though, he is very injury prone….even at U20 level he was missing tournaments through injury. Hey ho, i’m not a leading expert on rugby, its my favourite sport to watch and its good to have a bit of banter on here about it without needing to get too serious. Christ we’re doing Lions predictions 7 months in advance with two thirds of a domestic season left and the 6N’s too! It’s all bollox at this stage 🙂

A good point in your last sentence Tom, it’s still fun to speculate though.

Scarlets vs Ulster starting at 4 for those interested. Ulster have most of their squad available but a similar scarlets side beat Munster in Limerick last week so it could be a decent match.

Living the dream…Wife and kids off to MIL tonight, vegs roasting,home made chill/squash/sweet tattie mash and chilli bangers in oven, bottles of Orkney Blonde in mitt/fridge….Just settling down to engerland game…Methinks a lot of pupils may be watching dvds in class tmw… 😈

Glaws really should have come away with a win, there. So close at the top now.

If I remember correctly, you don’t rate a lot of the England 2003 team and every single one had a higher “achievement” than any welsh player has.

Dan Luger and Ballshaw apart they were all pretty good to outstanding but by 2005 and onwards some were seriously over the hill. I think you need to work on your memory.
I also agree Lawes has potential but its still just that, he’s gone backwards this year, due to injury I would imagine. But that doesnt stop Tom picking him ina Lions side, when he cant get in the england team and if memory serves has often been on the flank for Northampton. AW Jones is a far better player when fit so is Grey and Launchbury and D Ryan of those who played in the autumn games.

Great news about 1/2p

That is so classy from the engl…..sorry Samoan 😉

I didn’t know Barritt was a saffa until they interviewed him today.

Yeah but I’m not really taking my position as stw lions team pickerer that seriously a_a….I’ve done several over the last few pages, mainly picking players that I like and playing them out of position (much like Stuart Lancaster) 🙂 It’s all a bit of fun innit-jeebus you had Cipriani at 10 a few weeks ago. Now that is ‘barking mad’ to quote your good self 😀