Winters coming;all inclusive rugby thread.

WALES: Leigh Halfpenny (Blues); Alex Cuthbert (Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Jamie Roberts (Blues), George North (Scarlets); Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Mike Phillips (Bayonne); Gethin Jenkins (Toulon), Matthew Rees (Scarlets), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Andrew Coombs (Dragons), Ian Evans (Ospreys), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Sam Warburton (Blues, capt), Toby Faletau (Dragons).

REPLACEMENTS: Ken Owens (Scarlets), Paul James (Bath), Craig Mitchell (Exeter), Olly Kohn (Harlequins), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Blues), James Hook (Perpignan), Scott Williams (Scarlets).

IRELAND: R Kearney; C Gilroy, B O’Driscoll, G D’Arcy, S Zebo; J Sexton, C Murray; C Healy, R Best, M Ross; M McCarthy, D Ryan; P O’Mahony, S O’Brien, J Heaslip (capt).

REPLACEMENTS: S Cronin, D Kilcoyne, D Fitzpatrick, C Henry, D O’Callaghan, E Reddan, R O’Gara, K Earls.

welsh bench looks stronger especially front 5 wise this could be crucial.

Not sure why Tom Court’s not there.
He did get mangled by England last time, but that was on his wrong side, and he’s been a big part of a pretty dominant Ulster front row this year. Still, Kilcoyne’s pretty highly rated by his supporters and “one for the future” too. Think I’d have preffered the Kiwi as the other back up prop too.
Does feel like a slightly weird “light” front five/heavy back 3 pack though, but they did a good job on the argies. Could get messy if Ross get’s a knock and Wales bring on their new 21 stone lock.
IMO, Henry deserves to keep his spot after the autumn. But so does O’Mahoney. And SOB is pure class. Shame Heaslip’s captain really, but he is playing better than the last couple of seasons.

In the other game, I’d be surprised if the Scot’s don’t do them in the front row. 3 quality players with experience. And they should hold there own in the lineout too with them locks. A bit of shitty weather and it could be another game like the 6-3 in Oz last year.

wrecker – Member

Have you seen who the ref is?

Haha, Rolland hates everyone equally though – he just hates the game of rugby, I’m convinced. And it could be worse, could be Steve Walsh.

Oh hold on, Steve Walsh is the ref for Wales v England! He’s best friends with some of the English boys, isn’t he? 😆

The Welsh team looks much better than I thought it would, bench included.

Big gamble Ian Evans starting his first game since November and I cannot see how Rees has been picked over Owens as he isnt at the Scarlets and Hibbard is in the best form anyway.

The Welsh team looks much better than I thought it would, bench included.

Wise words just hope that Howley can get them in he right frame of mind.

Howley, MacBryde and HLF the unltimate nightmare coaching team 😥

England with Marler in the front row, not good. Youngs with Cole + some other monster on the other side is brilliant with Leicester, but Marlers no scrummager. I think the England backs? well, I think the with Farrell, who doesn’t play FH for saffacens, they may be so starved of ball that it doesn’t matter who’s there. Lots of work for Billy in his first test, I’d love to see him with the wrecking ball outside, but that’ll have to wait.

England by 10.
Ireland by 5

Youngs and Marler in the front row is bad news….it didn’t work in the autumn. You know what you’re getting with Ferrell though….if you’re going to pick a load of backs that could realistically all play in the scrum, then a FH that is good at kicking for territory and goal kicking is no bad thing.

Gethins 100th test on sat. 95 for wales 5 for Lions.

anagallis_arvensis – Member

Howley, MacBryde and HLF the unltimate nightmare coaching team

Not quite.

For the full-on waking nightmare you need to have Nigel Davies and Gareth Jenkins as advisors.

I may have missed the discussion but the England bench is quite something. I think what we saw with the AB’s is a strong posession orientated carrying game 4-8 and a quicker turnover. Haskill will be on at 8 for sure.

Hartley, Lawes, Haskill and Flood coming on using that tactic could have quite an impact on tired Scots at 60 mins – Lawes and Haskill in attack pose a big physical threat, and even the angry man got’s quite a straight half-break game when it gets loose.

It could be fairly close at H/T with Haskill and Lawes rampaging through broken Scots 2h maybe….

Haskel is shit. The other option is the scots rinse england at the breakdown and england only have haskel on the bench. If you start with two 6.5’s a proper 7 on the bench would be good surely?

I wouldn’t say Haskell is shit but for sure he has never lived up to the potential his physique suggests.

Haskill and Lawes rampaging through broken Scots 2h maybe….

Don’t know why you think the English will have lots of tired Scots to run at. One thing we are not short of is second/back rows. Ally K will come on for the show pony at half time(or earlier I hope)and we will see how much “rampaging” gets done by Courtney* Lawes

* Who calls their male child “Courtney” anyway? 😀

AA has a point – Haskill isn’t the most skilled play and we miss a natuaral 7.

However, I’ve stood next to Haskell and Worsely, and I’m sure I’d not like either running at me at pace. Haskell can be very good at imposing his size and elbows through the 9/10 channel. Impact wise against a tired team its an option.

Sorry AA but I don’t think the Scots are going to cope if England produce an attacking onslaught of any quality in the last 20.

Tom Croft has the ability to take the ball further though IMO.

Don’t know why you think the English will have lots of tired Scots to run at

I just don’t think they are as big or as fit or as good as the England team in its entirety if England play well. And by that I refer to earlier when someone said England are playing above the level of the individuals within it – I agree.

Think England struggle at 8, not really had a good one for a while. Easter was effective and is a very good Premiership 8, for me never quite cut it at international level.

Think Robshaw is better than he gets credit for, but not quiet an out and out 7.

France: Yoann Huget; Wesley Fofana, Florian Fritz, Maxime Mermoz, Benjamin Fall; Frederic Michalak, Maxime Machenaud; Yannick Forestier, Dimitri Szarzewski, Nicolas Mas, Pascal Pape (captain), Yoann Maestri, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Thierry Dusautoir, Louis Picamoles.

Replacements: Benjamin Kayser, Vincent Debaty, Luc Ducalcon, Romain Taofifenua, Damien Chouly, Morgan Parra, François Trinh-Duc, Mathieu Bastareaud.

Dusatoir’s back. Strong team, no obvious weaknesses. Looks like a great tournament.

But in the other game, God’s prop to be the the man of the first round.

I fear that Eng v Sco will be pretty scrappy, but look forward to being proved wrong.

Telfer had exactly the impact he wanted with his “arrogant” cliche. The old ones are still the best, if not up with stealing our cottages, but funny how the BBC and others have caught up with it. A whole debate on R5L this morning, c”mon. I suppose the Beeb see the irony in the fact that they overhype all the matches involving wartime analogies and bllx. I wish they could leave that to the wendies!

But in the other game, God’s prop to be the the man of the first round.

I hope so loum, praise the lord!!!

* Who calls their male child “Courtney” anyway?

Maybe its based on the “boy named Sue” concept. May have worked with him as he is a bit of a bruiser.

lol @ surfer

Ireland U20 scrum half Luke McGrath-future Lion there. You heard it here first.

Welsh 7 looked good to.

Anyway, we arenearly there boys. Itsalmost time

😆 I am just as bad 😳

I’m literally crying at that a_a…the opening line is the stuff of legend 🙂 It’s horiffic to think that I look like that when watching England!!!

Nervous……

Bod is back!!

Well, turns out O’Driscoll hasn’t lost it! That was brilliant.

In BOD we trust!! Awesome player. Wales are going to take a hammering here!!

Poor defence from Cuthbert.

Very poor AA no mans land

Boom!! Well done zebo and best

Deep breaths gents….deep breaths 😆

Ireland have started really well.

On England, I’m not a big fan of Farrell but he does get them playing in the right places and makes good decisions, especially if they’re on top in the forwards. Hopefully with two playmakers, in 36 and Goode outside him (plus the good weather today) they will make up for his deficiencies.

My only concern though is that with those 3 playing, Barritt at 13 and Brown on the wing we are potentially missing strike runners to take advantage. Tuilagi is a big miss!

Barritt and Brown are both shit….how they are in the team I’ll never know!

Welsh getting slaughtered here…

Yep, lambs to the slaughter so far

Barritt does a job, and his performances over the autumn were a marked improvement on the last 6 nations.

I sort of disagree with Brown. He has a huge boot, runs great lines (and support), is awesome under the high ball and takes responsibility. Problem is he’s a full back, not a winger and you worry he may get exposed for pace. Real shame Foden’s off form.

Wales are getting hammered here. They really miss Gatland!