2014 6 Nations: England vs Wales (Round 4)

[iINDOMINUSxx]

England vs Wales





Date: Sunday, March 9th 2014 - 15:00 GMT (UTC+0)
Location: Twickenham, London, England
Referee: Romain Poite (France)

​

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

If nothing else this is the game I really want England to click for. Whilst I doubt we will put 30-3 on Wales as such an occurance is freakish, a good 20+ difference would be very nice. Head says it won't happen but heart would like it. My main concern is the scrum and having big players running down our wings.

 

[McTallshort]

Oh great another easy on the finger nails not at all nerve shredding game like yesterday to look forward too.....

 

[Thingimubob]

If nothing else this is the game I really want England to click for. Whilst I dbout we will put 30-3 on Wales as such an occurance is freakish, a good 20+ difference would be very nice. Head says it won't happen but heart would like it. My main concern is the scrum and having big players running down our wings.

Ha so many of my English mates feel the same! One said he actually quite liked Wales before 30 - 3, now he wants everyone to beat us
I've had the feeling since the Autumn that England are gonna win this, no idea how or by how much, but just feels like they are... That said I felt like this before the game in 2012, and we won that while not playing all that great.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Ha so many of my English mates feel the same! One said he actually quite liked Wales before 30 - 3, now he wants everyone to beat us
I've had the feeling since the Autumn that England are gonna win this, no idea how or by how much, but just feels like they are... That said I felt like this before the game in 2012, and we won that while not playing all that great.

The thing is it's not even getting thrashed that makes us want revenge so much, it's been the attitude of Welsh fans constantly rubbing it in our faces every possible moment. It's almost like they won the world cup. If you want the perfect example of bad winners, look at Wales after that 30-3 win.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ireland is the biggest game in the Six Nations for me, and most other English fans I think, but the result last year (well not even really that, more the Welsh fans') puts this game up there.

 

[Big Ewis]

Even with Cole at TH, Wales made a mess of England. Winning turnovers on opposite put-in, shoving them back...England are actually *GOOD* right now, and their Rugby is maturing and coming to fruition very nicely. Nothing like the side we saw just a year ago in this tournament. But we all have our "bête noire", our cryptonite team.

This one could go so many ways...I can't see Wales beating England badly, and I can't see England winning by 30 like Wales did England last year...but England will be seething and have the fierceness of heart of youth, while Wales are a much older side. But Wales of course know what to expect, and Gatland is no fool. Wales will show up here, as the wake-up call already happened for them, in Dublin some weeks ago.

With a similar backline to what England had last year I'd give it to Wales here, but those current backs are actually threatening this year and we've seen how much damage a Burrell can generate and those two wingers are quick, while Mike Brown is getting better each game it seems (what a player !).

But Wales have enough girth and power up front and out in the backs to both meet, or even exceed England's. I personally don't think Gatland ball is that easy to counter, and I feel even with a relatively mediocre/okay performance Wales have enough quality and strength on that side to survive up until the 80min whistle.

With their ***le hopes revived, Gatland's men might do what we've seen last year. Gain momentum with each game to a ceiling point, last year's was hosting England, maybe this year's is conquering Twickenham.

But it's true England is looking like perhaps the best team in the tournament right now, definitely the most consistent, and looking at the Wales-France game and then the England-Ireland game 24hours later, one would find quite a difference in intensity and quality of Rugby.

I'll just wait a little for a prognostic, yet.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Even with Cole at TH, Wales made a mess of England. Winning turnovers on opposite put-in, shoving them back...England are actually *GOOD* right now, and their Rugby is maturing and coming to fruition very nicely. Nothing like the side we saw just a year ago in this tournament. But we all have our "bête noire", our cryptonite team.

This one could go so many ways...I can't see Wales beating England badly, and I can't see England winning by 30 like Wales did England last year...but England will be seething and have the fierceness of heart of youth, while Wales are a much older side. But Wales of course know what to expect, and Gatland is no fool. Wales will show up here, as the wake-up call already happened for them, in Dublin some weeks ago.

With a similar backline to what England had last year I'd give it to Wales here, but those current backs are actually threatening this year and we've seen how much damage a Burrell can generate and those two wingers are quick, while Mike Brown is getting better each game it seems (what a player !).

But Wales have enough girth and power up front and out in the backs to both meet, or even exceed England's. I personally don't think Gatland ball is that easy to counter, and I feel even with a relatively mediocre/okay performance Wales have enough quality and strength on that side to survive up until the 80min whistle.

With their ***le hopes revived, Gatland's men might do what we've seen last year. Gain momentum with each game to a ceiling point, last year's was hosting England, maybe this year's is conquering Twickenham.

But it's true England is looking like perhaps the best team in the tournament right now, definitely the most consistent, and looking at the Wales-France game and then the England-Ireland game 24hours later, one would find quite a difference in intensity and quality of Rugby.

I'll just wait a little for a prognostic, yet.

If England tackle like they did in the last 5 mins against Ireland, Gatlandball will be going nowhere. The tackling then was really fierce.

 

[Big Ewis]

If England tackle like they did in the last 5 mins against Ireland, Gatlandball will be going nowhere. The tackling then was really fierce.

Absolutely, no question. England's defense was fierce as fk. The whole game, but the last 5-10min especially in deed. But the Welsh defense if you watched the WAL-FRA game, 'blitz' defense as some call it moving up very fast, was pretty good too. And sure France struggled to build good movements consistently, but they also had quality moments and Wales still halted them.

The one thing though is that France have played very superficially on attack, I mean specifically with no depth, as in the passer feeds the recipient on a very lateral line so our impacts are almost with no momentum each time. England have given good depth to their movements on attack for strong impacts to break the tackles. If we could just implement that a bit more, all of a sudden Bastareaud would be meaningful to our attack...but I guess that's too much for the coaching staff to grasp.

 

[SelimNiai]

The Big One.

One one hand Im a bit gutted this games on a Sunday until I realised I'm working the day before

 

[Peat]

Good test of how far we've come. Wales are strong in a lot of the same areas we are.

There are no excuses for not beating them though. This team is strong enough to do that.

 

[McTallshort]

If England tackle like they did in the last 5 mins against Ireland, Gatlandball will be going nowhere. The tackling then was really fierce.

Attwood was an animal in the tackle some of those hits he put in I felt from the other side of the TV

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Attwood was an animal in the tackle some of those hits he put in I felt from the other side of the TV

Yeah he performed well when he was on. I would like to see him get some more game time.

 

[Draggs]

If England tackle like they did in the last 5 mins against Ireland, Gatlandball will be going nowhere. The tackling then was really fierce.

Can they do it for 80 minutes though?

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Can they do it for 80 minutes though?

Probably not but as long as Wales tire or lose heart before we do, that is all that matters. I think our pack, whilst lacking in muscle, has the capacity to keep up a high intensity game. If we bring on people like Attwood a bit earlier to keep the pack fresh, then I think we can realistically do it.

The Welsh game is primarily straight running with an aim to batter through defences. If it can be met with equal ferocity and your runners caught on or behind the gain line, it can take a lot out of the Welsh game. Wales aren't the most skilled when it comes to a kicking game and I think they will be wary of it as keeping it infield means our back 3 could potentially run it right back at you, or it goes outfield and the English lineout looks to be performing much better than the Welsh one.

Thing I worry about most is England's relatively poor play at the breakdown. We are bad at quickly securing our own ball and have very little ability to slow down opposition ball. The English game plan requires quick recycling and we just don't have that. Even when the ball is available quickly, Care is too slow to get it out and pass it. He STILL take a step before passing, despite it being highlighted as a problem for years now.

 

[dullonien]

Gatland will have a few selection headaches for this one.

Looshead: does Gatland try to really pressure the English scrum with the introduction of Paul James? After an impressive showing against France, I'd expect Jenkins to start again though.
Second row: Charteris and Ball were impressive against France. Does AWJ come straight back in? I'd assume so if he's fully fit, but there's healthy competition there.
Backrow: the never ending debate of Lydiate or Tipuric. Warburton is a certainty after his huge display v France. Playing Tips and Warbs together last year worked wonders, do we try to expose England in the contact area again?
Scrum half: Webb should retain the shirt imo, but it's unfair to judge him and Phillips based solely on the Irish and French games. I've been wanting a change at scrum half for some time, and after an assured display I think Gatland will reward Webb with another start.
Outside half: Priestland was better than usual v France, defensively at least, but I still feel that Biggar would steer the ship better with his superior kicking game.
Centre: does North stay at 13? Whether Davies is fit will decide a lot, but Beck and Owen Williams are options regardless. Whether Beck and Roberts can work, both primarily being 12's, remains to be seen. It'd likely require Roberts moving to outside centre where he's been far less effective in the past.
Wing: this obviously depends on what happens at centre. I'd like to see North revert to wing where he's more comfortable, and able to roam the pitch/drop back to field kicks and counter (his wonder try for the Lions likely wouldn't have occurred had he been playing centre).
Bench: again, I'd like to see Samson Lee on the bench. Rhodri Jones struggled again in the scrum when he came on against France I thought, and the scrum is an area I think we should target.

 

[goodNumber10]

England will go witht he same team, but they really need to address the bench - especially in the backs.

Dickson shouldn't even be near the squad inmho, youngs is out of favour but he should be in the matchday. Ford is the right call (it was right he didn't get game time on Saturday), but he should be backed up by Watson or Eastmond. We need game breakers and goode is just a chunky tank... he's not even remotely international class.

Think the game is going to be an absolute stomper.

 

[FrenchFan]

i expect a humdinger of a game. Wales can counter Eng forward game and have better backs. Very close. Can't call it

 

[Peat]

Backrow: the never ending debate of Lydiate or Tipuric. Warburton is a certainty after his huge display v France. Playing Tips and Warbs together last year worked wonders, do we try to expose England in the contact area again?

Nah.

If we forget how to ruck/get monstered in the set-piece and sapped there, then you only need one of them.

If we don't, you're liable to regret having two opensides in the coming trench warfare.

Two opensides only makes sense if you want to utilise a wide attacking game imo

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Dickson shouldn't even be near the squad inmho, youngs is out of favour but he should be in the matchday.

Dickson is no world beater/game breaker but Youngs is literally sh*t.