2014 6 Nations: England vs Wales (Round 4)

[Big Ewis]

Ewis will cry himself to sleep tonight

why is that ? :huh:

 

[Patchey]

why is that ? :huh:

Mass lost.

 

[Big Ewis]

Mass lost.

ah, right, because England are light weights themselves....forgot about that.

I should add however that Gatland ball is too primitive, more than I thought. Teams that apply good tactics and show up in the physicality sector will most probably prevail. Wales still are a good team, although clearly a level below what they were last year. It's just against prepared, organized sides like England, Australia, Ireland, NZ, SA...their thing just doesn't work.
I thought it was more complex than that but it isn't. I guess I was wrong...Gatland ball really is too limited.

But it still raises some questions...I mean, what do you do with huge backs like Cuthbert, Davies (who had a SHOCKER the whole way....), North, Roberts...? They probably need a more creative style. I think at this point they've milked everything they could out of it...
even against a disaster-France side that showed up in Cardiff some time ago they couldn't really capitalize the whole game...score should've been higher for them.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Just noticed Jack Clifford is playing in the Sevens.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Anyone watching the 7s friendly on BBC Red button?
England 7-0 up after 20seconds.
Win this and we've won the u20s, Womens, Seniors and 7s :lol:

 

[Peat]

Wales found out tactically for the second time in three games. Where do they go from here?

Guessing on Gatland's record, same plan, aiming to execute it better.

Traditionally, there's a Lions hangover this year, in terms of both physical fitness and mental focus. Wales supplied the bulk of the Lions squad and they've deployed the majority of their Lions. The circs of that Lions squad, and maybe the last few 6Ns, says to me that the Welsh don't have the same natural motivation as the English and the Irish. They've had a glut of winning, they've no grudges to grind.

It is possible that the Welsh can go away, get their heads in gear and come back next year a lot stronger. Yeah, I think there are other issues at play as well and that they need to change, but I don't think this is peak performance.

 

[Aristodemus]

Anyone watching the 7s friendly on BBC Red button?
England 7-0 up after 20seconds.
Win this and we've won the u20s, Womens, Seniors and 7s :lol:

Was it ever in doubt? <trollface>

 

[Feicarsinn]

Guessing on Gatland's record, same plan, aiming to execute it better.

Traditionally, there's a Lions hangover this year, in terms of both physical fitness and mental focus. Wales supplied the bulk of the Lions squad and they've deployed the majority of their Lions. The circs of that Lions squad, and maybe the last few 6Ns, says to me that the Welsh don't have the same natural motivation as the English and the Irish. They've had a glut of winning, they've no grudges to grind.

It is possible that the Welsh can go away, get their heads in gear and come back next year a lot stronger. Yeah, I think there are other issues at play as well and that they need to change, but I don't think this is peak performance.

Yeah, I guess. In that light it's no surprise that England, who were criminally underrepresented on the Lions tour, are having an excellent championship.

England's tournament as things stand, barring something rather unusual in Paris.

 

[ratsapprentice]

What time is ScrumV on?

120 odd points advantage to England this weekend so far.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Just noticed Jack Clifford is playing in the Sevens.

Hadn't realised Alex Grey had gone to 7s as well.
Remember being impressed by him for u20s, seeing him once or twice after he moved to Not Nots and then forgot he existed since.

 

[Aristodemus]

Yeah, I guess. In that light it's no surprise that England, who were criminally underrepresented on the Lions tour, are having an excellent championship.

England's tournament as things stand, barring something rather unusual in Paris.

If Ireland bring the level of performance they brought to HQ then they will win. I think it is a GS thrown away but on the other hand can't begrudge Ireland the ***le because they have been excellent.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Traditionally, there's a Lions hangover this year, in terms of both physical fitness and mental focus. Wales supplied the bulk of the Lions squad and they've deployed the majority of their Lions. The circs of that Lions squad, and maybe the last few 6Ns, says to me that the Welsh don't have the same natural motivation as the English and the Irish. They've had a glut of winning, they've no grudges to grind.

A question for Welsh posters. Would you swap a Lions series failure last summer for Wales success in the 6 Nations? I'm not a fan of the Lions and the hype it brings because ultimately it's meaningless and petty national allegiances take over. I want to see Irish players succeed and have no affinity to the likes of Leigh Halfpenny or Mako Vunipola. I'd suggest fans from England, Scotland and Wales are equally parochial in their outlook.

Wales are suffering a Lions hangover but on top of that we're seeing a couple of their players (Adam Jones mos notably) begin to decline from the heights they set over the last few seasons. England thoroughly deserved their win and in Mike Brown have the player of the tournament.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Hadn't realised Alex Grey had gone to 7s as well.
Remember being impressed by him for u20s, seeing him once or twice after he moved to Not Nots and then forgot he existed since.

I hope the RFU use the sevens more as a development tool for guys coming out of the u20's.
They are a little too isolated from the 15's pathway for my liking.

 

[Big Ewis]

Yeah, I guess. In that light it's no surprise that England, who were criminally underrepresented on the Lions tour, are having an excellent championship.

England's tournament as things stand, barring something rather unusual in Paris.

I can feel the utter child-like joy in that sentence from here, and I barely live on the same planet. The erection is profound right there...I can tell it's been there since yesterday continuously.

I fear the Irish fans' reaction on this website when they beat a France side that would possibly succumb to U20 France atm, next week, and win the tournament de facto...I fear it greatly. Like I said, I've got to go and get me one of those inhalers this week. Pronto. And I don't even have asthma. The smelling of their own farts might be epic...possibly legendary.
Stay tuned.

 

[Patchey]

I hope the RFU use the sevens more as a development tool for guys coming out of the u20's.
They are a little too isolated from the 15's pathway for my liking.

This.

Not pleased Clifford has gone to sevens. If he gets stuck there it'll be a massive waste!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I hope the RFU use the sevens more as a development tool for guys coming out of the u20's.
They are a little too isolated from the 15's pathway for my liking.

It would be good to see, however with central contracts I think it's unlikely.

 

[ratsapprentice]

He's not "gone to sevens" he was on the bench - nothing to suggest he has been contracted...

It's particularly unlikely given Guest's departure.

 

[Big Ewis]

Will England pick Yarde and Wade as first choices going to NZ ?
May certainly has quality, but he does run around aimlessly quite a bit too, even his most ardent fans will admit. He seems to love having the ball in hand but with all his enthusiasm and good will, and athletic qualities, he won't make a whole lot really out of those plays. He needs to mature a lot as a winger, but on the right play he can set fire in the opposing defense.
Nowell has quality too, though less flashy than his opposite wing, but surely a Yarde or Wade would add more to England's flourishing attack.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

That was a weird game. England should have won by more but didn't deserve to win by as much as they did! England need the very likely result of an Ireland loss in Paris to win, thus far England deserve the championship but if Ireland go and win in Paris an Irish championship with an English triple crown seems fair.



Wales need Biggar.

England need to be a bit more clinical.

Nobody needs Romain Poite.

 

[The5thOfficial]

Well.... if it hadn't been for that Care soft try after 4 mins, in which the entire Welsh line had their back to him when he strolled over, it would have been a lot closer. And that is even concededing that Wales played rubbish. England should have been way more ahead at half time than they were. Oh well!