[2015 RWC] Pool A: England vs. Australia (03/10/2015)

[TRF_Olyy]

The two 50+yr old props my clubs 3rds wheel out whenever they're short on numbers are definitely on the England radar


I'm optimistic about the future of England coaching, we've got some good coaches coming through (Blackett just moved to Wasps, for example) and are making some astute poaches from league (we nabbed Deacon from Wigan and he's already made a marked difference to our attack).
However that's the future, the here and now is a bit of a worry (there's some good coaches about, but how many would up and leave their clubs mid season?)

 

[barthelemy]

Lancaster doesn't deserve so many critics, I simply think that English players are inferior individually (especially when the likes of Armitage, Tuilagi and Abendannon are at home).
I don't know if many English players would make it into the Australian XV. Launchbury, Joseph and Watson maybe?

Yep +1

Ok fine the coach is making certainly a percentage of the outcome but it is down also to the players and lets be honest, the english forward pack is not as dominant as it has been in the past. England have very good back line (watson, Joseph, burrell, Brown etc) but they do not have enough ball to play with. The main failure of England was the forwards, too much penalties conceded at the breakdown because weaker than the opposition, too much penalties on scrums because weaker than the opposition (even against wales that was the case). It is not new and I do not think it is down to the coach, it is down to the players that England have at the moment, good players but not experienced players and some of them not good enough. The talk about England selection have mainly been around the back lines before and during the world cup but in rugby, But you win the match at the front first. If your pack is getting hammered at the breakdown and the scrums, no way you will win a match.

 

[Horacito]

You see, the AB's scored 50 pts to this aussie team.

Anybody thought this team could defeat NZ or Aussie while being coached by Lancaster... when Cheiks is on the other side with Matt Tumooa as a SECOND OPTION? And Hansen would simply take Nonu out for SBW like they did against us! Like ENG has a single player of Toomua for starting.

Whatever, I don't think Australia is that good, today this english team had some chances to take points, they just failed.

To begin with, the tempo was off: ENG was never going to win by letting wallabies run, because that is what they can do, no what english can do. Know your strong points, the basic of strategy.

Then play without breakdown specialist and get smacked by Pocock. Tonight he looked like a damn ***an, and although he is indeed a ***an, it's much easier to be one with this opposition.

Also, a team who can play rugby against one who can't: england can do good line outs, mauls, decent pick and rolls if they catch a good moment, and eventually break defenses individually. Finding creative solutions? Nope. Adding players to the attack? In two plays, Folau showed ten times more why Mike Brown is a bluff. And Folau had an awful game by his standards. Forwards with any skills? Nope. They have skillful players: three, and everyone knows who they are.

But the main point is that england today weren't themselves, they tried to play something else and didn't have the tactics, the strategy or even individual training to do so.

What was their gameplan for today, to begin with? And this guy got signed up to 2020.

 

[NZ All Blacks]

not sure, it's panic stations for england now they lose this its all over.

Australia also can't afford to split wins with wales and england due to not getting the bonus against fiji.

Pressure on both teams, i do believe aus will lose this one but will beat wales.

wrong !!!

 

[shtove]

And as Wilko pointed out, Kay was probably talking out of his rectum because its pretty common in a lot of defensive structures for the guy to move around the ruck like that.

Jonny's worth listening to, but I didn't catch that comment. Kay does a lot of good analysis.

Launchbury seemed childish in defence - like Aus were saying, "Look - what's over there? ... Gotcha!" I think he screwed up on another try too.

 

[Peat]

Jonny's worth listening to, but I didn't catch that comment. Kay does a lot of good analysis.

Launchbury seemed childish in defence - like Aus were saying, "Look - what's over there? ... Gotcha!" I think he screwed up on another try too.

The attack's going blind, the defence is drifting to meet it, Launchbury has to follow it or he's leaving a gap on the other side of the ruck. The blame lies with the guys on the open not following and tightening the space.

He was in the frame for the other try but I'd blame Youngs for buying the dummy rather than Launchbury failing to reach Youngs' man, although hard to say without seeing a good picture of the numbers outside Youngs. Could have maybe been tighter to Youngs but he was clearly already running pretty quick to close a gap.

 

[Ospervat]

The attack's going blind, the defence is drifting to meet it, Launchbury has to follow it or he's leaving a gap on the other side of the ruck. The blame lies with the guys on the open not following and tightening the space.

He was in the frame for the other try but I'd blame Youngs for buying the dummy rather than Launchbury failing to reach Youngs' man, although hard to say without seeing a good picture of the numbers outside Youngs. Could have maybe been tighter to Youngs but he was clearly already running pretty quick to close a gap.

Agreed. There was a 3:2 overlap but Foley was Youngs' man. Basic rugby taught to 9 year olds - tackle the man with ball and pressure him to make a good pass and have faith in your team mates to do their job if you do yours.

 

[shtove]

I would say that it would be interesting. Ireland is the best NH team without question.

It is interesting, but Ireland are top of NH by the skin of their teeth. The competition with Fra/Wales/Eng is close, usually going with home advantage.

Anyway, we still have to get past Italy.

 

[Dav]

Goodbye England you were poor

 

[Kiwi_]

The voting man of the match is embarrassing, Launchberry what ever his name is got MotM? What a farce, clearly it was Foley or if you want to be less obvious, Pocock. Complete joke, it's clearly the English public voting for this as well as the Georgian getting MotM in the Kiwi game.

 

[RoosTah]

The voting man of the match is embarrassing, Launchberry what ever his name is got MotM? What a farce, clearly it was Foley or if you want to be less obvious, Pocock. Complete joke, it's clearly the English public voting for this as well as the Georgian getting MotM in the Kiwi game.

Yeah that was really bizarre... Foley put on a master class and Pocock destroyed the English at the Breakdown. Can't understand how the voted for anyone else...

 

[Kiwi_]

Yeah that was really bizarre... Foley put on a master class and Pocock destroyed the English at the Breakdown. Can't understand how the voted for anyone else...

It's just the English fans being poor sports. It's completely done on public voting..

Do you think Foley will find some consistency Sanzar? I'm really surprised how good he was today, probably the best game he's played in his life, well at least for the Green & Gold.

 

[OverGore]

Maybe its the english dark sense of humor to find the Motm in the home team. I doubt the player nominated gives a ****t, might even be worse for him.

 

[Kiwi_]

Maybe its the english dark sense of humor to find the Motm in the home team. I doubt the player nominated gives a ****t, might even be worse for him.

If they wanted to do a dark sense of humour vote, you would have gone with Burgess or Brown haha.

It does leave a bad taste in the mouth. Foley certainly deserves recognition for that outstanding performance.

 

[Colombia]

This site crashes every time there's a big game? Seems that way.

Anyhow, congratulations to Australia, you look like a really well coached side. England well, what can you say, C-level in every respect.

 

[OverGore]

Ha yea surely, Foley was shining tonight. No doubt Toulon s boss Boudjellal is already wondering "HOW MUCH????????"

 

[nickdnz]

Comiserations to England. Was a tough draw, and it's got to be rough for the England fans.

 

[roggers2216]

roggers2216

Ru is still an upper class sport in England. You can see examples of it all the time at County trials.. Good state school boys and club players, putting in really good trial performances, but being ignored by adjudicators. Sometimes those chosen or preferred are not even at the trials, needless to say they come from fee paying school backgrounds !

 

[Peat]

Comiserations to England. Was a tough draw, and it's got to be rough for the England fans.

Dunno. The worst has happened, that lifts a weight off of you. It's like when your grandfather's got something horrible, you know it's going to happen sometime, he's not having fun, it's not fun to see it... when it's over, there's almost a sense of relief more than anything. Not sadness and anger. That comes from remembering the year or so of false hope and pain.

Then again, I did just compare this to my granddad dying, so maybe it is pretty rough after all :lol:

 

[Mcfadden]

All I can say is, I'm with Nick. Was cheering for the Aussies but I do feel for the English supporters. It's a hell of a tough pool and it was never an enviable position. Credit to Australia - I think that loss Last year taught them a lot. And I did say on here if the Aussie forwards don't get absolutely monstered then they'd win.