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

[Peat]

Actually think the forwards are Australia's strength at the moment. The backs can bring it, but they're running hot and cold, mainly due to half-back issues.

If David Pocock can stay fit, he's going down as one of the greats.

 

[kesh]

.

 

[RoosTah]

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.

I hope so! If Foley plays like that for the rest of the tournament and the forwards keep surprising people then we're a chance of going to the final and maybe even winning the thing. Phipps is a bit of a problem though

 

[shtove]

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.

Cheers. It was a brilliant move, so from Aus's view they're thinking - Who's the one guy we need to shift out of the way? Launchbury. And they succeeded. So I stick with Kay's view.

 

[Mcfadden]

Actually think the forwards are Australia's strength at the moment. The backs can bring it, but they're running hot and cold, mainly due to half-back issues.

If David Pocock can stay fit, he's going down as one of the greats.

I was miffed when they brought Phipps on. Genia has had a crap super rugby campaign but he was clearly going very well here. Phipps started making the same passing errors as the Sydney test against the ABs. Lucky they got away with it. I'm also not sure if Australia would have been able to score that amazing try if Horne was still on. Not quite the acceleration of Beale IMO.

 

[Kiwi_]

I hope so! If Foley plays like that for the rest of the tournament and the forwards keep surprising people then we're a chance of going to the final and maybe even winning the thing. Phipps is a bit of a problem though

I think Genia is as well, he's very predictable and lost his speed. The inward pass has become a very effective weapon for your backline, it's catching defences off-guard, who ever plays you from here on in will have to be conscience of it, it's very well rehearsed and executed.

- - - Updated - - -

I was miffed when they brought Phipps on. Genia has had a crap super rugby campaign but he was clearly going very well here. Phipps started making the same passing errors as the Sydney test against the ABs. Lucky they got away with it. I'm also not sure if Australia would have been able to score that amazing try if Horne was still on. Not quite the acceleration of Beale IMO.

Charged down several times and botched kicks, have to disagree that he went "very well". Passing wasn't bad though.

 

[nzlizard]

Aus definitely the better team.

Pocock and Folau were epic.

Brown, this guy is over rated, while he can be great some days he is poor quite often in big games against big SH teams.

Subbing Genia off seemed odd, why? he is clearly the better halfback, unless Cheika was confident he was going to win and try give Phipps game time.

Aus certainly delivered today and if he can get up over wales next week they will be a force to be reckoned with, certainly the best game from any of the big guns so far.

 

[RoosTah]

To be honest I get what Cheika was trying to do with the Genia sub. Phipps, when he's on target, can bring a lot of speed and energy to the attack. The problem is that this year he hasn't been on target... Gets there quick and fires the ball out fast, but he needs to actually look to see who's there!

 

[Kiwi_]

To be honest I get what Cheika was trying to do with the Genia sub. Phipps, when he's on target, can bring a lot of speed and energy to the attack. The problem is that this year he hasn't been on target... Gets there quick and fires the ball out fast, but he needs to actually look to see who's there!

And that isn't what you needed in the final 20 minutes of this game. You needed a cool head at 9, someone to slow it down and set the play better, keep the ball. It was a bad substitution and an obvious weakness in the team. I felt you guys were lucky Farrell and Burgess both had brain farts, England were starting to build some momentum and control, I think you would have been punished for this against the All Blacks or even Ireland.

 

[ABs2011]

Aus definitely the better team.

Pocock and Folau were epic.

Brown, this guy is over rated, while he can be great some days he is poor quite often in big games against big SH teams.

Subbing Genia off seemed odd, why? he is clearly the better halfback, unless Cheika was confident he was going to win and try give Phipps game time.

Aus certainly delivered today and if he can get up over wales next week they will be a force to be reckoned with, certainly the best game from any of the big guns so far.

It's pretty much a rule of thumb now that HBs get subbed at around 60min. There has been quite a lot of analysis done to show that on average a halfbacks speed to the ruck deteriorates at around this time and errors start to increase. It's pretty standard these days though - I figured everyone was largely on board with this happening and why.

 

[Jaguares]

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 !

Don't say foolishness. The Wallabies are also accused of coming from the upper class in their country.

No matter the social class where one comes, that's nonsense from football

In any case it was a game between Posh Englishmen vs Posh Aussies. And the Posh Aussies hit you

 

[Kiwi_]

Don't say foolishness. The Wallabies are also accused of coming from the upper class in their country.

No matter the social class where one comes, that's nonsense from football

In any case it was a game between Posh Englishmen vs Posh Aussies. And the Posh Aussies hit you

Mate, I can assure you posh Aussies don't exist.

 

[The80sDogCancer]

after that game i have a new found respect for this england team, they tried their hardest and this loss will be hard to take but they will be alot stronger for it.

 

[Mcfadden]

It's pretty much a rule of thumb now that HBs get subbed at around 60min. There has been quite a lot of analysis done to show that on average a halfbacks speed to the ruck deteriorates at around this time and errors start to increase. It's pretty standard these days though - I figured everyone was largely on board with this happening and why.

Sure, but I'm not really a fan of premeditated substitutions in every game. Personally I think most of the time subs should be made in the context of the flow of the game, how that starting player is performing. I get the logic behind it. I see it a lot in Super rugby. A player is going marvellously and the coach subs him off - and the team subsequently starts leaking momentum. It's like, why did you do that?

 

[The80sDogCancer]

Mate, I can assure you posh Aussies don't exist.

hmm i think you are wrong there mate, the rugby strongholds are typically in the upper class/posh suburbs of sydney and brisbane.

 

[Mcfadden]

Yep, private schools and all that.

 

[Zed]

Not that Sam Burgess was that bad, but it just makes you think - Lancaster had 4 years to prepare a team, England probably have the most funding, the best facilities, the best coaching & support staff, the most professional setup of all the top teams, yet they chucked Burgess in at the deep end, with not what I would call a proven track record. A huge risk. Why after all the preparation and money and time that has been pumped into the England setup would they gamble like this. A complete paradox, completely professional on one side and then making desperate, risky player selections on the other side, something which is completely unnecessary. Lancaster needs to go, not just for the Sam Burgess debacle, but choosing players who are not up to the job e.g Barrit. Everyone goes about his stellar defence, but as a centre you need to be able to run, and step and beat your opposite man. He offers nothing in attack. I think Lancaster and co have been too obsessed with the defence, blinkered... Get the attack right, then work on the defence. Farrell, Barrit, Burgess a terrible 3/4 combination, slow and predictable. But yeah solid in defence.

 

[Peat]

That combination wasn't even that solid in defence tbh. Just outright bad. And yet, somehow, it was doing a job... so Lancaster changed things up.

At the time, I thought the Burgess selection was acceptable based on just how bad our other centres were. Now... well, I might have gambled on those left behind, but then again, if I could go back in time and swap one centre, it wouldn't be Burgess. You're right though Zed, the whole situation was crazy; a team with four years preparation should not find themselves doing that. The resources of English rugby are less than they appear though.

 

[Zed]

That combination wasn't even that solid in defence tbh. Just outright bad. And yet, somehow, it was doing a job... so Lancaster changed things up.

At the time, I thought the Burgess selection was acceptable based on just how bad our other centres were. Now... well, I might have gambled on those left behind, but then again, if I could go back in time and swap one centre, it wouldn't be Burgess. You're right though Zed, the whole situation was crazy; a team with four years preparation should not find themselves doing that. The resources of English rugby are less than they appear though.

For all of Cipriani's failings, you look at what he has to offer in attack compared to players like Farrell and Barrit. I would have liked to have seen him play. Scored one of the tries of the season when he played in the S15.

 

[GoTheNaki]

Y'all should post in the "autopsy" thread .

http://www.therugbyforum.com/thread...gland-team-members-are-for-the-chopping-block

Would be good to try and track everyone's thinking for the future, and players that England should look to replace. All in one thread.