[2015 RWC] Pool A: England vs. Fiji (18/09/2015)

[Sarries918]

Please can England find a fast ball securing open side

Yet again we get shown up at the breakdown. Seriously? How many times does Lancaster need to see England failing to secure our own ball before he either selects a breakdown specialist (as EVERY other team has) or get the team properly trained in clearing out and defending our own ball? It is a glaring weakness that has been there for years and to still have it that bad going into the world cup is ****ing unacceptable.

Also are England allergic to the concept of hitting a pass at speed and smashing the gain line? We have players jogging slowly along going through the motions of passing along the line with NOBODY threatening the gain line.

Totally agree. We are crying out for someone who gets to the breakdown and secures. Tackling and securing are what we need in a 7 we have enough carriers.

 

[barthelemy]

Open your eyes my friend! I am critical but it was clearly grounded!

BS and you know it, the leg of the fiji guy was in front, there is no video where you can see it grounded.

Again, Fiji is a small team, nobody will say anything, 1 point given to England..easy..this is just a shame.

 

[Grizwald]

OK cheers. We disagree on the skill sets we'd like to see in a 12 then. I personally believe the 12 has to be able to carry and crash the line well as they so often come under pressure there and need to get their team out of trouble, particularly at international level when the defences are so quick off the line - but thats just personal preference. Regardless of opinion it will be interesting to see what England chose to do in the next game. Sounds like Barritt will play so will be good to see how he goes next time.

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yeah, but to be honest thats a weakness of the Fijian team I reckon, not so much of Nadolo. It's just that they don't have a good kicker and so he has to take the job.

Inside centre has certainly evolved over the years when you look back at some of the greats. Nowadays crash ball players are far more the norm. Nonu has added a lot to his game with improved distribution and even an half decent kicking game. Barritt will truck it up but seldom makes yards and has pretty much no vision for a decent pass.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I noticed that too. My understanding was you cannot reverse your decision. Granted, he almost immediately looked at it after he realized, but for me it's not a good precedent. Because then it becomes a matter of when does enough time elapse that a decision reversal is inappropriate? 30 seconds? 2 minutes? 10 minutes? When the conversion has been kicked?

I've seen it happen on about 5 occasions - the TMO can intervene at any point before the conversion is attempted.

 

[The Jones Boy]

The ball didn't touch the line and it was obvious from behind the line it never got there.
However, it's a moot point, it's been given and the warning is now out there for all the other camps to be aware of...
There is no way a foreign team would have got that decision.

 

[TommiG88]

I noticed that too. My understanding was you cannot reverse your decision. Granted, he almost immediately looked at it after he realized, but for me it's not a good precedent. Because then it becomes a matter of when does enough time elapse that a decision reversal is inappropriate? 30 seconds? 2 minutes? 10 minutes? When the conversion has been kicked?

It happened a fortnight ago in the England Ireland warm up. England scored a try which 90 seconds later got flagged by the TMO. It was correctly ruled out, although I feel if the ref gives a try the TMO shouldn't get involved.

 

[barthelemy]

So proof of the ball touching the line isn't enough now?

Where did you see that proof ?

 

[NickBD]

I don't think England have the quality to beat Wales and Australia.

Not only did England beat Wales last time out you're significantly weaker with injures. How can England not have enough quality to beat Wales? Oz on the other hand England did win last time out but Oz have been impressive but England absolutely can beat them.

 

[Sarries918]

Joe Launchbury.

Talking open sides, Launchbury and Lawes are bonus second rows with their mobility but we need another Neil Back

 

[barthelemy]

The ball didn't touch the line and it was obvious from behind the line it never got there.
However, it's a moot point, it's been given and the warning is now out there for all the other camps to be aware of...
There is no way a foreign team would have got that decision.

+1 England is the organizer, they have put some money into it , they need their money back.

A bit like NZ in 2011

 

[dragos03]

As a neutral supporter, I thought the referee in this match was absolutely shameful (everyone in the pub I was in seemed to agree on this). If England will continue to benefit from this kind of homer ref support, I don't even know why the other teams have bothered showing up.

I am afraid that Romania will also be robbed by refs against Tier 1 teams and of course nobody will care.

 

[barthelemy]

As a neutral supporter, I thought the referee in this match was absolutely shameful (everyone in the pub I was in seemed to agree on this). If England will continue to benefit from this kind of homer ref support, I don't even know why the other teams have bothered showing up.

I am afraid that Romania will also be robbed by refs against Tier 1 teams and of course nobody will care.

Romania is crap, this is a different matter (just teasing mate)

 

[TommiG88]

As a neutral supporter, I thought the referee in this match was absolutely shameful (everyone in the pub I was in seemed to agree on this). If England will continue to benefit from this kind of homer ref support, I don't even know why the other teams have bothered showing up.

I am afraid that Romania will also be robbed by refs against Tier 1 teams and of course nobody will care.

Romania don't need the refs help to lose.

 

[The Jones Boy]

I don't think people should be too hard on England.
The Vunipola brothers proved to be a massive improvement to the go forward of Englands forwards, Launchbury helped and Burgess looked like everything that Joseph needs along side him in the midfield.
The saffer Barritt was a dead loss.
It was their first hit out on the biggest stage and they did what they needed to do.
They will improve just watch.

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+1 England is the organizer, they have put some money into it , they need their money back.

A bit like NZ in 2011

We didn't have much money, thats why we only won by one point. ;-)

 

[Muzzy]

Fiji were great at the break down, we got 11 turnovers to Englands 4 and thats what kept us in the game for so long. It was just little errors that cost us the game. Hopefully the bounce of the ball will go our way against Australia. If you compare this to past Fiji performances it was a huge improvement. Normally when we play in Europe our props are yellow carded for scrum collapses. Last time we played England it was 54 - 12, this time we were right in the game until the last 10 mins.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Talking open sides, Launchbury and Lawes are bonus second rows with their mobility but we need another Neil Back

We do indeed & we've known for ages that we'd be up against Wales and Aus, both of who have a choice of open sides and may well play 2 against us. Kvesic may not be Back, but he's the best we have. Why hasn't he been given a shot instead of persisting with Robshaw who's a 6? God, if we get murdered at the breakdown by Fiji....

Launch & Lawes athleticism is a bonus only if they're doing their prime grunt work in the tight exchanges. Just don't think any of our locks carry the requisite power to do that. A combination of poor selection and the wrong emphasis in training. Give me orcs on steroids in my 2nd row any day.

 

[Crapspray]

Talking open sides, Launchbury and Lawes are bonus second rows with their mobility but we need another Neil Back

Yes, but there isn't one in the squad and, while he may not be a groundhog, Robshaw is the best 7 in England. So the immediate choice is to put Launchbury back in, who was England's best breakdown player throughout 2014. There is no Neil Back - that's the main problem. We have Kvesic, the only realistic option, Fraser, who's made of paper maché, and Wallace who's always been poor in the Saxons and has been overtaken by Clifford at Quins. There's also some fat bloke in France who wants the entire Premiership to bend to his will.

 

[Mcfadden]

Not only did England beat Wales last time out you're significantly weaker with injures. How can England not have enough quality to beat Wales? Oz on the other hand England did win last time out but Oz have been impressive but England absolutely can beat them.

Pretty much, I was about the say the same thing. If that were Wales out there today I'm pretty sure they would have got beaten. Just my opinion.

 

[Tony Manx]

As a neutral supporter, I thought the referee in this match was absolutely shameful (everyone in the pub I was in seemed to agree on this). If England will continue to benefit from this kind of homer ref support, I don't even know why the other teams have bothered showing up.

I am afraid that Romania will also be robbed by refs against Tier 1 teams and of course nobody will care.

Quite amazing!! Most people here do not understand that the rules clearly say that the try can be disallowed at any time prior to the goal kick attempt.

Further most people do not realise that not only is Pyper generally deemed to be anti England but that most of the controversial decisions were not taken by him but after many replays by the TMO!

Indeed, some people seem to have had their eyes closed when the last try had many, many replays of which the last number clearly showed the ball on the line.

Please watch the game when sober!!!

 

[barthelemy]

Anyway, lets be happy, that was a good opening game, Fiji has shown some interesting stuff and made it tough for England. England has won that match, not by far. I think that England won't win this world cup, they do not have the experienced players to win it (even if they are a very good side - I really like Mike Brown, really pretty player with a lot of flair). I seriously think that last decision try was a shame, just a point given to England. In the meantime, there is one human TMO, he has a lot of pressure, he made a mistake, a costly one for the England opponent teams but still I guess that won't make England world champion and the decision of this championship will be on some other matches.