[2015 RWC] Pool A: England vs. Wales (26/09/2015)

[ncurd]

Please your telling me if he had won the RWC he wouldn't of gone after the 6Ns?

Who bloody knows?

I still think he would of gone because for some mad reason the RFU wanted to install a guy with no coaching experience in charge and they were doing it during the 6 nations if memory serves me right.

Look we can debate the merits of Ashton as coach until we're blue in the face (I've never heard anything but rumour about what went on during the 2007 campaign). But can we agree he was treated extremely badly by the RFU and his replacement was hardly inspiring.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I'm still baffled, what is the point in having Slade in the squad if, when the 13 gets injured, you would rather shuffle 3 positions around than just put him in? Why the hell is Lancaster determined to stick with known mediocrity!?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I'm still baffled, what is the point in having Slade in the squad if, when the 13 gets injured, you would rather shuffle 3 positions around than just put him in? Why the hell is Lancaster determined to stick with known mediocrity!?

Bow down to the pressure of the media IMO.

He picked Slade because the press was starting to question him more and more what if Itojie and Daly dropped early and a poor pre world cup games, he prob felt he had to pick someone who the public wanted.

IMO he Wanted to pick Burrell or even Twelvetrees instead of slade and if Enlgand had beaten France he would have done so.

 

[Chistera]

Damn, England gave up on its attacking philosophy to the WC's pressure earlier than expected. Burgess ahead of Slade also leads me to wonder why Lancaster didn't chose to play Burgess in the back row and not in the midfield -where England have many more riches. The adaptation would have been easier for Burgess and he could have helped England at the breakdown, while his ball-carrying abiility seems to have been overstated anyway.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

lets face it IF Lancaster really wanted to play a proper attacking back play he would have picked:

Cips over Goode
Eastmond/Daly over Burgess.

I understand Barritt pick TBH you want a proven rock just in case.

I don't understand why he never gave a chance really IMO he could have fitted Joseph role well (And been a second kicker).

 

[dullonien]

Wales Online are reporting that Morgan is likely going to miss the game as well. England have a ready made replacement in Vunipola, but it reduces the impact off the bench.

 

[TommiG88]

Wales Online are reporting that Morgan is likely going to miss the game as well. England have a ready made replacement in Vunipola, but it reduces the impact off the bench.

Haskell will be put on the bench which isn't a bad switch. Shame we haven't got a Ewers esque player there.

 

[MojoPin]

Wales camp just confirmed that Liam Williams and Alun Wyn Jones are fit and taking part in full training. Aaron Jarvis also OK, but Samson Lee and Paul James are still under observation- will be a late call. Lee reportedly closer to full fitness than James.

Samson still a bit of a worry then, but that's seriously good news about Williams and Jones. Vital cogs for this match!

 

[Lé Ddanno]

So we're at the same point that we were 2 or more months ago: where are Cipriani, Ewers, Itoje and Daly to stop nonsense like this being foisted upon us like a world leader's wang in your cold, dead mouth.

 

[NickBD]

Wales camp just confirmed that Liam Williams and Alun Wyn Jones are fit and taking part in full training. Aaron Jarvis also OK, but Samson Lee and Paul James are still under observation- will be a late call. Lee reportedly closer to full fitness than James.

Samson still a bit of a worry then, but that's seriously good news about Williams and Jones. Vital cogs for this match!

Tis good news for you guys. Interesting to see England tactics with those 3. I think AWJ will be fine but neither Samson Lee or Liam Williams can be fully match fit. Both had no warm up minutes and getting subbed off for injures against Uruguay in first half in a massive concern they both needed 80mins.

That England 15 even with the whinging off England fans can still win but I think matching up with Gatlandball tactics makes it more even now. England need Burgess to have to game off his life.

I wish we England fans had the optimism like the Welsh fans. You guys lose most of your world class players yet somehow turn it in to a positive, England get 1 player injured in JJ we go crazy.

 

[ncurd]

England get 1 player injured in JJ we go crazy.

I'd add England management to that sentence. Most sensible fans would just replace JJ with Slade and say done.

 

[Yoshimitsu]

Fair point and apologies, i thought you were (actually not too sure what i thought your post entailed) harping back to the era of people just booting the ball back and forth all day and saying that because your dad said those were the days rugby was rugby. Misinterpretation. Need to not post on online forums at 2am, nothing good comes from it.

The point above re., Andy Robinson, BB /= Noon, in a perfect world bringing in Slade or keeping Ford on would make sense and if i were in SL position i would probably worry about their slight of build going up against Warrenball. We know Ford gets targeted and with Slade at 12 an-a-half stone simple physics says as with Eastmond, that if a Roberts runs at him he'll go backwards and give Wales go-forward. Barritt v Roberts =, Burgess v Roberts . >=, with Williams the reverse is probably true.

For Wales it might actually work, also JJ might still start so.. just going to have to trust in the coaches judgement around certain games. ^_^

Just to clear this one up. Thanks for the apology.

In terms of the physics argument there's nothing to argue.... Except that if such thinking does constrain your ability to attack to the extent it becomes so impotent that you'll still get beaten its pointless. That's back to watching the tide come in with England. If there's never any attempt to make the big hit or to turn the ball over you just walk slowly back towards your line. Then penalties, then points.

Personally I think Lancaster is so conservative that we'll get found out. We might win this game but Farrell / Burgess / Barritt surely isn't the answer? If Slade is not there to cover JJ, what is he for? A wasted selection and one that could haunt us.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

I'm awake and verging on inebriated now. I need some help please:

1) A pointer to the forum rules
2) This isn't genuinely happening, is it?

I could accept a full switch of Burgess/Slade at 12/13, with Nowell on the bench to cover eeeeverything but these rumours are bat-she-eye-ite. Is Ford even benched??

 

[Patchey]

I'm seeing all sorts of conflicting reports about whether its Farrell/Burgess/BB OR Ford/Farrell/BB...

Also, I think its been prett much confirms that Billy will starts and Hask will bench.

I'd add England management to that sentence. Most sensible fans would just replace JJ with Slade and say done.

Indeed.

Well having said that he's is a risk purely because on inexperience. But he didn't show anything but maturity and class against France, so I think ti would be a gamble worth taking.

 

[kesh]

Samson Lee and Paul James are still under observation- will be a late call. Lee reportedly closer to full fitness than James.

Huge call. Rushed back would be calling it.

 

[Every Time Ref]

I'm seeing all sorts of conflicting reports about whether its Farrell/Burgess/BB OR Ford/Farrell/BB...

Also, I think its been prett much confirms that Billy will starts and Hask will bench.



Indeed.

Well having said that he's is a risk purely because on inexperience. But he didn't show anything but maturity and class against France, so I think ti would be a gamble worth taking.

It's no more of a gamble than changing the entire midfield, is it? It seems like such a no-brainer to switch Slade in, it's nuts

 

[kesh]

Personally I think Lancaster is so conservative that we'll get found out. We might win this game but Farrell / Burgess / Barritt surely isn't the answer? If Slade is not there to cover JJ, what is he for? A wasted selection and one that could haunt us.

Slade'll play against Uruguay and might start after Burgess injures himself. Has a Moody mentality IMO.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

Has a Moody mentality IMO.

Same as the rest of us - at least he's taking it seriously unlike Grinning Goode!

 

[Mattybuck]

I can't say I have any faith in SL's selection. Pre Joseph/Ford England had been lacklustre in attack for sometime. He only picked those players as he was forced through injury.

As stated this might come off for him, but I feel it limits our attack and makes it easier for the Welsh defence.

SL has a history of picking a team to negate the opposition rather than picking a team to be better than the other.

Agree that this highlights poor initial selection, if he is not going to play HS for JJ then why on earth was a Elliot Daly selected! He is the ideal replacement for JJ.

I'm frustrated by this, my welsh mate is feeling more confident and I don't blame him...

- - - Updated - - -

I'm a fan of England rugby but if this comes to pass I'll actually be glad to miss this one. My mum could provide cover at 10. It doesn't mean its a good idea.

Have to admit... Amongst all the gloom this did make me chuckle... Then I thought of BB at 13 and suddenly nothing is funny anymore

 

[The Jones Boy]

Apparently Twelvetrees has been put on standby...