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

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Ben Kay is good IMO.

Not just saying that due to Leicester connection.

 

[Mattybuck]

Kay is good, explains the game very well.

I like Healy, don't always agree with him but has an opinion and voices it... I like that, Moore the same...

 

[Tony Manx]

Kay is good, explains the game very well.

I like Healy, don't always agree with him but has an opinion and voices it... I like that, Moore the same...

Agreed on both of them!

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I don't like Healy, he's too much of a knob. Moore is good, Wilkinson is good and Morgan was actually good when he was injured. Greenwood and Delaglio not so much. Woodward just love to blow his own trumpet every chance he gets.

 

[Reiser99]

Sigh...Lancaster has basically folded to Farrell Snr pressure and gone with a backline that closely resembles Saracens. The main point being that the Saracens backline functions completely differently to how England have been playing. Saracens backline functions because their pack is often so dominant against other teams. England don't have that, especially during a world cup. The Bath backline works better in these circumstances, because they can create something from very little.

I really hope Lancaster doesn't regret this...

 

[Hopping Mad]

Sigh...Lancaster has basically folded to Farrell Snr pressure and gone with a backline that closely resembles Saracens. The main point being that the Saracens backline functions completely differently to how England have been playing. Saracens backline functions because their pack is often so dominant against other teams. England don't have that, especially during a world cup. The Bath backline works better in these circumstances, because they can create something from very little.

I really hope Lancaster doesn't regret this...

Massive call by Lancaster or as you mention was it by Farrell. Will watch, as a neutral, with interest to see how this unfolds, but cant help feeling there is a little bit of panic in the overall selection.

 

[Cookies]

England is going down... down to China town.

 

[Tony Manx]

England is going down... down to China town.

Excuse me for disagreeing with the majority here and believing that we should wait and see what happens!

After all, we, unlike the management and coaching team are - in the vast majority - not professional rugby players and never have been! We have not spent nearly three years in the job and the last three months working with the players!!

Give them a chance and, if it all goes pear shape, criticize like hell!!!

No reason to cut your veins yet!!!

 

[Kiwi_]

With all the hysterics around the team selection, I still think England have got this. Wales won't be able to overcome them at home and England have superior mentality over them. I would like a Welsh win to make the group truly interesting, but it won't happen.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Off topic warning.

The one player who'll be looking at the Ford / Farrell debate with real interest is Slade. Don't let him become a jack of all trades, to me he has 10 stamped all over him and is better defensively than Ford and offensively than Farrell. Is it too much of a flight of fancy to see him at the fulcrum of our 2019 side??

1. Vunipola
2. George
3. Rejuvenated Cole
4. Slater
5. Launchbury
6. Burgess (c)
7. Kvesic
8. Itoje
9. Probably still Youngs
10. Slade
11. May
12. Manu
13. JJ
14. Nowell
15. Watson

Most of those will be approaching their peak years. Quite exciting really!

But back on topic, I can't wait for tomorrow. It won't be pretty, but it will be dramatic. I'd like to think the home crowd will help us squeak it, but I'm not staking my house on it.

 

[ncurd]

I wouldn't disagree with everything you say there except the idea of 10/12/13 being Ford/Slade/JJ fills me with attacking wet dreams.

Also I'd have Roko on one of the wings lets be honest some of the cuts made from the training squad should of told us Lancaster was depending into madness.

 

[msf]

Slade is good, Ford is better. Ford and Slade are the same age, but Ford was the starting 10 for the U20s two years before Slade, and has already been the undisputed 10 for two seasons at Bath, whilst Slade is still fighting it out with Steenson at Exeter. Of course, Slade may be a late developer, but Ford´s development doesn´t seem to have plateaued yet, unlike Farrell, who after breaking through into the England team hardly improved until this year.

 

[Wendigo7]

Ford is the best young fly half in world rugby. I'm not entirely sure what will happen come saturday.

It might actually need Ford to come on and win the game for us.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Anyone else keep thinking of

12 noone
13 tindall

I fully hate everything about Lancaster and his selections. Has any other county chopped and changed the back line so much.....and then selected the worst players out of the lot

 

[TommiG88]

Anyone else keep thinking of

12 noone
13 tindall

I fully hate everything about Lancaster and his selections. Has any other county chopped and changed the back line so much.....and then selected the worst players out of the lot

France, maybe?

 

[Willodell100]

Anyone else keep thinking of

12 noone
13 tindall

I fully hate everything about Lancaster and his selections. Has any other county chopped and changed the back line so much.....and then selected the worst players out of the lot

It's funny. I keep referring back to that period as England's Stone Age!

I thought we were past this but it seems which ever coach is in charge of England they revert to ultra conservatism at times of stress.

Anyway I've moaned about it so much I'm boring myself so now I will try and find some positives!

For all of Barritt's lack of attacking threat & pace if he can run a few dummy lines (slightly more subtle that last week) it might mean we can get some headway out wide.

Wales have picked two inside centres as well it means they will not quite have the midfield understanding to expose Barritt's lack of experience in the outside channel (although Scott Williams is a class act & we need to watch him).

This game will be won in the forwards and even though I would have picked Launchbury to add a bit more weight in the scrum (Wales will have a much heavier pack with AWJ & Davies in there) we should have enough just to beat Wales.

Cannot wait!

 

[Icemn]

the best part of this match and the part that looking forward to the most...

THE NATIONAL ANTHEMS!!!

my top 3 anthems are Wales, England and then NZ...

 

[michaelbolton]

Off topic warning.

The one player who'll be looking at the Ford / Farrell debate with real interest is Slade. Don't let him become a jack of all trades, to me he has 10 stamped all over him and is better defensively than Ford and offensively than Farrell. Is it too much of a flight of fancy to see him at the fulcrum of our 2019 side??

1. Vunipola
2. George
3. Rejuvenated Cole
4. Slater
5. Launchbury
6. Burgess (c)
7. Kvesic
8. Itoje
9. Probably still Youngs
10. Slade
11. May
12. Manu
13. JJ
14. Nowell
15. Watson

Most of those will be approaching their peak years. Quite exciting really!

But back on topic, I can't wait for tomorrow. It won't be pretty, but it will be dramatic. I'd like to think the home crowd will help us squeak it, but I'm not staking my house on it.

My 2019 Team looks more like...

1. Vunipola
2. George
3. Cole
4. Lawes
5. Launchbury
6. Itoje (c)
7. Kvesic
8. Vunipola
9. Youngs
10. Ford
11. Roko
12. Slade
13. JJ
14. Watson
15. Nowell

16. LCD
17. Marler
18. Brookes
19. ???
20. Burgess
21. Robson
22. Manu
23. Yarde

I have already lost hope on this world cup... Lancaster is incompetent and Farrell should be told to just stick to defence. I would love someone like Baxter to take over the attack

 

[Atco]

Agreed. Was a bit surprised at Wilko being so sensible. I had feared he might go all 'philosophical' but no....

- - - Updated - - -

Off topic warning.

The one player who'll be looking at the Ford / Farrell debate with real interest is Slade. Don't let him become a jack of all trades, to me he has 10 stamped all over him and is better defensively than Ford and offensively than Farrell. Is it too much of a flight of fancy to see him at the fulcrum of our 2019 side??

1. Vunipola
2. George
3. Rejuvenated Cole
4. Slater
5. Launchbury
6. Burgess (c)
7. Kvesic
8. Itoje
9. Probably still Youngs
10. Slade
11. May
12. Manu
13. JJ
14. Nowell
15. Watson

Most of those will be approaching their peak years. Quite exciting really!

But back on topic, I can't wait for tomorrow. It won't be pretty, but it will be dramatic. I'd like to think the home crowd will help us squeak it, but I'm not staking my house on it.

Mmmm. Tasty. Apart from Cole.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Media are such **** stirrers.

Burgess apparently saying who is Scott williams?

Nope he was asking who said Joesph is harder to defend against not who is Scott williams.