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

[Peat]

Tbh the biggest question I'd have for Garces is what did I think Joe Marler was doing in the scrums that was legal, as I did not see it, and that was to England's advantage.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Yeah - unbelievable that an international ref cannot see a LH step out as far as Joe was.

 

[valley commando]

have just repeatedly watched the incident which put Liam Williams out of last nights game, I think it's citable and I won't be surprised if he gets done for that at the very least it's extremely careless.

 

[SelimNiai]

Tbh the biggest question I'd have for Garces is what did I think Joe Marler was doing in the scrums that was legal, as I did not see it, and that was to England's advantage.

That was my biggest rage-inducing thing. Marler wasn't even trying to scrum straight

 

[smartcooky]

Jeeze, is that it?!
I missed it live but from the Welsh reaction on social media you'd think he stamped his boots directly into Williams' eyes, scrunched his boot about a bit and then took a dump on his wounds after, for good measure.

I agree that some of the Welsh fans' reactions have been OTT, but I still think it was a reckless piece of dangerous play by Wood. He had to see that there were heads near the ball.


* * * *

Another thing, although not necessarily a mistake by Garces, is that the match winning penalty could easily have gone the other way.

While Mike Brown was guilty of holding onto the ball, just watch the actions of George North (from 1:29:59 if the link doesn't take you directly there)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...dSGqV0c#t=5399

North is not a tackler so he can't play the ball from there (has to go around and enter through the gate)
He never releases Brown
He makes no attempt to move away from the ball

IMO, North illegally prevents White from competing for the ball, although its possible that Garces thought Gethin Jenkins was latched onto the ball so quickly that Brown's offence was the more material one.

 

[TommiG88]

I agree that some of the Welsh fans' reactions have been OTT, but I still think it was a reckless piece of dangerous play by Wood. He had to see that there were heads near the ball.

If a player gets cited and banned for the rest of the tournament, can they be replaced?

Get rid of wood and bring in Itoje or ewers.

 

[smartcooky]

If a player gets cited and banned for the rest of the tournament, can they be replaced?

No. Only injury and compassionate reasons.

 

[SelimNiai]

[video]https://video-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xap1/v/t42.1790-2/12024297_10206777874500845_64191539_n.mp4?efg=eyJ2 ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6InNkIn0%3D&oh=9e91be55d49dfe84b738b67aa0785b2b&oe=56085C83[/video]

:lol::lol:

 

[ratsapprentice]

I can't put into words how uncomfortable that shuffle makes me feel... it goes on for so long!

 

[smartcooky]

[video]https://video-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xap1/v/t42.1790-2/12024297_10206777874500845_64191539_n.mp4?efg=eyJ2 ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6InNkIn0%3D&oh=9e91be55d49dfe84b738b67aa0785b2b&oe=56085C83[/video]

:lol::lol:

Ahhh yes, the famous "Biggarena"

 

[TobesHodges]

Zero wrong with the Ref, was the best I've seen a French ref I think.. Honestly neither team deserved to lose this game, they were equally ill disciplined, but Wales held their nerve at the depth and that's what separated the teams on the day.

From the big 4's perspective which ever team gets through they won't feel very threatened by either team, lack of expansive rugby.

It pains me to say this, but I would rather Wales don't slip to Fiji and go through, Wales showed fight, a real defiance in the face of defeat and deserve their show to go on..

For England I just want us to show a good account of ourselves and a decent performance against Australia, the win would be a bonus. As an all round WC, this has been one of the best so far, long may it continue!

 

[chippieolamus]

I think that penalty was given for Farrell's late tackle on Gareth Davis, not for Watson diving on the player.

For Cole, well, his hands had to go straight onto the ball, and not on the floor and then sweep up onto the ball. So clear penalty - not supporting his body weight.

Yup, but what I'm saying is that I don't understand what Cole is expected to do. He goes for the ball, but the Welsh player deliberately rolls on top of it. Cole's hands have to go somewhere. More of a small gripe with the laws than the ref.

 

[SelimNiai]

I can't put into words how uncomfortable that shuffle makes me feel... it goes on for so long!

Kit man needs to get some fabric softener in the rotation.

If it works use it, heck, Farrell uses his gorm-face on the ball and that works

 

[bazz]

all the celtic nations looking good,but Scotland will win the cup

 

[shtove]

As an all round WC, this has been one of the best so far, long may it continue!

Yes - plenty of good tries, a few nail biters and no training runs, the law enforcers have mostly done a difficult job well, and there's no clear favourite. Plus 90k people turned up on freebies to see Romania crush Ireland - they were disappointed, but that's a big crowd.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Mike Brown = Prick

Fine player but a prize prick (and not in a good way).

 

[ShonH]

Interesting array of excuses and rationalization for the English failure. A far cry from a few weeks ago when the experts were making their proclamations about home field advantage being the difference. As always, the WC will be settled on the field and England will go into the record books as the only host team to not make it out of pool play in rugby history. Well done experts.

 

[barthelemy]

The french team comments on the England-Wales (they have watched it) :

http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Actualites/-personne-n-etait-decu-pour-les-anglais/594207


***le (and words of Swarzevski) : Nobody was sad for England

Some of the comments from players :

Uini Atonio : It was a nice victory (for the welsh). The welsh have not been scared of throwing some nice plays.

And about England decision to go for the line out : I do not know why they took the line out ! It was still a pool game: a draw is better than nothing. It's as if they wanted to show that they have balls. But we must think before making a decision like this. and as a joke (and because he is a prop) : I would have taken the scrum.

Brice Dullin : It was a big match from Wales. Despite their injured players, they nailed it. I'm admirative.

and about the England decision to go for the line out : If they score after the line out, everybody praise the decision. If (Robshaw) has done this choice, it is because the whole team agreed. It is difficult to criticize ambition.

Rory Kockott about Robshaw decision to go for the line out : TBF, if you are not on the pitch in that situation, nobody can tell what sort of decision ones would have taken

Morgan Parra : if England is first in their pool or if they are eliminated, it does not change anything and it does not concern me, because we do not meet them in the quarterfinals.

 

[The Jones Boy]

The experts never factored in Lancaster and Andy Farrell's clockwork premeditated substitution plans.
Gatland did though and there lays the rub.
If Lancaster and Farrell bothered to read the game they would have left Burgess on, he had swags of gas in the tank and he was tackling the big Welsh enters comfortably, Owen Farrell was having a blinder, the last thing England needed was another no.10 coming in from the cold and to shift him out to 2nd five, that was retarded. Leave the guy where he was on fire.
Woodward never changed a team unless it was necessary.

 

[Larksea]

was a great game to watch as a neutral, the 2nd half in particular. Its always crazy to see a team get decimated by injury so bad you cant help but feel it will be impossible for them to win only for them to somehow lift and come from behind.

it was interesting watch the game highlights and so many of the penalties that resulted in points could have gone either way. but generally the team that had the momentum and the upper had at the time got the points. so I think the end result is ok even though so many of the refs calls were 50/50

scrum officiating has been a real mixed bag this WC. The longer scrum rules mature the more tricks players figure out to get around them and I think that's going to be a feature the whole way through.

A lot of attention has gone that late decision to kick for the corner instead of go for the points. IMO the decision was ok but the actual follow up by England was poor. The accuracy and effort at the resulting lineout & period of play that followed was the teams undoing. Not the decision itself. And the kick was no sure 3 points eiher, it would have probably been the most difficult kick of the game the rest of the kicks in the game were tricky, one a longer range one but not difficult in those conditions.

I actually think both teams played well and Australia should take notice they have a challenge ahead of the. The welsh have the points in the bank but have they just played their final? Are injuries in this game going to take influence later results?