[2015 RWC] Warm Up Match: France vs England (22/08/2015)

[The Jones Boy]

There's no mood to lighten . We lost against a brilliant French performance in Paris . The forwards looked rusty (haven't played since May) we won't face a pack anywhere near as powerful as the French in our group . However if I was a kiwi I'd be praying the French win their group because they love ****ing your party up you were beaten easily in the forwards in Sydney by the Australians and France's pack are twice as powerful as has been proven in the last 2 games

A brilliant French performance?
One try in 80 minutes?
They went to sleep Rip Van Winkle style on the 65 minute mark, as only the French seem to do... a good performance made to seem better by the sorry execution in all spheres of forward play by the Pommie pack in the first 40 minutes.
I think you've just seen Elvis riding a Dodo.
The forwards didn't look rusty.
Tom Youngs, well, he knows how he played and it wasn't rust, it was something much more fundamental .
Marler is no Phil Vickery, I can't see him making the kind of comeback Vickery did. His comeback would need to be of biblical proportions.
When you have been awful for 60 minutes and you get dragged, there's no rust involved.

For the record I AM praying that the Irish win the group because I've got tickets to the quarter final in Cardiff and I am going there personally to oversee revenge at its finest served 8 years cold.
An eight point loss to the Aussies in Sydney after two weeks on the road was hardly beaten easily. If Carter had his kicking boots on that night it would have been a different story but in his case that was rust and boy did he make them pay a week later when the natural order of rugby was restored emphatically- 41 points you might McCaw/recall.
The French pack is good but not earth shattering and they also had to cope with the pitch this evening.

That was a frightful beating they dished out to the English forwards tonight, but... a win over the 2nd placed team in the world rankings would do the world of good to England's confidence, especially in the forwards.
I wouldn't want to be a pommie forward or coach tomorrow when we see what the English heroes of 2003 have to say about that performance in the papers and the media.
A win against Ireland will be a much needed tonic for the embattled stalwarts of St George.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

What is it with you and Marler?
One poor game in how many?
It happens.

 

[martinspoonboy1]

What is it with you and Marler?
One poor game in how many?
It happens.

Why do you think he was so poor?

 

[The Jones Boy]

Fair dinkum Olyy, that wasn't just a poor game, he had a stone cold nightmare.
The kind that sees some players never return.

 

[Paul S]

I don't know about rusty but the English did play into the hands of the French tonight, i was surprised they kicked so much, and badly. Youngs was epic in the loose in defence but he needs to be more accurate with the lineouts. They might regret losing Hartley at lineouts. I am always wary of the French but I have confidence in the coaches and players against France in the pool stages. I hope we win too, i do want to see that France v NZ QF too, it could be epic.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Why do you think he was so poor?

I don't.
Compared to his usual standards he was poor, but in general he was average. Scrums weren't great, but when you're playing on sand it comes down to the flip of a coin, and refs tend to favour the home side - he won a penalty or two on his side.

Fair dinkum Olyy, that wasn't just a poor game, he had a stone cold nightmare.
The kind that sees some players never return.

He was far worse than tonight in his early career - I'd back him to bounce back/learn from it

 

[j'nuh]

England being trounced in the breakdown, and Lancaster brings off the one player that actually gives an iota of a toss about it, Launchbury.

Lancaster logic.

Honest to god, when were England last considered amongst one of the best in the world in contesting the breakdown? It has been the glaring problem facing England since I started watching England in 2008, and no coach seems to care. Literally every other top team have players that will contest the breakdown regularly. It's not an optional part of the game... :/

btw, I'd honestly start George. I don't care about what happened in the lineout, his loose work was a step up from Youngs. I'm also liking Lancaster trying Vunipola at 6. Possibly testing the waters for a Bill-Ben partnership?

 

[The Jones Boy]

Why do you think he was so poor?

Marler was up against a young man coming into the fold with a dozen caps to his name. He made it look like he was up against Carl Hayman in his pomp. He was less Joe Marler and more Boycie's Marlene.
Marler has a years more experience at the top level than his opponent. He has more than twice the number of caps and they are the same age but Marler has 6 kilos more on his frame to his advantage.
Honestly I think Marler has been over hyped and over rated. He's a good young prop but as props go he's still a kid and he got found out BIG time tonight.
It's a test of his nerve to see him come back stronger from that blowtorch roasting, 60 minutes of being thoroughly out skilled by the smaller man with considerably less experience , on the world stage.
A test of his mettle.

 

[Duck a l'Orange]

Which one was that then?

Cole, Launchbury or Haskell?

 

[The Jones Boy]

He was far worse than tonight in his early career

Really? On tonights performance I find that hard to believe but I'll take your word for it.

I'd back him to bounce back/learn from it

I hope so, he is a prop with 30 caps to his name, they tend to come thick skinned that bunch.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Marler is the same age as Slimani so "young" shouldn't come into it. If you tot up club + country then Slimani has more experience.
I think you're massively overstating Frances scrum "dominance". Both sides had a few big scrums. France had the better scrum, but i saw nothing "career ending" about Marler's performance.

 

[Maverick1987]

Marler was up against a young man coming into the fold with a dozen caps to his name. He made it look like he was up against Carl Hayman in his pomp. He was less Joe Marler and more Boycie's Marlene.
Marler has a years more experience at the top level than his opponent. He has more than twice the number of caps and they are the same age but Marler has 6 kilos more on his frame to his advantage.
Honestly I think Marler has been over hyped and over rated. He's a good young prop but as props go he's still a kid and he got found out BIG time tonight.
It's a test of his nerve to see him come back stronger from that blowtorch roasting, 60 minutes of being thoroughly out skilled by the smaller man with considerably less experience , on the world stage.
A test of his mettle.

Will you behave . You clearly watch NO and I mean NO NH rugby if you think Marler is poor . He's been turned over tonight on his first appearance for around 6 months . He's been great for the 18 months previous to that but you have no mention of that . Dan Carter is **** you call it rust . I call this England forward pack rusty and it not allowed . I'm sorry mate but you are coming across like a troll

Also did you watch the game which England lost 30-3 to Wales ? Because if you did you will understand Joe Marler has had worse nights at the office than tonight in far more important games after a far shorter lay off and has come back stronger . That's a testament to his mentality . I wouldn't pick Woodcock over him even after today's performance

 

[martinspoonboy1]

Marler was up against a young man coming into the fold with a dozen caps to his name. He made it look like he was up against Carl Hayman in his pomp. He was less Joe Marler and more Boycie's Marlene.
Marler has a years more experience at the top level than his opponent. He has more than twice the number of caps and they are the same age but Marler has 6 kilos more on his frame to his advantage.
Honestly I think Marler has been over hyped and over rated. He's a good young prop but as props go he's still a kid and he got found out BIG time tonight.
It's a test of his nerve to see him come back stronger from that blowtorch roasting, 60 minutes of being thoroughly out skilled by the smaller man with considerably less experience , on the world stage.
A test of his mettle.

I was asking why, as in the resoning for him being so poor. It was clear he had a bad game but what is the causation?

 

[Maverick1987]

I was asking why, as in the resoning for him being so poor. It was clear he had a bad game but what is the causation?

It's because jones boy doesn't like his hair or his tattoos apparently ....

 

[The Jones Boy]

[/I]Honest to god, when were England last considered amongst one of the best in the world in contesting the breakdown?

Neil Back. A dedicated sniffer. A world class open side with little or no respect for his own personal well being. What happened when the England coach opted to play Neil Back as a dedicated sniffer in the 2003 RWC?
Even the Boks have moved away from the 2 number 6's approach and brought back Heinrich Broussow...
God help England if they don't compete at the breakdown.
The French were woeful tonight in the area of capitalising on the Lions share of possession and turning it into tries.
If England do that against the big 3 southern hemisphere teams (Which I'm sure they won't} they will be out of the game by half time.

It has been the glaring problem facing England since I started watching England in 2008, and no coach seems to care. Literally every other top team have players that will contest the breakdown regularly. It's not an optional part of the game... :/

I hear ya, no argument here...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

It's because jones boy doesn't like his hair or his tattoos apparently ....

If he's got time to be sat in a tattoo artist's chair then he should be spending that on a scrum machine!

 

[ShonH]

England is doing what England does. Lancaster believes in slow, conservative, tennis match Euro-rugby. If they continue to embrace this pathetic brand of rugby they will compete until the play one of the Southern Hemisphere big 3 teams. If Lancaster had a clue he would be embracing the style on display in the last 6 Nations game against France. Instead, when offense is needed they punt the ball to the opposition and relieve pressure from their opponent. There is a blueprint for good rugby in Super 15 and the Rugby Championship. Euro-slow has ran its course and will NEVER be seen again in competent rugby.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Will you behave . You clearly watch NO and I mean NO NH rugby if you think Marler is poor .

I don't think it, I saw it along with the rest of the world tonight as a French lad made him look like a skinny orphan from les Miserable.
What game were you watching. Lol
Get your stripey blazer dry cleaned tomorrow instead of reading what the papers will have to say about him. It'll save you a bitter pill.

Dan Carter is **** you call it rust .

Young precocious Troll alert.
Ok, I don't normally do this but as you are clearly playing the wag, eat this sonny boy...

Carter plays for the Canterbury Crusaders and New Zealand's national team the All Blacks.
He is the highest points scorer in Test match rugby,[1] and is arguably the sport's greatest ever first-five eighth (fly-half).[2] He was named the International Rugby Board player of the year in 2005 and 2012, and has won four Super Rugby ***les with the Crusaders, and six Tri-Nations and Rugby Championships with the All Blacks.

Now that you're choking on that little beauty, I'll endeavour to show you I'm not without compassion, wash it down with this...

Carter was also a member of the 2011 Rugby World Cup winning All Blacks side and still plays with the current World Champions.


.

I wouldn't pick Woodcock over him even after today's performance

Now thats just dirty and disrespectful. Old Tone is only a year off his pension and bus pass and you're kicking' him when he's down. Thats ugly ageism right there. I still can't believe that Wayne Barnes vetoed Old Tone's application for a mobility quad bike to get him from scrum to scrum. He's a cold hearted ******* that Barnacle. Old Tone never gets injured, he just has to go down once a match to keep his fans happy and to keep his disability benefit. Lastly, there's no truth to the rumour that Hansen picks Old Tone because it's his Uncle, we have it on good authority they are only second cousins on the mothers side. Now thats a handsome family tree...

 

[yaboyjj]

The scrums were a little worrying for England- they were under pressure for most of the game, however you have to appreciate the mitigating circumstances... 1. that the pitch was in a shocking condition 2. That Marler was playing for the first time in 5 or so months.

I am a little concerned about the respective weights of the lock pairings twice in a row, they have looked somewat underpowered in comparison to the French pairings. It seemed like the scrums were more competitive whn Wilson and Attwood came on. (I hope the England management haven't been giving the Wood/Corbs treatment to all the forwards (they all look quite trim...).

I have to say, that although Youngs' throwing was poor, Lawes has never looked a particularly accomplished lineout caller.
Lancaster might as well drop the chirade- Haskell/Robshaw offer next to nothing as jumpers, he should be kicking himself that he dropped Itoje- Ewers and Kvesic would be no drop off in this regard.
I hope they don't keep up this nonsense whereby they don't even attempt to compete at ruck time on opposition ball and skimp out on their own ball- the forwards should be blasting it all day long.

 

[The Jones Boy]

If he's got time to be sat in a tattoo artist's chair then he should be spending that on a scrum machine!

Sound advice for the young Maverick there.