[2017 RBS Six Nations] Round 2: Wales vs England (11/02/2017)

[johnmac99]

Proper rugby people who understand the game, if you honestly think Wales weren't the better team your deluded, English man Adrian Durham the Talk sports drivetime presenter nailed it by saying Wales were the better team and that they lost rather than England won

News for you and him : Wales lost and England won.

If you want to think Wales were the better side, that's up to you, but wouldn't that make their loss even worse. 'Poor loser' springs to mind.

BTW, Garces is the ref for the Ireland v England game.

 

[Maverick1987]

News for you and him : Wales lost and England won.

If you want to think Wales were the better side, that's up to you, but wouldn't that make their loss even worse. 'Poor loser' springs to mind.

BTW, Garces is the ref for the Ireland v England game.

I'd take Garces over Peyper every day . Unusual that a referee refs 1 team twice in the tournament though no ?

 

[johnmac99]

It seems that not only will Mako be available for England v Italy, if he comes through his club game this weekend, but that Billy may be available for the Ireland game as a finisher (off the bench).

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

It seems that not only will Mako be available for England v Italy, if he comes through his club game this weekend, but that Billy may be available for the Ireland game as a finisher (off the bench).

If his form is even close to pre injury that will be scary... The prospect of Haskell coming on is bad enough for most but Haskell and Billy V at the same time, potentially with Mako too... Yeah amazing to think our finishers can be even stronger. Let's just hope they are finishers and not rescuers as they have been so far.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

Proper rugby people who understand the game, if you honestly think Wales weren't the better team your deluded, English man Adrian Durham the Talk sports drivetime presenter nailed it by saying Wales were the better team and that they lost rather than England won

Again, there's a whoooooole thread for this. And it ain't here

- - - Updated - - -

I'd take Garces over Peyper every day . Unusual that a referee refs 1 team twice in the tournament though no ?

Yeah - where's Owens this tournament?

 

[Duck a l'Orange]

If his form is even close to pre injury that will be scary... The prospect of Haskell coming on is bad enough for most but Haskell and Billy V at the same time, potentially with Mako too... Yeah amazing to think our finishers can be even stronger. Let's just hope they are finishers and not rescuers as they have been so far.

Are people actually buying into this Jones, "finisher" thing then??

All the players seem to have during interview, whether that's just sticking to the party line who knows.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I think he genuinely does view it as a 23 man, not XV+subs, side.
He obviously sees some players more important that others (i.e. Cole playing 70+ mins) but he's not afraid to shepherds crook a player at half time, or even his captain way earlier than you'd expect.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Yeh Eddie is one of the best at using his subs currently.

He obviously does view them as important part and are as Olyy say a 23 rather than XV and subs.

 

[ncurd]

I think EJ's use of subs are his best asset I don't belive anything is pretty planned he read the game see how players are playing and brings on what he needs. Not afraid to make the calls either if someone needs to come off halftime or say 20 mins he'll do it. His use has really stopped us from loosing games. Equally he doesn't feel the need to unload the bench just for fresher legs of someone is playing a blinder. I wish any England coach since Woodward realised thism

 

[Peat]

I guess I'm remembering the bits we were dominated over the bits we were on top here. My point was, during those bits (when our carriers were losing the contact and the gainline battle), Ford could have been better. My point was also that it's not a massive deal

I think fundamentally our problem was lack of carriers, if it could be simplified down to one factor. Pretty sure ratsapprentice is around somewhere to back me up on this...

I'm still a bit puzzled to be honest. There was 40 minutes or so we had the ball and we kept going forwards. If you think our carriers were getting dominated but we still kept making chances, surely that reflects really well on the half-backs? Although if I'm honest I don't think we came close to defeat in that game because of our ball carriers, I thought they did a decent job. The lack of territorial control was the problem.

For the 40 minutes where we didn't have the ball and were on the defensive, what do you want your fly-half to do?

Noticed that too.

Still, I think England were lucky to escape 2 yellow cards. One when Ford was way offside when Wales were pressing 5m out and tackled AWJ just as he was catching the ball. Given Fords tackling in that game, AWJ could have scored himself, otherwise there was at least a 1 man overlap outside. The second was when Haskell blatantly killed the ball after a sustained build-up barely 10m from the English line.

Not saying things were one way, or that the ref was at all poor (thought he had a great game overall), but if we're pointing out Welsh indiscretions, then it's only fair.

As mentioned, it was Youngs. You're right a different ref might have looked for his cards there but Garces was clearly playing pretty laissez-faire. Both sides took advantage of it.

 

[ncurd]

I'm fairly certain there was a late tackle that I'd probably classify as the worst of offences that probably warranted a YC. Graces was pretty **** at enforcing anything all game though I thought he was pretty terrible in not blowing up for both sides. Wasn't too impressed with him reviewing a try on request of a player especially as he was right.

 

[corny]

I'm fairly certain there was a late tackle that I'd probably classify as the worst of offences that probably warranted a YC. Graces was pretty **** at enforcing anything all game though I thought he was pretty terrible in not blowing up for both sides. Wasn't too impressed with him reviewing a try on request of a player especially as he was right.

I was impressed by that tbh. Ref knew it was a pivotal moment and not just a run of the mill decision in midfield. He wasn't too swayed by Webb either. You could tell by the question he asked the TMO. Just make sure i'm right type of thing. Nothing wrong with that. Being dogmatic in refusing to check would have been much worse.

 

[Scotty]

No england v italy thread up yet so ill put it here. 25 man squad retained inc watson. Mako potentially proving fitness for sarries next week. Amd thoughts on starting xv,subs (finishers) and changes for the game in 2 weeks?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

http://www.therugbyforum.com/threads/38591-2017-Six-Nations-England

 

[Peat]

Actually the penalty given for an illegal ruck turnover after Webb thought he'd got over the line was probably the most likely candidate for a yellow card from Garces, now I think about it.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Did he give a penalty for that?
I thought he went back for advantage played from a previous infringement? I'm pretty sure the penalty wasn't where Webb dove for the line, I vaguely remember the ref walking away and Webb in his ear trying to get the TMO check. The turnover was legal, I think - it was more of a stripping than a turnover (he was short and our player, was it Hartley?, took the ball away from him as he tried to ground it).

 

[Peat]

Pretty sure the penalty was for an infringement there, yeah. Certainly the resulting scrum was in the right place for that to be the offence.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Yeh Eddie is one of the best at using his subs currently.

He is the best in the northern hemisphere, because he has the best bench.
No doubt.
England have a massive advantage over the other 6 Nations teams in their strength in depth and this is highlighted by the quality of their bench. It has been a game winner for them in the first two matches of the 6 Nations.
England have lifted a gear when they're fresh players have come off the bench to add impact.

Then when you look at how Howley used his bench, by taking off his two best performing players at a critical time in the game, he made Eddie look even better...

 

[ncurd]

I was impressed by that tbh. Ref knew it was a pivotal moment and not just a run of the mill decision in midfield. He wasn't too swayed by Webb either. You could tell by the question he asked the TMO. Just make sure i'm right type of thing. Nothing wrong with that. Being dogmatic in refusing to check would have been much worse.

I have a problem with it because from then on players were in his ear asking review everything. I don't want a situation where players are crowding the ref questioning and asking for review for every incident. An international who doesn't put up a try for review is usually pretty certain it's not a try, they need to have the courage of their convictions otherwise slowly it'll decending into farce.

 

[The Jones Boy]

It was worth a second look and after it was clearly short it firmed up the refs decision not to take on board any more review appeals.