[2019 Six Nations] Wales vs England (23/02/2019)

[MikeTheNative]

Surely not Anscome? He's perpetually out of position in defense, and gets a bit flappy under pressure. Seems perfect for a high-pressure match against a team that is punishing poor positioning...

Unfortunately Patchell has been struggling with injuries the past year or I reckon he would be solid first choice 10 by now. Not a massive fan of Biggar, his short comings are well known, but I would rather have him at 10 than Anscombe. Who's main threat is his running game but he has never really got it going at test level.

 

[Mr Ruggleby]

I agree with most of what you say other than at 15. Daly isnt a 15 and Williams is world class

This is correct.

Also I think at worst Youngs vs Davies is even if not slightly slanted towards Youngs based on recent form. Agree with the rest though.

 

[Every Time Ref]

Front row England, 2nd row marginally England, rest too close to call.

You think the midfield is too close to call ...?

 

[MikeTheNative]

This is correct.

Also I think at worst Youngs vs Davies is even if not slightly slanted towards Youngs based on recent form. Agree with the rest though.

Gareth Davies offers serious threat with ball in hand and has the habit of scoring tries. However he is very susceptible to massive brain farts every now and again and while his box kicking isn't bad, I would call it just about adequate for test level. Not sure who I would choose out of the two, both can blow hot and cold from game to game.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

If your team is about right then this should be pretty much the teams

Smith. Genge
Owens. George
Francis. Sinkler
Hill. Lawes
AWJ. Kruise
Navidi. Wilson
Tipuric. Curry
Moriarty. Billy

G.Davies. youngs
Anscombe. Faz
Adams. May
Parkes. Manu
JD2. Slade
North. Nowell
Williams. Daly

For me we win front row even without Mako.

Lawes has stepped up but AWJ is still a great player and hill and kruis are both good players so second row is a draw.

Back row wales have 3 great players. But wilson is solid, a workhorse and a pretty decent carrier, curry is stepping up at such a young age and playing really well and billy is billy we know what he can do. O think we edge the back row though by no means is the welsh back row weak.

9 though youngs has been playing better, id give this to Davies

At 10 faz no question

12 Manu no question

13 now Davies is a class player,very experienced and id prob say would edge out slade but on form slade is well ahead. Strong defence, a number of breaks and kivks to set up tries and a number of intercepts and thats just 2 games.

Wing May is hands down the best currently and id put the other 3 on par for different reasons,

Full back id say a draw, daly seems to be settling into the role though still not as strong under the high balls but both attscking FBs that play wing. And both playing very well.

I think england will have this one be it with kicks or ball in hand but it deffinatly wont be a walk over, expecting the hardest game the 6N for England. Prediction England by 8

Front Row - agree, prefer ours
Second Row - disagree, prefer ours
Back-row - disagree - think it's pretty even based on everything. This said, Billy is a better 8 than Moriarty by a way.

9 - meh usually even but here and based on form it's youngs
10 - yep
11 - Well, May obviously because he's ripping it up but Adams is v dangerous too
12 - agree Manu has more impact
13 - Davies is the better player currently despite form. Big test of Slade and whetehr he can contain him
14 - North hasn't been great for a while - I think Nowell is currently better but if North is allowed the space he can be a nightmare.
15 - Williams by a way the better 15

 

[Mr Ruggleby]

Not seen much said about Peyper refereeing. Usually I would like him for this game as I think we will have the upper hand in the contact area and set piece which he favours. However, with the recent history with both sides (the arguably harsh red for Moriarty vs Argentina and the non-penalty/yellow for Farrell vs Australia in the autumn) he might be in the mood for some corrective justice...Also two French assistants who will almost certainly be looking for vengeance after the demolition of les Bleus at Twickenham won't help matters.

Anyone who says that officials are impartial is a scoundrel and a cad.

 

[Scotty]

Not seen much said about Peyper refereeing. Usually I would like him for this game as I think we will have the upper hand in the contact area and set piece which he favours. However, with the recent history with both sides (the arguably harsh red for Moriarty vs Argentina and the non-penalty/yellow for Farrell vs Australia in the autumn) he might be in the mood for some corrective justice...Also two French assistants who will almost certainly be looking for vengeance after the demolition of les Bleus at Twickenham won't help matters.

Anyone who says that officials are impartial is a scoundrel and a cad.

Well they played terrible and England deserved the win, the vengance will be against the Welsh who they had a 16 point lead over then handed them a fumbled ball and an intercept try.

 

[Pom in Exile]

Top quizzing!

A sequence that needs breaking.

damn straight.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

If your team is about right then this should be pretty much the teams

Smith. Genge
Owens. George
Francis. Sinkler
Hill. Lawes
AWJ. Kruise
Navidi. Wilson
Tipuric. Curry
Moriarty. Billy

G.Davies. youngs
Anscombe. Faz
Adams. May
Parkes. Manu
JD2. Slade
North. Nowell
Williams. Daly

For me we win front row even without Mako.

Lawes has stepped up but AWJ is still a great player and hill and kruis are both good players so second row is a draw.

Back row wales have 3 great players. But wilson is solid, a workhorse and a pretty decent carrier, curry is stepping up at such a young age and playing really well and billy is billy we know what he can do. O think we edge the back row though by no means is the welsh back row weak.

9 though youngs has been playing better, id give this to Davies

At 10 faz no question

12 Manu no question

13 now Davies is a class player,very experienced and id prob say would edge out slade but on form slade is well ahead. Strong defence, a number of breaks and kivks to set up tries and a number of intercepts and thats just 2 games.

Wing May is hands down the best currently and id put the other 3 on par for different reasons,

Full back id say a draw, daly seems to be settling into the role though still not as strong under the high balls but both attscking FBs that play wing. And both playing very well.

I think england will have this one be it with kicks or ball in hand but it deffinatly wont be a walk over, expecting the hardest game the 6N for England. Prediction England by 8

I'll have our locks any day of the week thanks.

I'd also take a below par North over Nowell and easily Williams over Daly.

If I do have a nasty feeling around Saturday it's that Daly might be in for a proper test.

 

[Mr Ruggleby]

I'll have our locks any day of the week thanks.

I'd also take a below par North over Nowell and easily Williams over Daly.

If I do have a nasty feeling around Saturday it's that Daly might be in for a proper test.

Don't worry, we've got Jonny May to calm things down back there if required. [insert flying pig]

 

[Bill]

You think the midfield is too close to call ...?

It's too close for me to call.

 

[Every Time Ref]

It's too close for me to call.

Interesting. I'd say it's one of the areas where the gulf is greatest. Biggar is a poor man's Farrell at best, Anscombe and Parkes both look mediocre, JD is a good player but doesn't look in particular form whereas Slade (despite being worse) is enjoying good form. As units, on firm ATM, they are incomparable for me

 

[MojoPin]

If the gossip is to be believed then Anscombe is starting at 10 for Wales. A lot's been said about how bad he is but for me him and Biggar have gone pretty well together over the 80 minutes so far so I'm reluctant to join the bandwagon against him. He's better than people give him credit for and if it clicks he will be hard to stop.

That said, every bit of logic says that England should walk this game. They haven't lost to Wales in a few years now and have hit their strongest form since before the last world cup. But Cardiff is a place where the unexpected can happen, so you never know. We have the players to do it, just need the gameplan to come together and to cut out the errors that have plagued our last few matches.

 

[Bill]

Interesting. I'd say it's one of the areas where the gulf is greatest. Biggar is a poor man's Farrell at best, Anscombe and Parkes both look mediocre, JD is a good player but doesn't look in particular form whereas Slade (despite being worse) is enjoying good form. As units, on firm ATM, they are incomparable for me

I did note that you mentioned "midfield", whereas I was thinking more of centres (and half backs).

Perhaps I'd agree that England look stronger in the half back department but I'd never anticipate a poor performance from Wales against England. I'd also be pushed to say which centre partnership will perform better on Saturday (given their respective opportunities).

For me it's the tight 5 where England really stands out, AWJ excepted.

I look forward to finding out at the weekend anyway, and very much hope that you are right.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Unfortunately Patchell has been struggling with injuries the past year or I reckon he would be solid first choice 10 by now. Not a massive fan of Biggar, his short comings are well known, but I would rather have him at 10 than Anscombe. Who's main threat is his running game but he has never really got it going at test level.

Looking at the opposition, I'd be surprised if England scored less than 18 points. So I'd pick based on what flyhalf is likely to lead to 18+ points being scored. I doubt that the answer is Biggar.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Looking at the opposition, I'd be surprised if England scored less than 18 points. So I'd pick based on what flyhalf is likely to lead to 18+ points being scored. I doubt that the answer is Biggar.

I don't think it's Anscombe either. England's defence has been excellent so far so I expect quite a few kicks from Wales and Biggar is the better kicker.
Wales are going to have use Parkes well if they are to get around this England defence. Too often it's a bog standard pass for crash ball which he isn't great at to be honest, I want to see him used as a decoy or even used to get the ball behind and out wide.

 

[Scotty]

Interesting if wales do win, if they can beat us they deffinatly have a chance vs ireland in cardiff, and with scotish injuries this could be the big grandslam decider. If wales win woth no bp and we get one or 2 then the last weekend could be very interesting, it willpretty much be, wales win they get the grandslam, wales lose and we have to beat scotland. One hell of a super Saturday! If we win then more than likely our grandslam.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I don't think it's Anscombe either. England's defence has been excellent so far so I expect quite a few kicks from Wales and Biggar is the better kicker.
Wales are going to have use Parkes well if they are to get around this England defence. Too often it's a bog standard pass for crash ball which he isn't great at to be honest, I want to see him used as a decoy or even used to get the ball behind and out wide.

I think Anscombe is higher risk, but yes, I don't think he is the answer either. Without Patchell I'm struggling to convince myself of a Welsh W here.

 

[oj121]

Everyone focussing on the 10s when barn door Parkes is at 12 opposite one of the hardest running 12s around. Id have Biggar in (as a Cardiff Blues fan) simply to try and nullify that threat. Parkes is the weak link in the Welsh team by a mile! Farrell isnt going to ghost past anyone so you can afford to look into the 12 channel

 

[dullonien]

Everyone focussing on the 10s when barn door Parkes is at 12 opposite one of the hardest running 12s around. Id have Biggar in (as a Cardiff Blues fan) simply to try and nullify that threat. Parkes is the weak link in the Welsh team by a mile! Farrell isnt going to ghost past anyone so you can afford to look into the 12 channel

Your description of Parkes is definitely overblown. There's o denying that he hasn't been great this season, but he was faultless for Scarlets and Wales beforehand. I'd predict a decent enough showing from him if he is selected, although I'd probably go with Watkin if I were Gatland.

I also think that Anscombe is the correct choice at 10. England have the players to win an arm wrestle, but if Anscombe plays well at 10, he's capable to unpicking the English defense and putting our dangerous outside backs into space.