B
Bullitt
Guest
Now now, play nice.
<div class='quotemain'> Essentially bang on RC. Although the way Phillips was farting about, I have to disagree there. I would hate to be the fly-half simply sitting there back in the pocket like a tool while Mike Phillips is poncing about with the forwards on his own personal mission. [/b]
When where I was sitting, Hook was hanging back with two Welsh players just in front of him on either side for a good ten minutes. He was in the pocket and from what we were seeing, was expecting Phillips to fire the ball back to him so he could get on with the DG. As the ten minutes wore on, he looked increasingly agitated before shrugging in resignation and coming back in.
If there was a plan to keep it tight, nobody told anyone beyond the forwards and Gavin Henson. I don't think there were any clear instructions, I think it was more Phillips being selfish and they could have paid for it when Phillips knocked on. [/b]
......... So the first-half panned-out pretty much the way Gatland planned.
Many so-called pundits (who should know better!) forecast that the 'flood-gates' would open in the 2nd. half and Wales would become yet another statistic/notch on the England-at-Twickers belt. I thought (and said at half-time) that the fierce tackling and massive defensive commitment from the Welsh had to pay-off as the game entered it's final quarter.
To see the likes of Sheridan and Shaw petulantly throwing punches without provocation, along with the silly shirt-tugging at the back of the lines-out, suggested that by 60 minutes the Welsh pack was grinding the English in a subtle but very effective way!
Gavin Henson at 2nd. receiver started to make the hard yards going forward and with Hook inside him even the great Jonno panicked! Though the try's were simple enough as scores go, it was inevitable that they would cross the English line.
The only surprise after the 2nd. try was that the Welsh supremacy, worked at and established so valiantly in the first 60 minutes, didn't result in a 3rd. touchdown! Such was the dominance of the Welsh by the 75th minute, England reverted to their typical 10-man game which refused to click into gear!
Despite England keeping possession in the final minutes, the Welsh alternate drift and blitz defence, meant that every part of the park was closed to them as a scoring avenue!
I'm sure many will suggest that this was a game that England lost, rather than one which Wales won? Shame on those who do! I forecast a 7-point victory to the men in red but nowhere in my wildest dreams did I think that 7 point gap would be enclosed within a 45-point scoreline! Well done to Wales and I'm sure Warren Gatland's tactics will win many more prizes for them in the next 4 years![/b]
To forget that we would have to beleive it in the first place.Yeah, but what you guys are forgetting is this:
Fact is England lost it not Wales won it. No question.
[/b]
Gareth Rees said it best..
[/b]......... So the first-half panned-out pretty much the way Gatland planned.
Many so-called pundits (who should know better!) forecast that the 'flood-gates' would open in the 2nd. half and Wales would become yet another statistic/notch on the England-at-Twickers belt. I thought (and said at half-time) that the fierce tackling and massive defensive commitment from the Welsh had to pay-off as the game entered it's final quarter.
To see the likes of Sheridan and Shaw petulantly throwing punches without provocation, along with the silly shirt-tugging at the back of the lines-out, suggested that by 60 minutes the Welsh pack was grinding the English in a subtle but very effective way!
Gavin Henson at 2nd. receiver started to make the hard yards going forward and with Hook inside him even the great Jonno panicked! Though the try's were simple enough as scores go, it was inevitable that they would cross the English line.
The only surprise after the 2nd. try was that the Welsh supremacy, worked at and established so valiantly in the first 60 minutes, didn't result in a 3rd. touchdown! Such was the dominance of the Welsh by the 75th minute, England reverted to their typical 10-man game which refused to click into gear!
Despite England keeping possession in the final minutes, the Welsh alternate drift and blitz defence, meant that every part of the park was closed to them as a scoring avenue!
I'm sure many will suggest that this was a game that England lost, rather than one which Wales won? Shame on those who do! I forecast a 7-point victory to the men in red but nowhere in my wildest dreams did I think that 7 point gap would be enclosed within a 45-point scoreline! Well done to Wales and I'm sure Warren Gatland's tactics will win many more prizes for them in the next 4 years![/b]
Yeah, but what you guys are forgetting is this:
Fact is England lost it not Wales won it. No question.
[/b]
Yeah, but what you guys are forgetting is this:
Fact is England lost it not Wales won it. No question.
[/b]