EOYT: England v New Zealand, 01/12/2012

[Teh Mite]

The good thing is, that it's happened early enough into the week and the guys will have recovered a lot if not all by the time of the game, so there will be little room for any sort of excuse. Also, I'll bet you the high ground in any argument of New Zealand rugby arrogance/excuses/dirty tactics/player poaching/cheating/referee bias/over-ratedness/luck over ability or even general hate if that excuse comes out (poisoning) as a non-joke excuse. You'll genuinely be MR Right forever in a day in not just yours but my eyes as well. I promise.

And good to see you too!

 

[j'nuh]

Tuilagi has been found out maybe partly because he's been noticed, but I think mostly because there are no other attacking options to take the focus away from him. We're not seeing much around the fringes stuff from Youngs or Care, Farrell and Flood don't attack from 10, Goode and Barritt play linkmen so don't attack the line, and there's not enough shape or speed in attack to make our wingers useful. It leaves us with one option: Tuilagi is our only threat - close him down and the attack halts for England. With players standing in attack like an in-form Youngs, Care doing what he does for Quins, Joseph, an in-form Ashton, Wade, JSD, Benjamin, May, Foden, Sharples, Daly etc. and with a 10-12 to unlock all of this, space would open up for Tuilagi. Would also help if we had more carriers in the forwards for quick recycling to give the backline some extra time.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Great to see you back posting again C A Iversen!

I don't think England would have the upper hand if it was a "slugging it out" game, in the rain.
It's not as if it never rains in New Zealand, it's not as if they don't have a fantastic pack, it's not as if they don't have the best flyhalf in the world, etc.etc.etc.

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

And good to see you too!

Always good to see you Mr Mite!

 

[nickdnz]

It's a close call between him and Seaton (lordhope)... Both were sorely missed...

What?! Lord Hope is alive!? Damn alias's, I don't know anything anymore!

When I am bannished from the forum for banning members who don't support Hosea Gear - my return username will be much less criptic than Seaton. TRF_dickdnz or rugbywriterv2. It'll be good to be in the running for best newcomer and most improved again at the TRFies...

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Tuilagi has been found out maybe partly because he's been noticed, but I think mostly because there are no other attacking options to take the focus away from him. We're not seeing much around the fringes stuff from Youngs or Care, Farrell and Flood don't attack from 10, Goode and Barritt play linkmen so don't attack the line, and there's not enough shape or speed in attack to make our wingers useful. It leaves us with one option: Tuilagi is our only threat - close him down and the attack halts for England. With players standing in attack like an in-form Youngs, Care doing what he does for Quins, Joseph, an in-form Ashton, Wade, JSD, Benjamin, May, Foden, Sharples, Daly etc. and with a 10-12 to unlock all of this, space would open up for Tuilagi. Would also help if we had more carriers in the forwards for quick recycling to give the backline some extra time.

I was also thinking that, they know Flood and Barrett won't make a break so it only leaves Manu and then the wings who can be bundled into touch. I'd love to think that one day we can attack with our backs like any normal club does.

Also did anyone see the artcile on the RFU website by Farrell jnr claiming he wants a more attacking game this weekend? lol there will be loads of attack but not by anyone in a england shirt!

 

[Standardprocedure]

Although his defence is sharp, I'm thinking more and more that Barritt is a waste of a pick. He offers c0ck all going forward - if we had a centre that could go forward and score/create tries, maybe we wouldn't need such strength in defence because we'd always be able to try and outscore the opp. He strikes me as another solid club player, but can't manage the step up to international rugby

 

[Patchey]

From what I've seen of the Premiership this season (not enough sadly) Barritt has had much more go forward at Sarracens than for England. I don't know whether this is a due different coaching, having Charlie Hodgson inside him or a better understanding with the players outside him (or a como of all three) but the club Barritt has been much better than the international one.

That being said, there are still better attacking 12s playing in England by a long way. I guess Barritt's place in the side may be more dependent on the 10 he is standing next to rather than his own attacking. If Burns comes in and, alongside Goode, gets the outside backs involved then we can afford to keep Barritt for his defense. However if Farrell and an injury free Flood retain the shirt it is only a matter of time before someone else gets given a shot at 12.

On another note, does anyone think that Farrell may surprise us all this weekend? Am I the only optimistic one about his game?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Farrell surprised me during the Six Nations when he got his first start or two and played some very good rugby, but then reverted to Sarries style rugby. Hopefully we get what he can do, rather than what he does do, this weekend.

Sent from my HTC Incredible S using Tapatalk 2

 

[Big Ewis]

On a slightly unrelated topic, who was the genius that programmed the two (2!) test matches of this weekend the same day at the same time?

yeah, it's very annoying. Maybe it's got smt to do with the whole "the teams shouldn't be aware of the outcome of the other match" but this seems totally irrelevant here...
I mean when there are 10 matches the same day it's understandable, but surely they could have spaced those out, it's the same time zone for both I'd imagine and there are just 2 !!

 

[j'nuh]

Maybe it's an agreement with parties like the PRL so that international rugby doesn't completely overshadow the club rugby that's going on?

 

[SelimNiai]

Simply 'cos Sky show what they have at prime time and so to the Beeb. Neither giving a toss what the other does.

 

[donmcdazzle]

Great to see you back posting again C A Iversen!

I don't think England would have the upper hand if it was a "slugging it out" game, in the rain.
It's not as if it never rains in New Zealand, it's not as if they don't have a fantastic pack, it's not as if they don't have the best flyhalf in the world, etc.etc.etc.

that would suit your guys more than a wide open game though I think. I respect England's defense and pack (very cliched I know), and Farrell is a good kicker so they would be wise to play to those strengths. Argentina did well with this sort of game in Wellington (aided by conditions). Then over there they tried to throw it around and couldn't keep up.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Goo Kiwis!!!!

 

[Patchey]

Farrell surprised me during the Six Nations when he got his first start or two and played some very good rugby, but then reverted to Sarries style rugby. Hopefully we get what he can do, rather than what he does do, this weekend.

Sent from my HTC Incredible S using Tapatalk 2

Agreed. If he'd played like that all year the nomination thing wouldn't be so totally bonkers.

 

[187]

i agree we need more then 1 captain on the field, Standardprocedure .

who can remember England vs New Zealand, When England were down to six forwards against the All Blacks, when Lawrence Dallaglio and Neil Back were in the bin, Martin Johnson stood up and had a angry talk with the side and he took the responsibility HIMSELF to see his team through that period and guess who had his hands on the ball most for the next 10 minutes? At the line-out, on the carry at the breakdown/recycling the ball -the captain MJ!

I remember. That was so painful. Who gets destroyed by a 6-man scrum?!?! Ridiculous. I knew then and there NZ weren't going to win the RWC. I think that match was in Wellington aye?


Wellington Lions | Wellington Hurricanes | All Blacks | 'Ikale Tahi & now England!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

"What was going through your head during that scrum, Martin?"
"My spine".

 

[Big Ewis]

I remember. That was so painful. Who gets destroyed by a 6-man scrum?!?! Ridiculous. I knew then and there NZ weren't going to win the RWC. I think that match was in Wellington aye?

yeah those 10 minutes were heroic for England. That's toughness right there, the real deal. Fight, fight, fight and no excuses...
15-13.

 

[mstar]

Yep and thats when you need your captain to sit up and be counted. in that 10 mins all you saw was MJ carrying/lineout screaming for his teammates to give him the ball so he takes it in contact into rucks, running down the clock.

We just havnt had a captain like that since (however Martin Corry was a great captain too)

 

[Standardprocedure]

Corry was a good captain, not a great one