EOYT: England vs South Africa, 24/11/2012

[TRF_heineken]

South Africa has the hottest girls, plain and simple! no matter in which region (okay maybe not in the majority of the Eastern Cape) but anywhere in the cuntry there's some of the most beautiful women I've ever seen!!

As for Saturday, I'm confident that we will beat them. there is no reason why we shouldn't, we just have to click. Our forwards were more dominant than them in SA in June, now that some of them have a few more matches under their belt, there will be less nervousness.

Come on boys! give us a good early christmas present!!

 

[eot345]

I'd go with Vunipola to start over Marler - Mako offers more in the scrum which you need against the Boks. I'd also switch Wood and Johnson over too - Johnson's not done much wrong, but Wood needs his chance at a start to see if he can be better that Johnson (I suspect he can). Waldrom needs to make way for Morgan (is Morgan really out of favour, as I'd read somewhere else?) and I'd arguably give Alex Goode the 10 shirt, because I honestly don't believe teams see Flood's name on a team sheet and think that they need to worry about him.

Classic. a prop has 50 minuets of poor game whilst playing with a grade one medial ligament tear and an only just recovered hamstring. and the most important part of his game is branded 'inferior' to another prop, who has shown in the premiership that he can be given a hard time by a serious tight head.

 

[Teh Mite]

Doesn't change the fact Marler is a shite scrummager. An English rather then import one, so that's in his favour IMO, but shite none the less.

 

[McTallshort]

We have struggled for a decent loose head since the days of Woodman and Rowntree. People rave about Sheriden but I seem to remember him struggling in more games than dominating. Corbs is a good loose head and is the long term solution if he can stay injury free and I think Marler is a decent stand in. I think the aussies did a bit of homework on his binding and worked out a way to to make him stuggle but I dont think slinging him on the scrap heap straight away is the right answer. As for Mako..well apart from the fact he looks like he was spoon fed with a catapult he looks an ok prospect but only time will tell.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Don't want it to go that way - this is not about who has the hottest girls - clearly you haven't been to Tukkies and or Loftus lately.
SA still has the prettiest ladies on the planet - ask ANY international visitor that is straight

I didn't mean to say the Cape girls are prettier- I'm quite partial to Bloem girls myself- just the fact that you are likelier to see the lasses in all their glory in the coastal regions.

As for Saturday, I'm confident that we will beat them. there is no reason why we shouldn't, we just have to click. Our forwards were more dominant than them in SA in June, now that some of them have a few more matches under their belt, there will be less nervousness.

Come on boys! give us a good early christmas present!!

Agreed. The forward pack has really started to gel. We lose nothing with Strauss there to stand in for Bismarck and Etzebeth has stood up to be counted the whole year. The balance of the loose trio wasn't there to start with but has been established since our previous matches against England and with Steenkamp and Oosthuizen there it kinda makes up for Beast being out.

It's just that our scrumhalves whether Hougie or Pienaar have yet to have a good game. Not that our pivots and centers have been doing well but I'll give them some slack as they've been getting no service.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I didn't mean to say the Cape girls are prettier- I'm quite partial to Bloem girls myself- just the fact that you are likelier to see the lasses in all their glory in the coastal regions.



Agreed. The forward pack has really started to gel. We lose nothing with Strauss there to stand in for Bismarck and Etzebeth has stood up to be counted the whole year. The balance of the loose trio wasn't there to start with but has been established since our previous matches against England and with Steenkamp and Oosthuizen there it kinda makes up for Beast being out.

It's just that our scrumhalves whether Hougie or Pienaar have yet to have a good game. Not that our pivots and centers have been doing well but I'll give them some slack as they've been getting no service.

Yes and No... vs Scotland they got the service, more than they got throughout the year, but then didn't know what to do, and then reverted back to kicking. This is nothing new, and not so much game plan, as it is nervousness and uncertainty. We have seen it numerous times happened before... at provincial, super rugby and international level. And not just with the Boks.

I have the feeling that Lambie will play his natural game a bit more and that our forwards are going to dismantle the poms

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Yeah, it's no secret we reserve our best performances for the English. Doesn't everyone.

 

[Gena_ZA]

We lift ourselves at Twikkies, let Saturday be no different!!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

England:
15. Alex Goode (Saracens, 4 caps)
14. Chris Ashton (Saracens, 27 caps)
13. Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 15 caps)
12. Brad Barritt (Saracens, 9 caps)
11. Mike Brown (Harlequins, 9 caps)
10. Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers, 52 caps)
9. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 26 caps)
1. Alex Corbisiero (London Irish, 16 caps)
2. Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 2 cap)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 33 caps)
4. Joe Launchbury (London Wasps, 2 caps)
5. Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers, 10 caps)
6. Tom Wood (Northampton Saints, 11 caps)
7. Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, capt, 10 caps)
8. Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby, 7 caps)
Replacements
16. David Paice (London Irish, 4 caps)
17. David Wilson (Bath Rugby, 21 caps)
18. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 2 cap)
19. Mouritz Botha (Saracens, 9 caps)
20. James Haskell (London Wasps, 43 caps)
21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 35 caps)
22. Owen Farrell (Saracens, 10 caps)
23. Jonathan Joseph (London Irish, 3 caps)


Disappointed that Brown's starting and not Joseph, also what the **** is Botha doing there?
Other than that it's pretty good.


Edit: Just realised Youngs is starting.....hrmmm.....

 

[Patchey]

Staring forwards are a big improvement. Not so sure on the backs, seem to be regressing...

Presumably Botha is injury cover? Palmer must be broken!

 

[smb64]

Our pack certainly looks much improved from last week. Add in Lawes and Hartley when there back from injury, that could be a pretty impressive pack in the making.

 

[Big Ewis]

Yeah, it's no secret we reserve our best performances for the English. Doesn't everyone.

NO !! :lol:

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

NO !! :lol:

LOL, forgot about you guys!

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Ben Youngs at 9!!!!!!Noooooooo we willl definately loose now. I'd rather have Botha playing Scrum Half than Youngs! He is so slow and gets flustered under any kind of pressue!

Lauchberry starting is good news as with Morgan and T Wood but Brown on the wing? Barritt and Manu in the centers still? What are we thinking!

 

[eot345]

Doesn't change the fact Marler is a shite scrummager. An English rather then import one, so that's in his favour IMO, but shite none the less.

I seem to remember marler being in a pack that Bullied a leicster 8 that contained the likes of dan cole and stankovich in the scrum during a recent premiership final

 

[04perryo]

Ben Youngs at 9!!!!!!Noooooooo we willl definately loose now. I'd rather have Botha playing Scrum Half than Youngs! He is so slow and gets flustered under any kind of pressue!

Lauchberry starting is good news as with Morgan and T Wood but Brown on the wing? Barritt and Manu in the centers still? What are we thinking!

Look i know everyone is starting to dislike youngs but he is actually a good player hes just been out of form and hopefully he can find his form again because i actually rate youngs quite highly even with his poor performances lately, plus i actually noo the guy and got a pair of his boots haha.

 

[Standardprocedure]

How has Barritt merited his inclusion?? I'd have thought he'd be a definited drop to the bench as he's been as uninspiring as a day-old bowl of cornflakes

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

SA by 16.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Some pretty confident saffas here.... 'There's no reason we shouldn't beat them'...

If we improve over last week to any degreee at all then I'd see it being a pretty close game.

I'm happy with some of the selections more than others. Very happy to see Corbisiero back, if Youngs can hold his own then that front row, dare I say it,coudl give south africa some trouble. Launchbury in is great, but Botha in at all isn't. Love the back-row - I think it's our strongest possible to be honest. I'm pretty agnostic about Youngs starting at 9- but, he did prettyy well against South AFrica on balance so maybe that's being recognised here. Clearly Lancaster thinks the two full-backs gamble paid off in South AFrica which is why he's doing it again. I'm not sure I agreed with him though...

either way, 16 is a lot of points and I'd be surprised...

EDIT: Also, I don't know why people are complaining about Barritt at this point: His attacking game has been improved as far as I have seen in his last few games for Sarries and in the Fiji game. Still, I'm not saying it's the ideal centre partnership as such.

Just looked at espnscrum stats for the Australia game and apparently we missed 22 tackles!

As follows:

4 Tackles missed: Ashton
3 Tackles missed: Tom Youngs, Palmer
2 Tackles missed: Tuilagi, Parling, Care, SHarples,
1 Tackle missed: Ben youngs, Johnson, Cole, Goode.

Maybe Ashton should have lost his place rather than Sharples! I'm not even sure Ashton ever really tries to tackle, he sort of bumps into people and then runs away again

 

[mstar]

Well more changes then i thought. Got to hand it to Lancaster he is not scared to rock the boat a little when he has to. A complete opposite to MJ who just hang on to a losing/ deficient side time after time...


How Botha gets in its a mystery must be either Palmer is injured or all love for him is lost.


I am happy for Wood to get his chance lets see what he can do.
Haskell i am sure is in their to cover for Morgan who ALWAYS tires after half time.
Its a shame Tom Johnson got thrown out of the squad for deficiency elsewhere in the team -he didn't deserve that. Waldrom is not our solution for a number 8 -long term glad he is out.


So happy Launchbury is in, and he HAS TO GRAB his chance IF HE has a good game he start again.
More i see parling more i am thinking other then lineout what else does he offer then say Lawes/JL?
I would have lawes in in a shot -he just offers more all round game then parling.
I really think (and see my other posts) he sees his best forward line-up is to have Lawes and Launchbury.


A bit surprised with Ben "clamity" YOungs i really think Care is better but lets see how youngs is.
He came into the side and performed fantastic then went into a dip of form -and never recovered.


COrbs in is a bonus but hope he can last the full 80mins (unlikely i think as he just come back from injury).


Brown on the wing is interesting and we have to wait and see.






p.s Any news when Lawes be back? i hope against new zealand he at least be as a sub?