RBS 6 Nations - England vs Wales - 25/02/2012, 16:00

[Johnny Bach]

Guys i am SOOOOO pumped up for this game SOOOOOOOOOOO pumped up i told the wife to p*ss off and spend a load of cash shopping and i need to concentrate watch the game on full volume.
I am SOO UP FOR THIS GAME you won't believe. I can't wait
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Tell her to get you a couple of handkerchiefs and a box of anti-depressants for after the game.

 

[bushytop]

Like most celts the game against England (regardless of how the sides currently stand) is the big one. Just hope the players can keep their calm better than I am right now.

Think the Welsh backrow will dominate the breakdown, think we'll squeak the scrum and we will obviously lose the line out... be interesting to see Englands kicking game in the knowledge of that. Taking everything into account I think with Warbs back Wales will secure the better of the possession and then its up to Phillips to find some urgency and unleash the beasts.

 

[GarethEWilliams]

I think this game is so tight and a penalty or 2 will decide it, and I have a funny feeling a sin binning will be involved. Keep your heads boys and no silly stuff!!

 

[mstar]

Don't matter i will still work myself up for it, and i won't be coming on here until Monday 27th as it normally takes me over a day to get over England losing, and i don't want to come on here while all the Wales fanboys tell me how wonderful they are.
Just prior warning :-D

Anyway i really think lancaster is under great pressure for this game because he will be judged by this performance and his selections.
for me the talking points are:
Botha - replace with Lawes? i say NO, as good as lawes is Lancaster will bottle it and start with botha.
Tuilagi - i would say start, in place or barrit? NO.

There will be large phases in the game where england need to defend. Barrit has shown he is a great defensive centre, he has geat technique, game intellgence and positioning.
Dowson or Morgan? well i just think Morgan is good but is he to green for a game like this? i dunno he will be more feared then dowson thats for sure. I would like morgan to start see what he can do.
Dickson for Youngs? well i think youngs has been slowly sliding for awhile is it injury? is it he has hit a plateau and he is finding it hard to express his natural game? i dunno. For me dickson to start.

I really think the game will be won who can play and compose themselves at critical times in the game. In defensive phases who can keep defending without conceding penalties? in attack can patience and bulding up phases of play then going for the kill.

 

[SelimNiai]

The big one.

Happy with the team picked and Im confident of a win. Lucky I'm not going to be drinking Saturday, I could be in a bit of a state.

 

[Tom Davies]

Out of interest, are any England fans expecting Youngs to start at 9? Form doesn't quite merit the selection as far as I can see it, but I'd be interested to know if/why anyone still fancies him instead of Dickson.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Out of interest, are any England fans expecting Youngs to start at 9?

I'm not sure.
On form, as you said, shouldn't be anywhere near - However I wouldn't be surprised if he started (being an England fan you get used to poor selections!)

 

[GarethEWilliams]

I am not drinking either, watching the rugby without a beer isn't quite the same.

Mstar I agree about Morgan. I think he is top draw and the welsh know this. They will be very wary of him and his carrying ability, he could be the difference IMO.

 

[GarethEWilliams]

I am so nervous a little bit of wee just came out, and it is only Tuesday! 5pm kick off too, not sure what I am going to do all day, think I will stay awake all Friday night and sleep till 4pm.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

 

[Feicarsinn]

I'm not sure.
On form, as you said, shouldn't be anywhere near - However I wouldn't be surprised if he started (being an England fan you get used to poor selections!)

I think Lancaster will drop him. It's not as if he has any particular reason to be loyal to Youngs, he didn't introduce him to the squad or anything so it's not the embarrassment it would be if it were Johnson dropping him.

 

[Saintjay]

Out of interest, are any England fans expecting Youngs to start at 9? Form doesn't quite merit the selection as far as I can see it, but I'd be interested to know if/why anyone still fancies him instead of Dickson.

He should not start but as others have said I would not be shocked if he did and then I would be gutted as he deserves to be dropped at the moment.

The key for England will be ball retention. We might just have the edge in the front five and in the line out. So we should see plenty of ball. We were once great at keeping the ball and killing any prospect of attack. The prospect of that is long gone and the worry for me is of course is the 6,7,8 of Wales stealing the ball back and then murdering England on the counter.

 

[Atco]

We'll find out a lot about Lancaster on Thursday. He's done well so far but now's the test. Will he do the right selection thing or freeze and bottle key changes. I think the right players to start might just be on the bench and by the time they get on the welsh backs will have done the damage.
He's got to play Farrell I believe. A missed kick or two could be crucial. I know he wants ball players in the backs and I know, in a perfect world, Tuilangi needs a little more time but I believe Barritt and Tuilangi have got to be the centres so that makes Farrell the stand off. If he starts with Youngs then he loses my confidence in him.

 

[MULLER37]

I am so nervous a little bit of wee just came out, and it is only Tuesday! 5pm kick off too, not sure what I am going to do all day, think I will stay awake all Friday night and sleep till 4pm.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

4 o'clock kick off isn't it???

 

[SelimNiai]

Yep 4pm. Ireland game is 1.30pm

 

[mstar]

IF lancaster doesn't drop youngs then we have a Martin Johnson in disguise -being to loyal to players out of form

 

[bushytop]

There's no way he isn't dropping Youngs.

 

[Saintjay]

After I read Youngs heart felt "I might get dropped" interview I had a tears in my eyes. Plus his little puppy dog face it was like a cross between bambi and puss in boots doing cute kitten. I think Lancaster is won over and Youngs is certain to start

 

[dullonien]

Rowntree says England need to be 10% better in every aspect to beat Wales.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/17113046

That may eb true in some areas (scrum, defense for instance), but at the breakdown and offense need to be much more than 10% better if Wales play well. They've shown nothing in attack, so a 100% improvemt is needed there.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

The biggest test for Lancaster is can he be brutal when he needs to be. The perfect example is Hodgson, who may have saved us two games running, but in my own humble opinion must be dropped from, the 22. For me, he offers little that between them Farrell and Flood haven't got. Flood is very experienced at international level and has to be in the 22. Farrell doesn't need the confidence drop of being put on the bench, plsu his kickign has been strong, so he shoudl start at 10.

Olly I agree over Botha, I'm not a big fan of him but at the same time can appreicate he's played well. He might at a stretch drop to the bench but I don't think its possible for him to not be in the 22. For me Lancaster has to be brutal here too in dropping parling.

I think we can potentiall do alot with quick ball, and Dickson should provide this. This is a big Welsh team but not the quickest, and it won't help that Philips fannys around for 10 minutes before getting the ball to anyone.

breakdown is a genuine reason to concern. No two ways about it, we're in trouble there.

Scrum will be exciting to see. But, and I knwo Olyy won't agree, I don't think our trio have been outperformed at all so far. My worry for the scrum is that ref's decisions will become fairly arbitrary with the power coming in from both sides.

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

Can't find the betting odds on a Ken hat-trick on Saturday. I've got a good feeling about him...