RBS 6 Nations - Italy vs England (11/02/2012, 16:00)

[cyRil]

Stick to SH rugby, because you clearly have no idea about NH rugby.

I love how you say this after saying Wales will rack up a cricket score at Twickenham and England are an embarrassment to NH rugby...

 

[Toby Faletau-Jones]

I love how you say this after saying Wales will rack up a cricket score at Twickenham and England are an embarrassment to NH rugby...

Well England are and any neutral would agree. Yes, teams lose to Italy but in doing so they play a good game of footy and chuck the ball about. I have no problem if they lost, and wouldn't label them an embarrassment so long as they played some decent footy. And If both Wales and England continue in the way they're, then yes I believe this is what will happen. I could even see France, and Ireland continuing this, and putting 40 on them.

Since when have some of Welsh become English RUGBY likers. The English rugby fans when successful are the most insolent, and boastful people around. Yet, no doubt i'll get some stick from them through this post, about being confident about Wales.

 

[munstermuffin]

Amazed nobody gives the Italians true credit. They have learnt over past few years and closed the gap massively. England weren't great but still it's a good win. Italy may even shock us Irish and grab a win in Dublin.

 

[Draggs]

Well England are and any neutral would agree. Yes, teams lose to Italy but in doing so they play a good game of footy and chuck the ball about. I have no problem if they lost, and wouldn't label them an embarrassment so long as they played some decent footy. And If both Wales and England continue in the way they're, then yes I believe this is what will happen. I could even see France, and Ireland continuing this, and putting 40 on them.

Since when have some of Welsh become English RUGBY likers. The English rugby fans when successful are the most insolent, and boastful people around. Yet, no doubt i'll get some stick from them through this post, about being confident about Wales.

Mate, I don't know what you are on about being English rugby likers. Just because one doesn't say a side will put 50 past another doesn't mean they like them.

It really is a shame Italy are missing quality in a few positions, as they have some great talent. McLean always impresses me, a very underrated player. Vendetti is huge as well, are those stats online correct; is he 112kg??

 

[eot345]

England:
The good,

Scrum was really impressive good by the pack in that area

The subs made a real impact and proved that england can play attacking rugby (even if only for fleeting moments)

Farrel kicked very well

The Bad:

Furthur proof that youngs is in a bad place now and should not be starting for england

Farrel was shown to offer very little in attack, either through skill with ball in hand or creative passing

The general england back line looks very boring and ineffective

Against Wales:

England should look like a far far more dangerous team with flood and manu back in the team together with lawes and wood.
A team of
1.Corbs
2.Hartley
3.Cole
4.Bota
5.Lawes
6.Robshaw
7.Wood
8.Ben Morgan
9.Dickson
10.Flood
11.Sharples...(i still dream of miles benjamin playing 11)
12.Barrit
13.Manu
14.Ashton
15.Foden

a team such as this at home should atleast be able to mount a challenge against wales

 

[Teh Mite]

This England team would *****-slap the Aviva.

Bwahahaha

 

[Teh Mite]

Dickson is a good shout aswell, should throw him in next week, nothing to lose, because England are gonna lose anyway in my opinion.

Who are they playing next week?

 

[Teh Mite]

The English rugby fans when successful are the most insolent, and boastful people around. Yet, no doubt i'll get some stick from them through this post, about being confident about Wales.

Nah, you're just fabricating as an excuse for some good old fashioned pom-bashing. Its okay though, we've got thick skin and you felt a rare moment of self satisfaction. It'll be a lonely place for you when its forgotten.

 

[Teh Mite]

A team of
1.Corbs
2.Hartley
3.Cole
4.Bota
5.Lawes
6.Robshaw
7.Wood
8.Ben Morgan
9.Dickson
10.Flood
11.Sharples
12.Barrit
13.Manu
14.Ashton
15.Foden

a team such as this at home should atleast be able to mount a challenge against wales

Drop Ashton to the bench, call up Jonny May, then this. While were at it, bin Farrell fir Burns.

#notgoingtohappenthough

 

[Dicey]

Only caught the last 20 minutes and it looked a poor game played in poor conditions. The stats suggested that England won over the possession and dominated the territory so all credit to them .

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Olyy you may not need reminding of this contradiction but you said two statements. First "robshaw has been pretty crap so far"(this six nations) and then you said "robshaw had another good game." Hmm... I definitely don't think we should judge an outstanding 6 on the way he plays at 7.

Toby faletua jones you are an embarassment to these boards, as well as a ********, and your posts hurt my eyes. Please quit with this adolescent melodrama of claiming england will have 40 put on them in their own backyard. England have been average and there are a number of selections being made that it is hard to agree with, but how you think you can judge england on the basis of two away wins against sides in these conditions is beyond me.sorry that italy still awaiting their first win over us but no reasonable person would say italy actively deserved to win. They got rather excited and fired up after two tries from two foden errors but otherwise can lay little claim to anymore more. I am not one of these england fans expecting us to win all our games and the tourament, i expect us to lose comfortably against france and i feel our home games will both be in the balance. For me england at the moment are still an unknown quantity and how you come to your conclusions is completely unfathomable

Rant over. As for the game, although i am grateful to hodgson for saving our sorry asses twice i feel we need a ten who is an attacking threat himself and therefore allows more freedom for his inside centre. We seem to be trusting farrell alot with kicking, and if we want him to develop his attacking play why not let him do that at flyhalf?
Stick barritt back to 12 and then perhaps we will be more than just defensively impressive. We have to stop expecting our players to have the same impact for england as they do for their clubs when we constantly play them of position!
I also think jth has earned a start, unfortunately probably out of position at 13.
Honestly i feel we really need wood back so croft can drop to the bench, robshaw back to 6 and morgan at 8. Dickson at 9, sipson on the bench.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Olyy you may not need reminding of this contradiction but you said two statements. First "robshaw has been pretty crap so far"(this six nations) and then you said "robshaw had another good game." Hmm... I definitely don't think we should judge an outstanding 6 on the way he plays at 7.

Toby faletua jones you are an embarassment to these boards, as well as a ********, and your posts hurt my eyes. Please quit with this adolescent melodrama of claiming england will have 40 put on them in their own backyard. England have been average and there are a number of selections being made that it is hard to agree with, but how you think you can judge england on the basis of two away wins against sides in these conditions is beyond me.sorry that italy still awaiting their first win over us but no reasonable person would say italy actively deserved to win. They got rather excited and fired up after two tries from two foden errors but otherwise can lay little claim to anymore more. I am not one of these england fans expecting us to win all our games and the tourament, i expect us to lose comfortably against france and i feel our home games will both be in the balance. For me england at the moment are still an unknown quantity and how you come to your conclusions is completely unfathomable

Rant over. As for the game, although i am grateful to hodgson for saving our sorry asses twice i feel we need a ten who is an attacking threat himself and therefore allows more freedom for his inside centre. We seem to be trusting farrell alot with kicking, and if we want him to develop his attacking play why not let him do that at flyhalf?
Stick barritt back to 12 and then perhaps we will be more than just defensively impressive. We have to stop expecting our players to have the same impact for england as they do for their clubs when we constantly play them of position!
I also think jth has earned a start, unfortunately probably out of position at 13.
Honestly i feel we really need wood back so croft can drop to the bench, robshaw back to 6 and morgan at 8. Dickson at 9, sipson on the bench.

Henry you have been here long enough to know petty name calling is not acceptable on these boards as well as double posting. There is no need for it, so pack it in.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Olyy you may not need reminding of this contradiction but you said two statements. First "robshaw has been pretty crap so far"(this six nations) and then you said "robshaw had another good game." Hmm... I definitely don't think we should judge an outstanding 6 on the way he plays at 7.

Put Charlie Hodgson at 2 - he may have a good game distributing and kicking, but if his hooking and throwing isn't up to scratch then he's had a bad game (but a good game as a 10 )
What I mean is Robshaw is putting in good performances....for a 6. He's not playing a 7s game, and the breakdown is suffering through having no 7, or even a "6.5" as Robshaw is a straight up 6 in a 7 shirt.
Turnover stats are misleading in this respect, as a turnover is counted any time a player strips the ball from the opposition.

Rant over. As for the game, although i am grateful to hodgson for saving our sorry asses twice i feel we need a ten who is an attacking threat himself and therefore allows more freedom for his inside centre. We seem to be trusting farrell alot with kicking, and if we want him to develop his attacking play why not let him do that at flyhalf?

??
The irony being Farrell is the least threatening 10/12 in the prem!
Hodgson is probably the best attacking 10 out of the three in the EPS, he just may not look it as Flood/Farrell take the ball in to contact more, whereas Hodgson aims to put other people through (which is what you want from your 10, as he's available for the next phase of play).

Scrum was really impressive good by the pack in that area

We held our own for the most part, think we got a penalty or two at times, but Italy were on top in the scrum - Corbs was in major trouble until Castro came off, and to lose two against the head at international level ain't good enough.

 

[madflyhalf]

Why, Bortolami? Why?

You win a turnover ball, you carry it forward OR you spread it wide (if players are there), to find space!
Why passing it 15m behind you, 18 away from the first lonely spare (and light and a flyhalf) defender, 25m away from a supposed forming defensive line?

 

[j'nuh]

What I mean is Robshaw is putting in good performances....for a 6. He's not playing a 7s game, and the breakdown is suffering through having no 7, or even a "6.5" as Robshaw is a straight up 6 in a 7 shirt.

tbh though, there's nothing that says you have to play a typical 7 at 7, you could easily reverse the roles of 6 and 7. Robshaw had a good game and is our first-choice 6 so I think it's Croft's fault for not complementing that (or doing anything else of note).

 

[TRF_Olyy]

You can reverse the roles, if you have a 7 in the 6 shirt, but we didn't.
Robshaw was certainly the better of the two, however it's not Crofts job to do Robshaws job - if it was he'd be in the 7 shirt instead.

 

[j'nuh]

The point I'm making is that Croft didn't offer much at 6, so Robshaw had to step in and do that job. He pretty much did all the work of note from the backrow until Morgan came on, so it's hard to blame him for not playing as a 7.

 

[Peat]

Olyy you may not need reminding of this contradiction but you said two statements. First "robshaw has been pretty crap so far"(this six nations) and then you said "robshaw had another good game." Hmm... I definitely don't think we should judge an outstanding 6 on the way he plays at 7.

...

Rant over. As for the game, although i am grateful to hodgson for saving our sorry asses twice i feel we need a ten who is an attacking threat himself and therefore allows more freedom for his inside centre. We seem to be trusting farrell alot with kicking, and if we want him to develop his attacking play why not let him do that at flyhalf?

I find it amusing that you first call up Olyy on contradicting himself on Robshaw, then contradict yourself on 10; you either want an attacking threat at 10, or you want Farrell to develop his attacking play there, these are not mutually possible (unless Farrell's been hiding it very well).

Surprised so many people are having a downer on Croft who hit a lot of rucks, made a lot of tackles (compared to anyone but Robshaw) and was our best carrier in the forwards not called Ben Morgan. Had a good game, and I do really like Robshaw and Croft as a pair of 6.5s. They're getting everything done but jackaling, although they're slowing the ball a fair bit too. Was also really pleased to see Robshaw start to get his linking game going, he's the best back-row in England for it and I feel it can be a massive advantage for England if he can get it going in the same way he does for Quins... although at Quins he has some serious heavy duty runners to use. I hope I'm wrong about Morgan still being a little chubby, because if he can give us 50-60 minutes at the start, it'd be fantastic to have a genuine heavy-duty carrier in the side.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Lets get Billy Vunipola called up - he was ridiculous against Saracens today, smashed anything and everything in his way, and he's only just out of nappies.

 

[psychic duck]

I find it amusing that you first call up Olyy on contradicting himself on Robshaw, then contradict yourself on 10; you either want an attacking threat at 10, or you want Farrell to develop his attacking play there, these are not mutually possible (unless Farrell's been hiding it very well).

Surprised so many people are having a downer on Croft who hit a lot of rucks, made a lot of tackles (compared to anyone but Robshaw) and was our best carrier in the forwards not called Ben Morgan. Had a good game, and I do really like Robshaw and Croft as a pair of 6.5s. They're getting everything done but jackaling, although they're slowing the ball a fair bit too. Was also really pleased to see Robshaw start to get his linking game going, he's the best back-row in England for it and I feel it can be a massive advantage for England if he can get it going in the same way he does for Quins... although at Quins he has some serious heavy duty runners to use. I hope I'm wrong about Morgan still being a little chubby, because if he can give us 50-60 minutes at the start, it'd be fantastic to have a genuine heavy-duty carrier in the side.

You're not wrong, he is chubby, he used to be obese but has lost a bit of weight but still has a bit too much flab on him

Lets get Billy Vunipola called up - he was ridiculous against Saracens today, smashed anything and everything in his way, and he's only just out of nappies.

I've also seen him have some terrible matches, he's not ready