[RWC2019][Semi-Final 1] England vs. New Zealand (26/10/2019)

[Abraxaz]

He's injured ain't he?

Doesn't matter have him as the water boy, I want to see him around japan in full kit

 

[bushytop]

Doesn't matter have him as the water boy, I want to see him around japan in full kit

Fair enough

 

[Lé Ddanno]

He's injured ain't he?

I'm hoping he actually means Andy

 

[TommiG88]

I've had 9 pints. Time for heavy head time

 

[Jimbo]

I thought he only coached there for five of six years



Does that matter, he's Aussie as far as anything else is concerned and currently coaching England, I thought it was a nice touch

Of course it matters if he didn't have various connections he wouldn't speak the lingo making it pretty difficult.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

then it's a team tactic then. You don't move two meters when it's a very important two meters for no reason. Having your line out outside the 22 vs inside is a huge difference.

Maybe. I just think all teams do this at all positions on the field. It's only a difference in the 22 if you lose your line out. I don't think they would coach that, because it would undermine the hookers confidence in their throw.

see if it happens elsewhere

 

[Reiser99]

Maybe. I just think all teams do this at all positions on the field. It's only a difference in the 22 if you lose your line out. I don't think they would coach that, because it would undermine the hookers confidence in their throw.

see if it happens elsewhere

The issue was that Lawes stole it and Ford kicked it straight out, so the touch judge said it was taken back in by lawes and so Ford couldn't kick it straight out. However the ball went off inside the 22, so Owen's said it should still count as inside I believe. As Umaga said, I don't see any point coaching this and I think Owen's dealt with it perfectly as the touch judge clearly indicated the lineout was inside the 22.

 

[die_mole]

Maybe. I just think all teams do this at all positions on the field. It's only a difference in the 22 if you lose your line out. I don't think they would coach that, because it would undermine the hookers confidence in their throw.

see if it happens elsewhere

That's what I wanna know. I never noticed a team doing it before. I feel like it would be coached in the same way as moving mark for kicks at goal and hooker stepping over the line on throws.

 

[Not Eddie Jones]

Strange match to praise Farrel, he missed tackles, dropped a couple of balls to start with, then got injured and was anonymous most the game. George Ford had a fantastic match, very talented player.

Underhill and Curry are monsters.

Farrell finished as the game's top tackler. I wouldn't call that anonymous.

 

[Goodey]

I'm hoping he actually means Andy

If they've got a shirt big enough, let's make it happen.

 

[Not Eddie Jones]

Wales Online's super computer predicted that England would lose the quarter final to Australia and then that they would lose the semi to NZ. I'm hopng that it predicts we'll lose the final and then England's got the cup in the bag!

 

[Alex Anghel]

Haven't been so upset since Cardiff, 2007, but hats off to England for this performance!

All due respect to Hansen, one of all time rugby Hall of Famers, but I don't think he properly managed this RWC cycle, in particular post the Lions series: he hesitated too much in developing the squad by adding younger and more hungrier members, he has not found a real solution to countering the rush defence approach (i.e. as off side as this style of game is played), he has come to the RWC without having settled the midfield combinations, nor the back three. I don't think either that the dual playmaker stuff really shoed in and anyway moving Barrett to 15 and Mo'unga to 10 was probably one year too late, there were simply not many games left to test their in field chemistry.

Of course, one may argue that a bit of hard luck played a certain role in this defeat also (i.e. Squire's self imposed unavailability, the lack of a game changer player in the vein of DMac), but still, I believe that overall there were issues that should have been addressed by the coaching stuff post the Lions series, moreover in the light of a few lucky escapes in recent memory against the Boks and England.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

I'm carefully arranging for a space in my local psychiatric hospital in case we lose in the final to Wales. Can't be too well prepared.

(Yes, that's how these things work pedants)

 

[RugbyTackle91]

Has to be said, whoever plays ABs in the 3rd place play off is getting the full fire and brimstone backlash

 

[TheOvalBall]

I think this confirms what I and many others have been saying for a fair while now. Steve Hansen is an average/poor coach. He's got the best players in the world and it seems like their only game plan is to go out and play.

New Zealand continually raised the standard of the game under Hansen. Even if it is the running game. In that regard, I think he is a fabulous coach.

However, New Zealands' all run mantra gets tired after a while.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

New Zealand continually raised the standard of the game under Hansen. Even if it is the running game. I think he is a fabulous coach.

New Zealands' all run mantra gets tired after a while.

Agreed, this is his 8th year involved with NZ, it probably went a bit stale from the 6th year onwards but it's masked easy with NZ.

In all honesty where do you go from a world cup winning 18 game streak? Plenty of coaches and teams his a peak and fall dramatically, Schmidt and Woodward immediately come to mind, Hansen and NZ are no different just the floors and ceilings are far higher!

England must be feeling very confident with the extra days rest and one game less played, all they'll be hoping for tomorrow is no red cards in the first hour.

 

[Mike Rolls]

I'm still pinching myself -not only did England win in line with my hopes but against my expectations, but the score line flattered the All Blacks to a considerable degree. The first disallowed 'try' the TMO got it absolutely right, but the second? It is surely debatable? After all, George had his hand on the ball throughout and in any case – how often will the ball in the midst of a maul be that visible? Often the only people who know where the ball is are the guy carrying it and those closest to him. Three kicks at goal that were narrow misses. The only AB points were the result of a poor lineout throw – only the second by England in the game and, I believe, only the fourth in the entire tournament to date. On another day, with just a bit of a better rub of the green, that score line could well have been 35-0 and deservedly so. Despite that, and what some are already claiming, this was not a poor All Black performance – they just weren't allowed to play any better. Day in, day out, they are still the best in the world – had England played as they did against Wales or Scotland in the 6 Nations, they would have been slaughtered.

My only worry now is that after so hard a game, do England players still have enough in the tank to take on SA or Wales if the winner of that semi has enjoyed a walk in the park?

Mike

 

[MarkyH]

Wondering if @TommiG88 is still going?

I've just started my celebrations

Cheers all. Bring on next week

 

[TheOvalBall]

England vs Wales in a World Cup final will be so weird.
England vs South Africa will be a 2007 repeat.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I wonder how this guy is feeling now: