[RWC2023] England vs Japan (17/09/2023)

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

The maul has actually gone quite well, 5m out why not drive...

Tbf they probably weren't expecting to actually win the ball

 

[TW27BA]

Pretty clueless from England.
Get Smith on early 2nd half

 

[IT157]

Not really. They are quite poor. Just.... So are we

People thought Japan were more poor than they actually are. So yes, they were underrating them. They are not as bad their recent record indicates.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Describe the half with a movie scene

 

[saulan]

This is as close as I expected.

People were seriously underrating Japan.

Did we? Their results are pretty poor over the last year, and their results against France don't look too bad when you know that was a France second team sent out:

 

[Leinster Fan]

Both teams look like they're playing to lose.

 

[Dean Cooperfield-West]

You could rebrand the Saracens as England and you'd do better than this crap

 

[TRF_Olyy]

They are not as bad their recent record indicates.

If that were the case they'd be out of sight by now

 

[Protalus rampart]

If England were in Pool A or B they'd be fighting for 2027 qualification.

Tactics seem to be we'll do Plan A and when it's not working try do plan A some more and hope for a more favourable outcome.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

It does seem like Fords only plan or maybe only option is that little kick through. We never just play the hands successfully. Fine at club level but terrible at international level.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Japan 2019 vintage would be killing us. They still might.

Earl looks like he's the only one that cares.

 

[Dean Cooperfield-West]

This is the group stage. I'm dreading the QF

 

[Amiga500]

Did we? Their results are pretty poor over the last year, and their results against France don't look too bad when you know that was a France second team sent out:

But... by how much would you expect a French 2nd string to beat this current England team by?

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

In Jamie Joseph I trust, but a mere mortal like myself cannot work out what the gameplan is for Japan to win this. I don't know what they are attempting other than trying to be in a good position to capitalise on English errors?

Its must win for them because the Pumas consistently have their number.

 

[saulan]

But... by how much would you expect a French 2nd string to beat this current England team by?

Who knows, we saw on Thursday how bad a second string French team can be in comparison to their first team.

 

[Grizwald]

Last weekend England played what was in front of them and also with more intelligence than I'd seen I'm a long time.

Today is the antithesis of that.

 

[Reiser99]

Japan just made a few too many errors, but the better team overall. England lucky that Japan have gifted them pretty much all their points.

First penalty from a bad knock on.
Try from a bad line out.
Second penalty from a penalty when Japan should have kept it for 15 seconds.

England haven't actually looked like scoring on their own.

 

[Ceteris]

Have we had any line breaks this tournament?

 

[McTallshort]

Tell you what, that Fiji team today would batter England...oh wait

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

This is the group stage. I'm dreading the QF

I could just about cope with losing to Fiji but being beaten by Wales is distressing out of principle and I don't even want to think about about a gloating Jones….