[Six Nations 2018] Round 2: England vs Wales (10/02/2018)

[ThebigARena]

Consider Sonja had been badgering to claim the Welsh try was a try and the TMO was wrong, I'm not surprised.

Uh nope that's not what I'm alluding too . He was giving them stick over mike brown!

 

[ncurd]

Uh nope that's not what I'm alluding too . He was giving them stick over mike brown!

Clearly he hasn't been on this website

Honestly whilst Brown was great yesterday that mainly was because Wales for some reasons considered him a liability and kept kicking the ball to him. I would expect Watson under similar circumstances to play just as well possibly better.

 

[MarkyH]

Y. Just frustrated that Gatland and co didn't start to develop these young players 2 years ago. their boneheadedness has arrested our development.

Yep, Shingler is 30 and was your best player. Your next great fly-half is Rhys, and he's 24 with 7 caps. The same age as George Ford, who has 42 caps. We're already bringing in younger apprentices into the squad too.

Gatland has accidentally found a better system, but the years of not bothering has really hindered Wales, and will continue to do so.

 

[bushytop]

Uh nope that's not what I'm alluding too . He was giving them stick over mike brown!

I actually quite like what he did there... Mike Brown would now follow Ed to the gates of hell (if he wouldn't have before). I like it when any coach takes one for his players.

 

[Maverick1987]

Clearly he hasn't been on this website

Honestly whilst Brown was great yesterday that mainly was because Wales for some reasons considered him a liability and kept kicking the ball to him. I would expect Watson under similar circumstances to play just as well possibly better.

Some of Browns fantastic performance is bound have boiled down to Gatland effectively slagging him off about not getting picked for the Lions . Not the first time an England player has shoved Gatland's words back down his throat

 

[ncurd]

Some of Browns fantastic performance is bound have boiled down to Gatland effectively slagging him off about not getting picked for the Lions . Not the first time an England player has shoved Gatland's words back down his throat

Launchbury being the best 2nd row on the pitch yesterday also had a lot to say about his snub as well.

 

[ThebigARena]

Consider Sonja had been badgering to claim the Welsh try was a try and the TMO was wrong, I'm not surprised.

Uh nope that's not what I'm alluding too . He was giving them stick over mike brown!

Yep, Shingler is 30 and was your best player. Your next great fly-half is Rhys, and he's 24 with 7 caps. The same age as George Ford, who has 42 caps. We're already bringing in younger apprentices into the squad too.

Gatland has accidentally found a better system, but the years of not bothering has really hindered Wales, and will continue to do so.

yep but also there is a lot of young talent with the exception of shingler. Players that have now test match experience - Patchell, navidi, adams, Hill, moriarty, anscombe it's all beneficial and with the likes of L. Williams , Jon Davies , Webb, biggar, warbs, falatau, all to come back in Things are looking good for the future so I'm not sure how we are going to be hindered moving forward as I'm upbeat about the future that's for sure

 

[bushytop]

Some of Browns fantastic performance is bound have boiled down to Gatland effectively slagging him off about not getting picked for the Lions . Not the first time an England player has shoved Gatland's words back down his throat

Always thought Brown was a good player, England just have a lot of options so everybody has an opinion. I would suggest that at the very least Brown must be doin pretty much exactly what Eddie wants in a defensive positioning sense.

 

[Hastie7]

Mike Brown is a quality player but is easily the most annoying man in world rugby. He's always whining and chirping away at other players. Just get on with the game Broon.

 

[Scotty]

If fit, for Scotland, I want

Mako
Hartley
Cole
Launch
Lawes
Underhill
Simmonds
Hughes
Care
Ford
May
Faz
JJ
Watson
Brown

Marler, George, Williams, Itoje, Mercer, Robson, Teo, Nowell.

If Hughes isn't fit, Mercer starts. If Watson isn't, Earle comes straight in. If Simmonds isn't it's back to Robshaw.

Bit inexperienced in the back row, but there are loads of caps all around them and I think they all have something a bit special to offer.

What about sinkler? He played for quins today

 

[duncanb]

What about sinkler? He played for quins today

Ran put of puff by 50 mins looked a tad rusty needs game time.

 

[Scotty]

Ran put of puff by 50 mins looked a tad rusty needs game time.

A match next week for quins an put on the bench for the scotland game, abit of a risk but i think even rusty off the bench he would have a an impact against scotland.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

A match next week for quins an put on the bench for the scotland game, abit of a risk but i think even rusty off the bench he would have a an impact against scotland.

Does Williams really need to be dropped though, or will you go for something outrageous and actually sit Cole out?

 

[Scotty]

Does Williams really need to be dropped though, or will you go for something outrageous and actually sit Cole out?

No cole is a legend who can do no wrong and must be in there and never gives away a penalty....or just pick the better choice and choose Williams

 

[truthteller]

I think a fully fit england v fully fit wales would see wales win. But below that wales still have problems with depth. this is due to 1) gatland failing to develop a second team 2) wales crappping their A team? and 3) The actual over physical nature of warrenball has resulted in more injuries 4) the age old problem small population base

 

[Nubiwan]

Clearly you fail to understand the nature of the 6 nations, and the 5 nations before it. It is about so much more than just rugby with the weight of history and national rivalries that are centuries old. The tension in the matches can usually be cut with a knife. Each one is like a RWC final, especially when the Celts play England. This kind of pressure never lends itself well to free flowing champagne rugby, much like the knockout stages in the RWC no matter who is playing, but there's always plenty of drama and excitement and passion by the bucket load. Plus the weather yesterday didn't exactly help matters.

And yet I really enjoyed the game. Some great moments and of course an England win.

The 6 nations is the best sporting competition in the world. You can keep your Rugby Champinship with its showy none sense. Give me hard yards, passionate players, cold beer, warm pies in grotty weather every time.

Well, surely we are all welome ot our opinions, and that is why this open forum.

I am English too, and started playing my rugby watching the great Welsh sides off the 70's. I have spent the last 15 years not really being that arsed about 6N rugby. Give me the incarnations of Super 12,14,16 and All Blacks rugby any day ahead of the dross we get to watch in Europe at times. If lack of entertainment is what you desire, then 6N it is.

So far this season, 6N games have been crap for the most part. Boring, and crap. England's lack of enterprise encapsulated in Ford catching inside his 22 and marking the ball with no opponent within 30 yards. His entire team had to waddle back inside the 22, for him to then kick it 20 yards up the field to the 10 metre line. On reflection, it might have been due to an injury to an English player, but I really wonder if he was calling the mark in any event. But is that not England's MO? Field position and move methodically from set piece to set piece. The box kick is used by every single side. The two tries England scored showed great enterprise, but that all ground to a massive halt. Meh, perhaps I expected to much in crap conditions. They get lots of rain and crap weather down under, but still try and sling it around. The intent is always kept positive. We have a lot to learn from them.

Don't get me wrong. I really like Ford. I really like Faz. The Vunipolas. Lawes and Mario. Sexton and Murray. Jon Davies. Loads of 6N players are world class. The lads that all made the Lions NZ tour so exciting from all home nations, but the fayre in the 6N has been poor IMHO, so far. Not intended to offend anyone, which it clearly does, but that is simply my opinion.

 

[Nubiwan]

Not that the TMO had still shots to look at.

I can never remember - is downwards pressure a requirement these days? I know it isn't when the ball is controlled, but is it when it's a slap like that?

Read it in the papers. No try given. Move on.

The TMO deffo did not have this view. Looks a try though.

In the days pre TMO, ref would have had to rely on his own eyesight, and the views of his touchy, so likely would have seen it as no try with both players handling it at once.

TMOs are hardly solving obvious issues as the recent Lions Tour attests.

 

[Nubiwan]

What about sinkler? He played for quins today

Kiwis loved Sinkler on the Lions Tour. Great impact player. Perhaps too mobile. Too much of a ball carrier for England selectors get their heads around. Didn't appear to weaken the scrum for the Lions. Other than that Lions tour, have hardly seen the lad.

 

[truthteller]

it is frustrating in that england didnt play much rugby and their handling in the 2nd half was appalling yet somehow they still got another win....in edinburgh the scots will try to play it wide again but england tend to bully them up front. the 6 natins is always played in late winter and 1 or 2 early spring so the wet conditions reward forward domination and kicking games, the irish are the aerial kicking masters in the wind. none of this really encourages or rewards ambition and running rugby. maybe if it was moved forward to play it april may this could change. finish the leagues and european cups by late march early april. alas this rather obvious move never seems to happen

 

[Maverick1987]

I think a fully fit england v fully fit wales would see wales win. But below that wales still have problems with depth. this is due to 1) gatland failing to develop a second team 2) wales crappping their A team? and 3) The actual over physical nature of warrenball has resulted in more injuries 4) the age old problem small population base

No chance . The Welsh players you talk about coming back haven't been good for some time other than Faletau and Jon Davies . Yet we have players like Billy Vunipola, Joe Marler and Elliott Daly our . A fully fit England vs Wales at Twickers ends in a 10+ point win to England