Rugby - Ball's Out!

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
ooh we were evil us Brits weren't we.

Poor old India - how terribly we treated them.

Ooooh yes you were, you should be ashamed...

[Havak]

I am.

I am even more ashamed that Clive the Ego is starting Ollie Barkley after Grayson dropped out injured. Bath butt Head Barkley is no England player yet - and may never be. I have a bad feeling about this one again...

[Caligastia]

Did anyone see the Brumbies/Stormers game? The stormers were robbed of a crucial try by the pedantic ref.

[finbar]

I saw about 5 minutes of it from around the 18 minute mark. It was nearly 3am, I'd had seven people over for dinner, and I was too tired to watch the rest. The ref was Steve Walsh? Nothing he does surprises me. I saw some odd decisions in the 5 minutes I watched. The Brumbies looked as patchy as they have in the last couple of games, too. They're struggling to get the ball. Amongst other things, I think they're missing their locks from last season.

It will be interesting to see whether the Bulls can keep up their form when they travel. They're very strong at home, particularly in the wet conditions that let them maximise the use of their gargantuan pack.

I only heard the England -v- Wales score and that England only sealed the game in the last minute or so. I look forward to Havak's report.

[LDiCesare]

So you didn't like Ollie's match Havak?
The Welsh almost bet England. Almost, once again. England can thank Ben Cohen, since both his tries were not given, and he was instrumental in the last try, which didn't change the outcome, but got rid of Wales hopes.
The lad seems to be quite unimaginative. A typical English fly half, I'd say. Give me Wilko anytime.
Italians lost to Ireland but almost scored a try. Too bad Dallan fumbled the ball before grounding.

One note for all of you: Don't play a rugby match in the morning when you've planned to watch two matches on TV the afernoon. It's very hard finding a cosy position in the armchair when you'd rather be in bed to ease the stiffness in your neck, shoulders, back, and the aching fingers and legs.

[Tamerlin]

Aaaargh! I fumbled with the tape recorder and I have not seen Scotland - France... I just know the score, 31-0 in France's favor...

[finbar]

Serves you right for not supporting your country from your armchair like LDiCesares did. Albeit very uncomfortably!

[flipside]

Umm...........

I go mad for a month and Ireland beat England, Steve Harmison acts like the second coming of Joel Garner, Bollywood hits the thread, politics dominates, Warney hits 500, and noir desir.
Everything always happens when I go crazy.

[finbar]

Whatever. Welcome back!

So what was your take on England -v- Wales?

And thanks a heap for reintroducing Bollywood into the thread!

[flipside]

Originally posted by finbar
Whatever. Welcome back!

So what was your take on England -v- Wales?

And thanks a heap for reintroducing Bollywood into the thread!

My take on Wales-England would be this.

It was very scary for England. The reason I say that is for several reasons.
On a overview level it would be because they basically picked their WC team minus the retirements and injuries and barely won against a team that, while highly motivated, have shown themselves to be weak at NH level at winning ball.
That France and Ireland dominated. All this, despite the fact that they performed better in the set piece than against Ireland.
They won a scrappy game against a team that a year ago they would have dominated up front like Ireland did, and never have let cut loose.
The reasons?
Yeah, they miss J****. yeah they miss Wilkinson at 10.
The other reason is that they are playing Hill in the wrong position. IMO, the most important reason.
Funnily enough those are the only differences from their WC final 15.
The team was better balanced than in the Ireland game what with Lewsey back at 15 and Robinson out of the centre. That, along with Tindell as a mid-field ball carrier at least gave Cohen the room to score the winner and roam.
On the set piece the scrum was decent and on the line- out they performed well, for several reasons.
The Welsh do not have a great line out the way that we do. We probably have the best in the world at the moment at pinching ball.
With less pressure Thommo throws to the correct height.
When he's under pressure he throws low, and if you have options you can disturb him by lifting at 2 & 4.
They miss J**** there, maybe more than his captaincy,I cannot imagine the problems that they had against us happening while he was there.
He would have just said " We're going to 2, if it's right I'll catch it and reset. If it's low I'll cut across and catch and reset.If it's high I'll tap and reset from there. If it's too high for me it will be so high that Ben Kay will be at the top of his leap and we will reset from there."
In short, Havak will have a nice moan.

[finbar]

Mmmmm. Interesting. I'm a long way away, and I've only seen extended highlights packages, but methinks they miss J**** every which way - skills, organisation, discipline, spirit.

[flipside]

Originally posted by finbar
Mmmmm. Interesting. I'm a long way away, and I've only seen extended highlights packages, but methinks they miss J**** every which way - skills, organisation, discipline, spirit.

Yep. Wilkinson as well.
Hill at 7 rather than 6 is the neglected factor, as well.
Take those three into account and you have lost the major backbone of the team.

[Havak]

I may have been wrong about Ollie. He is a much better player than when we played Bath earlier in the year – being involved with the England setup has improved him very quickly. He looked pretty good going forward – but unfortunately his defence was pretty woeful at times – he drifted out of the defensive pattern and contributed to both Welsh tries – making a game that should never have been close a nervy affair.

But I agree with LDiCesare – he is no Wilko nor ever likely to be.

So all we need to do is beat France in Paris by a margin of eight points when they are burning for revenge from the RWC. No Problem there then!?

You will not here from me after Wednesday until next Tuesday – because I shall be in Paris to ‘take it on the chin’ as France go for the Slam. Personally I enjoyed what Jonathan Davies said whilst summarising – “Would you rather be Princes of Europe or King of the World? I know which I would want”. Personally I would want both.

It's very hard finding a cosy position in the armchair when you'd rather be in bed to ease the stiffness in your neck, shoulders, back, and the aching fingers and legs.

The ‘price of playing’ you might say.

Yeah, they miss J****. yeah they miss Wilkinson at 10.
The other reason is that they are playing Hill in the wrong position.

Yes I would have to agree. Will Carling said it best – “the tight five just doesn’t look effective without the name M.Johnson there”. Any team in the world would miss him and Wilko. Hill is the worrying one – Clive is persisting with it and it simply isn’t working. Richard is a great player but he is simply not an openside.

Ireland are having a great tournament after the initial capitulation to France. They deserved to beat us. Even so had Martin been there they wouldn’t have. The lineout would have been corrected as you say – and with more possession and under less pressure England would have taken the game up front.

The last round will be interesting. Scotland will be hammered in Dublin and maybe they should pack their new Aussie Stand off back home (he qualified through a Grandparent from Ayrshire). Italy have a real chance against Wales. And England will beat France purely because for the first time in a long time everyone is writing us off. We must have one big game in us. :fantasyland:

France – what can you say – they never got out of first gear, they looked strangely lethargic, and yet they blanked Scotland in Scotland. One has to be impressed.

*edit* It is not all bad news - as the senior squad tries to thwart the French party in Paris the U-21 boys will be going for their own Slam down in Brive. The future still looks bright. The U-21's are even playing a genuine openside - Tiger's own Will Skinner.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
You will not here from me after Wednesday until next Tuesday – because I shall be in Paris to ‘take it on the chin’ as France go for the Slam.

Six days to prepare for then recover from a two hour game. Makes sense to me.

The last round will be interesting. Scotland will be hammered in Dublin and maybe they should pack their new Aussie Stand off back home (he qualified through a Grandparent from Ayrshire).

Who is it?

France – what can you say – they never got out of first gear, they looked strangely lethargic, and yet they blanked Scotland in Scotland. One has to be impressed.

I put it down to LDiCesare's urging through the moans and groans from his armchair. Oh, and the team knowing that Tamerlin had buggered up programming his VCR. What better time to be impressive than when Tamerlin can't see them?

An 8.40am post? Couldn't you get into work and fire up the computer any earlier?

[Havak]

Six days to prepare for then recover from a two hour game. Makes sense to me.

I am very thorough!

The Aussie-Scot is a lad called Parks (initial of D).

The Aussie-Paddy Gleason broke his arm on Saturday and is out for two months.

What better time to be impressive than when Tamerlin can't see them?

It was a poor game but they did enough to impress never the less.

I was in at eight but was reading about how we are going to beat France before I posted.