Rugby - Hands Off Black!

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VD might be a creative player but he's not a skipper's bootlace. Against Gloucester, he let the team fall apart. Tonight, he presided over the laziest, slackest half of rugby I've seen from a top team for a while. J. Marshall, on the other hand, deserves some sort of medal for just about single-handedly lifting and dragging Leeds back into the match. Poor old Leeds. They tried very very hard for about fifty five minutes, Leicester tried for about twenty five minutes. And the last twenty five seconds. They will need to get their heads together - and stop giving away such silly penalties - if they're going to get anywhere this season.

[LDiCesare]

A small 6Nations summary:
Ireland - Scotland. 15 -9.
Lots of rain, lots of defense from the Scots. Ultimately, the team that played most won. They could even have scored a try had Murphy's pass not been targeted at Trimble's ankles.

Wales-Italy. 18-18.
Wales lost Peel and that may have hurt them a lot, since the replacement scrummy was a bit too slow. The match should have been won by Wales in the first half but they managed to pick the poorest decision when they could send the ball wide or, well, whatever it was. Bergamasco saved his team several times, and Canavozzio intercepted a ball leading to a 60meter try (actually a bit more, and even more considering he didn't run straight). Poor kicking from the Italians cost them the game in the second half. Wales played badly. Italy didn't play as well defensively as they used to. Looking at the score, it's a good result for Italy, but both teams feel like they should have won if only they had played at their real level. I'm not sure Wales could have played better, though. So I still feel Italy are much better than they used to be, but they still need a win. Maybe next week against Scotland? Both teams defend a lot, both have trouble attacking, but somehow I feel the Italian centres are more imaginative than their celt counterparts.

[Havak]

Tigers are not going to get anywhere this season - I think Friday made that plain enough. Leeds are a pretty poor side and we let them back in to a game that should have been over by half time.

Marshall is the equal of the other 21 at Leeds put together. That is not to say he is perfect – a little too fond of forward passes and lurking in offside positions. But then I guess it takes time to detrain from the Black shirt ethos?

And yesterday? Woeful, inept, disgraceful. All those words fit the bill. England have taken huge backwards steps since the autumn. Sweeping changes must be made or the paddies will turn us over too. France after all just capitalised on gifted chances - they hardly played well themselves and yet still recorded a record win over us!

For what it is worth I would either ditch Dayglo or give him the captaincy he is lusting after as it is clear his presence has undermined Corry and the team. Ironically Corry was the one player who tried to get something going. But the only survivors from the 22 for me would be Corry, White, Thompson and Goode I think. That’s right there are Tigers on my hit list – Moody was all wind and no substance and Ellis made some unforgiveable errors. Time back at the club will help both men.

The Bath locks were hugely disappointing (but then only Bath fans and turnip have ever rated them). The Bath replacement hooker (Meers) was a joke – we didn’t win a single line out he threw into

But the players who really let the side down – the backs once again. Tindall was shocking and if Noon was on the pitch I never saw him. Cohen has to go – truly dreadful. Cueto was poor – and Lewsey had an off game too.

Were I turnip I would be on the phone to the Seven’s coach saying “send back Varndell and Lund”

Still it is a big test for turnip – he sets much store by consistent selection but what value does that have if it is consistently poor?

The Wales game was quite enjoyable.

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Mmm. I only caught up with the result of the England match this morning.



*cough*

Sorry about that.

Turnip's chickens are home to roost. If you'll pardon a tidal wave of metaphors. If it means the end of him, or at least more intelligent selections - and those two may go hand in hand - it will have been worth it. The whole Nose-Corry thing has got seriously out of hand, too.

[Havak]

That was some tidal wave.

My worry is that I think turnip lacks the intellectual capacity to know he is not the man to move things forward now. The RFU has an appalling record of sticking to their guns too. I fear only a loss to ireland may force their hand.

I don't like the idea - but perhaps the pain would be worth it as it would give the new guy ten or so tests before RWC to see what can be done. This is preferable to letting turnip limp into the autumn and failing there.

If turnip names the same side - or a substantially similar one - tomorrow you will hear my scream in Italy!

*edit* yes the nose thing is out of hand - the coach has managed to undermine his side thoroughly with it. What is wrong with youth - Tom Rees, also of Wasps, looks a far better option than Dayglo this season.

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I think I heard a stifled scream. He's just rotated players onto the bench. Still, at least it's one step closer to out altogether for them.

So what's the problem at Leicester this year? Admittedly I've only seen them twice, both times minus the England reps, so they were leaderless on the field - no, I won't leave that one alone! - but they really have looked good-ish at best, bad to appalling the rest of the time. Is P. Howard the problem? Or is it lack of depth? Or what?

Oh, and I note that Turnip has been guaranteed his job till the World Cup. Hopefully the assurance isn't worth the breath it's carried on.

[Havak]

This year is right – the form at the end of 2005 was pretty good. I don’t fault Howard. Fundamentally I think the absence of Daryl Gibson has caused big problems – he got injured in December. When he plays 12 for us the backs seem to click far better. He is a great midfield link for us. Without him they have tried Hipkiss and Smith at 12 – both fantastic players but much happier in a 13 shirt using their pace.

So Lewsey carries the can whilst passengers like Cohen and Noon stay put? Meers the hooker who lost every line out he threw to in Paris is rewarded with a start? Dayglo menaces the skipper from the bench yet again?

Does Robinson really think shuffling 21 out of 22 between starting and the bench is doing something positive? I do despair of the man.

Abbott is a good change however – a real IC at last! Shame Noon remains outside him though.

Those assurances came from Martyn Thomas and Fran Cotton. Those guys are RFU big hitters and I would suggest are unlikely to admit mistakes. Turnip may be allowed to lose every game on his way to France in 2007 as his own private master plan to defend the RWC (by luring everyone else into a false sense of security) takes shape. To be fair a loss to Ireland should seal his fate – running the two least successful England 5/6N campaigns for over 30 years back to back should finish any coach – but I will go on record as saying I think he and the RFU will find yet more excuses even in those circumstances.

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The disintegration against Gloucester and the crap last 50 minutes last week - it seemed to me they switched off before half time - seems, to me, to be more than just missing a player of Gibson's quality and skills. Critical focus and discipline seem to go missing. But anyway. We're now back in our little house so I've lost access to Sky so I won't be seeing any rugby for a while!

Shame to read this morning that Elton Flatley has retired at 28. Too many concussions, ongoing blurred vision. Sensible, obviously, for his long-term health, but a fine career cut short.

[Havak]

Yes sorry to see Elton go. He single handedly kept the Aussies in the 2003 final to the death. But repeatedly getting blurred vision is a warning you are sensible to heed.

Good spot - discipline is certainly a problem with far too much silliness under the refs nose. And focus is a point too - they are missing Gibson but that doesn't explain he collective turning off of effort and brains.

Unfortunately we had been expecting Jonno to return to the club in coaching capacity in August - but with turnip self destructing England rapidly the calls to diovert Martin to HQ may become too loud to ingore.

Jonno led out plenty of sides that lost games (not too often wearing the red rose) but he would never have let a team keep fluffing basics like last Sunday - not without a total rollicking or five anyway. We miss him - to state the bleeding obvious.

[Havak]

Watching the 7's.

What has Matt Giteau done to his hair? A blond mohican? he is after Labit's crown?

*good grief - latham scored the luckiest try in the world (so normal Ausssie service really?) but your lads are being pinged for high tackles and infringements all over the field. One has been yellow carded - and still we can't score!!

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I think you've nailed it. Someone who can lift and inspire teammates, bang their heads together for discipline when necessary, and so on. Pity those sorts of players only come along once in a generation or so.

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Originally posted by Havak
Watching the 7's.

What has Matt Giteau done to his hair? A blond mohican? he is after Labit's crown?

Young master Giteau is fond of experimenting with his tresses. He had purple streaks at one stage. Luckily he's a good enough player not be laughed off the paddock. I wouldn't mind seeing a 7s team with Giteau, Tuquiri and Latham in it. Pity I can't!

[Havak]

Henry Paul knocked on when clean through just before the turnaround - so normal English service too!!!

*edit* another yellow card for the Aussies - and still we haven't scored! The Aussie boys seem at odds with the ref over the tackle area...

*edit 2* All square - an England side can score a try then...

*edit 3* latham exposed varndell in defence but number 8 dropped the scoring pass!!! Varndell then ran the length to score under the sticks.

[Havak]

An Aussie try at the death but conversion fluffed - England win 14-12.

The Melbourne crowd weren't too happy.

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I was reading yesterday that the English CG team couldn't find a sponsor. The Scots and Welsh did, the Poms couldn't. The English team is being funded by a couple of the government's sports bodies.