Rugby World Cup 2007 - Twiddling Our Thumbs!

[Andydog]

What a ****house English rugby team.

I've gone from laughing to staring in disbelief at how inept England have been tactically. Ponderous back play, forwards slow to the rucks with frequent situations of 5-6 vs 2-3 to no effect, players ambling about the paddock looking totally exhausted. After winning a tighthead, kick the ball out on the full?

Robinson was a beacon of light in an otherwise dire performance. Gutted to see him out. Wish Leon MacDonald was as good as him under the high ball.

South Africa were clinical, it’s great to see them playing at pace with skill. Superb to keep up the intensity and hold England to nil. As in ZERO. Who gets zero points these days?

I was annoyed at the number of drop goal attempts. F*cking hate drop goals.

Commiserations Havak. I'll now wind in the hook as I genuinely feel sorry for English rugby and its fans. I guess the positive thing is that it will be the wake up call that's needed to begin sweeping changes to management and players. The only way is up eh?

[finbar]

Well. Not necessarily. It is England.

[Havak]

Even the most blow harded of RFU committee men must now realise their ostriche approach to the last four years has to change. Picking coaches from unsuccessful clubs is not a route to greatness.

Dean Richards for England I say!

I can only tell you that the mood amongst the club fans is getting ugly. They are unlikely to tolerate much more incompetence from the RFU. On the same weekend that we watched England humiliated the clubs were also kicking off their new season...sheer madness.

Then again on the plus side all the good young players are back with the clubs so we saw some pretty good games - Tigers winning at Bristol and Saracens downing Wasps colours were the pick of the games.

And having watched the Wasps game I am more confused than ever as to why Haskell was cut and the self promoting nose was taken - the lad had a strong game.

[finbar]

Since when has the RFU listened to the fan base?

I'm prepared to forgive Zinzan all his claptrap in his column over the years on the basis of this gem:

and they bring on Lewis Moody, who is mad as a hatter, but great at smacking anything that moves.

[Havak]

It's a funny line.

Lewis hasn't hit anyone for over a season now. He worked with a behavourial coach to overcome his anger management issues.

Saturdays game gives lewis a chance to catch up with his club mate Mr Tuilagi. Moody became the first England player to be red carded at Twickers when he got into a fist fight with Tuilagi the last time Samoa visited HQ. Both were and still are Tigers players!!

[finbar]

Mr Tuilagi was only average against Tonga. But then they all were.

[Havak]

I suspect they will be more up for it on Saturday. They know that England are there for the taking.

Our coach is still spinning to a certain extent:

"I take the ultimate responsibility for what goes on, irrespective of what that is," said Ashton.

"But everybody, the management and the players, has to stand up and be counted now. We've got to play two Cup finals in two weeks. It is as simple as that.

"The mood at the moment is we are here to beat Samoa. We're not looking any further than that, to be brutally honest. We would be very foolish to do so.

"What we've got to do is make sure we beat Samoa, beat Tonga and once we are in the quarter-finals, it becomes a different ball game."

All okay until that last line. A different ball game in the quarter finals? It's still rugby as far as I know and that is something that they don't seem to know how to play anymore.

[finbar]

I think the best we can hope for now is that T. Flood arrives and plays a blinder and underlines the folly of some of the original selections.

EDIT. Not this week. Having just seen the team. Heavens above, ball players in the centres. Barkley isn't a #10, I'll look forward to seeing him back at #12. It looks like a much better team.

[Havak]

It's better balanced in the backs certainly - and nice to see Danny Hipkiss on the bench.

Worseley instead of Rees is interesting. Suggests they plan to match the physicality of the Samoans.

[finbar]

They'll need coat hangers. Speaking of which, I always enjoy watching the Tongans laying headhigh shots all over the place - their #6 was red-carded for a coat hanger and an elbow smash to the head within a couple of minute against Samoa - and then watching them kneeling as a group on the ground afterwards and praying.

[Caligastia]

Looking at the performances so far, and the structure of the QFs and semis, it seems highly unlikely that we will see anything other than a Sa v NZ or SA v Oz final.

The Boks have a pretty easy road to the final, only having to beat the runner-up of pool B (probably Fiji or Wales) in the QFs, and then either the winner of pool D or the runner-up of pool C (France, Argentina, or Scotland).

NZ and Australia are likely to meet in the semis, as neither of the runner-ups they'll be playing should pose much of a challenge.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar
They'll need coat hangers. Speaking of which, I always enjoy watching the Tongans laying headhigh shots all over the place - their #6 was red-carded for a coat hanger and an elbow smash to the head within a couple of minute against Samoa - and then watching them kneeling as a group on the ground afterwards and praying.

For advance forgiveness perhaps?

"Lord, forgive us for what we are about to do..."

[finbar]

Jeez, Scotland bring new meaning to the word average. A small handful of very fine players carry a majority of plodders. Romania don't bear thinking about.

[Havak]

Yes but think how daft Cal will feel when England beat Australia in the QF. In 2011.

[Andydog]

New English Jersey

Couldn't resist