Rugby - Six Nations, S14, Lions, Can't Wait

[LDiCesare]

Goode !?

[finbar]

Yes, well, J**** is even more conservative than even I thought. Presumably it's an interim selection, waiting for Toby Flood to be fit again. Problem is, Flood isn't playing like an international #10, so maybe Goode can't do any worse.

And Italy? Starting with a flanker at #9? Is it possible?

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Yes it is. Mauro Bergamasco makes his debut in any kind of rugby at #9 in a Test match. Who said Italy didn't have an endless supply of quality #9s?

[Havak]

Hello chaps - I'm on a lengthy injury caused sabbatical (bad back playing up) but I'll try and keep a casual eye on the thread from now on.

The squad for this weekend left me speechless - the worst starting line up in five years. My hopes for Jonno have all but evaporated - conservative is the word all right.

Worseley called up instead of Skinner is perhaps the most bizarre - I'm not entirely surprised he stayed loyal to many of the never will bes that crashed in the autumn. The bench looks all round better than the starting men they are covering.

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Hello chaps - I'm on a lengthy injury caused sabbatical (bad back playing up) but I'll try and keep a casual eye on the thread from now on.

Welcome back! I was getting bored slagging off Leicester with no one at the other end. Speaking of which, Cockerill might finally get his way. Sad day for Leicester if he does. That club needs a thorough clean out. They're stuck in a weird halfway world - not as good as they were at their old game, rubbish at modern rugby. They're well on the way to a permanent spot in the mid-table.

The squad for this weekend left me speechless -

Me too. That's why I said so little. It's like a compilation album - The Not So Great Hits Of The Last Five Years

Worseley called up instead of Skinner is perhaps the most bizarre -

And Skinner for skipper, too. Why am I the only one who can see these things?

[LDiCesare]

Indeed the Italian selection is even more puzzling. I thought Mirco Bergamasco had played 9 when in Italy, so he could have been an option rather than his brother? But then Italy has nearly nothing in terms of backs so they wanted to keep him on the wing. Masi at 15 will probably not be much better than at 10. I don't know Garcia in the centers.
And then Marcato's not a bad player but Goode is probably a better 10.
It will be very hard for the Azzuri.
I should check the Welsh and Irish selections. There must be some bizarre stuff there too considering what the French, Italian (weird halves choices) and English (weird choices period) have been. (Scots can select whatever they have, I don't think they're going to surprise anyone.)

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Goode is vastly more experienced than Mercato. I also don't even think Mercato is a real #10. He's the best they've got because he can kick quite well and knows how to pass a ball. On those grounds, in Italian rugby terms, he's a star. Trouble is, he doesn't have a clue about managing a game. I don't think it comes naturally to him.

I liked the suggestion by someone on the BBC rugby forum - with a flanker at #9, they'll have a nine-man pack for any five-metre scrums.

[LDiCesare]

I liked the suggestion by someone on the BBC rugby forum - with a flanker at #9, they'll have a nine-man pack for any five-metre scrums.

Only the tight five really matters. (What, who said as a front rower I am biased?)
I saw the Irish are pitiful. Instead of picking weird or experimental scrum/fly halves pairs as everybody else, they only put a fly half as first center. I think the selection committees had agreed on picking weird fly and/or scrum halves before the tournament and the Irish slightly misunderstood the fancy selection rules.

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I'll always think of you as a converted half who never gets to use those sublime handling skills. Quel dommage.

There's actually a very un-Irish logic to choosing Wallace at #12. He filled in very well there on their tour to Australia.

[MOBIUS]

It would be great to see the English lose to Italy tomorrow, however I somehow fear it will not be the case...

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It would be great to see the English lose to Italy tomorrow, however I somehow fear it will not be the case...

Strange. At first I read the above as: "It would be great to see the Welsh lose to Scotland tomorrow, however I somehow fear it will not be the case...".

An entirely understandable error.

Goodness goodness goodness gracious me. To replace Tindall, J**** bypasses the most naturally-gifted English back - Matthew Tait - who was sitting on the bench, in favour of the singularly untalented Jamie Noon, already exposed time and time again as not being up to it. What on earth is going through J****'s brain? Exactly how deep does his conservative streak run? Absolutely mind-boggling.

[Havak]

It's not the same man I watched at Welford Road for so long - then he did what was required, now he seems afraid to grasp some very serious nettles.

England were woeful outside of Ellis who has bumped Care to the bench for certain. I'd only keep Harry and the Armitage boys in the XV myself. But I suspect we will see the same XV in Cardiff and witness a masacre.

So criminal that the Saxons game was cancelled when so many of those boys should have been at Twickers anyway.

Now then with Welsh expectations sky high it would be lovely to see Scotland upset them tomorrow - however unlikely that is.

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England were rubbish, Italy were dire. Apart from some massive defence. Poor Sergio Perese must weep when he looks around and sees how much better he is than his teammatese. Mauro B was a very costly experiment on Nick Mallet's behalf. The poor guy didn't have a clue. And he gifted England at least two tries. Take out the three gifted tries and the scoreline looks a lot different, J****. Not to mention the Ellis try courtesy of the Borthwick block on the Italian prop. J****, your team couldn't put away a team that mishandled more than I thought possible in a match.

Best I've seen from France and Ireland in a long time. Best I've seen BOD in a long time. France paid dearly for a flabby period after the break and Beauxis' missed tackle on BOD. Still, at least, at times, they showed glimpses of the France of old. They actually stopped kicking away possession for a while. Both will skin England. If they can produce the form again. Which is always the big question mark.

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I can't believe this myself, but if it's reported in the media it must be true:

"But the second-half was frustrating. We've lots and lots to improved on as a team," said Johnson, whose attack coach Brian Smith said the team had been put off by the noise of the crowd.

[Havak]

What on earth was Brian Smith smoking?


More worrying was the quote from Jonno where he said the boys specifically kept trying things he had told them not to do against Italy - most specifically picking and driving from the base of the ruck.

A side that doesn't obey coaching instructions, a skipper who can't skipper and doesn't warrant his place in the XV, a loose head prop who got creamed by his vastly superior opponent, an openside giving nothing to do as the ball kept sailing over his head, a blind side who has changed from a promising talent into an absolute disciplinary liability and a centre combination that must be the worst in the NH. Not good.

Flutey might impress at Wasps where he gets quick ball but for England he has done nothing good.

It was so bad that Cueto - a player I have never rated - was probably second to Ellis in terms of the game he had. I'd still drop him for the fit again Strettle and drop the totally anonymous Sackey from yesterday for Banahan.

Still France and Ireland both looked like they could trouble Wales. And it is important someone does please.