Rugby - 6 Nations, Heineken Cup, You Can't Beat A Northern Hemisphere Winter!

[LDiCesare]

Che partita! The Italian commentators didn't burst into tears this time but I nearly did.

Well, I screamed a lot when they scored their try. And my throat is pretty sore. This led my daughter to leave the computer and watch the replay. I made sure my wife also saw the try later on. I wouldn't have expected such a nice move from Canale. Bursting through the defense, yes. But managing to find some support players and make a final pass as he did is the best move I ever saw from him. Great try.

England go down to Ireland, due to poor Wilkinson kicking amongst a number of other things, such as the Irish ability to make 3 times as many tackles and have just as many if not less missed tackles. Also, Tommy Bowe was class.

Well, Wilko's kicks were bad, but Sexton had a rather poor game too.

The reversed penalty was quite ridiculous

No. It was harsh, but Care really plays too much a poison for his own good. His action almost led to a general battle on the pitch, and would have at any non professional level (and in some French clubs too I am sure). Plus it's not like he never slows the ball or does the same thing or worse than what O'Leary did.

Regarding France vs. England, it's pretty clear to me that it can go both ways, but more likely in favor of England - unless France loses to Italy before. The French captain explained that the team was euphoric and excited at half-time, and they lost their rugby in the second half. Don't expect that to happen again soon because they'll have learnt from this error.

[kittenOFchaos]

Well, Wilko's kicks were bad, but Sexton had a rather poor game too.

Except that it included a lovely kick through for Bowe having drawn the man. A vital contribution as well as not letting anything through his channel.

I'm a massive Wilkinson fan, but the last two games do cry out for trying a new option there for a while - we know what Wilkinson can do and we can always bring him back into the mix, but not before his kicking from hand improves. I just can't bring myself to say bring in Flood. He STILL looks like a little boy and I have never been impressed by him...being the Leicester 10 is pretty easy, so doing well with them isn't a huge plaudit. Ryan Lamb can look impressive when his pack is doing well, but take that support away or run a few big men at him and he too looks like a little boy...from the age of 16 Wilkinson was taking those big men and dumping them on their ass.

Another real disappointment was Flutey who was AWOL virtually the entire game.

England just didn't know how to combat Ireland slowing the ball down and the referee wasn't much interested in that either. Oh well!

[LDiCesare]

Wilkinson's last matches indeed are far below his former skill level. Flutey didn't do much either. I don't know enough of english rugby to propose any decent alternative.

[kittenOFchaos]

More on why Sale are sucking...

Sale, sponsered by NHS Direct once again:

http://www.salesharks.com/physio

15 players out injured...insane!

[finbar]

I wouldn't have expected such a nice move from Canale. Bursting through the defense, yes. But managing to find some support players and make a final pass as he did is the best move I ever saw from him. Great try.

Set up by the lovely flick pass from Gower.

I had absolutely no problem with Care's reversed penalty. And not only because Care is an undisciplined idiot. You can't hurl another player to the ground when play is stopped. He was yellow carded last year for shoulder charging after the ball had gone. He's learned nothing.

He also remains one of England's biggest problems. Sitting on the ball at the back of the ruck like he's trying to hatch it. Why? The Irish defence were laughing. His options - silly chip kicks straight to the oppo - were crook and his crabbing sideways before passing puts everyone on the back foot waiting while the defence swarms. Shades of George Gregan towards the end of his career.

I thought the vile VD got it pretty right in his special comments. Everything behind the scrum is left to Wilko. Too much. He stands too deep and he plays by numbers. Even his charges are predictable. I've seen it argued that he stands deep because of Care's slow service. Wilko only knows to stand deep. He's done it all his career. Flutey, whatever his abilities, can run, he has a step, but doesn't get to create surprise. He gets to pass to Matty Tait miles behind the advantage line and Tait gets crunched by the defence. It might as well be Mike Tindall.

The back three are moribund. No cutting edge, no nothing. Ben Foden did show what's possible from the back, though whether he's up to the defensive demands of full back is another matter. I thought Murphy only fair. I fear he's a couple of years too old for Test rugby these days. Bowe and Earls, on the other hand, underlined the fundamental difference. Dazzling, clinical.

One kick through aside, Sexton was poor. And after I'd praised him. Too many basic errors and he kicked badly all over the park. He's better than that. I'd've had O'Gara on earlier.

Barring something extraordinary, they'll beat Scotland, who simply don't have Ireland's stirling, disciplined defence and who wouldn't recognise the try line if you showed them a recent photo of it. As always, -v- France, it depends which French team turns up. Though if the French play as they did against Wales, which is to say, not very well, France should win. England simply don't have Wales' unpredictability and capacity to score from anywhere. Which sort of sums England up, really.

[Havak]

Having seen the O'leary-Care incident again I have to confess I was wrong and the officials were right.

And on a day where our stand in kiwi captain got binned and Tigers got thumped it turned out to be a bad Saturday for me.

England are going to beat France I suspect - simply because they currently have no right to do so.

No point in discussing replacing Wilko - with Jonno talking about us having "run the ball too much" (yes really) Wilko is a shoe in more so than normal.

[kittenOFchaos]

No point in discussing replacing Wilko - with Jonno talking about us having "run the ball too much" (yes really) Wilko is a shoe in more so than normal.

Which ignores the fact that Wilkinson has been kicking poorly from hand all 6 Nations. He isn't putting any distance on the ball and his kicking for touch whenever England gets a penalty is dreadful.

If you had seen Dan Parks in action the past two games you'd see a number 10 whose kicking from hand has been sublime.

[LDiCesare]

Which ignores the fact that Wilkinson has been kicking poorly from hand all 6 Nations. He isn't putting any distance on the ball and his kicking for touch whenever England gets a penalty is dreadful.

If you had seen Dan Parks in action the past two games you'd see a number 10 whose kicking from hand has been sublime.

Dan Parks is about the only player with a good kicking game in the tournament so far. O'Gara hasn't been bad, but not excellent. The Welsh kicking game has been the worst in my opinion, the missed touches in particular.
I wonder whether the Scots shouldn't try to actually usee Parks quality kicking more. They aren't able to get past the defense ball in hand, they should try to vary their game by using some chips and kicks to at least surprise the defenders and throw them into doubt. Right now, everyone knows what to expect when a Scot touches the ball.

[finbar]

Parks is kicking well, the best I've seen him. I've also seen him kick appallingly. I don't know whether he has lifted his standards or it's just a purple patch. His problem has always been that kicking is his only weapon. He's not a game manager. Still, while he's kicking well, the Scots should capitalise on it. They're certainly not going to break any defences on foot. In fact, the English and Scot backlines have much in common. A lack of cunning and deception, playing by numbers.

And Havak's right. Barring injury, Wilko will be there till Doomsday. And England probably will never get hammered sufficiently to make generational change inevitable even to J****.

[Havak]

You missed my point KoC - I wasn't endorsing the quality of Jonny's kicking from hand - just pointing out he is Martin's go to guy for kicking games so will stay in the ten slot for the foreseable.

"Maybe we did try and play a little too much when we had lost momentum and Ireland will turn you over when you try to do that, You have to play the game in front of you and the game was wet and muddy."

Back to aimless kicking next time out then Martin?

Care has now had three games where he has been tortoise like in extracting ball at the breakdown. Hodgson is little better. yes it's easy to pick on them and they were by no means alone - I wasn't entirely sure Haskell was even on the pitch for example.

But the fact both nines are doing poorly doesn't mean the likes of Wiggleworth or Youngs should get hopeful - Care is there as long as Easter is (which seems to be forever?) because apparently they have a 'good understanding' of how each other play from Quins (where they have spent most of the season losing). Dowson is the 8 on form I think?

It isn't rocket science to pick players on form from sides that are actually winning a bit is it?

[LDiCesare]

It isn't rocket science to pick players on form from sides that are actually winning a bit is it?

Look at what Lièvremont does: The top 2 sides of the French championship, Castres and Perpignan, are heavily represented in the national team:
From Perpignan, Mas started on Friday. Marty came in for 10 minutes, and andreu, from Castres, managed to muddy his jersey.
To be fair with Lièvremont, Ducalcon (Castres) hurt himself in the opening match, and there are a few hurt players in Perpignan that he selected in the past.
Still, this team is very much a Toulouse team (Poux, Servat, Dusautoir, Michalak, Poitrenaud, Jauzion), and Toulouse isn't doing very good these days, in part because they lack so many players to the national team.

[finbar]

How many competitions have the luxury of a struggling side like Toulouse? J**** would give his right arm for Poux, Servat, Dusautoir, Michalak, Poitrenaud and Jauzion.

Well, no he wouldn't. He wouldn't pick them because they show initiative.

[Havak]

The idea of a struggling Toulouse is a hard one to take in.

France can surely get away with that selection policy as long as they keep winning - but should they lose a game....

England however lose - and nothing changes. There is an entrenched mindset there - almost as if they think if they stick to their guns long enough it will all come good by itself. You can see from the quote that jonno now thinks they were too adventurous against Ireland - so god help us next game.

*edit* after a snow job by ERC ltd natural justice now relies on Biarritz beating the endemic cheats that are Neath-Swansea Ospreys. Shouldn't be a problem?

[finbar]

Well, they are French, after all. Ainsi qui sait?

If J**** had any brains he'd send Haskell back to Paris on the first flight. See if he can get a touch in French rugby.

[Havak]

Stade versus the RFU - it is like a clash of stubborn Titans.

And over Haskell (who was AWOL during the Ireland game). Talk about pointless arguments.

I suspect ERC are secretly hoping Ospreys go no further so the taint they have brought to the tournament quietly disappears. Should Ospreys win the darn thing the tournament might never recover - it will be like a cheaters charter from that point on to do what you like and then just claim it was in "good faith".

*edit* I can't fault Gatland's achievements as a coach but his mind games as he tries to psyche up his Welsh team really get on my nerves. Talking about France being out on their feet and his side playing all the rugby? Utter nonsense!