Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[Havak]

For myself I was happy with four points at Sale. And saints lost at home to Gloucester -they are imploding.

One has to be pleased with England - not a high quality game but it was compelling. Nice to see they can win ugly when necessary.

[LDiCesare]

England-France went better than I expected. The French mishandled (Rougerie...), missed a few kicks, but overall played rather well. The English had an excellent start in the second half. I wish the tv had shown some replays of the scrums that were penalised/free-kicked because without hearing the referee, I have little idea what he judged.

[Havak]

He pinged France several times for driving early at thes scrums. And it took England a whole half to realise he was not going to ignore hands in the ruck.

It was I think a fair result on balance I think both disallowed tries were very marginal calls.

Gatland is still drinking loony juice as he hails Wales Professionalism. Which might be fair enough if not for the fact that Italy should have won of course. Oh how the Italians need someone who can kick the chances they work so hard to earn.

[finbar]

He also pinged France for collapsing the scrum. I'd've liked to have seen the evidence too. That aside, I thought it was a good scrap between the two strongest teams in the comp. The French defence stepped up a notch, England's handling was dodgy put under pressure for the first time, but Trinh-Duc was disappointing yet again. He's looking lazy, taking easy - sometimes very silly - options. His drop goal attempt that cost the turnover was just idiotic. I can see the England forwards demolishing Ireland and a GS for England. What it will mean on the bigger, world stage, I have no idea. We'll have to wait and see.

The only person who believes what comes out of Gatland's mouth anymore is Gatland. He blathers for Welsh consumption. They either ran sideways, yet again, or handed the ball to Roberts to crash into a tackle and stop all momentum. Why they constantly kicked the ball away, and badly, in the second half is another mystery. And that's two wins Italy's kicking has cost them. Tragedy.

[LDiCesare]

I'm not sure Tindall's try should have been disallowed either. England performed well. France did much better than I expected and came close. Still, it's not good enough. I liked Clerc's performance. He got the better over Ashton imo, and made him send that wide pass that got intercepted when he should have tried a 1 vs 1 opportunity by himself.

[finbar]

But what about Trinh-Duc? What is he contributing? I won't even mention Chabal's contribution.

[Havak]

One trick pony. Tackled out of the game. The big farm boy should have kept the number 8 shirt.

Ashton is awork in progress - that he shifted the ball the wrong way when he should have held his man and shipped inside is something he will learn from. It will help him to realise life is not all champagne and swallow dives. And if only Young's return pass to Flood had been more accurate we might still be hailing him this morning despite the fact Clerc taught him a few lessons.

In all fairness it was such a ferocious contest up front it wasn't a day for the girlies to shine. If one looks again at the hit Palmer took in the first minute (head on the wrong side) it is remarkable that he lasted the game. It is interesting to me that the guys plying their trade in France are showing serious improvement - even Brand Haskell is making bullocking progress like he did in his early days at Wasps.

And now time to cheer Scotland I think - I like an underdog.

[finbar]

I've got Wasps -v- Sarries first. I hope I can stay awake.

[finbar]

I just about fell asleep. Wasps are terrible at the moment, Sarries no threat to Leicester unless Leicester have an absolute mare.

Gee, Ireland have taken England's mantle as the most indisciplined team in world rugby. The coach is no doubt going to scream that the ref cost them the game, but Scotland were only within a bull's roar thanks to Ireland's non-stop penalties.

[Havak]

It was quite shocking wasn't it? There will be better in Dublin but it needs to be by a country mile to threaten England.

I feel for your lost time - but Wasps losing has kind of made my weekend. They jinx us however bad they have been before a final - Sarries I know we can handle.

Then again after a colleagues leaving do on friday (and a very long session it was) I had to have a small nap before the game yesterday. Finally feeling my age.

[kittenOFchaos]

Scotland Vs Ireland - what did we learn?

The killers bees are well off the pace, that is for certain. Nikki Walker brings nothing to the table, nor does De Luca, but really, we knew that already. Dan Parks is the best option we have at 10 and if he can be encouraged to run the ball he doesn't do too bad a job. It is also clear that Richie Gray is one hell of a player and hopefully he'll avoid injuries to become a Scotland great. It is also clear that Sean Lamont is taking being in the Scotland shirt far more seriously than most of that team and putting in some great performances.

Robinson for all his qualities is still very poor at selecting the best team. With Scotland this issue isn't brought to the fore as obviously as with England as the pool of talent is so much smaller.

Ireland...they really are making heavy weather of these games given they've so many talented players. Really, against that Scotland team they could have been scoring at will.


England Vs France - the only thing I want to add is about Dan Cole. Nothing negative to say as the scrums went great...once again he impressed me with his defensive work - he made alot of tackles - good job

[Havak]

He is playing very, very well at the moment certainly. And the old binding issue is nowhere near so much in evidence.

Sean Lamont spent his formative years in the colts at my local club. It was clear he was talented from an early age.

Yes Ireland have talent for sure but for me their coal face is the weakest they have fielded in a decade and that alone is hurting them badly.

[LDiCesare]

Yes, Ireland's scrum was, well... look at their bindings and how many prop fists lying on the ground so they could weather the Scots'engaging...
Parks is definitely way better than what's-his-name. Lamont is good, but he's unfortunately not a center. He'd be better on the wing but then again, Scotland needs centres.
Also, O'Gara showed he should still be picked above Sexton any day in my opinion.

[finbar]

Parks is way more experienced than the child he replaced the other day but his limitations have been well and truly exposed before. But who would be a Scotland #10? Odds are you'll receive rubbish ball from your scrummy but what on earth are you meant to do with it once you've got it? No one outside you has the remotest clue how to run a canny line or angle so you're passing a ball destined to be taken into a tackle, slowed down, et cetera and so on, for the process to be repeated, et cetera and so on ad infinitum. It must be very very depressing. They've got two gigantic locks - that child Gray looks very promising - so the #10 might as well just kick for touch and territory and gamble on pinching a lineout.

The O'Gara-Sexton nexus is interesting. O'Gara's preferred style seems to be at odds with the game Kidney wants them to play, but Sexton hasn't really stepped up to the next level.

I never tire of reading David Flatman:

When I played at Saracens, Francois Pienaar was our chief executive. He was, for that matter, our head coach too, and our captain. I was always a bit disappointed when he didn't find time to cook the lunch as well. I'm sure I did see him driving the team bus once, though. He was a busy man.

Naturally I would rib him while in the bath; suggesting his performance on the field was slipping due to an excessive workload, but inevitably he would reply by asking me who exactly I was, and what I was doing in the bath next to him. Then he would plug in his now archaic hands-free kit and stride, in his shoulder-padded suit, out to the luxobarge he called a car and begin barking instructions to his minions.

Meanwhile, Kris Chesney and I would take up position at a small, hidden window and wait to see how he might react to the cars we had earlier commandeered and parked so close to his on either side that his only option was to climb in through a window. Quite degrading – one would have thought – for a man of his stature but, presumably as a result of having literally no time, in he would clamber without even pausing for breath.

Despite not receiving the aggressive response for which we had hoped, we took this as a moral victory. I hope he never reads this paper.

It's why he's never made it as an England prop. Too much imagination.

[Havak]

..or the fact a part of his body broke every time he looked like it was his time to step up? Mentally torturing Pienaar marks him as a good lad though. Sarries has been that kind of club that has been up its own jacksy since circa 1996. There is a reason Flatman left there after all.

canny line or angle

Oh nicely done.