Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

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What's hard to fathom is the difference between -v- France and -v- Scotland. They struggled in the first half -v- France for precisely the reason they struggled -v- Scotland, outnumbered and outmuscled in and around the breakdown, slow ball, no Plan B to deal with the lack of quick ball. Against France they numbered and muscled up in the second half and looked better. Not so against Scotland and I don't know why. The likes of Flood were disappearing into the breakdowns trying to clear out.

Youngs is on a steep learning curve. Life's a whole lot easier on the front foot with quick ball. He's looked a whole lot less certain with serious pressure applied. Flood, too, has struggled. The wide open spaces -v- Italy are a memory. Credit to France and Scotland, they plotted and planned, but weren't good enough to capitalise.

Ireland are the champion slowers of the ball as their penalty count shows. They've also worked on holding up the tackled player which has been very effective. If Ireland aren't penalised off the park for slowing the ball, and/or if England don't show more nouse, it could be interesting again. England should dominate the scrummage but they did against Scotland. Their problems are elsewhere.

[kittenOFchaos]

The last clip shows Cipriani playing pretty damned well.

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Cipriani has played pretty damn well this season. Didn't see yesterday's debacle but last week's effort was excellent, leaving aside the gaffe resulting in the oppo's try in the closing stages. At the Rebels he's playing behind an utterly rubbish pack and alongside dodgy #9s. He has real quality about him let down by poor defence. So nothing's changed really.

[LDiCesare]

Very entertaining match in Ireland. I suppose the English may blame some dodgy refereeing but the Irish performance was impressive. Sexton and O'Gara were used intelligently this time: Sexton for his offensive qualities, and O'Gara when the rain came and the game had to be managed, calling for his kickign skills.

I've been somewhat disappointed by Italy. They performed well in the first half despite the most catastrophic lineout ever, and then collapsed in the second half.

[Havak]

Oh I think it's clear the Irish were far the better side on the day but let's not get too carried away given that England also imploded.

And Lawrence is an awful referee at the best of times - but he got most things right today. My main gripe would be the Irish punches that he simply ignored late on.

So abject failure on the occassion where it truly mattered yet again - that is life as an England fan over the last decade. Should still be our tournament of course - and I think Ireland warrant fourth place given they were utterly and completely dire against everyone else?

[kittenOFchaos]

England needed the Old Guard today. It was clear early on that the young guys were struggling...earlier subs could have stopped the rot earlier and maybe Youngs (who was clearly struggling) wouldn't have been around to have his second moment of cheatiness.

Least England have no fear that Wales will get the points needed to win the championship. Unambitious.

Scotland scored more tries...it has been a glut of tries this 6 Nations

[LDiCesare]

Happy to see the French play with their heart. Having a second row score two tries in a match is not seen very often.

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Yes, good to see some French G&D. The mind just boggles that M'sieur Le Coach could ever prefer Chabal to Harryordinaryquay. Nice dink from Trinh-Duc for the try but I'd rather see a better orchestator at #10. LdiC summed him up pretty well when he used the word opportunist. I haven't seen Gatland's comments yet. Presumably he will say that Hook's card cost them the game. J. Davies, unbiased commentator, thought it killed their chances. The game was long gone. Wales mystify me. There's plenty of talent in the team but no brains, no strategy.

I was disappointed with Italy's second half but Scotland made life hard with their mobile aggressive defence. Walker owed Scotland a try after his dire defensive effort against Masi. Good Scotland effort, and nice to see Jackson offering an alternative to Parkes. The question now is whether Nick Mallett will keep his job. Prior to the 6N, the Perpignan coach had claimed he'd virtually signed a contract to coach Italy next year, the FIR were less than forthcoming in support for Mallett. But all prior to the 6N. Mallett drove the move into the Magners against a lot of local regional opposition. He has also put in place mini-academies in terms of talent spotters and development support all over Italy, even in the south where rugby is unknown. Mallett and the Italian squad are very very close. We shall see.

England imploded, for sure, but against an extraordinary blitz. Typical Ireland, really, getting right everything they'd previously done wrong in time to rain on England's parade. Though Bowe, in particular, and Trimble, yesterday, added immeasurably. England's vulnerabilities - inexperience, lack of options beyond running the ball, and the black hole in the centres (only increased in size by Banahan, a lump in Test rugby) - had been exposed under pressure to varying degrees against France and Scotland. I doubt that it has brought J**** down to earth. He knows exactly where England is at at the moment. A young team finding its way. It has probably brought a lot of England supporters - not on this thread - down to earth, those getting way ahead of themselves. The likes of Youngs, hopefully, will learn from it. Very very talented player with a young head on his shoulders. And maybe, I don't know, believing some of the publicity. J**** did the best possible thing, dragging him. I expect Leicester will temper his silliness without stifling the spirit. Find a couple of centres, a quality #8, ditch Haskell for S. Armitage, and England will be a very very good team in about 18 months.

[Havak]

Well Manu Tuilagi has to come into the centres I think. And maybe Waldouck or Clark with him - that is ball playing centres not tanks. Seven is more problematic - the young guy from Sarries is somewhat fitter than Armitage but has been supposed to be breaking through for two years now.

Number 8 - well the best hope is that Crane leanrs from the tank that as well as carrying the best eights pick good lines and can pass the ball.

Ah following England is an emotional test - I was in a foul mood saturday night. It doesn't help that we all know Ireland have every chance of struggling against a minnow in the RWC (like Namibia last time). Every body wants to down England - it must add several hundred percent to their effectiveness. I mean they were diabiolical against Italy - so where did that effort come from?

*an observation regarding seven. Tom Rees, once touted as the second coming (largely by insect fans), is very much yesterdays man. You simply don't see him mentioned in England terms.

And Youngs - I doubt he will start for Tigers for a while. Something has gone wrong in his head by the looks of it - attitude, options and composure are all suffering. Cockerill will want to knock it out of him. It might just possibly be buying the hype - Tigers will certainly get rid of that if it is the case.

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I've seen Tuilagi a couple of times for Leicester. Big future, but not inside 12 months. He's got a lot to learn about defence. His big fat brother on the wing has never learned about defence so fingers crossed he's got a defence gene his big fat brother missed out on. As for the other options, you can raffle the likes of Waldouck and Clark. I've seen enough of both of them to think they're worth a try, to determine whether they're just good club players. Anthony Allen's game has improved enormously at Leicester, too. Good club players or capable of better? Who knows? But none of them seem to be on J****'s radar. He's obviously going to the World Cup with two lumps whose only roles seem to be as decoys for the likes of Cueto - who seems to be playing like a bona fide 13 anyway - and Ashton and Foden. That amounts to England's strategy. Only strategy. Stop quick ball and England comes to a standstill. Strange strange strategy.

Sadly, Jordan Crane lacks the speed as well as the nouse. I can't immediately think of any better options than Easter. I wonder how many 8s in the premiership are England-eligible? I seem to see mainly Boks or Islanders. And if S. Armitage isn't fit, management should get him fit. He's seriously talented. Haskell managed to look good in a couple of matches by not actually doing anything in terms of hardy, dirty work.

I full expected Ireland to expose England - just as France and Scotland had - because it's one of their great strengths. And England, with their limited strategy, would struggle. It turned out to be -v- France and -v- Scotland writ very very much larger. Ireland had the guns that France and Scotland didn't. But how many times have Ireland done that over the years? And not just to England. From sh*t to champagne. Who would be an Ireland supporter?

Still, there's a bright side. Sounds like Shaun Edwards jobbed one of his Welsh backroom mates - an Irishman - over the victory celebrations in light of that ridiculous Luger-like try that wasn't.

[kittenOFchaos]

They weren't allowed to TALK about winning the Grand Slam...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ5VT_u3Lb4

But posing...

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It was recorded during the first 6N break. Pretty standard marketing exercise by Nike, prepare in advance in case. Just as newspapers will prepare two different headlines in advance of, say, a closely-fought election, and famous peoples' obituaries are prepared well before they die. Someone at Nike leaked it. Presumably an Irishman. The funniest part was actually the internal Nike memos relating to the planned celebrations.

[Havak]

Nike have done Rugby no favours anyway - I remember them trying to trade mark the red rose (all red roses!). By preference I'll now wear Cotton Traders kit to the official Nike stuff.

What worries me most is the failure to adapt on the field (and the way it progressed through the tournament) - an old, old problem. If the opposition is negating your game plan then try something different. It might fail but for gods sake at least try. They should have tried putting the ball behind the Irish blitz - it's school boy stuff.

Shaun Edwards - modest chap that he is - deserves all that is coming to him. Wasps and Wales - I'm hardly going to be a fan am I?

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Quite right, they didn't adapt. Yet against France they did. Smashed in and around the breakdown in the first half, they did their own smashing in the second half. Why didn't they mobilise their forwards more against Ireland? That's where they were being blown away. The problem with kicking behind the Irish? Who was going to do the kicking? Toby was in panic mode but his kicking from hand isn't astute enough anyway. If the forwards weren't going to come to the party, J**** should have bitten the bullet and dragged Toby for Wilko.

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Madonna Pulita! ... as they say around here. Thomas the Tank Engine is England-eligible! What's one more foreign-born chappie amongst so many? Speaks volumes for him that he'd forgotten his Gran was a Pom, though.