Discussion
Missed the game as I was playing for the first time in years-time to retire back to the sofa for good I think........
Just watched the highlights but missed the tries. Ireland didn't particularly seem up for it today, England good in patches, need to be more clinical but that will come hopefully.
Ireland's pool fixtures are very kind in that they have France last so max time to get their act together.
Just watched the highlights but missed the tries. Ireland didn't particularly seem up for it today, England good in patches, need to be more clinical but that will come hopefully.
Ireland's pool fixtures are very kind in that they have France last so max time to get their act together.
Wow what a game for the Scotland Vs France!
I said to a mate earlier today that if Scotland can loose by less than 10 points i'll be happy! (france at home is never easy)
to finish being beaten by 3 points yet be leading the game for almost all of it until Denton got carded.
Even being down at 14 men, they put up a great fight and show the class to break the lines.
Feeling more confident going into world cup and I think the current Scotland Squad is the strongest they have been in years!
I said to a mate earlier today that if Scotland can loose by less than 10 points i'll be happy! (france at home is never easy)
to finish being beaten by 3 points yet be leading the game for almost all of it until Denton got carded.
Even being down at 14 men, they put up a great fight and show the class to break the lines.
Feeling more confident going into world cup and I think the current Scotland Squad is the strongest they have been in years!
Rusty1 said:
Wow what a game for the Scotland Vs France!
I said to a mate earlier today that if Scotland can loose by less than 10 points i'll be happy! (france at home is never easy)
to finish being beaten by 3 points yet be leading the game for almost all of it until Denton got carded.
Even being down at 14 men, they put up a great fight and show the class to break the lines.
Feeling more confident going into world cup and I think the current Scotland Squad is the strongest they have been in years!
19-16I said to a mate earlier today that if Scotland can loose by less than 10 points i'll be happy! (france at home is never easy)
to finish being beaten by 3 points yet be leading the game for almost all of it until Denton got carded.
Even being down at 14 men, they put up a great fight and show the class to break the lines.
Feeling more confident going into world cup and I think the current Scotland Squad is the strongest they have been in years!
Couldn't agree more and if anything it was a draw, Scotland had the option to kick a forgone conclusion but as it was a friendly, went for the win.
Like you said Scotland played a very strong France who were playing at (I'd say) very close to their maximum potential. Scotland were outstanding in defence, great at the break down and competed well with the French pack at scrum time. A lot of positives to take into the world cup and apart from the line out (which in this match was a bit of a shambles) and the periods of poor handling of the ball Scotland were competitive. Looking forward to seeing Scotland continue to grow and develop their game, roll on world cup.
edit to add the ref missed the French offsides all night and refused to let Scotland contest at the ruck
Edited by rb26 on Saturday 5th September 22:12
irocfan said:
well England were better but still only in patches and Ireland were for the most part toilet. If there's any consolation I'm 45 minutes into the Wales match and they seem to be toilet too, the Aussies must be licking their lips
Aussies beat the USA 47-10 but the score line flattered them in the end-was something like 14-10 at half time. What is slightly comforting is that the Aussies have tried a lot of combinations lately so arguably haven't decided on a settled team, particularly their half back combo.England left far too many point on the pitch yesterday, can't do that come the WC. It is comforting though that we have wings that can score and the personnel that gets the ball to them. Brown was good yesterday, Barritt was Barritt, I reckon May has probably played himself in to the starting XV. Dan Cole doesn't look in form so hopefully will come good. Morgan looked good yesterday and Launch when he came on.
Didn't look good for the two Welsh lads yesterday, as a rugby fan you want to see the best player play.
Whilst I have been beating a drum for Cipriani to make RWC for England, the utter despair for the two Welsh lads must be beyond comprehension.... Truly feel for them both and (as above) I think it is a shame two very good (one possibly world class) won't now be on show! And that's despite it being 'good news' for England.
These tournaments seem to be more and more attritional with each four year cycle so I would expect fringe players (inc. Cips) to most likely play a roll somewhere. 31 players isn't a lot if you make the knock out stages.
Good luck to Halfpenny but Rhys looks bu66ered
These tournaments seem to be more and more attritional with each four year cycle so I would expect fringe players (inc. Cips) to most likely play a roll somewhere. 31 players isn't a lot if you make the knock out stages.
Good luck to Halfpenny but Rhys looks bu66ered
Whatever rugby country is in the World Cup id want all sides to have their best players possible available - and none to be injured during the tournament.
The Webb injury yesterday looked horrible and you could hear him screaming in pain not just as it happened but ongoing. I hope he recovers and can play again.
The Webb injury yesterday looked horrible and you could hear him screaming in pain not just as it happened but ongoing. I hope he recovers and can play again.
Welshbeef said:
Whatever rugby country is in the World Cup id want all sides to have their best players possible available - and none to be injured during the tournament.
The Webb injury yesterday looked horrible and you could hear him screaming in pain not just as it happened but ongoing. I hope he recovers and can play again.
It does (thankfully) appear that we all agree on this!The Webb injury yesterday looked horrible and you could hear him screaming in pain not just as it happened but ongoing. I hope he recovers and can play again.
Unfortunately, having now watched the Rhys injury a couple of times on the news, that could well be a career ending injury. The forced movement, break and untold soft tissue damage that must have occurred in that horrific accident will be awful. Fingers crossed I'm wrong obviously.....
Tweet from Rhys Webb this morning:
https://twitter.com/rhyswebb9/status/6404415859944...
Doesn't sound good.
https://twitter.com/rhyswebb9/status/6404415859944...
Doesn't sound good.
Rhys Webb said:
Morphine and a scrub off the nurses. Good start to a glorious Sunday morning.
a311 said:
Fiji gave Canada a good whipping yesterday. I can see them beating one of England, Wales, Australia. Just hope it's not England! 
This is the big risk for Wales 5 days gap after England. If you were Fiji you'd want to beat Uraguay, ignore Oz then give everything against Eng and Wales
London424 said:
Good article, wish more of this type of article were published in the media. Parling has been one of the most consistent Locks for quite sometime, problem is with Joe Public who generally haven't played or understand the ins and outs of the game and individual positions appreciate the mostly unseen work a good lock gets through.The position is potentially changing/evolving, guys like Lawes (who seems to blow hot and cold for England IMO) are immense athletes, huge engines to get around the pitch, do the usual job a lock but also make line breaks, spot gaps, get over the ball and put people into space etc with the ability to pass the ball. They make headlines making line breaks or impressive covering tackles.
Brodie Retallick is arguably the best lock in the World at the moment and comes from this mould, Joe Launchbury another. It's been the case for a long while that teams will go for heavier lock, mainly to pack down behind the tight head prop in the scrum and a slightly lightly more athletic bloke to chuck up in lineouts. I'd say teams should go for two lighter locks at their own peril, it happened with props, particularly in the southern hemisphere with Australia wanting more mobile carriers and forgetting about their primary role-the scrum.
I'm a big fan of AWJ, consistent, not flashy, does what his team needs of him.
Welshbeef said:
If you were Fiji you'd want to beat Uraguay, ignore Oz then give everything against Eng and Wales
Are England more beatable than Australia... in England? I'm not so sure about that, especially after the 1st half of Saturday.I would have said they will need to go all out against all 3 teams and realistically - they'll probably lose all 3.
After your injuries this weekend, I am (genuinely) sorry that I think it will be England and Australia going through (at least I hope so, in the case of England) without too much drama.
And Wales are my 'second' team with my paternal grandmother being born there
dom9 said:
Are England more beatable than Australia... in England? I'm not so sure about that, especially after the 1st half of Saturday.
I would have said they will need to go all out against all 3 teams and realistically - they'll probably lose all 3.
After your injuries this weekend, I am (genuinely) sorry that I think it will be England and Australia going through (at least I hope so, in the case of England) without too much drama.
And Wales are my 'second' team with my paternal grandmother being born there
The game plan against Fiji (and any pacific nation) is to play proper XV man rugby, get drawn into an open game allowing them to paly 15 man 7's style rugby and you're in trouble. Keep it forward orientated and the pacific nations usually leak points via penalties.I would have said they will need to go all out against all 3 teams and realistically - they'll probably lose all 3.
After your injuries this weekend, I am (genuinely) sorry that I think it will be England and Australia going through (at least I hope so, in the case of England) without too much drama.
And Wales are my 'second' team with my paternal grandmother being born there
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