6 Nations 2015

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Discussion

irocfan

40,152 posts

189 months

Friday 6th March 2015
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Vocal Minority said:
irocfan said:
just finished watching it and TBH we were never really at the races. Our kick chase wasn't appalling as that would've been an improvement on what we actually had! frown


  1. 15 - saved on try really well and a couple of decent kicks but other than that Izno must've thought he was part crab, never again in an England shirt please.
  2. 14 - did he even touch the ball more than 4 times?
  3. 13 - JJ didn't do a whole lot today
  4. 12 - I do like LB but it doesn't seem like he's kicked on from last year, and seems to be a little slow of thought, if Manu gets his fitness back he's got to missing out and learning more
  5. 11 - one or two nice touches but largely as ineffective as May
  6. 10 - has he had a poorer game for England
  7. 9 - not the best game he's had, has DC's form meant BY feels he can take his foot off the gas?
At this rate I can see France beating us and the Scots causing us scary moments!

Very poor.
But I think we can agree they were much better against wales. So lets call it a poor game and move on, rather than hand wringing that we're doomed and thinking it will never change...
oh don't misunderstand - I'm not calling for wholesale changes however I don't think that Nowell is the right person for the wing nor Izno for 15. Tactics-wise I can't see why SL didn't bring on DC for Ford with 15/20 to go when it was obvious we weren't going to win

iiyama

2,201 posts

200 months

Friday 6th March 2015
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It would appear that for whatever reason, Lancaster is not interested in playing Cips. Don't really understand why he was on the bench really. It was pretty obvious the way the game was going, so as you say, why not try a change at ten with twenty five minutes to go? What did they have to lose?

FUBAR

17,062 posts

237 months

Friday 6th March 2015
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Potatoes said:
Pre-game, I expected the England scrum to be dominant and Ireland managed to control that piece well...
England's scrum will be fine for the next game after Horsham RUFC's 3rd team props gave them some tips and advice Wednesday night wink



I hadnt appreciated just how big Dan Cole is

Potatoes

3,572 posts

169 months

Friday 6th March 2015
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LOL

thumbup

dmitsi

3,583 posts

219 months

Friday 6th March 2015
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Managed to convince my girlfriend that a trip to Wales next Saturday is a good idea.
We're hopefully picking up a car in Swindon then onto Cardiff. I'll get a last minute tout ticket whilst she does some shopping. Then stay up near the beacons with some fun driving on Sunday around there. She wasn't interested in the watching the game which is easier for picking up cheap tickets anyway and she'll drive so I can have Guinness and hopefully watch Ireland get one step closer to a slam. Should be a good game anyway, last time I was at the millennium stadium for this fixture it was last minute drop goal from O'Gara to steal the win.

Nobby Diesel

2,051 posts

250 months

Monday 9th March 2015
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I will be at Twickenham, keeping a healthy eye on the Wales game.
I think we ( England) need a favour from our Welsh friends!

a311

Original Poster:

5,789 posts

176 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
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I see Barritt is out (wouldn't have seen him making a start anyhow plus his defensive capability is required in the 6N IMO). Also Tom Croft which means we should get a specialist lock on the bench, possibly in the form of Lawes or Parling on the bench. I don't expect Wood will come straight back in, but then again our lineout was ste last time out.

Shame Haskell hasn't pushed on since the Wales game, seems to have been history repeating itself, gets a chance and doesn't quite show enough to take it. Still reckon a backrow with Robshaw and Wood in it is totally unbalanced.

Will be interesting to see if and how England bounce back. Scotland are capable of an upset and tend to get fired up for the England game above all others.

With the 6N still up for grabs I don't see Lancaster making any huge changes, Wales could do us a favor but what I've seen of them so far doesn't suggest it. It would take some effort though for Wales to be as poor as England were though.....

Slade's been brought into the squad for Barritt, def warrants being looked at over bloody Twelvetrees at least.

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
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Looks like Gatland won't have to give a team talk this week.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-new...

steveT350C

6,728 posts

160 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
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Brown and Lawes to start against Scotland, Wood and Parling on bench.

http://www.englandrugby.com/news/brown-and-lawes-r...

England need a big points difference win.


Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
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steveT350C said:
Brown and Lawes to start against Scotland, Wood and Parling on bench.

http://www.englandrugby.com/news/brown-and-lawes-r...

England need a big points difference win.
I think Kruis was rather unlucky, but thank God that numpty Goode isn't going to be around any more!!! woohoo

irocfan

40,152 posts

189 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
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feel sorry for Nick Easter - seemed to have given it a good crack whenever he came on and did nothing wrong

a311

Original Poster:

5,789 posts

176 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
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Feel sorry for Kruis and to a lesser extent Easter-not because he was cr@p but because that's surely it for his international career and as mentioned did very well in his appearances too.

I've given up on trying to fathom Lancaster's selection policy. Eye on the world cup Easter made sense, covered lock better than I'd imagined, loads of experience and probably in the best form of his career. If he was just a place holder why not give a young player some experience? Shift the backrow about to look at some options, Robshaw to 6 and have a look at what having a proper fetcher at 7 could bring to the team? Or stick another hard running ball carrier at 6?

Parling is a solid lock, not sure he's much of a bench type player though in terms of impact, so would rather see him start and Attwood come on after 60. Steady sort of bloke (underrated IMO) that won't let you down, at best close a game out as a sub. Surprised Wood didn't come straight back in, not as it's necessarily right just on the back of Kruis going straight out and he seems a Lancaster favorite.

Derek Smith

45,512 posts

247 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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COMPETITION TIME

Guess whose son is a flag bearer at Twickenham on Saturday.

No prizes.

Potatoes

3,572 posts

169 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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Potatoes said:
I hope not!! He's supposed to be on a mini rugby tour in the Isle of Wight with me!! hehe

Both my boys have played on the Twickenham pitch though, although before the Quins Big Game last Christmas, rather than before an international.

Having stood in the middle of the pitch when the stadium was near enough empty, I just cannot even begin to imagine what it must feel like to kick a match off with 80,000+ fans screaming and cheering you on!

PS - When Derek said "no prizes", I assume he meant his own son?

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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hornetrider said:
Looks like Gatland won't have to give a team talk this week.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-new...
Fire in the belly will be raging for the Welsh boys now --



Sadly I'm going to miss the game.... Ahhhhhh

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 12th March 2015
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I'm off to Cardiff on Saturday - my first time there for a Rugby match since I played junior rugby at the old Arms Park in the 80s!

I went to a couple of FA cup finals and the atmosphere was cracking so I am seriously looking forward to it.

Wheat

505 posts

129 months

Friday 13th March 2015
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Can anyone be kind enough to write a quick synopsis of who could win the tournament and who England need to loose and what England need to do to win it? I'm confused. Or if there's a link to a web page where it is already explained?

Thanks

Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Friday 13th March 2015
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Wheat said:
Can anyone be kind enough to write a quick synopsis of who could win the tournament and who England need to loose and what England need to do to win it? I'm confused. Or if there's a link to a web page where it is already explained?

Thanks
It's pretty simple. If England beat Scotland, and Wales beat Ireland, then all three teams will head in to the final match of the tournament level on six points.

As none of those three teams will be playing each other on the final weekend, they could all win, and therefore all finish the tournament on eight points each, so the key then is points difference.

At present, that would look to favour the Irish, as they're currently 40 points to the good compared to 25 for England and 5 for Wales, but, by definition, if Wales do beat them, then their points advantage will reduce, and if England beat Scotland, then theirs will increase.

Wales face Italy on the last weekend, so should get the biggest points gain there. The Scots have been fairly parsimonious - they're only on -13 despite losing all their games to this point - and France could beat England by 80, or lose by 80, or anything in between! hehe

As things currently stand, unless Wales beat Ireland by a significant margin, then you'd have to have Ireland as favourites for the title, even if the Welsh do beat them.

Wheat

505 posts

129 months

Friday 13th March 2015
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Thank you!