6 Nations 2015
Discussion
So where do England go from there?
Fullback is an obvious problem area. If Alex Goode is really the best understudy we've got to Mike Brown whilst Foden is out injured, then we're going to struggle desperately against any team playing a deep kicking game if Brown has to come off for any reason.
Even more worryingly, we don't seem to have anyone on the pitch who can come up with something new if plan A isn't going according to plan. It would be nice to see Danny Care back to the form he was showing before having a baby apparently made him forget what made him brilliant! Robshaw may well be a good captain from a "lead by example" perspective, but he just doesn't seem to have what it takes to instigate a change in strategy when it's needed. Is this down to a lack of strategic insight, or is he too wrapped up in doing his own job well to take the time to look around him from a wider angle?
Fullback is an obvious problem area. If Alex Goode is really the best understudy we've got to Mike Brown whilst Foden is out injured, then we're going to struggle desperately against any team playing a deep kicking game if Brown has to come off for any reason.
Even more worryingly, we don't seem to have anyone on the pitch who can come up with something new if plan A isn't going according to plan. It would be nice to see Danny Care back to the form he was showing before having a baby apparently made him forget what made him brilliant! Robshaw may well be a good captain from a "lead by example" perspective, but he just doesn't seem to have what it takes to instigate a change in strategy when it's needed. Is this down to a lack of strategic insight, or is he too wrapped up in doing his own job well to take the time to look around him from a wider angle?
Greg66 said:
We were simply unable to live with Ireland's intensity. Simple as that.
I didn't actually think the level of intensity from Ireland was all that high though. The biggest issue for me was Goode doing absolutely nothing with the ball, which constantly kept us too far back when they kicked long. If there was one match we didn't want to lose Brown for, it was this one.Moving on, when we started kicking penalties in the second half, was because we had no chance of getting over the line, because we thought we could kick our way to victory, or because we wanted to get within 7 before going for a try?
Or was it because someone, whether on the field or the bench, had looked at the points differences, and the fact that Ireland have to go to Wales and Scotland whereas we've got Scotland and France at home and decided to narrow the points gap first, and if we managed to win from there, so be it?
Woooo wooooo woooooo
And on a more serious note, and hopefully not too condescending. I thought England played reasonably well however they lacked any real threat whatsoever. They stayed in the game, made it hard for us (admittedly after Sexton and O'Brien went off). I was saying all week we (Ireland) would win today, though not by as much as we did but that England would have a better World Cup. Slam is now on big time. Éire abú.
And on a more serious note, and hopefully not too condescending. I thought England played reasonably well however they lacked any real threat whatsoever. They stayed in the game, made it hard for us (admittedly after Sexton and O'Brien went off). I was saying all week we (Ireland) would win today, though not by as much as we did but that England would have a better World Cup. Slam is now on big time. Éire abú.
Edited by epom on Monday 2nd March 22:38
Said it before and will say it again.England are not a thinking team. They can't adapt their thinking on the hoof and they can't stop giving penalties WHEN NOT UNDER PRESSURE. And we still have no decent 12 to take the pressure off a young 10.
Anyway, good on Ireland. Well deserved and a real team effort. Sexton is a class act. And Ford will be too, for a long time to come.
Anyway, good on Ireland. Well deserved and a real team effort. Sexton is a class act. And Ford will be too, for a long time to come.
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