The Rugby Thread

[SugarRay]

For me it doesn't matter, we have been abysmal. Our forwards look pony and we don't seem to have much creativity.

To be honest I’d have preferred to have lost by even more and actually chased it big time.

The ridiculous first try made us lose our heads but clearly not been at the races at all. Irish have had it too easy today. They’ve not actually been all that great, they haven’t had to be

 

[spurs mental]

Chariot swung so low the wheel came off.




COME ON IRELAND

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



YESSSSSSSSS

 

[SugarRay]

So turns out the Kearney knock on try that shouldn’t have stood made all the difference?

 

[spurs mental]

So turns out the Kearney knock on try that shouldn’t have stood made all the difference?

Unluckyyyyyyyyyyy

 

[tototoner]

Cam ann tay fuck, Grand Slam. Get full time

 

[mpickard2087]

That wasn't very good from England, but I rather feel we contributed to our own downfall there mainly rather than being blown off the park.

Still, congrats to Ireland. Solid and well drilled team and by far the most accurate and efficient team in the competition.

 

[haxman]

Unluckyyyyyyyyyyy

Lol you're such a shit stirrer, mental

 

[SugarRay]

Unluckyyyyyyyyyyy

Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiicckkkkkk...........ly contest at times today. Ireland totally deserved the championship, not sure about the slam though.

Still, only number 3. Bless

 

[haxman]

Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiicckkkkkk...........ly contest at times today. Ireland totally deserved the championship, not sure about the slam though.

Still, only number 3. Bless

5 million vs 53 million. we're over achievers. 2nd in the world too. we'll take that.

 

[TheChosenOne]

Tadgh Furlong - He's one of our own !

Went to school in New Ross, my home town. My youngest two go to school there also.

He's from Campile - about 8 miles down the road from here.

 

[Japhet]

So turns out the Kearney knock on try that shouldn’t have stood made all the difference?

Have to take those knocks I'm afraid.

 

[teok]

Well done to the irish deserved winners of the tournament.

 

[E17yid]

Alun Wyn Jones is a phenomenon

 

[Japhet]

That wasn't very good from England, but I rather feel we contributed to our own downfall there mainly rather than being blown off the park.

Still, congrats to Ireland. Solid and well drilled team and by far the most accurate and efficient team in the competition.

England game plan goes out the window without a big ball carrying 8. Without Billy V or Hughes we can't get on the front foot.

 

[alfie103]

Well done to the irish deserved winners of the tournament.

Yep deserved winners for the Tournament no doubt. England were really poor.

 

[teok]

France vs wales is pretty fun so far.


e- I swear I typed that 5 secs before moore said exactly that.

 

[mpickard2087]

England really need to sit down and have a good examination of what has gone wrong in the last month, and what the answers are. It doesn't mean kicking out the whole squad of players, but there are some big calls that need to be made and some problems that need fixing ASAP.

As a team/unit we don't look in a good place. Some areas look undercoached (breakdown, maul) whilst we also maybe look overcoached (in the general lack of energy and freshness the team displays). Both with and without the ball things aren't right though, our attacking structures are badly misfiring - partly due to the struggle to secure our own ball and also the balance doesn't seem right and we struggle to get enough go forward or hard carries. Our rush defence has also looked pretty soft and we've seen more than one Try this tournament where the opposition has just picked a hole right through the middle of our team. On top of all that, discipline has also been killing us.

Individually he's got to make some calls.

Dank Hole should be done now at this level, he offers nothing round the park and isn't even reliable in the scrum any more. Hartley is questionable, he's still the best set piece hooker but he cant rely on that and his leadership forever - particularly when we're losing games and giving up soft penalties every game. Certainly those two should never be paired together in a front row again - you might get away with one 'steady eddie' type, but not two.

Mako looks a bit stale but carried much better today, scrum is still a big concern. Marler is still doing daft things. Sinckler has to be in the 23, but we need to identify who his competition is. George, LCD and Taylor need opportunities at 2.

Locks should be a strength, but are currently a problem. Lawes and Launch haven't been in their best form. Itoje has hit a wall. Kruis' form has fallen off a cliff in the last year. None of them in any case, good or bad game, are making the big impact you'd hope for and acting as that engine room for the team.

Back row - Well..... Robshaw has had a good renaissance, but needs to be in a balanced team, and I'm not so sure the game, and his competitors, isn't going past him. Haskell added a lot today I felt at the breakdown hitting rucks, still a place for him around the squad until someone like Underhill usurps him in that role. You can play Haskell and Robshaw if you have one of our big 8's to carry ball. Simmonds isn't that, if he plays he needs to play 7 I think with the 6 and 8 doing the tight work and carrying work as he operates in wider channels. We need more options though, especially identifying a 7. Oh, and no more Locks at 6 please...

Scrum halfs need to develop options, and desperately need one who can deliver quick ball and a rapid pass.

10 - is not Farrell.

Centres don't look balanced. Our usual 10/12 need more of a ball carrying 13 unless the pack is full of options. Te'o looks more of an impact sub to me. JJ isn't in good form. Options, but we probably need to identify another hard ball carrying option.

No concerns with the wings, well stocked and if they get decent ball we have try scorers. 15 is the problem... Brown is on the decline and slowing up, but we don't really have anyone who can offer the nuts and bolts of fullback play. They have to be defensively secure, and especially under the high ball. We saw today that in international rugby if you aren't then you will get targeted and found out.


Eddie has really got some homework to do.....

 

[mpickard2087]

England game plan goes out the window without a big ball carrying 8. Without Billy V or Hughes we can't get on the front foot.

Agree, for too long we've got away with too many players who don't offer enough round the park or in their carrying (Cole, Hartley, some of the locks, Robshaw) by having Billy V and his superhuman efforts at trucking ball up over the gainline. If you're going to pick Ford-Farrell-Joseph and flying wingers then an absolutely beastly, hard carrying pack you would think is an absolute pre-requisite.

 

[teok]

Basically we play the league style attack. It worked well for a while (let's not forget) but teams are hard countering it. The irish always knew how to counter it.

Jones is very experienced he just needs to figure out a new plan. It's better that it happened now rather than at the world cup.

 

[Japhet]

England really need to sit down and have a good examination of what has gone wrong in the last month, and what the answers are. It doesn't mean kicking out the whole squad of players, but there are some big calls that need to be made and some problems that need fixing ASAP.

As a team/unit we don't look in a good place. Some areas look undercoached (breakdown, maul) whilst we also maybe look overcoached (in the general lack of energy and freshness the team displays). Both with and without the ball things aren't right though, our attacking structures are badly misfiring - partly due to the struggle to secure our own ball and also the balance doesn't seem right and we struggle to get enough go forward or hard carries. Our rush defence has also looked pretty soft and we've seen more than one Try this tournament where the opposition has just picked a hole right through the middle of our team. On top of all that, discipline has also been killing us.

Individually he's got to make some calls.

Dank Hole should be done now at this level, he offers nothing round the park and isn't even reliable in the scrum any more. Hartley is questionable, he's still the best set piece hooker but he cant rely on that and his leadership forever - particularly when we're losing games and giving up soft penalties every game. Certainly those two should never be paired together in a front row again - you might get away with one 'steady eddie' type, but not two.

Mako looks a bit stale but carried much better today, scrum is still a big concern. Marler is still doing daft things. Sinckler has to be in the 23, but we need to identify who his competition is. George, LCD and Taylor need opportunities at 2.

Locks should be a strength, but are currently a problem. Lawes and Launch haven't been in their best form. Itoje has hit a wall. Kruis' form has fallen off a cliff in the last year. None of them in any case, good or bad game, are making the big impact you'd hope for and acting as that engine room for the team.

Back row - Well..... Robshaw has had a good renaissance, but needs to be in a balanced team, and I'm not so sure the game, and his competitors, isn't going past him. Haskell added a lot today I felt at the breakdown hitting rucks, still a place for him around the squad until someone like Underhill usurps him in that role. You can play these two if you have one of our big 8's to carry ball. Simmonds isn't that, if he plays he needs to play 7 I think with the 6 and 8 doing the tight work and carrying work as he operates in wider channels. We need more options though, especially identifying a 7.

Scrum halfs need to develop options, and desperately need one who can deliver quick ball and a rapid pass.

10 - is not Farrell.

Centres don't look balanced. Our usual 10/12 need more of a ball carrying 13 unless the pack is full of options. Te'o looks more of an impact sub to me. JJ isn't in good form. Options, but we probably need to identify another hard ball carrying option.

No concerns with the wings, well stocked and if they get decent ball we have try scorers. 15 is the problem... Brown is on the decline and slowing up, but we don't really have anyone who can offer the nuts and bolts of fullback play. They have to be defensively secure, and especially under the high ball. We saw today that in international rugby if you aren't then you will get targeted and found out.


Eddie has really got some homework to do.....

I also think Mako is an impact sub but not a starting loose head. Marler saps energy out of opponents which is crucial in the first half and Mako is a proper handful when the game gets more open. We've been slow out of the blocks all through the tournament and I think this is one of the reasons.