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The Rugby Thread

E17yid

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Jan 21, 2013
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Will be very interesting to see what happens if Halfpenny gets through 80 mins this Weekend in Italy.

Surely it’s too soon for him to be involved against England.
 

Japhet

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Aug 30, 2010
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Can't see Gatland picking anyone other than Biggar at 10 v England. Would obviously love him to pick Anscombe but he won't. Mind you, I was relishing the Scotlan game last year with Finn Russell being utter garbage, but he played a blinder (predictably). Halfpenny has been out far too long to come straight into a full on International IMO.
 

E17yid

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Jan 21, 2013
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Can't see Gatland picking anyone other than Biggar at 10 v England. Would obviously love him to pick Anscombe but he won't. Mind you, I was relishing the Scotlan game last year with Finn Russell being utter garbage, but he played a blinder (predictably). Halfpenny has been out far too long to come straight into a full on International IMO.

I’m not so sure. He went with Patchell last year who didn’t have the best game. I agree Biggar should play but it does seem he wants to give Anscombe some big game experience prior to the WC to see if he’s up to it.
 

E17yid

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Jan 21, 2013
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A blow for this tournament, but does mean we can have a proper look at Genge and Moon before the world cup and sort out the pecking order.

See, I’m pretty petty and have no interest in “the tournament “ I just want wales to beat England and win the 6N. You should be mixing it up like us anyway.

Yeah, I like “The Gangster” in that interview I posted a month or so ago. His “I like to run at faces not spaces” line was funny.

He seems a bit of a live wire and considering Sinkler is, shall we say, passionate, there’s potential to get under their skin but Rob Evans, Owens and Francis aren’t really like that I don’t think. Where’s mike Phillips when you need him.
 

SugarRay

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Jul 6, 2011
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I’d start Genge, see if he can back the chat up.

Shame Marler don’t fancy it anymore. Such a strange decision
 

midoNdefoe

the member formerly and technically still known as
Mar 9, 2005
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I think England Wales is setting up to be a cracking encounter... The fact we managed to squeeze a win out of last years shit-rag of performances in the 6 nations must be fresh in the buoyos memories!

The form we seem to have found again still feels a touch fragile, so we're going to have to come out all guns blazing and hopefully May can run one in in less than a minute this time.:D
If he carries on at this rate of scoring quicker and quicker, he's going to need to start catching the kick off and just touching it down!!
 

Japhet

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Aug 30, 2010
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I think England Wales is setting up to be a cracking encounter... The fact we managed to squeeze a win out of last years shit-rag of performances in the 6 nations must be fresh in the buoyos memories!

The form we seem to have found again still feels a touch fragile, so we're going to have to come out all guns blazing and hopefully May can run one in in less than a minute this time.:D
If he carries on at this rate of scoring quicker and quicker, he's going to need to start catching the kick off and just touching it down!!

I think EJ has got the tactics spot on in the last 2 games which is a big improvement on last year's 6N. He'll have something up his sleeve for the Welsh I'd imagine. I also think we're so much better without Ford at 10 who is just simply a sitting duck for the big ball carriers. They don't get much change out Farrell by contrast.
 

Thewobbler

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Oct 29, 2016
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I think England Wales is setting up to be a cracking encounter... The fact we managed to squeeze a win out of last years shit-rag of performances in the 6 nations must be fresh in the buoyos memories!

The form we seem to have found again still feels a touch fragile, so we're going to have to come out all guns blazing and hopefully May can run one in in less than a minute this time.:D
If he carries on at this rate of scoring quicker and quicker, he's going to need to start catching the kick off and just touching it down!!

I hope your right but on this form I can see england totally dominating them.
 

midoNdefoe

the member formerly and technically still known as
Mar 9, 2005
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I hope your right but on this form I can see england totally dominating them.
That’s the crux of it, if we bring the level we’ve been at, we should have the relentlessness to take them.
Never discount the Welsh though...
 

E17yid

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Jan 21, 2013
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I hope your right but on this form I can see england totally dominating them.

Depends on how we play but unlikely you dominate us. no Doubt if we lose all our line ours and generally play poorly it’s possibke but, like I say, unlikely.

I think you’ve exploited 2 teams who’ve not had a full back playing in either game very well but you want to make sure you do kick well against us as we’ll have an actual full back playing.

I think England have played well but nothing I’ve seen is making me shit the bed. The way some fans and pundits are going on it’s like you’ve suddenly turned into NZ. I even had one guy say to me if England played NZ tomorrow they’d put 10 points on them.
 

SugarRay

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Jul 6, 2011
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Depends on how we play but unlikely you dominate us. no Doubt if we lose all our line ours and generally play poorly it’s possibke but, like I say, unlikely.

I think you’ve exploited 2 teams who’ve not had a full back playing in either game very well but you want to make sure you do kick well against us as we’ll have an actual full back playing.

I think England have played well but nothing I’ve seen is making me shit the bed. The way some fans and pundits are going on it’s like you’ve suddenly turned into NZ. I even had one guy say to me if England played NZ tomorrow they’d put 10 points on them.

They would put 10 points on them.

Problem is, NZ would put 15 on England in the same game!

We’ve played well, very well against Ireland, but it’s early days. They’ve got a bit of making up to do following the nonsense that was last year. This does feel a little different though, even during Jones long winning streak we seemed to eek out a lot of games and didn’t really take control in some wins. The Irish game was a serious statement. The final score flattered the Irish, who were certainly the 2nd best team in the world at the time.
 

E17yid

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Jan 21, 2013
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They would put 10 points on them.

Problem is, NZ would put 15 on England in the same game!

We’ve played well, very well against Ireland, but it’s early days. They’ve got a bit of making up to do following the nonsense that was last year. This does feel a little different though, even during Jones long winning streak we seemed to eek out a lot of games and didn’t really take control in some wins. The Irish game was a serious statement. The final score flattered the Irish, who were certainly the 2nd best team in the world at the time.

Agreed, I’m not trying to take anything away from England but they exploited the weak link of Henshaw very well. I think you still win that game with Kearney playing (as Ireland were 2nd best in most aspects of the game) but I think it’s a closer match if henshaw wasn’t playing 15. France were all over the place.

Other than your line speed I’ve been impressed with your passing. Nice and crisp with runners not having to break stride. Going to be very interesting to see how both teams set out. You’d imagine you won’t change much but Eddie will be cooking up something I’m sure, as will Gats but Jones doesn’t even know who our 9 or 10 will be so that’s a small thing in our favour.
 

SugarRay

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Jul 6, 2011
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It’ll be a good one, it always is. England in Cardiff is a better fixture than Wales in Twickenham for some reason.

Predictions?
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
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It’ll be a good one, it always is. England in Cardiff is a better fixture than Wales in Twickenham for some reason.

Predictions?

It’s hard to make predictions as there’s 4 or 5 positions I’m not sure who he’s going to go with. For example if he goes Tomos Williams and Anscombe with Williams at FB I’d say we’ll lose by 14 plus. If we’re going Davies and Biggar with Halfpenny at 15 at Williams on the wing it’ll be closer.

Assuming the below team plays my head says England by 5 something like 22-17 but my heart says Wales to nick it by 3 something like 18-15

Evans
Owens
Francis
Ball
AWJ
Navidi
Tipuric
Moriarty
Davies
Biggar
Adams
Parkes
Davies
North
Williams
 
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