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mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
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Unbelievable.

As we see so often in sport, momentum plays a massive part - even within a game. And we saw another example that you cant just turn on and off your intensity and focus when you feel like it. England didn't come out right after the break and it quickly unravelled on them. Yeah there were some nice tries, for both teams, but defensively it was a calamity.

From an England perspective, we have a lot of weapons and I think overall have probably played the best rugby and looked the best team for large parts of the tournament but there's a lot of loose cannons in that team, there is a lack of leadership when things are going wrong and they get rattled and you cant afford that. I think we look a bit off fitness wise too, collectively and a few individually.
 
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E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
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What a team performance. We haven’t put in even a 50min performance all 6N but you got the feeling we’d be on it for more or less the whole 80 today. Was just a question of how Ireland would respond to that. They didn’t.

This team can play a lot better and come the WC it’ll have Faletau and Rhys Webb in it. They might as well just give it to us now.
 

DaiT

Well-Known Member
Jan 29, 2011
374
698
What a team performance. We haven’t put in even a 50min performance all 6N but you got the feeling we’d be on it for more or less the whole 80 today. Was just a question of how Ireland would respond to that. They didn’t.

This team can play a lot better and come the WC it’ll have Faletau and Rhys Webb in it. They might as well just give it to us now.
Careful now @E17yid don't start touching the cup.
What a fantastic performance by Wales today. Well worth getting up at 3.45 am to watch.
 

talkshowhost86

Mod-Moose
Staff
Oct 2, 2004
48,105
47,061
What a team performance. We haven’t put in even a 50min performance all 6N but you got the feeling we’d be on it for more or less the whole 80 today. Was just a question of how Ireland would respond to that. They didn’t.

This team can play a lot better and come the WC it’ll have Faletau and Rhys Webb in it. They might as well just give it to us now.

If Wales can somehow work out a way to win the World Cup without having to beat a Southern Hemisphere team then it's definitely theirs for the taking.

Seriously though I think this 6Ns has just reinforced how easily I think the All Blacks will win the World Cup. But it'll be a hell of a tournament up to that point with England and Ireland capable of good performances and Wales on a brilliant run of form.
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
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If Wales can somehow work out a way to win the World Cup without having to beat a Southern Hemisphere team then it's definitely theirs for the taking.

Seriously though I think this 6Ns has just reinforced how easily I think the All Blacks will win the World Cup. But it'll be a hell of a tournament up to that point with England and Ireland capable of good performances and Wales on a brilliant run of form.

We’ve got a great record against SA in recent years. Beat the Ozzie’s last time out too so I don’t fear either of them.

You’re right, though, hard to see past NZ winning it.

Think England will be there or thereabouts too.
 

teok

Well-Known Member
Aug 11, 2011
10,837
33,607
If you actually get all of SA's players together not just what ever scratch side they play usually they will nullify northern hemisphere teams. Wales/ireland/england are all very similar.
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
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If you actually get all of SA's players together not just what ever scratch side they play usually they will nullify northern hemisphere teams. Wales/ireland/england are all very similar.

They’re on an upward curve for sure but they shouldn’t be feared especially by us as it’s 4 or 5 in a row against them.

They’re where we were a couple of years ago rebuilding a squad and if the WC was a year or 2 away I’d fancy them more but even then you beat them upfront you’ll beat them and looking at how we’ve been in the physical battle upfront we can nullify SA. They got some good backs obviously but they still lack a WC 9 and 10. De clerk is a very good 9 but Jantees or Pollard at 10 aren’t a concern. Kriel is a class outside center and they’ve got some great wingers in Mpipi (name) and the other young kid they’ve got but, again, nothing that can’t be dealt with, especially if you’re winning the battle upfront.

I’d rather play SA in a semi final than England, for sure.

Having said that when you get to a WC QTR final stage onwards anyone can beat anyone really.

Mind you,I still don’t like our group with Australia and Fiji as the latter are so unpredictable so we certainly shouldn’t be looking beyond the group stages. Those 4 matches against Ireland and England later in the year will be a good indication of where Ireland, Wales and England are.

Performance wise I don’t think England have to fear anyone but mentally they are being a bit spurs-esque at the moment which is the main thing you need to work on. That an game management but that’s been a bit of a problem for you for the last year or so. Especially that test series in SA when you were out of sight in the first 2 tests but lost it in the second half (not to mention tge embarrassing display yesterday against Scotland)
 
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E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
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30,495
This is how I’d rank the countries for the WC. Obviously it’s subjective but how many WC have there been where you’d have 3 NH nations in the top 4

1. NZ
2. Wales
3. England
4. Ireland
5. SA
6. Aus
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
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Players who have stood out this 6N:

England:

Curry
Sinkler (mostly for the right reasons but for the wrong reasons too, sometimes)

Ireland

Hard to say anyone has stood out for Ireland really as their big game players haven’t delivered but I do like Ryan

France

Dupont

Scotland

Graham
McInally
Watson (not played much)

Italy

Meh

Wales

AWJ - he always stands out. His default setting is beast mode

Tips
Navidi
Moriarty
Williams
Adams
Evans
Beard


AWJ is player of the tournament, obviously.

Players who you expected a lot more from are Vunipola (looks half the player he was- crazy to think some think he’s in the same league as Faletau)

Farrell
Sexton
Murray
Actually the whole Irish team really.

Combined 6N team of the tournament

Evans
Owens
Francis
Beard
AWJ
Navidi
Tips
Moriarty
Dupont
Anscombe
Adams
Parkes
Davies
North
Williams
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
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30,495
Did Eddie Jones mention how tired England looked yesterday and how fresh we looked? I missed it if he did.

On that game. Absolutely hilarious Farrell kept the players on the pitch at HT to do his little team talk. A 101 in how to fuck up a 30 point lead in 40 minutes, obviously.
 
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