Much as expected - a four point win, hard fought. We have only the very slimmest of chances of winning this tournament, rambler. Martin Johnson needs about 2 more years to create a team which would be a serious contender for best in the world. Probably fifth best in the world right now, with Argentina being 6th.
England looked a better side when Youngs came on, he and Toby Flood will have to start against Georgia as Wilkinson was rubbish. A great player in his time but too many missed kicks at goal, a penalty that failed to find touch and I can't remember him doing much with the ball in hand.
Well played by Wales - they had two kicks at the end where they could have won it, which got me thinking. Given that Argentina and England and Wales missed a few reasonably long pots on goal I wonder if there's a new match ball in use in this tournament that the players aren't used to playing with?
Some of Johnny Wilkinson's missed penalties were comically wide. Given that he's normally accurate and when he misses it isn't by much, so I'm just wondering if the IRFU have taken a leaf out of Fifa's book and introduced a new ball just before a major tournament that the players haven't had time to get to grips with.
Sexton missed a few for Ireland this morning, the ball has been around for the last year and was used in the 6 nations. It might be a bad batch or it might be the conditions down under in NZ.
Sexton missed a few for Ireland this morning, the ball has been around for the last year and was used in the 6 nations. It might be a bad batch or it might be the conditions down under in NZ.
The Argentina-England match was held in an indoor stadium, so conditions are out as an excuse.
The ball is about a year old - it has to my certain knowledge been used in S American qualifying matches, and I believe the Six Nations. Indoors creates its own problems. The wind at the SA match was a factor.
Cracking debut from Russia in their match against USA. England, with, two players down will struggle against Scotland on 1st October. 3 points in that one.
Australia v Ireland 09.30 this Saturday should be a corker. Unless Ireland step up a gear it could be a 20 point win by the Aussies.
Cracking debut from Russia in their match against USA. England, with, two players down will struggle against Scotland on 1st October. 3 points in that one.
Australia v Ireland 09.30 this Saturday should be a corker. Unless Ireland step up a gear it could be a 20 point win by the Aussies.
I see the Sun are doing their bit for the Nation by spreading malice about the players. Nothing changes.Lets hope they go the same way as The Mirror
I missed the USA/Russia game this a.m as i was up and away very early. Some of the games between the less powerful teams are more enjoyable than games between the 'superpowers', rugby not nuclear weapon fuelled superpowers that is.
Having predicted a totally over optimistic winning score over Argentina, I believe that England will beat Scotland fairly comfortably. Sheridan will (hopefully) be replaced by Corbisiero who (IMO) should have had the starting role in any case. Palmer should replace Deacon, Lawes will have done his time, Moody, hopefully will be fit and Youngs will be match fit. Moody's state of fitness is a worry and if Johnson is contemplating a replacement for Sheridan, let it be a flanker and not another prop. Robshaw would be the man for me. Stand off is a worry. Wilkinson has lost the plot and Flood has never convinced me as an international play maker. I'd love it if Hook were English, but he isn't, so we have to go with what we have. Cueto for Armitage would be another change for me, as would Stevens for Cole; giving a strongest team of: Foden, Cueto, Tualigi, Tindall, Ashton, Flood (with reservations), Youngs, Corbisiero, Thompson, Stevens, Palmer, Lawes, Croft, Easter, Moody (or Robshaw in the unlikely event he is called up).
Georgia look strong and fit if not over skillful in the backs and Romania are, as ever, full of flair, play like France did in the 1970s and 80s without the player personnel. Scotland as ever are big and committed but still Scotland, if ye ken worra meen
As for Tindall, any man who has the luck to marry a (near) Princess and still has the time and energy to play international sport and enjoy some fun with sexy young women in nightclubs deserves a round of applause and not public opprobium
Interesting points Lincs - wish I shared your optimism!
This article on Jonny's kicking was interesting
Wilko said: "Christ, I don't know how many I missed. I've probably had days like that but not for a while.
"I felt like I was hitting the ball very well and expected to see it where I wanted it to go.
"You then wonder how you correct something that didn't feel wrong. But looking at what happened to the ball, I had to try to correct it.
"There were just a couple of kicks out there I would have thought were not great — but the rest of them I was pretty happy with.
"I kept looking at what I was doing each time and I was happy with it.
"So, in a way, it's quite difficult to accept it and move on to the next one."
There were gasps of disbelief as Wilkinson missed four consecutive penalties against Argentina — the first time that has happened to him in an international match.
He broke the sequence by adding the simple conversion to Ben Youngs' match-winning try.
But the ex-Newcastle No 10 missed another penalty before landing the crucial shot that gave England some much-needed breathing space at the end.
And Red Rose defensive coach Mike Ford said Wilkinson showed tremendous bottle to kick that last penalty.
Ford said: "It's so rare for Jonny to have an off day, isn't it?
"But you have to admire his character to get that one that took us four points in front after what had happened the previous 70 minutes.
"It was a tough kick and he nailed it. If I see him kick in training or in the next game, I'll put my mortgage on him not to miss. That's how much we all trust him."
Argentine kickers Martin Rodriguez and Felipe Contepomi were even more erratic.
It was a strange all round place kicking game for sure. What concerned me most about Wilkinson was not so much his kicking both at goal and from hand, he also missed a penalty kick to touch ! so much as his all round play. In the first five minutes he gave Tindall such a hospital pass that I had to momentarily turn from the screen as I hate the sight of spurting blood and flying dismembered limbs. Thankfully Tindall survived although he may not look so well after Zara and her mum are finished with him. (I'll give you nightclubs and big titted Kiwi birds)
Wilkinson was just perfect for the 2003 team which played 10 man rugby to perfection and England's pack would roll over any other 8 on the planet. Unfortunately Johnson as coach has not developed his thinking from his time as Johnson as captain. Wilkinson is 8 years older and 20 years slower and England's forwards though still good and powerful are no longer all dominating. Flood is indecisive and seems to always play a game taken straight from the black (or is it white nowadays?) board. Oh for a Hook or a Cooper or a Carter, even more so for a Genia, the best scrum 1/2 I have seen since Gareth Edwards.
Cracking debut from Russia in their match against USA. England, with, two players down will struggle against Scotland on 1st October. 3 points in that one.
Australia v Ireland 09.30 this Saturday should be a corker. Unless Ireland step up a gear it could be a 20 point win by the Aussies.
I see the Sun are doing their bit for the Nation by spreading malice about the players. Nothing changes.Lets hope they go the same way as The Mirror
I missed the USA/Russia game this a.m as i was up and away very early. Some of the games between the less powerful teams are more enjoyable than games between the 'superpowers', rugby not nuclear weapon fuelled superpowers that is.
Having predicted a totally over optimistic winning score over Argentina, I believe that England will beat Scotland fairly comfortably. Sheridan will (hopefully) be replaced by Corbisiero who (IMO) should have had the starting role in any case. Palmer should replace Deacon, Lawes will have done his time, Moody, hopefully will be fit and Youngs will be match fit. Moody's state of fitness is a worry and if Johnson is contemplating a replacement for Sheridan, let it be a flanker and not another prop. Robshaw would be the man for me. Stand off is a worry. Wilkinson has lost the plot and Flood has never convinced me as an international play maker. I'd love it if Hook were English, but he isn't, so we have to go with what we have. Cueto for Armitage would be another change for me, as would Stevens for Cole; giving a strongest team of: Foden, Cueto, Tualigi, Tindall, Ashton, Flood (with reservations), Youngs, Corbisiero, Thompson, Stevens, Palmer, Lawes, Croft, Easter, Moody (or Robshaw in the unlikely event he is called up).
Georgia look strong and fit if not over skillful in the backs and Romania are, as ever, full of flair, play like France did in the 1970s and 80s without the player personnel. Scotland as ever are big and committed but still Scotland, if ye ken worra meen
As for Tindall, any man who has the luck to marry a (near) Princess and still has the time and energy to play international sport and enjoy some fun with sexy young women in nightclubs deserves a round of applause and not public opprobium
I'm pretty sure that Flood will replace Wilkinson - it wasn't just the missed kicks on goal, he added nothing in midfield when running with the ball. Youngs has to start and the half-back pairing of Youngs and Flood worked brilliantly in the Six Nations last season. Despite yoyr reservations about Flood he's a much better player than when he first got into the England side and works briiliantly with Youngs. The latter adds a lot more around the base of scrums, rucks and mauls and drags defenders in giving Flood and the back line more time and space to play.
Corbisiero or Stevens at tight-head, the latter has the experience, the former will be a great prop in a year or two and looked good in the Six Nations. Stevens is ideal on the bench as he can play loose or tight head. Presumably Simon Shaw comes in to replace Lawes and at 6ft 8 he should win plenty of line out ball. Moody I think will return to the back row and if Cueto is fit then it's either him or Delon Armitage, who I think is better at full back. Johnson mostly looks like he's going for experience rather than flair with his selections.
As for tactics - England need to stop the game becoming a slog between two packs. Georgia aren't a bad side, but are stronger upfront than in the backs where England have the pace to kill them off. If England play the way they did against Argentina expect another ground war of attrition. Hopefully they'll play the way they did against Italy last season, chuck the ball out wide and run them off the park.
We are in line to play France in the Quarters, providing they finish second to NZ. Got a decent chance of getting to semis against them. Then I thought we was in line to play the Aussies in Semis but could be Ireland now. Dont think we will win it but need to pick up the performance against Georgia!
Ireland have a decent team and the win against the Australians will give them the confidence and belief that they can go a long way in the tournament. Great to see the Aussies looking shell shocked at the end.
Another exciting game for Wales. Thought they were fortunate as their pack didnt really perform. England should pile on late points and secure a 34 point+ win. But President Wensley Dale's minibus has been stolen over on BBC2
Comments
We have only the very slimmest of chances of winning this tournament, rambler. Martin Johnson needs about 2 more years to create a team which would be a serious contender for best in the world.
Probably fifth best in the world right now, with Argentina being 6th.
Great bit of swearing by Haskell at the end...
England looked a better side when Youngs came on, he and Toby Flood will have to start against Georgia as Wilkinson was rubbish. A great player in his time but too many missed kicks at goal, a penalty that failed to find touch and I can't remember him doing much with the ball in hand.
Well played by Wales - they had two kicks at the end where they could have won it, which got me thinking. Given that Argentina and England and Wales missed a few reasonably long pots on goal I wonder if there's a new match ball in use in this tournament that the players aren't used to playing with?
Some of Johnny Wilkinson's missed penalties were comically wide. Given that he's normally accurate and when he misses it isn't by much, so I'm just wondering if the IRFU have taken a leaf out of Fifa's book and introduced a new ball just before a major tournament that the players haven't had time to get to grips with.
The Argentina-England match was held in an indoor stadium, so conditions are out as an excuse.
Indoors creates its own problems.
The wind at the SA match was a factor.
Bad/different batch may be a factor too.
England, with, two players down will struggle against Scotland on 1st October. 3 points in that one.
Australia v Ireland 09.30 this Saturday should be a corker.
Unless Ireland step up a gear it could be a 20 point win by the Aussies.
Nothing changes.Lets hope they go the same way as The Mirror
I missed the USA/Russia game this a.m as i was up and away very early. Some of the games between the less powerful teams are more enjoyable than games between the 'superpowers', rugby not nuclear weapon fuelled superpowers that is.
Having predicted a totally over optimistic winning score over Argentina, I believe that England will beat Scotland fairly comfortably. Sheridan will (hopefully) be replaced by Corbisiero who (IMO) should have had the starting role in any case. Palmer should replace Deacon, Lawes will have done his time, Moody, hopefully will be fit and Youngs will be match fit. Moody's state of fitness is a worry and if Johnson is contemplating a replacement for Sheridan, let it be a flanker and not another prop. Robshaw would be the man for me. Stand off is a worry. Wilkinson has lost the plot and Flood has never convinced me as an international play maker. I'd love it if Hook were English, but he isn't, so we have to go with what we have. Cueto for Armitage would be another change for me, as would Stevens for Cole; giving a strongest team of: Foden, Cueto, Tualigi, Tindall, Ashton, Flood (with reservations), Youngs, Corbisiero, Thompson, Stevens, Palmer, Lawes, Croft, Easter, Moody (or Robshaw in the unlikely event he is called up).
Georgia look strong and fit if not over skillful in the backs and Romania are, as ever, full of flair, play like France did in the 1970s and 80s without the player personnel. Scotland as ever are big and committed but still Scotland, if ye ken worra meen
As for Tindall, any man who has the luck to marry a (near) Princess and still has the time and energy to play international sport and enjoy some fun with sexy young women in nightclubs deserves a round of applause and not public opprobium
This article on Jonny's kicking was interesting
Wilko said: "Christ, I don't know how many I missed. I've probably had days
like that but not for a while.
"I felt like I was hitting the ball very well and expected to see it where I
wanted it to go.
"You then wonder how you correct something that didn't feel wrong. But looking
at what happened to the ball, I had to try to correct it.
"There were just a couple of kicks out there I would have thought were not
great — but the rest of them I was pretty happy with.
"I kept looking at what I was doing each time and I was happy with it.
"So, in a way, it's quite difficult to accept it and move on to the next one."
There were gasps of disbelief as Wilkinson missed four consecutive penalties
against Argentina — the first time that has happened to him in an
international match.
He broke the sequence by adding the simple conversion to Ben Youngs'
match-winning try.
But the ex-Newcastle No 10 missed another penalty before landing the crucial
shot that gave England some much-needed breathing space at the end.
And Red Rose defensive coach Mike Ford said Wilkinson showed tremendous bottle
to kick that last penalty.
Ford said: "It's so rare for Jonny to have an off day, isn't it?
"But you have to admire his character to get that one that took us four points
in front after what had happened the previous 70 minutes.
"It was a tough kick and he nailed it. If I see him kick in training or in the
next game, I'll put my mortgage on him not to miss. That's how much we all
trust him."
Argentine kickers Martin Rodriguez and Felipe Contepomi were even more erratic.
Between them they missed nine of their 12 kicks.
It was a strange all round place kicking game for sure. What concerned me most about Wilkinson was not so much his kicking both at goal and from hand, he also missed a penalty kick to touch ! so much as his all round play. In the first five minutes he gave Tindall such a hospital pass that I had to momentarily turn from the screen as I hate the sight of spurting blood and flying dismembered limbs. Thankfully Tindall survived although he may not look so well after Zara and her mum are finished with him. (I'll give you nightclubs and big titted Kiwi birds)
Wilkinson was just perfect for the 2003 team which played 10 man rugby to perfection and England's pack would roll over any other 8 on the planet. Unfortunately Johnson as coach has not developed his thinking from his time as Johnson as captain. Wilkinson is 8 years older and 20 years slower and England's forwards though still good and powerful are no longer all dominating. Flood is indecisive and seems to always play a game taken straight from the black (or is it white nowadays?) board. Oh for a Hook or a Cooper or a Carter, even more so for a Genia, the best scrum 1/2 I have seen since Gareth Edwards.
I'm pretty sure that Flood will replace Wilkinson - it wasn't just the missed kicks on goal, he added nothing in midfield when running with the ball. Youngs has to start and the half-back pairing of Youngs and Flood worked brilliantly in the Six Nations last season. Despite yoyr reservations about Flood he's a much better player than when he first got into the England side and works briiliantly with Youngs. The latter adds a lot more around the base of scrums, rucks and mauls and drags defenders in giving Flood and the back line more time and space to play.
Corbisiero or Stevens at tight-head, the latter has the experience, the former will be a great prop in a year or two and looked good in the Six Nations. Stevens is ideal on the bench as he can play loose or tight head. Presumably Simon Shaw comes in to replace Lawes and at 6ft 8 he should win plenty of line out ball. Moody I think will return to the back row and if Cueto is fit then it's either him or Delon Armitage, who I think is better at full back. Johnson mostly looks like he's going for experience rather than flair with his selections.
As for tactics - England need to stop the game becoming a slog between two packs. Georgia aren't a bad side, but are stronger upfront than in the backs where England have the pace to kill them off. If England play the way they did against Argentina expect another ground war of attrition. Hopefully they'll play the way they did against Italy last season, chuck the ball out wide and run them off the park.
Another theory to add to the pile...
And yep I meant loose head. A 7 am start on Sunday grr...
now that would be sweet.
The only team I always want to lose is the cocky Aussies
# slopes off to find odds for a NZ vs Ireland final
England should pile on late points and secure a 34 point+ win.
But President Wensley Dale's minibus has been stolen over on BBC2
"Look at the funny men chasing! They're holding hands!"
Had no answer to that.