When the commentator keeps saying "Ugly" is he just bring polite. Well done to the League player with the only try.
Honest, I think. We all love flowing rugby, getting it down the line in majestic style, but that happened less than a dozen times. Both teams' game plan was to win ugly, I think.
Now brace yourselves for media criticism until kick off against France, who frankly couldnt have played any worse this morning.
I think we'll do the French but I dread to think what the Kiwis may do to us.
I'm not sure I could watch the humiliation that would result. We might pull out a toe to toe performance against Australia and maybe even S africa, but the Kiwis have WAY too much class for us. Dont want to lose to the French though.
With you about Youngs - dont rate him in the top 5 in England - MJ must see something in him. Flood looked good. Armitage was wonderful as was Tuilangi
Pace and Mouth - that's traditionally what so many coaches look for in a scrum half, they like them to be mouthy little sods who can keep up with play. Youngs also has a good kick on him but Jesus wept - IMO the fundamental talents a scrum half must possess is his brain and his passing ability and Youngs seems to lack both!! He is so SLOW at the breakdown and unbelievably indecisive.
Agree - not seen such a poor performance at number 9 for a year or more. In addition to being absent too often too many of his quick balls simply were too inaccurate to provide the momentum required to break the line. Thats dreadful when we now have the players to break through.
Just seen a replay of Foden's try-saving retreival - brilliant.
I think we'll do the French but I dread to think what the Kiwis may do to us.
The pressure will be off and England will start playing and if they get ko'd at the semi-final stages that'll be a result given the way they are playing.
England demonstrated today that when they do a few things right and link a few phases together that they could punch holes in the back-line but didn't do it often enough. It's a bit like watching England under SGE - when the chips were down they can play but the way the side is set up they seem determined not to take any risks, hence England are keeping in tight whichleads to a forward battle and consequently too many turnovers when they get careless. Another point - England opted for scrums rather than free-kicks, presumably on the basis that they would retain possession rather than kick it away, but Matt Stevens was being mullered in the scrum. What made it worse was that the referee was allowing the Scots to move before the ball was put in and that Steven's opposite number was neither binding properly nor scrummaging straight. Because Youngs was delaying putting the ball in the scrum would collapse and often Stevens was held resposible, hence England were losing rather than retaining possession and to make it worse the ball was disappearing back over their heads for a Scottish line-out.
Yes a good summary of the front row problems BFR Not sure if Law 20.6 b is being upheld by anyone (b) The scrum half must hold the ball with both hands, with its major axis parallel to the ground and to the touchline over the middle line between the front rows, mid-way between knee and ankle.
Flood AND Wilkinson. Liking that. Roll on 08.30 Saturday morning.
Oh yes, slap up brekkie being planned whilst watching England v France, then get ready and off to the Valley for 12.30 for 3 courses and a few beers in Legends before the game................burp!
Flood AND Wilkinson. Liking that. Roll on 08.30 Saturday morning.
Oh yes, slap up brekkie being planned whilst watching England v France, then get ready and off to the Valley for 12.30 for 3 courses and a few beers in Legends before the game................burp!
Now that sounds perfect. (and yes I am ignoring the possibility of a double negative whammy.! Its all going to be fine. Isnt it?)
Flood AND Wilkinson. Liking that. Roll on 08.30 Saturday morning.
Oh yes, slap up brekkie being planned whilst watching England v France, then get ready and off to the Valley for 12.30 for 3 courses and a few beers in Legends before the game................burp!
Now that sounds perfect. (and yes I am ignoring the possibility of a double negative whammy.! Its all going to be fine. Isnt it?)
Of course it will all be fine, we are planning sausage, bacon and egg baps with juice and espresso's for breakfast and I have never had a bad meal in Legends....................Oh you were talking about the results :-)
Well didnt see that coming - Ireland woeful and Wales immense in defence. Really good warm up and Wales look on current form as though they could even be close to a match for the Kiwis.
I've retired to the spare room as the rest of household celebrates.... Who invited them??? Another gutless display pick a sport pick someone to roll over pick England shit
I've retired to the spare room as the rest of household celebrates.... Who invited them??? Another gutless display pick a sport pick someone to roll over pick England shit
Odd isnt it? The only bright spot is tennis cricket.
Biggest disappointment for me is that the Rugby players/team now seem to be the same as the Football lot....Where as before sometimes they played well and sometimes badly but whatever they just got their heads down and got on with it. Now they're arrogant, rate themselves too highly without backing it up and getting in the public eye for the wrong reasons.
Whoever decided it would be a good idea to have an all black kit should be shot. It's embarrassing. Like footballers wearing fancy boots, you need to be good and back it up otherwise you just look stupid.
Why can't this team pass the ball? And why can't they catch? They just panic the whole time, they seem to have no plan a,b or c!
I did say 15 years ago that going professional would ruin Rugby Union. I was right. just look at the players these days. So full of themeselves. Red laces in white boots FFS! Give me the days of Winterbottom, Teague, Rendall, Probyn, Dooley, Ackford, Moore etc etc.... Mind you that lot couldn't catch or pass either in the '91 final!
''I did say 15 years ago that going professional would ruin Rugby Union. I was right.''
Big call that, Clive! We won a world cup since then! Look at the quality of the game now and how it was before it went professional. I too loved the guys of old - but Beaumont etc couldnt hold a candle to today's atheletic players.
But what on earth was going on with the plethora of unforced handling errors? As I said early in the thread, we are a couple of years from a real quality squad.
I said Rugby Union, I didn't say England. It is not the same game it was. Athletes they may be but they can't play. This lot, and not just England, wouldn't have survived in the old game. Maybe you're not old enough to remember.
And as for the World Cup, well that was the beginning of the end in 1987, Kiwis were illeagly paying their players then and the Union gave in to filthy lucre. Just as the whole world of sport has.
As I said early in the thread, we are a couple of years from a real quality squad.
Ok Mr Wenger.....
Eh? No need to be like that Clive!
Athletes they may be but they can't play. This lot, and not just England, wouldn't have survived in the old game. Maybe you're not old enough to remember.
And maybe I am, thank you. Having played and shared training and socialising with Alan Whetton (long after he retired) his opinion is in stark contrast to yours.
Comments
We all love flowing rugby, getting it down the line in majestic style, but that happened less than a dozen times.
Both teams' game plan was to win ugly, I think.
Now brace yourselves for media criticism until kick off against France, who frankly couldnt have played any worse this morning.
We might pull out a toe to toe performance against Australia and maybe even S africa, but the Kiwis have WAY too much class for us.
Dont want to lose to the French though.
Pace and Mouth - that's traditionally what so many coaches look for in a scrum half, they like them to be mouthy little sods who can keep up with play. Youngs also has a good kick on him but Jesus wept - IMO the fundamental talents a scrum half must possess is his brain and his passing ability and Youngs seems to lack both!! He is so SLOW at the breakdown and unbelievably indecisive.
Agree with the rest too.
In addition to being absent too often too many of his quick balls simply were too inaccurate to provide the momentum required to break the line.
Thats dreadful when we now have the players to break through.
Just seen a replay of Foden's try-saving retreival - brilliant.
The pressure will be off and England will start playing and if they get ko'd at the semi-final stages that'll be a result given the way they are playing.
England demonstrated today that when they do a few things right and link a few phases together that they could punch holes in the back-line but didn't do it often enough. It's a bit like watching England under SGE - when the chips were down they can play but the way the side is set up they seem determined not to take any risks, hence England are keeping in tight whichleads to a forward battle and consequently too many turnovers when they get careless. Another point - England opted for scrums rather than free-kicks, presumably on the basis that they would retain possession rather than kick it away, but Matt Stevens was being mullered in the scrum. What made it worse was that the referee was allowing the Scots to move before the ball was put in and that Steven's opposite number was neither binding properly nor scrummaging straight. Because Youngs was delaying putting the ball in the scrum would collapse and often Stevens was held resposible, hence England were losing rather than retaining possession and to make it worse the ball was disappearing back over their heads for a Scottish line-out.
Still it's the result that counts.
Not sure if Law 20.6 b is being upheld by anyone
(b) The scrum half must hold the ball with both hands, with its major
axis parallel to the ground and to the touchline over the middle line
between the front rows, mid-way between knee and ankle.
Liking that.
Roll on 08.30 Saturday morning.
(and yes I am ignoring the possibility of a double negative whammy.! Its all going to be fine. Isnt it?)
I'm sure it will all be fine. Really.
From BBC
Rugby World Cup 2011: France coach Marc Lièvremont says world is united against England ahead of showdown
8am tomorrow and we will see......
Really good warm up and Wales look on current form as though they could even be close to a match for the Kiwis.
Unfortunately that often seems to include the officials...
Shudder!
The only bright spot is tennis cricket.
Why can't this team pass the ball? And why can't they catch? They just panic the whole time, they seem to have no plan a,b or c!
I did say 15 years ago that going professional would ruin Rugby Union. I was right. just look at the players these days. So full of themeselves. Red laces in white boots FFS! Give me the days of Winterbottom, Teague, Rendall, Probyn, Dooley, Ackford, Moore etc etc.... Mind you that lot couldn't catch or pass either in the '91 final!
Big call that, Clive! We won a world cup since then!
Look at the quality of the game now and how it was before it went professional.
I too loved the guys of old - but Beaumont etc couldnt hold a candle to today's atheletic players.
But what on earth was going on with the plethora of unforced handling errors?
As I said early in the thread, we are a couple of years from a real quality squad.
I said Rugby Union, I didn't say England. It is not the same game it was. Athletes they may be but they can't play. This lot, and not just England, wouldn't have survived in the old game. Maybe you're not old enough to remember.
And as for the World Cup, well that was the beginning of the end in 1987, Kiwis were illeagly paying their players then and the Union gave in to filthy lucre. Just as the whole world of sport has.