So much kicking. No idea why Jack Willis isn’t playing, maybe he’s injured. And Zack Mercer should be in the squad and playing, scandalous that he isn’t.
We are on the easy side of the draw. I know it doesn’t look like it at the moment but if we can keep improving you never know what might happen in a one off game
It was an "easy" situation to look good when he came on against tired and dispirited opposition, but I would have loved to see Marcus Smith start a game like that, to give us some attacking zip.
I think Sir Clive woodward made an interesting point of kicking it high near the try line in the direction of Stewart. He has a fantastic ability to cath the high ball under pressure and that has to be an option against any quality of side. Chile could be a good game to try it as a tactic.
After Curry's Sending off against Argentina England's play was excellent and the oppositions were poor. We played the situation and Mitchell and Ford were outstanding.
New game different conditions.
England started really well for the first 5 minutes against Japan but when they took the kick penalty and not take a tap penalty and attempt to get a try and the 7 points on offer with a conversion it set the tone for a poor 1st half.
Why they used a big bar of soap and not a rugby ball was highlighted for me when Japan did more kicks than I have ever seen them attempt. The conditions were really difficult so both teams decided to keep kicking instead of going through the phases.
Strange spectacle with England only playing some running rugby in the last Quarter.
Mitchell has a stinker agreed, I thought our pack was excellent, its an area where team ls like Japan can really mess a side like England up, they have some really decent ball carriers too. I thought Elliot Daly, Earl, Ford, Marler along with the always massive Itoje and Lawes all showed their pedigree.
You can't be overly harsh on England in these games, Argentina came to win and so did Japan and they were very amped up. Chile should be a more comfortable game but they again have some monsters in their pack and we will have to compete and win the rough stuff which we are good at.
Farrell coming back into the team gives Borthwick a really enviable problem at fly half but he is totally capable of playing at centre and being man of the match (Farrell). My concern is Mitchell, we are short on scrum halves who are younger than me. Danny Care for my money is still the best one we have and he is half fit
Not wishing to create animosity, but I think Owen Farrell is a card waiting to happen, he's over the top aggressive in the tackle on too many occasions and, given how he plays, I think referees will be paying him a lot of attention. And, England has looked more coherent with Ford on the pitch.
I have a similar feeling about Andrew Porter for Ireland, he'll give away penalties and pick up cards because he tries to be too cute in scrums, rucks and mauls. I fully expect him to be targeted by South Africa, to bring on such an outcome.
Not wishing to create animosity, but I think Owen Farrell is a card waiting to happen, he's over the top aggressive in the tackle on too many occasions and, given how he plays, I think referees will be paying him a lot of attention. And, England has looked more coherent with Ford on the pitch.
I have a similar feeling about Andrew Porter for Ireland, hell give away penalties and pick up cards because he tries to be too cute in scrums, rucks and mauls. I fully expect him to be targeted by South Africa, to bring on such an outcome.
Thats a very valid point and well observed with Porter
I think our main man for that is Dan Cole personally although Farrell is a close second with how high he likes to tackle. All the daft gamesmanship doesn't really have a place in the game at test level, even if you get away with it on the day you will get cited post game. It always pisses me off with referees like Nigel Owens teams know what he's like and will make a point of penalising the mickey mouse stuff in rucks yet we seem to fall into every single trap Ireland and France set for us when he refs.
And I dont care what anyone who tries to convince me otherwise says about rugby refs, they hold a grudge! I was never a captain so was only ever on the receiving end of them talking to me and me saying 'yes, sir' but when you have 30 stone on top of you and some wannabe teat official is screaming "number 7 move away" its hard not to react verbally and point out the physical and geographical position I was in and how as much as I wanted to, moving away was not on the table at that point, they will pull you for everything after that.
Although props to one ref who after working out I'd obviously been done on his blindside, with fresh red stuff leaking from the side of my fave at new Ash Green asked me "are you seriously going to let him get away with that" and to this day I am not sure if it was a trap or not. I also got bitten that day as well and one of our props nearly had his nutbag separated from his body. I always taped my ears up as well following that experience
I waited until the home fixture for revenge
Anyway, back to Farrell, we have him and Marcus Smith who are yet to feature Farrell at all and Smith beyind fleeting glimpses so hopefully we see all 3 maybe not at the same time but a nice problem to have
Not sure that Farrell at 13 gives us much more in attack any more . For me it’s a shoot out with Ford at 10 and he only moves to 12 if we have an injury to one of the starters there.
Comments
Good that we've basically qualified now, but still semis at the best - might get Australia in the QFs now too.
The draw is favourable, and you just don't know what might happen.
I'll admit to really liking Steve Borthwick, so I'm happy for things to work well for him.
He was awful.
The worst game of the tournament so far.
Oh & Fiona & Chizz, don’t ruin this thread too with constant sniping at each other. It’s fecking boring.
New game different conditions.
England started really well for the first 5 minutes against Japan but when they took the kick penalty and not take a tap penalty and attempt to get a try and the 7 points on offer with a conversion it set the tone for a poor 1st half.
Why they used a big bar of soap and not a rugby ball was highlighted for me when Japan did more kicks than I have ever seen them attempt. The conditions were really difficult so both teams decided to keep kicking instead of going through the phases.
Strange spectacle with England only playing some running rugby in the last Quarter.
You can't be overly harsh on England in these games, Argentina came to win and so did Japan and they were very amped up. Chile should be a more comfortable game but they again have some monsters in their pack and we will have to compete and win the rough stuff which we are good at.
Farrell coming back into the team gives Borthwick a really enviable problem at fly half but he is totally capable of playing at centre and being man of the match (Farrell). My concern is Mitchell, we are short on scrum halves who are younger than me. Danny Care for my money is still the best one we have and he is half fit
I have a similar feeling about Andrew Porter for Ireland, he'll give away penalties and pick up cards because he tries to be too cute in scrums, rucks and mauls. I fully expect him to be targeted by South Africa, to bring on such an outcome.
I think our main man for that is Dan Cole personally although Farrell is a close second with how high he likes to tackle. All the daft gamesmanship doesn't really have a place in the game at test level, even if you get away with it on the day you will get cited post game. It always pisses me off with referees like Nigel Owens teams know what he's like and will make a point of penalising the mickey mouse stuff in rucks yet we seem to fall into every single trap Ireland and France set for us when he refs.
And I dont care what anyone who tries to convince me otherwise says about rugby refs, they hold a grudge! I was never a captain so was only ever on the receiving end of them talking to me and me saying 'yes, sir' but when you have 30 stone on top of you and some wannabe teat official is screaming "number 7 move away" its hard not to react verbally and point out the physical and geographical position I was in and how as much as I wanted to, moving away was not on the table at that point, they will pull you for everything after that.
Although props to one ref who after working out I'd obviously been done on his blindside, with fresh red stuff leaking from the side of my fave at new Ash Green asked me "are you seriously going to let him get away with that" and to this day I am not sure if it was a trap or not. I also got bitten that day as well and one of our props nearly had his nutbag separated from his body. I always taped my ears up as well following that experience
I waited until the home fixture for revenge
Anyway, back to Farrell, we have him and Marcus Smith who are yet to feature Farrell at all and Smith beyind fleeting glimpses so hopefully we see all 3 maybe not at the same time but a nice problem to have