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Post by newby on Feb 14, 2024 17:18:46 GMT
Manu is back in the squad, not sure which version it is though.
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Post by donnylad on Feb 14, 2024 19:13:57 GMT
There are still holes in the England defensive line and back row players who seem to be 'missing in action' - I'll excuse Ben Earl. I expect Underhill might be on the bench next time. I struggle to see what Dingwall and Slade bring to the side. Slade flatters to deceive.
The Scots have good backs and VDM is lethal - if this new 'system' leaves as much space at Murrayfield as it di at Twickenham he will have a field day.
The Scots may have got rough call over that 'try' but I thought it went down on a French boot after the tackle so the 'slippage' to the ground was a further movement by the tackled player. Yer takes yer choice there.
The real irony is that the Scots had 3 periods of driving into French brick walls in that game - especially the last one - when their 2 good wingers and the young fullback (who looked a decent player) were stood out wide sunbathing .... no brains.
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Post by davemorton on Feb 14, 2024 20:41:37 GMT
I groaned when I saw Tuilagi's name. I've no opinion (yet) on Dingwall, but to prefer Tuilagi, who has all the handling skills of an Oxo Cube, to the silky hands and educated boot of Slade is perverse. Not that it's happened yet, but it did happen in the World Cup. The wingers may as well bring their knitting with them, if Tuilagi plays.
Lawrence would be by far the better option - possibly the best option - but he is injured. He has size and youth, he has hands and he runs at gaps. We continue to play the third best scrum-half, not that Mitchell is bad. He's okay.
I have just watched the first ten minutes of the Wales match. You will remember that England dominated this short period, but three times we kicked away possession in, or a couple of metres outside, the Wales 22. Ford 2, Steward 1, from memory. They both went on to have decent games, but when there's an X-factor alternative available....
I have just written a piece on Barry John for the Sedge match programme on Saturday. If he had been English, would Borthwick have picked him?
All this talk of backs. If our front five was any good, it wouldn't really matter. But it isn't. If we beat Scotland next Saturday, that will be a major surprise.
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Post by donnylad on Feb 16, 2024 16:56:36 GMT
I think the problem around the centres is the defensive style ..or you could put that the other way round.
These blitz defences need fast, strong, quick movers, who can run up, re-align and do it again and again. That kind of centre does not always have the silky skills - crash bash centres are very good at breaking up attacks. It also helps if your number 10 is big enough to tackle - I am not saying Ford and Smith M will not put in a tackle but you need a bit of bulk (a la Farrell) if 17 stone of forward is running at you. Ideal number 10/centre Handre Pollard 1 metre 90 (6 foot 2) and nearly 16 stone. Ford and Smith M are around 1m 78 and 84 kg that is 5 foot 10 and just over 13 atone
Farrell 1m 93 110 kg 6 foot 2 and just off 17 and a half stone.
Jonathan Dante French centre 110 kg (and 5 foot 8!!), Jordie Barret (NZ) 1 metre 94 102 kg Leinart=Brown (NZ) 1 metre 87 101 kg. These are big boys and you need to have some big boys to stop them.
That said, there must be a way through selecting, coaching and training in the best strategies for defencing to make use of Slade etc. Slade, Freeman and Smith M in broken field fine ... but someone has to break things up for them.
I think Tuilagi or Lawrence will play instead of Dingwall .. I just hope whoever it is stays fit enough to play say, 60 minutes/
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Post by davemorton on Feb 16, 2024 17:22:30 GMT
Someone has decided that the RL-style, passive defence system is not working. The blitz is more aggressive, and more risky. Bringing together players from different clubs, all with slightly different systems, is tricky. Interviewed players have spoken of teething problems, and you have to tailor your system to what players you've got - or select those players to fit in with the system, as in Bazball. A National team might have enough available talent to do this.
Rugby has the additional dimension of 'the bench' or 'the finishers'. If your system isn't working, you can change the players, either to do something different, or to do the same thing better. It is such a complex game, so many different ways of playing it well. Even more ways of playing it badly!
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Post by donnylad on Feb 17, 2024 10:22:14 GMT
Yes - very true Dave.
However these are professional coaches and players and selector(s) and the blitz is a faster more aggressive version of what Shaun Edwards started doing with the French a few seasons back, their outside centre and a couple of forwards running into the space in front of the oppo's centres and denying them anywhere to go. Now they rush straight up at the opposite player and the outside centre and that side winger + full back have to hope that they make the tackles or they face 3 or 4 running players and lots of space to cover
I remember changing the way one of my school XVs played because one of the little second year prop forwards came back to me as a fourth year, 8 inches taller and over a stone heavier, minus a lot of fat that had become muscle and he had learned how to run instead of leaning on. He moved to number 8 and went on to play for Moseley after school and uni.
He was the biggest boy I ever coached - and after a couple of years away he came back to visit and stood in the doorway of my lab, head slightly bowed (to prevent damage to the top door frame) and you could not see past him down the corridor. Training 3 times a week, 19 stone and 6 foot 7.
As someone once said ... rugby is a complicated game.
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Post by davemorton on Feb 22, 2024 18:58:48 GMT
Some changes to the England XV. Unfit Mitchell is replaced by Care, with Spencer coming into the squad. At last! The best scrum-half in England is getting a chance. Not that scrum-half is a problem position. Mitchell was fine, but Care is finer and Spencer finest, in my opinion - and all of them better than Youngs. There's a whole (collective name for scrum halves?) nuisance of scrum halves lining up behind them, Randall, Warr, van Porthvliet (can't be arsed to check spelling), Quirk, etc.
Ford had a decent game at 10 last week, and now he has a big and skilful centre to pass to, as Lawrence returns. Best of all, England have surprisingly gone for skill over size, picking the classy Furbank at 15.
There's a whole galaxy of potential stars on the bench. I'll leave Donnylad to talk about the donkeys, but Martin returns to the second row bench. The not-selected Mercer had an awesome game for Gloucester last week. I think it was Dallaglio who said that a player who was the 'best in France' last season might be expected to get a game for England.
England: Furbank; Freeman, Slade, Lawrence, Daly; Ford, Care; Genge, George (capt), Cole, Itoje, Chessum, Roots, Underhill, Earl.
Replacements: Dan, Marler, Stuart, Martin, Cunningham-South, Spencer, F Smith, Feyi-Waboso.
I saw somewhere - in The Times, perhaps - that Fin Russell is the only member of the Scotland side with a 'proper Scots accent'. They used to have 'kilted Kiwis', now they have a team full of 'SpringJocks'.
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Post by newby on Feb 24, 2024 9:01:57 GMT
I'd go for an England win anyway, even if I didn't think they had much of a chance, but I think they do have an excellent chance today.
On the other hand I don't give Wales any chance at all in Ireland.
Here's hoping for a nice dry day and some good entertaining Rugby. This is my favourite combination of matches, though I'd prefer the venues were Twickenham and Cardiff.
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Post by newby on Feb 24, 2024 20:14:28 GMT
Lots of potential for England but once again it comes to nothing. Not enough accuracy with the passing and if it was accurate it didn't stick.
Scotland just had to remain solid and wait for the mistakes, their 3 tries would indicate the blitz defence, or whatever it is needs lots of work.
If anybody was in charge of orchestrating the play for England it wasn't obvious to me at any stage. O.K I admit I'm no expert.
On the plus side I did notice that England were at least a little less prone to giving away penalties.
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Post by newby on Feb 25, 2024 16:40:49 GMT
13 apiece with 10 minutes to go between France and Italy.
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Post by karma on Feb 25, 2024 17:10:15 GMT
13 apiece with 10 minutes to go between France and Italy. Missed late penalty and Italy missed their chance to beat France . That's no disgrace though. Still a win is a hundred times better! 🏈
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Post by newby on Feb 25, 2024 17:21:50 GMT
Victim of the shot clock with the ball falling off the tee! With only 10 seconds left he didn't seem to have enough time to compose himself. We will never know.
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Post by slowleftarmer on Feb 26, 2024 8:03:41 GMT
It appeared to me as though England were punished for their errors handling the ball and the big South African winger didnt need a second invitation to steamroller across the try line three times over. Bit of a beast isnt he - but I bet he does not have a family tartan and he has never had haggis
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Post by tykemania on Feb 26, 2024 13:38:51 GMT
but I bet he does not have a family tartan have you not heard of Clan Der Merwe?
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Post by tykemania on Feb 26, 2024 13:51:55 GMT
Lots of potential for England but once again it comes to nothing. Not enough accuracy with the passing and if it was accurate it didn't stick. Scotland just had to remain solid and wait for the mistakes, their 3 tries would indicate the blitz defence, or whatever it is needs lots of work. If anybody was in charge of orchestrating the play for England it wasn't obvious to me at any stage. O.K I admit I'm no expert. On the plus side I did notice that England were at least a little less prone to giving away penalties. Pluses and negatives, for me. The three tries did come with a hint of fortune, the ball bouncing just right for the Sweaties on this occasion, and England's errors came from trying to run the ball, just trying a little too hard. Had the referee - and he is a long standing bug bear of mine because his decision making seems entirely based on who got the wrong end of the previous decision - actually refereed the scrum then we might have had a beach head. Some changes I would make; since we are probably 18 months away from being competitive with the likes of Ireland, we should promote young talent from a B side and move one or two older heads on. I'd like to see: Marler George Stuart Itoje Chessum Martin Earl Barbeary Randall F Smith Feyi-Waboso Lawrence Freeman Steward Furlong
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