England vs Argentina - match thread.

[Biltong]

First topic message reminder :

My prediction was England by 10, so hopefully the Argentinians give a good account of themselves.

This will have to be a great match to live up to the one we have just seen.

[Mad for Chelsea]

England probably just about deserved to win that, but they NEED to learn to play the ref better. It doesn't matter if you don't agree with him, he's the one with the whistle so you bl**dy well listen to him. Did better in the second half, MUCH better when Youngs came on, as he got England moving with something remotely resembling pace...

[Gatts]

Christ i bet that face leaves Zara cross eyed

[Guest]

tackled off the ball ref after he kicked it!!

And he milked it...

how? by understandably punching the ground in frustration? yes nottins that's really milking it

England took their one chance, and I feel their subs made the difference here for them, well taken win.

Not sure what happened to Haskell at the end but he clearly wasn't happy!

[perand25]

Does that idiot not know that his swearing is being broadcasted all over the world.

And he also said that he went for his eyes . What would you say in that situation ' i say old chap would you mind not stuffing your fingers im my eyes .

[nathan]

Does that idiot not know that his swearing is being broadcasted all over the world.

if someone was ripping my eye out of it's socket i wouldn't give a crap about my language and I'm pretty certain you wouldn't even.

[Mad for Chelsea]

tackled off the ball ref after he kicked it!!

And he milked it...

how? by understandably punching the ground in frustration? yes nottins that's really milking it

England took their one chance, and I feel their subs made the difference here for them, well taken win.

Not sure what happened to Haskell at the end but he clearly wasn't happy!

Tuilagi was tackling him before he kicked it, absolutely the correct decision IMO

[welshy824]

england no way deserved to win that, ref should have been much stricter at the breakdown, england players off their feet slowing the ball down, whereas argentine players on their feet jackaling but get penalised.

hate listening to english biased Cr*p on itv, acting in the last 5 mintues as if england were in control all along- AND STOP GOING ON ABOUT 2003, its 8 BLOODY YEARS AGO, theres been another world cup which england didnt win, seriously stop going on.

[nottins]

Does that idiot not know that his swearing is being broadcasted all over the world.

Do you think in the heat of the game after a player has been potentially gouged that he thinks about his comments being broadcast ?

[Gatts]

I WANT A PET PUMA

[Biltong]

27 penalties in the game, mostly at the breakdown, the referees were told to be strict but it seems neither England or Argentina got the memo.

England did well to win in the end, but they showed against Wales in the warm ups and agaiun today they are struggling to get their momentum through their back line.

Armitage for me awas their most dangerous back and he didn't get one ball on the front foot, every ball was either behind him, or he had to reach above his head to catch.

[rodders]

Lets listen to the analysis from ITV's expert panel.

[Guest]

I think it's more 50/50 that he was tacckling him before he kicked it, even Phil Vickery conceded that in the commentary box! (shocking I know)

Not sure if Haskell was gouged, will have to see if there's any proof of it I guess but I hope not. Will be interesting to see the penultimate ruck again because he was pinned down there.

[B91212]

By the way, the IBM adverts are annoying.

4.30 in the morning here and McDonalds adverts. Must be trying for the stoned viewers, they are 24 hours downtown after all

[Taylorman]

Certainly the weirdest game so far...
Well done england.
33 odd points missed between them.
And no wind at all? amazing. With both kickers failing there might be something in it.
Flat ball or something?

[Mad for Chelsea]

TBH none of the "big guns" have really impressed me so far.

NZ were pretty ordinary in the second half and benefitted from some atrocious tackling from Tonga.

Scotland needed two trys in the last five minutes to beat Romania (didn't watch so won't comment).

France were lucky that Japan ran out of gas at the end as they were really struggling for a bit.

England just squeaked past Argentina, who themselves hardly looked that hot.

First matches are always tough, it can take teams a while to get going. England got the win, and at the end of the day that's all that matters.

[Gatts]

By the way, the IBM adverts are annoying.

4.30 in the morning here and McDonalds adverts. Must be trying for the stoned viewers, they are 24 hours downtown after all

Funny here in Victoria they are advertising boats

[perand25]

And if it was Wales instead of England today it would of been how unfair they were reffed today .See how you fare tomorrow before making too many judgements

[Cymroglan]

Does that idiot not know that his swearing is being broadcasted all over the world.

if someone was ripping my eye out of it's socket i wouldn't give a crap about my language and I'm pretty certain you wouldn't even.

I have been in battle situations and had cameras around me with bullets flying all over the place,,,, But I had discipline.

[Guest]

It was the longer range kicks they were missing as well Taylorman, just so utterly weird. needs looking into I'd say.

[nottins]

tackled off the ball ref after he kicked it!!

And he milked it...

how? by understandably punching the ground in frustration? yes nottins that's really milking it

By falling over like a sack of spuds when Tuilagi was committed to the tackle. Nothing to see here, time to move on.

[EnglishReign]

England haven't had a game breaker for years, capable of turning the game around when the chips are down. I mean players like Greenwood and Robinson. I think finally we have one in Youngs.

[Biltong]

Well I have a 2D tv and the ball looked a bit square to me.

[Cari]

One thing I've learnt from today's match. A good player doesn't necessarily mean a good commentator/pundit - Dallaglio and Vickery, I'm looking at you. They haven't even got the faces for TV (unlike Mr Care).

[Cymroglan]

Read the above nottins

[HammerofThunor]

I think it's more 50/50 that he was tacckling him before he kicked it, even Phil Vickery conceded that in the commentary box! (shocking I know)

Not sure if Haskell was gouged, will have to see if there's any proof of it I guess but I hope not. Will be interesting to see the penultimate ruck again because he was pinned down there.

You hope there's no proof

Surely you hope there's proof it was an accident?

[Standulstermen]

Tuilagi made no contact with the player until well after the kick went. IT wouldnt have mattered as arg would have had to run it. THe last 20 was too much for Argentina.

One thing england must take from this is that Youngs has to play. He isnt perfect and can be got at but by God he is ten times better than the other options.

Great RWC so far.

[B91212]

By the way, the IBM adverts are annoying.

4.30 in the morning here and McDonalds adverts. Must be trying for the stoned viewers, they are 24 hours downtown after all

Funny here in Victoria they are advertising boats

Always someone trying to profit from others potential misfortune

[Mad for Chelsea]

I think it's more 50/50 that he was tacckling him before he kicked it, even Phil Vickery conceded that in the commentary box! (shocking I know)

Not sure if Haskell was gouged, will have to see if there's any proof of it I guess but I hope not. Will be interesting to see the penultimate ruck again because he was pinned down there.

Really? The Australian commentators were saying it was fine. I don't think there was time between the guy kicking it and the actual tackle for Tuilagi to pull out, so for me it was fine. Will reserve comment for the Haskell incident until I see any footage, though Haskell isn't the type to get annoyed easily. Speaking of Haskell, thought he did a good job today, though too often on a one-man mission at the breakdown.

[Standulstermen]

I think it's more 50/50 that he was tacckling him before he kicked it, even Phil Vickery conceded that in the commentary box! (shocking I know)

Not sure if Haskell was gouged, will have to see if there's any proof of it I guess but I hope not. Will be interesting to see the penultimate ruck again because he was pinned down there.

You hope there's no proof

Surely you hope there's proof it was an accident?

Surely we hope it didnt happen.

Dont be so precious

[perand25]

Does that idiot not know that his swearing is being broadcasted all over the world.

if someone was ripping my eye out of it's socket i wouldn't give a crap about my language and I'm pretty certain you wouldn't even.

I have been in battle situations and had cameras around me with bullets flying all over the place,,,, But I had discipline.

But the local welly throwing contest isnt really the same is it

[Biltong]

Tuilagi made no contact with the player until well after the kick went. IT wouldnt have mattered as arg would have had to run it. THe last 20 was too much for Argentina.

One thing england must take from this is that Youngs has to play. He isnt perfect and can be got at but by God he is ten times better than the other options.

Great RWC so far.

It may have looked that way, but the angle of his approach he was in a blind spot and already committed to the tackle, fair call.

[nottins]

And if it was Wales instead of England today it would of been how unfair they were reffed today .See how you fare tomorrow before making too many judgements

Well said. Far too many blinkered comments from certain posters on here.

[Guest]

nottins think you might need to watch that again, but I doubt you'll be able to see anything different to what you've claimed.

Cari - agree with you on that!

Mad for Chelsea - agree with you on Haskell, thought he played well today, one of the few England forwards to do so.

[Guest]

I think it's more 50/50 that he was tacckling him before he kicked it, even Phil Vickery conceded that in the commentary box! (shocking I know)

Not sure if Haskell was gouged, will have to see if there's any proof of it I guess but I hope not. Will be interesting to see the penultimate ruck again because he was pinned down there.

You hope there's no proof

Surely you hope there's proof it was an accident?

Surely we hope it didnt happen.

Dont be so precious

Exactly, thank you Stand.

Hammer, seriously wtf?? I know you're pedantic and I'm sorry I didn't put a comma in to make my sentance clearer but seriously, couldn't you have figured that our for yourself? Blimey.

[Standulstermen]

One thing i will say is that the World Cup does something to the Argies. I have watched Bosch on numerous occasions at club level and the most memorable thing he has done is get knocked out by Dan Tuohy.

Put him in the RWC and he looks like Blanco running the ball back.
Amazing

[HammerofThunor]

I think it's more 50/50 that he was tacckling him before he kicked it, even Phil Vickery conceded that in the commentary box! (shocking I know)

Not sure if Haskell was gouged, will have to see if there's any proof of it I guess but I hope not. Will be interesting to see the penultimate ruck again because he was pinned down there.

You hope there's no proof

Surely you hope there's proof it was an accident?

Surely we hope it didnt happen.

Dont be so precious

So you're hoping Haskell made it up?

Did I miss off the right smiley to show I wasn't serious? Perhaps or or maybe even a leaf out of Thompson's book

[Gatts]

Right lets clear this up

Lawes - knees, citing
Tuilagi - committed, end of
Haskell - if there is evidence of gouging then the argentine responsible should be banned for a season, i hope not

[rodders]

Ashton is the worst tackler I've ever seen. He makes Ronan O'Gara look like Henry Tuilagi. He just gets brushed off so easily he looks like he's playing touch rugby.

[Guest]

england no way deserved to win that, ref should have been much stricter at the breakdown, england players off their feet slowing the ball down, whereas argentine players on their feet jackaling but get penalised.

hate listening to english biased Cr*p on itv, acting in the last 5 mintues as if england were in control all along- AND STOP GOING ON ABOUT 2003, its 8 BLOODY YEARS AGO, theres been another world cup which england didnt win, seriously stop going on.

What a nasty, bitter post

Well done England. A slow start, but a win that England deserved in the end. It was a tough first game but I think we'll be well warmed up to beat Scotland in the final pool match.

[B91212]

nottins think you might need to watch that again, but I doubt you'll be able to see anything different to what you've claimed.

Cari - agree with you on that!

Mad for Chelsea - agree with you on Haskell, thought he played well today, one of the few England forwards to do so.

Think Haskell has to start for England in the big games otherwise England wont compete at the breakdown. Unless Easter up's his game then his place could be in trouble if Moody gets fit.

[Mad for Chelsea]

On the Tuilagi tackle thing, I guess if you were supporting Argentina it was late, if you were supporting England he couldn't pull out of it. So basically 50-50, and given how very few 50-50 calls England got throughout the match (The Argentinians had about 6 "final warnings") I don't think you can complain too much about this one...

[Standulstermen]

Tuilagi made no contact with the player until well after the kick went. IT wouldnt have mattered as arg would have had to run it. THe last 20 was too much for Argentina.

One thing england must take from this is that Youngs has to play. He isnt perfect and can be got at but by God he is ten times better than the other options.

Great RWC so far.

It may have looked that way, but the angle of his approach he was in a blind spot and already committed to the tackle, fair call.

Fairy nuff. Close call but i would have given it. Still it wouldnt have changed the final position of the Argies last lineout as they couldnt have kicked to touch

[Standulstermen]

I think it's more 50/50 that he was tacckling him before he kicked it, even Phil Vickery conceded that in the commentary box! (shocking I know)

Not sure if Haskell was gouged, will have to see if there's any proof of it I guess but I hope not. Will be interesting to see the penultimate ruck again because he was pinned down there.

You hope there's no proof

Surely you hope there's proof it was an accident?

Surely we hope it didnt happen.

Dont be so precious

So you're hoping Haskell made it up?
Did I miss off the right smiley to show I wasn't serious? Perhaps or or maybe even a leaf out of Thompson's book

I would much rather Haskell made it up than someone actually stuck fingers in his eyes. If it happened and seems intentional then a season at least.

[Guest]

a but MfC, England had how many final warning's first half?

I think the ref was consistently unfair for both sides in a lot of his calls

[welshy824]

no not nasty and bitter, its just as a non england supporter itv is complete rubbish, they keep on talking about 2003, get over it you won, you deserved it, if you had any modesty you would stop going on about it, then the fact that the commentators act as if england were always in control for the last 10 minutes, its infuriating to listen to.

[Gatts]

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN BUY A PET PUMA?

[Guest]

sadly not Gatts.

Welshy - that may be the case, but it's not too difficult to say a simple well done is it?

[lostinwales]

Thought Tuilagi was doing a better job of clearing out rucks than most of the forwards. He was a player who did good today.

[Mad for Chelsea]

so for England, what are the positives?

1) They didn't concede a try, so decent defending from close range (though awful tackling at times, that needs to improve).

2) James Haskell. On a one-man mission to compete at the breakdown, and did a pretty good job of it.

3) Ben Youngs. Injected some pace into the game, much needed. MUST start from now on, Wigglesworth isn't good enough.

4) The scrum. England dominated here, gaining three penalties to Argentina's one. Given the reputation of their opponents, England did well.

5) We won!

Any others?

[Biltong]

In Argentina!

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