Dear Mr Croft...i apologise.....

I apologise for ever calling your spot in the England back row into question.

You were immense yesterday.

You dominated the lineout on our ball and made a right nuisance of yourself on the french ball. You put in the spade work. You took your try like a test winger.

I never called your playing ability into question but I did think that perhaps you were a square peg in a round hole with England. It seems that I was wrong. I have never been so happy to be proved wrong in my life.

England are looking for and achieving quick ball and when that comes in general play you are there to fill your boots. Well done sir. I stand corrected and again I am sorry for ever doubting your place in the England team.

Nicely done, Triangulation, it clears the conscience, and feeds the soul.

Ill add my apologies for doubting England could win.

Let it flow, let it flow, let it flow..

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Ill add my apologies for doubting England could win.

Yes quite right. While i had been very impressed with our determination and apparent team spirit, I too lost faith that we could win this. I thought we woud be bested in just about all of the fundamental areas of the game. Entire England Squad and Coaches - I was wrong and I am sorry.

Triang, .

I had to eat my words over Mr Stephen Donald a few months back too.

He's played very well in 2 games. I reserve my judgement for the moment as i want to see consistency...and we have Wood back soon aswell...

In terms of the dog work I think you need to be thanking Geoff parling. His stats are exceptional.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Ill add my apologies for doubting England could win.

I too am eating a very horrid slice of humble pie.


As to Croft - I love him as a player, but he will always be a little lightweight when the going is tough. What he can do, he can do well and his defence was the biggest part at the weekend. With the right balance in teh team it works, without it he can be a luxury we cannot afford.

Maybe wait and see how he does against the Irish back row. ferris is a serious manimal and always comes out on top against croft.

Standulstermen wrote:In terms of the dog work I think you need to be thanking Geoff parling. His stats are exceptional.

Got a link for those stats Ulster? Just interested to see what they actually are; I always backed Parling to do well!

Kiwireddevil wrote:Triang, .

I had to eat my words over Mr Stephen Donald a few months back too.

I never doubted Beaver Kiwi. When he came onto the field and I said Oh for f***´s sake not that ****ing useless ****, I was graciously communicating to the French fans that they could kiss the World Cup goodbye as he was going to be instrumental in their demise.

Good to see Croft silence the critics or having them eat their hats. There´s no doubt about his natural talent and athletic ability but it´s true that his use has been called into question in recent times as a starting player.

I'd say I've seen plenty of performances like that from Croft over the years. I don't understand why people are changing their opinion of him from a couple of games. That's just as bad as fixing your opinion based on a couple of games. He's always been capable of this sort of game and he has often performed to the same standard.

It was interesting at the weekend that Mafi was hanging around the wing for Leicester. That's how the run their blindside at Leicester. Croft's not there because he's a show pony he's there becuase he's told to go there (and shore up any wide rucks until others get there).

Regarding Donald, he's been pretty pants for Bath hasn't he? Their upward turn of fortunes seems to be related to his injury and 19 year old Heathcotes starting.

Not such hardship really. One's humble pie tastes a lot better for being garnished with sweet victory.

Sadly i will be eating even more humble pie next week when Wales win teh GS. I did not believe they were good enough, looks liek I will be wrong unless France turn in that once in a season performance.

although I encourage the cleansing of the soul there is no need to go all out tiger, hold back a little.

I am savingthe flagellation for a bit longer

masochist.

i like this thread

nathan wrote:i like this thread

Nothing you want to get off your chest Nathan?

I disagree slightly, Croft was good second half but was poor first half. Infact at times he was very poor, the lineout steals when Sharples was in the bin were crucial and a good try.

To even it up though even though hairydonkey got MOTM I thought he was truly abysmal first half, he was all over the place defencively and just wasn't at the races, he was better 2nd half but wasn't he the inside man beaten by Croft for the try?

Croft has been more influential with Morgan as a starter as Morgan adds a better balance to the back row being able to make some hard yards as well as breaks, that's the sort of 8 that Croft needs to help him display his best and undoubted talents.

He certainly wasn't impressed with the Dowson substitution was he?

2 centres that consistently break the gainline don't hurt either.

He also has Parling to gaffer the lineout calls, an area England have been very flakey in over the last 2-3 years, so to be fair, he's done very well out of the change in personnel. However, long may it continue,Croft is only a luxury if the team balance is wrong, and unfortunately for him he's had a lot of games for England where an out and out 6 would have been a better bet.

He's a fantastic athlete but should only be a nailed on starter when the rest of the starting backrow suits.

Also, to echo someone's earlier posw I thought he was excellent defensively yesterday.

Tiger, I've got to second that. I thought the post world cup hype might get to a team that has dealt poorly with the 'favourites' tag in the past. But they've stepped-up, including 'winning ugly' when they've had to.....not a characteristic you would traditionally associate with the Welsh. The attitude just seems different than it has been in the past and I think Warburton has been central to that,...I can't help but like the bloke (even though he's Welsh !)

As such, this Welsh side - if they do emulate the 05 and 08 boys in winning the GS - has a feel of 'more to come' that it's predeccessors maybe didn't.

As for Croft, all I can say is "I told you so!!"

Standulstermen wrote:In terms of the dog work I think you need to be thanking Geoff parling. His stats are exceptional.

Agree completely with this if we're going to play Croft at 6 we need second rows who get through a hell of a lot of work and Parlings work-rate is exceptional! Also Botha and Robshaw are very good in that area.

Problem I can currently see is that even with Tom Wood back I think Croft,Robshaw,Morgan,Wood are now our 4 strongest back rowers in which ever combination (one on the bench of course) but being brutally honest I can't see them becoming a world class back row for some reason.

Sounds odd because I've got no real justification for thinking it though so I'll just put it down to no specialist 7!

biltongbek wrote:

nathan wrote:i like this thread

Nothing you want to get off your chest Nathan?

well i've been a fan of his and always went a a little grumpy with a fair few people asking for him to be dropped.

On the getting things of my chest... well..... here goes...

I secretly enjoy watching Wales games! ooooh, this just doesn't feel right!!!

nathan wrote:

biltongbek wrote:

nathan wrote:i like this thread

Nothing you want to get off your chest Nathan?

well i've been a fan of his and always went a a little grumpy with a fair few people asking for him to be dropped.

On the getting things of my chest... well..... here goes...

I secretly enjoy watching Wales games! ooooh, this just doesn't feel right!!!

Oh boy, now that is what I call overshare.

Just that one step too far.

I should point out its the style of play I like! Lol

Not sure which MOTM H Donkey won but I'm assuming it was the one announced on French telly - the Talent d'Or. I don't recall hearing any such nomination in the ground over the PA system. If it was the TV one, you'll find that accolade is open only to players representing France, which IMHO rather narrows the field of candidates in a game featuring two different sides.

SOS is that true? They only have it open to French players? I know them and the Italians always give it to home players but Id assumed there was a pretence of fairness.

PSW - yes it is true, unless they've changed things in the last couple of years. They always used to have a Talent d'Or = French player of the match. Fair enough if that's what floats your boat, but important not to confuse this award with what most people understand by 'Man of the Match'.

Well hes listed as the official RBS MOM which counts toward the ESPN fantasy rugby scores, this is an outrage!

I also apologise to Croft. Also Robshaw played a bit more in the breakdown this game, which is a good sign and might mean that Croft Robshaw Morgan is a viable back row! Break Wood in via the bench next match and we have a nice conundrum, as opposed to teh God-awful one we had weeks ago

The England pack is starting to find a nice balance and my somewhat miserable prediction of England will either win by a narrow margin or get a pasting was correct! Yay. Shame I didn't put any money on it. I knew Croft would come good when England started playing some actual rugby rather than hoofing the ball to the opposition full back every other phase.

Moment of the match is still the Cole's covering tackle to stop Fofana scoring. Where did he come form?!?

I have a nasty feeling that the Irish will watch that game and now come out with a tight game plan to make use of their ball carrying monsters in the pack and their ability to seal the ball off and remain invisible to the ref. If they come to play pretty rugby I think we'll win but if they play tactically clever and keep it tight our defence will lose it's shape and their wingers finishing abilities will hurt us. I fancy Barritt and Manu against D'Arcy and Earls especially if Farrell can stand flat and distribute for a change.

OK, enough honesty here, go back to bickering.