The English are coming!

I'll apologise in advance for this post, but as the RFU has inexplicably failed to b*lls up the selection of the England Manager, I find myself massively (and probably largely prematurely) optimistic for the future of this England Team.

No superstars, just a fantastic ethos & wor k ethic, all about hard graft & playing for the team - what a foundation to build on. So, fair warning:

Watch out World, here comes England

By the way, there is no hidden point to this post, I'm just really chuffed

just a fantastic ethos & wor k ethic,

Not sure we have seen this yet. Your best winger last tournament has gone missing this tournament and hasn;t looked interested. Your previous 1st choice scrum half has also been hit and miss and his chase of Scot Williams was pathetic.

Plus, although the off field shenanigans have stopped ( Care aside) there have been several recent on field citings.

KInd of mean-spirited there I feel Munkian.

Ashton's work rate was there, but there was no good ball available. Youngs is off form, but I'm not sure how that's about ethos & work ethic.

There was one citing for Hartley which is being discussed, at some length on another thread.

Still, you are of course entitled to your view, however misguided

Don't listen to Munkian...

Go nuts, hopefully the England team and coaching set up feel exactly the same as you!!!

Thanks Bluesman

I didn't mean to wee wee on your parade, best man got the job which is unusual for the RFU

Ashton could've gone looking for work - the Welsh wingers do.

Youngs has just been cited for dropping a knee and striking someone.

We will welcome them with some of this and some of that

Looking forward to it.

It's OK Munkian. To be honest I'm so delighted at this show of astonishing competence by the useless RFU, that you could probable (nearly) even insult the memory of St Jonny and be forgiven

Biltong

Summertime......and the winning is easy.............

Sorry Biltong

Couldn't resist.

I'm presuming your wink is also in that same manly rugby playing camaraderie sort of style as well

Something about player 23 to enjoy.

wickedwasp wrote:Sorry Biltong

Couldn't resist.

I'm presuming your wink is also in that same many rugby playing camaraderie sort of style as well

But of course wicked.

Wasp, me too, I feel incredbly optimistic now with the RFU finally appearing to get its s#@t together, hiring a young hungry and competent coach, etc etc. Ian Ritchie shares a surname with my family (no known relation though) so I may be a bit tinged with irrational bias in favour of the new management.
Lancaster needs a good coaching team an management around him as he cannot do it all solo..but then I'm sure he knows that.
Munki a bit mean spirited ? yes, but I don't really care, he is not part of this.
The RSA tests will be .. well literally just that, and v good tests as well. A good measure of where the new England setup stands, win or lose we will learn. Looking fwd to exchanging banter with Biltong in due course, as he is a good fella, plus any other Bokkies on here.

Wasp: my team Glaws play your lot on Sunday, so best of luck to both

gregor

Absolutely - good times ahead

Gregor

We need luck a lot more than you do this season, mate.

Still, may the best team win - wish I could be there, but I'm out of the country at the moment.

wickedwasp wrote:I'll apologise in advance for this post, but as the RFU has inexplicably failed to b*lls up the selection of the England Manager, I find myself massively (and probably largely prematurely) optimistic for the future of this England Team.

No superstars, just a fantastic ethos & wor k ethic, all about hard graft & playing for the team - what a foundation to build on. So, fair warning:

Watch out World, here comes England

By the way, there is no hidden point to this post, I'm just really chuffed

Reasonable summation except the bit about 'no superstars'. The hope and confidence you show, along with the touch of gung-ho stuff at the end, suggests to me that a few more victories and this English side will be positively stuffed with media 'superstars'. Be careful of the cycle of building up to knock back down again. Winning will create its own superstars...and then the pressure begins to grow again when expectation will replace hope.

Fair comment Fly.

We may (ahem) have been slightly guilty of that in the past.

I hope we've learned our lesson.

The Gung ho stuff is very tongue in cheek

SecretFly wrote:Reasonable summation except the bit about 'no superstars'. The hope and confidence you show, along with the touch of gung-ho stuff at the end, suggests to me that a few more victories and this English side will be positively stuffed with media 'superstars'. Be careful of the cycle of building up to knock back down again. Winning will create its own superstars...and then the pressure begins to grow again when expectation will replace hope.

Our friend Fly is being philosophical again.

gregortree wrote: Looking fwd to exchanging banter with Biltong in due course, as he is a good fella, plus any other Bokkies on here.

I always enjoy some good debate, some light banter and particularly some good laughs.

So the new look RFU gets something right!

Glorious Spring weather at the moment, which also helps, but that bit of news has definitely put a smile on my face.

Hello Biltong. Gong to be a good series this Summer, whatever the result. Rosebuds vs Bambi...all sounds very Disney...

Bambi!

I would like to see those little thorny roses tell Schalck Burger he looks like Bambi.

Spoiler:

Ok, which one is Schalk?

I wanna give you some hope, so I am going to say the one on the left.

Pah! Both will fail in the face of English flowerpower.

Seriously, I don't know what our backs will do. Don't think anyone really does, yet. But for me the real interest of this tour lies in the forwards. There's no better place to go to test your pack than SA, and while I think our's looks good, especially (and perhaps too much) after Ireland, we'll know if they are the real deal or somewhere near it by the end of the tour. If our boys can keep Schalk quiet we'll have gone a long way towards winning the tour. Big ask, mind you...

It's such a shame Cipriani isn't back by then..................

The english coming! premature! mass debate! all in one thread - Amazing - I think it reads better if you change it to England are coming though

Yeah he would have made us cringe...

























with laughter....

RubyGuby wrote:The english coming! premature! mass debate! all in one thread - Amazing - I think it reads better if you change it to England are coming though

don't spoil our fun mate, we are building the bridges torn down by the anglo boer war of 1902 here. but tonly instead of bringing guns they are bringing us flowers. RED ROSES.

Isn't that sweet of them?

Ruby

That's just how excited we are

Oh, Cips will probably be doing Aussie Celebrity Z list Pec Flex or something and be unavailable.

Lancaster getting the job is great news for England I think it could be bad news for the rest.

The hard work for him starts now I guess, during the 6 Nations he had nothing to lose so no pressure as such.

Now after finishing 2nd there will be lots of pressure for immediate success.

And then Bedford has to get all serious on us.

Bedford

I don't think pressure will be a problem

After a series win against the Boks he'll be fine

just couldn't be bothered to read all threads bil so added my bit in

wickedwasp wrote:Ruby

That's just how excited we are

I like it, you guys have gone from hard up to hard on in 8 weeks

Chuffed he's been given the chance. The lack of attack is a concern, but as has been said, the foundations have been laid with a decent defence and work ethic.
We've scraped through tight games in the Six Nations, and lost by a relatively small margin to Wales - all hopeful signs. But unless we get the attack going we're in for a torrid time in SA.
For me it is about getting Ashton involved again. Get him running into some space. If that can't be done we shouldn't be taking him.
Our pack has looked okay. The situation against Ireland flattered them somewhat, and if Ireland had managed to keep their preferred prop on the field, I think it would have been a different story. Against SA though? If there isn't a marked improvement all round, we're going to get murdered.

I still can't help but be optomistic that we can do better though. Heart over head probably, but also think that Lancaster could be the one to get us there.

RubyGuby wrote:

wickedwasp wrote:Ruby

That's just how excited we are

I like it, you guys have gone from hard up to hard on in 8 weeks

What's the quiz show that is on around teatime?

Eggheads?

I saw a little bit of it........... damn, can't remember the day; might have been yesterday! (I know, the memory wanders)

But I was laughing when one question was 'What is the national flower of England'...... the girl instantly said 'Rose' in a whisper. The guy(a teammate) largely ignored her prompt and went on to say.............., well I don't know what he said. He went on and on describing why it should be a 'rose' before finally telling the catatonically bored quiz master that it must be a 'rose'.

I still think it's largely about the combinations working out how to play together.

I also think it's a bit different in SA. We're clearly the underdogs, so pressure's off a bit.

I think in the 6N the whole team felt under massive pressure - and coped brilliantly, but it may have made them a bit too conservative.

Anyway, we shall see, but definitely another step in the right direction

Fly

That would be failing to switch off the automatic girlfriend/wife filter.

Normally very useful, but.......................

Now after finishing 2nd there will be lots of pressure for immediate success.

Well, I'm hoping we beat the Saffers. But it's a young side, still inexperienced, and South Africa isn't an easy tour... So I for one won't automatically be calling for blood if it doesn't happen. I do think the talent is there, though.

Fine then, if you guys want to get serious then let's get serious.

The biggest challenge for England will be their defence. Over the last 7 matches they have conceded 26 tries and only once in the final of 2007 left us tryless.

The other issue for them is they have only scored 5 tries themselves in those seven matches.

So they will most certainly have to do something about the slow ruck ball they are currently gaining. In that situation I would siggest a mobile pack would likely be more usefull than one that can scrummage like a monster, but are slow in general game play.

There are only 10 - 20 scrums per match, but you are looking at over 150 rucks per match.

The Super XV teams are getting used to playing the rucks faster as they are being officiated much more strictly now. Thus forcing them to play quicker.

England especially in their half are pedantic when it comes to setting the ruck and securing the ball. Which scrum half is less pedantic there?

I have no doubt they will have enough bulk in their pack to gain parity.

SA's line outs may seem a potential weakness with the retirement of Victor and Bakkies being in France, but Andries bekker perhaps not a monster on opposition ball are ruthlessly accurate on our ball. I would expect Juandre Kruger or Flip van der Merwe to be partnering him. So lineouts I would suggest equal.

So to me it wil be all about the ruck and the back line.

wickedwasp wrote:I'll apologise in advance for this post, but as the RFU has inexplicably failed to b*lls up the selection of the England Manager, I find myself massively (and probably largely prematurely) optimistic for the future of this England Team.

No superstars, just a fantastic ethos & wor k ethic, all about hard graft & playing for the team - what a foundation to build on. So, fair warning:

Watch out World, here comes England

By the way, there is no hidden point to this post, I'm just really chuffed

So is everyone else . Nothing to fear from England for the forseeable future. Everyone knows what they bring and it isn't hard to counter. Harsh but true.

munkian wrote:Ashton could've gone looking for work - the Welsh wingers do.

Same as most Welsh then really. Looking for work I mean.

dragonbreath wrote:

wickedwasp wrote:I'll apologise in advance for this post, but as the RFU has inexplicably failed to b*lls up the selection of the England Manager, I find myself massively (and probably largely prematurely) optimistic for the future of this England Team.

No superstars, just a fantastic ethos & wor k ethic, all about hard graft & playing for the team - what a foundation to build on. So, fair warning:

Watch out World, here comes England

By the way, there is no hidden point to this post, I'm just really chuffed

So is everyone else . Nothing to fear from England for the forseeable future. Everyone knows what they bring and it isn't hard to counter. Harsh but true.

Probably why Wales destroyed them in the 6N then....................

dragonbreath wrote:

wickedwasp wrote:I'll apologise in advance for this post, but as the RFU has inexplicably failed to b*lls up the selection of the England Manager, I find myself massively (and probably largely prematurely) optimistic for the future of this England Team.

No superstars, just a fantastic ethos & wor k ethic, all about hard graft & playing for the team - what a foundation to build on. So, fair warning:

Watch out World, here comes England

By the way, there is no hidden point to this post, I'm just really chuffed

So is everyone else . Nothing to fear from England for the forseeable future. Everyone knows what they bring and it isn't hard to counter. Harsh but true.

Not only harsh but an exceedingly unjustified view. If they cannot be countered how did they end up beating france, Ireland and Scotland?

Not only harsh but an exceedingly unjustified view

As you have no doubt noticed, that sort of comment is only superficially about Rugby. It is rather more informative about the racial views of the poster.

biltongbek wrote:

dragonbreath wrote:

wickedwasp wrote:I'll apologise in advance for this post, but as the RFU has inexplicably failed to b*lls up the selection of the England Manager, I find myself massively (and probably largely prematurely) optimistic for the future of this England Team.

No superstars, just a fantastic ethos & wor k ethic, all about hard graft & playing for the team - what a foundation to build on. So, fair warning:

Watch out World, here comes England

By the way, there is no hidden point to this post, I'm just really chuffed

So is everyone else . Nothing to fear from England for the forseeable future. Everyone knows what they bring and it isn't hard to counter. Harsh but true.

Not only harsh but an exceedingly unjustified view. If they cannot be countered how did they end up beating france, Ireland and Scotland?

Italy are also asking themselves that very same question, and let’s be honest the Ireland game was a freak. Had the Irish tight head remained on the field the result would certainly have not been so one sided. I know all the arguments about taking advantage of an advantage, but to read too much into that result is foolish but hey don't let me stop you. England are difficult to beat, but come-on they don't scare anyone. At this very moment SA have already worked out a way to beat them, and it didn't take them long. Hush my mouth

Which England ? no-one has fully figured them out yet; not Lancaster, not me, not the Irish and French, and Dragon, not you. Promising future, but way too soon to have 'figured out' this v young team.