Best xv of the weekend?

First topic message reminder :

Who did you think were the best in their position?

BamBam wrote:Yes, Halfpenny definitely didn't throw an intercept, nothing wrong at all.

I'm just shocked that Lydiate isn't in his team of the week

Jiffy is certainly an odd one. Even as an England fan I've no idea why he picked Dan Cole. He didn't have his best day.

Agreed, same goes for Fofana. Did he do anything?

1. Cian Healy
2. Richard Hibbard
3. Nicholas Mas
4. Alun Wyn Jones
5. Pascal Pape
6. Tom Wood
7. Chris Robshaw
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Danny Care
10. Johnny Sexton
11. Andrew Trimble
12. Jamie Roberts
13. Michele Champagnaro
14. Yohan Huget
15. Rob Kearney

Just a thought/question – did Huget actually play that well? I didn’t pay much attention/was too peed to remember all of the game, but I remember both his tries (both scored very early on) were extremely lucky, in that the first kick took a huge deflection first and then sat up horribly for the defender, and the second one was a complete howling error from a young debutant. So I suppose what I’m getting at is was he really any good for the rest of the game? Mike Brown’s try was scored in his corner, etc… Is there any case for both Brown and Trimble (or another winger) beating him into team of the weekend?

Also the word 'peed' was not what I wrote, it must have been automatically sensored

      

From PR.com

Six Nations 2014, Team of Round 1

15 Rob Kearney (Ireland) - Played in his 50th Test and capped a memorable performance with his side's third try late on, which sealed their victory over Scotland. Kearney was safe under the high ball and impressed in attack with 79 metres gained. He just edges out Stuart Hogg, who was, as usual, one of the Scots' best players especially with ball in hand.

14 Yoann Huget (France) - Two tries and 74 metres gained by Huget in Paris showed his threat in attack. Though aided by the bounce of the ball, Huget finished both his opportunities well, and managed three clean breaks - more than any other player - as he proved the game's most incisive runner. On the opposing side, England's Jack Nowell endured a tough start to his Test debut, but should be commended for showing the resilience to bounce back, finishing with an impressive three defenders beaten.

13 Michele Campagnaro (Italy) - The only time 20-year-old Campagnaro looked ill at ease inside the Millennium Stadium was when confronted with a post-match BBC interview. His grasp of the English language may have been lacking a tad, but his performance was outstanding on just his third cap; bagging two excellent long-range tries - the first a kick-and-chase, the second an opportunistic interception of Leigh Halfpenny's pass - and finishing with a whopping 107 metres gained and two defenders beaten. No mean feat at the home of the defending champions; an arena where England failed to muster more than three points a year ago. His opposite number, in-form Scarlet Scott Williams, also enjoyed an impressive outing, crossing the whitewash in the process.

12 Jamie Roberts (Wales) - Roberts returned to Test rugby with a bang on Saturday, and was arguably his side's best player. Typically direct and powerful with ball in hand, he provided go-forward and a platform from which Wales could attack. Unsurprisingly, he was used rather a lot by Warren Gatland's men; a total of 17 carries yielding just shy of 50 metres. And his telling contribution came via a powerful midfield break to send Williams galloping home. In Paris, Wesley Fofana had a quiet game by his own standards, but still proved tricky to handle for the English defence, with 47 metres gained, and a clean break to his name. The Clermont flyer was solid without the ball too, making nine tackles and missing none.

11 Sean Lamont (Scotland) - Despite a poor overall performance from Scotland, Lamont can be happy after a fine effort. He combined well in attack with Hogg and crossed the advantage line at will, gaining 75 metres in the process. Lamont also put his body on the line in defence with nine hits.

10 Owen Farrell (England) - Farrell delivered his best performance in an England shirt to date. His kicking game was spot on, playing France back into the corners when England's pack got on top. He was also unafraid to attack the gain line, releasing England's big runners and making 47 metres himself and beating a couple of defenders in the process. This though was about maturity. We forget he is only 22. A mention for Rhys Priestland who shone against Italy.

9 Danny Care (England) - Care's selection over the more pragmatic Ben Youngs was a statement of intent from Stuart Lancaster. It was one that paid off, however, as Care proved to be the heartbeat of the English effort across the Channel. Typically lively and threatening in possession, Care's quick tap-penalty led to a try for Mike Brown, and the scrum-half even took the opportunity to slot a well-taken drop-goal. It was rather surprising to see Lancaster replace him while he looked to be at the peak of his powers. Elsewhere, Edoardo Gori was a thorn in the Welsh side.

8 Billy Vunipola (England) - If you outshine Louis Picamoles then you must be doing something right. Vunipola was absolutely brilliant for England in Paris, providing two assists for both of the visitors' tries. The second one was a brilliant run, beating three defenders before serving up Luther Burrell for a try on a plate. He is such a destructive runner. Vunipola finished with 68 metres from 17 carries. Mentions for Jamie Heaslip and Sergio Parisse.

7 Yannick Nyanga (France) - The marauding openside was simply outstanding; a key factor in France's eventual triumph, and a more than able replacement for his injured Toulouse team-mate, Thierry Dusautoir. A perennial nuisance at the breakdown, Nyanga hounded the English forwards, and made over 40 metres with ball in hand courtesy of several storming breaks downfield, beating more defenders (seven) than any other player in Round One. Ireland's Chris Henry had the beating of the Scottish pack around the breakdown, and showed up well in the loose to gain 15 metres.

6 Tom Wood (England) - A man on a mission, at least to rough up Jules Plisson early on, Wood's work was dogged on the blindside for England in the Paris battle. He made 11 tackles, caught lineouts and hit rucks with fire. England's back-row worked tirelessly and probably deserved more for their efforts, but as a unit they are starting to impress. Wood is a key part of that with his leadership as well. A mention for Dan Lydiate, who after a busy week jetting from Cardiff to Paris and back following the birth of his daughter made 12 tackles against Italy.

5 Pascal Papé (France) - France's captain might just be filling in for Dusautoir - his words, not ours - but he did a pretty good job. France surged and then retreated before coming back right at the death thanks to Gaël Fickou, with Papé on the field throughout. He even made more tackles than Nyanga, a monstrous 14, and was at his physically imposing best trying to handle Courtney Lawes. Lawes also gets a mention for a hugely impressive shift and one notable lineout steal.

4 Joe Launchbury (England) - Lawes might have not made the cut but Launchbury does. His workrate is simply outstanding and at 22 he embodies England's current ethos of picking young, talented players and watching them grow. Launchbury made ten tackles and took his lineout balls, but it was his effort busting from breakdown to breakdown that really caught the eye. He keeps out Devin Toner - the Irish giant putting his hand up by winning five lineouts and making ten tackles.

3 Nicolas Mas (France) - England might have won the lineout battle overall, but the scrum was all about France. It was no surprise to see Mas at the heart of it, hassling Joe Marler on his side with Papé in support while Thomas Domingo got to work on Dan Cole. The extra week's scrummaging practice seemed to pay off handsomely as France looked competitive in that area once more against one of the world's better packs. Eight tackles to boot underlined a strong performance.

2 Rory Best (Ireland) - Best got through a lot of the hard graft up front which allowed his more flashier team-mates to shine. He did his core duties well, especially at the line-outs, where he found his jumpers with ease. The Ulsterman also worked well in defence with six tackles, meaning he beats out Wales number two Richard Hibbard who impressed against Italy.

1 Cian Healy (Ireland) - The Leinster powerhouse showed again why he is so highly-rated with a superb all-round display. Scrummed well, cleaned out the rucks with determination and showed a fine turn of speed when he went on a bullocking run, in the second half, which caught Scotland's defenders by surprise. A mention for the destructive Thomas Domingo.

Just saw Jiffys team of the weekend he had Dan Cole at 3???????

How clueless is Jiffy?
Next Welsh coach maybe?   

Even as an England fan, I think Jiffy is being very generous in picking Dan Cole. Yes, he did his work around the pitch, but the first job of the tight head is to scrummage, and that was an area England were clearly second best in.

Fofana was picked on reputation as well - by his standards a very quiet game although I'm far from convinced that partnering him with the lumbering Basteraud is the best way of exploiting his brilliance.

Huget was as much lucky as good, but then the bounce of the ball is part of the game.

I didn't see all of the other two games, but if there was an 8 played better than Vunipola or a 7 better than Nyanga (I know he wears 6, but he plays openside most of the time) then they had absolute stormers.

"I didn't see all of the other two games"

Don't worry mate from the sounds of it neither did Jiffy!  

I'm just going for one - A player of the weekend if you like

Nyanga

Jiffy's second week effort - dominated by the 2 best looking sides in the tourney so far Ireland & England

FULL-BACK - MIKE BROWN (England)

England full-back Mike Brown
Rob Kearney had an excellent game for Ireland, but Brown played superbly well again in difficult conditions at Murrayfield. He has carried on where he left off in the autumn: very solid in the air, a threat when he runs the ball back and scored a try for the second week in a row.
Did you know? Brown made more metres (114 from 11 carries) than any other player across the three matches this weekend.
RIGHT WING - ANDREW TRIMBLE (Ireland)

Andrew Trimble
Trimble didn't have too many opportunities but showed what he could do with one side-stepping run off his wing past several Wales players which almost brought a try, and chased every kick, which was important in keeping the pressure on, given Ireland's tactics.
Did you know? Trimble was left out of Joe Schmidt's initial 34-man squad when the new coach took over for last autumn's Tests. He made 63m with ball in hand against Wales, second only to Rob Kearney (79m).
OUTSIDE CENTRE - LUTHER BURRELL (England)

England centre Luther Burrell
Burrell may be new to Test rugby but he ran some great lines and was rewarded with another try from a well-timed run on the angle. He nearly scored again, and seems to be learning quickly at this level.
Did you know? Burrell had his first taste of international rugby playing Sevens for the West Indies (his father Geoff is Jamaican) while he was out on loan at Championship side Rotherham.
INSIDE CENTRE - WESLEY FOFANA (France)

France centre Wesley Fofana dives over to score against Italy
Stamped his class on the game in Paris with a superbly taken try. He also claimed the interception that led to France's third try, and defended well when the Italians threatened.
Did you know? Fofana has now scored seven tries in 12 Six Nations games since his debut in 2012. He made more metres (95) than any other French player against Italy, from just eight touches of the ball.
LEFT WING - JONNY MAY (England)

England wing Jonny May
May carried the ball well and looked a danger every time he cut back in off his left wing. An elusive runner, it will be interesting to see him on a dry day at Twickenham, as he clearly has the pace to trouble sides.
Did you know? May was playing against Scotland just a week after breaking his nose against France. He was second only to Mike Brown in terms of metres made (80) at Murrayfield.
FLY-HALF - JONNY SEXTON (Ireland)

Jonny Sexton
Owen Farrell did well for England again but Sexton put on a tactical master-class against Wales, particularly in the first half. Against Scotland we saw how his running game can be the difference but the accuracy of his kicking kept Wales pinned back on their heels.
Did you know? Sexton has nailed 10 of his 12 kicks at goal in this Six Nations (83%). His 333 Test points put him third on Ireland's all-time list, behind Ronan O'Gara (1,083) and David Humphreys (560).
SCRUM-HALF - DANNY CARE (England)

Danny Care
He just carried on from where he left off against France the previous week. Knocked over a smart early drop-goal, created Burrell's try after the forwards had put him in position, and set the tempo for England. Also made his fair share of tackles (nine).
Did you know? Care was part of Sheffield Wednesday's academy before turning his back on football as a 14-year-old. He ended up at Leeds, when current England coach Stuart Lancaster was in charge.
LOOSE-HEAD PROP - CIAN HEALY (Ireland)

Cian Healy
Angela De Marchi had a strong game for Italy but the Leinster loose-head was solid in the scrum, part of a great Irish mauling unit that brought two tries and was great around the park with several strong charges.
Did you know? Healy has missed only one of Ireland's 22 Six Nations matches since his debut at the start of the 2010 campaign - last year's game against Scotland, after he was banned for stamping.
HOOKER - DYLAN HARTLEY (England)

England hooker Dylan Hartley
Hartley had another strong all-round game. He was immaculate at the set-pieces, carried the ball well and was part of an impressive England pack which strangled the life out of Scotland.
Did you know? England had a 100% success rate from 20 line-outs in the 70 minutes Hartley was on the field against Scotland. They lost two out of four after he went off.
TIGHT-HEAD PROP - MARTIN CASTROGIOVANNI (Italy)

Italy prop Martin Castrogiovanni
'Castro' made his presence felt in the first half against France, popping his opposite number Thomas Domingo out of the scrum as Italy won a couple of penalties at scrum-time. His work-rate around the field was good too [he was Italy's joint-top tackler with 10].
Did you know? Castrogiovanni and Sergio Parisse joined Andrea Lo Cicero as Italy's most capped player, playing in their 103rd Tests against France. They are among five Italians to have won more than 100 caps.
LOCK - PAUL O'CONNELL (Ireland)

Ireland lock Paul O'Connell takes a line-out
He made a huge difference to the Irish performance after missing the win over Scotland. Instrumental in the two catch-and-drive line-outs that led to Ireland's tries, he helped lift the intensity of those around him.
Did you know? Despite leaving the field after 54 minutes, O'Connell was Ireland's third highest tackler with 10, behind Jamie Heaslip (12) and Chris Henry (11).
LOCK - COURTNEY LAWES (England)

Courtney Lawes
Another dominant display from the Northampton lock, who put himself about to great effect. He was immaculate at the line-out and played a big part in messing up Scotland's ball as well. Also carried the ball well and is starting to look like the player everyone thought he would be.
Did you know? Lawes has won more line-outs (14) than any other player to date in this year's Six Nations. He took 11 at Murrayfield, and also carried the ball 11 times.
BLIND-SIDE FLANKER - PETER O'MAHONY (Ireland)

Ireland flanker Peter O'Mahony
Man of the match against Wales, he was a dominant figure at the tackle area, where he got over the ball and forced several turnovers and penalties. Was clearly pumped up for it and did all the nitty-gritty stuff that allowed Ireland to win so comfortably in the end.
Did you know? O'Mahony, still only 24, led Ireland on their North American tour last summer while senior players were away with the British and Irish Lions and also took over the captaincy of Munster this season.
OPEN-SIDE FLANKER - CHRIS ROBSHAW (England)

England flanker Chris Robshaw
The England captain was part of a very positive performance in tricky conditions at Murrayfield and put in another big 80-minute shift, making his tackles, linking up play and marshalling the troops well.
Did you know? Robshaw has lifted the Calcutta Cup after each of his three Tests against Scotland. He made 13 tackles at Murrayfield, second only to fly-half Owen Farrell (14) for England.
NUMBER EIGHT - BILLY VUNIPOLA (England)

Billy Vunipola
Louise Picamoles put in a decent shift for France but this guy is just an awesome ball-carrier. He makes yardage through the heaviest traffic, and has plenty of skill to go with it too. One offload round the back of a Scottish player was high class.
Did you know? Vunipola carried the ball more times (16) than any player during this weekend's matches. Only Sergio Parisse (34, to Vunipola's 33) has made more carries across the first two rounds of fixtures.

Did you know? Burrell had his first taste of international rugby playing Sevens for the West Indies (his father Geoff is Jamaican) while he was out on loan at Championship side Rotherham.

I know im being picky...and may be wrong. But i thought if you had represented one nation at 7's you couldnt play for another...even if it was lowly West Indies?

GeordieFalcon wrote:

Did you know? Burrell had his first taste of international rugby playing Sevens for the West Indies (his father Geoff is Jamaican) while he was out on loan at Championship side Rotherham.

I know im being picky...and may be wrong. But i thought if you had represented one nation at 7's you couldnt play for another...even if it was lowly West Indies?

I dont know but suspect the key here was that it was 'the West Indies' - could just be an invitation side. Might be more awkward if it was, say the Jamaican sevens

According to

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_rugby_union_teams

it's a 'combination' side (like the Lions) so won't preclude you playing for an actual 'nation'.

Ah i see.

Healy
Hartley
Mas
Lawes
POC
POM
Vunipola
Nyanga
Care
Sexton
Fofana
Burrell
French wingers and Brown

What’s the love-in with Hibbard – he was pants (albeit by his normally high standard).
Lawes, Care, Sexton, Nyanga, Vunipola, and Fofana just have to be in.

Well Hibbard does have a very impressive head of hair, but his line outs have been poor.

Trimble should be in the team, kept George North in his pocket all day and out played him. Good day all round for Trimble.

Errmm GG, North was playing outside centre for a lot of the game, BOD kept him quiet there, unfortunately it took up all his time because he didn't do much else.

Saving his energy for a decent centre like Burrell.

Worst was the Scottish 23

Some of my countrymen have been polishing their rose coloured glasses. No Welshman would make a team of the weekend imo.

Hibbard, AWJ, Roberts were the best of a dire bunch but not the best in their positions. Lydiate was no where near.

15.Kearney
14.Huget
13.BOD
12.D'arce
11.Trimble
10.Sexton
9.Murray
8.Heaslip(Vunipola and Picamoles have terrible work rates without ball in hand, might aswell pick Leo Auva'a)
7.POM(played like one)
6.Nyanga
5.POC
4.Lawes
3.Cole(best out of bad bunch)
2.Best
1.Heals on wheels.

PredictorofTeams wrote:15.Kearney
14.Huget
13.BOD
12.D'arce
11.Trimble
10.Sexton
9.Murray
8.Heaslip(Vunipola and Picamoles have terrible work rates without ball in hand, might aswell pick Leo Auva'a)
7.POM(played like one)
6.Nyanga
5.POC
4.Lawes
3.Cole(best out of bad bunch)
2.Best
1.Heals on wheels.

I would put Burrell in centre and Mas at 3 but thats pretty close to what I would pick.

bedfordwelsh wrote:

PredictorofTeams wrote:15.Kearney
14.Huget
13.BOD
12.D'arce
11.Trimble
10.Sexton
9.Murray
8.Heaslip(Vunipola and Picamoles have terrible work rates without ball in hand, might aswell pick Leo Auva'a)
7.POM(played like one)
6.Nyanga
5.POC
4.Lawes
3.Cole(best out of bad bunch)
2.Best
1.Heals on wheels.

I would put Burrell in centre and Mas at 3 but thats pretty close to what I would pick.

Mas had a poor first half against poor opposition.
Burrell apart from the try was average, D'arce's rucking and tackle count was immense.

PredictorofTeams wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:

PredictorofTeams wrote:15.Kearney
14.Huget
13.BOD
12.D'arce
11.Trimble
10.Sexton
9.Murray
8.Heaslip(Vunipola and Picamoles have terrible work rates without ball in hand, might aswell pick Leo Auva'a)
7.POM(played like one)
6.Nyanga
5.POC
4.Lawes
3.Cole(best out of bad bunch)
2.Best
1.Heals on wheels.

I would put Burrell in centre and Mas at 3 but thats pretty close to what I would pick.

Mas had a poor first half against poor opposition.
Burrell apart from the try was average, D'arce's rucking and tackle count was immense.

Coles opposition wasn't much better either lol like you said best of bad bunch maybe, just think Burrell looks really suited and comfortable at this level already.

I certainly agree that was D'arcy's best game in an Ireland shirt for some time.

1.Healy - Marler also great in the loose
2.Hartley or Best - both impressed pretty equally
3.Mas
4.Lawes
5.O'Connell
6.O'Mahony
7.Nyanga
8.Vunipola - Picamoles also coming back into strong form

9.Care
10.Sexton

11.Trimble - Bonneval also impressed
12.Fofana
13.Burrell - No real standouts
14.Huget
15.Kearney or Brown - would just have happily had one or the other playing as they did on Saturday

PredictorofTeams wrote:15.Kearney
14.Huget
13.BOD
12.D'arce
11.Trimble
10.Sexton
9.Murray
8.Heaslip(Vunipola and Picamoles have terrible work rates without ball in hand, might aswell pick Leo Auva'a)
7.POM(played like one)
6.Nyanga
5.POC
4.Lawes
3.Cole(best out of bad bunch)
2.Best
1.Heals on wheels.

I could easily be wrong but I suspect that PoT might just be an Irish supporter

lostinwales wrote:

PredictorofTeams wrote:15.Kearney
14.Huget
13.BOD
12.D'arce
11.Trimble
10.Sexton
9.Murray
8.Heaslip(Vunipola and Picamoles have terrible work rates without ball in hand, might aswell pick Leo Auva'a)
7.POM(played like one)
6.Nyanga
5.POC
4.Lawes
3.Cole(best out of bad bunch)
2.Best
1.Heals on wheels.

I could easily be wrong but I suspect that PoT might just be an Irish supporter

He is certainly a fan of the Irish backs. As for the comments about Vunipola and Picamoles, I rate an eight principally based on their work with the ball not as an assistant six.

lostinwales wrote:

PredictorofTeams wrote:15.Kearney
14.Huget
13.BOD
12.D'arce
11.Trimble
10.Sexton
9.Murray
8.Heaslip(Vunipola and Picamoles have terrible work rates without ball in hand, might aswell pick Leo Auva'a)
7.POM(played like one)
6.Nyanga
5.POC
4.Lawes
3.Cole(best out of bad bunch)
2.Best
1.Heals on wheels.

I could easily be wrong but I suspect that PoT might just be an Irish supporter

That is the only logical explanation for that team selection...

Also anyone who thinks that Picamoles and Vunipola have a poor workrate without the ball needs to watch them a lot more closely

ChequeredJersey wrote:Also anyone who thinks that Picamoles and Vunipola have a poor workrate without the ball needs to watch them a lot more closely

That's the main reason Picamoles doesn't always start.Even for Toulouse, he often sits on the bench.Apparently his GPS tracking data is usually not nearly up to par.As for Vunipola, I'm just basing my comment on watching him in his last 2 games.
And for people saying, you base your no.8 solely on carrying ability, then you definitely have never played rugby nor understand it.

Billy has a pretty good workload in defence, and clears out a few breakdowns, though admittedly he's not as adapt there as Heaslip yet.

Do people really think Billy Vunipola has a poor workrate?

I think it was Burger the demented Nambian Captain at Saracens who said one of the biggest things that impressed him when Billy arrived was his very high work rate. Billy has actually played 6 several times for them aswell this season which says alot if you ask me.

If Morgan can find his form and fitness again, England are going to have some serious competition at 8 with Ewers and Dickinson in there aswell.

Demented Namibian .. sounds about right!

PredictorofTeams wrote:15.Kearney
14.Huget
13.BOD
12.D'arce
11.Trimble
10.Sexton
9.Murray
8.Heaslip(Vunipola and Picamoles have terrible work rates without ball in hand, might aswell pick Leo Auva'a)
7.POM(played like one)
6.Nyanga
5.POC
4.Lawes
3.Cole(best out of bad bunch)
2.Best
1.Heals on wheels.

Life through green goggles!

Worst is the Scotland team...

GeordieFalcon wrote:Do people really think Billy Vunipola has a poor workrate?

This is always such a 'fun' time of year because of the cross-pollination- for instance Irish posters aren't familiar with who the English WUMs are, English aren't familiar with the Irish WUMs and for a glorious 8 weeks its easy to get a bite.

You just bit my friend   

Notch wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:Do people really think Billy Vunipola has a poor workrate?

This is always such a 'fun' time of year because of the cross-pollination- for instance Irish posters aren't familiar with who the English WUMs are, English aren't familiar with the Irish WUMs and for a glorious 8 weeks its easy to get a bite.

You just bit my friend   

Aye, this is all a bit new to us and there's a certain sense of the unknown.

The thing is, you know where you are with the Welsh

 Oh i see well...well feckin done you got me to feckin bite!!

   

ChequeredJersey wrote:Also anyone who thinks that Picamoles and Vunipola have a poor workrate without the ball needs to watch them a lot more closely

Picamoles isnt as effective of busy defensively as he is in attack.

GunsGerms wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:Also anyone who thinks that Picamoles and Vunipola have a poor workrate without the ball needs to watch them a lot more closely

Picamoles isnt as effective of busy defensively as he is in attack.

I don't agree with this at all. Picamoles is actually very underrated in defence. His turnover count is fantastic, he is very good on the floor and he is also a very hard tackler. Depending on the game, his tackle count can vary. He is very effective in defence though.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:Also anyone who thinks that Picamoles and Vunipola have a poor workrate without the ball needs to watch them a lot more closely

Picamoles isnt as effective of busy defensively as he is in attack.

I don't agree with this at all.  Picamoles is actually very underrated in defence.  His turnover count is fantastic, he is very good on the floor and he is also a very hard tackler.  Depending on the game, his tackle count can vary.  He is very effective in defence though.

Basically Im just paraphrasing O'Gara I think it was who recently pointed this out. Im honeslty not sure. He is definitely very effective going forward.

GunsGerms wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:Also anyone who thinks that Picamoles and Vunipola have a poor workrate without the ball needs to watch them a lot more closely

Picamoles isnt as effective of busy defensively as he is in attack.

I don't agree with this at all.  Picamoles is actually very underrated in defence.  His turnover count is fantastic, he is very good on the floor and he is also a very hard tackler.  Depending on the game, his tackle count can vary.  He is very effective in defence though.

Basically Im just paraphrasing O'Gara I think it was who recently pointed this out. Im honeslty not sure. He is definitely very effective going forward.

I'm not sure I'd listen to O'Gara's advice on defence.

Cyril wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:Also anyone who thinks that Picamoles and Vunipola have a poor workrate without the ball needs to watch them a lot more closely

Picamoles isnt as effective of busy defensively as he is in attack.

I don't agree with this at all.  Picamoles is actually very underrated in defence.  His turnover count is fantastic, he is very good on the floor and he is also a very hard tackler.  Depending on the game, his tackle count can vary.  He is very effective in defence though.

Basically Im just paraphrasing O'Gara I think it was who recently pointed this out. Im honeslty not sure. He is definitely very effective going forward.

I'm not sure I'd listen to O'Gara's advice on defence.

I'd second that

ChequeredJersey wrote:

Cyril wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:Also anyone who thinks that Picamoles and Vunipola have a poor workrate without the ball needs to watch them a lot more closely

Picamoles isnt as effective of busy defensively as he is in attack.

I don't agree with this at all.  Picamoles is actually very underrated in defence.  His turnover count is fantastic, he is very good on the floor and he is also a very hard tackler.  Depending on the game, his tackle count can vary.  He is very effective in defence though.

Basically Im just paraphrasing O'Gara I think it was who recently pointed this out. Im honeslty not sure. He is definitely very effective going forward.

I'm not sure I'd listen to O'Gara's advice on defence.

I'd second that

Ye, I mean what does O'Gara know, it's not like he has 129 international caps, and is a professional coach. You guys definitely know more.

PredictorofTeams wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:

Cyril wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:Also anyone who thinks that Picamoles and Vunipola have a poor workrate without the ball needs to watch them a lot more closely

Picamoles isnt as effective of busy defensively as he is in attack.

I don't agree with this at all.  Picamoles is actually very underrated in defence.  His turnover count is fantastic, he is very good on the floor and he is also a very hard tackler.  Depending on the game, his tackle count can vary.  He is very effective in defence though.

Basically Im just paraphrasing O'Gara I think it was who recently pointed this out. Im honeslty not sure. He is definitely very effective going forward.

I'm not sure I'd listen to O'Gara's advice on defence.

I'd second that

Ye, I mean what does O'Gara know, it's not like he has 129 international caps, and is a professional coach. You guys definitely know more.

I'd suggest he knows a lot about the things he did and he coaches.

O'Gara's problem was never in defense, it was in tackling technique. He could organise a defense very well.

And is defensive marshalling, positioning and workload the same for backs as it is for forwards?

(Hint, the answer is no, unless the forwards are in the backs, in which case they can start listening to the 10)

He's Irish...which is over-rated on 606. Relax Mikado...the battle is lost.