England vs Wales Match day thread

[maestegmafia]

First topic message reminder :

SIX NATIONS: ENGLAND V WALES
Venue: Twickenham Date: Sunday, 9 March Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Coverage: Watch live on BBC One, BBC One HD, listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

England

15-Mike Brown, 14-Jack Nowell, 13-Luther Burrell, 12-Billy Twelvetrees, 11-Jonny May, 10-Owen Farrell, 9-Danny Care

1-Joe Marler, 2-Dylan Hartley, 3-David Wilson, 4-Joe Launchbury, 5-Courtney Lawes, 6-Tom Wood, 7-Chris Robshaw (captain), 8-Ben Morgan

Replacements: 16-Tom Youngs, 17-Mako Vunipola, 18-Henry Thomas, 19-Dave Attwood, 20-Tom Johnson, 21-Lee Dickson, 22-George Ford, 23-Alex Goode


Wales

15-Leigh Halfpenny, 14-Alex Cuthbert, 13-Jonathan Davies, 12-Jamie Roberts, 11-George North, 10-Rhys Priestland, 9-Rhys Webb

1-Gethin Jenkins, 2-Richard Hibbard, 3-Adam Jones, 4-Jake Ball, 5-Alun Wyn Jones, 6-Dan Lydiate, 7-Sam Warburton (capt), 8-Taulupe Faletau

Replacements: Ken Owens, Paul James, Rhodri Jones, Andrew Coombs, Justin Tipuric, Mike Phillips, Dan Biggar, Liam Williams
MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee : Romain Poite (Fra)

Touch judges : Steve Walsh (Aus) & Lourens van der Merwe (RSA)
TV Official : Simon McDowell (Ire)


Next up for Wales is a trip to London and after all the banter coming out of the England camp it is time to finish the hype this match has been building and play some rugby. Have England improved on last year? Will home advantage be enough? Has Wales over come a trough and reached another high?

With plenty of injuries to key players, in fact some of England's very best players are out of this game, a convincing win for England over Wales will give the nation huge confidence going forward, maybe even a shot at the championship next weekend.

The build up seems to have been all about England, Wales are a known entity, twice champions in recent years with pretty much the same team they field tomorrow, little change to their game plan or style gives very little to discuss.

On the many various threads the situation is similar, all about England, with very little admiration of this perceivably over-rated Welsh team that have failed to beat a Southern Hemisphere top three team since 2008, the mark of all great sides.

In all honesty a tough and challenging end to the Six Nations will do this Welsh set up some good, possibly more good than the confidence a third consecutive championship would give them. Wales have little to lose and less to prove, a defeat in the manner of last years game would be vastly more detrimental to their hosts.

I hope all the fans enjoy the game, I am sure it will be the usual roller coaster of emotion for both Nations.

[Nachos Jones]

Stupidity from the Welsh scrum, Jenkins had been warned and must have known that Poite was watching him. Stupidity

[wales606]

What the!

How can you give a penalty and YC when England were pushing early and the ball hadn't even gone in!!!

[Rugby Fan]

We are getting close to sixty minutes. Wonder what Bomber's substitution strategy will be.

[wales606]

Jenkins had been warned enough, Gatland should have put Paul James on

[glamorganalun]

If England don't win this now there is something wrong, they should run away.

[nathan]

What the!

How can you give a penalty and YC when England were pushing early and the ball hadn't even gone in!!!

both push to keep the scrum stable before the put in, Jekins was pushing inwards already right in front of the ref - the same ref that had told him on more than one occasion.

[Hood83]

We are getting close to sixty minutes. Wonder what Bomber's substitution strategy will be.

Probably take off the better players and mangle our set-piece

[ALPanorak]

I definitely think Morgan is more effective off the bench. He doesn't seem to carry the same dynamism throughout the game when he starts...

[Hood83]

Brainless

[George Carlin]

I hope David Denton is watching Morgan. Just because you're wearing 8 doesn't mean you can't pass.

[Nachos Jones]

Not sure Heartley could do much else there to be honest.

[glamorganalun]

If that was a Welsh player red card for dangerous play.

[nathan]

i can see hartley coming off early now.

[nathan]

If that was a Welsh player red card for dangerous play.

clearly not as Hibbard wasnt even penalised for close line tackle n Farrell

[nathan]

With the welsh players making silly decisions like that i would hope the welsh fans dont blame the ref if they lose.

[mckay1402]

It wasn't a high tackle by hibbard. farrell dipped into it and their heads clashed. Nothing illegal in it

[Hood83]

Was JD a bit unlucky there? Looked like it bounced into him rather than he deliberately played it.

[nathan]

Was JD a bit unlucky there? Looked like it bounced into him rather than he deliberately played it.

don't think he tried to play it, he was moving his arm out of the way. just so happened it hit the ball

[glamorganalun]

Well done Preistland dropped the ball again, what has he got on Gatland.

[Nachos Jones]

Seriously Gatland, when are you going to bring Priestland off, when the game is well and truly gone?

[Nachos Jones]

Finally, Biggar on.

[glamorganalun]

The change should have been made 61mins ago

[nathan]

someones listening to you guys.

[nathan]

was a missed knock on there?

[gramps]

o hell mike phillips is on

[George Carlin]

i can see hartley coming off early now.

I think that would be smart. He's played really well but he's doing the careless stuff that usually precedes a yellow card.

[Rugby Fan]

Wales have helped England stay in front by matching our dumb penalty count in this second half.

[glamorganalun]

That two wrong calls on the trot by the ref

[mckay1402]

That was off the floor. What the actual hell?

[Nachos Jones]

Very lucky for England there, a real home decision. Ball was clearly off the ground.

[nathan]

Marler has played well

[Hood83]

Another excellent sub Bomber, bravo.

[HammerofThunor]

James was 45 degrees there at the start!

[wales606]

A demonstration of why James and Biggar should have been on 20 minutes ago

[Nachos Jones]

Wales already look much better with Phillips and Biggar on.

[mckay1402]

So consistant

[Rugby Fan]

On the strength of that, I'd be happy not to see any more scrums in this match.

[glamorganalun]

Big improvement but is it too late. Gatland wake up and open your eyes

[glamorganalun]

Not a penalty, home ref is working over time

[George Carlin]

Why is the Welsh backline standing so far behind the gainline?

[mckay1402]

This is jokes now. scrum literally falls apart and still not penalised

[mckay1402]

This is jokes now. scrum literally falls apart and still not penalised

[glamorganalun]

That call took a long time.

[Hood83]

Again Poite, clueless.

[mckay1402]

He's careful not to penalise England in any dangerous areas

[beshocked]

May and Nowell have been poor. I have criticised Twelvetrees quite a bit but he's done pretty well today.

[Hood83]

FFS.

[Nachos Jones]

Big improvement but is it too late. Gatland wake up and open your eyes

Maybe not yet, Wales can still get something here. Biggar has looked much better and given his centres proper running lines and he is a much better kick.

[wales606]

So many knock ons in the England 22

[Biltong]

Very sneaky by Wales at the tackle area, the tackler after he released blocks the arriving support player, which gives time for the tackle assist to fetch.

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