What a Lions hang over looks like

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Let's face facts. Wales have looked ordinary this six nations.

Against England their kick chase was non existent, the ruck was lacklustre, players we are accustomed to seeing barreling into the defensive line; punching holes were subdued. Even Faletau mustered only a few decent carries. Wales looked largely like they wanted to leave the hard work to someone else. When Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins are out scrummed by the same characters they destroyed a year earlier you know something is amiss.

The welsh performance was largely summed up as halfpenny flattering to deceive by some typically extraordinary long range accuracy.

The ball was carelessly knocked on, turned over, passes went behind players and careless, lazy options were taken.

Does this take away from England's performance? No. England were more than competent. The ruck work pushed Poite all the way to his very lenient boundary, the set piece was accurate and the veil of professionalism that is settling over England looked fitting (blockers were in place for each kick, Hartley again managed a fistful of indiscretions at vital moments whilst avoiding a sanction beyond penalties and Farrell's restarts were typically excellent). All of these things are the mark of a world class team. All of the World Cup winners were adept at these things and the England coaches have done a great job of finding the line here. England are certainly not naive, in their youthfulness.

But it had to be said, Wales were frankly well off the level we've seen them play.

I don't want to labour this point, but I predicted it. No act of analytic genius, just simple observation. I estimated Wales had one great effort left in them - pride demanded it. It came against France after the shocking performance turned in against Ireland a fortnight earlier. From then, with players having laid down their market I always felt Gatland would struggle to get the players up again. Nonsense! I hear you cry! England is the most important match of the year for a Welshman. Well yes, that's true. But there is a wide margin between feeling the motivation of the old foe approaching, and having the mental and physical reserves to deliver on that emotion. What happens in this scenario? In a word, frustration. Over playing. Over trying. Thrashing. When North and Roberts kicked recklessly rather than playing patiently this is what was delivered.

What does a lions hang over look like? Just watch the replay.

Well done to the increasingly impressive england. Will deserved victors, who now have a great chance of a six Nations title to match their triple crown.  Did we see anything new? Not really. Brown still looks the most likely back. Nowell still seems out of his depth to me. May is ordinary, seems in dire need of some coaching about DIRECTION. The team again lost impetus when Hartley departed, and I'd really like to see something different than the workman like Farrell at 10. Don't get me wrong - I'm not deriding England. They are indeed developing into a RWC threat. But I don't feel this performance added anything to that delivered in the loss to France.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Halfpenny : Player of the series, full Lions tour, next six nations gets injured and the welsh decide that "Sanjay" is better.

Brown: Pretty much the exact opposite.


Welsh: High lions participation, dip in form and results
French: No Lions participation, improvement in form and results (they were brilliant against England)
Ireland: Medium Lions participation, small improvement in form an results
Scotland: A joke.


Dress it up anyway you like people will make their own minds up as to whether to exaggerate the effect of a heavy summer tour schedule or not regardless of facts.

Meanwhile players unions continue to push for longer rests.

'The Welsh decide Sanjay is better' is a rather glib interpretation of it. Many might've enjoyed having an attacking fullback again

And the French really weren't THAT good against England