England v New Zealand - Test 2 (14 Jun 2014)

First topic message reminder :

NEW ZEALAND v ENGLAND
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Saturday 14th June, KO 19:35 local, 08:35 BST

TEAMS
New Zealand
1: Woodcock, 2: Coles, 3: O Franks, 4: Retallick, 5: Whitelock, 6: Messam, 7: McCaw (c), 8: Kaino, 9: A Smith, 10: Cruden, 11: Savea, 12: Nonu, 13: C Smith, 14: Jane, 15: B Smith
Bench: 16: Mealamu, 17: Crockett, 18: Faumuina, 19: Tuipulotu, 20: Vito, 21: Perenara, 22: Barrett, 23: Fekitoa
England
1: Marler, 2: Webber, 3: Wilson, 4: Launchbury, 5: Parling, 6: Wood, 7: Robshaw (c), 8: Morgan, 9: Care, 10: Farrell, 11: Yarde, 12: Twelvetrees, 13: Burrell, 14: Tuilagi (what was he thinking?), 15: Brown
Bench: 16: Hartley, 17: Mullan, 18: Brookes, 19: Lawes, 20: Vunipola, 21: Youngs, 22: Burns, 23: Ashton

OFFICIALS
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
ARs: Nigel Owens (WRU) & Jérôme Garcès (FFR)
TMO: George Ayoub (ARU)

Think we're lucky there!!

rubbish. tmo is saying the player doesnt need to ground it. They dont even know the rules?

Looks like Brown has done well there. Why are Burrell and Lawes standing and watching? If they both smash that contact then the Kiwi defenders aren't going to stop a try. Need to crank up the intensity.

Whoa,try

Decent attempt by one of the top teams in the world to keep the best team in the world in sight. I doubt a well drilled Rest of the World XV would live with the ABs when they play like this. RWC 15 in the S Hemisphere would have been a given, RWC 15 in N Hemisphere gives the rest only a small hint of an outside chance.

Yes, you can argue the ABs may have had the rub of the green with some key decisions but the main difference has been higher skill levels and robotic execution of chances. Well done ABs.

wales606 wrote:Haven't been reading all these comments, so I don't know what you guys think, but I this the ref has been spot on today and really allowed the game to flow.

I think everyone agree's with you... well most people!

Good to see Mike Brown score - even if the ball didn't touch the ground. He deserves points.
My favourite England player. Reminds me a bit of Latham.

nathan wrote:

Scratch wrote:

nathan wrote:

No9 wrote:

nathan wrote:

No9 wrote:FFS stop knocking Owens for England's failure to win...

England have done well, better than I expected. But all this Owens knocking is just underlining the "whinging poms" tag...

what you been smoking?

You tell me... I'm watching this as a neutral, your the one slating Owens again...


Perhaps you can ask for 4 English officials for the next test....   

a couple of comments about Owens and you think i'm slating him. O my you are precious about him arnt you.

are you actually a real person or just an aggro bot?  

coming from you   

you are very easily pleased aren't you nathan.   

nathan wrote:

No9 wrote:

nathan wrote:

No9 wrote:FFS stop knocking Owens for England's failure to win...

England have done well, better than I expected. But all this Owens knocking is just underlining the "whinging poms" tag...

what you been smoking?

You tell me... I'm watching this as a neutral, your the one slating Owens again...


Perhaps you can ask for 4 English officials for the next test....   

a couple of comments about Owens and you think i'm slating him. O my you are precious about him arnt you.

No just saying, man up, grow a pair and accept the decisions. Sometimes decisions go with you, sometimes they don't. All part of the game, as just demonstrated with Browns try...

Slow hands Youngs is on.

get 36 off!!!!

Never ceases to amaze me how such a country with a small population are able to be so utterly dominant in a sport.

It's seriously admirable.

Get. Him. Off. Haha

Hood83 wrote:Slow hands Youngs is on.

well slow is better than Care dropping it....

Watching from a cyber cafe in Eindhoven-that f**king Irish pub is shut.

Only getting to see the second half but it looks like NZ woke up. Seem more intense but with England getting that try she's still all to play for in the last ten.

So Ben Smith was the standout?

8 minutes 2 scores game on! england's midfield is dire now

I still can't believe that try was awarded. I'm a neutral and that is disgraceful

Interesting TMO "Any reason not to award the try?" so the TMO could not be sure it was held up - so Try awarded. No way could a TMO have given that as a try either - If its "try yes or no?" then its no try !
Right question asked tho as the TJ said "I think its a try but check"

nathan wrote:

wales606 wrote:Haven't been reading all these comments, so I don't know what you guys think, but I this the ref has been spot on today and really allowed the game to flow.

I think everyone agree's with you... well most people!

he's let a bit too much go at the maul for me, but otherwise he hasnt been that obvious which is always a compliment about the ref.

36 again. FFS he is having the worst game i have ever seen him have. Why did SL rush him back. he looks so so rusty

The difference in line speed is massive. England just don't have the backs.

lol, NZ in from the side there

Burns on NOW

Mmm, I don't think that was a try.

trebellbobaggins wrote:Never ceases to amaze me how such a country with a small population are able to be so utterly dominant in a sport.

It's seriously admirable.

samoa? i quite agree

Finally some decent defence from England

oh come on... he got it down!

Go upstairs, George Ayoub is blind and will give it!

Even as an English fan I think the ref has done a good job. The Farrell yellow was a bit harsh but if he didn't see it as a maul the a yellow had to be called.

hey...it was mccaws back that held it up. the torso means a try...

Scratch wrote:

trebellbobaggins wrote:Never ceases to amaze me how such a country with a small population are able to be so utterly dominant in a sport.

It's seriously admirable.

samoa? i quite agree

How many Samoans do you see? Are Samoans filling your dreams, like counting sheep?

LB, doesn't the 'ball' have to dot down?

Scratch wrote:

trebellbobaggins wrote:Never ceases to amaze me how such a country with a small population are able to be so utterly dominant in a sport.

It's seriously admirable.

samoa? i quite agree

Well indeed, the Islands also produce a disproportionate number of amazing players too.

eastmond would have thrived in this game.

 our midfield has been the biggest weak link this game.

 Manu being found with the high ball but at least he making his tackles.

Hey taylor, will mccaw get dropped for missing that tackle in the 1st half or will they forgive him for his near flawless performance in the 2nd?   

ebop wrote:LB, doesn't the 'ball' have to dot down?

looked near enough to me.  same as Brown's try  

I'd go with Manu and Eastmond next week.

One criticism against the ref is that he needs to communicate better when it's a maul for both teams. I don't think i've heard him shout it once.

We're just going sideways again at the moment.

Would have been closer with last weeks midfield, though I don't think eng could have won a game here unless they ceased the chance last week when the blacks were rusty.

well ignoring nz's obvious improvement i still think england were better in T1, Burns and Cips offer more, no 36, manu in midfield. Manu is no winger, nathan has better evasive skills than him, Yarde stood out today, Care had a mare and England should have spent more time dominating in the pack - try playing Lawes/Billy and Hartley from the start -than trying to get wide too quickly with an impotent 13. Eastmond and Manu for me with Burns at 10 and Ashton back in to actually finsih tries off....oh and maybe don't bang on about upping the tempo pre game, think maybe NZ got that memo and returned it with inetrest. Missed opportunity by England but there is potential

Ha yes, that's the spirit LB

just happy to get through this LB. Character is all I can say. They've been under huge pressure all week.

Nice warm up act guys... Now to get ready for the main event at 4pm...

 

a 15 minute blitz from the AB's where they raised the tempo hes and Eng wernt able to handle them.....that being said they made some poor decisions and errors in that period that yu just cant do against the best....to beat the AB's you need to play a perfect game for 80 (and as Ireland will know sometimes 80+) minutes

nathan wrote:

wales606 wrote:Haven't been reading all these comments, so I don't know what you guys think, but I this the ref has been spot on today and really allowed the game to flow.

I think everyone agree's with you... well most people!

Yup - and not been afraid to make decisions either. Even the TMO "try" is correct if you analyse it.

Well that flatters England but it was a nice try.

Good try

Only 1 point in it in the end.

Nice try that. This England squad looks the goods. A poor 10-15 minutes in the 2nd half the difference here

COME ON ENGLAND!!

ohh been dying to see Ashton fluff a swan dive... good try. well done for sticking in there England. good response ABs. look forward to the third.