England vs South Africa November 15th 2014

First topic message reminder :

Courtney Lawes is a doubt, since he is going through concussion protocols. That would see Kruis start and Kitchener on the bench, unless Lancaster wants to do something funky with Clark. Luther Burrell not in contention, and Stephen Myler still out with a hamstring problem. Haskell is there.

England team to face South Africa:

Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Anthony Watson (Bath)
Brad Barritt (Saracens)
Kyle Eastmond (Bath)
Jonny May (Gloucester)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Dylan Hartley (Northampton)
David Wilson (Bath)
Dave Attwood (Bath)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton)
Tom Wood (Northampton)
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)

Replacements

Rob Webber (Bath), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Kieran Brookes (Newcastle), George Kruis (Saracens), Ben Morgan (Gloucester), Ben Youngs (Leicester), George Ford (Bath), Marland Yarde (Harlequins)

South Africa

15 Willie le Roux,
14 JP Pietersen,
13 Jan Serfontein,

12 Jean de Villiers,
11 Bryan Habana,
10 Pat Lambie,
9 Cobus Reinach,
8 Duane Vermeulen,
7 Schalk Burger,
6 Marcell Coetzee,
5 Victor Matfield,
4 Eben Etzebeth,
3 Jannie du Plessis,
2 Adriaan Strauss,
1 Tendai Mtawarira

Replacements:

16 Bismarck du Plessis,
17 Trevor Nyakane,
18 Coenie Oosthuizen,
19 Bakkies Botha,
20 Teboho “Oupa” Mohoje,
21 Francois Hougaard,
22 Handré Pollard,
23 Cornal Hendricks

England have gone without a win in their last eleven Tests against the Springboks. Their best recent result was a draw in Port Elizabeth in June 2012. The match on Saturday will be almost eight years exactly since England's last victory. England have lost their last four Twickenham encounters.

This is the third time Lancaster has taken England through a round of Autumn Internationals. In 2012, his team beat New Zealand. In 2013, it was Australia. He has never beaten South Africa; his record reads one home loss, two away losses and one away draw.

We really are so predictable and ponderous with the ball.

Oh and now a try.

Soft soft try. This is a poor display

GeordieFalcon wrote:How many flipping knock ons.    

I'm starting to expect them.

Blergh

Very poor

1. New Zealand
2. South Africa
3. Australia
4. Everyone else

Lancaster may have improved our consistency against the other teams, but we are no nearer to being able to beat the top 2.

Plan A is slow ponderous and predictable.

We don't have a plan B

Twickenham sounding a bit shell-shocked. Team needs some momentum to get them back in the game.

To his credit though at least Eastmond is trying to mix it up.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Plan A is slow ponderous and predictable.  

We don't have a plan B

We have been horribly slow to get the ball away. Every time I think our breakdown work is improved, it takes a step back.

How was that not a pen to us in the middle of the field

Very calm defence by the Boks.

England probably saving themselves for 2nd half I expect!

Yet more try opportunities go begging. Englands biggest problem. Simple as that

Turnover. Excellent from SA, awful from England. Again

GeordieFalcon wrote:Yet more try opportunities go begging. Englands biggest problem. Simple as that

Agree - it is so frustrating to watch.

Tom Wood is a dimwit.

Didn't lawes split straight through the middle there?

How was that deliberately collapsing??

Lawes was quality there!

This is second gear stuff from SA. Very very disappointing.

Jeez I know it is wet but both teams are dire. Neither WC contenders on this evidence.

Agreed guns, quality is lacking

Guns, England are not contenders full stop.

BamBam wrote:Didn't lawes split straight through the middle there?

terrible call by walsh. lawes came through the middle. then some sa forwards rejoined the maul ahead of the ball and lawes which the IRB guidance has made clear is illegal.

We are so sloppy

Not good at all.

how many penalties against wood so far? 3 already?

get

rid

of

wood

Seriously Tom Wood, ffs. Remember when people used to accuse Haskell of being a penalty machine? When Haskell is fit I really want him back in this side. His form has been far better and he offers enough power to match the Boks.

A let off there.

Apparently our players are now scared of taking it into contact.

Wood has been poor so far today and last week

What was Farrell doing then?

Carp from us. Absolute dross

Farrell and Wood are having shockers. No one else is much cop though to be fair

Better scoreline than I thought at one point..

The scrum has been good, lineout good. Brown back. Eastmond good and Billy V better than last week.

england, although losing, look more dangerous and adventurous so far. SA fairly underwhelming apart from 1 awesome rolling maul where lawes got wrongly penalised.

think SA were lucky not to be more penalised for tackler assist not even vaguely releasing, several times. guess thats how walsh sees it today. as long as england are allowed to do it in the second half then no problem.

wood having shocker.

brown much better than last week. farrell too so far. intent good. team will be v disappointed to be behind.

BamBam wrote:Farrell and Wood are having shockers. No one else is much cop though to be fair

Wood has been a passenger, at best.

Farrell needs a hard running option at 12, he looks lost with Eastmond there.

Awful game

Brown much improved. Vunipolo better. Eastmond showing potential.
Barrett usual dependable self - Lawes playing well for me.
Line-out good. Scrum good.
Farrell pretty dire. Wood poor.
Walsh fine so far - the maul penalty arguable but other than that consistent.

What the hell was Farrell trying to do in his own half?

He should of booted that ball down the field not try and run the full length of the field.

Why is it a penalty against Wood in the line-out thought when SA have grabbing Lawes all the time too?

Hood83 wrote:

BamBam wrote:Farrell and Wood are having shockers. No one else is much cop though to be fair

Wood has been a passenger, at best.

A passenger who keeps grabbing the wheel and aiming at cyclists...

That half made me vomit.

If Wood is having a shocker, then what would be the best option? Billy to six and Morgan on, or Lawes to six and Kruis? I don't for a moment think Lancaster has either in mind.

nobbled wrote:Brown much improved. Vunipolo better. Eastmond showing potential.
Barrett usual dependable self - Lawes playing well for me.
Line-out good. Scrum good.
Farrell pretty dire. Wood poor.
Walsh fine so far - the maul penalty arguable but other than that consistent.

At the risk of sounding bitter and twisted Walsh will come into the match if England begin to get back into it. But I'd agree - so far I've no real issues with him.

We need a massive second half now with some finishing from somewhere.

Barritt to 6

Rugby Fan wrote:If Wood is having a shocker, then what would be the best option? Billy to six and Morgan on, or Lawes to six and Kruis? I don't for a moment think Lancaster has either in mind.

arimtage on at 7 and robshaw moves to 6

stub wrote:

nobbled wrote:Brown much improved. Vunipolo better. Eastmond showing potential.
Barrett usual dependable self - Lawes playing well for me.
Line-out good. Scrum good.
Farrell pretty dire. Wood poor.
Walsh fine so far - the maul penalty arguable but other than that consistent.

At the risk of sounding bitter and twisted Walsh will come into the match if England begin to get back into it. But I'd agree - so far I've no real issues with him.

We need a massive second half now with some finishing from somewhere.

Apart from the dodgy penalty against Lawes and letting SA pull on his arms at line-outs he's been OK so far ...