Wales v England - 6 February 2015 - Match thread

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Wales v England
6 February 2015
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Kick off at 20.05

Referee: Jérôme Garcès (FFR)
AR1: Romain Poite (FFR)
AR2: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU)

Live on BBC1

Wales

01. Gethin Jenkins
02. Richard Hibbard
03. Samson Lee
04. Alun Wyn Jones
05. Jake Ball
06. Dan Lydiate
07. Sam Warburton (c)
08. Toby Faletau

09. Rhys Webb
10. Dan Biggar
11. George North
12. Jamie Roberts
13. Jonathan Davies
14. Alex Cuthbert
15. Leigh Halfpenny

16. Scott Baldwin
17. Paul James
18. Aaron Jarvis
19. Luke Charteris
20. Justin Tipuric
21. Mike Phillips
22. Rhys Preistland
23. Liam Williams

England

15. Mike Brown
14. Anthony Watson
13. Jonathan Joseph
12. Luther Burrell
11. Jonny May
10. George Ford
09. Ben Youngs  

01. Joe Marler
02. Dylan Hartley
03. Dan Cole
04. David Attwood
05. George Kruis
06. James Haskell
07. Chris Robshaw (captain)
08. Billy Vunipola

16. Tom Youngs
17. Mako Vunipola
18. Kieran Brookes
19. Tom Croft
20. Nick Easter
21. Richard Wigglesworth
22. Danny Cipriani
23. Billy Twelvetrees

[Scottrf]

Oh and Samson Lee. He is a young guy, and should get a lot better (just see how Marler has moved on from where he was when he started) but he really had a night to forget.

To be fair, there were a few that called this. A very experienced and tested front row for England, not so for Wales.

[nlpnlp]

I have to say how sad it is to see Halfpenny kick, kick, kick, kick, kick - Wales are just so negative and predictable.  They need to change their gameplan or else they are going to get nowhere.   If they can't bully teams into defeat then they have no clue.

If I was picking a best 15 from the players available in that game I would have gone:
James Hibbard Cole
Attwood Wynn Jones
Robshaw Faletau Warburton
Youngs Biggar Roberts Davies North Halfpenny Brown

10:5 to Wales.  Yet they lost and deservedly so. Wales need to look at replacing their coach or they will fall short on what they should achieve at the world cup- which is semi final.

[Sgt_Pooly]

If it's any consolation to the Welsh amongst us, I thought you were really good at the pre game light display!

I thought attempts to wind up, gloat or personally attack were to be dealt with and bans handed out?

But not if you're Mod! Obvs

Or you could get a sense of humour.  It's called banter,  found at most rugby grounds around the country.

Um, if you call that banter you should quit now

Clear attempt by a MOD to gloat and wind up QED double standard.

Will you be banning yourself or will someone else do it?

I'm clearly not posting as mod or it would have been in red.   I've seen Saints report about me, no problem, have left it for another mod to deal with.  If they deem that some very sensitive souls might have been upset by my words, I'll take my lumps, it's part of being a grown up.

Ozzy I thought the pre-match light display was very good and added to the build-up. However when multiple posters believe a mod is posting comments trying to wind up opposition fans then I believe the moderation team should look into it. Not only that but you've followed it up with this garbage. Firstly, discussing moderation issues on the forum "Saints report" and secondly, "it's part of being a grown up" - comments intended to stir the pot by having other posters continue with their stupid drivel against me and suggesting these welsh posters aren't being grown up; all because they questioned a moderator over his comments after warnings by the moderation team? I thought you mods were 'promoted' into these positions on good behaviour, good contributions, etc.

Somebody reported that comment.....that's one of the saddest things I've seen on this forum. C'mon lads, you've only lost against England again, I thought you'd be used to it by now

[thomh]

23 tackles by Robshaw apparently. Didn't notice that.

Anyone else surprised by the stat that Warburton has only won 12 games as Wales captain?

[SecretFly]

Was that a really good England performance (it was of course, but you know what I mean - a REALLY good England performance) or have Wales started pretty much as they ended last season - playing the Gatball stuff until they knock themselves silly on the high speed impact stuff and drain their thighs of mitochondria?

First game up and it's hard to tell.  England look menacing again (like last season) and they still have those impressive levels of afterburner gas and stamina to make it count and can scare the opposition out of any ideas that you're going to tire an England side into submission - you ain't.  So they look the real deal for the 6N but it needs another hard game to more fully understand both side's true form.

[Scottrf]

No-one on either side rated less than a five but 18 players are rated six.

Standard. Player ratings are wholly pointless.

[TightHEAD]

Wales would have won had Adam Jones been playing, Gatland should be root marched to the Severn bridge and kicked out for good tonight.

[milkyboy]

England good value for the win today. Didn't see this increase in intensity after half time that other's saw... Just saw them manage the ref's interpretation of the breakdown better, keep the penalty count  down, stop the charge downs and build some continuity. More composed rather than more intense I thought. The intensity was there from the start, just not the execution. Still made handling errors forcing the play at times, the Achilles heel of this side for some time, and they left too many points out there that a better side than wales were today would have made us pay for. But all said, promising performance and great result.


Thought the crossing call was harsh, partly because it happens all the time and he didnt impede the guy marking the ball carrier. It may be correct by the letter of the law, but Applied that strictly, the whistle would be blowing all the time. Also would the TMO have got involved if the try hadn't been scored? Finally, how many phases  back do you/can  you go with these things? The last stop in play? What is the law? If you're looking for a reason to disallow a try and you go back far enough you'll often find one in a sport where it's not who is infringing, it's which of the infringers the ref chooses to ping. It didn't matter today, I just don't like the TMO getting involved unless the ref specifically asks him to check something... except for serious foul play.

[Portnoy's Complaint]

Was that a really good England performance (it was of course, but you know what I mean - a REALLY good England performance) or have Wales started pretty much as they ended last season - playing the Gatball stuff until they knock themselves silly on the high speed impact stuff and drain their thighs of mitochondria?

First game up and it's hard to tell.  England look menacing again (like last season) and they still have those impressive levels of afterburner gas and stamina to make it count and can scare the opposition out of any ideas that you're going to tire an England side into submission - you ain't.  So they look the real deal for the 6N but it needs another hard game to more fully understand both side's true form.

SF's subtext is 'try beating Ireland in the Cucumber Shed'.

We'll see.

It'll be effectively the Wolfhounds v the Saxons anyway.

[quinsforever]

I have to say how sad it is to see Halfpenny kick, kick, kick, kick, kick - Wales are just so negative and predictable.  They need to change their gameplan or else they are going to get nowhere.   If they can't bully teams into defeat then they have no clue.

If I was picking a best 15 from the players available in that game I would have gone:
James Hibbard Cole
Attwood Wynn Jones
Robshaw Faletau Warburton
Youngs Biggar Roberts Davies North Halfpenny Brown

10:5 to Wales.  Yet they lost and deservedly so. Wales need to look at replacing their coach or they will fall short on what they should achieve at the world cup- which is semi final.

well i'd have to disagree

best 14 on my viewing with both eyes open

marler hartley cole
atwood AWJ
robshaw faletau haskell

youngs ford roberts/burrell joseph watson brown (may, north and cuthbest were cr4p and 1/2p is FB)

11:3

which is why at home, it would have been a 20 point margin. IRB reckons home games are worth about 10 points!

[Cardiff Dave]

Lighten up   FFS.

Dave to be fair, they are going by exactly what was said here*. Others are not, so I wonder if the rules still stand.

*https://www.606v2.com/t57594-please-read-6-nations-threads-on-v2-forum

This rule is daft;

"If someone says something you don't agree with, report them - if you retaliate you'll likely end up banned too."

[quinsforever]

23 tackles by Robshaw apparently. Didn't notice that.

Anyone else surprised by the stat that Warburton has only won 12 games as Wales captain?

no, cause he talks a good game for the media and the WRU but he doesnt carry the dressing room with him, and he is a very inconsistent performer, and regularly injured.

england flankers i would pick ahead of Warbs any day

robshaw
haskell
armitage
garvey
clark

[dummy_half]

I have to say how sad it is to see Halfpenny kick, kick, kick, kick, kick - Wales are just so negative and predictable.  They need to change their gameplan or else they are going to get nowhere.   If they can't bully teams into defeat then they have no clue.

If I was picking a best 15 from the players available in that game I would have gone:
James Hibbard Cole
Attwood Wynn Jones
Robshaw Faletau Warburton
Youngs Biggar Roberts Davies North Halfpenny Brown

10:5 to Wales.  Yet they lost and deservedly so. Wales need to look at replacing their coach or they will fall short on what they should achieve at the world cup- which is semi final.

nlpnlp
If you are meaning on paper, that's probably not far off. On the game tonight, I'd have Marler, Kruis, Ford, Haskell, Joseph and Watson in instead of James, AW-J, Warburton, Biggar, Davies and North (might argue for Billy V over Faletau as well, although that was not a clear cut one). First half Wales probably deserved the lead they had, but the second half was absolutely one way traffic, and England will look back during the week and wonder how that wasn't a win by 12-15 points.

[TightHEAD]

I'd imagine there will be one or two happy Bath fans tonight.

[lostinwales]

Guardian player ratings:

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/06/wales-england-player-ratings-six-nations

No-one on either side rated less than a five but 18 players are rated six. Guardian gives both Ford and Billy V an eight.

Odd. Thought England 2nd row especially rated higher

[TightHEAD]

Let's always keep the roof open in future

[Cumbrian]

How many Jiffy?  How many Western Daily Fail? How many Englishmen would make the Wales squad?  I can tell you how many Welshmen would make the England squad! Not many!  Enjoy the next two visits to HQ, I reckon I will!

[Cardiff Dave]

Wales would have won had Adam Jones been playing, Gatland should be root marched to the Severn bridge and kicked out for good tonight.

"Warren Gatland has signed a new long-term contract to remain as head coach of Wales until after the 2019 World Cup."

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/10880292.Gatland_signs_new_deal/

[thomh]

23 tackles by Robshaw apparently. Didn't notice that.

Anyone else surprised by the stat that Warburton has only won 12 games as Wales captain?

no, cause he talks a good game for the media and the WRU but he doesnt carry the dressing room with him, and he is a very inconsistent performer, and regularly injured.

england flankers i would pick ahead of Warbs any day

robshaw
haskell
armitage
garvey
clark

Regardless of him as a player, I'd have thought Wales had more victories with him as captain than that.

4 at RWC 2011
4 in 6N 2012 (he missed a game didn't he?)
3 in 6N 2014
1 vs SA 2014

Is that it?

[quinsforever]

Guardian player ratings:

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/06/wales-england-player-ratings-six-nations

No-one on either side rated less than a five but 18 players are rated six. Guardian gives both Ford and Billy V an eight.

Odd. Thought England 2nd row especially rated higher

utterly unknowledgeable set of ratings there! some muppet who clearly doesnt understnad the overall game and thinks anyone wearing 10 must be great. what a tube.

[TightHEAD]

Wales would have won had Adam Jones been playing, Gatland should be root marched to the Severn bridge and kicked out for good tonight.

"Warren Gatland has signed a new long-term contract to remain as head coach of Wales until after the 2019 World Cup."

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/10880292.Gatland_signs_new_deal/

to be honest they are not worth the paper they are written on these days!

[quinsforever]

23 tackles by Robshaw apparently. Didn't notice that.

Anyone else surprised by the stat that Warburton has only won 12 games as Wales captain?

no, cause he talks a good game for the media and the WRU but he doesnt carry the dressing room with him, and he is a very inconsistent performer, and regularly injured.

england flankers i would pick ahead of Warbs any day

robshaw
haskell
armitage
garvey
clark

Regardless of him as a player, I'd have thought Wales had more victories with him as captain than that.

4 at RWC 2011
4 in 6N 2012 (he missed a game didn't he?)
3 in 6N 2014
1 vs SA 2014

Is that it?

lets not forget gatland's win ratio is just below 50% and he's been in charge for 8 years...hard to expect warb's to be better now is it?

[lostinwales]

Wales would have won had Adam Jones been playing, Gatland should be root marched to the Severn bridge and kicked out for good tonight.

Old rules and Adam Jones at his best would make a difference. But rules change and AJ isnt the same force as he used to be.

Adam Jones did play last year. Didnt do Wales much good there.

[The Saint]

I have to say how sad it is to see Halfpenny kick, kick, kick, kick, kick - Wales are just so negative and predictable.  They need to change their gameplan or else they are going to get nowhere.   If they can't bully teams into defeat then they have no clue.

If I was picking a best 15 from the players available in that game I would have gone:
James Hibbard Cole
Attwood Wynn Jones
Robshaw Faletau Warburton
Youngs Biggar Roberts Davies North Halfpenny Brown

10:5 to Wales.  Yet they lost and deservedly so. Wales need to look at replacing their coach or they will fall short on what they should achieve at the world cup- which is semi final.

nlpnlp
If you are meaning on paper, that's probably not far off. On the game tonight, I'd have Marler, Kruis, Ford, Haskell, Joseph and Watson in instead of James, AW-J, Warburton, Biggar, Davies and North (might argue for Billy V over Faletau as well, although that was not a clear cut one). First half Wales probably deserved the lead they had, but the second half was absolutely one way traffic, and England will look back during the week and wonder how that wasn't a win by 12-15 points.

Probably because they weren't 12-15 points better. Have you been taking quinsforever's comments serious? That said Roberts and Davies wouldn't be in the team, the English centres would be. I'd also swap Robshaw for Haskell; also agree with your Marler selection.

[TightHEAD]

But that was at HQ.

Jones is awsome.

[SecretFly]

Was that a really good England performance (it was of course, but you know what I mean - a REALLY good England performance) or have Wales started pretty much as they ended last season - playing the Gatball stuff until they knock themselves silly on the high speed impact stuff and drain their thighs of mitochondria?

First game up and it's hard to tell.  England look menacing again (like last season) and they still have those impressive levels of afterburner gas and stamina to make it count and can scare the opposition out of any ideas that you're going to tire an England side into submission - you ain't.  So they look the real deal for the 6N but it needs another hard game to more fully understand both side's true form.

SF's subtext is 'try beating Ireland in the Cucumber Shed'.

We'll see.

It'll be effectively the Wolfhounds v the Saxons anyway.

Hmmm, we're all prickly tonight folks??! - short fuses all round - cucumbers with barbed-wire trimmings  
Maybe it was a bad time to try a little praise of an England that I liked the look of but don't look forward to meeting.  I'll try better to get in the sneer mood if I stay up long enough

[king_carlos]

Of the backs, I thought Joseph and Watson had better games than Ford, who did quite a lot of good things but a few not so good (charge downs in particular). Was impressed though with how our relatively lightweight back division stood up to wales when they had the ball.

Whilst I'm not a huge fan of Jiffy I thought he got it spot on post match when he stated something along the lines of, "select players on the basis of what they can do, not what they can't do".

Yes you get the odd player who makes it to international level and really can't tackle. However when it comes to the vast majority, especially guys who come through the age groups with strong basic skills, they know how to hit low and put someone down. Of course all little guys aren't going to hit like Lima or Wilkinson, flooring players much bigger than them. However they really don't need to for us to have a strong defensive line.

It's also about balance of course but I often feel it only requires adapting the gameplan slightly to accompany many personnel changes. For instance the difference between shunting the ball slightly further down the line to a centre for a clearing kick or putting the ball behind the centres backs to the FB shouldn't be huge. However I often feel England make these things look very difficult hence why we see all of the pressure on the half backs tactical kicking during many points in big matches.

[quinsforever]

I have to say how sad it is to see Halfpenny kick, kick, kick, kick, kick - Wales are just so negative and predictable.  They need to change their gameplan or else they are going to get nowhere.   If they can't bully teams into defeat then they have no clue.

If I was picking a best 15 from the players available in that game I would have gone:
James Hibbard Cole
Attwood Wynn Jones
Robshaw Faletau Warburton
Youngs Biggar Roberts Davies North Halfpenny Brown

10:5 to Wales.  Yet they lost and deservedly so. Wales need to look at replacing their coach or they will fall short on what they should achieve at the world cup- which is semi final.

ok lets put this into perspective. rugby teams work as units not individuals. forwards main job is to win own lineouts and scrums and not fall short in open field. by that metric the welsh forwards failed at set piece and in open field (even ignoring Garces suspending of the not lying on players on the ground while claiming to play the ball rule). given the failure of the welsh forwards to secure front foot ball from line-out, scrum or even ruck, its hard to pinpoint webb and biggar as having been poor. they just looked that way.

players who were genuinely better - joseph, brown, haskell, robshaw, english front row 1st half. hard to say ford was better than a biggar who always got the ball going backwards.

[SecretFly]

The Welsh players aren't poor, they just need a host of new coaching ideas and they're not being given them.  They've been rumbled.  They're still a tough nut to screw because big guys who can run hard lines are still big guys who can run hard lines.
But Gatland and crew just seem to think intensity will be enough if they can sustain it.  
They'll probably improve into the 6N and get some high scores on other sides - but it'll be the wrong tonic I think because it'll be 'proof' again for Gatland that he's always been right - he just needs the same theory with more and more super conditioning.

[HammerofThunor]

Just watched the game, was on my way back from Bristol Airport when the game was on. Chuffed with the performance and the win. Once they cut out the stupid, needless penalties, England did well (although Falatau showed what a good 8 can do behind a retreating scrum).

I thought the ref was generally ok. I didn't agree with some of his ruck interpretation but he seemed reasonably consistent. Scrum? No idea, still a bit of a lottery in terms of what offence the ref decides to ping.

Attwood's try? I could see it being given either way and no real issues with it being scrapped.

Generally most of the players had decent games. I hope Joseph and Burrell have a chance to have a good run of games together.

Wales kicked badly from what I saw. Kicked a lot and too deep.

[stub]

Well that was very enjoyable - Wales looked dangerous for a whiles and had me really worried then England gradually took control. Great to see and leaves me with great hope for the rest of the 6N and beyond. Really need to watch it (sober) again properly though and look forward to doing so. Hard luck Wales and well done England.

[Barney McGrew did it]

Could be a decent English team when we get the full side back.

[TightHEAD]

I believe Wales took a risk with George North and it backfired as he missed JJ just before he scored.

Player safety is more important than a rugby game.

[Cumbrian]

I can be generous now about Attwood's 'try', but I really would have given it. Home town decisions I suppose, robbed England of a more comfortable lead (and me of a less heart attack inducing finale!).

[SecretFly]

George could now (because of that repeated hit and drop) be considered a no show for the rest of the 6N. The medics will know they missed an important one when they missed that second knock out. I feel he'll pay the price now of being put back on and be forced to do the rehabilitation term

[quinsforever]

only replacements i really want to see are a 100% lawes and launchbury at lock. tuilagi need to win his place back. 36 was so impressive off thebench that he should clearly stay there. and farrell needs to show much more for sarries before he is allowed back near the matchday 23.

am really loving the ford, burrell, joseph backline. most people dont recognise that the reason our 2001-3 team was so great, with out undoubtedly dominant forwards, was that we were extremely threatening in our backline. if our backs threaten, that creates space around the ruck/maul. simples.

[Heaf]

If and it is a big IF, England can get any quick ball, they could cause problems. Problem is i can't see them winning any of the collisions in the backs, so they will be forced to try and slow Welsh possession. Wales are favorites but England have a chance eif they can get anywhere near parity up front and win the scrum. I reckon we will know in the first 15 who will win.

At least we'll have to wait to see - if Walsh was the ref we'd know already

There is nothing more sad than to see a grown man blame the actions of a ref for losing a game 30 points to 3.

Don't think I actually said that did I? You've drawn your own conclusions there.

[TightHEAD]

Just watched The brand getting lost and running into the post lol

[lostinwales]

I believe Wales took a risk with George North and it backfired as he missed JJ  just before he scored.

Player safety is more important than a rugby game.

They went really high on Joseph, which gave him the chance. Very impressed with the way he seemed to use North to bounce off- it seems the kind of thing some guys are just born with.

You can almost always put scores down to mistakes by the defense, but what its really important is to put sufficient pressure on the defense that a mistake is liable to occur and then to make sure you make the most of it. England did just that.

And what a joy to see England playing smart rugby.

[ChequeredJersey]

How many Jiffy?  How many  Western Daily Fail? How many Englishmen would make the Wales squad?  I can tell you how many Welshmen would make the England squad! Not many!  Enjoy the next two visits to HQ, I reckon I will!

Only making one quip because I know what this place could end up like after an emotional match like that but:

Surely Jiffy already knew that at least 6 English players would make the Welsh squad, because they started for them?

(That's North, Cuthbert, JD2, Lydiate, Warbs and Ball. And yes I know they aren't actually English just could play for England but that would spoil the joke at Jiffy's utterly moronic but unsurprisingly statements)

Tough game lads, good luck next week

[Rugby Fan]

It's perhaps a function of the way Wales play that when they lose, it seems to be in such a frustrating fashion. As an England supporter, I'm delighted they didn't click, because it gave us momentum in the game when we finally cut out our penalties and worked out how to operate at the breakdown.

It will be interesting to see whether this tournament changes the pecking order for positions at all. Barritt was in line for the Wales game because of his defensive strength and all round commitment. It's hard to think those qualities will be so necessary against Italy at Twickenham.

At one stage, it looked like Lancaster's World Cup centres would be three from Tuilagi, Barritt, Burrell and Twelvetrees. Twelvetrees didn't do himself any harm with yesterday's cameo, and Joseph and Eastmond are both further in the mix than they were a year ago.

One player who will be feeling the pressure now is Danny Care. He was dropped from the squad on form and/or because his kicking game was deemed inadequate for the Welsh challenge. If Lancaster sticks with a winning team, he will have to hope the other scrum halves play poorly or get injured. Danny Cipriani will be disappointed not to get on. If he really was on the bench because Myler had a calf strain, then he could find himself out of the squad without seeing any game time.

[Gwlad]

Just watched The brand getting lost and running into the post lol

Was there a competing sponsor's logo on the post?

[The Fourth Lion]

England good value for the win today. Didn't see this increase in intensity after half time that other's saw... Just saw them manage the ref's interpretation of the breakdown better, keep the penalty count  down, stop the charge downs and build some continuity. More composed rather than more intense I thought. The intensity was there from the start, just not the execution. Still made handling errors forcing the play at times, the Achilles heel of this side for some time, and they left too many points out there that a better side than wales were today would have made us pay for. But all said, promising performance and great result.


Thought the crossing call was harsh, partly because it happens all the time and he didnt impede the guy marking the ball carrier. It may be correct by the letter of the law, but Applied that strictly, the whistle would be blowing all the time. Also would the TMO have got involved if the try hadn't been scored? Finally, how many phases  back do you/can  you go with these things? The last stop in play? What is the law? If you're looking for a reason to disallow a try and you go back far enough you'll often find one in a sport where it's not who is infringing, it's which of the infringers the ref chooses to ping. It didn't matter today, I just don't like the TMO getting involved unless the ref specifically asks him to check something... except for serious foul play.

I couldn't agree more. Spot on.

Technically speaking, Easter did over run the ball and so the TMO made a correct call, but did he really need to get involved at all? Should not the decision to make a referral be the referee's call? If the TMO has carte blanche to intervene at will, then why bother having a referee on the pitch in the first place?

[george doors]

Final table predictions, mine would be:

Eng
Ire
Fr
Sco
Wal
Italy

[Biltong]

My assessment of the game.

Tactical kicking and intelligent kicking is going to be a major factor in the upcoming RWC.

Defences are too strong these days when well matched teams face each other and the stalemate is often broken by the team who can control territory best with their tactical kicking, who can find space behind the defensive lines and who can execute their chips and grubbers in such a way where they can regain possession.

Wales controlled the territory better and found that soace in the first half, England improved in the second half.

How the breakdown is going to be officiated and how teams are going to be able to manage the opponent and referee best will gain a massive advantage.

Wales again did better than England in the first half and England gained some parity in the second.

I must be honest though, the interpretation of when a player is on his feet is highly debatable looking at last nights match.

Wales may have a big backline, but they are way too predictable, there was not enough focus on support runners being in a position for either team to find the offload from the tackled player.

England got isolated a number of times because there was no support players at the tackled area.

It was a good game to watch, and if Wales found a way in the last ten to put more pressure on the English line the breakdown could just as easily have provided them a penalty or two to win the match.

I fear referees will determine the outcome of RWC 2015.

Teams will have to play with a handicap of 9-14 points if they don't want the outcome to be determined by referees.

That said, the Pool of death is going to generate some epic contests.

[doctor_grey]

I am genuinely happy with the win.  But have to temper any excitement about the England squad.  This was one match, a good win no doubt, but against a Wales team seemed not to be firing on all cylinders, especially as the game went on.  So whilst there are some positive signs, let's not tear off our clothes and run through the streets  feeling anything was won.  

Before we give Lancaster credit for picking this team, let's remember all he did was go down the depth charts until he found healthy bodies.  There is a reason some of these players are down the chart.  And also regarding Lancaster, why did he pull off Marler and Hartley so early?  Both were doing quite well at that moment.  

On the plus side, I felt Haskell was England's best ball carrier and if not for an inappropriately placed goal post, would have had a try.  He had a very high work rate and deserves to stay in the starting XV.  Anthony Watson was also good and I think he has a terrific future.  Ben Youngs was good but seemed to run out of steam.   I was very happy to see Cole do well and last as long as he did.  This is a very positive sign, if he can stay healthy.  I suppose it is also a positive sign that the England second row functioned OK.  But I saw nothing exceptional.  

I thought George Ford was OK, but nothing more.  Clearly needs for time with his kicking coach.  But again I saw nothing that will scare other Rugby teams.  And Wiggly?  Why did he kick possession away at mid-field with only one minute left on the clock?  Really basic error.  Makes me nervous on the pitch.

All in all, a good start, but this England squad will need to continue to amp up their game in order to to win this 6 Nations.  I will have more thoughts later.

[TJ]

awful awful awful.

garces will be demoted for this. you heard it here first.

are you applying for his job?

hell no. i recognise given the rules of rugby that its a poopshow, but he has had a howler tonight. at HW this would be a 20 point whupping.

Quins - what howlers? this neutral saw none at all. bar one missed forward pass by England

I thought Garcia had a good game.

[George Carlin]

Was on too late for me to watch but I saw extended highlights and if you were a neutral like me, it was a fine, fine match. All of the tried were a mix of defensive errors and individual attacking skill.

Scotland will be watching this very carefully. If they can match Wales up front, then their backline is potentially more creative than the Welsh one.

It may have been unthinkable a year ago, but Gatland needs to think seriously about dropping Halfpenny for L Williams.

[TJ]

................ I felt Haskell was England's best ball carrier and if not for an inappropriately placed goal post, would have had a try.  .................

[Ozzy3213]

awful awful awful.

garces will be demoted for this. you heard it here first.

are you applying for his job?

hell no. i recognise given the rules of rugby that its a poopshow, but he has had a howler tonight. at HW this would be a 20 point whupping.

Quins - what howlers?  this neutral saw none at all. bar one missed forward pass by England

I thought Garcia had a good game.

I agree with TJ, there were no great howlers from Garces. I do however feel that he seemed a bit pedantic at times, and looked very much as if he enjoys the limelight, which I don't like seeing with refs.

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