6N Round 4: The Calcutta Cup clash

First topic message reminder :

    
ENGLAND v SCOTLAND  
Saturday 14 February 2015
KO 17:00 (GMT)
Twickers

Live on BBC1

Referee: Romain Poitey (FFR)
AR1: George Clancy (IRFU)  
AR2: Marius Mitrea (FIR)
TMO: Ben Skeen (NZR)

Teams:

ENGLAND

M Brown (Harlequins); A Watson (Bath), J Joseph (Bath), L Burrell (Northampton), J Nowell (Exeter); G Ford (Bath), B Youngs (Leicester); J Marler (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), D Cole (Leicester), D Attwood (Bath), C Lawes (Northampton), J Haskell (Wasps), C Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), B Vunipola (Saracens).

Replacements: T Youngs (Leicester), M Vunipola (Saracens), K Brookes (Newcastle), G Parling (Leicester), T Wood (Northampton), R Wigglesworth (Saracens), D Cipriani (Sale), B Twelvetrees (Gloucester).

SCOTLAND

Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors); Dougie Fife (Edinburgh), Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh), Tommy Seymour, Finn Russell (both Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (captn) (Gloucester); Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Euan Murray (Glasgow Warriors), Jim Hamilton (Saracens), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Robert Harley (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Cowan (London Irish) David Denton (Edinburgh).

Replacements: Fraser Brown, Ryan Grant (both Glasgow Warriors), Geoff Cross (London Irish), Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors), Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier), Adam Ashe (Glasgow Warriors), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne and Greig Tonks (both Edinburgh)


The result of the Ireland game beforehand could make things very interesting from an English perspective. Tournament could be blown wide open, & see England looking for a big score with an eye to next weekend & things coming down to points difference.

For us, there's nothing at stake bar pride & some melted Indian Rupees.

Twickenham was always going to be tough, but given how things have gone this tournament I'm absolutely dreading this match.
Our record down South is more embarrassing than Natalie Bennett on LBC! 32 long years since we last won at Twickenham and in the last half century we've managed just one other win in 1971. Stretch things back to the whole century and we can double our total with wins in 1926 & 1938!

Fear we'll see a similar game to England - Italy, valiant start by us & some swashbuckling stuff before ultimately being crushed in the final quarter. Although if we 'defend' the maul like we did against Italy the score will be worse.

On the bright side though, scoring any points would be an improvement on last years Calcutta Cup match...

Preconditions people? Am I being too gloomy?

Gwlad wrote:

TheRugbyMaster wrote:It's simply infathomable that Scotland are leading.

no it isn't, it may be unfathomable though but i think that england have been poor in execution and scotland have played with ambition

The game should've been over after 15 minutes. Is what I mean.

First score in the second half is crucial I feel...

sh1t happens in rugby. 2 different decisions from burrell and nowell and england would be out of sight.

i at least, am encouraged that england are very dangerous in broken field. we never have been before. add our dominant scrum (once poite puts his glasses on) and solid lineout, and that should be enough platform to compete with every side in the world.

we cant write england off after a half where we failed to finish a few great opportunities.

Hood83 wrote:Oh God look at Andy Nicol's smug face

Good call, atleast SCW can always play his joker

I think our power puff scrum will kill us in the end

Hood83 wrote:

quinsforever wrote:burrell needs to have an awesome second half or he will have lost the jersey

I think that ship has sailed...i did say it should be Eastmond, a proper footballer, but would anyone listen to me? No...

i agreed would love to see an all-bath 10, 12, 13, 14. even burgess would be an improvement on burell imo.

GeordieFalcon wrote:

kingelderfield wrote:

Gwlad wrote:

kingelderfield wrote:Should Lancaster walk if Scotland win?

No of course not, but to do so would eb a disaster for England's RWC campaign

Really? I don't think so. For what he bring's to the set up, I'd have thought that any one of number of coaches could take the reigns from here.

He's hardly Mr inspirational is he?

Whats beginning to annoy me is after every poor game...its " we must learn from this" ..but they genuinely don't appear to be learning.

a huge call now though fellas, who would step in? just basics needs to be worked on, england almost look shocked in breakaway possession because they just aren't that used to playing that way, since Woodward's era tbh.

The 'we need to learn from this' is a stock response and i agree it is lame.

GLove39 wrote:Can we please just end the game now

Seems about right to me. Games do only last 40 mins nowadays don't they?

Scotland need to keep the ball - not convinced our defence has suddenly improved!

Riskysports wrote:I think our power puff scrum will kill us in the end

not sure about that. depends what poite decides ultimately!

No need to panic for England.

They just need to keep it tight, cut out the mistakes and they should do it because it's clear that the chances will come.

All pundits in the studio had the Cole incident down as a yellow card.

Gwlad wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:

kingelderfield wrote:

Gwlad wrote:

kingelderfield wrote:Should Lancaster walk if Scotland win?

No of course not, but to do so would eb a disaster for England's RWC campaign

Really? I don't think so. For what he bring's to the set up, I'd have thought that any one of number of coaches could take the reigns from here.

He's hardly Mr inspirational is he?

Whats beginning to annoy me is after every poor game...its " we must learn from this" ..but they genuinely don't appear to be learning.

a huge call now though fellas, who would step in? just basics needs to be worked on, england almost look shocked in breakaway possession because they just aren't that used to playing that way, since Woodward's era tbh.

The 'we need to learn from this' is a stock response and i agree it is lame.

Lancaster is half way through the door. If we hear that excuse, then the door should slam behind him.

england by 15

believe

Tackling remaining optional for Scotland at the start of this half. And as predicted by many, we have an injury in the centre

quinsforever wrote:

Hood83 wrote:

quinsforever wrote:burrell needs to have an awesome second half or he will have lost the jersey

I think that ship has sailed...i did say it should be Eastmond, a proper footballer, but would anyone listen to me? No...

i agreed would love to see an all-bath 10, 12, 13, 14. even burgess would be an improvement on burell imo.

Good man quins!

Scott off, Tonks on.

That's another reason England will win.

Dougie fife has been taking tackling tips from visser

George Carlin wrote: Scott off, Tonks on.

That's another reason England will win.

After Dunbar that's rubbish luck

Well at least we are whittling down the options at 12.

Twelvetrees
Burrell
Eastmond
Me

Yep - our defence is still awful!

Well it was nice while it lasted

RDW_Scotland wrote:Yep - our defence is still awful!

It seems we've ignored tackling practice for the past two weeks.

At least Nowell is having a good game.

Just needs to carry a bit more with two hands in contact and be more aware for the offload...but a good game none the less.

ford. what a great distributor of the ball. and we have to give him quick ball to see him at his most effective.

doctor_grey wrote:

Gwlad wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:

kingelderfield wrote:

Gwlad wrote:

kingelderfield wrote:Should Lancaster walk if Scotland win?

No of course not, but to do so would eb a disaster for England's RWC campaign

Really? I don't think so. For what he bring's to the set up, I'd have thought that any one of number of coaches could take the reigns from here.

He's hardly Mr inspirational is he?

Whats beginning to annoy me is after every poor game...its " we must learn from this" ..but they genuinely don't appear to be learning.

a huge call now though fellas, who would step in? just basics needs to be worked on, england almost look shocked in breakaway possession because they just aren't that used to playing that way, since Woodward's era tbh.

The 'we need to learn from this' is a stock response and i agree it is lame.

Lancaster is half way through the door.  If we hear that excuse, then the door should slam behind him.  

If that is the case then an england win after this performance is just going to conceal serious problems isn't it? I thought bomber was a solid favorite.

Better.

So tackling around the neck is fine then is it Poite!?

Our decision making and vision is woeful.

Lawes is having a great game - putting pressure on Russell every time. Hopefully he tires as the game goes on!

GLove39 wrote:So tackling around the neck is fine then is it Poite!?

yes shocker to miss that

doctor_grey wrote:

Gwlad wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:

kingelderfield wrote:

Gwlad wrote:

kingelderfield wrote:Should Lancaster walk if Scotland win?

No of course not, but to do so would eb a disaster for England's RWC campaign

Really? I don't think so. For what he bring's to the set up, I'd have thought that any one of number of coaches could take the reigns from here.

He's hardly Mr inspirational is he?

Whats beginning to annoy me is after every poor game...its " we must learn from this" ..but they genuinely don't appear to be learning.

a huge call now though fellas, who would step in? just basics needs to be worked on, england almost look shocked in breakaway possession because they just aren't that used to playing that way, since Woodward's era tbh.

The 'we need to learn from this' is a stock response and i agree it is lame.

Lancaster is half way through the door.  If we hear that excuse, then the door should slam behind him.  

We cant move him on this close to WC..but I just think we need to shore up on the basics as mentioned previously. At times its just too damn loose. We're trying to emulate NZ but without the skill level and ability to do that.

Taking chances is a big thing..had we taken them we might not be discussing Lancaster...but I fear it would be simply papering over some cracks.

BV has become so important for us.

scots beginning to infringe to slow ball down. any team would under that pressure. think poite was talking about it

at scrum, i think england have been told not to drive by their coaches. probably sensible!

quinsforever wrote:

Hood83 wrote:

quinsforever wrote:burrell needs to have an awesome second half or he will have lost the jersey

I think that ship has sailed...i did say it should be Eastmond, a proper footballer, but would anyone listen to me? No...

i agreed would love to see an all-bath 10, 12, 13, 14. even burgess would be an improvement on burell imo.

Youngs/Care/Simpson
Ford/Cipriani
Wade/Yarde
Eastmond/36/Burrell/Tuilagi
Joseph/Tuilagi
May/Nowell
Watson/Brown/Foden

Time to bring hidalgo-clyne on - we're hardly going to be kicking ourselves to victory!

We know its 50 minutes when england make some substitutions.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Time to bring hidalgo-clyne on - we're hardly going to be kicking ourselves to victory!

Absolutely agree, might as well try and get this game back to being chaotic. Russell has had a mixed afternoon - clearly has a lot of work to do on his kicking etc.

King E

Do you not think Nowell is showing a lot of potential?

In saying that though, we only have SHC as backs cover now (unless we go down the route of Beattie...... )

euan murray. is he normally such a tw4t?

Use the back door Courtney

Denton off?? He's been one of our better players!

Gwlad wrote:We know its 50 minutes when england make some substitutions.

I think Ford is very good, but I'd like to see Cipriani give atlest 25 minutes

Wigglesworth should be told to go back to Saracens

quinsforever wrote:euan murray. is he normally such a tw4t?

always, except on sundays

Ah Tom Youngs.....

quinsforever wrote:euan murray. is he normally such a tw4t?

For a staunch Christian, he gets in a lot of fights!

wtf was that from youngs.. geesh

Having said that Youngs has done more in 5 mins that Hartley did in 60.

Rob Harley is just not the player he was before his injury!!!