France v England - grand slam game

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ENGLAND TEAM TO PLAY FRANCE

15. Mike Brown (vice captain, Harlequins, 47 caps)
14. Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 19 caps)
13. Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 20 caps)
12. Owen Farrell (vice captain, Saracens, 39 caps)
11. Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 14 caps)
10. George Ford (Bath Rugby, 21 caps)
9. Danny Care (Harlequins, 57 caps)

1. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 31 caps)
2. Dylan Hartley (captain, Northampton Saints, 70 caps)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 60 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 3 caps)
5. George Kruis (Saracens, 14 caps)
6. Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, 47 caps)
7. James Haskell (Wasps, 66 caps)
8. Billy Vunipola (vice captain, Saracens, 25 caps)

Replacements
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 2 cap)
17. Joe Marler (Harlequins 41 caps)
18. Kieran Brookes (Northampton Saints 16 caps)
19. Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 31 caps)
20. Jack Clifford (Harlequins, 4 caps)
21. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 56 caps)
22. Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 26 caps)
23. Elliot Daly (Wasps, 2 cap)

maestegmafia wrote:Well done England.

Looks like you're back in the running

I sometimes have disagreements with you but thanks for the congratulations 

How old is Dan Dole

He seems to have been Englands Main man at 3 for an awfully long time....

Well congrats on the Slam boys - there were moments went it looked like you were willing France to steal it from you but it's been a solid season for England and the hardest efforts should get the biggest prizes
...and thanks for making our season look a little more respectable too

Barney McGrew did it wrote:

Rugby Fan wrote:Here's video of Cole's try (French commentary)



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuoa3wVsNxg

On behalf of all us non French speakers - thanks for clarifying that

Should of been about 3 penalties with France laying in a offside position

GeordieFalcon wrote:How old is Dan Dole

He seems to have been Englands Main man at 3 for an awfully long time....

Old enough to have once been King George in a past incarnation...

GeordieFalcon wrote:How old is Dan Dole

He seems to have been Englands Main man at 3 for an awfully long time....

He started young then played in something like 40 consecutive games

Just 29 years, not even in his prime for a prop

lostinwales wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:How old is Dan Dole

He seems to have been Englands Main man at 3 for an awfully long time....

He started young then played in something like 40 consecutive games

Done well to keep Phil Vickery out of the side

GeordieFalcon wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:Not spectacular...hes tweaked what Lancaster had but we've done it.

Great stuff.

Lots to improve aswell!

He's done a bit more than that with a couple of very simple changes to the team, Farrell at 12 instead of Barritt gives us more go forward whilst Joseph has really stepped up his defence to compensate there. Nowell on the wing has been a big improvement on May while Kruis and Itoje look like the best second row partnership since 2003. He's only tinkered slightly but it's made a big big difference.

The performances haven't been massively different... just improved slowly and been solid

But we've won games we may have lost in the past

I gain confidence from when I see him in interviews...even though I know the odd time hes just talking rubbish to wind the media up. But If I gain confidence frm that can you imagin what he must do to the players. Its way more than Lancaster ever gave....

The breakdown has been a massive difference, in Itoje we now have a genuine breakdown specialist and Haskell has been given more licence to be a nuisance there.

Yes but Lancaster didn't have Itoje (he was on his list from a few years back though)

I agree he didn't use Haskell or Robshaw correctly.

Its Lancasters squad, but you are completely right Jones is putting an Aussie tweak on Lancasters squad.

He didn't but he did persist with Lawes and a very unbalanced back row, you cannot go into a world cup with two 6's knowing Australia will line up with two world class 7's.

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:

nathan wrote:

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:England thoroughly deserved the win but and there were a few buts. The Cole try was a non try. Mako was about a foot infront of Dan Cole. Funnily enough in the run up to that try Browns Foot trip on Spedding was ignored. I though Nigel was very one sided in the first half and on a few occassions he gave a penalty to England which even Brian Moore was scratching his head over.

French will will always suffer when a British ref is in charge of their games...

I agree he was a foot in front, but I think he was also a couple feet to the left

Am sure some people will have their Set Squares out over this one but I think Nigel made a decision and didnt want to be seen to go back on it....poor form really.

And feeler gauges or even a diffraction grating to be really precise like.

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:

Cyril wrote:

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:Hmmm...not sure if its picking apart Englands success. They have been the best team of the tournament. It is a shame that there was some refereeing decisions that would not be deemed to be be fair. It is part and parcel of the game though and nobody will remember it next week.

Interesting that you only pick out the ones that 'favoured' England though.

You are probably right in the overall scheme of things but the decisions that did go Englands way were at crucial times (i,e they directly led to a try or penalties). Nigel did seem to be pretty much on Englands side though for a good bit of the game.

I think it shows how we view games. I thought there were plenty of occasions where England were maybe unfairly penalised. That's rugby!

The decision to award the Cole try was a bad one, because Owens had the time benefit to watch it back. I also think that having decided to award the try he didnt want to reverse his own decision. Dont think it would have mattered in the long run whatsoever. England had a penatly advantage and looked like they would score tries anytime they got inside the French 22. England were the better team. France were all style over substance. England were better in almost every department, if not as flashy.

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:England thoroughly deserved the win but and there were a few buts. The Cole try was a non try. Mako was about a foot infront of Dan Cole. Funnily enough in the run up to that try Browns Foot trip on Spedding was ignored. I though Nigel was very one sided in the first half and on a few occassions he gave a penalty to England which even Brian Moore was scratching his head over.

French will will always suffer when a British ref is in charge of their games...

Pah.

England won.

I'll bet England were delighted when flash-harry run-it-from-anywhere France showed up. That version is always welcome by clinical sides with a counter or 10 in them.
France were shooting themselves in the foot with 'panache' bullets.

TightHEAD wrote:Feck the wums. We won the SLAM

Yup.

Not sure what the controversy about Cole's try is. You're allowed to place the ball and Spedding basically threw Dan across the line. Speaking of Spedding, I was hoping to see him celebrate like a looney as he did last year when England caned France. I guess the small man must only get off on the disappointment of others.

GRAND SLAM BABY!

SecretFly wrote:I'll bet England were delighted when flash-harry run-it-from-anywhere France showed up.  That version is always welcome by clinical sides with a counter or 10 in them.  
France were shooting themselves in the foot with 'panache' bullets.

Fly, you've posted a few 'zingers' like this recently. Not like you.

Cumbrian wrote:GRAND SLAM BABY!

GOOD JOB, FLAWLESS VICTORY

Cyril wrote:

SecretFly wrote:I'll bet England were delighted when flash-harry run-it-from-anywhere France showed up.  That version is always welcome by clinical sides with a counter or 10 in them.  
France were shooting themselves in the foot with 'panache' bullets.

Fly, you've posted a few 'zingers' like this recently. Not like you.

What's not like me? Don't get it, Cyril.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2016/03/20/george-kruis-crushes-the-french-resistance/

hard to disagree with much of that...

Notch wrote:

Cumbrian wrote:GRAND SLAM BABY!

GOOD JOB, FLAWLESS VICTORY

What does that mean Notch?

It is amazing how good the England line-out has become. It reminds me of the great South African lineout.

I think we deserved that. I also think we'll be 20% better in 12 months' time and I'd have us as favourites for 2017. Good times ahead I think.

Kruis has definitely been our player of the competition, Billy a reasonably close second.

stub wrote:

Notch wrote:

Cumbrian wrote:GRAND SLAM BABY!

GOOD JOB, FLAWLESS VICTORY

What does that mean Notch?

em.... 'Congratulations, lads. Enjoy the fruits of a dominant season'...????????

That's my best stab at it anyway

SecretFly wrote:

stub wrote:

Notch wrote:

Cumbrian wrote:GRAND SLAM BABY!

GOOD JOB, FLAWLESS VICTORY

What does that mean Notch?

em.... 'Congratulations, lads.  Enjoy the fruits of a dominant season'...????????

That's my best stab at it anyway

I think it means all your bases are belong to us

(or it could be because it was a GS)

SecretFly wrote:

stub wrote:

Notch wrote:

Cumbrian wrote:GRAND SLAM BABY!

GOOD JOB, FLAWLESS VICTORY

What does that mean Notch?

em.... 'Congratulations, lads.  Enjoy the fruits of a dominant season'...????????

That's my best stab at it anyway

Yeah, I think you're right.

Think I might need a little rest.

Great day of rugby, much fun had. Let's do it again in 12 ish months.

That was Ford's first decent performance of the season. Brown made a number of errors though - time to give someone else an opportunity on the summer tour I reckon.

Haskell had a very good game at 7. Fair play to EJ and his coaches, our breakdown work is much improved.

Cyril wrote:

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:

Cyril wrote:

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:Hmmm...not sure if its picking apart Englands success. They have been the best team of the tournament. It is a shame that there was some refereeing decisions that would not be deemed to be be fair. It is part and parcel of the game though and nobody will remember it next week.

Interesting that you only pick out the ones that 'favoured' England though.

You are probably right in the overall scheme of things but the decisions that did go Englands way were at crucial times (i,e they directly led to a try or penalties). Nigel did seem to be pretty much on Englands side though for a good bit of the game.

I think it shows how we view games. I thought there were plenty of occasions where England were maybe unfairly penalised. That's rugby!

Yes like England getting pinged for hands on the floor at a ruck early on and then France being allowed to do it for the rest of the game.  Odd that all 21 of France's points came from penalties when the ref was supposedly on England's side ...

That was well done England, the right team got the slam this year.

Not our best performance but we look much improved from the SL era. The breakdown alone is now an area of strength which is crazy from where we were a few months back.

Scrum - Hugely improved
Lineout - Hugely improved (Possibly becasue of no more Youngs rather than anything different)
Breakdown - Our biggest turnaround
Defence - Certainly improved but not a huge issue anyway
Attack - Seems to be more fluid, better handling

Really impressed with Cole, Kruis, Itoje, Billy, Haskell, Watson, JJ, real core to the team.

Must try harder....Youngs, Ford.

Disappointed, time to move on? Robshaw & Brown. Robshaw might get a stay of execution. Brown has been very annoying with head down approach and really seems to hinder attacking play. Can he sort this??

And a Grand Slam

Will the Welsh wums finally button it now?

Sgt_Pooly wrote:And a Grand Slam

Will the Welsh wums finally button it now?

Doubt it. But why mention them today, when I've not seen any? They obviously make quite an impression on you.

Fair point

Notch wrote:

Cumbrian wrote:GRAND SLAM BABY!

GOOD JOB, FLAWLESS VICTORY

Cheers, although my heart would disagree with the flawless bit. I thought we were going to 'do an England ' and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory early in that 2nd half.

I hope Dan said thank you to Mako and Nigel

Congratulations England. The best team in the tournament, the most improved team and deserved winners.

Massive congrats to England and their fans.. Totally deserved GS, best team over the whole tournament

Basically it was an SL squad the biggest difference was the coaches. They made a massive difference. I always said Rowntree was thick and the main reason our pack were average.  The pace and accuracy of the attack is on another level. The defence is up and the lineout has gone into orbit.

Eddie. Take a bow.

englandglory4ever wrote:Basically it was an SL squad the biggest difference was the coaches. They made a massive difference. I always said Rowntree was thick and the main reason our pack were average.  The pace and accuracy of the attack is on another level. The defence is up and the lineout has gone into orbit.

Eddie. Take a bow.

I feel I should point out that our defence hasn't improved that much yet. For instance we've missed the most tackles over the tournament than any other team.

What has improved is that players have made the correct decisions in play.

Fly, Maes, Eirebilly, Cardiff Dave, RDW, your generous congratulations are appreciated, thanks for your gracious responses over this tournament. What the sport of rugby is about.

Well done England.

As one of a few Aussies on here, I can probably say that was notable turnaround from the end of the RWC last year - the state of which I saw as a combination of a tired/confused SL approach to games, lower team morale, a few obvious flaws and weaknesses... and plain bad luck which can always happen at an inopportune time. That happens to every team except perhaps New Zealand.

What has happened now though is a fine achievement. To come back off what must have felt like rock bottom, piece the team together with a few new names but essentially the same core; a new coach, a new psychology and approach... and the rest is history. It was an almost flawless series of wins which could have been better (or worse) and of course there is now even further scope for improvement and fine tuning for the winter series down here in Oz.

A bit of a worry (for me) having Eddie Jones at the helm with all of his inside knowledge of the game here and his knack for getting what seems to be the right game plans in place to clinch this Grand Slam. The canny, shrewd and traitorous turn-coated baaastard! I look forward to the mind games between him and Cheika. It will be like a couple of alpha male bulldogs marking their territory (with the scent glands near their balls - Doc, you could confirm this with your medical knowledge even though I know you are not a Veterinarian) in the lead up to June.

I am so, so happy this morning,  and i a little shocked to be honest.

Before the 6ns kicked 9i did not expect England to win a Grand Slam....In fact i did not expect England to be any where  near being the winners of the 6ns.

But what a difference a new set of coaches as made to this England side/squad.

Well done England, it has been a long coming. but 2016 6ns belongs too England.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Not our best performance but we look much improved from the SL era. The breakdown alone is now an area of strength which is crazy from where we were a few months back.

Scrum - Hugely improved
Lineout - Hugely improved (Possibly becasue of no more Youngs rather than anything different)
Breakdown - Our biggest turnaround
Defence - Certainly improved but not a huge issue anyway
Attack - Seems to be more fluid, better handling

Really impressed with Cole, Kruis, Itoje, Billy, Haskell, Watson, JJ, real core to the team.

Must try harder....Youngs, Ford.

Disappointed, time to move on? Robshaw & Brown. Robshaw might get a stay of execution. Brown has been very annoying with head down approach and really seems to hinder attacking play. Can he sort this??

Must try harder Youngs? I know you don't like Tom but was has Ben done? He decimated the Welsh defence last weekend to help give us that all important lead. He then came off the bench and gave us much better attacking shape, a working box kick game and orchestrated the winning try.

England have two nearly top quality scrum halves. Different styles with Care quicker to whip the ball away from the base whilst Youngs is more creative and likes to test and tempt the defence, both love to scamper through any hint of a gap. Care can't kick a competitive box kick and so gives the ball away every time whilst Youngs has an England player under every hanging kick. Care passes with unswerving accuracy but Ben puts one in five slightly off target slowing the play.

I was going to mention something, but thought it wasn't worth the effort. The only reason I can think is that the youngs family has done something to offend him

Care's passing yesterday was really poor, loopy and usually stopping Ford dead. Along with his kicking that kept putting England in trouble itvis why I reckon Jones hooked him so early. Of course Youngs threw two godawful passes, far worse than any of Care's - but the rest to Ford were fast and in front ofvthe young 10.

lostinwales wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:How old is Dan Dole

He seems to have been Englands Main man at 3 for an awfully long time....

He started young then played in something like 40 consecutive games

He's 28 and 29 in May. With more than 60 caps under his belt. Made his debut in 2010. He could end up being the main man for the best part of a decade for England, of he can stay injury free he should romp past 100 caps as well.

Definite improvement this six nations and with Tigers set to bring in a specialist scrum coach we should hopefully see him continue to improve. He's not even reached his peak age yet.

LondonTiger wrote:Care's passing yesterday was really poor, loopy and usually stopping Ford dead. Along with his kicking that kept putting England in trouble itvis why I reckon Jones hooked him so early. Of course Youngs threw two godawful passes, far worse than any of Care's - but the rest to Ford were fast and in front ofvthe young 10.

I don't think Care and Ford have ever really settled as a partnership. Not sure why but they don't seem to be on the Sam page very often.

Youngs made a real impact off the bench but his passing needs a little improvement. A little refinement that's all.

LondonTiger wrote:Care's passing yesterday was really poor, loopy and usually stopping Ford dead. Along with his kicking that kept putting England in trouble itvis why I reckon Jones hooked him so early. Of course Youngs threw two godawful passes, far worse than any of Care's - but the rest to Ford were fast and in front ofvthe young 10.

It's weird, a number of pundits had Care down as playing very well, but my view is more like yours LT.

I just don't see Care as a regular starter, he's a great bench player and should be given 30 mins each game. But Youngs basics (other then those god awful passes when he rushes) are just that bit better.

I've really come to like the two fly half approach too.

I was very sceptical but they've both done reasonably well.

I would like to see us play Farrel/Slade when we get a chance though, unless Ford gets his form back.

For me Manu needs to be a 13 predominantly, he'd change the whole gameplan if he came in at 12.