England - the build-up and winning the World Cup at a canter

First topic message reminder :

Here we go again.....

Malins looks, to me, a lot like Goode in the respect that he is an absolutely superb club player who may well do brilliantly in the HC, but doesn't have that little bit extra to make a real difference at international level.  To be fair, you might level that accusation at a good number of his international teams mates, but we are where we are, and there is a lot of competition in the outside backs.

Does anyone know what on Earth is happening?

This appeal thing is dragging on. I thought there’d be something done today

tigertattie wrote:Does anyone know what on Earth is happening?

This appeal thing is dragging on. I thought there’d be something done today

Next week now. So presumably Tuesday

Expect a massive ban now to appease all the whinging circus folk complaining about it.

Geordie wrote:Expect a massive ban now to appease all the whinging circus folk complaining about it.

Frankly, I would rather complain about Malins

But it is very frustrating how Rugby has already buggered themselves.  No wonder we have had trouble growing the sport in the last 20 years.  No leadership or direction or common sense.  

I am off for the weekend to a Rugby tournament where almost all the players will be far too young, spry, and able.  All I can do is cheat my huevos off.  Down by the Delaware beach on the Atlantic, it's a peaceful, calm place to get blown up, run over, and beat down.  Where else can an adult have so much fun?

Whatever happens with Farrell no-one coming out of the shambles in any credit really. It's a mess.

I'd love a statement after this from the aussie panel.

I’m one of ones still singing the anthem wrong.

Easily done ...

Hope the ref is going to make Ireland roll away quicker than he has so far

He must have heard me

Not sure about that pen - in the side?

Definitely. And hands on the ground to be fair.

Too easy - someone screwed up in defence there

Ouch, that was quite easy!

When we start playing properly this defence is going to look awesome. Probably just holding back at the mo for the WC. Great strategy.

Nice. 1 up drives. Showed against Wales it's the way to go.

Abysmal defensive alignment for two men to bite on one forward then the next man not step in. The last pass to Aki looked forward IMO but communication and decision making errors in defence like that are abject.

Closing the space but when they allow the hooker to stand directly in front of their own line these days how are you going to compete otherwise?

king_carlos wrote:Abysmal defensive alignment for two men to bite on one forward then the next man not step in. The last pass to Aki looked forward IMO but communication and decision making errors in defence like that are abject.

Yes the pass did look a bit suspect - certainly worth a look

Ireland player came right around the ruck and took out an English player off the ball there

England and the officials need to up their game

A bit harsh on Jamie George there IMO. Good work from Earl though despite not getting the turnover.

So that's affecting the clear-out but running past the ruck taking a player out on the wrong side isn't?

Ireland are so quick to reset their systems in attack and defence. Such an impressively drilled side.

Killing Ireland with our kicks.

If you're going to kick constantly at least learn to stay onside

You can sense the nerves from the Irish fans cheering so hard for a knock on.

Unforced errors again

Steward a bit slow at 15

Errors on errors. Daly had the perfect angle for the kick to the corner and fluffs it. Then Billy with the fumble. Just dire stuff.

Porter has kept getting better as a scrummager. The speed he's made the switch from reserve TH to world class LH is astonishing.

Marchant has largely had a good game in terms of defensive calls when Ireland try to get around the outside of the defence. Earl has been lively again.

Well worked from Ireland but all too easy to manufacture space again.

Poor from Steward....not having a good game

England should have run into one of the many dummy runners before the ball went wide ...

You'd imagine Borthwick is the happier coach. Would be be surprised to see us not leading the possession and territory stats.

Steward is starting to look a bit like a carthorse too ...

Scrappy half from Ireland, but still ahead.
Some poor lineouts and handling but it's the first game for most of this team so was to be expected.
England are helping Ireland with poor kicks and silly mistakes they shouldn't be making in their 3rd game

Can only hope they're getting all these unforced errors out of their system before the real show starts

So… when Lowe stopped that penalty going into touch, didn’t he knock it over his own try line and then stop it with his hands before picking it up? Doesn’t that mean he carried it over his own tryline and touched it down, which should be a 5m scrum to England?

Annoying, because the scrum that was awarded gave Ireland the field position that led to the try..

England’s defence has been pretty good - albeit compounded by Ireland making some poor choices and handling errors, but the attack is still pretty blunt. I had hoped that Billy would look fitter after last week, but he looks well off the pace. Manu is looking fairly sharp, though.

Heaf wrote:Steward is starting to look a bit like a carthorse too ...

Made a good tackle to stop an attack when the defence was under pressure and has generally helped England edge the kicking battle.

Trying to cover 15m against Ringrose who had an age to measure his route to the line.

What on earth was that?  I mean the game is done because we don't even look like trying to score a try.  The support has been so lazy, we can't get secure ball because nobody is committing to the the ruck. It is just kick, kick, bloody kick. I wouldn't mind, but most of them aren't even contestable.

No intensity, defence is rubbish, the penalties are braindead, it feels like I'm back in the mid to late 2000s.

The more they replay that 1st try the more forward the last pass looks ....

Poorfour wrote:So… when Lowe stopped that penalty going into touch, didn’t he knock it over his own try line and then stop it with his hands before picking it up? Doesn’t that mean he carried it over his own tryline and touched it down, which should be a 5m scrum to England?

Annoying, because the scrum that was awarded gave Ireland the field position that led to the try..

England’s defence has been pretty good - albeit compounded by Ireland making some poor choices and handling errors, but the attack is still pretty blunt. I had hoped that Billy would look fitter after last week, but he looks well off the pace. Manu is looking fairly sharp, though.

I wondered that.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Heaf wrote:Steward is starting to look a bit like a carthorse too ...

Made a good tackle to stop an attack when the defence was under pressure and has generally helped England edge the kicking battle.

Trying to cover 15m against Ringrose who had an age to measure his route to the line.

Not just for the try - he's looked a bit slow overall - maybe just a false impression ...

England's backrow looks decidedly second best at the minute. Lawes has done nothing and I'm surprised he's not in the ref's ear asking about the Irish bodies lying all over the breakdown.

Cumbrian wrote:

Poorfour wrote:So… when Lowe stopped that penalty going into touch, didn’t he knock it over his own try line and then stop it with his hands before picking it up? Doesn’t that mean he carried it over his own tryline and touched it down, which should be a 5m scrum to England?

Annoying, because the scrum that was awarded gave Ireland the field position that led to the try..

England’s defence has been pretty good - albeit compounded by Ireland making some poor choices and handling errors, but the attack is still pretty blunt. I had hoped that Billy would look fitter after last week, but he looks well off the pace. Manu is looking fairly sharp, though.

I wondered that.

I'm Irish and massively biased and even I thought that

I'm looking forward to France against Fiji.

I am going to the England v Fiji match next week. Every time I have gone to HQ England have won. Thank that might change...

We are pathetic.

Not a lot of players having standouts halves for either side really. Maybe Earl, Manu, Marchant and Watson for England who looked OK to good. A decidedly scrappy game thus far.

Cumbrian wrote:

Poorfour wrote:So… when Lowe stopped that penalty going into touch, didn’t he knock it over his own try line and then stop it with his hands before picking it up? Doesn’t that mean he carried it over his own tryline and touched it down, which should be a 5m scrum to England?

Annoying, because the scrum that was awarded gave Ireland the field position that led to the try..

England’s defence has been pretty good - albeit compounded by Ireland making some poor choices and handling errors, but the attack is still pretty blunt. I had hoped that Billy would look fitter after last week, but he looks well off the pace. Manu is looking fairly sharp, though.

I wondered that.

I'd need to go back and look - but rewind and playback is so difficult on prime - but if he stopped the ball by putting his hand on the top I'd say yes that should be considered touching it down ...

I mean even looking at England coming out of the tunnel, they just look like they don't want to be there.

Should borthwick be concerned that Billy still looks the shadow of the player he was?