2018 6Nations - Game 1: Italy

[Puja]

Great to hear a referee telling Parisse to STFU. He talks worse to them than Fazlet does, but he never seems to get called up on it.

Puja

[Banquo]

That was harsh on Itoje

Why?

ref said he couldn't compete as 'tackling assist'. Pretty marginal

[Stom]

That was harsh on Itoje

Why?

Will have to watch the replay, as Flatman said it looked ok, but I thought Itoje contested legally.

Yeah. He wasn't the tackler. That was Lawes.

[Zhivago]

Watson looks hurt

[Banquo]

we've stupided Italy back into this

[Galfon]

3 better than 7...

[Galfon]

10 - 17 after 39.

[WaspInWales]

Sloppy.

[Danno]

Being shown up here. Haven't seen Simmonds.

[Stom]

Yeah. Not great in patches... The kicking away is silly considering how much ground we make when we carry. But this is a bit better Italy than previous years...

[Banquo]

7 penalties and 4 turnovers isn't pretty; think we've kicked a bit too much, although obviously pre-planned a deal of it. As a territory play, its failed.

[Stom]

Being shown up here. Haven't seen Simmonds.

He's made 3 or 4 carries, making yards each time.

[Banquo]

Being shown up here. Haven't seen Simmonds.

He's made 14 tackles and 4 carries, so hardly idle.

[Galfon]

bit meh.. at HT. 6/10 overall.
Eng look good in posession but not bossing territory or keeping hold of the ball. Pens. disrupting too.
The HT team-talk should produce a smarter return.

[Timbo]

Ref letting absolutely no competition on the floor at the breakdown.

[16th man]

Being shown up here.

It hasn't been seemless, but we're 17 10 up having scored 3 tries. The Italians have been a surprising step up on last year.

Lot of hard work done by Italy in that first half, as has been the case since they joined the competition, we'll pour on the points in the final quarter.

[Puja]

The ref's giving some extremely marginal decisions to Italy. Offside against England when Minnozzi pushed the ball back, but there was no offside line as it was open play. Then they're attacking under the posts and Lawes is first over the ball, wrestling for it for about 5 seconds before finally getting cleared out, taking the ball with him - England go to pick it up only for Raynal to shout, "Leave it White!" Then after that, we turn it over cleanly again, only for Raynal to give a penalty which they kick.

We've got to adapt to the ref, but it feels like that's hard work right now.

Puja

[Banquo]

Ref letting absolutely no competition on the floor at the breakdown.

I'd say he was inconsistent rather than 'no competition'- Italy have slowed our ball down notably in the last 20 mins, and there have been at least three steals off the floor, two in one phase of play.

[Stom]

I think we've occasionally looked good. But we need to keep the ball in hand more. Lawes has been very good, but our breakdown work is, predictably, a mess. Unlike what some have said, I think Simmonds has been busy and has always made yards...but no-one is taking on that hard carrying role, really. At least with Launch in the team we have a bit more go forward from the front 5 and even Hartley made yards on one carry!

Care's service has been good, when he's had the chance. And when we've got into position, our general attacking play has been quick and effective. But we spend way too much time not doing that, either kicking the ball away or doing something silly...

[Stom]

Ref letting absolutely no competition on the floor at the breakdown.

I'd say he was inconsistent rather than 'no competition'- Italy have slowed our ball down notably in the last 20 mins, and there have been at least three steals off the floor, two in one phase of play.

Aye, he's not really been very good... Except telling Parisse to feck off.

[Zhivago]

That was harsh on Itoje

Why?

ref said he couldn't compete as 'tackling assist'. Pretty marginal

Hmm it looked to me like he didn't release before competing

[WaspInWales]

Started the second half as we finished the first.

[Banquo]

Why?

ref said he couldn't compete as 'tackling assist'. Pretty marginal

Hmm it looked to me like he didn't release before competing

he wasn't the main tackler, hence marginal (and comment as tackle assist). Not dying in a ditch, just a tad harsh

[Banquo]

dropped it, great line

[WaspInWales]

Argh