Next up, Ireland

[paddy no 11]

Didn't think there was anything in Conway on curry tbh

Kearney won't be cited like biggar, is there more to French paranoia than paranoia when gabrillague gets 6 matches?

[Mr Mwenda]

My dad is hoping for a late first cap at 68. Just as well he's been walking the dog a fair bit since digby's now out.

I do not wish to hear that I am older than your Dad, thank-you.

Don't worry, looking at your photo, you've still got it.

[Digby]

Give the French refusal to cite Huget going into the WC I have little sympathy. Though I'd say yes they have sometimes suffered with a lack of consistency

[paddy no 11]

Good point

Also petit got sighted and banned prior to the last world cup but Ben Frank's had a good root around in an opponents eye socket and got away with it no probs.....tbh the latins get rode

Anyway back to my world cup wall chart to pick the winner (England a great chance bar 9 & 15)

[Mellsblue]

My dad is hoping for a late first cap at 68. Just as well he's been walking the dog a fair bit since digby's now out.

I do not wish to hear that I am older than your Dad, thank-you.

Don't worry, looking at your photo, you've still got it.

Hehe.

[p/d]

I do not wish to hear that I am older than your Dad, thank-you.

Don't worry, looking at your photo, you've still got it.

Hehe.

I’m just surprised at his age Dors can ‘hear’

[Mellsblue]

Was it not Ford....from slow turnover ball, into open space that we regained?

Could have been. Bloody Ford, then.

But it was a kick to open space that we regained.

My apologies. Watching the replay and it was Farrell. I’ll stick to my guns over it being a good kick, though.

[Oakboy]

Could have been. Bloody Ford, then.

But it was a kick to open space that we regained.

My apologies. Watching the replay and it was Farrell. I’ll stick to my guns over it being a good kick, though.[/2quote]

In so far as we regained possession, I suppose it could be defined ss good, but I hate seeing turnover ball kicked at all.

[Mellsblue]

But it was a kick to open space that we regained.

My apologies. Watching the replay and it was Farrell. I’ll stick to my guns over it being a good kick, though.[/2quote]

In so far as we regained possession, I suppose it could be defined ss good, but I hate seeing turnover ball kicked at all.

I do too but it was painfully slow turnover ball. As much as I hate a dogmatic belief that turnover ball should be kicked, I equally hate that it should never be kicked. Just make a good decision and play what you see.

[Which Tyler]

I do too but it was painfully slow turnover ball. As much as I hate a dogmatic belief that turnover ball should be kicked, I equally hate that it should never be kicked. Just make a good decision and play what you see.

Hasn't that been banned since 2002?

[Oakboy]

I do too but it was painfully slow turnover ball. As much as I hate a dogmatic belief that turnover ball should be kicked, I equally hate that it should never be kicked. Just make a good decision and play what you see.

Hasn't that been banned since 2002?

Just as well it WAS Farrell, then. Ford might have been dropped for such affrontery.

[twitchy]

Underhill tackle on furlong.

[Timbo]

The England team out on the pitch on Sat has got to be the most athletically physical England team....probably ever.

[twitchy]

The England team out on the pitch on Sat has got to be the most athletically physical England team....probably ever.

I remember back in around 5 years ago some one saying that our u 20's team was heavier than the 2003 WC winning one. It's crazy thinking people like brian moore and eddie jones were international hookers. The game has changed massively.

[jngf]

The England team out on the pitch on Sat has got to be the most athletically physical England team....probably ever.

I remember back in around 5 years ago some one saying that our u 20's team was heavier than the 2003 WC winning one. It's crazy thinking people like brian moore and eddie jones were international hookers. The game has changed massively.

Still find it hard to believe Wayne Shelford topped the scales at 14st 7lb and Peter Winterbottom and John Jeffry weighed similar amounts - given these were three of the hardest players in the game. Jean Pierre Rives and Andy Robinson were even lighter!

In contrast nowadays an open side under 16 stone is deemed on the ‘slight ‘ side! How big are they gonna get in another couple of decades?

[Which Tyler]

BBC's plusses and minuses for England.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/49451437

Nice to see that someone in the media noticed Youngs' performance (as opposed to Stephen Jones giving him an 8 with a near-perfect performance).
Also nice to see that someone in the media has noticed Daly's defensive issues, and even mentions Watson, but... Is he in on the joke here? Or does he genuinely think that "wing Watson... turning out at full-back for Bath at the end of last season" is experimental?

[richy678]

The England team out on the pitch on Sat has got to be the most athletically physical England team....probably ever.

I remember back in around 5 years ago some one saying that our u 20's team was heavier than the 2003 WC winning one. It's crazy thinking people like brian moore and eddie jones were international hookers. The game has changed massively.

Still find it hard to believe Wayne Shelford topped the scales at 14st 7lb and Peter Winterbottom and John Jeffry weighed similar amounts - given these were three of the hardest players in the game. Jean Pierre Rives and Andy Robinson were even lighter!

In contrast nowadays an open side under 16 stone is deemed on the ‘slight ‘ side! How big are they gonna get in another couple of decades?

I know. Even Maddona, in the same time period, went from a curvy, natural sexy young singer to a hard bodied gym bunny.

[Wilts Tiger]

Which Tyler, I think if you check you will find that Watson has played very few games for Bath as a winger, Full back being his normal position far from it being an "experimental"

[Mikey Brown]

BBC's plusses and minuses for England.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/49451437

Nice to see that someone in the media noticed Youngs' performance (as opposed to Stephen Jones giving him an 8 with a near-perfect performance).
Also nice to see that someone in the media has noticed Daly's defensive issues, and even mentions Watson, but... Is he in on the joke here? Or does he genuinely think that "wing Watson... turning out at full-back for Bath at the end of last season" is experimental?

His passing is still characterised as "uncharacteristically wayward" though. It suggests this person hasn't noticed that he kills 2 or 3 moves stone dead every single time he plays.

[Stom]

Which Tyler, I think if you check you will find that Watson has played very few games for Bath as a winger, Full back being his normal position far from it being an "experimental"

Ah, you must be new here.

Watson not being a FB is a running joke on these boards because of the media's focus on international rugby where he's mostly played wing.

[Puja]

Which Tyler, I think if you check you will find that Watson has played very few games for Bath as a winger, Full back being his normal position far from it being an "experimental"

Ah, you must be new here.

Watson not being a FB is a running joke on these boards because of the media's focus on international rugby where he's mostly played wing.

And because people used to call for Daly at full-back for England despite him never playing there, while dismissing Watson as an option because he was more of a winger. So we quip about him needing to play full-back regularly for his club before he can be considered over experienced 15s like Nowell or Daly.

Welcome, btw. That's our only running joke so you're through the worst of it.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Interesting thread here on a Tuilagi hit that I hadn't seen before.

Instinct says he's got his arms out to wrap and Larmour simply bounces back off him a bit first, but I haven't read the whole thread yet.



There's a gif/video in there somewhere.

If you look at the comments on his original tweet it really shows how difficult this is to draw definitive lines on.

[Stom]

Meh.

Those upright hits are always borderline. While they're legal, they're going to look illegal. When they're illegal, they're going to look legal.

If they're as low as this one, they're not dangerous. If they get any higher, he'd be penalised and potentially cited.

[Mellsblue]

He answers he’s own question with his highlighted section of the laws - ‘attempting to grasp’ - which Tuilagi does as his arms are out stretched at point of contact. It’s a similar principle to a deliberate knock on vs genuine interception attempt - if you knock the ball up the presumption is you’re intending to intercept if you knock the ball down it’s a deliberate knock on. No referee or TMO will know a player’s intention so these rules of thumb need to be in place.
Long story short, it’s a great tackle. Itvwas justv too good a hit for Tuilagi to complete the wrap that was attempted.

[Oakboy]

He answers he’s own question with his highlighted section of the laws - ‘attempting to grasp’ - which Tuilagi does as his arms are out stretched at point of contact. It’s a similar principle to a deliberate knock on vs genuine interception attempt - if you knock the ball up the presumption is you’re intending to intercept if you knock the ball down it’s a deliberate knock on. No referee or TMO will know a player’s intention so these rules of thumb need to be in place.
Long story short, it’s a great tackle. Itvwas justv too good a hit for Tuilagi to complete the wrap that was attempted.

I thought the ball acted like a buffer between them, effectively allowing the tackle to be legally carried out with the two bodies still six inches apart. That also meant that the arms-wrap looked like more of an afterthought because Tuilagi had not quite reached a conventional body-top-body impact. It was a classic example of why such incidents should NEVER be judged in slow motion.