NZ v England round 1

[FKAS]

There is such a huuuge gap in quality between Mitchell and Spencer.

You are under selling the gap in quality there.

[Stom]

We’ve gone into our shell. Despite the missed kicks, I think Smith has been good, but now is the right time to bring on Fin. Marcus cannot play with Spencer. I don’t think anyone can play with Spencer, but we can’t bring him of now

[Stom]

Seriously, I don’t want Spencer in an England shirt. I said this last time he played, he’s just not good enough. Id much rather Randall

[Stom]

Too slow again.

Tbf, he played the ball on the floor

[Which Tyler]

True. I’m not comparing players just the situation. Beware the consequences of dropping a young flyhalf because his kicking has the yips. M. Smith’s kicking % was 85% coming in to the match.

Fair.
Again though, I've missed the calls for Marcus to be dropped because of his kicking (or dropped at all, for that matter)

[FKAS]

Too slow again.

Tbf, he played the ball on the floor

Again the ref saying down by white. At which point as the 9 you dive into it to try and drag the ball out not flap your arms like you're trying achieve flight.

[FKAS]

ABs got the ref to set the scrum height higher there and then their tighthead goes right through Baxter with Dan and Cole suddenly scrumming against the whole AB front row on their own. Ouch.

[Mellsblue]

True. I’m not comparing players just the situation. Beware the consequences of dropping a young flyhalf because his kicking has the yips. M. Smith’s kicking % was 85% coming in to the match.

Fair.
Again though, I've missed the calls for Marcus to be dropped because of his kicking (or dropped at all, for that matter)

No one has explicitly but I’m thinking of long term selection. I’m in the Andy Flower school of making a selection and backing them (for one game too many). There’s repercussions beyond today if you pull a player for performance reasons.

[Stom]

True. I’m not comparing players just the situation. Beware the consequences of dropping a young flyhalf because his kicking has the yips. M. Smith’s kicking % was 85% coming in to the match.

Fair.
Again though, I've missed the calls for Marcus to be dropped because of his kicking (or dropped at all, for that matter)

No one has explicitly but I’m thinking of long term selection. I’m in the Andy Flower school of making a selection and backing them (for one game too many). There’s repercussions beyond today if you pull a player for performance reasons.

Except Spencer. He needs to be pulled and never seen again

[Which Tyler]

Okay, so we're discussing a hypothetical situation that isn't happening, or being discussed, as being a bad thing.
Sorry, I'd thought it was a live discussion about actual things, and that I'd just failed to see part of it.

Then I agree, Marcus shouldn't be dropped for his kicking performance in the second half. As, it appears, does everybody.

[astralweeks]

Cock

[astralweeks]

Cock

[Stom]

Honestly, we’ve been crap for 23 minutes. I wonder what happened on 57 minutes.

Honestly, if we had a different 9 on the bench, we’d have won that.

We played well generally, made some poor mistakes, were done by some cheating at the scrum that was not dealt with.


We need one change to the 23 for next week, dropping Spencer.

[Adam_P]

If Marcus kicked some easy goals we'd have won that

[Mellsblue]

Okay, so we're discussing a hypothetical situation that isn't happening, or being discussed, as being a bad thing.
Sorry, I'd thought it was a live discussion about actual things, and that I'd just failed to see part of it.

Then I agree, Marcus shouldn't be dropped for his kicking performance in the second half. As, it appears, does everybody.

People were asking for M Smith to be pulled because of his goal kicking and I was merely highlighting the possible long term repercussions of such a decision by referencing a similar situation that ultimately led to Farrell stinking up the midfield for years.
As I said, repercussions in the long term. Long term selection involves hypotheticals.

[Mellsblue]

Yep, change 10 and 21 and we win that. Simples!

[LongForgotten]

Appreciate it's not just the 9 who determines ruck speed but Spencer seemed to be very slow even when the ball was available.

Feels like an opportunity missed but still feel more positive about England now than I have since 2019.

[Oakboy]

Fin and Spencer kicked away our chances. Earlier, why did the captain not give the kicking tee to Slade? Was CCS injured? A huge gap in carrying when he departed.

[Which Tyler]

People were asking for M Smith to be pulled because of his goal kicking

Then I've missed those posts (and made it clear repeatedly that I hadn't seen them).

Closest I've seen is Adam's after our conversation

Interestingly, when I asked who had called for it, you even said that nobody had

[Puja]

If Marcus kicked some easy goals we'd have won that

The one that he missed led directly to our try, so it's not that simple.

Ben Spencer is awful. Has never met a bit of possession that he doesn't want to slow down and aimlessly box-kick away. That's what cost us the match today.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

People were asking for M Smith to be pulled because of his goal kicking

Then I've missed those posts (and made it clear repeatedly that I hadn't seen them).

Closest I've seen is Adam's after our conversation

Interestingly, when I asked who had called for it, you even said that nobody had

I said nobody had called for him to be dropped not that nobody had called for him to be subbed.
I’ll leave it here.

[Oakboy]

If Marcus kicked some easy goals we'd have won that

The one that he missed led directly to our try, so it's not that simple.

Ben Spencer is awful. Has never met a bit of possession that he doesn't want to slow down and aimlessly box-kick away. That's what cost us the match today.

Puja

Agreed but Fin Smith looked like he had forgotten that passing is allowed as well.

[Which Tyler]

Ah, sorry, cross-communication on that.
I still didn't see the call, but that's fine.

[Mellsblue]

The most annoying thing about this morning is that the country bumpkin Kiwi is the best dressed bloke in the studio.

[Stom]

If Marcus kicked some easy goals we'd have won that

The one that he missed led directly to our try, so it's not that simple.

Ben Spencer is awful. Has never met a bit of possession that he doesn't want to slow down and aimlessly box-kick away. That's what cost us the match today.

Puja

Agreed but Fin Smith looked like he had forgotten that passing is allowed as well.

I thought his kicking was good.