Team for Italy

[Danno]

The Irish ones seem to get away with an awful lot of their dumb stuff. How they've only picked up the one card is mystifying.

PoM should have two for no arms, Doris doesn't seem to know which side of the ruck is the right one.

They are very good at what they do. When I saw Beirne go in on Dupont I thought immediately that everyone's favourite Frenchman was in trouble.

Agreed. Can't help but feel that if we had more cheats that actually get away with it (like Itoje but subtle) we'd be in a better spot

[Mr Mwenda]

POM should absolutely have been pinged twice. Also was a bit suspicious of how DuPont got injured as well tbh tho perhaps on the replay at half time it is accidental.

Probably right, the ref said they reviewed it. We got no replay here.

[Mr Mwenda]

To be honest, the cynicism is also one reason I am glad to see the back of POM. The highlight of his career for me was him calling Sinkler a stupid cunt.

[FKAS]

The Irish ones seem to get away with an awful lot of their dumb stuff. How they've only picked up the one card is mystifying.

PoM should have two for no arms, Doris doesn't seem to know which side of the ruck is the right one.

They are very good at what they do. When I saw Beirne go in on Dupont I thought immediately that everyone's favourite Frenchman was in trouble.

I was surprised that wasn't reviewed and Beirne in trouble. It's accidental but there's no wrap and no attempt to support his weight. No control just ploughs into the ruck.

[francoisfou]

Magnifique!!!

[Charlatan]

Great win for France. I was rooting for them anyway and not just because of the England-in-with-a-shout factor, I do like this French team, but the egregious Irish skullduggery (or how much they got away with it) in the first half really pissed me off. Good to see them win without DuPont too, I think Ntamack isn’t the showiest flyhalf but quietly makes that team tick better. And the 7:1 gamble just about paid off, when it really looked like it might go pear shaped!

[Captainhaircut]

Blimey- England must be some side to beat this France team.

[FKAS]

France really just dominated physically. Ireland then struggled to get going and the French backs found chances to cut loose. A humbling day out for the Irish.

[francoisfou]

Great win for France. I was rooting for them anyway and not just because of the England-in-with-a-shout factor, I do like this French team, but the egregious Irish skullduggery (or how much they got away with it) in the first half really pissed me off. Good to see them win without DuPont too, I think Ntamack isn’t the showiest flyhalf but quietly makes that team tick better. And the 7:1 gamble just about paid off, when it really looked like it might go pear shaped!

A lot of us had been criticising Galthié for a 7:1 bench and when Dupont went off I feared the worst.

[francoisfou]

France really just dominated physically. Ireland then struggled to get going and the French backs found chances to cut loose. A humbling day out for the Irish.

When was the last time we didn’t hear The Fields if Athenry at Landsdowne Road?

[FKAS]

Great win for France. I was rooting for them anyway and not just because of the England-in-with-a-shout factor, I do like this French team, but the egregious Irish skullduggery (or how much they got away with it) in the first half really pissed me off. Good to see them win without DuPont too, I think Ntamack isn’t the showiest flyhalf but quietly makes that team tick better. And the 7:1 gamble just about paid off, when it really looked like it might go pear shaped!

A lot of us had been criticising Galthié for a 7:1 bench and when Dupont went off I feared the worst.

Lucu played fantastically well. He's had some stick previously for not being Dupont which is a bit harsh. With the rest of the side purring his ability to just keep everything moving along was the glue that held things together.

[FKAS]

France really just dominated physically. Ireland then struggled to get going and the French backs found chances to cut loose. A humbling day out for the Irish.

When was the last time we didn’t hear The Fields if Athenry at Landsdowne Road?

Well they did it at kick off. By the second half the Irish fans were to busy trying to drink their memories of the game away.

[Charlatan]

Agreed Lucu played very well when he came on.

[p/d]

A fair few of the French boys played very well.
Moefana in the backs really stood out for me. And Bielle-Biarrey is just special.

[Galfon]

I was surprised that wasn't reviewed and Beirne in trouble. It's accidental but there's no wrap and no attempt to support his weight. No control just ploughs into the ruck.

They're not happy, could be nasty.
His weight fell on AD's lower limb, with Porter behind too.
All very quick with Beirne looking the other way, which would make it less easy to attribute culpability.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c3w1525d951o
Hope he's back soon .

[francoisfou]

Damian Penaud atoned for his iffy game at HQ, but one brain fart yesterday close to his goal line could have been costly.
He’s now the equal top try scorer for France with 38, from 55 Tests. Serge Blanco scored 38 in 93 Tests.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey is on course to be even better. He’s only 21 and has already scored 17 tries in his 18 Tests.

[FKAS]

I was surprised that wasn't reviewed and Beirne in trouble. It's accidental but there's no wrap and no attempt to support his weight. No control just ploughs into the ruck.

They're not happy, could be nasty.
His weight fell on AD's lower limb, with Porter behind too.
All very quick with Beirne looking the other way, which would make it less easy to attribute culpability.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c3w1525d951o
Hope he's back soon .

Easterbys explanation doest really stack up. "Tadhg [Beirne] cleans out someone in front of Antoine Dupont and he gets hit on the back of it. It happens, unfortunately," which is garbage unfortunately.

There's only Dupont to clear and Beirne never wraps nor attempts to stay on his feet. It looks accidental but this is exactly the sort of lazy clearout the laws are supposed to be clamping down on so the French camp are going to be angry. Dupont's season is over because of it.

[Mikey Brown]

So what are people’s hopes/expectations for this game in terms of England really moving forwards? It’s always difficult when a close game is viewed as a failure and a comfortable win is viewed as a walkover.

I suppose I just want to see a performance that actually looks like it would trouble top teams, rather than just being able to beat up Italy. No clue what sort of Italy team are going to turn up though, to be honest.

It’s strange to end the tournament on these two games. I imagine Wales will look drastically different from yesterday, or at least the first half, and have their home crowd behind them. Let’s hope that is a real test.

[Captainhaircut]

So what are people’s hopes/expectations for this game in terms of England really moving forwards? It’s always difficult when a close game is viewed as a failure and a comfortable win is viewed as a walkover.

I suppose I just want to see a performance that actually looks like it would trouble top teams, rather than just being able to beat up Italy. No clue what sort of Italy team are going to turn up though, to be honest.

It’s strange to end the tournament on these two games. I imagine Wales will look drastically different from yesterday, or at least the first half, and have their home crowd behind them. Let’s hope that is a real test.

Did we not trouble every top team we have played in the last 12 months?

[Mikey Brown]

So what are people’s hopes/expectations for this game in terms of England really moving forwards? It’s always difficult when a close game is viewed as a failure and a comfortable win is viewed as a walkover.

I suppose I just want to see a performance that actually looks like it would trouble top teams, rather than just being able to beat up Italy. No clue what sort of Italy team are going to turn up though, to be honest.

It’s strange to end the tournament on these two games. I imagine Wales will look drastically different from yesterday, or at least the first half, and have their home crowd behind them. Let’s hope that is a real test.

Did we not trouble every top team we have played in the last 12 months?

I wasn’t meaning to imply we didn’t. What I mean is I want to see the sustained intensity (and hopefully a bit more invention) that we would throw at a top 4 team.

Recent games vs Italy, Fiji, Japan etc. have been difficult to draw too many positives from.

[p/d]

I’m hoping for fewer aerial shots at key moments. Certainly no close ups of someone chucking up and hopefully an astute cameraman (sorry, person) will pick out a number of floral frocks

[Which Tyler]

I’m hoping for fewer aerial shots at key moments. Certainly no close ups of someone chucking up and hopefully an astute cameraman (sorry, person) will pick out a number of floral frocks

And at least three shots of a pretty young woman in the crowd; and two of people in fancy dress

[francoisfou]

1. I’m hoping that Dingers impresses and persuades Shorn Bonce to give him a run of matches.
2. Ted Hill gets more than 69 seconds to show he should start at 6 in Cardiff!
3. A win of at least 30 points.

[p/d]

I’m hoping for fewer aerial shots at key moments. Certainly no close ups of someone chucking up and hopefully an astute cameraman (sorry, person) will pick out a number of floral frocks

And at least three shots of a pretty young woman in the crowd; and two of people in fancy dress

Preferably when a lineout is being taken. The pretty young woman that is

[p/d]

1. I’m hoping that Dingers impresses and persuades Shorn Bonce to give him a run of matches.
2. Ted Hill gets more than 69 seconds to show he should start at 6 in Cardiff!
3. A win of at least 30 points.

Yep. Be nice to learn that Slade was a hand brake