Wal vs. Eng - Match Thread

[Buggaluggs]

I tell you what though, Dan Biggar coming on with 20 left might have been the vinegar stroke in this game

Indeed. Just glad you left it so late

I like the Anscombe start Biggar finnsh. Biggar can get a bit too intense when he starts. His best games are when he comes on with a chip on his shoulder

[Spiffy]

They had miles better discipline than us.

More like composure. ... but we did nothing.

Who would he bring on? with 200+ tackles, Ford would not do well. Wales would have run everything down his channel. FAZ may not have had his best day, but a soft channel he is not.

England had enough of the ball to pose a running/passing challenge from a pair of different halfbacks who might have been up to it, and able to bring the midfield into the game. There was no plan B and Jones comes out of it looking tactically naive. The game plan is to give the ball to Billy, recycle it, than have Youngs kick it away. Things could have been even worse for England if Wales had not been a tad sloppy themselves, especially at lineout time.

[Stom]

I tell you what though, Dan Biggar coming on with 20 left might have been the vinegar stroke in this game

Indeed. Just glad you left it so late

I thought so originally, too, but I actually think they got it spot on.

[p/d]

I tell you what though, Dan Biggar coming on with 20 left might have been the vinegar stroke in this game

Indeed. Just glad you left it so late

I like the Anscombe start Biggar finnsh. Biggar can get a bit too intense when he starts. His best games are when he comes on with a chip on his shoulder

Yep.

[p/d]

I tell you what though, Dan Biggar coming on with 20 left might have been the vinegar stroke in this game

Indeed. Just glad you left it so late

I thought so originally, too, but I actually think they got it spot on.

Perfect timing. Bloody good use of the bench all round.

I know pundits and a few on here will make the case that Farrell was a cool head showing good leadership.....but feck me

[Mellsblue]

Why didn't Jones replace the England half backs early in the second half? Poor coaching decision.

scrum half for sure. He's so slow. England need a stupid, but decisive scrum half. Don't over-think it, just do it and do it quick. FAZ, and the rest of the backs are really good. They just need the ball fast. Let them make the decisions.

Farrell made plenty of decisions and they included two awful kicks and a forward pass in the first 30 mins alone. Ford would be taken to pieces for that performance but Farrell will be given a get out of jail free card.

[francoisfou]

Why didn't Jones replace the England half backs early in the second half? Poor coaching decision.[/quote
Farrell made plenty of decisions and they included two awful kicks and a forward pass in the first 30 mins alone. Ford would be taken to pieces for that performance but Farrell will be given a get out of jail free card.

...and Jones hasn’t got the balls to replace Farrell!

[Buggaluggs]

I'd rather play England with Ford at 10 than Farrel. Farrel was average today. Usually he is the guy who turns the screw for England, and it usually works.

What cost England today was Wales' excellence in the air. We clearly worked on it and it showed. Especially in the last 30 mins, we won the aerial battle. There's luck to that too, and it went Wales' way

[fivepointer]

Partly. But also it was our tactical inflexibility and reluctance to put the ball through the hands and pressurise the Welsh defence.
We didnt pose anything like enough questions and gave the ball up far too readily. We never even tried to get our back 3 into the game, while Manu had very limited opportunities with the ball.

[Timbo]

Hard to put some coherence on that so soon after the game. Very frustrating. Feels like Eddie/the team don’t trust our ability to open the game up, and we’re stuck in this very rigid, staccato pressure style of rugby. I get that as a blueprint, it probably is what we’re best at, but I’m convinced we have the players, both in terms of style and quality, to aspire for a bit more.

Like everyone else, don’t understand why the bench wasn’t used today. Head scratcher.

Overall the perspective is that we’re not a bad team, just as Ireland aren’t after we beat them up a few weeks ago. And NZ getting squashed by Ireland before that etc. But Eddie really needs to address our running game urgently if we are to look towards the World Cup confidently.

[p/d]

Did enjoy the North v Nowell tussle

[Mellsblue]

I'd rather play England with Ford at 10 than Farrel. Farrel was average today. Usually he is the guy who turns the screw for England, and it usually works.

What cost England today was Wales' excellence in the air. We clearly worked on it and it showed. Especially in the last 30 mins, we won the aerial battle. There's luck to that too, and it went Wales' way

Turns the screw! More meaningless praise. What actually isn’t that he’s so excellent at? He’s a good player but he’s not the test match greatcthst singlehandedly wins games. His last two big, close games at 10 he’s had for England have been loses to Wales and Ireland and he’s been poor in both. Usually works? When?

[Timbo]

I'd rather play England with Ford at 10 than Farrel. Farrel was average today. Usually he is the guy who turns the screw for England, and it usually works.

What cost England today was Wales' excellence in the air. We clearly worked on it and it showed. Especially in the last 30 mins, we won the aerial battle. There's luck to that too, and it went Wales' way

Turns the screw! More meaningless praise. What actually isn’t that he’s so excellent at? He’s a good player but he’s not the test match greatcthst singlehandedly wins games. His last two big, close games at 10 he’s had for England have been loses to Wales and Ireland and he’s been poor in both. Usually works? When?

We beat Ireland...

[Oakboy]

If, halfway through the 2nd half, your plans are demonstrably failing, surely you fucking well change something or lose. Jones changed nothing and we lost. It was so predictable at that point. It was close to the most incompetent management ever.

Conversely, the Welsh management, none of whom I rate or like, got things right. Their intensity, within a 'we know how to scrap for a win' approach, was admirable if not pretty.

[Mellsblue]

I'd rather play England with Ford at 10 than Farrel. Farrel was average today. Usually he is the guy who turns the screw for England, and it usually works.

What cost England today was Wales' excellence in the air. We clearly worked on it and it showed. Especially in the last 30 mins, we won the aerial battle. There's luck to that too, and it went Wales' way

Turns the screw! More meaningless praise. What actually isn’t that he’s so excellent at? He’s a good player but he’s not the test match greatcthst singlehandedly wins games. His last two big, close games at 10 he’s had for England have been loses to Wales and Ireland and he’s been poor in both. Usually works? When?

We beat Ireland...

Close game.......

[Banquo]

Absolute inability to change course is what stood out (apart from the chronic execution that is) , plus a collapse of discipline under pressure. Use of the bench was shocking.

[Buggaluggs]

It is a little ironic that the close out try was from a kick. England's hunting ground in rounds 1 & 2

[Hooky]

Sorry, I lied. Peyper has cost us this, awful reffing.

Fuck off STOM you winy bitch. You got beat. accept it

This

[Hooky]

Sorry, I lied. Peyper has cost us this, awful reffing.

Fuck off STOM you winy bitch. You got beat. accept it

This

[Timbo]

Turns the screw! More meaningless praise. What actually isn’t that he’s so excellent at? He’s a good player but he’s not the test match greatcthst singlehandedly wins games. His last two big, close games at 10 he’s had for England have been loses to Wales and Ireland and he’s been poor in both. Usually works? When?

We beat Ireland...

Close game.......

We were like, 4 points up with less than 15 minutes to go.

Also the South Africa and NZ games in the Autumn were close.

[Buggaluggs]

Sorry, I lied. Peyper has cost us this, awful reffing.

Fuck off STOM you winy bitch. You got beat. accept it

This

steady

I already apologized for my unwarrantied response

[Mellsblue]

We beat Ireland...

Close game.......

We were like, 4 points up with less than 15 minutes to go.

Also the South Africa and NZ games in the Autumn were close.

Did we not lose to NZ and could’ve lost to SA because of Farrell himself?
Close on the scoreboard v Ireland, may be, but we were dominant for almost the entire 80 mins. I’ve rarely felt as comfortable watching an England match.
Back to the original point, it was said that Farrell normal ‘turns the screw for England and it usually works’. That didn’t happen in any of those games you’ve mentioned.

[Digby]

Absolute inability to change course is what stood out (apart from the chronic execution that is) , plus a collapse of discipline under pressure. Use of the bench was shocking.

It's annoying how telegraphed in advance this was. Perhaps not this game albeit it looked the most likely example, but at some point the team has to accept if they cannot and/or refuse to play any rugby there will be games when big problems arise

I do feel sorry for Sinckler, Kruis, Wilson and Curry, what Moon was doing on the pitch I don't know and anyone advocating for Moon over Genge one hopes enjoys the lack of carrying, Ford and Farrell pathetic with some slim protection of performing under coaches orders

[Banquo]

Absolute inability to change course is what stood out (apart from the chronic execution that is) , plus a collapse of discipline under pressure. Use of the bench was shocking.

It's annoying how telegraphed in advance this was. Perhaps not this game albeit it looked the most likely example, but at some point the team has to accept if they cannot and/or refuse to play any rugby there will be games when big problems arise

I do feel sorry for Sinckler, Kruis, Wilson and Curry, what Moon was doing on the pitch I don't know and anyone advocating for Moon over Genge one hopes enjoys the lack of carrying, Ford and Farrell pathetic with some slim protection of performing under coaches orders

Bit harsh on Ford.

Billy V carried well. and May did a good shift. Daly again hardly commanded the backfield.

[Banquo]

I think by far the worst thing was that Eddie was simply unable to yank Faz, when the game called out for it.