Owen Farrell

[Oakboy]

I still hate the nauseatingly long and affected build-up to his place-kicks. I'd have Daly doing all the kicking. He gets on with it with no fuss - like a real man rather than a petulant brat.

[p/d]

I still hate the nauseatingly long and affected build-up to his place-kicks. I'd have Daly doing all the kicking. He gets on with it with no fuss - like a real man rather than a petulant brat.

Not impressed with Daly's attempt v Wales. Even for him it looked rushed

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Rewatched the game last night, and I say this as someone who has previously fought his corner on this forum, but Farrell was appalling in this game. Even a vaguely competent flyhalf performance on Saturday and we win this game with a bit to spare I reckon.

I knew he didn’t have a good game watching live, but was genuinely taken aback on the rewatch, pretty much every thing he did was inaccurate.

Its funny the perspective that losing gives.

The annoying thing is that he has been genuinely excellent the last two games. Ironic that the likes of Ford and Cipriani are dubbed "mercurial".

Puja

I've been meaning to say. He was brilliant against us. The margin in a kicking game against Ireland is really really small even with Henshaw at full back and even with a different range of kicks deployed - again I've been meaning to say that those short kicks were a master stroke and a completely different picture from anything we've faced. He got them bang on every time for pretty much 80 minutes and I've always thought his kicking from hand was dire. That and he appeared to be able to run, pass and run and pass. I guess he's just reverted to the mean.

[Timbo]

Its funny the perspective that losing gives.

The annoying thing is that he has been genuinely excellent the last two games. Ironic that the likes of Ford and Cipriani are dubbed "mercurial".

Puja

I've been meaning to say. He was brilliant against us. The margin in a kicking game against Ireland is really really small even with Henshaw at full back and even with a different range of kicks deployed - again I've been meaning to say that those short kicks were a master stroke and a completely different picture from anything we've faced. He got them bang on every time for pretty much 80 minutes and I've always thought his kicking from hand was dire. That and he appeared to be able to run, pass and run and pass. I guess he's just reverted to the mean.

Hey, you guys need to worry about your own non-performing, moany, annoying fly half. At least ours has played a couple of decent games of rugby this tournament. The best thing Sextons done is leave the field against Scotland so Carberry could come on.

[Stom]

Its funny the perspective that losing gives.

The annoying thing is that he has been genuinely excellent the last two games. Ironic that the likes of Ford and Cipriani are dubbed "mercurial".

Puja

I've been meaning to say. He was brilliant against us. The margin in a kicking game against Ireland is really really small even with Henshaw at full back and even with a different range of kicks deployed - again I've been meaning to say that those short kicks were a master stroke and a completely different picture from anything we've faced. He got them bang on every time for pretty much 80 minutes and I've always thought his kicking from hand was dire. That and he appeared to be able to run, pass and run and pass. I guess he's just reverted to the mean.

It was a very pleasant surprise. Which made the weekend even worse...

His major failing - not adjusting to a changing game - still remains.

[Mikey Brown]

Its funny the perspective that losing gives.

The annoying thing is that he has been genuinely excellent the last two games. Ironic that the likes of Ford and Cipriani are dubbed "mercurial".

Puja

I've been meaning to say. He was brilliant against us. The margin in a kicking game against Ireland is really really small even with Henshaw at full back and even with a different range of kicks deployed - again I've been meaning to say that those short kicks were a master stroke and a completely different picture from anything we've faced. He got them bang on every time for pretty much 80 minutes and I've always thought his kicking from hand was dire. That and he appeared to be able to run, pass and run and pass. I guess he's just reverted to the mean.

This is the big one for me. Occasionally I think he has really turned a corner with his distribution, then it goes back to all being horribly telegraphed. He’s capable of some fantastic passing, as we’ve seen, but he can rarely seem to hold any defenders whilst doing it.

[Mellsblue]

The annoying thing is that he has been genuinely excellent the last two games. Ironic that the likes of Ford and Cipriani are dubbed "mercurial".

Puja

I've been meaning to say. He was brilliant against us. The margin in a kicking game against Ireland is really really small even with Henshaw at full back and even with a different range of kicks deployed - again I've been meaning to say that those short kicks were a master stroke and a completely different picture from anything we've faced. He got them bang on every time for pretty much 80 minutes and I've always thought his kicking from hand was dire. That and he appeared to be able to run, pass and run and pass. I guess he's just reverted to the mean.

This is the big one for me. Occasionally I think he has really turned a corner with his distribution, then it goes back to all being horribly telegraphed. He’s capable of some fantastic passing, as we’ve seen, but he can rarely seem to hold any defenders whilst doing it.

That miss pass to Slade in our 22. Not a single defender engaged, a huge wind up and then Slade receiving man, ball and half of the pop of Cardiff.

[Digby]

I've been meaning to say. He was brilliant against us. The margin in a kicking game against Ireland is really really small even with Henshaw at full back and even with a different range of kicks deployed - again I've been meaning to say that those short kicks were a master stroke and a completely different picture from anything we've faced. He got them bang on every time for pretty much 80 minutes and I've always thought his kicking from hand was dire. That and he appeared to be able to run, pass and run and pass. I guess he's just reverted to the mean.

This is the big one for me. Occasionally I think he has really turned a corner with his distribution, then it goes back to all being horribly telegraphed. He’s capable of some fantastic passing, as we’ve seen, but he can rarely seem to hold any defenders whilst doing it.

That miss pass to Slade in our 22. Not a single defender engaged, a huge mind up and then Slade receiving man, ball and half of the pop of Cardiff.

Not so much a champagne moment as a bucks fizz one. here all week folks, here all week

[Sandydragon]

The annoying thing is that he has been genuinely excellent the last two games. Ironic that the likes of Ford and Cipriani are dubbed "mercurial".

Puja

I've been meaning to say. He was brilliant against us. The margin in a kicking game against Ireland is really really small even with Henshaw at full back and even with a different range of kicks deployed - again I've been meaning to say that those short kicks were a master stroke and a completely different picture from anything we've faced. He got them bang on every time for pretty much 80 minutes and I've always thought his kicking from hand was dire. That and he appeared to be able to run, pass and run and pass. I guess he's just reverted to the mean.

This is the big one for me. Occasionally I think he has really turned a corner with his distribution, then it goes back to all being horribly telegraphed. He’s capable of some fantastic passing, as we’ve seen, but he can rarely seem to hold any defenders whilst doing it.

I think he was under a lot more pressure in the Welsh match - even Dan Carter looked human when given zero time on the ball.

[Digby]

But he didn't have to be under that pressure. Farrell didn't use Slade, Eddie didn’t use Ford, leaving Farrell taking all that pressure for no good reason

[morepork]

He was under pressure because no one thought to account for the possibility of kicking being the only attacking strategy option available. Total brain freeze. If the Australian ewok was capable of planning and effectively managing a bench to factor into games, then you guys would be very difficult to contain. At the moment, predictive text on a smart phone would be as effective as EJ. Long may this continue.

[Banquo]

The annoying thing is that he has been genuinely excellent the last two games. Ironic that the likes of Ford and Cipriani are dubbed "mercurial".

Puja

I've been meaning to say. He was brilliant against us. The margin in a kicking game against Ireland is really really small even with Henshaw at full back and even with a different range of kicks deployed - again I've been meaning to say that those short kicks were a master stroke and a completely different picture from anything we've faced. He got them bang on every time for pretty much 80 minutes and I've always thought his kicking from hand was dire. That and he appeared to be able to run, pass and run and pass. I guess he's just reverted to the mean.

This is the big one for me. Occasionally I think he has really turned a corner with his distribution, then it goes back to all being horribly telegraphed. He’s capable of some fantastic passing, as we’ve seen, but he can rarely seem to hold any defenders whilst doing it.

He can throw decent long/miss passes right to left; pretty much anything left to right is hit and miss, even short passes have varying degrees of accuracy. See also Ben Youngs.

[Peat]

Found this article that I think sums up a lot of people's feelings here - https://www.rugbypass.com/news/will-the ... -stand-up/

[Mellsblue]

Found this article that I think sums up a lot of people's feelings here - https://www.rugbypass.com/news/will-the ... -stand-up/

Bloody hell. The RREMB finally have a spokesman.

[Banquo]

Found this article that I think sums up a lot of people's feelings here - https://www.rugbypass.com/news/will-the ... -stand-up/

Bloody hell. The RREMB finally have a spokesman.

dunno, it does say he's a class player somewhere in there......

[Mellsblue]

Found this article that I think sums up a lot of people's feelings here - https://www.rugbypass.com/news/will-the ... -stand-up/

Bloody hell. The RREMB finally have a spokesman.

dunno, it does say he's a class player somewhere in there......

Lacking the word ‘world’ before the word ‘class’ so I’ll let him off. I’ll make sure Puja brings it up at his next one to one, though.

[morepork]

I saw that article a day ago and resisted linking it on here in case you all thought I was trolling yoose.

I love you all.

[Digby]

Piffle, you love Farrell and the chance to talk about the player Nick Evans says might just be the best 10 in world rugby

[Galfon]

OF's qualities as FH and skipper at Test level are being questioned elsewhere:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47599704

What can/should EJ do now given the events v. Sco ?
(the issue being wider than the 3 try-yielding slips and possible red-card shoulder charge )
The matter is obviously magnified given the looming RWC and early exit last time round.

[fivepointer]

Reasonable concerns. Good captaincy isnt easy, particularly if you are in a key decision making role along with place kicking responsibilities.
Farrell would never have been my choice for skipper. Being ultra competitive is one thing, so too is the need for a cool head to appraise a changing situation.
Make Itoje captain. He's usually one of our best players, has done the job at a lower level and is easily experienced enough to take it on.

[Scrumhead]

Found this article that I think sums up a lot of people's feelings here - https://www.rugbypass.com/news/will-the ... -stand-up/

What’s worse? ‘Cardiff Owen’ or ‘Scotland Owen’?

He directly created two tries for Scotland yesterday, McInally’s chargedown and the intercept for Russell’s try and apart from a regulation pass early in the build-up to Nowell’s try, he wasn’t involved in any of ours.

Add in the illegal ‘tackle’ he should probably have been carded for and I’d argue he was at least as poor as he was in Cardiff.

When you consider he was captain too, he has to take some responsibility for failing to calm us down when we were haemorrhaging points and needed to sort ourselves out. Yes, it’s a collective failing, but you look to you captain to lead and he didn’t. It’s becoming an ugly theme.

[Oakboy]

Good captaincy isnt easy, particularly if you are in a key decision making role along with place kicking responsibilities.

Why do you say that 5p? I think the right captain does find it easy. IF he is right for the job he is automatically on the same wavelength as the coach and the rest of the players. Making the right decisions then comes so naturally that it is easy. It is not being FH and place kicker that causes Farrell to be a poor captain. He is a poor captain because he does not have the necessary composure and rugby brain. If there is one other factor that could weigh heavily it is that he is not our best FH anyway. He either knows that and can't deal with it or he doesn't know it, leaving no hope.

[p/d]

SCW reckons Farrell has too much responsibility as captain, 10 and place kicker ...... then next to the article is his England XV for the WC, with Farrell at 10, captain and only test kicker in the team.
Though his suggestion the starting XV should have been Left on for the full 80 was even more comical

[Mellsblue]

The best bit was his assertion that all of England’s substitutions led to confusion and the second half implosion. Sadly for him, other than Genge in the 4th min, none of the replacements were brought on until Scotland were level.

[p/d]

The best bit was his assertion that all of England’s substitutions led to confusion and the second half implosion. Sadly for him, other than Genge in the 4th min, none of the replacements were brought on until Scotland were level.

I think Cole was on. But yes, his reluctance to question Owen’s performance leads him down a merry old path of bollocks