Team for Japan

[Scrumhead]

The prawn sandwich brigade sure know their rugby.

I expect most agree with what Stephen Jones tells them in his write ups and ratings.

Honestly, it’s awful. I love a day out at HQ but it’s always tempered by the di%kheads I’m surrounded by that know absolutely fu%k all.

[WaspInWales]

NZ try-less,pointless in 2nd H..most rare.
Committed showing by a well-drilled All-Greens,
( is it 'Farrell-day' ?) end of season disappointment for AB's overseen by their favourite official.
Quite an even contest - the rest are getting closer it would seem.
Ireland - New Zealand
Possession 52-48
Territory 53-47
Passes 198-196
Runs 151-162
Defenders beaten 20-20
Turnovers conceded 13-16

What was the penalty count in the end?

Superb match from the bits I saw.

Been saying it for a couple of years now, but Ireland are a formidable team.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if they win the world cup.

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[twitchy]

Ireland are the complete team. Is it crazy to put them favourites for the world cup? From an england perspective -why is half our team always injured?

[WaspInWales]

Ireland are the complete team. Is it crazy to put them favourites for the world cup? From an england perspective -why is half our team always injured?

Because they don't have Farrell's legendary dna.

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[Tigersman]

Poor Ford gets blamed for a tackle he was 20m away from.

He was blamed by everyone around me, too. He was also blamed for a Care missed tackle for their second. When Ford lined up for the first con the chap next to me told his girlfriend - she’ll end it shortly if she’s any sense, he was a prize plonker - that he was a 50/50 chance to kick it whilst Farrell never misses.

25 years old, Rugby obsessed who prob dreams about rugby in his sleep he's that much of a nause, massively talented, doesn't shy away from the tackle (though can get pushed back) even though he is usually smaller by some distance, worked extremly hard on his goal kicking has 50 caps.
Yet gets crapped on for even the smallest of fault.

Yes it must be the English press and supporters....

[Tigersman]

Ireland are the complete team. Is it crazy to put them favourites for the world cup? From an england perspective -why is half our team always injured?

Because they don't have Farrell's legendary dna.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

TBF Andy Farrell is a massive part of their success.

[Raggs]

Match new Zealand's physicality and the games are suddenly far far closer. They're still ridiculously skillful of course, but so much of that is allowed to shine due to the clean ball they produce.

[Oakboy]

Maybe, as in so many earlier WCs, NZ and Ireland are peaking too early. We have to find some sort of hope to hang our hat on.

[Timbo]

Match new Zealand's physicality and the games are suddenly far far closer. They're still ridiculously skillful of course, but so much of that is allowed to shine due to the clean ball they produce.

I was thinking last week during the England game that they don’t have as many of those freakish athletes as they used to, especially in the outside backs. Charles Piutau would go straight into their team now.

Also, Kieran Read looks increasingly some way past his best. Absolute warrior though.

[Puja]

Irish well deserved win over nz even if there was a stonewall yellow card missed (another weird ref decision, it just keeps coming).

Thanks for this guys - had this game recorded as I played today and thought I'd have a look at this thread after watching the England and Scotland games. Not sure if I will now I know the result.

Don't we have an etiquette in here of not talking about results in threads for other games?

Puja

[Tigersman]

Ban them all I say

[Galfon]

Ireland - New Zealand
Possession 52-48
Territory 53-47
Passes 198-196
Runs 151-162
Defenders beaten 20-20
Turnovers conceded 13-16

What was the penalty count in the end?

Pens conceded 5 - 11
Scrums won 7/7 - 5/5
L/outs won 11/13 - 7/8

5 pens. in a game of this intensity is notable.

[Puja]

What a ridiculous yellow card for WLR - especially in the context of Banahan's one-handed interception last week.

Looked a stone cold yellow to me. He's not tried to catch it, he's just batted it away from himself and the Scottish player

I agree with you - he certainly started off going for the interception, but when he realised he wasn't going to make it, he settled for slapping it forwards and hoping for a regather.

Puja

[WaspInWales]

Ireland - New Zealand
Possession 52-48
Territory 53-47
Passes 198-196
Runs 151-162
Defenders beaten 20-20
Turnovers conceded 13-16

What was the penalty count in the end?

Pens conceded 5 - 11
Scrums won 7/7 - 5/5
L/outs won 11/13 - 7/8

5 pens. in a game of this intensity is notable.

Seems to be par for Ireland these days.

They've either worked on their discipline or have inherited the AB invisibility cloak.

[WaspInWales]

Just watching the highlights now on iPlayer.

42:29 on the match clock (29:22 on the iPlayer timer):
Japan player kicks an up and under from just inside their half with 2 players close by who are both a metre in front of him (this would be about 10 metres for Guscott). There's also another 4-5 players in an offside position from previous rucks. Anyway, none of the players attempt to get back onside and continue to chase the ball.

However, the winger was onside and chases the kick and passes the players offside. Is it legit for him to put the offside players back onside when they have made no attempt themselves to get back onside?

The ref was right there when the 10 (I assume) kicked it. He didn't warn the offside players and I didn't hear anything from the assistants.

England won a penalty from a tackle off the ball shortly afterwards, but I'm just curious as to why the ref didn't warn the players to get back onside.

[WaspInWales]

Actual commentary from the iPlayer highlights:
On decision to kick penalty at goal...

..it's the right decision, but interesting it's George Ford who is keeping the kicking duties even with Owen Farrell on the pitch. As good a kicker as Ford is, There's no doubt that Farrell is better

[Rich]

That was Japan's best chance to date to beat England at Twickenham.

England had too many weak combinations and too many passengers...

I barely noticed Ewels and Mercer - neither look like test players.

Jones' crazy notion of playing three locks and two back row players again proved flawed - especially when the rest of the world does it the other way round. The rest of the world is probably on to something.

The midfield of Ford-Lozowski-Nowell was a disaster waiting to happen. Lightweight doesn't begin to describe it.

Daly is a fine player and footballer but full back is not his position. I hope Jones plays him at outside centre against Australia.


Cokanasiga looked good and I'd play him against Australia too but Jones will certainly pick May there instead....maybe Cokanasiga could switch to the right wing ?

Why do we not have any test class scrum halves ?
Wigglesworth was better than Care at 35.

Most on here won't admit it but Farrell is a class player and made the difference today.


Best available team for Australia:


Moon-Hartley-Sinckler
Lawes-Itoje
Wilson(6)-Shields(8)-Underhill(7)

Wiggy-Farrell

May-Te'o-Daly-Cokanasiga

Brown

[Puja]

Most on here won't admit it but Farrell is a class player and made the difference today.

What specifically did he do when he came on?

Puja

[Puja]

Just watching the highlights now on iPlayer.

42:29 on the match clock (29:22 on the iPlayer timer):
Japan player kicks an up and under from just inside their half with 2 players close by who are both a metre in front of him (this would be about 10 metres for Guscott). There's also another 4-5 players in an offside position from previous rucks. Anyway, none of the players attempt to get back onside and continue to chase the ball.

However, the winger was onside and chases the kick and passes the players offside. Is it legit for him to put the offside players back onside when they have made no attempt themselves to get back onside?

The ref was right there when the 10 (I assume) kicked it. He didn't warn the offside players and I didn't hear anything from the assistants.

England won a penalty from a tackle off the ball shortly afterwards, but I'm just curious as to why the ref didn't warn the players to get back onside.

If the players aren't within 10m of where the balls lands, they're usually allowed to let themselves be overtaken, rather than actively retreat. It's one of those weird bits of law that's stopped being refereed.

Puja

[p/d]

Farrell did make a difference. But so did a dressing room bollocking, Underhill, Moon, Japan's fitness but most of all our change of tactics.

Jones got so fecking much wrong on selection/game plan that a small dog in a woolly hat and espadrilles would have made a difference

[WaspInWales]

Tom Fordyce's report included the following sub-heading:

Farrell helps spare England's blushes

The only other mention of him in the report is:

Cokanasiga then sealed his debut in fine fashion after replacement Richard Wigglesworth had burst clear down the left, with Owen Farrell making a real impact off the bench in England's midfield.

Farrell had nothing to do with Cokanasiga's try so why mention him in the same sentence. Lawes won the penalty. Wiggie kicked the up and under, Cokanasiga batted it backwards, George passed to Wiggie who passed to Cokanasiga (a tad early I thought), and Cokanasiga did the rest.

If he made a real impact, at least explain why.

Lazy reporting.

[Spiffy]

Farrell did make a difference. But so did a dressing room bollocking, Underhill, Moon, Japan's fitness but most of all our change of tactics.

Jones got so fecking much wrong on selection/game plan that a small dog in a woolly hat and espadrilles would have made a difference

Not sure that Farrell did make much of a difference. I think the England team, as predicted, would have physically blattered their much smaller Japanese counterparts into submission in the second half, with or without Farrell. When it came to basic rugby skills, such as giving and taking a pass, footwork etc. Japan were the better team, not to mention speed of foot and rugby intelligence. Unfortunately, in the modern game, all these attributes will be obliterated by sheer size/power. That victory does nothing much to advance the development of England's RWC selection roster.

[Rich]

Most on here won't admit it but Farrell is a class player and made the difference today.

What specifically did he do when he came on?

Puja

Lets see, we were losing 10-15 before he came on.

We were winning 35-15 at the end of the game.

[Rich]

Tom Fordyce's report included the following sub-heading:

Farrell helps spare England's blushes

The only other mention of him in the report is:

Cokanasiga then sealed his debut in fine fashion after replacement Richard Wigglesworth had burst clear down the left, with Owen Farrell making a real impact off the bench in England's midfield.

Farrell had nothing to do with Cokanasiga's try so why mention him in the same sentence. Lawes won the penalty. Wiggie kicked the up and under, Cokanasiga batted it backwards, George passed to Wiggie who passed to Cokanasiga (a tad early I thought), and Cokanasiga did the rest.

If he made a real impact, at least explain why.

Lazy reporting.

You really didn't see any difference in England's back play in the second half?

It was night and day.

The England backs had leadership in the second half.

The whole England team had leadership....the first half was a rudderless mess.


You can stick your head in the sand if you want but Farrell is now the first name on the teamsheet.

[Rich]

Farrell did make a difference. But so did a dressing room bollocking, Underhill, Moon, Japan's fitness but most of all our change of tactics.

Jones got so fecking much wrong on selection/game plan that a small dog in a woolly hat and espadrilles would have made a difference

Not sure that Farrell did make much of a difference. I think the England team, as predicted, would have physically blattered their much smaller Japanese counterparts into submission in the second half, with or without Farrell. When it came to basic rugby skills, such as giving and taking a pass, footwork etc. Japan were the better team, not to mention speed of foot and rugby intelligence. Unfortunately, in the modern game, all these attributes will be obliterated by sheer size/power. That victory does nothing much to advance the development of England's RWC selection roster.

What good was the size and power advantage in the first half?

And was there really a significant size advantage anyway ?

The difference was that England brought on better players in the second half.


But Farrell is head and shoulders above Lozowski.