RugbyRebels

Minute 12

A decent kick to touch from Biggar (although fair chunk of that ground came from ignoring where the pen was awarded) and AWJ takes a lineout ball. Wales run a wrap move with Ken Owens, whether to delay Davies getting the ball I don't know, and Genge gives away a penalty slapping the ball down. It's actually possible this is a rare instance of not 'accidentally' knocking down a pass in attempting a tackle, but it's certainly a penalty to Wales.

Minute 13

Wales don't kick for 3, weird, and punt into touch for another lineout. I can only assume the Wales team isn't familiar with the Welsh lineout. However they do win the lineout, but England defend the maul reasonably enough. With the ball on the floor Davies ponders life for 3-4 seconds, why play quickly on your own attack in the opponent's 22?

Wales end the minute edging backwards in contact.

Minute 14

There's once decent pass from Davies in there, but more often a series of 2-3 second pauses. In his slight defence Wales work much harder to get in position on defence than on attack (as do England). But over the minute Wales merely edge back 5-10m

Minute 15

Davies starts the minute off stumbling over Billy V who was lying on the floor, either Davies simply wan't watching where he was going, or it's a daft attempt to source a cheap penalty. It's not like Billy is invisible.

Nonetheless Wales have a chance to create a 1 on 1 situation if the handling is accurate. The ball however is with North as the 1st man in the passing chain of a possible 4 on 4 who doesn't even look to pass and just gets tacked behind the gainline.

Next up and JJ abandons his role as the guard on the shortside, he can see the only Welsh attacker is wide on the touchline and wants to get around to bolster the defence on the open side. If Davies spots JJ moving there's some space right up the guts, but Francis edges closer in from the blindside to remove that option. But Davies can still break down the short side and look to work a 2 on 2 if he can draw in Francis to send Adams 1 on 1 into Cokanasiga, but he's got quite some distance between himself and his winger so it's a ballsy play, Davies does try to make that play in what's a fairly large shortside (maybe 20m) but gets scragged by Francis who's the first defender, and with his winger wide out Davies has no support. Wales do somehow wriggle the ball back on the floor, but it's loose and jumped on by Cole. LCD passes back to Daly confident in the knowledge that Daly is right footed or just doesn't care either way, Daly shifts the ball to his left and calmly punts the ball, so calmly he's overlooked pressure from Wales and is very lucky to see the charge down rebound to Cokanasiga. Big Joe has a look to see if he can see a gap, but elects to run into a Welsh forward there being no easy gap.

Heinz isn't even looking to exit with a box kick which will not endear him to Eddie, and instead passes to LCD. LCD runs up into AWJ and learns what many have found before that AWJ is actually rather strong and has the ball ripped from him. As with the charge down England get lucky and the rip ends up with Genge who makes good ground before getting the ball away to Ludlam.

Minute 16

Ludlam is finally grounded near the halfway, and once tackled Ludlam does sterling work to lengthen the ruck in Wales' favour, he'd have done better not even trying to roll on the floor. Even with that and even allowing it's a back Vs a forward Moriarty finds it too easy to get down below Cokanasiga

We do finally get the ball back on our side, but we're close on making a ruck that follows our own attacking break last 10 seconds, just as the icing on the cake Launchbury tries to sit up to get in the way of Heinz passing away from the utter mess that is England trying to support a break. Ford doesn't have much choice but to kick, but it's much too long to be contestable, Halfpenny gathers and passes inside for Biggar to clear, Daly gathers the kick between the 22 and the 10m line with the entire Welsh defence in front of him, whereas seconds before we were 15-20m further upfield with half the Welsh defence behind us or at least scrambling back.

Daly carries up and gets the ball away to Genge, Genge tries to use some clever footwork but is caught anyway and offloads to Billy, Billy offloads to Heniz (we're not going anywhere but they are keeping the ball alive), Heinz finds Ford who has no options left so runs around in a circle before Red 6 tackles him. Itoje on the carry goes nowhere, then Billy has another go and he attracts defenders and makes a little ground, but England put 3 men over the ball and with Heinz there too we end the minute with a shortage of attacking options on their feet to worry the Welsh defence.

Minute 17

Itoje joins in the fun at the ball allowing Heinz to box kick clear, Watson runs in behind Halfpenny on the off chance Halfpenny misses the ball and Halfpenny promptly misses the ball (the sort of mistake which would see another fullback on the pitch charged with being useless under the highball) but having had a couple of lucky bounces go our way earlier this one doesn't sit up for Watson who on another day would be thinking try time.

Worth noting this time Heinz is much quicker to play the ball after we just saw after the Ludlam break and it's still a 3-4 second ruck, and it's slow play with a 9 who isn't going to interest any defenders himself. Nonetheless the ball is out to LCD who doesn't try to lineup AWJ this time, this time he's running at Red 3 and breaks the tackle enough to get an offload away to Launch.

England now manage a 2 second ruck, much more the target. And they're passing to the openside where Ford has the options of JJ and Francis, and Ludlam and Billy. Heinz picks out Ludlam as the man to pass to, Ludlam is tackled and Ford is over the ball to stop a counter ruck, muddled is the thinking on attack. AWJ gets hands on the ball, not enough to get pinged, but just enough to slow Heinz.

Next phase up and JJ is at first receiver and with some unusual footwork carries positively (just) into traffic, but we're back to a 4 second ruck. England try to correct that will a carry from Billy but he's basically hit down on the gainline and it's not a quickly presented ball to play either. Ford has forwards available but observes the defence has gotten tied in a little and floats a kick wide, but sadly into touch rather than to Daly.

Minute 18

Welsh lineout, against not the straightest but they've well and truly got their jumper up higher than England anyway, England looking to compete in the lineout with a single lifter, interesting.

Davies kicks clear and gets plenty of height on the kick, neither North nor Watson can claim it, though that's more on Watson, and Wales knock the loose ball into touch.

Minute 19

England win lineout ball at the front with Launch. Heinz out to Ford who finds Francis on another out to in line, and again Francis makes a little ground, could be just one of those things, could be an issue with how Wales defend. England get a 2 second ruck, but only a moment later knock it on

Minute 20

Second scrum, second scrum penalty, this one to Wales and as easy to spot as the first. Wholly unsatisfactory though that again a technical infringement leads to a full penalty on a restart.


Minute 21

Wales again get their jumper up much higher than England, though again the Welsh jumper is reaching up for the ball, and the English jumper is reaching sideways, almost suggesting the ball isn't straight. It's Moriarty going up at the front again, lots of involvements for him, though I remain unconvinced at the idea of attacking throws going to the front, possible of course Wales are saving their plays for the WC. England give away a penalty in the lineout for jumping across, which is part fair enough, and part annoying when there's an underlying reason they're going sideways to compete.

Wales use their free play by dink kicking into the 22 and make contact with the man in the air, JJ, but it's not enough for a penalty reversal, a daft risk for the Welsh chasers to take though.

Minute 22

The lineout with a wonky Wales throw which due the jumping across offence against England was maybe 10m outside the England 22, Biggar takes the penalty kick to touch approx 2m inside the England 22. How this doesn't even vaguely register with the refs I do not know.

Mind I also don't know why Wales are so happy to turn down 3 point attempts for attacking line outs and then throw to the front when their only decent mauler (Francis) isn't even on the pitch.

Wales through to the front, variety comes with Owens being lets say twitchy on his throwing trigger, much more of that and he'll be called for a dummy throw. Wales win the lineout at the front, go nowhere, Launch drags the carrier down and England get a scrum turnover


Minute 23

Scrum rather goes down on the England side, and Cole started on his knees too. Ref wants to play on, Billy tries to pick up from the mess but gets put straight down. One the one hand kudos to James Davies, on the other hand Davies wasn't remotely attached to the collapsed scrum so was ready and waiting for Billy.

Heinz gets the ball as it comes back and shanks a kick into touch. I noted elsewhere a few weeks back that 9s were angling the plant foot ever further away from the defence to give themselves an extra fraction of a second from the defence, here Heinz angles his plant foot towards the defence which might be why he ends up rushing and only clearing to the 22m line. Certainly it's a poorly executed clearance and it's putting no pressure on Eddie as to whether he should pick Youngs

Minute 24

Owens throws into the lineout but the ref has already blown as Wales have a man down. I mention the ref is stood behind the lineout in the Welsh side, and when the supposed straight throw lands the ref is able to control the ball at his feet, which should be a clue for the ref, we shall see no doubt.

Underway again and Wales win uncontested ball, I think England were trying to get a read on where the ball was going and just didn't. Ball out into midfield where Moriarty lines up Ford for a few metres, and then back again and JD sightly jumps into a tackle, but not badly. After that play Wales end up with 9-10 players stood in the middle of the park you could throw the proverbial blanket over, or throwing caution to the wind a literal blanket, the minute ends with Wales picking from the base or using one out runners. Like England they're showing an ability to get over the line and then slow their own play, NZ do it differently.

Minute 25

Wales potter about near the England line, but aren't going anywhere, England give away a cheap penalty going offside when there was just no need. Red 9 isn't even picking up the ball correctly to pass out of the rucks on the attack, has Ben Youngs been in the Wales camp giving coaching? And that wind up pass action is a bit of a horror show, certainly for a 5m pass, I'd understand for a 30m pass

Minute 26

Biggar kicks the 3

Minute 27

Shane Williams notes it's been a positive start, which is suggesting he's on drugs, mind he also said England have a lot of contention in the back three (it's possible he meant competition). At least he talks less than Barnes

England kick off long which is aimless, Wales send an aimless kick back, England move the ball to Watson and he half breaks the line for a few metres. It's not a tidy ruck for England and we'll lose that ball on another day. Heinz gets the ball to Itoje, which is the wrong option, Itoje gets the ball to Ford which is/was the right option, Ford find Daly who's fairly easily able to beat Red 3 on the outside but Daly passes again and it's not JJ outside but Launch and Launch doesn't know whether to run or pass. In the end Launch passes but he's taken time and space, and Wales recover to close down Launch force the pass to Billy and then tackle Billy. Wales are basically reset in defence at that point which again shows they're working much harder to get in position on defence. Itoje and Genge run a warp move which is probably what happened rather than planned, and then Ford find Cokanasiga with an inside pass but the timing is great and Heinz is stood in the way, and then England don't clear out anyway. Launch is trying to clearout someone, but it's Francis left to try and shift Navidi which he can't do, Navidi probably isn't on his feet but if we can't be bothered to put the right numbers in anyway there's little to feel sorry for ourselves about. Penalty to Wales

Minute 28

Wales just about get the ball into the lineout in the minute. AWJ wins ball at the front, but the front of a shortened lineout stood a ways back, I think.


Minute 29

Davies kicks from the base, England don't contest, Biggar does and Wales retain the ball. Wales work the shortside and AWJ makes some ground, especially after Genge doesn't hold him in the tackle, it's either weak from Genge or Genge was slightly worried he was close to tackling AWJ high. Jake Ball gets the ball, and at least doesn't go backwards much. Biggar tries to dance past Lawes and Ludlam which sees him cut down and LCD get in over the ball, somehow the ball ends up on England's side, not sure that can have been legal but it's play on. Heinz has the ball on his right foot so passes to Ford to clear off his left, Ford clears deep but the ball sits up rather than skips on, SAD.

Francis gets too easily stepped by Halfpenny chasing Ford's kick up, and Genge gets a tap tackle in on Halfpenny.

Minute 30

Wales kick clear, Ford takes the kick and punts it back, Halfpenny waits for it to run over the try line and dots down for the 22.

Biggar kicks the 22 long and Ford claims it on England's 10m line


Minute 31

England kick it back, dear god this lacks ambition and skill, such a typical England vs Wales game. Halfpenny takes the high kick from Ford under considerable pressure from JJ. Red 9 looks to box kick back to England, but gets really bad contact and really only skies the ball. North and Watson compete for the ball, neither claims it and North is deemed to have knocked on. Heinz gathers the ball, looks at Davies on the floor and perhaps considered offering his opposite number a hand up, but just walks off.

Minute 32

England win the scrum, but are also rather on the floor again, whatever it's play on. Heinz passes behind Ford but Ford takes the ball and drops it off to Watson working off his wing. I think if we'd guessed we'd have assumed using the other winger as the crash ball but Watson sets up the next phase. Heinz probably isn't getting the info he wants and is left running sideways before shovelling the ball to Itoje, at the next phase JJ runs a very hard line out to in from outside Ford and gets well ahead of Ford so it's JJ who gets the pass from Heinz. Not sure what's going on, Ford is operating as though he has the two forwards presenting as options ahead of him, but on the last two phases those forwards haven't been there and he's not acting as the first receiver. JJ does reasonably however and England get quick ball, this time the ball does go to Ford and he cuts past Red 6 and Navidi but doesn't spot he has Francis on his outside so the line break isn't converted. Still good ball for England, Heinz drops it.

No idea what's happening on the clock now as I thought this minute was seeing a lot of play and then realised the displayed match timer simply isn't moving

Wales look to play out, JJ covers the wide pass but Red 9 goes up the middle between Cole and Watson. Wales move right and Ludlam has to scrag Red 6, and at this point I'd suggest England are blowing a bit as on the shortside we find Cokanasiga, Ford and Francis all there to mark Adams, and Francis is very helpfully telling the rest nobody else needs to work to the shortside when really he should be working to the openside, and it's the 3 backs marking 1 attacker having a breather which helps create Watson's problem seconds later when Wales come left (and I don't think Ford, Francis and Cokanasiga can claim they didn't know Wales play one way and then the other, or not believably) and Watson trying to make a deliberate knock on look like a tackle gets his yellow card. JJ can't really get across to help Watson either as he's got to take note he's got Cole and LCD inside him.

More evidence England are blowing as the only person who's bothered getting wide is Watson, and he's there only to run off the pitch. Wales make ground kicking right, pick up and penalty for a high tackle but play the advantage and kick to the other flank where with a 1 man advantage they have a 3 on 0 overlap. There are a number of words to describe that period of play from England, and if you were being nice you'd settle on amateur

Minute 34

England kick off deep to the left, and big Joe Launchbury is setting the example leading the chase.

Wales collect the ball and set up on the edge of their 22 ready to clear.

Minute 35

Lawes gets a partial charge down on the exit kick from Red 9, England stand off the loose ball and Parkes reclaims. Cole tries perhaps to make up for letting the ball bounce by clattering Red 9 after he passes from the ruck.

Wales are not playing smoothly so Biggar reverts to putting a high ball up, it's a shit kick and plenty of players are moving forward offside under the too short high ball, everyone seems to get away with this nonsense however. yet again it's Wales winning the ball back, England aren't putting in the effort to win the 50/50 chances.

Red 9 still has no idea how to pick up a ball as a 9, his correction of the ball once he's picked it up is just bloody wrong, and he could make his own life easier for a nanosecond of thought. Wales potter about with little idea what to do, so Biggar again gives the ball air, a decent contest between Adams and Cokanasiga, the ball is loose and Parkes knocks on.

Digby wrote:Minute 32

England win the scrum, but are also rather on the floor again, whatever it's play on. Heinz passes behind Ford but Ford takes the ball and drops it off to Watson working off his wing. I think if we'd guessed we'd have assumed using the other winger as the crash ball but Watson sets up the next phase. Heinz probably isn't getting the info he wants and is left running sideways before shovelling the ball to Itoje, at the next phase JJ runs a very hard line out to in from outside Ford and gets well ahead of Ford so it's JJ who gets the pass from Heinz. Not sure what's going on, Ford is operating as though he has the two forwards presenting as options ahead of him, but on the last two phases those forwards haven't been there and he's not acting as the first receiver. JJ does reasonably however and England get quick ball, this time the ball does go to Ford and he cuts past Red 6 and Navidi but doesn't spot he has Francis on his outside so the line break isn't converted. Still good ball for England, Heinz drops it.

No idea what's happening on the clock now as I thought this minute was seeing a lot of play and then realised the displayed match timer simply isn't moving

Wales look to play out, JJ covers the wide pass but Red 9 goes up the middle between Cole and Watson. Wales move right and Ludlam has to scrag Red 6, and at this point I'd suggest England are blowing a bit as on the shortside we find Cokanasiga, Ford and Francis all there to mark Adams, and Francis is very helpfully telling the rest nobody else needs to work to the shortside when really he should be working to the openside, and it's the 3 backs marking 1 attacker having a breather which helps create Watson's problem seconds later when Wales come left (and I don't think Ford, Francis and Cokanasiga can claim they didn't know Wales play one way and then the other, or not believably) and Watson trying to make a deliberate knock on look like a tackle gets his yellow card. JJ can't really get across to help Watson either as he's got to take note he's got Cole and LCD inside him.

That's enough to slow anyone down.

Minute 36 & 37

Youngs recently on for Heinz puts up a high kick, again nobody can get under the ball to claim it, again Wales win the loose ball.

Red 9 box kicks down to England, I was about to say dear god he can't even keep his plant foot still but actually he's twanged something making that kick. England claim the ball but can't play it as Navidi is busy playing it whilst lying flat, the ref kindly pings Navidi, England look to use the advantage and Francis cuts past JD very easily, I've seen good runners struggle to do that, odd, but Francis does't have the pace to do anything and England can't support to it's back for the penalty.

Minute 38

England kick to touch, LCD finds Lawes at the front and England set about mauling. England have the ball at the back and Youngs looks up for a moment to see if he can use the shortside, in that moment the forwards look to drive again and England lose the ball back into the maul, and promptly get done with a scrum turnover to Wales.

Numbers wrote:

Digby wrote:Minute 32

England win the scrum, but are also rather on the floor again, whatever it's play on. Heinz passes behind Ford but Ford takes the ball and drops it off to Watson working off his wing. I think if we'd guessed we'd have assumed using the other winger as the crash ball but Watson sets up the next phase. Heinz probably isn't getting the info he wants and is left running sideways before shovelling the ball to Itoje, at the next phase JJ runs a very hard line out to in from outside Ford and gets well ahead of Ford so it's JJ who gets the pass from Heinz. Not sure what's going on, Ford is operating as though he has the two forwards presenting as options ahead of him, but on the last two phases those forwards haven't been there and he's not acting as the first receiver. JJ does reasonably however and England get quick ball, this time the ball does go to Ford and he cuts past Red 6 and Navidi but doesn't spot he has Francis on his outside so the line break isn't converted. Still good ball for England, Heinz drops it.

No idea what's happening on the clock now as I thought this minute was seeing a lot of play and then realised the displayed match timer simply isn't moving

Wales look to play out, JJ covers the wide pass but Red 9 goes up the middle between Cole and Watson. Wales move right and Ludlam has to scrag Red 6, and at this point I'd suggest England are blowing a bit as on the shortside we find Cokanasiga, Ford and Francis all there to mark Adams, and Francis is very helpfully telling the rest nobody else needs to work to the shortside when really he should be working to the openside, and it's the 3 backs marking 1 attacker having a breather which helps create Watson's problem seconds later when Wales come left (and I don't think Ford, Francis and Cokanasiga can claim they didn't know Wales play one way and then the other, or not believably) and Watson trying to make a deliberate knock on look like a tackle gets his yellow card. JJ can't really get across to help Watson either as he's got to take note he's got Cole and LCD inside him.

That's enough to slow anyone down.

Indeed. I'd say it's well spotted by Wales but they'd probably have played to the touchline whatever the defence was doing. And the England backs taking a breather on the shortside need to work harder or accept they don't belong at this level. JJ and Watson were given huge areas of the pitch to cover, and Wales had a big numerical advantage working to the left. Watson probably needed to accept much earlier he needed to cough up 20-30m in territory, but then you're wondering who's going to help cover back even if Watson backs off, as it probably wasn't going to be Cole and LCD

Minute 39

Feck all happens, all hail the scrum

Minute 40

Wales win the scrum, they kick to England who kick to Wales, who kick to England who kick to Wales, clock's out of time and Biggar kicks off to end the half.

Can you leave off doing the second half, I’m not sure I can take much more!

You want me to not watch the sublime attacking talents of Wales and England? I mean if you insist I suppose I can hold off

Well we managed to score a try in the first half, the second was a dirge. Feel free if you have problems sleeping, but the attacking ineptitude of both sides is a bit concerning.

Whatever happened to scrum halves who can actually pass?

It's down the list of desirable traits.

Though in this game the ball presentation was often rank bad too, and that's not on the 9s

Digby wrote:It's down the list of desirable traits.

Though in this game the ball presentation was often rank bad too, and that's not on the 9s

Agreed. So many northern players lack basic skills. Presenting the ball is a basic skill. It’s almost like they have been stuck in the gym for too long without playing the game.

Oh wait...

Sandydragon wrote:Well we managed to score a try in the first half, the second was a dirge. Feel free if you have problems sleeping, but the attacking ineptitude of both sides is a bit concerning.

Whatever happened to scrum halves who can actually pass?

Passing is yesterday. Box-kicking is the default. Before you splutter into your gin and tonic, remember it started with Robert Jones.

If it was left to me, I'd fine the SH £500 for every kick.