Stade de France Saturday 19th March

[Mellsblue]

Shoite 1 to 15. When Stuart is your best player….

[morepork]

Can anyone tell me what Smith did that was brilliant there?
He ran diagonally, jumped in the air, committed 0 defenders, and shipped the ball on to Furbank having stolen his space.

His fucking outside backs should have seen that massive hole that he was looking to put someone into.

[Mellsblue]

Can anyone tell me what Smith did that was brilliant there?
He ran diagonally, jumped in the air, committed 0 defenders, and shipped the ball on to Furbank having stolen his space.

He drew the man on Furbank but it was regulation stuff.

[Mellsblue]

Can anyone tell me what Smith did that was brilliant there?
He ran diagonally, jumped in the air, committed 0 defenders, and shipped the ball on to Furbank having stolen his space.

His fucking outside backs should have seen that massive hole that he was looking to put someone into.

They did. One of them literally pointed at it.

[Puja]

Can anyone tell me what Smith did that was brilliant there?
He ran diagonally, jumped in the air, committed 0 defenders, and shipped the ball on to Furbank having stolen his space.

He started with three defenders on his outside and then attracted all three of them, getting to Danty's outside shoulder before putting Furbank through the hole.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Useless. This formationless bs is, well, bs.

[Which Tyler]

Can anyone tell me what Smith did that was brilliant there?
He ran diagonally, jumped in the air, committed 0 defenders, and shipped the ball on to Furbank having stolen his space.

He started with three defenders on his outside and then attracted all three of them, getting to Danty's outside shoulder before putting Furbank through the hole.

Puja

I'd need to watch it back; I thought he drifted his own defender, mildly hesitated Furbank's and barely got noticed by Steward's.
I certainly didn't see him with 3 defenders on him at any point there.

As I say though, I'll need to watch it back - quite honestly, I've had a few too many beers to have faith in my interpretations of anything much

[Puja]

Useless. This formationless bs is, well, bs.

Indeed. There should never be a situation where there are zero men in an attacking ruck from a standard play.

Rank kick from Smith. Daly got nowhere near, despite being about 5m offside.

Puja

[chris1850]

Really missing Curry at the breakdown. Simmonds no match

[Puja]

Really missing Curry at the breakdown. Simmonds no match

I'm returning to my long-held opinion that Lawes at 6 never ever works.

Puja

[Galfon]

Sucker punch ..but fair reflection of dominance.
38 mins. to 1st turn over, pens. conceded, posession kicked away.
2nd. rate so far.

[FKAS]

Smith shanks his second crossfield kick of the game and France use the possession to score.

The difference in attack is night and day. The French halfbacks pick a player in motion to target from each phase and the breakdown is well resourced and on a platter for Dupont. For England it's, well the opposite. So many turnovers when England look like they might finally pose a threat.

[Banquo]

we arent half invting them on. Mind, at least two marginalknock ons, but france way better.

All the usual shyte facets, plus a struggling scrum. Breakdown awful both sides of the ball- Curry hugely missed.

[badback]

Really missing Curry at the breakdown. Simmonds no match

I'm returning to my long-held opinion that Lawes at 6 never ever works.

Puja

Yeah. He’s a very good…. Second row.

[Oakboy]

At HT: bad selection, bad tactics, bad result. That adds up to an incompetent head coach. He has 40 minutes to prove otherwise.

[chris1850]

Dayglo: 'England have played pretty well really'

[SDHoneymonster]

Genuinely feels as if England are deliberately sabotaging their own possession at the moment, they've been that naive. Forwards are doing extraordinary work on the carry for it all to be spunked away with aimless kicking and a lack of support runners.

[Banquo]

Smith shanks his second crossfield kick of the game and France use the possession to score.

The difference in attack is night and day. The French halfbacks pick a player in motion to target from each phase and the breakdown is well resourced and on a platter for Dupont. For England it's, well the opposite. So many turnovers when England look like they might finally pose a threat.

France dont even try to play off ruck ball as slow as ours. Youngs and Smith need to improve their execution, but they havent much to work with- structureless isnt working come ruck time

[Puja]

Can anyone tell me what Smith did that was brilliant there?
He ran diagonally, jumped in the air, committed 0 defenders, and shipped the ball on to Furbank having stolen his space.

He started with three defenders on his outside and then attracted all three of them, getting to Danty's outside shoulder before putting Furbank through the hole.

Puja

I'd need to watch it back; I thought he drifted his own defender, mildly hesitated Furbank's and barely got noticed by Steward's.
I certainly didn't see him with 3 defenders on him at any point there.

As I say though, I'll need to watch it back - quite honestly, I've had a few too many beers to have faith in my interpretations of anything much

Just gone back and looked (cause I have no interest in the half-time "analysis") and neither of us are right. Smith receives the ball 30m in and France have a good well-set defensive line about 10m away from him. Villiere gets a little far away from Danty and Smith attacks Danty's outside shoulder. The hop and skip is keeping the two men inside interested and stopping them from drifting across behind and Danty is kept backing off by the threat that Smith might take the gap himself. Smith gains a good 20m before straightening at the perfect time to commit Danty and give Furbank the hole to run through. It's not mindblowing stuff, but it is good manipulation of a defence to create space and also very competent skills, neither of which have been in long supply on our side of the pitch so far.

Puja

[Timbo]

Don’t think we’ve even been in their 22 yet.

We’re completely outgunned realistically. Without Underhill score would already be ludicrous. Got to contest the breakdown harder. Lawes not in the game. On our ball, need to get over the gainline or they’ll keep nicking our ball.

[Which Tyler]

IMG_20220319_205547_1.jpg

Can anyone tell me what Smith did that was brilliant there?
He ran diagonally, jumped in the air, committed 0 defenders, and shipped the ball on to Furbank having stolen his space.

He started with three defenders on his outside and then attracted all three of them, getting to Danty's outside shoulder before putting Furbank through the hole.

Puja

Just watched it back - he gets the ball with 2 Frenchmen and 3 Englishmen outside him; + 1 Frenchman in front of him, and 1 Frenchman and 1 Englishman inside him
2 of the Englishmen are calling for the ball to go wide.

He crabs across, and admittedly keeps 2 of the Frenchmen interested in him; but neither actually commit.

I don't really mean to criticise here, it's on our own 22 after all; but I don't get him lauded for doing nothing much there.
It's no Farrell kicking away a 7 on 2; but it's still an overlap wasted.


I don't really mean to criticise here, it's on our own 22 after all; but I don't get him lauded for doing nothing much there.

[badback]

Lawes to second row. Simmonds blind side. Dombrandt 8.
?

[Timbo]

Think Smith is doing his best, but I’d get Ford on at halftime. Our shape in attack falls apart after a couple of phases.

[Banquo]

Genuinely feels as if England are deliberately sabotaging their own possession at the moment, they've been that naive. Forwards are doing extraordinary work on the carry for it all to be spunked away with aimless kicking and a lack of support runners.

no-one is supporting the carry, or if they do, they are making a bad decisio- Maro x 2, specifically. our yards made looks healthy, but thats cos France kick so much.

[Banquo]

78 yards for Genge!