Team vs Scotland

[Puja]

Censorship

Having had a few minutes to think about that, I'm generally pretty pleased with that side. Probably about the best that we could pick, given the constraints. Simmonds is an excellent pick for a windy and wet day in Scotland, as his ability to make ground in the tight is much better than Dombrandt's, and Marchant/Malins/Steward are all very good under the high ball that'll no doubt be coming.

My major concern is Daly's defence at 13. I've lost track of who Scotland are likely to pick against him - is it going to be Chris Harris? If so, that'll limit the danger. Hutchinson would be very worrying.

Shame that Chessum's not going to get a cap but, for all of the excitement about his frame, he's in his breakout season and hasn't fully established himself as guaranteed starter for Leicester yet. He's got potential, but if he hasn't impressed enough in training to make the XXIII, then I trust the coaches' judgement. And also, that's no shame on him at this stage in his development.

Puja

I’m surprised you think Simmonds’ a better tight carrier than Dombrandt and not sure I agree

Dombrandt's a bigger man and a bigger carrier, and Simmonds is fleet and enjoys running with the backs, so it's very easy to make that assumption. However, Simmonds is low-slung, carries low, and has a powerful leg drive - there's a reason why he gets so many tries from 5m out for Exeter. Running onto clean ball, I'll give you Dombrandt, but with bad or static ball, Simmonds will grind forward.

Puja

[Scrumhead]

100% agree. Dombrandt actually isn’t a particularly good ‘tight carrier’. For his size, I’d actually say he punches below his weight in that respect. Simmonds is the opposite.

Dombrandt is best used on second phase (or later) where he can scan for soft shoulders and run clever lines. Simmonds is good at that too, but if it comes to making more yards in tight exchanges, he’s much better than Dombrandt.

[chris1850]

Censorship

Having had a few minutes to think about that, I'm generally pretty pleased with that side. Probably about the best that we could pick, given the constraints. Simmonds is an excellent pick for a windy and wet day in Scotland, as his ability to make ground in the tight is much better than Dombrandt's, and Marchant/Malins/Steward are all very good under the high ball that'll no doubt be coming.

My major concern is Daly's defence at 13. I've lost track of who Scotland are likely to pick against him - is it going to be Chris Harris? If so, that'll limit the danger. Hutchinson would be very worrying.

Shame that Chessum's not going to get a cap but, for all of the excitement about his frame, he's in his breakout season and hasn't fully established himself as guaranteed starter for Leicester yet. He's got potential, but if he hasn't impressed enough in training to make the XXIII, then I trust the coaches' judgement. And also, that's no shame on him at this stage in his development.

Puja

I’m surprised you think Simmonds’ a better tight carrier than Dombrandt and not sure I agree

Dombrandt's a bigger man and a bigger carrier, and Simmonds is fleet and enjoys running with the backs, so it's very easy to make that assumption. However, Simmonds is low-slung, carries low, and has a powerful leg drive - there's a reason why he gets so many tries from 5m out for Exeter. Running onto clean ball, I'll give you Dombrandt, but with bad or static ball, Simmonds will grind forward.

Puja

Puja - surprised at you following your earlier comment. One cast of jngf's bait and he's got a big one hook,line and sinker!!

[morepork]

Geniunely looking forward to seeing how you get on without the handbrake at 12.

[francoisfou]

Geniunely looking forward to seeing how you get on without the handbrake at 12.

So am I. I only wish that Ford could have had the golden opportunity that Smith has with a pair of potentially creative centres.

[Danno]

Censorship

I’m surprised you think Simmonds’ a better tight carrier than Dombrandt and not sure I agree

Dombrandt's a bigger man and a bigger carrier, and Simmonds is fleet and enjoys running with the backs, so it's very easy to make that assumption. However, Simmonds is low-slung, carries low, and has a powerful leg drive - there's a reason why he gets so many tries from 5m out for Exeter. Running onto clean ball, I'll give you Dombrandt, but with bad or static ball, Simmonds will grind forward.

Puja

Puja - surprised at you following your earlier comment. One cast of jngf's bait and he's got a big one hook,line and sinker!!

Jngf took it in good humour. He gets credit for that imo

[Mikey Brown]

Does he just get off on being told he’s wrong?

[Puja]

Censorship

I’m surprised you think Simmonds’ a better tight carrier than Dombrandt and not sure I agree

Dombrandt's a bigger man and a bigger carrier, and Simmonds is fleet and enjoys running with the backs, so it's very easy to make that assumption. However, Simmonds is low-slung, carries low, and has a powerful leg drive - there's a reason why he gets so many tries from 5m out for Exeter. Running onto clean ball, I'll give you Dombrandt, but with bad or static ball, Simmonds will grind forward.

Puja

Puja - surprised at you following your earlier comment. One cast of jngf's bait and he's got a big one hook,line and sinker!!

They're not a pariah that no-one's allowed to talk to! I'm more than willing to engage with jngf over whether Simmonds or Dombrandt is the better tight carrier - that's perfectly reasonable rugby discussion. The moratorium is just on having the same discussion for the thousandth time about putting different numbers on their backs.

Puja

[Oakboy]

The BBC has just destroyed its last vestige of credibility by sacking Moore but retaining Butler. It should have been the other way round. Moore can be interesting to listen to. Butler never is.

[Puja]

The BBC has just destroyed its last vestige of credibility by sacking Moore but retaining Butler. It should have been the other way round. Moore can be interesting to listen to. Butler never is.

Well, that's a crying shame. Mind, with the BBC only having one England game per year from now on, it does make sense not to keep the very Anglo-centric colour commentator (although that doesn't explain the survival of Butler). Hopefully ITV will offer him a job, if only so we can enjoy more moments like this:



Puja

[fivepointer]

Pity to lose Moore, who i like listening to.
On the plus side Guscott has at last been binned. How that guy had been retained for the last decade amazed me.

[SDHoneymonster]

Pity to lose Moore, who i like listening to.
On the plus side Guscott has at last been binned. How that guy had been retained for the last decade amazed me.

Yes, if losing Moore is the trade-off for also getting rid of Guscott and Inverdale then I'll take it every time.

[Puja]

England have sought a law clarification from World Rugby relating to rucks and loose balls in open play. In a move that would appear to be designed to ensure the officials are on red alert when they are seeking to defend their ball at a ruck and preparing to box-kick, England asked for clarity as to when players can dive on a ball – something they are prohibited from doing at a ruck.

Interesting. Wonder what we're hoping to gain from that? I haven't seen the ref give a penalty for "diving on a ball emerging from a ruck" for donkeys' years - probably 2003 as I remember it happening to Johnson.

Puja

[Oakboy]

England have sought a law clarification from World Rugby relating to rucks and loose balls in open play. In a move that would appear to be designed to ensure the officials are on red alert when they are seeking to defend their ball at a ruck and preparing to box-kick, England asked for clarity as to when players can dive on a ball – something they are prohibited from doing at a ruck.

Interesting. Wonder what we're hoping to gain from that? I haven't seen the ref give a penalty for "diving on a ball emerging from a ruck" for donkeys' years - probably 2003 as I remember it happening to Johnson.

Puja

In Hughes's debut match for Bath there was a moment when he went to pick the ball up but checked with the ref first - to be 'denied permission'. Could it be, with a NZ ref first up, that clarification is sought because SH refs don't do so much prompting/warning? Is this about actual 'diving in' or just when the ball is out?

[Mellsblue]

I’m glad he’s gone. His mid-game rants really piss me off. He has been retained for the woman’s matches. I’m not so annoyed about that as the disdain the female analysts clearly have for him makes me giggle.

[Banquo]

Pity to lose Moore, who i like listening to.
On the plus side Guscott has at last been binned. How that guy had been retained for the last decade amazed me.

Prioritising 'regional voices' apparently....pfft. Never mind quality of comment eh.....jiffy, Nicol, Hartley ffs. Getting anything out of Johnno is hard work too. I suspect its more about his vintage (and maybe cost) than anything else.

Moore’s long-time commentary-box foil Eddie Butler will remain lead commentator on the BBC’s men’s Six Nations coverage, which will be anchored by Gabby Logan.

They will be joined by fellow stalwarts Davies and Andy Nicol, as well as Warburton, Paterson, Martin Johnson, Dylan Hartley and John Barclay, with Ugo Monye also set to be used as a presente

[Mikey Brown]

I quite like Hartley actually. For me that list is almost entirely backwards. Johnson just never seems like he even wants to be there.

[Banquo]

I quite like Hartley actually. For me that list is almost entirely backwards. Johnson just never seems like he even wants to be there.

Its all pretty subjective. Do you mean my list?

[Mikey Brown]

I quite like Hartley actually. For me that list is almost entirely backwards. Johnson just never seems like he even wants to be there.

Its all pretty subjective. Do you mean my list?

Well sure, hence 'for me'.

I assumed that list was pasted from an official announcement that suggested their priority/hierarchy but maybe not.

[Banquo]

I quite like Hartley actually. For me that list is almost entirely backwards. Johnson just never seems like he even wants to be there.

Its all pretty subjective. Do you mean my list?

Well sure, hence 'for me'.

I assumed that list was pasted from an official announcement that suggested their priority/hierarchy but maybe not.

Yes, lifted off an article about Moore being dropped. He's doing the women's 6N though. I don't think its listed in order of preference though, but its possible....maybe that's why they used 'stalwarts'- who are both terrible and even more partisan than Inverdale was.

[Puja]

England have sought a law clarification from World Rugby relating to rucks and loose balls in open play. In a move that would appear to be designed to ensure the officials are on red alert when they are seeking to defend their ball at a ruck and preparing to box-kick, England asked for clarity as to when players can dive on a ball – something they are prohibited from doing at a ruck.

Interesting. Wonder what we're hoping to gain from that? I haven't seen the ref give a penalty for "diving on a ball emerging from a ruck" for donkeys' years - probably 2003 as I remember it happening to Johnson.

Puja

In Hughes's debut match for Bath there was a moment when he went to pick the ball up but checked with the ref first - to be 'denied permission'. Could it be, with a NZ ref first up, that clarification is sought because SH refs don't do so much prompting/warning? Is this about actual 'diving in' or just when the ball is out?

It's about literal diving on a ball if it comes out of a ruck, which is specifically prohibited in the laws, but which I haven't seen penalised in ages. Usually, if a ball rolls out the back of a ruck, players just throw themselves over it to turn it over and the ref turns a blind eye.

World Rugby have now clarified that we are still playing that law and that players may not dive on the ball if it is within 1m of a ruck that it rolled out of: https://www.ruck.co.uk/world-rugby-clar ... d-request/

Not 100% sure what we've gained from that clarification, but it'll be interesting to see if the ref actually applies it if that unusual situation comes up on Saturday. Maybe we've got shenanigans planned about pulling the Scots over their own ruck and exposing the ball?

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Get rid of them all. They should have Puja as lead commentator with Dors as co-commentator. In studio should be Banquo as anchor with the following analysts: 5p representing England, Mikey Brown repping Scotland, Spiffy for Ireland and Franciosfou for France. No need for anyone to represent the tier 2 nations. jngf to run down heights and weights pre-match, and to lead halftime and full time technical analysis on the backrow battle. MadAshton to be tracked down to provide post match ratings. p/d in charge of refreshments.

[Banquo]

Get rid of them all. They should have Puja as lead commentator with Dors as co-commentator. In studio should be Banquo as anchor with the following analysts: 5p representing England, Mikey Brown repping Scotland, Spiffy for Ireland and Franciosfou for France. No need for anyone to represent the tier 2 nations. jngf to run down heights and weights pre-match, and to lead halftime and full time technical analysis on the backrow battle. MadAshton to be tracked down to provide post match ratings. p/d in charge of refreshments.

Is that anchor with a silent ‘w’?

[Mellsblue]

Get rid of them all. They should have Puja as lead commentator with Dors as co-commentator. In studio should be Banquo as anchor with the following analysts: 5p representing England, Mikey Brown repping Scotland, Spiffy for Ireland and Franciosfou for France. No need for anyone to represent the tier 2 nations. jngf to run down heights and weights pre-match, and to lead halftime and full time technical analysis on the backrow battle. MadAshton to be tracked down to provide post match ratings. p/d in charge of refreshments.

Is that anchor with a silent ‘w’?

[Oakboy]

Get rid of them all. They should have Puja as lead commentator with Dors as co-commentator. In studio should be Banquo as anchor with the following analysts: 5p representing England, Mikey Brown repping Scotland, Spiffy for Ireland and Franciosfou for France. No need for anyone to represent the tier 2 nations. jngf to run down heights and weights pre-match, and to lead halftime and full time technical analysis on the backrow battle. MadAshton to be tracked down to provide post match ratings. p/d in charge of refreshments.

Would Puja still be able to ban me for ranting?