RugbyRebels

Minute 65

England get the ball wide to May, decent hands from Daly. Rattez is sold down the river by Vakatawa running out of the line (again) and has to come up on Daly but that leaves May in a little bit of space but nothing really looks on.

May gasses Rattez and Vakatawa, and then whilst I've seen better attempt at tackles than made by Ntamack, Bouthier and Thomas, better attempts essentially including all actual attempts, one does have to doff a cap to the power and pace of May, he does get a little held and just continues to drive and then gets back up to speed again.

Faz makes the 2

Digby wrote:

Peej wrote:
Have to say, watching the replay it looked like a real cheap shot from LCD that he was luck to avoid more serious punishment for

I didn't pick anything up either Sunday or watching it back beyond it's always a risk players slide for the ball. But the reaction was too something. Broadly I'd say good, if the game is going badly get stuck into them and let them know it's going to hurt, though as I've not clocked exactly what happened I don't know how much of a cheap shot it is and whether I think it's too far.

From my view he's dropping a shoulder/elbow into a prone player that has already scored - that's one of the reasons the French kick off

Minute 66

France kick off and Curry catches, a ruck forms, Kruis makes a quick carry and another ruck forms, after just 8 seconds or so Nigel tells us we need to use the ball, why we're running down the clock isn't and will not become clear, anyway Heinz sends a box kick up over halfway and it's got good height on it allowing both Ludlam and Underhill to reach Bouthier as he's returning to terra firma with the ball. I'd expect one to make the tackle and the other support by contesting the ball, but both make the tackle on the small back who hasn't regained his footing, top work boys. They do shove him back a good few metres, but I'd rather have a crack at possession

Peej wrote:

Digby wrote:

Peej wrote:
Have to say, watching the replay it looked like a real cheap shot from LCD that he was luck to avoid more serious punishment for

I didn't pick anything up either Sunday or watching it back beyond it's always a risk players slide for the ball. But the reaction was too something. Broadly I'd say good, if the game is going badly get stuck into them and let them know it's going to hurt, though as I've not clocked exactly what happened I don't know how much of a cheap shot it is and whether I think it's too far.

From my view he's dropping a shoulder/elbow into a prone player that has already scored - that's one of the reasons the French kick off

Dropping a shoulder and elbow, or it's not clear which?

Also players slide in all the time on ball being grounded, Kronfeld on Rees is what a real cheap shot looks like

Minute 67

France keep the ball run a phase and then kick it down out left touchline. Curry goes for the ball and spills it, but he's got side on enough it spills backwards at least.

We are not fast to play the ball, so much so we take 8 seconds to play the ball away not just after the tackle on Curry but after Nige tells us to use the ball, should have been a free kick to France.

Heinz boots the ball clear, too far for it to be contestable but for no good reason Ntamack knocks it on.

Minute 68

Curry picks up from the base and moves the ball to Heinz, Farrell runs a hard line which mostly stops Ntamack from drifting, Heinz passes to Ford and Ford ignores JJ on the hard line to pull the ball back from Daly. Daly very nearly gets the ball away to Furbank who'd have had lots of space to run into and May available on the outside, then again Daly was very close to being intercepted by Rattez who'd have been home free to canter in under the posts.

Rattez just knocks on going for Daly's pass, and it's a scrum to England at halfway

Minute 69

The scrum is a mess, probably England are hoping for a penalty but as is Curry has to pick up at the base under pressure at the scrum from Dupont and Woki, Woki was as bound to that scrum as Boris Johnson is to a marital vow. Curry flips the ball back to Ford, Ford passes to Furbank and the young man shows good composure and execution to kick down and into touch in the French 22

Something of an overthrow and/or underlift in the French lineout, the ball goes over the back and Ntamack, Fickou and LCD are hunting the ball on the floor. LCD is the one willing to take the sliding knees into the gut going down for the ball, those betting Ntamack would be the one to get stuck in sadly lose their money on this occasion. LCD event gets good extension on presenting the ball back

Minute 70 -

Curry carries the ball up and whilst the French are competing hard so finally are England with a good clearout from Kruis and Itoje, Heinz passes to Ludlam who is checked by the Heinz pass, Ludlam carries into contact and we get the ball back in the face of some over competing Frenchies. Heinz picks up at the base and as he does there's a gap opening between the French guard and the rushing outside defenders which Heinz looks to exploit, and exploit it he does with the moves like Jagger, sadly he also has the pace of a 75 year old Jagger and never mind not making it through the hole he's caught by the guard (Bamba)

A couple more phases from England not really going anywhere and Heinz makes a stutter step getting the ball away to Ford and that gives Mauvaka a chance to push Heinz back onto the floor behind play. At the next breakdown Furbank and Farrell arrive to prevent counterruckers, and then LCD arrives too. Maybe Farrell or LCD could have noticed we didn't have a 9, he does arrive but it's slow and we're not able to speed the play. This last minute is also showing up the lack of carriers.

We have a couple more carries (flops?) to end the minute, not much is happening.

Digby wrote:

Peej wrote:

Digby wrote:
I didn't pick anything up either Sunday or watching it back beyond it's always a risk players slide for the ball. But the reaction was too something. Broadly I'd say good, if the game is going badly get stuck into them and let them know it's going to hurt, though as I've not clocked exactly what happened I don't know how much of a cheap shot it is and whether I think it's too far.

From my view he's dropping a shoulder/elbow into a prone player that has already scored - that's one of the reasons the French kick off

Dropping a shoulder and elbow, or it's not clear which?

Also players slide in all the time on ball being grounded, Kronfeld on Rees is what a real cheap shot looks like

Not clear which one. He's slid in after Ollivon has scored and the whistle has gone, so it's not when the ball is being grounded. And just because players do it all the time doesn't make it right.

Digby wrote: with the moves like Jagger, sadly he also has the pace of a 75 year old Jagger

Nice gloss

It didn't look that bad to me, and unless it really is bad I'm sticking with good. Put some late hits on them, put some early tackles in. Sit them down and make them hurt, to a point. I thought the Genge tackle on Ntamack was about as far as you can push it, the law on being committed to a tackle isn't really there to support that, but he got away with it. If you're not playing well enough to rattle them don't take it passively, rattle them

Minute 71

Ford drops the ball off to Underhill in a move that has no threat to France in it whatsoever. About 6 or 7 seconds after Underhill is tackled, enough time for attack and defence to have drawn up new positions ready to support one might suppose, Genge picks up the ball and drills into the space where a guard is only half covering as the guard is also trying to protect the blindside. Genge carries for 5m or so past the gainline but can't get the offload away to Heinz which is a shame but the's wrapped up, what's piss poor though is we've finally carried over the gainline and there's no support, and they just had 7 seconds at the previous breakdown to get into position so where the blazes are they?

We have got over the gainline and it takes us 6 seconds to clear the ball, I mean FFS, it's bad enough to have a 6 second play if you're going backwards, but to have that going forwards is killing us.

Anyway, LCD carries the ball up, just about makes the gainline and we struggle to slowly get control of the ball. But we do have the ball and we bring it left where JJ gets the ball on our left wing with just the one defender ahead of him, but also with 3-4 defenders coming across. Maybe Daly could have kicked in behind, but he only had some fraction of a second where he might have had that opportunity and it'd have been a hell of a kick.

JJ gets to ground and we have Daly and Underhill protecting the ball over JJ, Farrell wandering over to see what's happening and Heinz there to clear the ball. That's 5 players by the left touchline and France have just Thomas on the floor, it'll take something special heading back to the open side to have 10 attackers beat 14 defenders on their feet

Heinz does something that often causes defences a problem passes between England players to put the ball on he floor, whether he wants to attract defenders to the ball in such fashion I have my doubts, but ball on the floor does confuse defences so maybe. Curry does well to gather and he is tackled down by Le Roux and Palu, England get the ball back but the ruck's being overly resourced.

Heinz drops the ball off to Genge who is carrying well but is released into a double hit and he's held on the gainline. Genge is able to turn and feed the ball back to Heinz

Minute 72

Heinz carries the ball up and tries... something, maybe he's going to use those dancing feet, maybe he's falling over? In any event it's not a wonder try from nowhere and realising he's heading for the floor he tries to shovel the ball backwards and just drops it. Palu falls on the spilled ball, lots of players fall on Palu, Nigel says unplayable and a scrum to Blue.

It's a big scrum for France, if England had forced a penalty here it's really game on, but France hold steady and Alldritt makes a decent carry breaking right from the scrum.

The final push is coming up short, but will likely be completed later today. And it was a thrilling finish so a little pause to whet the appetite can only be a good thing!

Minute 73

France get Dupont into position and he kicks up to the 10m line or so. England just about win the lineout with Itoje, it's a messy tap down which Heinz has to move to collect, given Itoje had separated from his lifters and was under pressure from France and falling over it seems harsh not to cut some slack.

Joseph sets a ruck and then LCD sets a ruck, and whilst we're going nowhere Genge at least gives Alldritt a proper shove out of the ruck. I don't love the scatter rucking but if it's allowed then it needs to be done.

Minute 74 -

Ford puts up a bomb into the French 22, it's contestable and not claimed by either side at the first time of asking. The loose ball breaks on the French side and Rattez carries it out of the 22 into centrefield

France are playing with no pace, eventually Dupont just sticks the ball down into England's 22, Ford gets the ball from Daly and puts up and up and under

Minute 75 -

Daly just about beats Bouthier to the ball but his knock back is more sideways than backwards and the loose ball is gathered by France.

France have almost stopped playing, Dupont sends a bad pass to Ntamack, Ntamack makes a bad up and under, Fickou gets to the ball ahead of Curry but can't control and Heinz reclaims for White. Heinz gets the ball to May and May throws the ball backwards as he's getting driven back in the tackle by Rattez, it's a crucial intervention from Rattez as England have players outside May and France are horribly narrow. Furbank retreats and gathers and then runs into contact setting up a ruck, Heinz box kicks down into a huge amount of space in the French 22 but the ball stays infield.

Dupont gathers before he can dot down for a drop out, probably a good call not to wait and risk anything. Underhill is closing on Dupont but he can't stop the pass inside to Bouthier who clears the ball off the park, but it's an England lineout inside the French 22.

Minute 76 -

Didn't quite catch what happened in the lineout, England go up uncontested and either Ludlam never grabs the ball clean or loses it as players start to shove the maul before the catcher is back down. The ball goes loose and with all the England forwards piling in to a maul that will never exist Woki has no problems gathering the loose pill. Woki decides in a moment of inspiration to throw at best what's a 50/50 offload out of the tackle which Farrell reclaims, the game is a mess for now.

England have a couple of phases going nowhere and then going back to the pullback pass Kruis finds Farrell, Farrell shows and goes from the edge of France's 22. Woki just grabs some of Farrell's shirt and does well to hold on and haul Faz down. Heinz picks up from the base gathers interest from a guard and puts Kruis into a hole. Kruis runs through the hole over the 15 and over the try line, but it's not American Football and the ball isn't grounded.

Annoyingly Nigel doesn't go upstairs, I don't mind he had a good view of the ball not being grounded but a TMO review would stop the clock

Minute 77 -

France make some subs and stop the clock having a player treated anyway.

I don't think Curry has done too badly at 8, but this is a gaff with the ball squirting out of the scrum. Heinz picks up and waits for Dupont to tackle him, unless he didn't think anyone would try to tackle him in which case he was fine just pottering about, either way it's very odd play from Heinz

Knock on (just), scrum Blue

Minute 78

France win the scrum, just about and the ball is shovelled to Fickou. As an aside Fickou now looks a test player rather than someone with ability.

Fickou carries up a few metres and gets taken down by Heinz

Minute 79 -

France just run down the clock, the ball isn't available as a contest but we'd probably do the same

Minute 80 -

Dupont gets confused by something and boots the ball off behind the pitch with 50 seconds on the clock

England scrum results in an England penalty which Faz knocks over to take the losing bonus point.


Without doubt the best side won, but it could so easily have gone England's way