The Rugby Thread

[talkshowhost86]

Good call Brown not being in the squad. I love him but he's not at that level right now.

Don't hold out much hope for England in these matches. Just still look very under-powered.

 

[E17yid]

Good call Brown not being in the squad. I love him but he's not at that level right now.

Don't hold out much hope for England in these matches. Just still look very under-powered.

I like this dejected TSH

 

[E17yid]

Scotland giving it the biggen out for revenge from the last hiding we gave them in the 6N when they were touted as favourites. We’ll see how that works out for them.

 

[mpickard2087]

Didn’t you go into a 20 odd point lead in that first test and the second test you went 14 up from a couple of quick tries? I’d hardly say that constitutes being comfortably beaten.

What has been happening recently is that our defence standards have dropped a little, but that's magnified by our pack getting bested my teams around the pitch. When you're getting blasted off the ball and cant set a platform you aren't going to win games. Our backs, for all that is said about them, actually look razor sharp and have scored some quality tries and off first phase ball and planned moves executed tremendously, but they're living off scraps and aren't enjoying much of the game on the front foot.

The last game against SA we did compete and got at least parity in the forwards, for the first time in ages, and managed to get the win.

Who knows what happens this Autumn, I think fans will be cautious though. A lot of injuries (in some cases down to like 5th choice) and no one has a clue what the best XV is and we need to find some consistency.

 

[E17yid]

Legend.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/46042857

 

[Arnoldtoo]

Tuilagi on the bench, Farrell at #10 ...

England: Elliot Daly; Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Ben Te'o, Jonny May; Owen Farrell (co-captain), Ben Youngs; Alec Hepburn, Dylan Hartley (co-captain), Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Brad Shields, Tom Curry, Mark Wilson.

Replacements: Jamie George, Ben Moon, Harry Williams, Charlie Ewels, Zach Mercer, Danny Care, George Ford, Manu Tuilagi.

 

[E17yid]

Tuilagi on the bench, Farrell at #10 ...

England: Elliot Daly; Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Ben Te'o, Jonny May; Owen Farrell (co-captain), Ben Youngs; Alec Hepburn, Dylan Hartley (co-captain), Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Brad Shields, Tom Curry, Mark Wilson.

Replacements: Jamie George, Ben Moon, Harry Williams, Charlie Ewels, Zach Mercer, Danny Care, George Ford, Manu Tuilagi.

You know what the SA team is?

 

[Japhet]

Tuilagi on the bench, Farrell at #10 ...

England: Elliot Daly; Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Ben Te'o, Jonny May; Owen Farrell (co-captain), Ben Youngs; Alec Hepburn, Dylan Hartley (co-captain), Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Brad Shields, Tom Curry, Mark Wilson.

Replacements: Jamie George, Ben Moon, Harry Williams, Charlie Ewels, Zach Mercer, Danny Care, George Ford, Manu Tuilagi.

Was really hoping Ewers would get a call up in the absence of big ball carriers in the back row.

 

[Arnoldtoo]

You know what the SA team is?

Haven't seen it anywhere yet.

 

[E17yid]

Haven't seen it anywhere yet.

You would’ve thought it’d be announced today but maybe they’ll wait til tomorrow

 

[Thewobbler]

You would’ve thought it’d be announced today but maybe they’ll wait til tomorrow

South Africa team to face England D Willemse; S Nkosi, J Kriel, D de Allende, A Dyantyi; H Pollard, I van Zyl; S Kitshoff, M Marx, F Malherbe, E Etzebeth, PS du Toit, S Kolisi (capt), D Vermeulen, W Whitelely. Replacements B Mbonambi, T du Toit, W Louw, RG Snyman, L de Jager, E Papier, E Jantjies, A Esterhuizen

 

[talkshowhost86]

Tuilagi on the bench, Farrell at #10 ...

England: Elliot Daly; Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Ben Te'o, Jonny May; Owen Farrell (co-captain), Ben Youngs; Alec Hepburn, Dylan Hartley (co-captain), Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Brad Shields, Tom Curry, Mark Wilson.

Replacements: Jamie George, Ben Moon, Harry Williams, Charlie Ewels, Zach Mercer, Danny Care, George Ford, Manu Tuilagi.

Interesting team. As I said before it looks under-powered but it's a good balanced back-line.

Will be good to see how Shields gets on and with Ewels, Mercer and Tuilagi on the bench we've got a bit of power to come on.

But I still think S.Africa will win.

 

[Arnoldtoo]

Interesting team. As I said before it looks under-powered but it's a good balanced back-line.

Will be good to see how Shields gets on and with Ewels, Mercer and Tuilagi on the bench we've got a bit of power to come on.

But I still think S.Africa will win.

I'm leaning towards SA, too. If the forwards can't win enough ball the backs can't do much with it. But I'm probably saying that more on my lack of knowledge of our pack than on their own international inexperience.

 

[Arnoldtoo]

Tuilagi out injured. There's a shock.

Minor by the look of it, but he's out tomorrow. Ashton now on the bench.

 

[mpickard2087]

I fear the ball wont be coming outside the 12 channel.

That's if we see any of the ball at all.

 

[E17yid]

England 27 South Africa 23

Wales 32 Scotland 21

Ireland 564 Italy 3

Spurs 0 Wolverhampton 1

 

[Arnoldtoo]

England very lucky to get away with that.

If they want to win they've got to get their arses in gear.

 

[mpickard2087]

South Africa inaccuracy saving us so far. Somehow 3-3 after 20 mins.

 

[Arnoldtoo]

No more than SA deserve; in fact considerably less so far!

 

[mpickard2087]

Complete physical mismatch, really should be about 15-20 points down on the balance of it. 0% territory in their 22

Dumb penalties to start with set the tone of playing on the backfoot, repeat offenders like Itoje not learning.

Some of them, Shields in particular, need to tackle lower instead of going high and getting bounced constantly.

Daly seemingly cant catch the ball. Don't know why SA stopped bombing kicks straight at him.

Clinging on for dear life, but still in it, somehow........