-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
Rugby OT - First Try
- Thread starter CeeCee
- Start date
Bloody exhausting watching. Both defences excellent - well except the once. Wales lineout flaky, no winder they try to keep the ball in play. No idea what happens next. England don't look quite so dominant when playing against a team with a fullback.
What a fantastic game, I seriously think that Ireland will have their hands full when they play wales on the last day
That'll do, Wales, that'll do.
Yeah, that'll be a hell of a match for Ireland (in Cardiff, at that), but this is basically the perfect result for Ireland, as neither team got a bonus point, so there's a chance that Ireland can go into that match still playing for the championship. I have a feeling we'll regret not picking up any bonus points from the first two matches, though.
Yeah, that'll be a hell of a match for Ireland (in Cardiff, at that), but this is basically the perfect result for Ireland, as neither team got a bonus point, so there's a chance that Ireland can go into that match still playing for the championship. I have a feeling we'll regret not picking up any bonus points from the first two matches, though.
What experienced full-back? Our only properly experienced full-back at that level is Kearney, who still wasn't considered sufficiently fit, and then your choice is between Larmour, Henshaw, or maybe playing Earls or Carbery at full-back. Henshaw has at least played a good amount of provincial rugby at full back, so was probably the most sensible choice, even if not ideal. Part of the problem (which England was good at exploiting), is that Ireland play with pretty much 14 men in the defensive line, which gives the full-back a lot of space to cover in defense, and would have been difficult for even a top-class full-back to manage with amount of pressure England were putting on through their kicking game.
Agree, but it pointed a big flaw in the irish squad. We really have no experienced international quality cover for rob kearnet at full back. Larmour is young and has bags of potential, henshaw is a great centre but inexperienced full back. Coupled with the young stockdale, england really took advantage of irelands inexperience in the back 3.
Thinking about it with a glass half full mentality, good thing ireland discovered that now in the 6N than at the WC. However, everyone in ireland will be saying extra prayers before bed for kearneys health and form between now and the WC
That was painful to watch. Wales deserved it tho. We absolutely lacked a clue when our Plan A went to shit.
Wales:
- Anscombe didn't really shine. He likes to think of himself as an attacking 10, but goes for gaps that he can't get through. Hastings showed us how it should be done when he came on against France, and Hogg and Williams can do the same, but Anscombe can't.
- marvellous under the high ball, especially Williams, who reminds me very much of Andy Irvine
- hey, Wales have got a forwards game! That's nice to know
- line out sucks. That's 10 lineouts lost in three games. Maybe Alun-Wyn is getting too heavy to lift?
England:
- for all their braggadocio they really do not like being on the back foot, and they lose their cool. They've always been like that as long as I can remember.
- For discipline read stupidity. It isn't so much what they did than that they always did it right under the ref's nose. That's just not paying attention.
- They really missed Itoje. He's good at holding things together, and would make a super captain when he's back.
- For some reason they are still a one-trick pony. It's a different trick this year, sure, but it's like they can't hold more than one plan in their heads at a time (see also Italy a couple of years back).
Scotland:
- should have been able to take that game in the last quarter when it opened up. Played right into Scottish strengths but they lacked for support runners. Great shame.
France:
- Bastareaud with a chip and catch, and a diving pass from the base of the ruck! Wow.
Outlook (I think I got the maths roughly right here):
- Ireland can take the championship if they win the next three all with bonus points and Scotland at least deny England a winning bonus point (or preferably beat 'em) and they rack up a big enough points difference over England.
- otherwise England win if they beat Italy and Scotland with bonus points and Ireland beat Wales
- Wales need both remaining games.
- Anscombe didn't really shine. He likes to think of himself as an attacking 10, but goes for gaps that he can't get through. Hastings showed us how it should be done when he came on against France, and Hogg and Williams can do the same, but Anscombe can't.
- marvellous under the high ball, especially Williams, who reminds me very much of Andy Irvine
- hey, Wales have got a forwards game! That's nice to know
- line out sucks. That's 10 lineouts lost in three games. Maybe Alun-Wyn is getting too heavy to lift?
England:
- for all their braggadocio they really do not like being on the back foot, and they lose their cool. They've always been like that as long as I can remember.
- For discipline read stupidity. It isn't so much what they did than that they always did it right under the ref's nose. That's just not paying attention.
- They really missed Itoje. He's good at holding things together, and would make a super captain when he's back.
- For some reason they are still a one-trick pony. It's a different trick this year, sure, but it's like they can't hold more than one plan in their heads at a time (see also Italy a couple of years back).
Scotland:
- should have been able to take that game in the last quarter when it opened up. Played right into Scottish strengths but they lacked for support runners. Great shame.
France:
- Bastareaud with a chip and catch, and a diving pass from the base of the ruck! Wow.
Outlook (I think I got the maths roughly right here):
- Ireland can take the championship if they win the next three all with bonus points and Scotland at least deny England a winning bonus point (or preferably beat 'em) and they rack up a big enough points difference over England.
- otherwise England win if they beat Italy and Scotland with bonus points and Ireland beat Wales
- Wales need both remaining games.
You reckon? England are now analysing and cringing over yesterday's defeat. But by the time they have whupped Italy in a fortnight's time they will forget all of that and be all complacent again and think it was just a blip. Scotland can definitely take advantage of that, and they have the players to do it.
Besides, when it comes to Scotland, I live in hope.
It's another case of the top two choices both playing for Leinster, limiting the second choice's game time. I'll admit I actually had to look up who's playing full-back for the other provinces these days. Really they just need to get Larmour as much game time as possible at a high level. Stockdale still isn't perfect defensively, but he's improved a lot over the past year, and that's down to regular game-time against top-level opponents with both Ireland and Ulster, and Larmour needs the same. Shame he's not fit today, as this could be the perfect match for him if he got a bit of space.
If we have all our best players, if everything they do comes off and England have a bad day, then yes, it is possible. But those are a lot of ifs, multiplied by the fact it's a Twickenham. We have a problem away from home and haven't won at Twickenham since 1983. The only thing that gives me a slight glimmer of hope is that we can beat them and, if Hogg is fit (another if) and England stick to their game plan of kicking towards the full back we have one of, if not the, best attacking full backs in the world. If everything goes right we can be as good as last year's Calcutta Cup.
But, what we desperately need is someone like David Sole/Finlay Calder/JJ in our team. Someone who doesn't give an inch and inspires others to put their body through hell in a match - AWJ for Wales, for example. We don't have that bit of grit that allows us to knuckle down and go through phases before going wide. Strauss and Gray should be doing that job, but they just don't. Barclay can but he's not there and I'm not even sure if he'll be back for the world cup. So, when it comes off early we look amazing (think Russell's pass to Huw Jones) but when it doesn't, we don't seem to have a plan to just do the hard graft. Could Scotland do all those phases before Hill's try yesterday? Probably not.
As they should be. Far too many mistakes this early on, though.
Oh, definitely. I just wish Italy weren't the obvious whipping boys. I know what it feels like when you're clearly bottom of the pile!
Is it just me or does Sexton seem a bit off his best this Six Nations?
Yeah, I'd like to see Italy get a couple of good wins, just not against Ireland!
... and giving Stockdale that kind of an opportunity certainly won't help them.
I think everyone would say the same. Same for the whole Georgia debate - they should be allowed in, but I can't imagine a Six Nations without any of the teams currently there.
Italy playing fairly well here. Nice game to watch for a neutral! Italian full back is on fire, Ireland linout is poor.
Last edited:
Ow, that stung. Not quite as bad as Cardiff last year or Twickenham in '17 but that was a garbage Scottish performance. Maitland is too slow for a wing & Seymour was anonymous, Townsend needs to take some names. France played very well, had no answer for Picamoles who was getting into everything & everyone - Bastareu's chip & collect; chef's kiss.
Wales-England was the best quality test match since ireland-NZ in the Autumn, just two quality sides going at it. Picked Wales to win & they did :D
Dunno what's happened to Ireland.
Wales-England was the best quality test match since ireland-NZ in the Autumn, just two quality sides going at it. Picked Wales to win & they did :D
Dunno what's happened to Ireland.
Penalty against Greenwood I should think. Player not on his feet playing the ball in open play.
OP
OP
The law doesn't specifically define a drop kick as being when the kicking player drops the ball down, but I'd argue it's implicit. Most referees in this situation would treat is as a normal kick which has gone dead and award a scum/22 drop out option to the opposition.
Jim Telfer doesn't like much, does he?
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/the-...oolis-theres-none-you-would-class-as-hard-men
Apart from the fact he is pretty clearly wrong about the way the Welsh played, particularly in the second half, I'm not sure I'd disagree with him. And I definitely wouldn't to his face.
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/the-...oolis-theres-none-you-would-class-as-hard-men
Apart from the fact he is pretty clearly wrong about the way the Welsh played, particularly in the second half, I'm not sure I'd disagree with him. And I definitely wouldn't to his face.
A little bittersweet last couple of weeks for the US. 2nd year of a professional league well underway and it's successful. According to insiders on /r/MLRrugby the average is about 2000, 2.5K which is pretty good. USA 7s just made its 5th straight final and finally won a cup for a change. Currently in 1st place for the season as we reach the halfway point.
On the flipside though, we got destroyed by Argentina B team last week and lost to Uruguay at home this week for the ARC. You'd think with 2 years of professional rugby we'd be making progress and adding some depth.
On the flipside though, we got destroyed by Argentina B team last week and lost to Uruguay at home this week for the ARC. You'd think with 2 years of professional rugby we'd be making progress and adding some depth.