England vs Wales - Sat 5.30pm - A New Hope

[switchskier]

Hence me acknowledging that I was wrong.

Puja

after a lengthy debate

After seeing a replay for the first time since watching the match and realising that I'd misseen it on first viewing. Christ, no wonder no-one admits they're wrong on the internet!

Puja

It's ok. We know that Stewart has always been one of your favourites

I just watched the highlights back to take another look at this incident. But what really struck me was how dim the Arundel yellow was. He's obviously still very raw but is no-one concerned about this going into a RWC?

[Mikey Brown]

after a lengthy debate

After seeing a replay for the first time since watching the match and realising that I'd misseen it on first viewing. Christ, no wonder no-one admits they're wrong on the internet!

Puja

..or, when in a hole...

watch the replay?

You were definitely one of the kids at school who would say “yesss” to themselves when the teacher reads out the answers, making sure everyone knew that you got the answer right.

[pompey-zebra]

I just watched the highlights back to take another look at this incident. But what really struck me was how dim the Arundel yellow was. He's obviously still very raw but is no-one concerned about this going into a RWC?

Might I suggest that England have bigger, more pressing concerns than Arundel's alleged dimness.

[Spiffy]

I just watched the highlights back to take another look at this incident. But what really struck me was how dim the Arundel yellow was. He's obviously still very raw but is no-one concerned about this going into a RWC?

Might I suggest that England have bigger, more pressing concerns than Arundel's alleged dimness.

You have to have a quiet larf about Saggy Buttock's midweek ravings. Goes on and on about Arundell's fantastic attacking potential, then comes up with game plan that does not include passing the ball to him, then hauls him off so that Farrell can be shunted about to screw up the midfield. What a coach! What vision!
P.S. England are much better without Farrell. His teammates will be secretly hoping for a long ban so that they can attempt to play some rugby.

[Margin_Walker]

Arundell's just been done by Liam Williams there. The quick tap has made him make an instant decision. He's out isolated on the wing an in his head the entire backfield behind is empty and open for Williams to run into. Dim, maybe, but a long way from the stupidest thing I've seen on a rugby pitch.

Him coming off before the 60 minute mark had me exasperated. It's a world cup warm up. You know what Steward can do. Take him off if you're insistent on getting faz and ford on the pitch. Or why even play Arundell if you're not going to find a way to pass the ball to him once. I think he fielded a kick or two when nothing was on all game and that was the only time he touched the ball.

[JellyHead]

I didn't get to see the game and from what I've read here I'm pretty please I did. Got to have a few beers with mates rather than spending 1.5 hours getting angry and shouting at the TV. Hope they throw the book at the gobshite without first taking it off the shelf.

[Banquo]

After seeing a replay for the first time since watching the match and realising that I'd misseen it on first viewing. Christ, no wonder no-one admits they're wrong on the internet!

Puja

..or, when in a hole...

watch the replay?

You were definitely one of the kids at school who would say “yesss” to themselves when the teacher reads out the answers, making sure everyone knew that you got the answer right.

I’m hurt Mikey, hurt I tell you

[Oakboy]

Smacked Bottom for the coach, but he needs more time obvs. To work with these inadequate and quite dim players.

Faz isnt very good and a red card waiting to happen shock.

Bad times.

SB had the option of clearing out and starting from scratch as p/d mentioned. Instead, he has chosen to go with players that have routinely failed previously. In all aspects of performance, SB has so far failed to get one iota of improvement from those players. I thought he would. I was wrong.

[FKAS]

Arundell's just been done by Liam Williams there. The quick tap has made him make an instant decision. He's out isolated on the wing an in his head the entire backfield behind is empty and open for Williams to run into. Dim, maybe, but a long way from the stupidest thing I've seen on a rugby pitch.

Him coming off before the 60 minute mark had me exasperated. It's a world cup warm up. You know what Steward can do. Take him off if you're insistent on getting faz and ford on the pitch. Or why even play Arundell if you're not going to find a way to pass the ball to him once. I think he fielded a kick or two when nothing was on all game and that was the only time he touched the ball.

Arundell failed to field a few kicks. Daly managed to link with the players inside him, counter attacked off the kicks he fielded (one appalling kick down the middle aside). I think we're seeing a player with bags of potential a little short of experience.

I would like to see him start at 15 against Fiji though.

[Epaminondas Pules]

I think Arundell is slightly hard done by here. He knows JVP is down behind him and thus it’s open field for Wales to play in. It looks to me like he makes the decisions to play the cynical foul. With the quick tap england are effectively playing with 13, as Arundell himself is out of play, being offside.

On the other side of it I thought his defence looked really quite improved. Good decision making and his tackle technique was excellent.

No point talking about his attack as the game plan ‘PodKickRepeat’ is designed not to involve any exciting players.

[Oakboy]

Arundell's just been done by Liam Williams there. The quick tap has made him make an instant decision. He's out isolated on the wing an in his head the entire backfield behind is empty and open for Williams to run into. Dim, maybe, but a long way from the stupidest thing I've seen on a rugby pitch.

Him coming off before the 60 minute mark had me exasperated. It's a world cup warm up. You know what Steward can do. Take him off if you're insistent on getting faz and ford on the pitch. Or why even play Arundell if you're not going to find a way to pass the ball to him once. I think he fielded a kick or two when nothing was on all game and that was the only time he touched the ball.

Arundell failed to field a few kicks. Daly managed to link with the players inside him, counter attacked off the kicks he fielded (one appalling kick down the middle aside). I think we're seeing a player with bags of potential a little short of experience.

I would like to see him start at 15 against Fiji though.

I don't disagree but might SB first want a look at Malins in the 15 shirt? I can't see why he has him in the squad otherwise.

[p/d]

Amazing how much better we played with Ford running the show after the petulant clown went off, like a different team. Pair Ford with Mitchell (if JVP is injured) add the two centres from today, Daly and Watson on the wing and we might actually do quite well and get quick ball. And for me Earl starts at 8 over Billy as well. Hopefully Faz’s ban finishes after the World Cup.

It has probably been answered on here but with both Itoje and Martin ditching headgear and George plus Earl suddenly fired up do you think someone on the pitch stepped up and said ‘feck this, this is how we are going to play’

[p/d]

I think Arundell is slightly hard done by here. He knows JVP is down behind him and thus it’s open field for Wales to play in. It looks to me like he makes the decisions to play the cynical foul. With the quick tap england are effectively playing with 13, as Arundell himself is out of play, being offside.

On the other side of it I thought his defence looked really quite improved. Good decision making and his tackle technique was excellent.

No point talking about his attack as the game plan ‘PodKickRepeat’ is designed not to involve any exciting players.

Exactly how I saw it.

[Banquo]

Smacked Bottom for the coach, but he needs more time obvs. To work with these inadequate and quite dim players.

Faz isnt very good and a red card waiting to happen shock.

Bad times.

SB had the option of clearing out and starting from scratch as p/d mentioned. Instead, he has chosen to go with players that have routinely failed previously. In all aspects of performance, SB has so far failed to get one iota of improvement from those players. I thought he would. I was wrong.

We seem stuck in a bit of a loop here- if you cleared out and started from scratch, who do you pick (which players have routinely failed, out of interest...and this selection was actually applauded on here)? The basic skills on show were admittedly shocking again though. SB does need a chance as p/d I think was pointing out but you'd think he could have made some progress as you say. We seem to be getting worse...

[Banquo]

I think Arundell is slightly hard done by here. He knows JVP is down behind him and thus it’s open field for Wales to play in. It looks to me like he makes the decisions to play the cynical foul. With the quick tap england are effectively playing with 13, as Arundell himself is out of play, being offside.

On the other side of it I thought his defence looked really quite improved. Good decision making and his tackle technique was excellent.

No point talking about his attack as the game plan ‘PodKickRepeat’ is designed not to involve any exciting players.

Trouble is though, our basic skills just looked appalling (not totally surprising to me) when trying anything more than kicking. Not sure what's going on- big lack of confidence I'd reckon.

[Mellsblue]

I think Arundell is slightly hard done by here. He knows JVP is down behind him and thus it’s open field for Wales to play in. It looks to me like he makes the decisions to play the cynical foul. With the quick tap england are effectively playing with 13, as Arundell himself is out of play, being offside.

On the other side of it I thought his defence looked really quite improved. Good decision making and his tackle technique was excellent.

No point talking about his attack as the game plan ‘PodKickRepeat’ is designed not to involve any exciting players.

Trouble is though, our basic skills just looked appalling (not totally surprising to me) when trying anything more than kicking. Not sure what's going on- big lack of confidence I'd reckon.

The blokes with over 50 caps look a bit confused at times, imagine trying to acclimatise to test rugby in this team.

[Adam_P]

Amazing how much better we played with Ford running the show after the petulant clown went off, like a different team. Pair Ford with Mitchell (if JVP is injured) add the two centres from today, Daly and Watson on the wing and we might actually do quite well and get quick ball. And for me Earl starts at 8 over Billy as well. Hopefully Faz’s ban finishes after the World Cup.

It has probably been answered on here but with both Itoje and Martin ditching headgear and George plus Earl suddenly fired up do you think someone on the pitch stepped up and said ‘feck this, this is how we are going to play’

Captain Courtney

[Epaminondas Pules]

I think Arundell is slightly hard done by here. He knows JVP is down behind him and thus it’s open field for Wales to play in. It looks to me like he makes the decisions to play the cynical foul. With the quick tap england are effectively playing with 13, as Arundell himself is out of play, being offside.

On the other side of it I thought his defence looked really quite improved. Good decision making and his tackle technique was excellent.

No point talking about his attack as the game plan ‘PodKickRepeat’ is designed not to involve any exciting players.

Trouble is though, our basic skills just looked appalling (not totally surprising to me) when trying anything more than kicking. Not sure what's going on- big lack of confidence I'd reckon.

Novice coaches, new game plan, lots of fitness / no ball in hand time, new combos, lack of confidence. Needs a big spark from somewhere. Just looks like a side that crosses the whitewash and goes dumb.

[p/d]

On the upside our kit looks quite nice. Though the Welsh collar has to be admired. Oh, and at least SB opted for a trouser rathe than Warren’s preference to keep his bandy pins on view.

[Scrumhead]

Amazing how much better we played with Ford running the show after the petulant clown went off, like a different team. Pair Ford with Mitchell (if JVP is injured) add the two centres from today, Daly and Watson on the wing and we might actually do quite well and get quick ball. And for me Earl starts at 8 over Billy as well. Hopefully Faz’s ban finishes after the World Cup.

It has probably been answered on here but with both Itoje and Martin ditching headgear and George plus Earl suddenly fired up do you think someone on the pitch stepped up and said ‘feck this, this is how we are going to play’

Captain Courtney

Could be? Our performances on the Australia tour with him as skipper were arguably our best in quite a while.

[Banquo]

I think Arundell is slightly hard done by here. He knows JVP is down behind him and thus it’s open field for Wales to play in. It looks to me like he makes the decisions to play the cynical foul. With the quick tap england are effectively playing with 13, as Arundell himself is out of play, being offside.

On the other side of it I thought his defence looked really quite improved. Good decision making and his tackle technique was excellent.

No point talking about his attack as the game plan ‘PodKickRepeat’ is designed not to involve any exciting players.

Trouble is though, our basic skills just looked appalling (not totally surprising to me) when trying anything more than kicking. Not sure what's going on- big lack of confidence I'd reckon.

Novice coaches, new game plan, lots of fitness / no ball in hand time, new combos, lack of confidence. Needs a big spark from somewhere. Just looks like a side that crosses the whitewash and goes dumb.

Its been my contention for a while that this isn't the brightest bunch of cheps. But yes, there are a lot of spinning plates- probably one reason why squad selection has been relatively conservative (esp at 9) ...not that we are spoiled for choice (rinse and repeat).

[Epaminondas Pules]

I think yesterday there was only one combo (JVP and Farrell) that had ever played together as a unit, and that was three times. But these aren’t novices, but individually they all play better at club level that internationally. They come into camp and get worse. And it’s not just under this regime. The rot started under Jones and doesn’t seem to be improving.

[Mellsblue]

S. Barnes in the S. Times is making the argument that Farrell actively avoids passing off his left hand… which is worrying in and of itself but also for chap stationed on the right wing hoping to get himself into test rugby…

[twitchy]

We are a painfully average (probably being generous as well) team.

[p/d]

S. Barnes in the S. Times is making the argument that Farrell actively avoids passing off his left hand… which is worrying in and of itself but also for chap stationed on the right wing hoping to get himself into test rugby…

Comes to something when the England captain can’t pass and the Welsh captain can’t throw