England vs Argentina

[Timbo]

I’m much more of a women’s rugby and rugby league fan anyway tbh.

[Banquo]

I don’t blame the players*…

*other than Farrell obvs

Smith doesnt seem at all comfy.

Fair enough re blaming players, I just think they’re not being set up to succeed.

and who would’ve seen the Smith situation coming….
[/quote]

As i said, not well prepared or selected, but had they not been so dim as to give away pointless penalties they should still have won. As before, I don’t think Smith works in this selection.

[Which Tyler]

On the plus side, last time Argentina beat us at HQ, we got a new coach to take us to a RWC final.


Wayne Smith's not doing anything after next week

[loudnconfident]

On train home. I'm almost happy we lost. We didn't deserve to win. Twickenham almost full - wondering how long that will last.

On a general point - scrums took sooo long. Is that just Brace as ref or the way it is.

[Mellsblue]

Imagine thinking it’s ok to show Penaud’s world class finish when we’ve just watched Coka and Nowell plod round the pitch.
Where’s my safe space?

[francoisfou]

[p/d]

Must admit I didn’t expect the umbrella chat to be where the day’s entertainment would peak.

[Timbo]

On train home. I'm almost happy we lost. We didn't deserve to win. Twickenham almost full - wondering how long that will last.

On a general point - scrums took sooo long. Is that just Brace as ref or the way it is.

Maybe I’m being harsh, but thought a big part of the scrums taking so long was a massive lack of urgency from England, mainly Sinckler doing his too cool for school impressions.

[fivepointer]

That was a witless, ill disciplined, lacklustre all round effort. Argentina won by executing a nice try off first phase, cottoning on to a loose ball and kicking penalties we generously donated.
We thought we could just power through them without the need to actually try and play a bit. Our "attack" was pitiful at times.

[Timbo]

Eddie says Manu has pulled up ‘a bit sore’ so it’ll be Smith-Faz-Porter next weekend no doubt.

I’m seriously not watching.

[Puja]

Eddie says Manu has pulled up ‘a bit sore’ so it’ll be Smith-Faz-Porter next weekend no doubt.

I’m seriously not watching.

Nah - that wouldn't be too bad, as at least it would have a runner. If we still get Smith and Faz, then it's gonna be Slade, just to maximise the lateralness.

Puja

[Banquo]

That was a witless, ill disciplined, lacklustre all round effort. Argentina won by executing a nice try off first phase, cottoning on to a loose ball and kicking penalties we generously donated.
We thought we could just power through them without the need to actually try and play a bit. Our "attack" was pitiful at times.

Yep, it was the stupidity that ground my gears the most.

[Oakboy]

That was a witless, ill disciplined, lacklustre all round effort. Argentina won by executing a nice try off first phase, cottoning on to a loose ball and kicking penalties we generously donated.
We thought we could just power through them without the need to actually try and play a bit. Our "attack" was pitiful at times.

Yep, it was the stupidity that ground my gears the most.

which bit? The RFU retaining Jones, Jones's selection/tactics, Farrell at 12, or the ill-discipline?

[Timbo]

The worst bit is the team picked is really not far off the team Eddie has been holding out for. Everyone fit and it’s Lawes for Coles and maybe Stuart for Sinckler. A 100% match fit Watson or May might get a wing spot. Depressing.

[francoisfou]

Murley may even get the nod next week, and maybe Jonny May too? Ah to have pace on the wings.

[FKAS]

It's late, I'm drunk, and in the nightbus. defending Porter as anything like an international player is fucking mental. He may or may not get there but hes miles away right now. When he's keeping, say, Marchant out forb *some galaxy brain* reason, it's just insulting.

Perhaps re-read it when sober. No one's advocating him above Marchant or Lawrence who we'd all have in the squad currently.

Porter looked good ball in hand over the summer but he got three carries over two games which makes hard to make an impression. Marchant suffered similarly in the first test with barely getting to touch the ball.

You’ve missed Danno’s point. He arguing that there’s no way Porter is, currently, international class - an idea your Tiger tinted spectacles refuse to entertain. The fact that he also keeps out the, imo, vastly superior Marchant is merely a symptom of that.
It will be interesting to see how much ball Manu gets. Did Porter not see much due to tactics or a reticence to give him the ball.

Or what SH said.

Marchant didn't get any either so what does that say about how Smith rates his teammate and key option at club level?

I also said I'd have picked two players over Porter try to read posts before replying.

[FKAS]

Discipline was horrendous. How many errors receiving kick offs? Many hours of practice clearing our own lines and exits for next week. Basics were really bad.

Thought Cokanasiga was ok. Nowell was less good and the lack of pace in the backline painful to watch.

[Banquo]

Discipline was horrendous. How many errors receiving kick offs? Many hours of practice clearing our own lines and exits for next week. Basics were really bad.

Thought Cokanasiga was ok. Nowell was less good and the lack of pace in the backline painful to watch.

Indeed. Poor discipline and basics compounded a poor selection.

[Mellsblue]

Perhaps re-read it when sober. No one's advocating him above Marchant or Lawrence who we'd all have in the squad currently.

Porter looked good ball in hand over the summer but he got three carries over two games which makes hard to make an impression. Marchant suffered similarly in the first test with barely getting to touch the ball.

You’ve missed Danno’s point. He arguing that there’s no way Porter is, currently, international class - an idea your Tiger tinted spectacles refuse to entertain. The fact that he also keeps out the, imo, vastly superior Marchant is merely a symptom of that.
It will be interesting to see how much ball Manu gets. Did Porter not see much due to tactics or a reticence to give him the ball.

Or what SH said.

Marchant didn't get any either so what does that say about how Smith rates his teammate and key option at club level?

I also said I'd have picked two players over Porter try to read posts before replying.

Jones clearly doesn’t rate Marchant as he’s now been dropped from the squad. Manu saw quite a bit of ball today and in tricky conditions.

You’re still missing the point. Hopefully on purpose.

[oldbackrow]

That was painful to watch and really did fill me with despair. Having got up early yesterday morning and watched some good rugby, to watching the wheelchair rugby league was all so much better than what was in offer by England.
Have replayed the 2nd Argentine try and still think enough there to call knock on but we wouldn't really have deserved the win.
Perhaps EJ will really throw everything up in the air next week and we get some effective attack and less stupidity in defence!

[Insouciant]

The big highlight today was Youngs actually being substituted before an hour after passing to the touchline and other random bits of grass.. slowly. Maybe Eddie has finally got the hint?

[FKAS]

The big highlight today was Youngs actually being substituted before an hour after passing to the touchline and other random bits of grass.. slowly. Maybe Eddie has finally got the hint?

Unlikely. Quirke injured again means it's likely the same two again next week. Hopefully JVP starts though.

[Mikey Brown]

Murley may even get the nod next week, and maybe Jonny May too? Ah to have pace on the wings.

What would make you think that?

[francoisfou]

Murley may even get the nod next week, and maybe Jonny May too? Ah to have pace on the wings.

What would make you think that?

Wishful thinking, maybe?

[Mikey Brown]

Yes I’d put it down to that. Cokanisiga made some positive impacts with the fairly shovelled-on ball he got, Nowell certainly tried (and none of the several times he was rounded in defence came to anything major IIRC), but I don’t see that being Eddie’s focus.

There was a lovely move late-ish in the game with the two backs sweeping behind the pivot man, except it was Farrell and Nowell there and both were so strikingly slow to get around the corner that the threat just sort of disappeared. It felt like a move you build around an Elliot Daly type.

What the fuck are we doing?