6 Nations (SPOILER)

JohnnyG · 15 Feb 2004 at 16:20

Robinson's got his hat-trick

Edit: Finished 50-9, a pretty good performance once we got into our stride. Thompson again looked dodgy in the line-out & better teams may be able to capitalise on that.
Italy have improved a lot & may well upset a team or 2, not mentioning any names

Graysons kicking from hand was excellent, he missed a couple of pens/conversions but most humans do

Mad old tory · 15 Feb 2004 at 17:00

Looked a bit scrappy at times, but gomarsoll was solid and pulled of the odd good tackle. Glad HP had a chance in the second half, but Robinson stole the show really.

Big Kev · 15 Feb 2004 at 20:01

Yay, we won the rugby as well.

JohnnyG · 15 Feb 2004 at 20:34

Originally posted by Big Kev
Yay, we won the rugby as well.

As well as what :confused:

Gilly · 15 Feb 2004 at 23:19

Originally posted by JohnnyG
You just can't get the right Dons nowadays

Sorry

I was away..

TheMightyTen · 16 Feb 2004 at 10:15

Originally posted by JohnnyG
As well as what

I think you might want to cast your mind back to before the kick off and a certain FA Cup game between a red/white team and a blue team and then look at Big Kev's sig!!

Gilly · 16 Feb 2004 at 10:18

Originally posted by ARP Warden
I think you might want to cast your mind back to before the kick off and a certain FA Cup game between a red/white team and a blue team and then look at Big Kev's sig!!

I think the fact that there's a wink there and JohnnyG supports Chelsea tells me he already knows that

malv · 16 Feb 2004 at 23:49

Originally posted by JohnnyG
Robinson's got his hat-trick

Edit: Thompson again looked dodgy in the line-out & better teams may be able to capitalise on that.

Thomson is not there for his lineout, as Moore mentioned in the comentary he can be a bit dodgy sometime when the pressure is on but more than make's up for it in open play......and hey would you want to scrummage aginst him!!!! not me thanks. Hav played in the front row and believe me you don't last long if you can't cope.

Johnson will be the biggest loss to the side, we will see if Lawence and fill his shoes.

PlacidCasual · 17 Feb 2004 at 12:51

Gotta say you lot are underestimating Grayson, he has been consistently World Class for the last 5+ years. It's only the rise of Wilkinson that has kept him out of the team.

Alex King is another great player but I think he is always going to be a never quite made it, which is a shame.

Henry Paul still looks out of depth at the highest level and I would swap Robinson for any of the top centre choices, Tindall or Barkley, and put up with the fact I have 5 or 6 exciting fast attacking wingers/full backs and only 3 slots. Treat em men keep em keen.

The forwards are still excellent and Joe Worseley apart from a few stupid handling errors/decisions had a terrific game. I'm sure he wont make those mistakes too often in the future, it will be an interesting fight between him and Moody for the spare flanker position until Hill retires/is dropped.

As to winning the French are the obvious team to **** it up but they seem a bit unsteady in key positions. Betsen and Michalak are out of sorts and need to be ruling their game and the rest of the team will fall into place.

I don't think any of the other teams has the depth to do more than cause an upset, Wales being the obvious candidates to ruin it for anyone caught napping.

Should be good though, roll on some of the bigger matches.

TheMightyTen · 17 Feb 2004 at 14:39

The forwards are still excellent and Joe Worseley apart from a few stupid handling errors/decisions had a terrific game.

I've watched and analysed the game a few times now, and in hindsight Worsley (and Gomersall for that matter) was just to slow to the breakdown and didn't seem to be fighting as hard as Hilly and Dalls for the 50/50's on the ground, he also missed a few first up tackles (Although Larder has said they only had a few days in camp together so were more bothererd about running through the new patterns than practising technique, thats for this week), so for me he's still got to prove he has any World Class quality and I feel if he was fit SCW would be using Moody instead.

I would swap Robinson for any of the top centre choices, Tindall or Barkley, and put up with the fact I have 5 or 6 exciting fast attacking wingers/full backs and only 3 slots. Treat em men keep em keen.

Personally, I like utilising our Strike runners in different positions in unbalances the opositions preparations and keeps them guessing, particularly as England hardly ever line up in the traditional Fly-Half,Inside Centre,Outside Centre,Winger pattern anymore -the 3/4's and Fullback are more interchangeable, It's also liable to cause your opposition to overweight the defence against particular people (JR!) leaving gaps for the others. Roll on James Simpson-Daniel being fit we'll have a veritable plethora of running riches!!!!!!!!!!!

EDIT: Just been on the news Moody is doubtful (Hamstring) so Alex Sanderson has been called up, Hopefully a chance to see if he can perform. Other option is to switch Dalls to blindside and use Jones at No.8

JohnnyG · 17 Feb 2004 at 14:42

Originally posted by ARP Warden

Roll on James Simpson-Daniel

Can't wait to see him in an England shirt again, very exciting player. He's bulked up a lot too, which was one of Sir Clives criticisms of him a year or 2 ago

Mad old tory · 17 Feb 2004 at 14:43

I definately would like to see Sinbad in the England setup when he gets over his injuries. Hes been electric for Glos this season according to a mate of mine (would love to be able to get to the shed most weeks myself but work sat nights and cant get back in time

)

PlacidCasual · 17 Feb 2004 at 15:03

I forget the name exactly is it Phil Christophers? He is another player whom injury has robbed. I would like to see him back in the England fold too. In Cohen and Robinson you have 2 very fast and powerful players of different styles but Simpson Daniel and Christophers excite me more. They are thinking players and far more innovative going forward. I wouldn't suggest either is better than Cohen or Robinson (at the moment) but they do bring something very different to the team.

TheMightyTen · 17 Feb 2004 at 15:14

Originally posted by PlacidCasual
I forget the name exactly is it Phil Christophers? He is another player whom injury has robbed. I would like to see him back in the England fold too. In Cohen and Robinson you have 2 very fast and powerful players of different styles but Simpson Daniel and Christophers excite me more. They are thinking players and far more innovative going forward. I wouldn't suggest either is better than Cohen or Robinson (at the moment) but they do bring something very different to the team.

Phil Christophers is working his way back into contention at the mo (I don't think Clive has fully forgiven him for getting Sin Binned within seconds of coming on at the Millenium Statdium last 6N), but I agree he's a very exciting Rugby player (Not bad considering he's a German!!!)

As for Cohen he really has to return to form for this Calcutta Cup otherwise I think JS-D might nick his place on the wing for the next game.

Windle · 19 Feb 2004 at 05:25

Well looks the Scots only chance of victory is Italy then and a slim hope at that. As in the past few years, the team were lacking in both technical competence and form. Lack of experience, and a youthful, new team overall is not going to be a good combination for us. Scottish rugby's in a right rut, and it's going to take a proper jolt to knock them out of it. Not looking forward to the game this weekend against England, even though it's at Murrayfield (we usually do well against England there) i reckon we're in for a right royal shafting

TheMightyTen · 19 Feb 2004 at 09:35

Originally posted by Windle
Well looks the Scots only chance of victory is Italy then and a slim hope at that. As in the past few years, the team were lacking in both technical competence and form. Lack of experience, and a youthful, new team overall is not going to be a good combination for us. Scottish rugby's in a right rut, and it's going to take a proper jolt to knock them out of it. Not looking forward to the game this weekend against England, even though it's at Murrayfield (we usually do well against England there) i reckon we're in for a right royal shafting

You're having to start from scratch to rebuild after the McGeechan years (Who stayed on 3 years to long in my opinion) it is going to be painful for a 3-5 years but the SRFU is starting to modernise and will create a platform to nuture young talent. Don't forget that Sir Clive has been in his role now for about 7 years and has forced a complete re-structuring of English Rugby.
Grin and bear it, you will be back.
As for this weekend no Scottish team will ever role over to a team of World Champions from this side of the border, I think you'll put up one hell of a fight.

dafadau · 19 Feb 2004 at 10:08

Who's turn is it to stop England having the Grand-Slam this year?

TheMightyTen · 19 Feb 2004 at 14:46

Originally posted by dafadau
Who's turn is it to stop England having the Grand-Slam this year?

I think only France have a real chance. England will really want to prove a point to you Welsh as they so often do when they've been run close or beaten by a team in the previous game plus we meet you at Fortress Twickers. The French at the Stad thats the real worrying one and why I think Sir Clive is developing a running game to counteract the Les Bleus.

Exorcist · 19 Feb 2004 at 14:48

england will tonk every team in the six nations, except France away.

dafadau · 19 Feb 2004 at 22:22

Originally posted by ARP Warden
I think only France have a real chance. England will really want to prove a point to you Welsh as they so often do when they've been run close or beaten by a team in the previous game plus we meet you at Fortress Twickers. The French at the Stad thats the real worrying one and why I think Sir Clive is developing a running game to counteract the Les Bleus.

Fair point, but we'll see..........

No Johnny! at he's the only reason we lost at the WC!