Rugby union?

Well England took France apart. I wish @Freefaller was still around :D.

On the bright side for France, Penaud looks great, a true talent (notwithstanding being fooled by Jonny May, who's having a serious renaissance).
 
Lawes answered critics that say he just bullies fly halves....takes some serious power to single-handedly smash Basteraud and all his pies backwards.

Curry had a massive game, Billy as well. Not totally sold on Wilson but he fills the 'grafter' 6 role that Robshaw used to quite well.

First choice pack?

Mako, George, Sinckler
Itoje, Lawes
Underhill, Billy V, Curry

I don't think any team would fancy facing them, pace and power to burn.

Really impressed with the fitness levels the last couple of weeks, haven't let the intensity drop.
 
I get the impression that Eddie Jones has demonstrated to everyone in training that he's not putting up with another 2018 :D.

mid_gen said:
George
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The ITV commentator said something like 'if you're wondering where Dylan Hartley is...'; well are we wondering? How can he walk back into this team?
 
Basteraud meet Courtney Lawes he'll be your chaperone for this visit :eek: :D

I do hope EJ has a plan B because playing that game plan against the Welsh back three will already be making Gatland and Shaun Edwards smile and thinking "gotcha". Saying that though England played what was in front of them yesterday and did a good job (that flattered them a bit thanks to woeful French game management ;)) I just wish they'd kept they're foot on the French throats in that second half because an AB team would have kept smashing that French side into next week.
 
Pigeon_Killer said:
Don't know a lot about Rugby but that last bounce took it away from him and he slowed down before being tackled. Don't see how that was an easy Try, had he gathered it he would've been smashed.
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Rugby Union Laws: 8 Scoring said:
8.3 Penalty Try

A penalty try is awarded between the goal posts if foul play by the opposing team prevents a probable try from being scored, or scored in a more advantageous position. A player guilty of this must be cautioned and temporarily suspended or sent off. No conversion is attempted.
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The important part of the law is the "probable" bit and the the part that commentators and pundits always get wrong :rolleyes: as they keep insisting it's foul play when a certain try is going to be scored, it was very probable that had Ashton been able to gather the ball or kick it further forward with no illegal interference he would have scored so Nigel Owens interpreted the law correctly. He constantly, throughout the game demonstrated why he is the still the best referee in the World as he as a complete empathy for the game and the way it is being played.
 
Well that was an enjoyable Sunday of rugby. I do like the balance of the loose forwards, it's probably the best it's been in years. Although Billy V is a big risk, Hughes is ok if the team is on top but I'm less convinced he can turn the match unlike billy. The second row is any 2 of 4 but lets hope Eddie continues to dispel the idea that Lawes or Itoje are blindside cover, maybe in the Premiership not at international.

Slade looks great and I really thought he deserved a run years ago I think the balance of Manu and Slade is good and Daly at 15 and Slade at 13 provides distribution options other than Farrell. Daly is on fire and genuinely approaching World Class. The other big change for me is that England are playing what's in front of them rather than slavish devotion to the plan, which I guess is easy when you're playing well. But Ashton is an immeasurably better player in a team that acts based on opportunity and looks more like the player he did when Flood was flyhalf.

I'm expecting Wales to step up because they always play their best against England but it will need to be something special based on their last 2 performances.
 
Agreed on another great England performance! We got lucky on the penalty try, because I think Ashton over ran the ball before the Frenchman played him... yellow card certainly, but not a penalty try for me. Also lucky on Farrell's try... I don't think the French player would have got to the ball, but May definitely held him back... if the roles were reversed and the French had scored, I would have been shouting at the TV.

Otherwise, everyone in white was awesome. The backs are well balanced and playing what is infront of them. The kicking game is awesome, and France didn't help themselves with their back three all playing out of position; but when everyone in our back line except Manu can kick so well, it is very hard for the opposition to defend... the back field is a big space... fall back early and Manu runs at you, stay short and Farrell kicks behind, start deep and move forward to deal with Manu and then Slade kicks behind, and that's not even considering the back three pushing good kicks through and having immense pace to follow-up.

The pack is looking very powerful and balanced. I think Wilson had a blinder, and is certainly top pick at 6 right now. @mid_gen I really rate Underhill, but he doesn't have the weight for blindside... that position is more like a second No.8 than a second No.7 in the modern professional game.
 
Losing Mako for the rest of the Six Nations is a massive blow and a proper game changer for Wales vs England, he's been leading the tight defence and has been the main, short, one out ball carrier.
 
Mako is a huge loss, but I'm hoping that the cover is good enough when surrounded by all the other first choice players, however, an injury to another key players would really set alarm bells ringing for the Wales game.
 
Ellis Genge can make up for Mako’s ball carrying and skill set in the loose. I would argue that Genge, George and Sinckler are the most dynamic front row in the world at the moment, but their relative international inexperience might cause too much attempted flair and a lack of composure in tight situations at the highest level. Genge and Sinckler are prone to being wound up by the opposition which is problematic when penalties and sin bins result. Moon, Cowan-Dickie and Cole on the bench provide excellent cover too, so there is still depth in the squad.

Mako is an extremely seasoned international player and will be a great loss to the team. Defensively he’s been an absolute animal of late and appears to have reduced his penalty count too. I hope he recovers quickly!
 
TheMightyTen said:
Losing Mako for the rest of the Six Nations is a massive blow and a proper game changer for Wales vs England, he's been leading the tight defence and has been the main, short, one out ball carrier.
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At least we've got the two best front rows out of the way. Scotland and Italy aren't much threat in the tight, and Wales...well, Genge, George and Sinckler arent going to be having any nightmares.
 
mid_gen said:
At least we've got the two best front rows out of the way. Scotland and Italy aren't much threat in the tight, and Wales...well, Genge, George and Sinckler arent going to be having any nightmares.
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I think the Welsh front row is a little underrated, they are technically sound and with Jaco Peyper in control of the whistle anything could happen particularly with the AWJ factor.


Looking like a possibility that Itoje could be fit (could also be mind games from Mitchell ;)) for the Wales game.

Really starting to get nervous for this one now, can't help feeling that England's confidence is just a thin veneer and Gatland has all the tools to punch right through it :(
 
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TheMightyTen said:
I think the Welsh front row is a little underrated, they are technically sound and with Jaco Peyper in control of the whistle anything could happen particularly with the AWJ factor.


Looking like a possibility that Itoje could be fit (could also be mind games from Mitchell ;)) for the Wales game.

Really starting to get nervous for this one now, can't help feeling that England's confidence is just a thin veneer and Gatland has all the tools to punch right through it :(
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No matter what England's form is, I get nervous against any top tier team... always feels like England can be awesome or awful, and I rarely feel like they offer assured consistency. Just look at 2017-2018... unbeaten for 2017, then tanked in the 2018 Six Nations.
 
Moon starting over Genge is probably the only choice I'm not happy with. The rest is generally arguable, but looks fine to me. If we continue to play to the same intensity, I'm confident of a win. But if the Welsh chop us down before we get going, it could get messy.
 
Wales have selected Anscombe over Biggar which I know quite a few Welsh fans are not happy about. I suspect Moon has been picked ahead of Genge as it doesn't always pay to have two hotheads on the field in that Cauldron, what with Sinckler at Tighthead.


**Edit**

Confirmed that Eddie's kept the roof open on the Principality.
 
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Genge and Sink seem to keep their heads pretty well in my mind. They wind up others something rotten, but don't tend to be too problematic themselves. Even Sink against France was because he'd just received a smack in the face from the Frenchman.
 
Should be a cracking match this afternoon. I'm loving the build up on Radio Wales, live from a pub in Cardiff. :D

This English side will take some beating but you never know...

Tyd flaen, hogia!
 
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