Six Nations 2017 (4th February - 18 March)

TheMightyTen · 8 Feb 2017 at 08:59

mid_gen;30479858 said:
Nigel Owes explained it quite well. There is a distinct state where the ball is 'emerging' from a ruck. You can't dive on the ball in this state. If the ball had stopped or hit another player, it would no longer have been emerging and Wood could have dived on it. As it was still bobbling (emerging) he was not entitled to.

It's not a rule I knew about when I was playing tbf

It had already been touched by an England player who in this incident would have counted as the Half-back distributing from the ruck

Participant;30481056 said:
...except it was perfectly still when it was dived upon.

Quite, also, what is very telling is that none of the official Six Nations or World Rugby Highlights both short and exteneded include the incident (theres a big 10 minuted hole and a lot occurred in that 10 minutes), World Rugby has a poor track record of white washing bad/contentious refereeing decisions out of history

TheMightyTen · 9 Feb 2017 at 12:27

England team for Staurday:

England: Mike Brown (Harlequins); Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs); Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Elliot Daly (Wasps); George Ford (Bath Rugby), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers); Joe Marler (Harlequins), Dylan Hartley (captain, Northampton Saints), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Nathan Hughes (Wasps)

Replacements: Jamie George (Saracens), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Wasps), Danny Care (Harlequins), Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby)

Clifford in for Wood, I think that's a fair shout, Wood by all measures had a poor game last week and Clifford adds a bit of dynamism and terrier at the ruck, Haskell still to unfit to play a full 80 so his impact as a finisher will be key. Nowell in for May, again a fair call as May was mostly anonymous last week apart from the leg humping incident.

I just wish someone could track down the hidden loactions of all the compromising photos Marler has of the RFU board so we can stop picking him at last

TheMightyTen · 10 Feb 2017 at 08:36

God old Eddie Jones, roof stays open tomorrow so it'll be a proper game of Rugby playing to the conditions and sucking out some of the Principality atmosphere. Always the ballsy operator is EJ

***Edit: Oh dear! BBC Wales promo has been pulled off air for being xenophobic, that's not embarrassing

PlacidCasual · 10 Feb 2017 at 19:16

Please could someone explain to Mike Brown that it is ok to pass to your teammates. I reckon most of the forwards have a higher pass rate than Brown.

Participant · 11 Feb 2017 at 06:55

TheMightyTen;30486524 said:
England team for Staurday:

England: Mike Brown (Harlequins); Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs); Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Elliot Daly (Wasps); George Ford (Bath Rugby), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers); Joe Marler (Harlequins), Dylan Hartley (captain, Northampton Saints), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Nathan Hughes (Wasps)

Replacements: Jamie George (Saracens), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Wasps), Danny Care (Harlequins), Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby)

Clifford in for Wood, I think that's a fair shout, Wood by all measures had a poor game last week and Clifford adds a bit of dynamism and terrier at the ruck, Haskell still to unfit to play a full 80 so his impact as a finisher will be key. Nowell in for May, again a fair call as May was mostly anonymous last week apart from the leg humping incident.

Wood and May decisions I agree with. However EJ should start with Ben Te'o instead of Ford. Ford has a beautiful passing game but we need ball carriers too.

Nowell I agree with too. Class player.

PlacidCasual;30491676 said:
Please could someone explain to Mike Brown that it is ok to pass to your teammates. I reckon most of the forwards have a higher pass rate than Brown.

It's not about pass rates as a full back. This isn't football where a key stat seems to be how many ineffectual sideways passes you made.

It's about decision making based on the position of your teammates and the situation of the game.

Brown is often having to carry the ball into contact and ensure a recycle, so as to allow the team time to get back in support rather than risk a pass across the 22.

His main remit includes penetrating counter attacking runs from defence when he might be the last guy, putting up decent kicks to chase or find touch with, and being able to catch the ball. It doesn't include a beautiful, flowing passing game with no end result. If it did he would be called George Ford

.

Mike Brown's a fantastic player.

Dis86 · 11 Feb 2017 at 16:18

That Italian effort was crap.

Pigeon_Killer · 11 Feb 2017 at 17:08

Brutal pressure :cool:

TheMightyTen · 11 Feb 2017 at 17:44

Wales rising to the occasion, England loosing every aspect of this encounter, being smashed all over the field. Yet again the White can't deal with expectation..........

Dis86 · 11 Feb 2017 at 17:56

Ref is shocking. He'll review something that he clearly declared wasn't a try for wales but not a shocking late tackle on farrel. Almost like there's some sort of bias..

TheMightyTen · 11 Feb 2017 at 18:05

Absolutely appalling

The bubble has well and truly burst

TheMightyTen · 11 Feb 2017 at 18:11

Clifford didn't have what it needs, totally anonymous and why can England just not exit correctly from the 22, our strategy is totally naive.

Pigeon_Killer · 11 Feb 2017 at 18:29

YES!

robfosters · 11 Feb 2017 at 18:37

Grand slam incoming :cool:

Dis86 · 11 Feb 2017 at 18:37

Launchbury deserved that. He's an outstanding player.

McBain · 11 Feb 2017 at 18:37

Vampyre · 11 Feb 2017 at 18:39

That was a massive game, lots of tired bodies tonight!

omnomnom · 11 Feb 2017 at 18:42

TheMightyTen;30494161 said:
Wales rising to the occasion, England loosing every aspect of this encounter, being smashed all over the field. Yet again the White can't deal with expectation..........

Lol nope.

Dis86 · 11 Feb 2017 at 18:42

TheMightyTen;30494292 said:
Clifford didn't have what it needs, totally anonymous and why can England just not exit correctly from the 22, our strategy is totally naive.

Not impressed with Ford. Can't tackle. Falls over in a stiff breeze. Didn't really add anything to the game to me.

TheMightyTen · 11 Feb 2017 at 18:52

omnomnom;30494387 said:
Lol nope.

Errr... Yes, England had to rely on their finishers and finally move their best player into his natural position. We won that game by fluke and not by dominance

Dis86;30494388 said:
Not impressed with Ford. Can't tackle. Falls over in a stiff breeze. Didn't really add anything to the game to me.

I agree, he's actually a cracking player but low on confidence and form and playing in a club team not at their best right now. Will be interesting to see what happens if he moves to Leicester as it looks.

Nate75 · 11 Feb 2017 at 18:55

Fair result really.

Expected a little more from England.