Six Nations Rugby 2018

godinman said:
Well fair play, Scotland deserved the win. It was like England couldn't be bothered in the 1st half and I'd agree it was relatively boring play by them this game although I wouldn't say Scotland were any more exciting?
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Three tries for Scotland, do you know how many years we've waited for Scotland to start scoring tries rather than butchering them? Unfortunately I was travelling so couldn't watch the first half but it seems to have been an exciting half if you're a Scotland fan, the second half was maybe less so and Scotland were perhaps a bit lucky at times to get the refereeing decisions but I think it's fair to say they deserved the win. I was a bit surprised by how little attacking innovation and flair England showed, I know they've been winning ugly for a while but I thought they'd have a few more line breaks or something. It also seemed like a bit of a niggly game and Underhill's no arms tackle was rather nasty as well as rightly leaving his team a man short right when they were trying to get back into it.
 
When England beat Wales they varied the attack around the breakdown brilliantly. Pick and go, one out, one out and a pass, off the fly half the full range of options.
The first half was poor so predictable they invited Scotland’s back row to do its work.
We only saw England at there best for 10mins in the second half.
24 out of 26 is a great record, they’re still a team that takes there chances unlike Wales who squander too many but the balance of the forward pack is very twitchy. Anything less than the first choice and they get squirrely.
 
We usually get away with being second best at the breakdown, but got found out on Saturday. Robshaw was having to compete single handed against the whole Scottish backrow as Lawes and Hughes just aren't breakdown operators. Barclay and Watson had a field day. We got parity when Underhill came on, but then he got himself binned. C'est La Vie.

I don't think this 6N is over yet. Ireland have their weaknesses too, they only just squeaked past a shambolic France side.
 
Nice to see Manu T getting some game time, big hand off last week on Bosch. Not suggesting him for this year nowhere near enough fitness, form or game time but maybe if there is a summer tour or an Autumngame would be great to see him in action at top level again..
 
Ireland are an excellent team but I can’t say I enjoy watching them play.

Just started watching the France game and the modern interpretation of on your feet at elite level is very different from my own. Sometimes it seems like a different game.
 
That’s a poor decision by the TMO and ref, the French player was going down. With the best will in the World once you’re committed if the player drops you can’t do anything but let them go.

I’m really hating the black and white no common sense high tackle laws. The slow mo replays are deceptive and bad decisions are routinely being made.
 
PlacidCasual said:
That’s a poor decision by the TMO and ref, the French player was going down. With the best will in the World once you’re committed if the player drops you can’t do anything but let them go.

I’m really hating the black and white no common sense high tackle laws. The slow mo replays are deceptive and bad decisions are routinely being made.
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In my impartial capacity as English rugby union fan, I completely agree with that. It's getting way too precious for what is otherwise a proper sport.
 
I normally say robshaw is pretty poor but I thought he was ok tonight.

Other teams have spotted England’s weakness and they’re exploiting it to the maximum. They need to be way better at the breakdown. They were better than they were with Scotland but they still got walked all over.
 
I thought in that match Robshaw was the one Englishman who kept at it the whole time, and was relatively effective.
I know Brown had been dropped, but i think the team miss his enthusiastic, stirring growls from the full back spot.
I think he gets the team going, his replacement didn't. Which was good for Ireland.

I doubt it'll be the same performance next week, can't see England lose three in a row, no matter how much i want Ireland to Slam.
Funny the whole tournament links back to that 40 something phase build and long range drop goal by Ireland in the very first match again France.
Woeful as they were, the desire was there.
 
I’m glad I didn’t waste a beer watching what sounds like a re-run of the Scotland match. What was Eddie thinking starting the same back row? Hughes is quite a way off match fitness and isn’t a breakdown presence. Much as I think Lawes has massively improved his game and fully deserves the England shirt, he shouldn’t be at 6. Robshaw is the only actual breakdown specialist, but at 7 he is too slow. Not much he can do about that, but he is suited to playing at 6 and has been for years. The modern game demands fewer huge ball carriers and more rapid breakdown specialists. Clifford can’t return soon enough, and Simmonds needs to be made into a more permanent fixture. Hopefully Billy V will get well soon and we can be back to the sort of team that is capable of beating the best in the world.

The tournament this year really hasn’t given enough opportunity to new players prior to the World Cup. The 2019 squad is all but worked out I fear, but there are clearly large issues within the team and time is running out to solve them.
 
In the Jones era England have looked very capable of taking their chances if they get quick ball, far more composed in this than any of their NH counterparts and this still looks the case they are finishing slim pickings well. They have previously managed a reasonably varied style of play around the ruck and maul which has made up for their out and out jackalling shortcomings. The loss of Ben Youngs seems to have coincided with this loss of variety, last year and against Wales this year we would see more pick and go's , more pass then pass again and more running off the FH but we seem to be seeing more straight running off the SH which is predictable and losing possession. The balance of the back row is all wrong. Eddie clearly has a core of players he's happy with but is having trouble extending this group, Harrison, Underhill, Simmonds have been getting time but not nailing it and instead he is turning to Lawes and Robshaw out of position to make the gap which ruins the overall shape. Robshaw is an extremely capable player but at 6 not 7. Lawes is a mobile, hard, good carrying lock not a blindside. Eddie needs to accept that Lawes, Launchbury and Itoje are his first choice locks and build his back row without them filling in with players outside of his core group.
I also think the change of personnel has eroded one of his early strengths, the finishers. With Care and Mako starting two players who are great at finding space and changing the point of attack are now doing the slog early in the match instead of bringing that change of pace as the opposition tires. I would like both Care and Mako to return to that role and let Wigglesworth and Marler start. George and Sinkler might also fall into this category as both bring a dynamism in the tight that has really helped England in that 45-60 minutes period.
England have certainly been flattered by results the last 18 months and there record is maybe a little bit better than there qualities deserve but they are by no means a poor side a few changes to rebalance the side could get the party started again.
 
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