Wilko's back **6 Nations Spoilers**

As I suspected Morgan has been put straight into the starting 15, personally I think this is great he is a 'True' fullback with great running lines and fearless under the high ball, i'm chuffed for him.

Revised England team to face Scotland:
Morgan (Gloucester); Lewsey (Wasps), Tindall (Gloucester), Farrell (Saracens), Robinson (Sale); Wilkinson (Newcastle), Ellis (Leicester); Freshwater (Perpignan), Chuter (Leicester), Vickery (Wasps, capt), Deacon (Leicester), Grewcock (Bath), Worsley (Wasps), Lund (Sale Sharks), Corry (Leicester).
Replacements: Mears (Bath), White (Leicester), Palmer (Wasps), Rees (Wasps), Richards (Gloucester), Flood (Newcastle), Tait (Newcastle).

#Chri5# said:
Got tickets in the East stand tomorrow - really looking forward to it now :cool:
Click to expand...
Lucky sod :p

Have tickets for Ireland/England game at Croke Park, that should be really special (although I don't know how welcome and English White shirt will be to the authorities there :D )
 
Last edited:
TheMightyTen said:
Have tickets for Ireland/England game at Croke Park, that should be really special (although I don't know how welcome and English White shirt will be to the authorities there :D )
Click to expand...

It's been my experience that you're quite welcome as long as you're visiting the bar regularly. :cool:
 
Personally i think it's a disastrous decision to put Wilkinson in. He's hardly match fit, with only 40minutes of rugby in the past 12 weeks!!!

Personally i'm interested in seeing how the new Scrum law changes affect the game. http://www.irb.com/EN/Laws+and+Regulations/Laws/061206+dk+scrum+law+change+en.htm

I think it's there for scotland to take this time, but with a less than 12% Win Ratio at Twickenham they will really have to work for it. They can't slack off at all.
 
TBH the IRB change to the scrum engagement has made very little difference in the GP except for a reduction in delays due to collapsed scrums, I think it will make very little difference on the international stage. The Scots front row is still highly likely to be scrummaged off the field tomorrow (I don't mean that as a disrispectfull phrase just a measure of the strength of our front row and what we have spare on the bench). People forget that Pezza scrummages against some of the best front rows in the world week in week out in the only other league other than the GP that see's scrummaging as the confrontation it should be.

As to Wilko being picked I think 'disasterous' is a bit of an over reaction, risky -probably, enlightened -possibly, JW certainly will not let the side down. The backline certainly will not fire on all cylinders tomorrow but in the forwards alone I think we have enough to beat the Scots, Paterson will hit his penalties but there isn't a lot else in terms of firepower to threaten.
 
Last edited:
I can't see the new scummaging laws making a blind bit of difference, they haven't made any noticeable difference in the GP from what i've seen so far. They're designed to lessen the risk of neck injuries, but in my opinion you could do that much more effectively by forcing teams to put the ball in straight, but thats another debate.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Italy go against a French side that is looking very inconsistent. Don't think its helping the French with Laporte seemingly adopting a rotation style selection policy.
 
At last real sport starts :)

I was wondering like Windle about the new engagement rules and whether they will favour the Scots. We've been very poor in the front row for some time (probably since the days of Sole & Co) and as TheMightyTen has said England have a formidable front row that even experienced props would have a problem with. I wonder if the crouch, touch, pause, engage might make it slightly easier for the Scots front row, giving us a little more time to get properly set.

I see Robinson's come out publicly saying he wouldn't have picked Wilkinson, what an arse. Why can't he just keep quiet? A bit disloyal for an Englishman I would have thought.
 
Snash said:
I see Robinson's come out publicly saying he wouldn't have picked Wilkinson, what an arse. Why can't he just keep quiet? A bit disloyal for an Englishman I would have thought.
Click to expand...

Because it's the truth. Wilko is not match fit, as i said above 40 minutes play in 12 weeks when your back from injury, you should not be in an international match. Particularly when he has a history of repeat injuries. This picture here sums it up well :-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6313753.stm

Nobody wants to see anybody get hurt in rugby, and that's why i disapprove of Wilko's selection.
 
I'm rather looking forward to the 6 Nations this year although that is based on nothing more than the blind optimism that comes with being a Scotland fan, so it is off to the pub soon to watch the warm up match and I hope the main event is a good game, with a Scotland win of course. ;) :D
 
No comments on the game so far then?

England playing refreshingly well. Wilkinson looks like he has never been out at times.

How they gave that try though..... dear me :p
 
Windle said:
Personally i think it's a disastrous decision to put Wilkinson in. He's hardly match fit, with only 40minutes of rugby in the past 12 weeks!!!
Click to expand...

Hehe, I think he's proved his doubters wrong today, good all round perfomance by him. Although his try definitley shouldn't have stood.
 
amazing return by god! (good sign by that fan :D)

ellis should have been MOTM tho imo.
 
How did the video ref give that try! Everyone bar him must have seen Wilko's foot in touch. Great stuff from Wilkinson though he fit back in as if he'd never been away, for a guy who's barely played a handful of games in 3 years extraordinary.

He'll be eating through a straw this week though :p

The scoreline was slightly flattering but it was a good start from the new coach, still a long long way to go though if we're to have a crack at retaining the world cup.
 
if anyone else had scored the try it wouldnt had been given. the fact it was wilko made the decision easier to make. the coverage he got by the commentators throughtout the match was laughable. you would think he had never played a match in his life! scotland were poor however cusiter had a great game. both teams will have a lot of improving still to do to get anywhere near france and ireland.

one more thing, im slightly bias being scottish so this question goes out to all the english on the board. do u guys like brian moore? i personally think he is a waste of fresh air, and it seemed like eddie butler agreed!
 
England played very well. It made such a difference to them having a 10 who could control the game like wilkinson did. The forwards also performed much better but that was a given seeing as they utilised the revolutionary idea of picking 3 players in the back row in the same position as they play at club level.

Thought Farrell played well, distribution was good, and he tackled well. I thought it was an interesting tactic using him at fly half a lot of the time from attacking rucks and mauls, which nicely took some of the pressure off Wilkinson, and prevented hiim getting head-hunted by back-row forwards all the time.

Shocking decision by the TMO for Wilkinsons try, but it happens. I think England have tougher games to come, and I think the likes of France/Ireland/Wales will test Wilkinson and Farrell much more by getting in their faces and using big units to run crash ball through the 10-12 channel. Of course last year, England spanked Wales in the first game then went steadily downhill, particularly when the opposition got in front and frustrated England.

Can't wait to get down to Cardiff tomorrow. Hopefully we can live with the tag of favourites and play some good rugby against Wales.
 
We got pwned today by England :(

Wilko looked as if he'd never been away, what a performance. However, Harry Ellis today I thought was outstanding. A real find and with him and Wilko on form England could do well this year.

Scotland again showed no initiative and adventure in the back line with the ball in hand and our tackling wasn't anywhere near as good as it was last year when we beat France and England.
 
Sorry for any bad spelling, I'm a bit smashed right now, ended up at the game because a spare ticket turned up.

What a return by Wilko

FORM IS TEMPORARY CLASS IS PERMANENT!!!! :D

Scotlsnd disrupted well, but for the first time in 2 years England seemed to have another gear when it mattered, and to see JR playing with a smile on his face and Jonny calling the shots it was like a blast from the past.

So much still to do but I have a sense of hope for the future (but I know a bad hangover coming)
 
Ellis played well but he was helped by a pack that put in donkey work by the spadeful and mauled the Scots off the pitch. If Ward-Smith had had the chance to run at gaps that size off the back of scrums and mauls he'd have had a hat-trick on debut.

Farrell was pretty competent although a more alert press defence will pick off one of those loopy mis-passes.

Nothing to add about Wilkinson's performance. Except maybe one of these :eek: No it wasn't a try, but he deserved the decision for having the presence of mind to 'finish' it the way he did. No doubt we'll have a few go against us later in the tournament.

Looking forward to Wales and Ireland now. I have this nagging suspicion that the leek munchers might sneak it.
 
It was a really good performance today by all, but og tto say, it wa the england pack who were outstanding for me today. I would think pretty much anyone could have played 9 or 10 today and had a good game, though Ellis for me was the outstanding payer of the game, his passing and vision were fantastic. Farrell played ok, i expected more form him though, probably just me with my Rugby League head on though. As for Wilkinson, outstanding kicking, his commitmant in play and defence were fantastic especially after the injuries he has suffered he wasn't afraid to put it on the line, though his try should never have stood (as above, anyone else it would be disallowed, but if the TMO steps in any RU pub in England he will be bough beer all night! ;)).

One thing that did get me though was the commentary, was it Brian Moore? Commenting when he reckoned Farrell missed a tackle 'Oooh look, the rugby league player missed a tackle!!!' noticed he never mentioned the other rugby league player scoring 2 tries!
 
Well done to England, much as it pains me to say it they deserved their win, however Wilkinson's 'try' should not have stood, it doesn't make an awful lot of difference in the final analysis but still it wasn't and shouldn't have counted. That said, Scotland didn't totally disgrace themselves, it wasn't great rugby by the team but nor was it terrible either, there were a couple of bounces that didn't go their way today but may have on another day. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom