It's such a fucking waste of a potentially potent back line.
The Official English Rugby Thread
I don't think he's as slow as you make out. Big stride and all that.Kawazaki wrote: ↑Sun Feb 12, 2023 12:18 pm
Don't misinterpret what I'm saying - I've said often, including in this thread, that Steward is a fine player. He even executes a skill to a very high standard, nearly as well as the Irish fullback does it. However, he's a fullback who can't run very quickly. That's as fundamentally out of sorts as saying a 6'2" lock is a brilliant scrummager or an 85kg prop is good at lifting in the lineout. What's missing just can't be ignored - it will manifest itself as a problem sooner or later.
The point you made the other day about his tackling is a lot more concerning.
It was the right decision in the circumstances, but I struggle to credit him because he's kicked so much anyway.
Give a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
Not entirely true. He's made a lot of passes. None of them telling, just shoveling ball on, but hey.
Arundell will save everything of course
He's passed a lot from set piece, in open play he's kicked an enormous amount.
Give a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
Progress of a sorts. Nice to see the England forwards dominating, but the second display was immensely frustrating. Maybe they were told to kick, everything but anyone with half a brain cell could see we didn't need to do that. I reckon I knew that at 14.
Farrell had shocker, Slade was meh, Lawrence did a good 12 job. JVP was mediocre, Mitchell looked much sharper when he came on. All the starting forwards did a good job IMO.
Farrell had shocker, Slade was meh, Lawrence did a good 12 job. JVP was mediocre, Mitchell looked much sharper when he came on. All the starting forwards did a good job IMO.
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el capitan
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Much better physicality, line speed, etc. this week. Willis bought a huge amount and set the tone the others could follow. Lawrence fulfilled his remit and set a platform with first phase carrying.
But... It was only Italy though, it has to be said. They might be improving, had their moments in patches (in fact played the best rugby when it stuck), but on the whole still a ton of weaknesses in their set up and that was a pretty poor performance from them, especially first half. Some due to us, a lot though their own making.
And for the defensive improvement, didn’t think much of the attacking game/structure and what we did with the ball. Considering we were winning the gain line, collisions, set piece, etc at will, didn’t do enough with it for me. That for all the dominance of several facets it was pushover tries and took till 70+ mins to get a score from something resembling open play was a bit disappointing in my opinion. Way too imprecise and lacking any real control on phase play still and too much kicking at the wrong moment. Shown nothing to worry the top tier teams as of yet.
But... It was only Italy though, it has to be said. They might be improving, had their moments in patches (in fact played the best rugby when it stuck), but on the whole still a ton of weaknesses in their set up and that was a pretty poor performance from them, especially first half. Some due to us, a lot though their own making.
And for the defensive improvement, didn’t think much of the attacking game/structure and what we did with the ball. Considering we were winning the gain line, collisions, set piece, etc at will, didn’t do enough with it for me. That for all the dominance of several facets it was pushover tries and took till 70+ mins to get a score from something resembling open play was a bit disappointing in my opinion. Way too imprecise and lacking any real control on phase play still and too much kicking at the wrong moment. Shown nothing to worry the top tier teams as of yet.
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Paddington Bear
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That went better than I’d feared but worse than the level we need to be at.
You have to start by remembering a week ago Italy should have beaten France and tore holes in them, they never did that today.
We can tick another couple of things off the list of colossal failings - line out/maul was excellent as was Lawrence.
Backline was very meh, Slade was awful and the kicking has already been done to death. Noteworthy every back (including Smith) were going for grubbers so clearly a tactic rather than the Great Satan that is Faz ad libbing. Regardless, bin it, we had five on threes on a number of occasions without testing them.
Defence largely pretty solid. Cole is a liability and needs hiding, his scrummaging does seem effective so can understand persisting with him.
Overall, job done for now, banana skin avoided, bring on the Welsh
You have to start by remembering a week ago Italy should have beaten France and tore holes in them, they never did that today.
We can tick another couple of things off the list of colossal failings - line out/maul was excellent as was Lawrence.
Backline was very meh, Slade was awful and the kicking has already been done to death. Noteworthy every back (including Smith) were going for grubbers so clearly a tactic rather than the Great Satan that is Faz ad libbing. Regardless, bin it, we had five on threes on a number of occasions without testing them.
Defence largely pretty solid. Cole is a liability and needs hiding, his scrummaging does seem effective so can understand persisting with him.
Overall, job done for now, banana skin avoided, bring on the Welsh
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember with advantages, What feats he did that day
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sockwithaticket
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Still no idea where we're at, all that match really seems to have demonstrated is that we can out-maul a smaller Italian pack.
Might be enough to do Wales if they're as poor as I think they are. Maybe not.
Might be enough to do Wales if they're as poor as I think they are. Maybe not.
Smith trying to create something from nothing with a kick through out wide on halfway in the last minutes isn't quite the same thing as repeatedly blowing attacking opportunities by kicking the ball into the dead goal area or straight to defenders, but I see we have the narrative now
Last edited by JM2K6 on Sun Feb 12, 2023 5:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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sockwithaticket
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Nah. If there's a time to throw on the likes of Arundell, Isiekwe, Earl etc.to give them more caps and pull off important starters like Genge and Willis so as not to expose them to injury risk, it's when 20 points to the good against Italy.
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Paddington Bear
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It’s not so much the narrative as the blindingly obvious. You don’t have to defend everything he does.JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 12, 2023 5:13 pm Smith trying to create something from nothing with a kick through out wide in the last minutes isn't quite the same thing as repeatedly blowing attacking opportunities by kicking the ball into the dead goal area or straight to defenders, but I see we have the narrative now
You can’t read anything into his cameo either way, particularly with the centre pairing he had.
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember with advantages, What feats he did that day
No, you do that with a settled and confident team, not a team that still doesn’t have a shape.sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sun Feb 12, 2023 5:15 pmNah. If there's a time to throw on the likes of Arundell, Isiekwe, Earl etc.to give them more caps and pull off important starters like Genge and Willis so as not to expose them to injury risk, it's when 20 points to the good against Italy.