The Official English Rugby Thread

[JM2K6]

When you've got a guy who is freakishly good at breaking tackles and getting through heavy contact, why not let him do his thing? It worked for quite a long time.

[Kawazaki]

When you've got a guy who is freakishly good at breaking tackles and getting through heavy contact, why not let him do his thing? It worked for quite a long time.

I don't wear Quins goggles when I watch him play.

I'll never be a fan of fullbacks who run with the ball tucked under their armpit. It's criminal.

[JM2K6]

This isn't a bias thing. This is just observing what Brown did very well for a long time. He'd carry well into contact and usually through it. Often he'd be the one taking the responsibility for going into contact, because he was better than the other backs and could guarantee quick ball or make a break. The passes came once he'd broken tackles (or just carry on running and score, I guess).

One-handed means you can hand people off, and if you've got a great hand-off, then that's pretty useful. Very few of these "fight like hell in contact" players do it without one hand free.

[Oxbow]

Both Lawes and Tuilagi off with serious-looking injuries already in the Saints v Sale game.

[Kawazaki]

This isn't a bias thing. This is just observing what Brown did very well for a long time. He'd carry well into contact and usually through it. Often he'd be the one taking the responsibility for going into contact, because he was better than the other backs and could guarantee quick ball or make a break. The passes came once he'd broken tackles (or just carry on running and score, I guess).

One-handed means you can hand people off, and if you've got a great hand-off, then that's pretty useful. Very few of these "fight like hell in contact" players do it without one hand free.

One-handed means you just make the decision easy for the defender. It means just one thing - he's taking contact.

Brown is the coelacanth of fullbacks.

[JM2K6]

This isn't a bias thing. This is just observing what Brown did very well for a long time. He'd carry well into contact and usually through it. Often he'd be the one taking the responsibility for going into contact, because he was better than the other backs and could guarantee quick ball or make a break. The passes came once he'd broken tackles (or just carry on running and score, I guess).

One-handed means you can hand people off, and if you've got a great hand-off, then that's pretty useful. Very few of these "fight like hell in contact" players do it without one hand free.

One-handed means you just make the decision easy for the defender. It means just one thing - he's taking contact.

Brown is the coelacanth of fullbacks.

Ah, Brown Bad again. Cool. Amazing how all those defenders knew he was taking contact and still couldn't tackle him. Never mind, eh.

[Kawazaki]

This isn't a bias thing. This is just observing what Brown did very well for a long time. He'd carry well into contact and usually through it. Often he'd be the one taking the responsibility for going into contact, because he was better than the other backs and could guarantee quick ball or make a break. The passes came once he'd broken tackles (or just carry on running and score, I guess).

One-handed means you can hand people off, and if you've got a great hand-off, then that's pretty useful. Very few of these "fight like hell in contact" players do it without one hand free.

One-handed means you just make the decision easy for the defender. It means just one thing - he's taking contact.

Brown is the coelacanth of fullbacks.

Ah, Brown Bad again. Cool. Amazing how all those defenders knew he was taking contact and still couldn't tackle him. Never mind, eh.

They do tackle him. About 10 yards behind his forwards. Been that way for the last decade.

[JM2K6]

There is literally no point repeating this dumb fucking argument where you just make stuff up and expect people to accept it as fact. No, that's not how Brown operated for a long time. This bonkers obsession of yours has to stop.


Luke James with his second. woohoo.

[Kawazaki]

There is literally no point repeating this dumb fucking argument where you just make stuff up and expect people to accept it as fact. No, that's not how Brown operated for a long time. This bonkers obsession of yours has to stop.


Luke James with his second. woohoo.

The man... the myth...

[JM2K6]

Raggs was right.

Sorry Raggs.

[Raggs]

Raggs was right.

Sorry Raggs.

No need to apologise for self development, consider it a growth opportunity. The Add Foe button is fairly clear :D.

[Kawazaki]

Raggs was right.

Sorry Raggs.

Brown could have been a much better player if he'd addressed his glaring errors. You'd have us all believe he never failed to break the gainline or even reach the gainline.

[JM2K6]

This is pretty gruesome viewing. It's not a bad Saints lineup at all getting gubbed here.

[ASMO]

Tampon getting utterly bummed

[Raggs]

This is pretty gruesome viewing. It's not a bad Saints lineup at all getting gubbed here.

There's been 3? bounces of the ball that have absolutely ruined Saints now that I've counted.

[SaintK]

This is pretty gruesome viewing. It's not a bad Saints lineup at all getting gubbed here.

Regressed big time since the season restarted
No idea why

[ASMO]

Naiyaravoro is a lazy cunt watch him for the 3rd Sale try jogging forwards then on the kick through, jogging backwards, no urgency not even a semblance of effort. He really is an empty shirt.

[JM2K6]

This is pretty gruesome viewing. It's not a bad Saints lineup at all getting gubbed here.

Regressed big time since the season restarted
No idea why

Bit of a lack of leadership in the games I've seen. Losing Reinach has been a hammer blow too. But yeah, difficult to explain.

[Kawazaki]

This is pretty gruesome viewing. It's not a bad Saints lineup at all getting gubbed here.

Regressed big time since the season restarted
No idea why

Alex Mitchell was red-faced and blowing really hard, the commentary team even called it out. Perhaps there's a clue?

[SaintK]

This is pretty gruesome viewing. It's not a bad Saints lineup at all getting gubbed here.

Regressed big time since the season restarted
No idea why

Alex Mitchell was red-faced and blowing really hard, the commentary team even called it out. Perhaps there's a clue?

Don’t think it’s fitness
Mitchell was blowing because of all the defensive covering he’d done

[JM2K6]

Sale are clearly taking the piss by playing Janse van Rensburg on the wing. Obviously trolling Naiyavoro.

[Oxbow]

At least Furbank has looked solid under the high ball. Small comforts.

[ASMO]

Sale are clearly taking the piss by playing Janse van Rensburg on the wing. Obviously trolling Naiyavoro.

They could put a prop on the wing and still gas him

[ASMO]

Naiyavoro showing just how utterly dogshit he is

[Kawazaki]

Naiyavoro showing just how utterly dogshit he is

Furbank is pushing him hard tbf.

[ASMO]

That Russian prop is a fairly substantial chap

[ASMO]

That wasn't much more than an opposed training run for Sale, Northampton were dire, and that is being kind.

[Hal Jordan]

Both Lawes and Tuilagi off with serious-looking injuries already in the Saints v Sale game.

Not good for them, but are we short at lock or outside centre? Tuilagi especially is basically a luxury at this point, you can't plan a team around him.

[SaintK]

Naiyavoro showing just how utterly dogshit he is

Furbank is pushing him hard tbf.

Naiyavoro is a waste of money and not offering anything
Furbank improved 2nd half but nothing like his early season form

[sockwithaticket]

Both Lawes and Tuilagi off with serious-looking injuries already in the Saints v Sale game.

Not good for them, but are we short at lock or outside centre? Tuilagi especially is basically a luxury at this point, you can't plan a team around him.

Without Lawes and Kruis, yes.

Leaves us with Itoje, Launch (who missed last night's game with a calf issue) and...?

Ewels has been solid, but unspectacular so far. Hill and Ribbans are promising, but completely green at international level. Eddie had Moon in the 6 Nations squad iirc, can't say i know much about the guy.

[Niegs]

This does not look good... my old achilles tendon injury just screamed a little looking at it.

[Oxbow]

Both Lawes and Tuilagi off with serious-looking injuries already in the Saints v Sale game.

Not good for them, but are we short at lock or outside centre? Tuilagi especially is basically a luxury at this point, you can't plan a team around him.

Without Lawes and Kruis, yes.

Leaves us with Itoje, Launch (who missed last night's game with a calf issue) and...?

Ewels has been solid, but unspectacular so far. Hill and Ribbans are promising, but completely green at international level. Eddie had Moon in the 6 Nations squad iirc, can't say i know much about the guy.

Moon looked promising last season and at the start of this season, but hasn't really played that much since the restart. I'd guess that he's been afflicted with the same malaise that's hanging over the rest of the Saints squad at the moment. I'd also guess that he perhaps only got near the England squad because Ribbans (who was in cracking form and being talked up a lot) got injured just before the squad was announced, I don't think Moon is ready for international level quite yet.

[Raggs]

So Twitter sucked me into doing another head to head ruck marks for Ben Curry and Jack Willis. Seemed interesting enough to do it, seeing as I'd written a bit of an article on those two from 2018.

Article: https://www.thedeadballarea.com/jack-wi ... -analysis/

The game from this August had Ben winning MOM, and Willis having a poor game by his standards.

The new marks show Ben Curry getting more involved than before I believe, but still occasionally to be found on the wing. Willis was used as a primary carrier far more often.

Curry was slightly more effective in defensive rucks than Willis, Willis slight more effective in attacking rucks. Once rucks that the player carried for are removed, Willis hit a far higher percentage of attacking rucks compared to Curry. Willis also came out with a high OPI/m than Curry.

Link for the latest ruck marks here:

[Margin__Walker]

Nice work Raggs. Too much time on your hands!

Exeter v LI teams for this evening. 17.30 is a really crap KO time btw with kids

[ASMO]

Chiefs putting out the B team then, they should still win at a canter.

[Margin__Walker]

Chiefs putting out the B team then, they should still win at a canter.

Ha, we'll see. Chiefs 7 point favourites with the bookies.

Mostly second string pack from LI with plenty of forwards still out, which isn't ideal against any Exeter team.

[JM2K6]

Two hefty midfield pairings there!

[sockwithaticket]

Feck, I hope that doesn't mean they'll be putting out the first team for the game against Wasps.

Brophy-Clews is a name I haven't seen in a hot minute.

[Margin__Walker]

Two hefty midfield pairings there!

Phil's actually not that outsized. Is a fair bit shorter than his brother. Highly rated as he's been given a senior contract just after his 19th birthday.

He'll be looking for a performance though, as his limited premiership career so far has been punctuated by him dropping the ball at every opportunity. Needs a bit of confidence.

Looking forward to see Hinkley at 8 for Exeter. Really like him as a player and interesting to See is Baxter sees him as a Simmonds type of smaller 8.

[Margin__Walker]

Feck, I hope that doesn't mean they'll be putting out the first team for the game against Wasps.

Brophy-Clews is a name I haven't seen in a hot minute.

Just a horror show on the injury front. One after another. Least robust rugby player since JSD.

Fingers crossed this time