The Official English Rugby Thread

[ASMO]

Eddie being Eddie, doubling down on his batshit decisions because he knows best. I am rapidly losing interest in the international side.

Same here. In fact, I'd go further and say I now hope England lose. This Jones-ego shite has just gone on long enough. He's an idiot.

Come off it - what's the point of claiming to be an England supporter if you're happy for us to lose to Wales

Short term pain for a long term gain, i agree fuck Eddie, i hope England get dry humped by the leekists and Eddie gets fucked off out of it.

[Ovals]

Same here. In fact, I'd go further and say I now hope England lose. This Jones-ego shite has just gone on long enough. He's an idiot.

Come off it - what's the point of claiming to be an England supporter if you're happy for us to lose to Wales

Short term pain for a long term gain, i agree fuck Eddie, i hope England get dry humped by the leekists and Eddie gets fucked off out of it.

I'll still be screaming at the tv, in support, on the day. But I won't lose any sleep over another loss - even to the Welsh.

[Raggs]

I'll be cheering the team and wanting the win. I'll be wanting to see more from them, and see how the side is developing, but there's no way I'm hoping for a Welsh win, or could claim I wouldn't be upset by one.

[JM2K6]

Paul Rees with more eulogies to Dan Carter while trying to tie in the problem with the current game and er, somehow making it clear he never really watched Dan Carter:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... ter-future

Some highlights

A side-effect is that it may dilute the machismo that has developed during rugby’s professional era when words and phrases such as big hits, physicality, bulking up, winning the collisions and brutality became everyday. Carter was a throwback to a time when greater emphasis was placed on bustle than muscle; the fly-half brought an elegance and refinement to an increasingly ugly sport.
...
From the moment he made his Test debut against Wales in Hamilton in 2003, scoring a try and showing his ghost-like running, drawing tacklers with an effortless grace and leaving them clutching air, he held a candle for those who were drawn to the game because of its contrast between the raw contest at forward and the array of skills behind.
...
Outside-halves became judged by their tackle count more than the way they led their side’s attack, but Carter was different. He was no doormat, but he did not measure himself by the number of bigger opponents he felled; tackling was part of his brief, but not of paramount importance.
...
the memory of Carter is either of him sidestepping away from a tackler or taking the outside shoulder and disappearing in a shimmer. He was far from slow, but his weapon was deception rather than flat-out speed.
...
Carter was an exceptional player with the attributes of a Welsh maestro of yore, self-confident, strutting and slippery, but he became an exception as the sport became preoccupied by size, with young backs constantly being told to get in the gym and return when they had added a few pounds of muscle.
...
The flurry of red cards provides an opportunity for the balance to be restored so that the Carters of the future are allowed to flourish rather than have to spend hours each week pumping iron.

That'll be the willowy Dan Carter who definitely wasn't a strong bloke who smashed people in the tackle and on the carry when he felt like it, playing alongside big physical specimens in basically every match, with a piston-handoff, and a sculpted gym physique that puts the likes of Ford, Burns, Sheedy, Russell et al to shame

What the fuck is Rees on

[Raggs]

Yeah, Carter was a solidly built fella, he'd not have been out of place in the centres, let alone fly half. I'd say he was probably more solidly built than the vast majority of international fly halves.

[JM2K6]

Someone in that thread pointed out Carter was 7kg heavier than George Ford.

[Bullet]

Either I'm missing something or ex professionals are having a laugh at England's expense. Another awful Lions selection, this one from Sam Warburton names Farrell at 10 and Youngs at 9 in his Lions XV

[ASMO]

Yeah, Carter was a solidly built fella, he'd not have been out of place in the centres, let alone fly half. I'd say he was probably more solidly built than the vast majority of international fly halves.

Yea, but he is no Andy Goode

[JM2K6]

Either I'm missing something or ex professionals are having a laugh at England's expense. Another awful Lions selection, this one from Sam Warburton names Farrell at 10 and Youngs at 9 in his Lions XV

If you've ever listened to Warburton on comms you'll know he's fucking nuts. As soon as a Welsh player does anything, they're in the Lions for him. He was touting johnny Williams for the Lions purely because he got picked for Wales. He just likes saying words and putting people in Lions teams.

[Paddington Bear]

Decided to spice things up for tomorrow

[Lobby]

Decided to spice things up for tomorrow

Shouldn't that be 'kick with 6 man overlap' or is that one reserved for Farrell?

[Woddy]

Decided to spice things up for tomorrow

Shouldn't that be 'kick with 6 man overlap' or is that one reserved for Farrell?

No one is capable of that play like Farrell: he can even do it without looking, and often does.

Daly is actually 5th on my list of drops:

1= Farrell
1= Youngs
3 Vunipola, B.
4 Whoever this week's 5.5 is.

Watson would have been in the list ahead of him too, but he's started playing better.

[Hal Jordan]

5.5s, we're devolving!

[sockwithaticket]

Decided to spice things up for tomorrow

Shouldn't that be 'kick with 6 man overlap' or is that one reserved for Farrell?

No one is capable of that play like Farrell: he can even do it without looking, and often does.

Daly is actually 5th on my list of drops:

1= Farrell
1= Youngs
3 Vunipola, B.
4 Whoever this week's 5.5 is.

Watson would have been in the list ahead of him too, but he's started playing better.

Lawes' injury should stay Eddie's hand when it comes to 5.5's, so we can shift Daly back to 4.

[Margin__Walker]

Teams for Wasps v LI tomorrow. JJ's 18yo brother set for a prem debut off the bench for LI

[Oxbow]

Spoiler

Show

Shouldn't that be 'kick with 6 man overlap' or is that one reserved for Farrell?

No one is capable of that play like Farrell: he can even do it without looking, and often does.

Daly is actually 5th on my list of drops:

1= Farrell
1= Youngs
3 Vunipola, B.
4 Whoever this week's 5.5 is.

Watson would have been in the list ahead of him too, but he's started playing better.

Lawes' injury should stay Eddie's hand when it comes to 5.5's, so we can shift Daly back to 4.

I wouldn't put it past Eddie to play Daly at lock

[Saint]

Spoiler

Show

No one is capable of that play like Farrell: he can even do it without looking, and often does.

Daly is actually 5th on my list of drops:

1= Farrell
1= Youngs
3 Vunipola, B.
4 Whoever this week's 5.5 is.

Watson would have been in the list ahead of him too, but he's started playing better.

Lawes' injury should stay Eddie's hand when it comes to 5.5's, so we can shift Daly back to 4.

I wouldn't put it past Eddie to play Daly at lock

Should be the next step up for Johnny May

[Kawazaki]

Yeah, Carter was a solidly built fella, he'd not have been out of place in the centres, let alone fly half. I'd say he was probably more solidly built than the vast majority of international fly halves.

Yea, but he is no Andy Goode

To be fair to Andy Goode, he still must have been a hell of a player to get paid to play Premiership level at that age, weight and levels of unfitness/power/strength. Teams would have targeted him relentlessly.

[Kawazaki]

Decided to spice things up for tomorrow

That's excellent, will pinch that!

Could also add;

Gets skinned on the outside by opposite number.

Misses tackle on opposite number.

Ball rolls out of ruck between his legs as he's looking up.

Takes quick tap and gets turned over.

Throws a hospital pass.

[tc27]

Pinching that.

Not hopeful TBH...thats a handy Welsh side apart from North at 13

[sockwithaticket]

Spoiler

Show

No one is capable of that play like Farrell: he can even do it without looking, and often does.

Daly is actually 5th on my list of drops:

1= Farrell
1= Youngs
3 Vunipola, B.
4 Whoever this week's 5.5 is.

Watson would have been in the list ahead of him too, but he's started playing better.

Lawes' injury should stay Eddie's hand when it comes to 5.5's, so we can shift Daly back to 4.

I wouldn't put it past Eddie to play Daly at lock

Christ, don't even put that out into the universe!

[Ovals]

Teams for Wasps v LI tomorrow. JJ's 18yo brother set for a prem debut off the bench for LI

Umaga @ 10

If Irish play like last week, we (Wasps) will get well beaten - again.

[sockwithaticket]

Ben Youngs Bingo is likely a lot safer* for participants than playing the drinking game based on his passing.

* I will concede that watching his antics sober is unlikely to do anything positive for viewers' blood pressure.

[Margin__Walker]

Wasps are clear favourites with the bookies. Pile in to LI if you're that way inclined Ovals.

Get the bonus of not really minding to much if you lose the bet, as Wasps have won.

[JM2K6]

Quins have rotated heavily for the Newcastle game.

Harlequins Starting XV
1. Joe Marler (212)
2. Elia Elia (63)
3. Wilco Louw (15)
4. Matt Symons (51)
5. Hugh Tizard (7)
6. Stephan Lewies (25) - Captain
7. Jack Kenningham (0)
8. James Chisholm (103)
9. Martin Landajo (26)
10. Marcus Smith (97)
11. Tyrone Green (5)
12. Andre Esterhuizen (12)
13. Luke Northmore (12)
14. Joe Marchant (100)
15. Aaron Morris (58)

Impact Players
16. Scott Baldwin (19)
17. Jordan Els (11)
18. Simon kerrod (37)
19. Glen Young (31)
20. Alex Dombrandt (63)
21. Danny Care (293)
22. Brett Herron (16)
23. Louis Lynagh (8)

Falcons (missing several, too):


15 Tom Penny
14 Adam Radwan
13 Matias Orlando
12 Luther Burrell
11 Ben Stevenson
10 Joel Hodgson
9 Louis Schreuder
1 Trevor Davison
2 George McGuigan
3 Logovi’i Mulipola
4 Greg Peterson
5 Marco Fuser
6 Sean Robinson (captain)
7 Philip van der Walt
8 Callum Chick

Replacements
16 Jamie Blamire
17 Adam Brocklebank
18 Mark Tampin
19 Darren Barry
20 John Hardie
21 Sam Stuart
22 Brett Connon
23 Mateo Carreras

Very pleased to see Kenningham given a start; there's been a lot of chat about him and with Will Evans out injured it's clear we need a good ball-thief at 7 and not just a big lump. De Carpentier probably a little unlucky as he's looked decent in his cameos and could've done a job at 6 or 7, but it's a great chance to see if Kenningham can give us something of what Evans brings to the table. Should be a good contest.

[sockwithaticket]

Teams for Wasps v LI tomorrow. JJ's 18yo brother set for a prem debut off the bench for LI

Umaga @ 10

If Irish play like last week, we (Wasps) will get well beaten - again.

I hope he's ready...

Porter back is pretty big, I think he's the best of our non-Robson options. However bringing him back in and Umaga to boot alongside benching Jimmy does little to halt the near constant chopping and changing at half back. Admittedly it's all largely been enforced rather than by choice, but it is a thing nonetheless. Centres are very much second choice.

Oghre returning after being a very stupid boy should add a little more to our breakdown threat which has been sorely lacking in the absence of Young and Willis.

Might need Toomaga-Allen to go the distance this week since our injury cover signing on the bench has only just joined the squad and isn't very good if I'm remembering him correctly.

[SaintK]

Ben Youngs Bingo is likely a lot safer* for participants than playing the drinking game based on his passing.

* I will concede that watching his antics sober is unlikely to do anything positive for viewers' blood pressure.

Pissed afterr 20 minutes I reckon

[sockwithaticket]

Ben Youngs Bingo is likely a lot safer* for participants than playing the drinking game based on his passing.

* I will concede that watching his antics sober is unlikely to do anything positive for viewers' blood pressure.

Pissed afterr 20 minutes I reckon

Depends on whether we've decided to hold onto possession at all or allow the opposition to have 75%+ as we often seem to do. Can't throw bad passes without the ball *taps head*

The game I heard was take a drink every time the ball goes above or behind the man, 2 for the pass going to floor and down for to no one and into touch.

I suppose, conversely, if one wished to retain a functional liver, drink each time the pass goes to the intended recipient's hands. Might get through a couple of pints over the 80 depending on how good a game he's having.

[Paddington Bear]

Ben Youngs Bingo is likely a lot safer* for participants than playing the drinking game based on his passing.

* I will concede that watching his antics sober is unlikely to do anything positive for viewers' blood pressure.

I apologise for giving the impression that this was also not a drinking game.

Got 8 mates doing it with different orders, two fingers for each one filled in, first one to get a full line nominates a pint. And so on.

[ASMO]

Sale v Exeter, 2 great tries, Cordero shows shades of Colby in his, one of the tries of the season for me.

[sockwithaticket]

Another round, another Saffa gets a card for something stupid. Only yellow this time, but that's luck of how the player landed.

Edit - followed by what looks to be a fairly straightforward red card decision the officials are agonising over.

[ASMO]

Another round, another Saffa gets a card for something stupid. Only yellow this time, but that's luck of how the player landed.

Edit - followed by what looks to be a fairly straightforward red card decision the officials are agonising over.

Just dumb by Yeandle, why did he even need to go in there?

[sockwithaticket]

Another round, another Saffa gets a card for something stupid. Only yellow this time, but that's luck of how the player landed.

Edit - followed by what looks to be a fairly straightforward red card decision the officials are agonising over.

Just dumb by Yeandle, why did he even need to go in there?

No idea what he was thinking, the Sale player was nowhere near the ball, wasn't a threat to it or even in a position to slow it down. Completely braindead to even be clearing him, let alone like that.

[ASMO]

Half decent game this

[sockwithaticket]

I'd be pretty angry with Ross there if I were McGuigan, if that goes wrong he's just taken me out with an opposition player.

[sockwithaticket]

Simmonds is going to set records this season.

[Tichtheid]

Exeter are getting the rub of the decisions

[ASMO]

Shocking decision there, that was no way an obstruction, Dixon is a shite ref

[sockwithaticket]

Shocking decision there, that was no way an obstruction, Dixon is a shite ref

Nah it's fine. Skinner's unlikely to reach and/or stop McGinty from there, but he has to have the opportunity to fail and de Jager prevents that. Seen it before and we'll see it again.

[Tichtheid]

Ridiculous “champions penalties” only now