NPR

inactionman wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:33 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:30 pm Restarts are definitely a work on in the week ahead. Christ.

Lineouts haven't been too clever either

Tuipolutu has been extremely bad at everything that doesn't involve running into someone

Did look a bit in at the side from the England player, but the arriving Irish player who formed the ruck dolphin flopped from the side himself. Pick your penalty really.

JM2K6 wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:33 pm Enjoy the co commentator seamlessly switching from calling the Ireland 20 "unlucky" for conceding the penalty try to losing her mind over Friday cleaning out a player 1v1 from a slight angle

There's a bit too much cheerleading

inactionman wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:33 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:30 pm Restarts are definitely a work on in the week ahead. Christ.

Lineouts haven't been too clever either

I know it's not all the hooker's fault usually, but it does feel like that problem can be resolved with a simple personnel switch.

sockwithaticket wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:35 pm

inactionman wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:33 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:30 pm Restarts are definitely a work on in the week ahead. Christ.

Lineouts haven't been too clever either

I know it's not all the hooker's fault usually, but it does feel like that problem can be resolved with a simple personnel switch.

The weather's not great which doesn't help, but I'd agree that there's been a few too many wonky throws.

Maybe have a separate thread for the 20's?

inactionman wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:36 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:35 pm

inactionman wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:33 pm

Lineouts haven't been too clever either

I know it's not all the hooker's fault usually, but it does feel like that problem can be resolved with a simple personnel switch.

The weather's not great which doesn't help, but I'd agree that there's been a few too many wonky throws.

Quoting myself, but god above that was squiff. I know the ref can let it go if Ireland don't compete, but he should call that one on principle.

Uncle fester wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:41 pm Maybe have a separate thread for the 20's?

No. You'll have to sit there and take it.

Take the win, draw a line under it. Hopefully much, much better next time out.

Nice to see an English pack monstering the maul and round the fringes. Are we verging on being back?

Given it's away and in horrendous conditions, that's a serious win. That period when it was 13v16 and England came out on top was huge. Far too many errors to be happy with the performance overall but a great result. Well done baby orcs

Paddington Bear wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:46 pm Nice to see an English pack monstering the maul and round the fringes. Are we verging on being back?

England are always physically strong at underage level.

Uncle fester wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:52 pm

Paddington Bear wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:46 pm Nice to see an English pack monstering the maul and round the fringes. Are we verging on being back?

England are always physically strong at underage level.

This is orders of magnitude different to normal, this is a monster age group

Paddington Bear wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:56 pm

Uncle fester wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:52 pm

Paddington Bear wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:46 pm Nice to see an English pack monstering the maul and round the fringes. Are we verging on being back?

England are always physically strong at underage level.

This is orders of magnitude different to normal, this is a monster age group

I'm used to seeing us getting mangled in scrums in this age group but we were getting beasted everywhere.

Uncle fester wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:41 pm Maybe have a separate thread for the 20's?

Thank you! Had no idea what the fuck you were all on about and then JMK threw in a Tuipolotu reference and I genuinely thought I was dreaming

Anyway, one more sleep

Slick wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 10:10 pm

Uncle fester wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:41 pm Maybe have a separate thread for the 20's?

Thank you! Had no idea what the fuck you were all on about and then JMK threw in a Tuipolotu reference and I genuinely thought I was dreaming

Clearly a sweatie poach.

inactionman wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 7:38 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 7:31 pm

fishfoodie wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 6:50 pm U20's Ireland V England on tonight at 19:45 GMT

Match is live on BBC Red Button 1, & Virgin 2 in Ireland

Usually much more entertaining than the main event match

Thanks for that, I had it in my head that it was Friday!

Me too - ta to fishfoodie for pointer

Sadly it seems like three posts in a row wasn't enough to explain to our more elderly readers what was about to be the topic of discussion. We'll have to try harder next time.

Welcome back for 2025

France will lose at least one game, Wales will lose at least five, England will surprise*.

Luton Airport and RyanAir before 6 is an emotional combination but my flight has cost less than a tenth of the cost of my ticket. England by 10





*this can be read either way allowing me to declare victory regardless

Having seen the Irish team, I'm a little concerned.

Paddington Bear wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:46 pm Nice to see an English pack monstering the maul and round the fringes. Are we verging on being back?

When did baby Orcs go away?

Uncle fester wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 8:12 am Having seen the Irish team, I'm a little concerned.

The subs bench looks like an invitations Vets 7's team

I saw a graphic that listed the average Ireland squad age as 29.4.

And that's without POM in the team.

So apart from PB, anyone else going to the games this weekend?

I'm having a weekend off as will be at Ireland and Wales at Murrayfield and England in the Theatre of Silence. Also have half an eye on Paris.

In a broad sense yes. Saints U18's v Tigers U18's

I'll be on my best consolation behaviour at Murrayfield for Ireland.

Had an offer of a few England tickets - the France game clashes with above (and I'd rather not have to watch England shipping 30 again) and although I'd quite enjoy going down to watch England-Italy I'd rather save it for the away game.

Couldn't land an England Scotland one, they proved very popular in our club ballot. Obviously the Bath lustre bestowed on Finn Russell.

inactionman wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 12:18 pm I'll be on my best consolation behaviour at Murrayfield for Ireland.

Had an offer of a few England tickets - the France game clashes with above (and I'd rather not have to watch England shipping 30 again) and although I'd quite enjoy going down to watch England-Italy I'd rather save it for the away game.

Couldn't land an England Scotland one, they proved very popular in our club ballot. Obviously the Bath lustre bestowed on Finn Russell.

Well this isn't a great start to our day out

Slick wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 12:25 pm

inactionman wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 12:18 pm I'll be on my best consolation behaviour at Murrayfield for Ireland.

Had an offer of a few England tickets - the France game clashes with above (and I'd rather not have to watch England shipping 30 again) and although I'd quite enjoy going down to watch England-Italy I'd rather save it for the away game.

Couldn't land an England Scotland one, they proved very popular in our club ballot. Obviously the Bath lustre bestowed on Finn Russell.

Well this isn't a great start to our day out

Did I ever tell you I'm half-Irish?

I'm just back home so catching up on the U20s match from last night.

I'd echo the posts above about the England pack, they are feckin monsters. I'm only 17 minutes in, England have had a huge back row player sent off and the next scrum was the first time they had a clean go at the Irish 8 - they sent them accelerating back at an alarming rate.

Kpoku (who got the red) has been monstering big French players in the top14, too.

Shame we didn't have a functioning lineout.

Uncle fester wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 8:12 am Having seen the Irish team, I'm a little concerned.

It's the haircuts, right?

inactionman wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 12:30 pm

Slick wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 12:25 pm

inactionman wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 12:18 pm I'll be on my best consolation behaviour at Murrayfield for Ireland.

Had an offer of a few England tickets - the France game clashes with above (and I'd rather not have to watch England shipping 30 again) and although I'd quite enjoy going down to watch England-Italy I'd rather save it for the away game.

Couldn't land an England Scotland one, they proved very popular in our club ballot. Obviously the Bath lustre bestowed on Finn Russell.

Well this isn't a great start to our day out

Did I ever tell you I'm half-Irish?

No, no you didn't

Slick wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 1:33 pm

inactionman wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 12:30 pm

Slick wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 12:25 pm

Well this isn't a great start to our day out

Did I ever tell you I'm half-Irish?

No, no you didn't

I'll bring the hat

JM2K6 wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 12:57 pm Kpoku (who got the red) has been monstering big French players in the top14, too.

You know what I said about T14 giving young players game time versus the Prem's attitude.............

Uncle fester wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 10:08 pm

Paddington Bear wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:56 pm

Uncle fester wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2025 9:52 pm

England are always physically strong at underage level.

This is orders of magnitude different to normal, this is a monster age group

I'm used to seeing us getting mangled in scrums in this age group but we were getting beasted everywhere.

New coach & a number of promising players have now moved up, so it looks like this is a rebuilding year; not ideal getting England 1st up.

So long as they get better thru the remaining games it's all good.

Team of 4 (To4) sounds like a pop idol act put together by the judges.

ITV still shite at rugby then

This is dire on ITV, 10 minutes until KO of the 6 Nations and its funereal

Slick wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 7:50 pm This is dire on ITV, 10 minutes until KO of the 6 Nations and its funereal

Quarter past KO in Paris.

So you have 20 minutes of ITV sh*te to endure.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 7:53 pm

Slick wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 7:50 pm This is dire on ITV, 10 minutes until KO of the 6 Nations and its funereal

Quarter past KO in Paris.

So you have 20 minutes of ITV sh*te to endure.