NPR

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Thu Dec 03, 2020 8:44 am Steep but you can understand why - they're leaning on the generosity of the hard core

They know the score.

This weeks 'The Next Level' is worth watching - its about the analysts.



Also interesting that to motivate the team vs Wales they made them watch 'Us long as we beat the English' by the Stereophonics.

tc27 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 03, 2020 9:30 am This weeks 'The Next Level' is worth watching - its about the analysts.



Also interesting that to motivate the team vs Wales they made them watch 'Us long as we beat the English' by the Stereophonics.

It's one of the things I like the most about Eddie being in charge - he actively encourages the side to have a bit more bite. They want to smash us, we want to smash them.

Fascinating video.

It is a long way from "Congratulations, you have been selected for England. Turn up at Twickenham by 2pm on Saturday and remember to bring your own socks".

A6D6E6 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 03, 2020 11:58 am Fascinating video.

It is a long way from "Congratulations, you have been selected for England. Turn up at Twickenham by 2pm on Saturday and remember to bring your own socks".

There must have been a number of players who missed out on caps because the train was late, meaning they had to ring round for a replacement.

Hal Jordan wrote: ↑Thu Dec 03, 2020 1:30 pm

A6D6E6 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 03, 2020 11:58 am Fascinating video.

It is a long way from "Congratulations, you have been selected for England. Turn up at Twickenham by 2pm on Saturday and remember to bring your own socks".

There must have been a number of players who missed out on caps because the train was late, meaning they had to ring round for a replacement.

I've told the story before but an older mate of mine tells of being at Heathrow checking in to fly to NZ for an England tour when the apparently injured player he was replacing turned up and said he was fine. My mate gets told he's not going and to head home.

Team

15. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 46 caps)
14. Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 45 caps)
13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 33 caps)
12. Owen Farrell (C) (Saracens, 87 caps)
11. Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 60 caps)
10. George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 71 caps)
9. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 103 caps)

1. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 63 caps)
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 53 caps)
3. Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears, 39 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 42 caps)
5. Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 68 caps)
6. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 27 caps)
7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 21 caps)
8. Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 55 caps)


16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 25 caps)
17. Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 22 caps)
18. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 7 caps)
19. Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs, 3 caps)
20. Ben Earl (Bristol Bears, 7 caps)
21. Dan Robson (Wasps, 6 caps)
22. Max Malins (Bristol Bears, 2 caps)
23. Joe Marchant (Harlequins, 4 caps)

Isn't it exciting.

Ben Youngs has more caps than the whole french team combined.

England by 30

One of those games you can't win really. Lose and you're a laughing stock, win small and it looks like a loss, win big and that's just what you are expected to do and it's all a bit of a waste of time.

Margin__Walker wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 11:58 am One of those games you can't win really. Lose and you're a laughing stock, win small and it looks like a loss, win big and that's just what you are expected to do and it's all a bit of a waste of time.

That was my take too. To be honest, another competent display would satisfy me. The French will test our defence, even without star names, more than the other sides we've faced, so let's show that we can stop them.

Raggs wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:17 pm

Margin__Walker wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 11:58 am One of those games you can't win really. Lose and you're a laughing stock, win small and it looks like a loss, win big and that's just what you are expected to do and it's all a bit of a waste of time.

That was my take too. To be honest, another competent display would satisfy me. The French will test our defence, even without star names, more than the other sides we've faced, so let's show that we can stop them.

Yep. It's been a shit year, England winning two trophies would be something at least.

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:42 pm

Raggs wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:17 pm

Margin__Walker wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 11:58 am One of those games you can't win really. Lose and you're a laughing stock, win small and it looks like a loss, win big and that's just what you are expected to do and it's all a bit of a waste of time.

That was my take too. To be honest, another competent display would satisfy me. The French will test our defence, even without star names, more than the other sides we've faced, so let's show that we can stop them.

Yep. It's been a shit year, England winning two trophies would be something at least.

England by 15

I'm happy for people to care about this (or even the 6N, tbh) but I can't say that I do.

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:42 pm

Raggs wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:17 pm

Margin__Walker wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 11:58 am One of those games you can't win really. Lose and you're a laughing stock, win small and it looks like a loss, win big and that's just what you are expected to do and it's all a bit of a waste of time.

That was my take too. To be honest, another competent display would satisfy me. The French will test our defence, even without star names, more than the other sides we've faced, so let's show that we can stop them.

Yep. It's been a shit year, England winning two trophies would be something at least.

One trophy. They might have bought one for this collection of matches, but it has no more legitimacy than the Garibaldi cup they hand out after France-Italy games.

I just want to see us build a bit more on the attacking green shoots from last week.

It's hide behind the sofa time again for Saints fans

Well, that was unexpected

And again

Be interesting to see if they can keep this up.

edit - oops. Sorry, Saints fans...

This game is reasonably watchable for the neutral fan.

Dinsdale Piranha wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 8:14 pm This game is reasonably watchable for the neutral fan.

Was just thinking that. It might not be the most polished rugby you'll see, but they're both actually trying to play a bit and gettng it right often enough.

As nice as that try was, it can't stand due to that ruck knock on.

Uren really is toilet, bring on Randall

Alex Mitchell looks a good decade's worth of sleepless nights older than he is.

Piers Francis failing yet another HIA

The mullet is serious bin juice

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:09 pm Alex Mitchell looks a good decade's worth of sleepless nights older than he is.

Piers Francis failing yet another HIA

That poor sod is CTE ground zero.

Christ, I can't take much more ofbthis

Saints desperate to give away a penalty while the officials are desperate not to give it. Christ even if it's just a knock on there's a guy a mile offside deliberately playing it after that

Bristol should've walked that if not for the mullet masquerading as a ten. Hard lines for Saints.

Just relegate us now and we can take the rest of the season off

Saint wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:42 pm Just relegate us now and we can take the rest of the season off

It's weird. You have a lot of good players, and a coach who was working wonders at the start. That team should not be as bad as it is.

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:57 pm

Saint wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:42 pm Just relegate us now and we can take the rest of the season off

It's weird. You have a lot of good players, and a coach who was working wonders at the start. That team should not be as bad as it is.

Well, we are. The same could be said if at least one of our other relegation. Looks like a very familiar pattern to one of the long suffering

Saint wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 10:27 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:57 pm

Saint wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:42 pm Just relegate us now and we can take the rest of the season off

It's weird. You have a lot of good players, and a coach who was working wonders at the start. That team should not be as bad as it is.

Well, we are. The same could be said if at least one of our other relegation. Looks like a very familiar pattern to one of the long suffering

No legislating for the retard factor. Deliberate knock on to hand game at the death. Almost upset of the season and maybe Stains should give up home "advantage".

Wasps help Newcastle to a comfortable win at the Ricoh with an astonishing number of handling errors and a godawful intercept (Sopoaga needs to go somewhere else...) plus neither kicker landing any of their attempts until the last kick of the game. Injuries/absences at lock and back row not helping.

Feels bad.

Sopoaga was genuinely garbage. Umaga was basically piss again, too.

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 5:08 pm Sopoaga was genuinely garbage. Umaga was basically piss again, too.

Yeah, he's really not thriving with so much more of the decision making falling upon his shoulders. the 8 - 9 - 10 - 12 spine is very inexperienced without Shields and Robson.

Mako V out with an ankle injury, Genge starts, Marler to the bench. That is depth.

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 5:28 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 5:08 pm Sopoaga was genuinely garbage. Umaga was basically piss again, too.

Yeah, he's really not thriving with so much more of the decision making falling upon his shoulders. the 8 - 9 - 10 - 12 spine is very inexperienced without Shields and Robson.

You had Jimmy Gopperth playing 12, no?

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 6:39 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 5:28 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 5:08 pm Sopoaga was genuinely garbage. Umaga was basically piss again, too.

Yeah, he's really not thriving with so much more of the decision making falling upon his shoulders. the 8 - 9 - 10 - 12 spine is very inexperienced without Shields and Robson.

You had Jimmy Gopperth playing 12, no?

Yep, but the experience level of Shields - Robson - Umaga - Gopperth is vastly different to Barbeary - Wolstenholme - Umaga - Gopperth

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 5:08 pm Sopoaga was genuinely garbage. Umaga was basically piss again, too.

I've not understood the Umaga hype. Of the young group coming through he's behind Simmonds, Smith and Vunipola in my opinion just in terms of his consistency and error-rate. Malins is also a better 10.

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Sun Dec 06, 2020 8:13 am

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 5:08 pm Sopoaga was genuinely garbage. Umaga was basically piss again, too.

I've not understood the Umaga hype. Of the young group coming through he's behind Simmonds, Smith and Vunipola in my opinion just in terms of his consistency and error-rate. Malins is also a better 10.

Wasps were genuinely awful, the players mentioned should hand back their weeks wages, disgraceful levels of skills on show. I would add both scrum halfs into the mix, championship level at best, and i am being generous with that assessment.