The Official English Rugby Thread

[JM2K6]

There's also always the question of whoyou replace them with. Sink is our best tighthead without question. Mako has weaknesses in the scrum but normally does ok with good locks. Outside of the scrum he's a beast with an insane workrate.

Genge is 26 so young in international prop terms and well worth investing in.

Farrell at 12 is less and less of an issue as he carries more in games. But FFS doesn't work as a combo. I want to see more of Lawrence at 13 but he has work to do to hold it over other potentials.

Genuinely think Farrell's barely international standard carrying this tournament has hoodwinked people. Yes, in a couple of matches it was better than he normally manages. It still didn't amount to much. He's a donkey.

[sockwithaticket]

It's like Youngs against France - he's been so shit for so long that any time he plays at the level of a centurion international scrum half it looks like he's having a blinder. Farrell has raised himself in the last couple of games, but he's still just adequate as an international centre and still does a lot of things that hamper our attack.

[Slick]

I'm not fussed on Genge. He's not really getting a lot better and isn't good enough to carry the aggro. Marler still our best LH, but obviously less likely to be a long term option.

Sinkler is fine. I actually don't mind Ewels as 4th/5th choice locks go, but there are clearly much better options. Hill on the other hand is one that is clearly helped massively by playing for that Exeter team. Not up to much at all.

I think Genge has grown up being a tough guy and is yet to realise that at international level that doesn’t raise an eyebrow amongst extremely tough people. Sinkler came in with a similar attitude and changed pretty quickly which also made him a much better player.

[Margin__Walker]

I'm not fussed on Genge. He's not really getting a lot better and isn't good enough to carry the aggro. Marler still our best LH, but obviously less likely to be a long term option.

Sinkler is fine. I actually don't mind Ewels as 4th/5th choice locks go, but there are clearly much better options. Hill on the other hand is one that is clearly helped massively by playing for that Exeter team. Not up to much at all.

I think Genge has grown up being a tough guy and is yet to realise that at international level that doesn’t raise an eyebrow amongst extremely tough people. Sinkler came in with a similar attitude and changed pretty quickly which also made him a much better player.

Pretty much. Genge is 26 now, not some young tyro. The aggro and attitude is pretty boring and gets him nowhere on the pitch. Different position, but someone like Curry plays with just as much aggression. Just with more skill and less attitude.

Still plenty of time on his side, but he's definitely at a crossroads.

[Margin__Walker]

He's also such an easy target for the opposition. Hold him in a ruck and he'll do something stupid every time.

[Raggs]

There's also always the question of whoyou replace them with. Sink is our best tighthead without question. Mako has weaknesses in the scrum but normally does ok with good locks. Outside of the scrum he's a beast with an insane workrate.

Genge is 26 so young in international prop terms and well worth investing in.

Farrell at 12 is less and less of an issue as he carries more in games. But FFS doesn't work as a combo. I want to see more of Lawrence at 13 but he has work to do to hold it over other potentials.

Genuinely think Farrell's barely international standard carrying this tournament has hoodwinked people. Yes, in a couple of matches it was better than he normally manages. It still didn't amount to much. He's a donkey.

I'm very aware of his weaknesses. He'll never be beating the defence easily but by running a little he stops an immediate drift, which is what was happening. Then he passes further out and it's no use, or kicks because he sees the defence has already drifted.

I'd still like to look at other options but fornow I'd drop slade over Farrell.

[Saint]

Pirates doing a bit of a number on Bedford. 20 points to 7 before half time and the BP wrapped up, just haven;t managed to land a single conversion

[Margin__Walker]

Pirates doing a bit of a number on Bedford. 20 points to 7 before half time and the BP wrapped up, just haven;t managed to land a single conversion

Going great this season. Is it back to a top 4 playoff this year?

[SaintK]

I'm not fussed on Genge. He's not really getting a lot better and isn't good enough to carry the aggro. Marler still our best LH, but obviously less likely to be a long term option.

Sinkler is fine. I actually don't mind Ewels as 4th/5th choice locks go, but there are clearly much better options. Hill on the other hand is one that is clearly helped massively by playing for that Exeter team. Not up to much at all.

I think Genge has grown up being a tough guy and is yet to realise that at international level that doesn’t raise an eyebrow amongst extremely tough people. Sinkler came in with a similar attitude and changed pretty quickly which also made him a much better player.

Pretty much. Genge is 26 now, not some young tyro. The aggro and attitude is pretty boring and gets him nowhere on the pitch. Different position, but someone like Curry plays with just as much aggression. Just with more skill and less attitude.

Still plenty of time on his side, but he's definitely at a crossroads.

Reckon he'll be getting quite a few weeks off to reflect on where he is

[Margin__Walker]

Yeah saw that.

That and the incident against Wales was what I was referring to when I mentioned him being an easy target for the opposition holding him in rucks. Guaranteed to lose his shit if the game's going badly.

Will be interesting to see what comes of it, as he doesn't actually strike him with the elbow. Assume there's something in the law book to cover it though. Stupid either way

[Saint]

Pirates doing a bit of a number on Bedford. 20 points to 7 before half time and the BP wrapped up, just haven;t managed to land a single conversion

Going great this season. Is it back to a top 4 playoff this year?

2 legged playoff for the top 2 only. 11 teams, everyone playing 10 matches only - 5 home, 5 away

[JM2K6]

Yeah, it's grubby but if it had been picked up during the game it's a yellow, not a red.

[SaintK]

Yeah, it's grubby but if it had been picked up during the game it's a yellow, not a red.

It's on Sexton, so he'll probably get a free pass

[Margin__Walker]

Cool. Definitely in with a shout.

Ealing beating Sarries again would really blow the doors off everything.

[Saint]

Cool. Definitely in with a shout.

Ealing beating Sarries again would really blow the doors off everything.

Yeah, if Ealing could beat Sarries then there's a strong chance Sarries finish 3rd or lower

27-7

[Lobby]

Yeah, it's grubby but if it had been picked up during the game it's a yellow, not a red.

It was picked up; the ref told Genge to calm down.

[SaintK]

Cool. Definitely in with a shout.

Ealing beating Sarries again would really blow the doors off everything.

[Paddington Bear]

Loz echoing a lot of what’s being said on here about England on BT

[Oxbow]

What the fuck is up with Nathan Hughes's hair?

[sockwithaticket]

That was a cracking run and try from Purdy.

On Hughes' hair - I think a lot of the shit lids we see come from lads being too big for anyone to tell them it looks horrible.

[Saint]

We're playing a bit too much rugby at the moment

[sockwithaticket]

Good time for Saints to get on the board. Was starting to think they were going to punch themselves out on the white wall of Bristol's defence, but a well worked score.

[SaintK]

What the fuck is up with Nathan Hughes's hair?

Everything!

[SaintK]

Good time for Saints to get on the board. Was starting to think they were going to punch themselves out on the white wall of Bristol's defence, but a well worked score.

Lovely conversion as well
Good game

[Margin__Walker]

LI lucky to only be 19 - 3 down at Sale.

Sale away has been unrelentingly grim for us for the last decade or so.

[Saint]

Ridiculous bounce

[sockwithaticket]

Loving this game. Both teams really trying to play.

[sockwithaticket]

Agree with Austin, subbing Grayson seems like an odd call when he doesn't look injured and has been playing very well.

[Saint]

We seem to have a habit of subbing off halfbacks who are playing very well

[sockwithaticket]

Furbank really has been looking back in form t. Him and Freeman in tandem is looking tasty.

[Saint]

Yeah, Furbank's really re-found his game over the last month or so

[Saint]

Way too many basic errors

[Paddington Bear]

Enjoyable stuff

[Saint]

Oh FFS

[sockwithaticket]

Squeaky bum finish for both sides. Who will take the win?

Edit - crikey. Barely clicked submit and Uren does that!

[Hal Jordan]

We seem to have a habit of subbing off halfbacks who are playing very well

Certainly did the job.

For Bristol...

[Oxbow]

Ah fuck's sake.

[fishfoodie]

that was quite a nice try

[sockwithaticket]

Uren with MotM, where's ASMO?

[Margin__Walker]

LI lucky to only be 19 - 3 down at Sale.

Sale away has been unrelentingly grim for us for the last decade or so.

Finishes 43 - 13.

Was actually a better 2nd half from LI, but they threw two intercepts that Sale ran in and managed to concede another try in injury time when Sale were down to 13 men.

Thoroughly depressing weekend on the rugby front. .