NPR

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:20 am Smith has to be commended for the way he handled the pressure and helped us come from behind. He hasn't cut apart anyone in the last two tests but then that can't be a surprise given how large the gap in standard between Tier 1 test sides and the Prem is.

What's striking though is how much fear he seemed to put into both SA and Australia. He's clearly being double marked which opens up a lot of opportunities with a second distributor.

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:47 am

Slick wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:30 am

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:14 am Slick is always on the lookout for any sign of English hype - eyes like a hawk, that guy. Seems to have forgotten he thought Smith was the best 10 on the Lions tour mind.

Oh, and he has form with Smith

Oh dear.

Apologies all. Smith was utterly amazing, probably the best thing to come out of England and definitely the best to come out of Quins which is also the greatest rugby club in the world, like, eva.

Someone didn't like the mirror, I see

Slick wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:54 am

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:47 am

Slick wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:30 am

Oh dear.

Apologies all. Smith was utterly amazing, probably the best thing to come out of England and definitely the best to come out of Quins which is also the greatest rugby club in the world, like, eva.

Someone didn't like the mirror, I see

It's just a bit bizarre to be honest.

Tried very hard to make it clear I wasn't down on Smith just wanted a chat about the game at the weekend. A fellow Quins supporter agreed, and a fellow England supporter gave him some cautious backing, but you came out all guns blazing having gone to the trouble of searching for past comments, then use one where I make it clear again it's a genuine question because I hadn't seem much of him.

I have also posted 4 or 5 times this weekend about how amazing Steward is and I seem to be the one giving him more hype than any England supporter.

As I say, bizarre.

Slick wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:54 am

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:47 am

Slick wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:30 am

Oh dear.

Apologies all. Smith was utterly amazing, probably the best thing to come out of England and definitely the best to come out of Quins which is also the greatest rugby club in the world, like, eva.

Someone didn't like the mirror, I see

It's just a bit bizarre to be honest.

Tried very hard to make it clear I wasn't down on Smith just wanted a chat about the game at the weekend. A fellow Quins supporter agreed, and a fellow England supporter gave him some cautious backing, but you came out all guns blazing having gone to the trouble of searching for past comments, then use one where I make it clear again it's a genuine question because I hadn't seem much of him.

I have also posted 4 or 5 times this weekend about how amazing Steward is and I seem to be the one giving him more hype than any England supporter.

As I say, bizarre.

Slick wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 9:51 am

assfly wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 6:05 am Congratulations England. Can't argue with 3 (very good) tries to 1.

Smith and Steward look like very bright stars for the future.

Was Smith really that good? I think he is very talented and that was a hell of a game for his first start (?) but I've read a lot this weekend about how amazing he was and I didn't really see that. To be clear, I'm not saying he is anything but a very talented young player, but there does seem to be an element of hype.

Steward was awesome and I think will be the difference in a good few games in the 6N. He was on Saturday.

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:07 pm A man who is so drunk he can't speak and vomits on a child is very much distinguishable from someone who's had a couple too many.

Raggs wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:50 pm Think Eddie deserves a bit of credit here. We had a scrum that was absolutely mullered, but managed to buy a couple of penalties early on. A lineout that was severely under the pump too. Playing a truly destructive mauling team too, where again the older/stronger looseheads could have helped a lot being on earlier.

And yet, despite being so enormously behind on the penalty count, we won...

Raggs wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:50 pm Think Eddie deserves a bit of credit here. We had a scrum that was absolutely mullered, but managed to buy a couple of penalties early on. A lineout that was severely under the pump too. Playing a truly destructive mauling team too, where again the older/stronger looseheads could have helped a lot being on earlier.

And yet, despite being so enormously behind on the penalty count, we won...

Torquemada 1420 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:59 pm

Raggs wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:50 pm Think Eddie deserves a bit of credit here. We had a scrum that was absolutely mullered, but managed to buy a couple of penalties early on. A lineout that was severely under the pump too. Playing a truly destructive mauling team too, where again the older/stronger looseheads could have helped a lot being on earlier.

And yet, despite being so enormously behind on the penalty count, we won...

You won largely because SA refused to play any rugby. OK: you can only play what's in front of you but even Jones cannot dictate how opponents choose to squander possession.

As for those pens, Owens has commented in the Torygraph that they were incorrect as was the decision not to bin Ewels "it was definitely head shot with a swinging arm. That has to constitute foul play."

robmatic wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:30 am

Slick wrote: ↑Sun Nov 21, 2021 4:57 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 21, 2021 1:35 pm

Georgia are complete shit, yeah. It's been a long time since they were realistically good enough to consider adding to the 6N.

They are a bit, but they do seem to have the rugby infrastructure to improve rapidly if given a bit of an investment in time and money

There are some oligarch types in Georgia who are willing to invest in rugby, apparently. But there is also a certain amount of political risk which the 6N would have to take into account - the likelihood of coups, civil unrest etc. In playing terms they are way off being even at the standard of Italy and when Scotland became the first Tier 1 country to visit Georgia a couple of years ago they could only fill half the stadium. There is definitely more interest in the games they have against Russia.

Tbilisi is a decent weekend trip though.

SaintK wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:56 pm So from the matches I watched this autumn
Best Team
Ireland.

Best Match
France v All Blacks

Best Player(s)
Caelen Doris, Gael Fickou. Honourable mentions to Eben Etzebeth and Damian De Allende

Best young player
Freddie Steward

Best try
Nayacalevu for Fiji against Wales

Best nearly try
The breakout by N'Tamack from behind his own goal line against the AB's

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:54 pm

Raggs wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:50 pm Think Eddie deserves a bit of credit here. We had a scrum that was absolutely mullered, but managed to buy a couple of penalties early on. A lineout that was severely under the pump too. Playing a truly destructive mauling team too, where again the older/stronger looseheads could have helped a lot being on earlier.

And yet, despite being so enormously behind on the penalty count, we won...

Yes and we clearly had set moves prepared to swing the balance. Third try was straight off the training ground.
He had a plan and the guys went out and executed it. Also changed tack on never really changing 9s. Hopefully this win gets the monkey off his back that has been the Springboks for the last two years.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:59 pm

Raggs wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:50 pm Think Eddie deserves a bit of credit here. We had a scrum that was absolutely mullered, but managed to buy a couple of penalties early on. A lineout that was severely under the pump too. Playing a truly destructive mauling team too, where again the older/stronger looseheads could have helped a lot being on earlier.

And yet, despite being so enormously behind on the penalty count, we won...

You won largely because SA refused to play any rugby. OK: you can only play what's in front of you but even Jones cannot dictate how opponents choose to squander possession.

As for those pens, Owens has commented in the Torygraph that they were incorrect as was the decision not to bin Ewels "it was definitely head shot with a swinging arm. That has to constitute foul play."

Torquemada 1420 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:59 pm

Raggs wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:50 pm Think Eddie deserves a bit of credit here. We had a scrum that was absolutely mullered, but managed to buy a couple of penalties early on. A lineout that was severely under the pump too. Playing a truly destructive mauling team too, where again the older/stronger looseheads could have helped a lot being on earlier.

And yet, despite being so enormously behind on the penalty count, we won...

You won largely because SA refused to play any rugby. OK: you can only play what's in front of you but even Jones cannot dictate how opponents choose to squander possession.

As for those pens, Owens has commented in the Torygraph that they were incorrect as was the decision not to bin Ewels "it was definitely head shot with a swinging arm. That has to constitute foul play."

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 1:25 pm
Nigel Owens would have penalised England? More on this shocking revelation inside.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 1:38 pm

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 1:25 pm
Nigel Owens would have penalised England? More on this shocking revelation inside.

I think his career was more about not penalising anything Irish rather than anything specific against Eng.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 1:38 pm

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 1:25 pm
Nigel Owens would have penalised England? More on this shocking revelation inside.

I think his career was more about not penalising anything Irish rather than anything specific against Eng.

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 1:57 pm

Torquemada 1420 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 1:38 pm

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 1:25 pm
Nigel Owens would have penalised England? More on this shocking revelation inside.

I think his career was more about not penalising anything Irish rather than anything specific against Eng.

There've definitely been moments that suggested the latter, especially when he was a touch judge rather than ref. I wish I could remember the specific game, but I think it was an AI against Australia where he wanted to intervene for a penalty against England, but, on review, it ended up being one against Australia. Very gratifying. There's also the 2014 1st test in New Zealand knock on debacle where every ball dropped by England, even the ones that went clearly backwards, were deemed to have travelled forwards. Prick.

Lemoentjie wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:04 pm Someone can tell me what O'Mahony says after the Lavanini flying shoulder? The only word I understand is 'fuck'

Lemoentjie wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:04 pm Someone can tell me what O'Mahony says after the Lavanini flying shoulder? The only word I understand is 'fuck'

Torquemada 1420 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 2:23 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 1:57 pm

Torquemada 1420 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 1:38 pm

I think his career was more about not penalising anything Irish rather than anything specific against Eng.

There've definitely been moments that suggested the latter, especially when he was a touch judge rather than ref. I wish I could remember the specific game, but I think it was an AI against Australia where he wanted to intervene for a penalty against England, but, on review, it ended up being one against Australia. Very gratifying. There's also the 2014 1st test in New Zealand knock on debacle where every ball dropped by England, even the ones that went clearly backwards, were deemed to have travelled forwards. Prick.

I can't be arsed to try and find it, but there was an Ire v Fra game where Ire went a record period without conceding a pen........ and given their history of borderline breakdown tactics.
One HEC campaign, he reffed so many Munster games, Munster practically booked his hotels and flights for him.

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:46 pm POM later walked it back, saying that Lavanini had only hundredths of a second to react, yadda yadda. The usual self serving bullshit that comes out when players don't want to face the fact that what they've been doing (and training to do) for years is fucking dangerous and illegal.

Maybe if you have no time to react you have no grounds for steaming in and risking serious injury to a vulnerable player?! Just a thought.

Raggs wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 4:02 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:46 pm POM later walked it back, saying that Lavanini had only hundredths of a second to react, yadda yadda. The usual self serving bullshit that comes out when players don't want to face the fact that what they've been doing (and training to do) for years is fucking dangerous and illegal.

Maybe if you have no time to react you have no grounds for steaming in and risking serious injury to a vulnerable player?! Just a thought.

Well that, and POM isn't exactly whiter than white himself. Albeit no one is quite on Lavanini's level at the moment

Wrinkles wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:48 pm

Torquemada 1420 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 2:23 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 1:57 pm

There've definitely been moments that suggested the latter, especially when he was a touch judge rather than ref. I wish I could remember the specific game, but I think it was an AI against Australia where he wanted to intervene for a penalty against England, but, on review, it ended up being one against Australia. Very gratifying. There's also the 2014 1st test in New Zealand knock on debacle where every ball dropped by England, even the ones that went clearly backwards, were deemed to have travelled forwards. Prick.

I can't be arsed to try and find it, but there was an Ire v Fra game where Ire went a record period without conceding a pen........ and given their history of borderline breakdown tactics.
One HEC campaign, he reffed so many Munster games, Munster practically booked his hotels and flights for him.

That was Croke Park 2009. First penalty against Ireland was given a few minutes before the final whistle, quickly followed by a couple of others. France were penalised something like 11 times before that. Definitely wasn’t a late effort to even-up the stats. Oh, no. Think that was the start of the o’Wens nickname.

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:46 pm POM later walked it back, saying that Lavanini had only hundredths of a second to react, yadda yadda. The usual self serving bullshit that comes out when players don't want to face the fact that what they've been doing (and training to do) for years is fucking dangerous and illegal.

Maybe if you have no time to react you have no grounds for steaming in and risking serious injury to a vulnerable player?! Just a thought.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 9:28 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:46 pm POM later walked it back, saying that Lavanini had only hundredths of a second to react, yadda yadda. The usual self serving bullshit that comes out when players don't want to face the fact that what they've been doing (and training to do) for years is fucking dangerous and illegal.

Maybe if you have no time to react you have no grounds for steaming in and risking serious injury to a vulnerable player?! Just a thought.

I'm with you on this one. Have said before, IMHO the ruck law should be changed so you have to bind with an opponent before pushing. No more exocets.

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:07 pm A man who is so drunk he can't speak and vomits on a child is very much distinguishable from someone who's had a couple too many.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 11:50 am

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:07 pm A man who is so drunk he can't speak and vomits on a child is very much distinguishable from someone who's had a couple too many.

Not a good few weeks for the Welsh and alcohol to go with the pitch invader and the punch up with SA fans after the same game (by the press box).

Raggs wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 4:02 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:46 pm POM later walked it back, saying that Lavanini had only hundredths of a second to react, yadda yadda. The usual self serving bullshit that comes out when players don't want to face the fact that what they've been doing (and training to do) for years is fucking dangerous and illegal.

Maybe if you have no time to react you have no grounds for steaming in and risking serious injury to a vulnerable player?! Just a thought.

Well that, and POM isn't exactly whiter than white himself. Albeit no one is quite on Lavanini's level at the moment