RWC19 "Stuff"
Re: RWC19 "Stuff"
An anxious wait over the next 24 hours over Billy Vunipola's injury: http://bit.ly/VunipolaWait
Re: RWC19 "Stuff"
Citizen Rob wrote:An anxious wait over the next 24 hours over Billy Vunipola's injury: http://bit.ly/VunipolaWait
Probably why England won't win the World Cup, why go into a tournament with just five back-row forwards and only one real number eight when he has had a recent string of bad injuries.
I know people will say that Wilson can play eight and Lawes can move to the back-row etc. but this is the World Cup not a Sunday morning pub league and you shouldn't need to play players out of position just to make a team up.
Re: RWC19 "Stuff"
Ackermann said something to the contrary recently - most coaches like players who have a utility element. So itoje and lawes for example can cover back row.
No-one actually replaces billy v so i dont think any criticism is warranted.
Re: RWC19 "Stuff"
As long as England are within a score in the last 30 mins.... they will win by a reasonable margin. France and 80 minute rugby are an oxymoron.
BTW few people have mentioned the excellent game that Daly had .... for me motm....solid defence and lively in attack from his 22....game plan played well.
Re: RWC19 "Stuff"
In my naivity I look upon No8 as a specialist position mostly controling as it does the release of the ball from the scrum/ deciding whether to break with the ball, and in which direction. A familiarity with the scrum half's game also helps. There are few loose or tighthead props that are eqaully proficient at both, same with blind of opensides that can play at 8 ( IMHO of course )
Re: RWC19 "Stuff"
Listening to BBC podcast - Danny Care
and Chris Ashton talking about Owen Farrell and George Ford and how they lead everything in the England camp - no wonder DC was never going to get a look in as EJ let’s the pair of them run all the England plays.
Re: RWC19 "Stuff"
I heard from someone who watched a session, that ford and farrell practically coach the whole thing.
Re: RWC19 "Stuff"
Whilst we are all dissapointed that DC isn't in the mix the fact that EJ has got the players taking the leadership and making the calls and decisions is surely exactly what any top side needs. Many have bemoaned that Eng were too coached from the sides and couldn't act on the hoof. This to me is very good news and means that the players are able to control matters during the game.
Re: RWC19 "Stuff"
I have read from afar so much SW England-doomster clap-trap re. RWC19. It started with those bemoaning DC's (rightful) exclusion from the 31-man squad and moved onto many forecasting (aka willing) how England wouldn't make the QF's because of EJ's ineptitude allied to mis-selections and zero game-plan. During the 3 games England have played very, very few have focussed on the positives (3 TBP's, solid defence and lack of injuries) and instead nit-picked about humidity-effected handling, BY's performances v "our" WH, OF's kicking when bashed and Daly's "woeful" inexperience @ 15.
Now England have qualified with all looking pretty well-set the doomsters are picking-up on 1) misdirected player-leadership 2) BV's potential injury 3) chance that a QF/SF/F will be lost. No doubt if the latter happens then the doomsters will be out in force.
Quite frankly it's pathetic IMHO.
If you're not English - fair enough. Have a dig at England and big-up your country of origin. My observation is that Ireland/Scotland/Wales would readily swap places with the deeper SiD England squad and set-piece + speed out wide.
If you only care about GRFC then continue to blindly wax lyrical about Messrs Harris, Braley, Polledri, Mostert and Heinz + any ex-GRFC players - they appear to be the only ones you myopically notice. And shut up criticising England.
If you are English then either support your national team or shut up.
Otherwise you are simply making fools of ourselves - and indirectly all Gloucester supporters. You are portraying yourselves/us as blinkered, ignorant and disloyal to our country. Not big and not clever. 