Rugby matters

[El Pibe]

Most annoyingly I thought Davies had lost it for Wales and was hoping he would be feeling thoroughly ashamed at himself.

Despite the subsequent citing this kind of lets him off and gives him the excuse to say 'they're just as bad, harumph'.

I tenhd to agree that erring on the side of caution is probably for the best, especially if there is a 0 tolerance approach to stamp this sort of thing out.

[El Pibe]

x post.

A minefiled it may be, but I guess a natural consequence of the changing shape of the game over the last 15 years.

The beigger they are the harder they do fall and serious injuries have been rising as a consequence meaning you have to regulate to try and protect the players, though I get what you're saying about it being hard to judge for a player in the middle of a blood and guts encounter.

[david_carnell]

Well quite. A big hit is something the crowd love to see and gets your team mates fired up. A back row forward hits a small(ish) back at full tilt and 9 times out of 10 the smaller fella is going to be lifted off the ground. Now you just can't govern for that in a full contact sport played by near 20 stone pro athletes. We all know that spearing is dangerous and that a tip tackle isn't great but a red card for both seems unequal.

When you think a few years back that Umanga got away with a tour ending spear on O'Driscoll during a NZ v Lions game and now we have players being cited for what Ferris did we've gone from one extreme to another.

[Alan Medic]

I think the problem with Sunday's decisions was that the ref only saw one of them. If he had seen both I doubt he would have treated them equally.

[Alan Medic]

Davies gets 7 weeks and Ferris gets off. I think Davies is lucky. Ferris getting off suggests they thought the ref got it wrong. Be damned Wayne Barnes.

[Mick Mac]

Mick Mac Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Agreed Declan. Dont think anything will come of

> the Ferris citing. Davies will be upgraded to red

> I reckon.

As predicted by me. Oh I hate being right all the time.

[Alan Medic]

No undersoil heating in Paris. Bet this game gets postponed. -7 predicted, possibly -10 when game starts at 9pm local time. According to Clerc the touchlines were frozen when they played Italy.Not good.

[maxxi]

Alan Medic Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> No undersoil heating in Paris. Bet this game gets

> postponed. -7 predicted, possibly -10 when game

> starts at 9pm local time. According to Clerc the

> touchlines were frozen when they played Italy.Not

> good.

You win your bet!

[Alan Medic]

I didn't actually bet but one didn't need to be a genius to predict this. No undersoil heating. Give us the points for travelling.

[taper]

England look as poor as I've seen them since the late eighties. That said, I reckon the positives are there. The two props have been outstanding. Robshaw is worthy of his berth. And Morgan looks good. I think if Lancaster has the balls to drop Youngs, Dowson and sort out the midfield they might compete with Wales and Ireland.

[El Pibe]

Is a French six nations victory implicit in that statement?

[Alan Medic]

I think whoever wins in Cardiff should win it (not today). England will have to improve a lot if they are to win another game I think.

[david_carnell]

I've got to agree with Alan. England have played the (seemingly) two worst teams in the tournament so far and scraped wins over both whilst not looking fluid or consistent.

Three losses in the next three would not be a surprise.

But I think that's ok. If we learn from each and progress then the future could be bright with lots of new, promising players being blooded and gaining experience ready for the Autumn internationals against the Southern Hemisphere teams. And we need to make progress fast otherwise those will be truly frightening.

Front row looks good although Hartley is not the most consistent thrower from the line out. Useful in the loose though and has calmed his temper.

Botha seems to have a good work rate and should play well alongside Lawes when he returns from injury. Palmer needs to improve to keep a place.

The back row is competitive. Haskell, Croft, Robshaw, Woods, Morgan and Dowson are all decent but we lack a true out and out 7.

Dickson improved things massively with quick ball when he came on at scrum half against Italy. He should start with Youngs dropped.

Hodgson has played well enough to keep Flood out of the team when the latter returns from injury. He also has the experience needed for a young back line.

Midfield is tricky. Barrit has played well but Farrel's kicking is superb and we need that. When Tuilagi returns it will probably be at Barrit's expense. I'd like to see more of Turner-Hall too.

Ashton and Strettle need to see more of the ball but appear to be first choices on the wings. Sharples should be pushing for a place.

Foden had a dreadful game and it might be worth giving Brown a full 80mins to show his worth.

How did the Saxons do btw?

[El Pibe]

Highly entertaining game for the neutral yesterday.

The Scotch people certainly have reasons to be optimistic after far too many years in the doldrums. Weird they reserved their best spell of play when they were ma/en down.

Wales a little inconsistent and a little lucky, but great to watch and am inclined to agree that Wales France will decide it this year.

[maxxi]

Tuilagi's off to Japan next year isn't he? So he won't be selected for England then or have they ditched that 'players abroad = evil' idea?

[david_carnell]

Is he?! That's news to me! Bizarre.

But yeah - no chance he'll play then.

Edit - I've just googled and it's his brother Alesana heading to the land of the rising sun, not Manu. That's alright then.

[maxxi]

ah, of course. I saw Leicester Tigers and got the wrong man.

[Alan Medic]

With the Ireland France game probably being played between rounds 3 and 4 it will mean both countries will have test matches for 4 weeks in a row. That's a big ask for Ireland in particular. By the time they get to Twickenham they will either be exhausted or rotating players. Mind you if the French clubs have their way it will be played in June!

[Mick Mac]

We had this after the mad cow / foot mouth saga. Played England in November I think.

[Mick Mac]

Great first half by Ireland. 17-6. The French are so dangerous but who knows, its certainly a nice lead.

[Mick Mac]

Game of two halves.... :X

[Alan Medic]

You haven't got access to a spare ticket for Twickenham Mick, do ya?

[Mick Mac]

Sorry Dec but will let you know if I hear anything.

[Huguenot]

Well done England - oh ye of little faith!!

[Alan Medic]

Good win for England. Should be a great game v Ireland next week. Playing 4 weeks in a row may be too much for Ireland and France in Wales too.