The Rugby Union Thread

fretmeister · October 2023

Sir Bill Beaumont confirms Rugby World Cup draw changes for 2027 edition (talkingrugbyunion.co.uk)

TJT1979 · October 2023

Thank you sir. There’s nothing solid there but it’sgood to see the intention is there.

On another note, I’m pretty disappointed to see Borthwick using Farrell at 12.

elstoof · October 2023

A predictable lack of imagination, he’s simultaneously our best player, too good to drop, but also not good enough to play at 10. Ford-Farrell hasn’t worked very well for the last 6 years, but maybe this time eh

scrumhalf · October 2023

Commiserations to Jonny Wilkinson for losing his record to a thug whose England career should have ended long ago.

scrumhalf · October 2023

Bloody hell. Crap box kick and a third try for Samoa.

This is going to take some effort to come back from.

drofluf · October 2023

Yes, the England of the warm up matches is back.

TJT1979 · October 2023

Eng messy as hell.

Annulling the third Samoa try seems harsh… the footage of the supposed knock-on looked far from conclusive to me.

digitalscream · October 2023

I know it's pointless asking, but at what point is Borthwick going to admit that his first-choice team is actually pretty shit and his preferred tactics don't work?

It's all being torn to pieces by a team who've had a fraction of the games since the last World Cup. If he's not embarrassed, I don't know what would do it.

Blaendulais · October 2023

Borthwick doesnt learn much does he.

swiller · October 2023

not a great day for wales nor england to be fair.

guitars4you · October 2023

scrumhalf said:

Commiserations to Jonny Wilkinson for losing his record to a thug whose England career should have ended long ago.

Agree and not half the player his dad was

fretmeister · October 2023

Faz should have come off, not Ford.

scrumhalf · October 2023

Farrell can't be subbed, the entire structure of the game would disintegrate.

scrumhalf · October 2023

And now he buggers up a penalty by taking too long.

Half-brained half back.

Schnozz · October 2023

Welcome back Farrell

fretmeister · October 2023

Fuck me. What a cock up.

TJT1979 · October 2023

Terrible.

There appears to be inconsistency with the reffing in the scrums. There have been quite a few cases where Eng’s scrum dominates and advances, where most refs would give advantage. Brace hasn’t given one. The local commentators here in Arg are saying the same thing.

(In no way does this excuse or explain Eng’s pathetic performance!! Unless there’s a significant change we won’t win the QF)

scrumhalf · October 2023

Fiji must be crapping themselves.

digitalscream · October 2023

England had no right winning that, and they only did because they were playing against 14 men.

I was actually rooting for Samoa there, and I'll probably be doing the same for Fiji in the quarters.

fretmeister · October 2023

Farrell should never play (centre) again.

Delete as applicable.

TJT1979 · October 2023

Wow, Ireland are so tight it’s amazing. Well-oiled, well-trained but adaptable, confident in their abilities. Amazing.

digitalscream · October 2023

Wait, what?

Two tries in two minutes. Surely not?

Offset · October 2023

Eng v Sam was a good game for the neutral but a horror-show for Eng fans. Gawd...

Ireland look imperious with iron defence but the Scots disappointed.

Rkphilpot · October 2023

Yeah Ireland were showing why they're number 1. The defense for those 17 phases in first half was like a brick wall.

TJT1979 · October 2023

Rkphilpot said:

Yeah Ireland were showing why they're number 1. The defense for those 17 phases in first half was like a brick wall.

I still worry that against SA/NZ in a final* they might suddenly feel the pressure.

* I can’t remember the permutations so I’m not sure who they’d theoretically meet in a final. I think these three are the teams to beat. France is close but I think they’re half a step behind the rest.

Dr_Necessiter · October 2023

Well I think my concerns over whether Ireland had already played their final against SA were for nought.

I really can't believe England though. The last match of the pool stage and we still can't work out who our best fly half or scrum half is. Spoiler alert: it's not Farrell or Mitchell but might have been the guy who started at 10 and who finished at 9 or the other guy who came on moonlighting as fullback and/ or winger that sometimes gets a run out at 10.

That was so bad it made my eyes hurt.

scrumhalf · October 2023

It seems thst most people's preferred options for the backs are not those of Borthwick.

What’s being overlooked is that Danny Care, about to draw his pension, is our best 9 in the squad. The likes of Dan Robson have been passed by for reasons not obvious to many of us.

digitalscream · October 2023

scrumhalf said:

It seems thst most people's preferred options for the backs are not those of Borthwick.

What’s being overlooked is that Danny Care, about to draw his pension, is our best 9 in the squad. The likes of Dan Robson have been passed by for reasons not obvious to many of us.

Or, perhaps, that the oldest guy in the squad was still faster than any of the trundling starting XV.

I mean, the first try came from a lock on the wing, and he didn't look particularly out of place. FFS.

p90fool · October 2023

digitalscream said:

scrumhalf said:

It seems thst most people's preferred options for the backs are not those of Borthwick.

What’s being overlooked is that Danny Care, about to draw his pension, is our best 9 in the squad. The likes of Dan Robson have been passed by for reasons not obvious to many of us.

Or, perhaps, that the oldest guy in the squad was still faster than any of the trundling starting XV.

I mean, the first try came from a lock on the wing, and he didn't look particularly out of place. FFS.

They do look slow to be honest, which is why I'd play Marcus Smith every game, just to shame the others into breaking into a trot occasionally.

And yes, Danny Care always looks dangerous, even behind a shit pack.

sev112 · October 2023

It occurs to me the difference between the very good sides in this WC and the others is that the runners SPRINt onto the ball and into attack, wheras the others especially England “run” and then are surprised when the 15 man line of defence tackles them

Ireland yesterdays their speed of individuals in attack is soo much faster than England and their ilk who seem to almost jog onto the ball. Wales are miles better when they do this but don’t always, Samoa yesterday were amazing when they did this

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