Planet Rugby Forum

A5D5E5 wrote:

Gospel wrote:I'm getting a bit of déjà vu here. The 2008 fixture was Gatland's first in charge of Wales and he picked a mostly Osprey's side if memory serves. Going with a backbone of Scarlets he's going to hope for that regional understanding and confidence to cause England substantial problems. They're a side without any clear weaknesses and I think England will need to man-up to come out ahead in this one. I'd wager it's going to be a high scoring game but too close to call.

The key difference between 2008 and now was that then we ended up with a lock playing over half the game in the backrow due to injuries. This time we are ... oh shit.

That game involved a very rare Jonny Wilkinson meltdown in the second half IIRC?

Mick Mannock wrote:

c69 wrote:When is the English team announced?
What changes apart from scrum half are we to expect?
Thank God Cuthbert is not in the match day squad.

You will find another escape goat should Wales lose.

And you should be more grateful that Daly is not in the England match day squad

None, this is the greatest England side in 15 years playing at the peak of their power with access to a resource pool 20 times our population and a monetary pool greater than any other rugby nation, you’re playing at home against our plucky underfunded B side, sourced from a tiny region in the south, a few miles either side of the M4, playing in a style transition phase coached by the clinical nous of a man who’d rather be sprinkling crushed nuts on a 99 flake. You’ll win easily, I’m not searching for any excuses. In fact if you don’t smash us, its a disgrace to rugby.

Keith wrote:I love how Cuthbert is still taking a beating on here for last year, yet it was JD that fucked the exit up. The Welsh strategy is 2 hit ups followed by the kick, but JD panicked and kicked (poorly) after one when the rest of his team weren't aligned correctly in their defensive pattern, yet in PR world it was all down to Cuthbert. Most PR posters know jack-shit

Even with the bad kick it was hardly JD's fault that Cuthbert was watching the ball instead of his man in a simple two on two he should've easily had covered.

Plato'sCave wrote:

Mick Mannock wrote:

c69 wrote:When is the English team announced?
What changes apart from scrum half are we to expect?
Thank God Cuthbert is not in the match day squad.

You will find another escape goat should Wales lose.

And you should be more grateful that Daly is not in the England match day squad

None, this is the greatest England side in 15 years playing at the peak of their power with access to a resource pool 20 times our population and a monetary pool greater than any other rugby nation, you’re playing at home against our plucky underfunded B side, sourced from a tiny region in the south, a few miles either side of the M4, playing in a style transition phase coached by the clinical nous of a man who’d rather be sprinkling crushed nuts on a 99 flake. You’ll win easily, I’m not searching for any excuses. In fact if you don’t smash us, its a disgrace to rugby.

Strange, your whole post reads like an excuse.

englishchief wrote:The form team, playing the best rugby of their life, against a creaking and injured Goliath.

Taffs by 20.

It's been interesting to see the English give it the 'woe is me' routine regarding injuries in the run up to the start of the 6 Nations, especially when for their first game they rolled out their first choice team minus Billy V.

It's almost as if they've been lying this whole time.

A5D5E5 wrote:

Plato'sCave wrote:

Mick Mannock wrote:

c69 wrote:When is the English team announced?
What changes apart from scrum half are we to expect?
Thank God Cuthbert is not in the match day squad.

You will find another escape goat should Wales lose.

And you should be more grateful that Daly is not in the England match day squad

None, this is the greatest England side in 15 years playing at the peak of their power with access to a resource pool 20 times our population and a monetary pool greater than any other rugby nation, you’re playing at home against our plucky underfunded B side, sourced from a tiny region in the south, a few miles either side of the M4, playing in a style transition phase coached by the clinical nous of a man who’d rather be sprinkling crushed nuts on a 99 flake. You’ll win easily, I’m not searching for any excuses. In fact if you don’t smash us, its a disgrace to rugby.

Strange, your whole post reads like an excuse.

A5D5E5 wrote:

Plato'sCave wrote:

Mick Mannock wrote:

c69 wrote:When is the English team announced?
What changes apart from scrum half are we to expect?
Thank God Cuthbert is not in the match day squad.

You will find another escape goat should Wales lose.

And you should be more grateful that Daly is not in the England match day squad

None, this is the greatest England side in 15 years playing at the peak of their power with access to a resource pool 20 times our population and a monetary pool greater than any other rugby nation, you’re playing at home against our plucky underfunded B side, sourced from a tiny region in the south, a few miles either side of the M4, playing in a style transition phase coached by the clinical nous of a man who’d rather be sprinkling crushed nuts on a 99 flake. You’ll win easily, I’m not searching for any excuses. In fact if you don’t smash us, its a disgrace to rugby.

Strange, your whole post reads like an excuse.

I’m not sure he’s being entirely serious.........

, Victim mentality being displayed on here. What a psychy....

Jeff the Bear wrote:

englishchief wrote:The form team, playing the best rugby of their life, against a creaking and injured Goliath.

Taffs by 20.

It's been interesting to see the English give it the 'woe is me' routine regarding injuries in the run up to the start of the 6 Nations, especially when for their first game they rolled out their first choice team minus Billy V.

It's almost as if they've been lying this whole time.

Daly would definitely be 1st choice. And none of the Backrow were 1st choice in their positions. Our number 8 was probably 4th or 5th choice. And, whilst Eddie may choose Cole to start, I don’ think there’s many here who wouln’rate Sinckler more highly.

Wales, on the other hand, can now afford to leave out North and Liam Williams !!!!

ovalball wrote:

Jeff the Bear wrote:

englishchief wrote:The form team, playing the best rugby of their life, against a creaking and injured Goliath.

Taffs by 20.

It's been interesting to see the English give it the 'woe is me' routine regarding injuries in the run up to the start of the 6 Nations, especially when for their first game they rolled out their first choice team minus Billy V.

It's almost as if they've been lying this whole time.

Daly would definitely be 1st choice. And none of the Backrow were 1st choice in their positions. Our number 8 was probably 4th or 5th choice. And, whilst Eddie may choose Cole to start, I don’ think there’s many here who wouln’rate Sinckler more highly.

Wales, on the other hand, can now afford to leave out North and Liam Williams !!!!

Captain Second Place is still deemed to be your No.1 No.7 (the only other person that Eddie seems to like for the position was on the bench), and due to England's ridiculous lock depth, Eddie has continually chosen to put one at blindside in lieu of other other options.

I won’t be making any excuses- with our money and playing numbers we should be able to field a scratch team That’s at least competitive

Jeff the Bear wrote:

ovalball wrote:

Jeff the Bear wrote:

englishchief wrote:The form team, playing the best rugby of their life, against a creaking and injured Goliath.

Taffs by 20.

It's been interesting to see the English give it the 'woe is me' routine regarding injuries in the run up to the start of the 6 Nations, especially when for their first game they rolled out their first choice team minus Billy V.

It's almost as if they've been lying this whole time.

Daly would definitely be 1st choice. And none of the Backrow were 1st choice in their positions. Our number 8 was probably 4th or 5th choice. And, whilst Eddie may choose Cole to start, I don’ think there’s many here who wouln’rate Sinckler more highly.


Wales, on the other hand, can now afford to leave out North and Liam Williams !!!!

Captain Second Place is still deemed to be your No.1 No.7 (the only other person that Eddie seems to like for the position was on the bench), and due to England's ridiculous lock depth, Eddie has continually chosen to put one at blindside in lieu of other other options.

Robs has has consistently been our 1st choice blindside when everyone is fit. He’s only started at 7, twice, in Eddie’s 24 games in charge.

The scores between the teams since the WC have been close, Wales will have to be at their very best to win and I think we have the upperhand at backrow, I don't think Wales will be able to absorb long periods of English forwards battering the line, so kicking infield and inviting England to run it back will not work.
Wales will have to avoid contact and keep up the pace, its a big ask but I say Wales by 4.

DragsterDriver wrote:I won’t be making any excuses- with our money and playing numbers we should be able to field a scratch team That’s at least competitive

Quite.

Hepburn was, probably 6th choice loosehead, but still a fine player. Simmonds 4th choice 8, and is the mom. We may not have many world class players but we do have lots of depth.

I like Eddies’s approach to injuries, he just accepts them and doesn’t expect them to lower the team’s performance. Just gets on with it.

I am confident we will be able to cobble a decent side togther on Saturday, so that the Welsh side think it worthwhile to turn up.

We should give you a game at least.

ovalball wrote:

DragsterDriver wrote:I won’t be making any excuses- with our money and playing numbers we should be able to field a scratch team That’s at least competitive

Quite.

Hepburn was, probably 6th choice loosehead, but still a fine player. Simmonds 4th choice 8, and is the mom. We may not have many world class players but we do have lots of depth.

I like Eddies’s approach to injuries, he just accepts them and doesn’t expect them to lower the team’s performance. Just gets on with it.

I like that about Eddie too, he’s like a clever antipodean goblin. But he’s really got no choice but to have that expectation really. Deep down in his clever little wily goblin brain he knows that with the facilities and resources at his disposal he has to win and win big, With any loss, he’d not only be letting himself down, he’s not only be letting his own players down but he’d be letting down rugby players everywhere, past, present and future.

England have players by the truckload and a ton of money to give them gold plated toilet paper, Jones like Hanson is spoilt for choice and most of the spadework was done be Lancaster.
But he has them playing in a style which suits them, Wales for the first time, have found the Scarlets way.
Its gonna be a cracking game.

Clive wrote:England have players by the truckload and a ton of money to give them gold plated toilet paper, Jones like Hanson is spoilt for choice and most of the spadework was done be Lancaster.
But he has them playing in a style which suits them, Wales for the first time, have found the Scarlets way.
Its gonna be a cracking game.

Gold plated toilet paper sounds rather uncomfortable and not very effective. By all means keep it in Wales though.

Clive wrote:England have players by the truckload and a ton of money to give them gold plated toilet paper, Jones like Hanson is spoilt for choice and most of the spadework was done be Lancaster.
But he has them playing in a style which suits them, Wales for the first time, have found the Scarlets way.
Its gonna be a cracking game.

Not true, there are only around 4 players in the same positions. Different captain, bunch of new caps, he did it his own way.

ovalball wrote:

DragsterDriver wrote:I won’t be making any excuses- with our money and playing numbers we should be able to field a scratch team That’s at least competitive

Quite.

Hepburn was, probably 6th choice loosehead, but still a fine player. Simmonds 4th choice 8, and is the mom. We may not have many world class players but we do have lots of depth.

I like Eddies’s approach to injuries, he just accepts them and doesn’t expect them to lower the team’s performance. Just gets on with it.

The mocker gods aren't falling for that shite. 2015 and 2017 you said the same thing and beat us at our place

Frodder wrote:

ovalball wrote:

DragsterDriver wrote:I won’t be making any excuses- with our money and playing numbers we should be able to field a scratch team That’s at least competitive

Quite.

Hepburn was, probably 6th choice loosehead, but still a fine player. Simmonds 4th choice 8, and is the mom. We may not have many world class players but we do have lots of depth.

I like Eddies’s approach to injuries, he just accepts them and doesn’t expect them to lower the team’s performance. Just gets on with it.

The mocker gods aren't falling for that shite. 2015 and 2017 you said the same thing and beat us at our place

You what now.

Exactly, we are down to our 4th/5th/ choices in some positions! Whilst the Welsh have a freshly replenished squad that is able to leave out LIONS such as (Liam) Williams and North. Whilst we have to draft in lads who ideally would be at their clubs and maturing in to senior rugby.

If the Taffs don't win by at least 15 points then I truly fear for Welsh rugby, if they struggle to beat England in the current climate.

Adding to that, 10 of their players play for the same side week in week out. That puts them at a massive advantage. Even Scotland, with Barclay as a mole, couldn't compete. How, therefore, could England?

happyhooker wrote:

Frodder wrote:

ovalball wrote:

DragsterDriver wrote:I won’t be making any excuses- with our money and playing numbers we should be able to field a scratch team That’s at least competitive

Quite.

Hepburn was, probably 6th choice loosehead, but still a fine player. Simmonds 4th choice 8, and is the mom. We may not have many world class players but we do have lots of depth.

I like Eddies’s approach to injuries, he just accepts them and doesn’t expect them to lower the team’s performance. Just gets on with it.

The mocker gods aren't falling for that shite. 2015 and 2017 you said the same thing and beat us at our place

You what now.

19 caps in our presumed starting backrow, a decent chunk of which were won off the bench and a little under half of which were playing in a different position. We're going to get gaped

Not you but you get the gist

Oh, sorry, forgot for a moment you were Welsh.

P in VG wrote:To be fair to Cuthbert (back when he was half decent) - he did score this delicious brace against England:



Mike Brown :

That's nothing though. That's a winger's pace overtaking an anticipating/late Brown with half his momentum, and then jogging in the finish vs a beaten defense. He surely allows England to score that game-winning try vs Daly, Jon Davies' kick in his in-goal area and then Cuthbert's defense= England tips their hat to both these guys.

The most important thing is that we allow Watson to run into space as he is a headless chicken with a bit of room. We must also not compete at the breakdown and just build a red wall as England won't have the ball carriers to knock us over

England usually win against Wales. Nearly three times as many wins to England since the game went pro.

This might be an outlier year though.

I hope the match is better than the match thread.

Frodder wrote:

ovalball wrote:

DragsterDriver wrote:I won’t be making any excuses- with our money and playing numbers we should be able to field a scratch team That’s at least competitive

Quite.

Hepburn was, probably 6th choice loosehead, but still a fine player. Simmonds 4th choice 8, and is the mom. We may not have many world class players but we do have lots of depth.

I like Eddies’s approach to injuries, he just accepts them and doesn’t expect them to lower the team’s performance. Just gets on with it.

The mocker gods aren't falling for that shite. 2015 and 2017 you said the same thing and beat us at our place

I think your comprehension skills need a bit of a refresh.

One of the interesting tactical battles for me will be to see whether England persist with their little 10/12 loop arounds. It worked very well against Italy, but Edwards' Welsh defence has largely been able to contain Sexton doing it for Ireland over the last few years...and so will England double bluff and not use it? Or do they back their skills to make it work against a far more aggressive defence?

JM2K6 wrote:I hope the match is better than the match thread.

I hope Wales get stuck in straight away, give England some room at the start and it's not going to be pretty. Could be a repeat of 2014.

Also be interesting to see how Cory Hill does, being as he was a doubt at one point.

Mick Mannock wrote:England usually win against Wales. Nearly three times as many wins to England since the game went pro.

This might be an outlier year though.

If you mention it again you might get a nibble

Jeff the Bear wrote:One of the interesting tactical battles for me will be to see whether England persist with their little 10/12 loop arounds. It worked very well against Italy, but Edwards' Welsh defence has largely been able to contain Sexton doing it for Ireland over the last few years...and so will England double bluff and not use it? Or do they back their skills to make it work against a far more aggressive defence?

Yeah - you'd expect, with two canny coaches, for them to have something a little different up their sleeve. You might see England using Simmonds and Teo more, to try and break the line, or act as dummy runners for the loops.

It's very tricky to know how well each side performed last week - how much of it was great play and how much was weak opposition. Clearly the Welsh defence was solid and the Scarlets backs worked well, but Scotland were very flaky- and England looked like they could score every time they attacked but conceded 2 tries (should have been 3).

I think England start as favourites - mostly because they are at home. And, having seen Wales play, they should have some idea what to expect. But, we took a long time to put Italy away - and Wales won't fold, in the last 10/1 mins, like Italy did. Hard to know quite what to expect.

I'm getting very nervous about this one - I can see a lot of pacing around, and hiding behind the sofa, in my future

ovalball wrote:
It's very tricky to know how well each side performed last week - how much of it was great play and how much was weak opposition. Clearly the Welsh defence was solid and the Scarlets backs worked well, but Scotland were very flaky- and England looked like they could score every time they attacked but conceded 2 tries (should have been 3).

That's a good point. From a Welsh point of view, I've been thinking that had we done this to Scotland two years ago (or even last year), no one would have batted an eyelid. So the question really is, how good/bad are Scotland?

Ultimately, we won't know until we're a fair way through this game.

ovalball wrote:

Jeff the Bear wrote:One of the interesting tactical battles for me will be to see whether England persist with their little 10/12 loop arounds. It worked very well against Italy, but Edwards' Welsh defence has largely been able to contain Sexton doing it for Ireland over the last few years...and so will England double bluff and not use it? Or do they back their skills to make it work against a far more aggressive defence?

Yeah - you'd expect, with two canny coaches, for them to have something a little different up their sleeve. You might see England using Simmonds and Teo more, to try and break the line, or act as dummy runners for the loops.

It's very tricky to know how well each side performed last week - how much of it was great play and how much was weak opposition. Clearly the Welsh defence was solid and the Scarlets backs worked well, but Scotland were very flaky- and England looked like they could score every time they attacked but conceded 2 tries (should have been 3).

I think England start as favourites - mostly because they are at home. And, having seen Wales play, they should have some idea what to expect. But, we took a long time to put Italy away - and Wales won't fold, in the last 10/1 mins, like Italy did. Hard to know quite what to expect.

I'm getting very nervous about this one - I can see a lot of pacing around, and hiding behind the sofa, in my future

I'm the calmest I've felt over a Wales England game in years. Having no expectation of winning is a real weight off the shoulders. If we win, great, and if we lose, oh well work in progress.

I feel like we're heading in the right direction regardless of what happens on Saturday.

New guy wrote:

ovalball wrote:

Jeff the Bear wrote:One of the interesting tactical battles for me will be to see whether England persist with their little 10/12 loop arounds. It worked very well against Italy, but Edwards' Welsh defence has largely been able to contain Sexton doing it for Ireland over the last few years...and so will England double bluff and not use it? Or do they back their skills to make it work against a far more aggressive defence?

Yeah - you'd expect, with two canny coaches, for them to have something a little different up their sleeve. You might see England using Simmonds and Teo more, to try and break the line, or act as dummy runners for the loops.

It's very tricky to know how well each side performed last week - how much of it was great play and how much was weak opposition. Clearly the Welsh defence was solid and the Scarlets backs worked well, but Scotland were very flaky- and England looked like they could score every time they attacked but conceded 2 tries (should have been 3).

I think England start as favourites - mostly because they are at home. And, having seen Wales play, they should have some idea what to expect. But, we took a long time to put Italy away - and Wales won't fold, in the last 10/1 mins, like Italy did. Hard to know quite what to expect.

I'm getting very nervous about this one - I can see a lot of pacing around, and hiding behind the sofa, in my future

I'm the calmest I've felt over a Wales England game in years. Having no expectation of winning is a real weight off the shoulders. If we win, great, and if we lose, oh well work in progress.

I feel like we're heading in the right direction regardless of what happens on Saturday.

Give it a couple of days...............

ovalball wrote:

Jeff the Bear wrote:One of the interesting tactical battles for me will be to see whether England persist with their little 10/12 loop arounds. It worked very well against Italy, but Edwards' Welsh defence has largely been able to contain Sexton doing it for Ireland over the last few years...and so will England double bluff and not use it? Or do they back their skills to make it work against a far more aggressive defence?

Yeah - you'd expect, with two canny coaches, for them to have something a little different up their sleeve. You might see England using Simmonds and Teo more, to try and break the line, or act as dummy runners for the loops.

It's very tricky to know how well each side performed last week - how much of it was great play and how much was weak opposition. Clearly the Welsh defence was solid and the Scarlets backs worked well, but Scotland were very flaky- and England looked like they could score every time they attacked but conceded 2 tries (should have been 3).

I think England start as favourites - mostly because they are at home. And, having seen Wales play, they should have some idea what to expect. But, we took a long time to put Italy away - and Wales won't fold, in the last 10/1 mins, like Italy did. Hard to know quite what to expect.

I'm getting very nervous about this one - I can see a lot of pacing around, and hiding behind the sofa, in my future

Oh please don't turn into globus.

happyhooker wrote:

ovalball wrote:

Jeff the Bear wrote:One of the interesting tactical battles for me will be to see whether England persist with their little 10/12 loop arounds. It worked very well against Italy, but Edwards' Welsh defence has largely been able to contain Sexton doing it for Ireland over the last few years...and so will England double bluff and not use it? Or do they back their skills to make it work against a far more aggressive defence?

Yeah - you'd expect, with two canny coaches, for them to have something a little different up their sleeve. You might see England using Simmonds and Teo more, to try and break the line, or act as dummy runners for the loops.

It's very tricky to know how well each side performed last week - how much of it was great play and how much was weak opposition. Clearly the Welsh defence was solid and the Scarlets backs worked well, but Scotland were very flaky- and England looked like they could score every time they attacked but conceded 2 tries (should have been 3).

I think England start as favourites - mostly because they are at home. And, having seen Wales play, they should have some idea what to expect. But, we took a long time to put Italy away - and Wales won't fold, in the last 10/1 mins, like Italy did. Hard to know quite what to expect.

I'm getting very nervous about this one - I can see a lot of pacing around, and hiding behind the sofa, in my future

Oh please don't turn into globus.

I was hiding behind the sofa (originally to watch Dr Who) long before Globus breached the birth canal.

ovalball wrote:

happyhooker wrote:

ovalball wrote:

Jeff the Bear wrote:One of the interesting tactical battles for me will be to see whether England persist with their little 10/12 loop arounds. It worked very well against Italy, but Edwards' Welsh defence has largely been able to contain Sexton doing it for Ireland over the last few years...and so will England double bluff and not use it? Or do they back their skills to make it work against a far more aggressive defence?

Yeah - you'd expect, with two canny coaches, for them to have something a little different up their sleeve. You might see England using Simmonds and Teo more, to try and break the line, or act as dummy runners for the loops.

It's very tricky to know how well each side performed last week - how much of it was great play and how much was weak opposition. Clearly the Welsh defence was solid and the Scarlets backs worked well, but Scotland were very flaky- and England looked like they could score every time they attacked but conceded 2 tries (should have been 3).

I think England start as favourites - mostly because they are at home. And, having seen Wales play, they should have some idea what to expect. But, we took a long time to put Italy away - and Wales won't fold, in the last 10/1 mins, like Italy did. Hard to know quite what to expect.

I'm getting very nervous about this one - I can see a lot of pacing around, and hiding behind the sofa, in my future

Oh please don't turn into globus.

I was hiding behind the sofa (originally to watch Dr Who) long before Globus breached the birth canal.

Oh shut up, globus designed the birth canal

ovalball wrote:

Frodder wrote:

ovalball wrote:

DragsterDriver wrote:I won’t be making any excuses- with our money and playing numbers we should be able to field a scratch team That’s at least competitive

Quite.

Hepburn was, probably 6th choice loosehead, but still a fine player. Simmonds 4th choice 8, and is the mom. We may not have many world class players but we do have lots of depth.

I like Eddies’s approach to injuries, he just accepts them and doesn’t expect them to lower the team’s performance. Just gets on with it.

The mocker gods aren't falling for that shite. 2015 and 2017 you said the same thing and beat us at our place

I think your comprehension skills need a bit of a refresh.

ouch, you rotter you