Rugby World Cup 2023

[mexico1970]

Let's be honest if this was the other way around this thread would have exploded, there would have been thread bans, summary executions and invites to straightening's.

 

[Edghill OG]

Steward is quite brilliant in the air, doesnt offer a thing as an attacking force though but that isnt Englands game anyway.

Offensively all the backs are pretty much redundant at the moment bar the scrum half whose constantly box kicking. Can probably count on one hand how many times it got passed to the fly half never mind the centres or wings.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

There is something about that SA team that I really don’t like.
They are very good at what they do but always strike me as arrogant and quite practiced in the dark arts

They just do enough to win
Lost to Ireland and beat France and England by a single point.

 

[big gaz]

They just do enough to win
Lost to Ireland and beat France and England by a single point.

England hard done by, as I can't see where that penalty came from. Nothing from the tmo who was in the refs ear most of the game.
Thought England scared the Bocks wingers to death with the kick and chase and the back row picking up the pieces ( Average White Band ) ;-)
Put the points on the board nowt wrong with that.
Why when Marler and Cole go off do the scrums get officiated in a different light ?
Well its up to NZ to get it done as I hate S/A and their bully boy game plan.
Maybe the only time I was hoping England would win ( my Dragon has just singed by balls).
Mr I love myself Barns would make the final or screw it up.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

I think thats a bit unfair to the SA pack replacements.

The scrum has two purposes:
either to get secure ball, getting quick ball while half the players are in one place giving space elsewhere, etc
or to force the opponent scrum into conceding a penalty - this can be either to deliberately stymie the first point or just because they're overpowered.

SA bring four scrummaging props - England's replacements couldn't acclimatise to their opposition. England going back to the old men of Marler and Cole probably says a lot about their replacements; I've not really thought that Sinckler could take on the best props.

Behind the front row, Chessum is a big lump but rarely seems to have a notable effect, and Vunipola hasn't looked like an elite player for some years (and allowing for the long injury).

I also don't think that taking Mitchell off for Care at scrumhalf helped. Unless it was injury, why take the 9 off with half an hour to go?

You obviously know the game way better than I do. All I noticed in this game compared to others i watched, is that both teams seemed more concerned about forcing errors or penalties in the opposition than running the ball.

I still thoroughly enjoyed it though, mainly due to England putting it up to them. I was really hoping England would turn up and they did.

People may complain about the style of rugby, but it’s a knockout stage of the tournament and it was great, from my perspective, to see England say to SA, we’re willing to put the ball back in your half and let’s see what you do with it.
Because SA good as they are, are not averse to doing exactly the same thing.

They look to force errors in your territory.
Well for most of the game England were doing it better, but in the end I think their failure to control their own set pieces, lineouts and scrums, cost them.

I’ve never played the game in my life, so if I’m talking sh1te, by all means let me know.
It’s just my observations of a tournament that I’ve really enjoyed so far.

 

[MillionMilesAway]

You obviously know the game way better than I do. All I noticed in this game compared to others i watched, is that both teams seemed more concerned about forcing errors or penalties in the opposition than running the ball.

I still thoroughly enjoyed it though, mainly due to England putting it up to them. I was really hoping England would turn up and they did.

People may complain about the style of rugby, but it’s a knockout stage of the tournament and it was great, from my perspective, to see England say to SA, we’re willing to put the ball back in your half and let’s see what you do with it.
Because SA good as they are, are not averse to doing exactly the same thing.

They look to force errors in your territory.
Well for most of the game England were doing it better, but in the end I think their failure to control their own set pieces, lineouts and scrums, cost them.

I’ve never played the game in my life, so if I’m talking sh1te, by all means let me know.
It’s just my observations of a tournament that I’ve really enjoyed so far.

No, you're right. England stopped SA having much in the way of options, while offering very little in attack themselves as SA tried to return the compliment.
I do think that the weather was very significant in causing that no-one was running in from halfway on that pitch.

For the first half especially, SA seemed to be trying to commit as few as possible to rucks (so as to have options if the ball came out) and it didn't work at all for them as they got slow ball or lost it as England's forwards made a right nuisance of themselves.

The 'forcing errors in your territory' is spot on, by the way. The laws have been amended that makes it a decent tactic - lots of teams play that way.

 

[meltonblue]

Just saw that last scrum again, I get why he gave the penalty now, Genge does put his knee down and then drives across. It’s smart from SA too on the blind side but the moment he puts his knee down, it was only going one way.

 

[bluemoon32]

Seems like the correct call.

 

[supercity88]

I think thats a bit unfair to the SA pack replacements.

The scrum has two purposes:
either to get secure ball, getting quick ball while half the players are in one place giving space elsewhere, etc
or to force the opponent scrum into conceding a penalty - this can be either to deliberately stymie the first point or just because they're overpowered.

SA bring four scrummaging props - England's replacements couldn't acclimatise to their opposition. England going back to the old men of Marler and Cole probably says a lot about their replacements; I've not really thought that Sinckler could take on the best props.

Behind the front row, Chessum is a big lump but rarely seems to have a notable effect, and Vunipola hasn't looked like an elite player for some years (and allowing for the long injury).

I also don't think that taking Mitchell off for Care at scrumhalf helped. Unless it was injury, why take the 9 off with half an hour to go?

The SA bench is fantastic and I think they deserve a lot of credit because one week they're taking the French on at their own game with attacking kicks and expansive rugby then the next they're forced into a kicking game which they manage to turn the screw on and win through as well.

It came down to the bench really. A dodgy scrum call in their 22 but England started to drop their levels slightly. One good play was followed up by a bad one and it was costly. The Steward up and under needed to just be a punt into SA territory at that stage of the game, but it was a great performance and shows the tactical nous of Borthwick which makes me hopeful for the future.

Farrell, love him or hate him, played very well and was gracious in defeat.

 

[Bluesince1979]

Im a rugby ‘fan’ in so much that i dont go to games any more (used to have a season ticket at sale and would get to twicks once a year) and only now watch the big games.

I do get turned off by the constant stopping and starting at scrums. I appreciate that scums are a massive part of the game but find it a bit tedious when theyve spent 3/4 mins setting and re-setting a scrum.
Also get baffled by the so many of the technical rules in general.
If you were wanting to get into rugby youd be totally lost.
And proper rugger bugger fans have a certain smugness that they know the rules but you dont :))