Rugby World Cup

[without a dream]

I still think England will win, we have huge problems with the fitness of our props.

We'll see, Cole and Marler haven't exactly been pulling up trees.

 

[Fat Fairy]

Pains me to say it but yes they did, they absolutely steamrollered sides, they also had the perfect 10 in Jesus Jonny who couldn't pass but had a hell of a boot on him.

And, similar to the All Blacks, they were the undisputed No1 side for ages. See the six man scrum in NZ during the summer of 2003......

FF

 

[supercity88]

I think Lancaster has mixed it up a bit too much. Yes we were better when the subs were on against Fiji but they tired pretty badly and a lot was down to first game nerves in my opinion.

I hope Lancaster is right on Burgess. He has been fastracked into this England side because of off the field impact and is known as a big game player - but in a different code. Burgess must have impressed in training and I'm pretty sure the idea is that he protects Farrell from Roberts to allow England to control territory and possession better.

I think it's an odd move to make so early in the competition and ahead of such a big game. Farrell I'm not so concerned about, he's a top class kicker and we should utilise the ball in hand a lot better in any case, but Burgess worries me. I hope he has gained a better understanding of that role and if so then he'll shine in this game. We'll see early on, I imagine his first carry will be right down the throat of Roberts and vice versa, he'll look to crunch Roberts early on. Should be a great battle and one physically Burgess will win, but in all other aspects it is yet to be seen.

If England lose this then you can point to the choice of Burgess as the reason.

 

[Benarbia_is_god]

Think the bookies have messed up a bit tonight with the New Zealand game. I think they've set the total points line very high at 89.5. Think it will be a drubbing but can't see it being that high. Namibia won't score any tries but I think they will be resilient in defence, particularly the first half. New Zealand by 65, total points under 75.

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

Guessing you played as a back if you played rugby?

Woodward's teams were anything but boring. They played near perfect forwards rugby.

Speaking as a tighthead prop, I would say that Jack Rowell's England team were even better in that respect

 

[Benarbia_is_god]

Glad Cuthbert isn't playing, he's awful. I don't know anyone apart from Gatland who rates him. The importance of the first try is huge in this one. If we score first and put the shits up England early on I think we stand a chance.

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

Glad Cuthbert isn't playing, he's awful. I don't know anyone apart from Gatland who rates him. The importance of the first try is huge in this one. If we score first and put the shits up England early on I think we stand a chance.

Should have been dropped a year ago, he is shite. He and Burgess share the same problem in that they both took to rugby union relatively late on and it shows in both - positionally they are both all over the place. Cuthbert has the added hindrance of not gathering the ball properly before setting off, continually losing the ball in the breakdown, not running at the inside/outside shoulder of his tackler (running directly at them) and being a floppy haired ****.

 

[mad4city]

Guessing you played as a back if you played rugby?

Woodward's teams were anything but boring. They played near perfect forwards rugby.

You're 100% correct on both counts. Ten man rugby (and I say this as a Limerickman, old enough to have been reared on the concept and anything I ever won, much of it was as a concerned observer, as much as a player but...) ten man rugby is no spectacle beyond a very limited audience. Even then, it needs more than perfect functionality to be truly exhilarating.

That England team, as perfect as it was (no argument there) lacked spontaneity. Everything was by the book (Jim Greenwood's books, often), straight out of the coaching manual. It was like they took the rules (sorry, "laws" before some knobhead corrects me!) entirely at their word and worked perfectly, (beautifully, the ex-coach in me is yelling) within that framework.
They were, by some distance, the best drilled side ever to grace the Northern Hemisphere but ultimately, they were admirable not likeable and never thrilling like Campese or Saint André or even Robinson (of he was let) could be. (All backs, I know but hey, that's where the real talent is:-)

Admittedly, the fault may be mine, if I'm honest with myself. I might well be a lot more generous if they were an Irish team. But the eye sees what heart wants it to see, too. So, apologies if I'm being churlish. The comparison with the current England side is not fair to what was a great (seminal, even) team.

And I think the same set of players would walk this World Cup, especially at home. So they're light years ahead of Lancaster's outfit , really.

Like I say, that's a big part of Lancaster's problem. He's following a very similar plan (who isn't, up to a point?) but his squad has nothing like a spine of the calibre of Johnson, Delaligo, Dawson, Wilkinson.

He has a a very competent (though hardly terrifying) front eight, an excellent place kicker in that blonde 'Action Man' type lad whose name escapes me, and a very exciting back three. It might be enough, at Twickenham especially, and with no other nation boasting a vintage crop.

Yeah, of all the Northern sides, I can see England pulling it off but then again, you'll never guess what my heart sees -and I have flights and hotel for the Norwich game, the same day as the final,already booked! I was sure the rugby ended earlier (to be fair, for Ireland, it usually does).

 

[big gaz]

Glad Cuthbert isn't playing, he's awful. I don't know anyone apart from Gatland who rates him. The importance of the first try is huge in this one. If we score first and put the shits up England early on I think we stand a chance.

Guess that try for the Lions was a fluke. Give me 15 Welshmen and sod England. Now that should liven things up ( missing JD hurts ) :-(

 

[bluemanc]

GULP !!