Six Nations

[pauldominic]

gave the irish too much respect,dire performance indeed...

It wasnt a dire preformance you were out played by a better team its simple as that. Ireland upped there level and England couldnt cope with it. All through the 6 Nations Ireland didnt click passing wise at times and mistakes but once it clicks Ireland has got a great team. Your flyhalf in the first half got fuck all ball and was targeted by Ireland in the game no wonder Johnny came on for him.

I just don't agree with this analysis.

You could use the same argument about any contest in sport.

such and such a team played poorly because the opposition wouldn't let them play well. Its a nonsense argument.

A proper analysis defines the causal relationships

Compare the England Team of 2003 with this one.

Stuffed full of leadership everywhere - Johnson, Dawson, Wilkinson, Vickery, Tindall, Robinson etc etc.

Almost no leadership in yesterday's team.

EDIT: Interesting that the tide of points stopped as soon as Wilkinson, Thompson and Shaw came on.

quod erat demonstrandum

-- Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:31 pm --

typical pro-irish "yay we beat england so are automatically superior"

england won the 6 nations because they were the best team, Ireland just got up for last night as they had the chance to stop the Grand Slam on home turf.

England will keep improving to the World Cup, and I back them again to be the best Northern Hemisphere team.

Exactly.

Precisely put.

 

[leighton]

My ten pence worth. England arent what the media make them out to be. Yes you can run in a number of trys against Italy at home most teams do. Get a win over a French team that 1 week is brilliant the next is bobbins. Beat the Scots by the skin of your teeth. Then when you have a real test you fall flat on your arses and were lucky not to be beaten by a wider margin. I know a lot of teams had players injuried in this 6 Nations the Welsh missing a few players and Ireland missing a number of key players doesnt help. Ireland will be stronger come the World cup I think with a fit Ferris Ireland may well have 1 of the best back row 3 of Ferris , O' Brien and Heaslip with a great replacement in Wallace England dont have that power in there pack.
Our back line today worked well Tommy Bowe since his return from injury has been brilliant and we missed him while he was out. Earls to fullback was a great move but even in the backs we still have Kearney to bring back into the fold. Its not Ireland raising the game to play England Ireland over the last 8 years have been consitantly playing to a higher level than England it more of England not being able to raise there game when they play against Ireland. For poor reffing decisions that went against Ireland this 6 Nations Ireland could of well won the championship. I cant wait for the World Cup I will be interested to see how Ireland get on against the SH teams and I would be happy over the moon if we get a semi final but its a big ask. My player of the 6 Nations was O' Brien the lad is some talent strong runner good in the tackle and breaks tackles for fun at times.

Professionalism has suited Ireland more than any other country because you have a provincial system where the natural home for a professional is playing for his province.

It would be interesting to do the same thing in England

Four provinces: -

London - Wasps, London Irish, Harlequins, Saracens
Midlands - Northampton, Leicester, Worcester,
Northern - Sale, Newcastle, Leeds
South West - Bath, Gloucester, Exeter

I can imagine quite a few tasty Heineken Cup matches if that happened, but of course it won't!!

It was blatantly obvious that England had a huge leadership problem yesterday. We need to get SCW replacing Rob Andrew as director of Elite Performance to take the next step.

Nonetheless, well played Ireland ...

That would be a good move for English rugby if they done what Ireland did. We still have the other clubs about but there mainly ams now and is used for the proviences to bring on the younger players into there set up.

Regarding Italy they will no longer be a push over when they play at home. They are now getting more games against the Irish , Scottish and Welsh teams in the Magniers league that in the coming years they will slowly get better and better. Beating the French at home just shows that.

To Joe Mercer or any English fan look at the record over the last couple of years and Ireland have dominated England as Rafa would say its a FACT. You had 3 games at home this year next year only 2 against Ireland and Wales with 3 away games as well next season you will be doing well to be in contention for the 6 Nations. The Welsh and Irish teams will be a lot stronger and the French will have a point to prove.

 

[without a dream]

Almost every I know can't really call it the answers usually ''if they show up then France' but a team that's as inconsistent as they are can't really be held up as the best.

The 3 SH teams are the best in the world and you'd expect them all to be in the semi's of the world cup. The draw's worked quite nicely for England though so I think we end up facing the Aussies in the semi all going to plan and we've got a good recent record against them so I wouldn't bet against England being in the final...

SH = Southern Hemipshere...

What about Argentina?

What about Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and Namibia... I think you knew the point I was making.

It wasnt a dire preformance you were out played by a better team its simple as that. Ireland upped there level and England couldnt cope with it. All through the 6 Nations Ireland didnt click passing wise at times and mistakes but once it clicks Ireland has got a great team. Your flyhalf in the first half got fuck all ball and was targeted by Ireland in the game no wonder Johnny came on for him.

I don't agree with that at all, I think this England team is overrated and are better compared with the '99 team than the 2003(there was a pretty good blog about this on the beeb last week), but we were dire up front, Ireland were very good though, the back row especially.

 

[pauldominic]

Professionalism has suited Ireland more than any other country because you have a provincial system where the natural home for a professional is playing for his province.

It would be interesting to do the same thing in England

Four provinces: -

London - Wasps, London Irish, Harlequins, Saracens
Midlands - Northampton, Leicester, Worcester,
Northern - Sale, Newcastle, Leeds
South West - Bath, Gloucester, Exeter

I can imagine quite a few tasty Heineken Cup matches if that happened, but of course it won't!!

It was blatantly obvious that England had a huge leadership problem yesterday. We need to get SCW replacing Rob Andrew as director of Elite Performance to take the next step.

Nonetheless, well played Ireland ...

That would be a good move for English rugby if they done what Ireland did. We still have the other clubs about but there mainly ams now and is used for the proviences to bring on the younger players into there set up.

Regarding Italy they will no longer be a push over when they play at home. They are now getting more games against the Irish , Scottish and Welsh teams in the Magniers league that in the coming years they will slowly get better and better. Beating the French at home just shows that.

To Joe Mercer or any English fan look at the record over the last couple of years and Ireland have dominated England as Rafa would say its a FACT. You had 3 games at home this year next year only 2 against Ireland and Wales with 3 away games as well next season you will be doing well to be in contention for the 6 Nations. The Welsh and Irish teams will be a lot stronger and the French will have a point to prove.

Personally I'd love to see it happen. I never thought it would happen that neath would get together with swansea, but it did.

As for supporting England, its because we're English.

England have been out of contention from about 2004 through to about 2008 and there's no way we're going back to those days.

As for next year, it'll be the same as always.

Ireland and Wales at Twickenham
Scotland, Italy and France away

Only one match that concerns me out of that lot - le crunch.

When Sir Clive Woodward replaces Rob Andrew, that will be another huge step forward.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

losing English clubs would be a bad move.

England winners and runners up in the last 2 world cups, much more important.

we won the 6 nations, Ireland didn't.

England have only been getting better, so why you think we'll be going dramatically backwards in the next 12 months god only knows, probably only hope rather than substance.

 

[pauldominic]

SH = Southern Hemipshere...

What about Argentina?

What about Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and Namibia... I think you knew the point I was making.

It wasnt a dire preformance you were out played by a better team its simple as that. Ireland upped there level and England couldnt cope with it. All through the 6 Nations Ireland didnt click passing wise at times and mistakes but once it clicks Ireland has got a great team. Your flyhalf in the first half got fuck all ball and was targeted by Ireland in the game no wonder Johnny came on for him.

I don't agree with that at all, I think this England team is overrated and are better compared with the '99 team than the 2003(there was a pretty good blog about this on the beeb last week), but we were dire up front, Ireland were very good though, the back row especially.

They're a work in progress. A relatively young team with a couple of unfortunate injuries.

I think we've missed Mad Dog Moody as much as anyone.<br /><br />-- Sun Mar 20, 2011 3:40 pm --<br /><br />

losing English clubs would be a bad move.

England winners and runners up in the last 2 world cups, much more important.

we won the 6 nations, Ireland didn't.

England have only been getting better, so why you think we'll be going dramatically backwards in the next 12 months god only knows, probably only hope rather than substance.

I'm not proposing that we scrap the premiership. I just think that going up against the likes of Munster and Leinster in the Heineken Cup isn't a level playing field.

Perhaps an alternative way or levelling it would be to ban huge geographical regions from pretending to be a single club.

Imagine Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea combining to compete in the ECL or God forbid City,scum + dippers.

[shudder]

Certainly agree about last 2 world cups and God knows what the score would have been in 2007 if Cueto's try hadn't been disallowed.