England are back...

Oh Yus,
Ireland stutter to a win, and the welsh get pummelled by english muscle...

It was good to watch

especially after last year

On Saturday I actually enjoyed an England game for the first time in ages. On Sunday, I cheered Scotland to the rafters!

I have tickets to the Calcutta Cup this year, my first ever trip to an international game. Roll on the 25th Feb!

Bruce

It was inevitable that England would power over last year's deserved Grand Slammers, but a joy to see a great unforeseen Scottish performancing seeing off 'the 2nd best side in world'.

If England get their act together they should be No.2 behind NZ.

Scotland looked well organised and highly motivated against a French side which had a number of significant injury omissions and, perhaps more importantly, who didn't seem to be expecting much of a game.

I was very impressed with the progress Scotland has made under the new coach, but it'll be interesting to see if the team can keep up that level of performance.

Yes Steve. Murrayfield was very enjoyable yesterday. I picked a good day to pay my first visit in almost 20 years!

The Times, in its London edition today at least, had a memorable headline to the effect that Scotland's victory over France had handed imminent victory in the Six Nations to England.

Do these English people have even the slightest sense of perspective?

Graham

quote:

Originally posted by Chumpy:
It was inevitable that England would power over last year's deserved Grand Slammers, but a joy to see a great unforeseen Scottish performancing seeing off 'the 2nd best side in world'.

If England get their act together they should be No.2 behind NZ.

Remind me who are the current world champs. Oh its England isn't it. The display on Saturday even had a Welshman admit that England would very hard to beat. Bringing on the old guard for the last 30 minutes was superb, the fact that they both scored just added to the fun.

The rest of six nations should be worried, along with all the southern hemisphere teams that we still have 18 months to get better and bring Wilkinson back into the squad.

Looking forward to 2007,

Jono.

Thought it might be worth bringing this thread back to everyones attention...

quote:

Originally posted by Steve G:
Thought it might be worth bringing this thread back to everyones attention...

quote:

Originally posted by JamieWednesday:
Enjoyed that.

Yup, know how you feel......

a bit quiet on this thread ....

Whilst Jono is looking forward to 2007 I'm looking forward to the rest of this tournament. What a beauty!

Jay

quote:

Originally posted by Jono 13:

quote:

Originally posted by Chumpy:
It was inevitable that England would power over last year's deserved Grand Slammers, but a joy to see a great unforeseen Scottish performancing seeing off 'the 2nd best side in world'.

If England get their act together they should be No.2 behind NZ.

Remind me who are the current world champs. Oh its England isn't it. The display on Saturday even had a Welshman admit that England would very hard to beat. Bringing on the old guard for the last 30 minutes was superb, the fact that they both scored just added to the fun.

The rest of six nations should be worried, along with all the southern hemisphere teams that we still have 18 months to get better and bring Wilkinson back into the squad.

Looking forward to 2007,

Jono.

No wonder everybody else loves to see them getting humped.

On the positive side I thought it was a fine defensive performance by Scotland who refused to give in to the English advantage of about a stone a man I believe. Good to see us holding our ground the way we did.

Bloody Jocks.

quote:

Originally posted by IanGtoo:
a bit quiet on this thread ....

Was there a rugby game yesterday?

I went to my first ever Rugby International this weekend....

The view from the stand was that Scotland won by sheer cussedness, England lacked much wit, and undoubtedly lacked the equivalent passion of the Scots. They also lacked leadership at some crucial points. It seemed a poor game, and it was not so windy to give an excuse.

Goopd luck to the Scottish.

Still had a great weekend mind you.

Bruce

Must admit that the view from the stand I was in was that Scotland won by scoring more points than England.

We beat the French, can you ?

Scotland beat England.

Oh well.
How Sad.
Never mind.

England are indeed back............ in the shite, to which their arrogance and sheer inability to play rugby condemns them. Saturday evening at Murrayfield was one of the greatest sporting occasions it has been my pleasure to attend.

Of course, England still have over a year to find some rugby players, instead of those musclebound meatheads put out on Saturday, to stave off the humiliation that awaits them in the RWC.

I suspect that France will take them hard up where the sun don't shine in Paris week after next, though.

Oh, what a laugh! Priceless.

Graham

quote:

England still have over a year to find some rugby players, instead of those musclebound meatheads put out on Saturday

There is an argument that England play better (and won the World Cup) when they stick to muscle/meat mode. Not an isnpiring thought but there you go.

I suspect they will revert to type against France, and who knows what France will do!

I think Scotland/Ireland could be a cracker.

Bruce

Bruce

Sadly, I think you're right that England believe that they must have ever bigger players. I suspect that England have never really recovered from the memory of Lomu running through puny little Underwoods et al (remember the crack that Jonah Lomu is a bad man because he ran over a Catt and didn't even stop).

The spectacle of a team of big bullies beating the shit out of smaller oponents then scoring the winning points in the final 20 minutes, which has been the England gameplan for so long now, is not (to my mind) remotely interesting. But the braying ninnies sitting behind me on Saturday seemed to relish the prospect and are probably still trying to work out where the plan failed.

As you say, the Ireland/Scotland game has great potential.

Graham

Well if you all thought Scotland played a good game then if you look a little closer you a will notice a similarity to the England tatics of 5-6 years ago, of not going for a win by scoring tries but by disrupting play and scoring penalties.

If it worked for England why not other teams as well? The only thing is it makes for a one sided game, a bit like Saturday.

And yes the French and Irish will now fancy their chances against England, and yes we almost certainly will revert to type and play like Scotland playing like England. Then everyone will maon that England don't play "entertaining" rugby, but do win.

Jono

quote:

The spectacle of a team of big bullies beating the shit out of smaller oponents then scoring the winning points in the final 20 minutes, which has been the England gameplan for so long now, is not (to my mind) remotely interesting.

No, sadly I agree. One of the frustrations is somehow believing that they do have more to offer. Perhaps a deluusion!

quote:

And yes the French and Irish will now fancy their chances against England, and yes we almost certainly will revert to type and play like Scotland playing like England

I do not think the 'agressive defence' gameplan of Scotland on Saturday is quite the same somehow.

Bruce