Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sat Oct 08, 2011 4:32 pm  

sanjunien wrote:

personally I don't care who wins being a bi-national but I can tell you the french press were really putting the pressure on the french players & coach to win this one - they were fired up and the passion showed,just like the welsh lads - next week should be a classic if bith teams show the same bottle
England will now hopefully get rid of the old guard and look to youth - the old pals act will hopefully end with MJ & co being sent packing - the off-field antics have been embarrassing and their on-field discipline wasn't much better - the important thing is the best team won,for the right reasons

England RU & football teams where is your passion ??? you are a gutless bunch !

Yes rugby is the winner having that kind of England side out. I do hope they dump Johnson, but somehow I feel they are daft enough to persevere with him. He's fairly clueless on how to get the best out of what are very good players.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sat Oct 08, 2011 4:51 pm  

Stand-Offish wrote:

Yes rugby is the winner having that kind of England side out. I do hope they dump Johnson, but somehow I feel they are daft enough to persevere with him. He's fairly clueless on how to get the best out of what are very good players.

I disagree about the quality of the players, I think they are very limited. Foden and Ashton are the two potent attacking weapons in the backs but their defence is not up to it and it was exposed against the French – if that were against the Southern Hemisphere teams it could have been carnage

The centres are uncreative (at least Tuilagi has the physical presence to punch a few holes) and neither of the two 10’s can dominate a game apart from with the boot

I won’t go through the pack but on the whole they are big and aggressive but they haven’t dominated against Argentina or Scotland and when they came up against a decent French pack they lost out at scrum, line out and in the loose

For me, the only world class player England player (if you exclude Tuilagi’s potential) is Youngs. His service needs a little work but I felt a bit for him in the tournament as he was clearly a few steps ahead of his backline in thought and deed – if he had a decent backline outside him, he would be a very potent player

This England team needs a pretty significant overhaul to get anywhere near the top but with the Premiership teams being obsessed with international signings, I also think it could be a pretty significant dry period for the national team

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:52 pm  

Dunbar wrote:

I disagree about the quality of the players, I think they are very limited. Foden and Ashton are the two potent attacking weapons in the backs but their defence is not up to it and it was exposed against the French – if that were against the Southern Hemisphere teams it could have been carnage

The centres are uncreative (at least Tuilagi has the physical presence to punch a few holes) and neither of the two 10’s can dominate a game apart from with the boot

I won’t go through the pack but on the whole they are big and aggressive but they haven’t dominated against Argentina or Scotland and when they came up against a decent French pack they lost out at scrum, line out and in the loose

For me, the only world class player England player (if you exclude Tuilagi’s potential) is Youngs. His service needs a little work but I felt a bit for him in the tournament as he was clearly a few steps ahead of his backline in thought and deed – if he had a decent backline outside him, he would be a very potent player

This England team needs a pretty significant overhaul to get anywhere near the top but with the Premiership teams being obsessed with international signings, I also think it could be a pretty significant dry period for the national team

I think we will have to differ on whether England will have a fallow period.
I personally think under the right guidance they would be very good, after first clearing out the oldies.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Oct 09, 2011 8:37 am  

'Rugby union awaits a thunderclap of on-field drama to divert attention from pressing financial issues in both hemispheres. It has barely registered amid all the World Cup hoopla but this week has thrown up ominous news. A New Zealand Rugby Union review has recommended the country's five Super Rugby franchises be sold off to private ownership amid increasing fears about the viability of the current structure. In Auckland, rugby league is gaining in popularity. Back in England, London Wasps are urgently seeking new investment in a grim economic climate. The International Rugby Board's chief executive, Mike Miller, has won few new friends locally after suggesting the All Blacks were "replaceable" if they felt unable financially to attend the next World Cup. The Rugby Football Union continues to resemble a rudderless vessel as it prepares to pick up the 2015 tournament baton. It is not an uplifting list.'

- Rob Kitson

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Oct 09, 2011 9:24 am  

Stand-Offish wrote:

Well that's your first one wrong then.......
Next!
France vs the least disciplined rabble in rugby....
So far, it's a rout

Two out of four isn't bad.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Oct 09, 2011 9:34 am  

Good work Agent Ellis.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Oct 09, 2011 10:46 am  

See The Sunday Times is bemoaning how rubbish England's RU team is (which we all knew). They are listing players for the 2015 campaign and suggesting taking a punt on Sam Tomkins. Would be a shame if another RL player took the money to fall into sporting oblivion.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Oct 09, 2011 10:50 am  

sanjunien wrote:

England RU & football teams where is your passion ??? you are a gutless bunch !

I'm afraid it comes down to national arrogance and hopeless coaching. No one seems to want to lay it on the line and say they're way behind the top teams and have no chance of winning a bean without :

A. taking a battling underdog stance; and
B. trying to win (rather than not lose) big matches.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Oct 09, 2011 1:06 pm  

Dally wrote:

See The Sunday Times is bemoaning how rubbish England's RU team is (which we all knew). They are listing players for the 2015 campaign and suggesting taking a punt on Sam Tomkins. Would be a shame if another RL player took the money to fall into sporting oblivion.

I wonder what Kyle Eastmond is thinking right now.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Oct 09, 2011 1:49 pm  

tigertot wrote:

I wonder what Kyle Eastmond is thinking right now.

Whether to buy a brand new Maserati or Ferrari.