Comments on: Autumn Internationals 2014: England vs South Africa Prediction

By: Lukov

Lukov — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 10:53:07 +0000

Apparently Steve Walsh was the ref the last time England beat South Africa?!

By: Banastre

Banastre — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 19:06:41 +0000

doom and gloom guys, doom and gloom. ‘England look very underpowered all over the park’, excuse me? what team are you looking at? id put my money on our pack to go toe to toe with SA’s any day, our front row is pretty enormous and in laws and attwood we have probably our two hardest locks on. vunipola is a match for anyone, even the mighty vermuelen, and one thing you cold never criticise robshaw for is taking a backward step or not smashing someone in the tackle. woods probably my only concern but thats because of his carrying ability.

Brighty, i do love seeing you come on these posts and set us right about our ref whinging, i love it almost as much as i love seeing australia beating wales.

By: S Lancaster

S Lancaster — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:36:42 +0000

Yes Wade, I know you score tries that no other English winger can manage ….. but we need to increase the number of rucks you hit before and the average distance of your clearing kicks is too low.

By: McShane

McShane — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:15:37 +0000

I have to agree. There was an article just this past week in the Guardian(http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/nov/13/the-breakdown-england-risks-world-cup) about a study done that found all the statistics and analysis forced on professional rugby players today is making them more risk-averse and less instinctive players. In other words, if they come in every Monday and are rated by the coaching staff based on how many tackles they made and how many rucks they hit, they’ll naturally just try to hit those same benchmarks to keep their place in the squad rather than playing the game that’s in front of them. I feel like Lancaster may have gone too far down the analytic rabbithole and selection has suffered as a result.

By: Pablito

Pablito — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:13:17 +0000

Couldn’t agree more Brighty – I think it is a coaching thing around presenting and recycling the ball.

A fine example of a N Hemisphere player who doesn’t often do this is Hibbard – and as a result he makes some destructive carries

But yes knowing when to try and break the tackle and when not to is the real skill

By: Pablito

Pablito — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:08:54 +0000

Ha. Possibly

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:08:09 +0000

England may be able to work them out, and play a tactically astute game, but I think the difference will be the SA back row and their power in the carry.

Depressingly SA by 6

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:03:58 +0000

True. It’s more likely to be 15-15!

By: Benjit

Benjit — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:02:38 +0000

Now whose paranoid?

By: brighty

brighty — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 15:35:26 +0000

Wales 2013 6n win? Thought we’d get there in the end.

By: Benjit

Benjit — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 15:33:01 +0000

Paranoia? Walsh has been banned for being anti English, so it’s not completely unfounded.

I have seen Walsh ref England fairly, and that’s not restricted to when we win, but it is few and far between. It tends to be after he’s had stick from a previous performance. Here’s hoping the “clarification” sought after Wales 2013 6n will keep him honest.

By: Chris Lacharge

Chris Lacharge — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 15:13:40 +0000

All the refs have not the same style and Rugby is sometimes about interpretations especially with scrums and forward battles. Let me rephrase it: The way Walsh is whistling is not a good fit for the way England is playing :) And don’t compare NZ with italy in your previous example but two nations with a similar level such as England and SA. Ref is part of the game Poite was not helping SA last week it goes in both directions I just feel it will be more in SA favour this time. Let’s see and hope we will not have a boring kicking game