Comments on: Six Nations 2019: Wales v England Rate the Match

By: Don P

Don P — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 10:46:36 +0000

Paul P, in retro mostly agree, though to state that Wales ‘wanted it more’ is an unscientific cliche.

By: Don P

Don P — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 20:57:55 +0000

Andy, yr comments about my ‘bias’ ARE generalised & as such don’t warrant serious comment. You could however, check my main post for thumbs ‘downs’. Have you got a magnifying glass?

By: Harlequin

Harlequin — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 13:52:45 +0000

Don We had an excellent Autumn and the first 2 6N developed that extremely well so it was reasonable to expect another good performance in Cardiff.However as you say one setback doesn’t mean crisis.Maybe Eddies cool reaction is proportionate and mine too emotional.

By: jake

jake — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 13:11:26 +0000

Have to agree with you on all counts Don.
First half was back and forth but heading down the tunnel at HT i was confident England could win it. As the second half went on, and England kept surrendering possession with aimless kicks, I could feel the Welsh pressure building and was not surprised to see only their side of the scoreboard rising.
Thoroughly disappointing! Tui and Slade had no opportunties to test the Welsh combo, how long should it take an international half-back pairing to change gameplan? not +80mins. Youngs is so ponderous on the ball it beggars belief, always taking a couple steps before passing giving the Welsh defence time to fly up and close space.
Need to regroup for Italy. IF England can get the BP and Scotland can beat/hold Wales to less thab 4 tries (though this is a big if) England still have a chance going into the final weekend. But seeing how mediocre Ireland where, and how poor Scotland were, I’m not expecting Wales to mess up now.

By: Don P

Don P — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 12:24:52 +0000

Yep PP!

By: Paul Patten

Paul Patten — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 11:19:08 +0000

I honestly don’t think it was about the English being arrogant. I simply think Farrell had an awful day at the office and your game plan, based yet again on a kicking game went to the wall. Wales wanted it more and it’s all well and good saying “if we had decided to play an eighty minute game it could have been so different”, but Wales dominated you in the second half and stifled your style of play and you had no Plan B. Poor game management by both Owen Farrell and Eddie Jones!

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 09:48:02 +0000

Interesting that as probably the most biased poster on this blog you constantly accuse others of it Don. I have simply ventured the view that SH refs look for different things in the game which has a role in the way the game is played. Generally they seem to be less fussy about the areas of the game that slow it down and as a result the game is played at a faster pace but with less focus on the laws as they are written. I have no particular prejudice against SH refs, (Peyper only rates second on my list of refs I hope England don’t get behind Poite) but I dislike the recent tendency for rugby players to appeal to the ref for everything like a bunch of soccer players, and Wales were definitely trying to influence the awarding of penalties in my view. Personally I would make appealing to the ref a penalty offence. I have read this through and confidently expect you to take me to task for making a generalisation about the SH game.

By: Mr B

Mr B — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 08:21:28 +0000

Well done Wales, they thoroughly deserved the win.

Eddie Jones’ arrogance in not having a Plan B and Farrell’s panic kicking cost England dear.

Sinckler was the epitome of Englands performance in control and one of the best players on the pitch in the First Half, totally lost his head and was dealt with accordingly in the Second.

Of course Gatland would have a plan for the England game and have Wales drilled accordingly, England were not drilled to cope.

Also echo the comments about Ford and Robson in particular, it seems only an injury to Youngs will get him game time…… oh hold on Italy next on you go!

By: Don P

Don P — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 08:14:57 +0000

JS, also think you’re over simplifying by stating that ‘the game was there for the taling’ if England had imemented ‘small tactical changes’. It wasn’t just 1 thing. For instance, the pen count also killed them. Ask Sinckler. Daly’s miscalculation by competing in the air with Amos also contributed to sealing it for Wales late on. However, by sticking religiously to the formerly perceived ‘heads up’ kicking game, which patently wasn’t working, England ultimately shot themselves in their collective feet. By continually kicking it away to the Welsh 3/4ers, they not only handed over precious possession, but also the initiative & for me, self belief. Wales grew into the last 1/4, whilst England waned. The most disturbing thing about having such a rigid mindset under these circumstance must surely have been in their inability to recognise this fact, let alone have had the nous to have even attempted to change it. Also an opportunity missed to lay down a WC marker I think. Interesting to see if or how they adapt nxt time, although the opposition are unlikely to be that testing.

By: Don P

Don P — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 00:57:52 +0000

Need to ask Jose about his ‘general’ comments SJ, but generalisations generally tend be, er, general perceptions. If you watch a bit of S Rugby, the Brumbies for instance, didn’t look too shabby on Sat. And it’s 1 of the franchises from which the national team is selected. Also weren’t Oz in ‘tatters’ prior to the last WC.. & yet they got to its final! And until the Irish win, England’s 9 recent losses looked pretty tatty to me. As for now.. you tell me? Regds SA, so long as they field their ‘A’ team & not just @ home, they’re pretty competitive. As England found on their last tour there. Agree Arg are up & down, but don’t they all play abroad & only get together 5 mins before tests? As for NZ, you can cherry pick the odd result all you like, but they’re still ranked where they’re ranked. They’ve also lost games to SA & Oz prior to the last 2 WC’s, so they, like anyone else, aren’t ‘invincible’. Another perception, like many of yr contentions? Personally, I think it’s gd for the SH if the NH hold these beliefs, esp yr coaches. Just recall all the hype, hubris & humbug following England’s ‘WC contending’ win v Ireland. All looks so different now doesn’t it.. after 1 loss!? Defensive? A dose of reality more like. Bit like England’s ‘infallible’, heads up tactics prior to Cardiff perhaps & which even you seemed to concur were anything but? Each to his own though I suppose. Best nxt up.

By: Don P

Don P — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 00:16:06 +0000

Perhaps you should re-read yr comments then Andy. No NH bias when it comes to reffing of course?!

By: Don P

Don P — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 00:11:55 +0000

For chrissakes Ronald Mcdonald, you’re beginning to ‘sound’ like some of the English b4 yesterday! Fr a v gd side? They’ve lost 15 of 18! Lost to Fiji @ home & like Oz, made yr lot struggle. If the England team had had any nous about them at all in Cardiff, you’d quite possibly have been in their position today! Might be prudent to see how yr nxt games in this 6N go before you start crowing so much!