Official Rugby Thread

[Zinzan]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

What a great first half of test Rugby. NZ have had far more of the ball but we're hanging in there. If Charlie H hadn't shanked a reasonably straight forward penalty we could be level. & that's without whinging about Carter's ever-so-slightly forward pass for Umaga's try.

TBF NZ could've put us away by now, Mauger's ball-handling has pretty much kept us in it. Our front row has definitely been in the ascendancy in the scrum, Woodcock collapsed it early on only for Wally to come up with a typically turd line-out throw. Our line out has been shocking, NZ getting uncontested ball.

Sanderson has had a good game, playing two natural 7s seems to be paying dividends to some extent. Carter has been superb, but one almost expects it of the boy now.

All-in-all I think my shout of 12-15 to NZ is still good.

Well Done BB in picking a scoreline much closer than many predicted (especially those in Southern hemisphere).

A Test match of massive proportions!! I could feel the pressure as if I was there at the game. A gutsy defensive effort by the Blacks in the 2nd half, how did they hold on with 14 men (13 for a short time) for most of the 2nd half??

Full credit to England for not allowing the AB's to play the expansive 15 man game.

I disagree England had the better of the scrums in the first half, if anything I honestly felt that overall Hayman had a slight edge on Sheridan, but hey thats just the way I saw it.

[Zinzan]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

You're joking, right? Look at the second half possession. If NZ had our front 3 you'd have won by 30+.

In all fairness BB, we were playing with 14 men for most of the 2nd half. You'd expect the English scrum to dominate against 14 men. In the first half England had the better of some scrums, but overall I reckon NZ had the slight edge.

[open365]

What the hell is Andy Robinson playing at with the back line?

the forwards work their asses off,get 3 players binned and yet the bloody backs can't do nowt.

Why in gods name are jamie noon and Mike Tindal playing in the same side?

Tindal is almost as bad a Greenwood now,and Noon is a clone of him,bad ball handling skills and poor running lines.

Bring in Ollie Smith or Simpson Daniel now,or even play Van Gisbergen at full back and put Lewsey in centre,anything would do.

[Blaze]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

You're joking, right? Look at the second half possession. If NZ had our front 3 you'd have won by 30+.

Possession has nothing to do with if your front 3 are dominant at scrum - time. I bet even the English team would admit that we out scrumed them.

Haven't seen much of that ref before (seen him running the touch line in a couple of matches) but he isn't up to international standard. 3 yellow cards without warning? One that wasn't even in the opposing teams danger zone.. awful decision.

[Blaze]

With most top sides you are safe with an 8 point lead but I feel comfortable with anything over 3 points when we play England.

Their forwards were absolutely superb, played really well and nulified our expansive game yet their backs were woeful. The problem lies with your centres. Your wing men are quite useful, I rate Cueto but your centres are just crash and bash players.

Lewsey in over rated.

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by zinzan12

In all fairness BB, we were playing with 14 men for most of the 2nd half. You'd expect the English scrum to dominate against 14 men. In the first half England had the better of some scrums, but overall I reckon NZ had the slight edge.

That's true, but it was our forwards putting yours under pressure that made you commit the professional fouls. I thought Collins & So'oialo were both immense today (Masoe wasn't bad either, although he shoulda scored in the first half), but we still absolutely dominated possession. 3 forwards (two front 3) going to the bin doesn't suggest a winning pack to me.

FWIW I thought Hayman showed the better scrummaging technique, but Sheridan is such a beast he more than held his own. He just has to watch he doesn't allow himself to be pushed upwards.

[Blaze]

You are dreaming Brumby.. I will give you they Woodcock one, your forwards drove well and he collapsed the maul.. fair yellow card.

The other two had nothing to do with english pressure.. They were just stupid penalties that you see in any match, hardly professional fouls.

Your forwards played well but we must remember in the second half NZ only had 7 in the pack.

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by Blaze

With most top sides you are safe with an 8 point lead but I feel comfortable with anything over 3 points when we play England.

Their forwards were absolutely superb, played really well and nulified our expansive game yet their backs were woeful. The problem lies with your centres. Your wing men are quite useful, I rate Cueto but your centres are just crash and bash players.

Lewsey in over rated.

I don't rate Cohen at all. Just a slab of muscle & not that quick with it either. No Rugby brain. When you watch him with the ball the first thing he seems to do is run into his own players. & I say that as a Northampton fan. Come the WC I think Tom Varndell will be one of our wings (you heard it here first!), he's 6' 3" & like schisse off a wet shovel. Only 20 too.

Noon & Tindall don't work, totally agree. The trouble is I can't think of a decent inside centre to come in. We've plenty of options @ 13 (Simpson-Daniel, Smith, Lewsey even), but Barkley seems the only other option at 12.

[Zinzan]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

That's true, but it was our forwards putting yours under pressure that made you commit the professional fouls. I thought Collins & So'oialo were both immense today (Masoe wasn't bad either, although he shoulda scored in the first half), but we still absolutely dominated possession. 3 forwards (two front 3) going to the bin doesn't suggest a winning pack to me.

FWIW I thought Hayman showed the better scrummaging technique, but Sheridan is such a beast he more than held his own. He just has to watch he doesn't allow himself to be pushed upwards.

Oh well we disagree on Hayman vs Sheridan.

As far as the possession stakes go, I won't argue about any of the individual sinbin offences except to say I find it incredible that England never killed/slowed down the ball of the AB's in the whole game. If the ref wants to sinbin those types of infridgements, thats fine but he needs to be consistent. NZ certainly didn't get many favours from the officials. But fairplay to England, they were in the refs ear ALL day and it eventually got to him. I noticed they were in his ear running off for the halftime break and then again running out for the 2nd half, with the Twickenham factor thrown into the equation, Its easy to see how the ref buckled.

I also reckon Richie McCaw would have made a HUGE difference. Unlike many of the other positions in the greater All Blacks squad, there is a big drop down to the next best no.7

[open365]

Varndell is lethal out wide,i've seen him live about 6 times now and it always amazes me how quick he is.at school he did the 100m in 10.8 seconds

his all round game needs more work but he'll defintely play for England one-day.

[Jamee999]

He just said he was a Saints fan

[Blaze]

Originally Posted by zinzan12

As far as the possession stakes go, I won't argue about any of the individual sinbin offences except to say I find it incredible that England never killed/slowed down the ball of the AB's in the whole game. If the ref wants to sinbin those types of infridgements, thats fine but he needs to be consistent. NZ certainly didn't get many favours from the officials. But fairplay to England, they were in the refs ear ALL day and it eventually got to him. I noticed they were in his ear running off for the halftime break and then again running out for the 2nd half, with the Twickenham factor throwin into the equation, Its easy to see how the ref buckled.

Totally agree. The Masoe yellow card was just a joke..

The ref shouldn't tolerate 8 English players coming up to him and complaining about every decision that doesn't go their way. We saw it on the lions tour as well. They need to shut up and speak to the ref through their captain like they are supposed to.

[open365]

Originally Posted by Jamee999

He just said he was a Saints fan

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by open365

^are you a leicester fan brumby?

Varndell is lethal out wide,i've seen him live about 6 times now and it always amazes me how quick he is.at school he did the 100m in 10.8 seconds

his all round game needs more work but he'll defintely play for England one-day.

I'm a Saints fan, but get along to Welford Road two or three times a year 'cos one of my mates is a Tigers fan (he went to DeMontford Uni).

Saw Varndell run in a couple against Gloucester last week & he impressed me no end. Simpson-Daniel looked kwality too, played a lot better @ 13 than Ollie Smith did & I really rate Smith a lot.

[steds]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

I'm a Saints fan

No you aren't.