Paid Members Up Chuck Posted November 11, 2012 Author Paid Members Share Posted November 11, 2012 I didn't see anything of the Welsh game but the pub I was in had 2 screens on the go quite close to each other, so I pretty much guessed the result from the reactions I could hear. Did Argentina do anything particularly good? I might track down some highlights, because I'm really interested to see what one tournament against the big three has done for them. This could be their first step to the next level. Â As for the England game, I'm relatively happy but not delighted. There were some mammoth performances in there, but we're gonna need to be ten times more clinical to get anything out of Australia. Still, positives: Â - Sharples' and Tuilagi's finishing was a joy to behold. They both took everything given to them so well, and the former will have Chris Ashton worrying for his place. He's cemented a start for me, whether at 14 or 11. Â - Alex Goode proved himself to be the right call at 15 all day long. Slotted in perfectly in every situation. I still rate Mike Brown above him, but this was a team call and it was the right one. Â - Tom Youngs was up for it, solid as fuck and threw the lineout without a blip all game. As perfect an international debut as you'll see. Â - We scored seven tries. It guarantees nothing for next week, but it's one of the better habits to get into. Â And one more from elsewhere... Â - France destroyed the Aussie scrum. You could almost see Dan Cole rubbing his hands together and cackling in anticipation. Â I'm not much more optimistic for the Aussie/SA/NZ games than I was before, but it's nice to see the England machine up and rolling. Next week is massive. If they bring anything less than a great scrum, we could have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Up Chuck Posted November 16, 2012 Author Paid Members Share Posted November 16, 2012 Wales 19 Samoa 26. Anybody doing a suicide watch on Butch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted November 16, 2012 Moderators Share Posted November 16, 2012 Rhys Priestland is terrible. Â I think we've been found out now. Teams know that we're just going to throw Jamie Roberts and Faletau up the middle in order to bring the fullback and threequarters into the game, and that we've got nothing else. Howley's coaching is awful, and I think it's time he receives his p45. Â Thank god Y Gats is back next week for the Kiwis. I've got tickets for it. I'm shitting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cleslie92 Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 Bit late to this one, but I was at Murrayfield last weekend for Scotland .vs. New Zealand, and saw some really encouraging signs. Less of the silly mistakes on the five metre line, less of the poor defending (even if New Zealand did absolutely carve us up at some points just because they could), and THREE TRIES! Scotland haven't scored that many in I don't know how long - quite possibly since I saw them beat Japan 100-8 about six years ago... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matbro1984 Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 Wales. Fairly spectacular fall from grace, this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Up Chuck Posted November 17, 2012 Author Paid Members Share Posted November 17, 2012 Samoa won that as much as Wales lost it. They were given stuff that they shouldn't have been, but a lesser side wouldn't have taken it. Leota's flukey try was little more than that, but the pick-and-go from Fotuali'i and that stunning finish from Pisi were two counts of absolute genius. I'd put that finish up there with the best in-the-corner tries I've ever seen. Â EDIT: Can't justify a double post just yet. Disappointing from England. Talk of the Aussie's demise was premature, natch, but England had chances today. I said we'd need to be more clinical, and I was right in the worst way. Tuilagi took his well, and there were a couple of other near-misses, but for the most part, Australia read every trick we tried to pull. It's pretty hard to show southern hemisphere teams something new in attack, but we should've been able to come up with something. We should've got another try out of that game. And that's to say nothing of the penalties we didn't kick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Up Chuck Posted February 1, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted February 1, 2013 Six Nations time, then! Lots of questions to be answered. Who'll step up and claim a Lions spot? Will Wales dodge the wooden spoon? Will this be one of those years when Italy do something good? How infuriating will Brian Moore's commentary be? Will anyone but me and Butch post before this thread disappears again? Â I won't do a massive post with the teams right now, but I've made another basic-as-fuck wallchart in case anyone wants one but doesn't fancy a garish effort from the papers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted February 1, 2013 Moderators Share Posted February 1, 2013 Interested in the selection of Coombs in the boiler room for us. Â I'm really happy we've got Ireland first. I think that game will be the biggest sign of where exactly we are after the poor AIs, as I'd say we're pretty evenly matched with the Irish. Â To be honest, I reckon we'll squeak a win out tomorrow, and probably settle in 3rd after losses to the French and the English. Actually I can see us beating France, to be fair, but England are looking good. Â I hope none of our players go to the Lions though (even though they will). The rugby season is a long and arduous one as it is, and we don't need this archaic boys holiday giving our form players a fucking hangover (See Roberts, Jamie and Phillips, Mike). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Up Chuck Posted February 1, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted February 1, 2013 It's an odd one, the Lions. If it got sacked off, I'm not even sure there'd be much outcry. At least not from anyone especially relevant. But I suppose if there wasn't a Lions tour, there'd be other southern hemisphere tours, although that's a problem itself. Anyway, whoever does go, I'm sure Adam Jones will be nice and fresh for the new season! Â I'm hopeful for England. I don't know about a grand slam, but we should be winning all three home games and putting a decent score past Scotland and Italy at that. Ireland and Wales as away games in the same tournament is pretty tough, but if there's one season where I fancy us clinching the trophy in Cardiff, this'd be it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted February 1, 2013 Moderators Share Posted February 1, 2013 Well, let's see who Y Gats will definitely be taking from Wales. Â Halfpenny, North, Cuthbert, Roberts, Warburton, Lydiate. Faletau, Adam Jones. Â Might take Tipuric and Cuthbert as well. Â I don't want any of those going and being shit for all next season because they've not had a break. Especially a Halfpenny, who's importance to us cannot be understated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Up Chuck Posted February 1, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted February 1, 2013 Yeah, you're right, of course. As a Tigers fan, I'm well schooled in international skepticism. I'll be sweating on Ben Youngs all summer especially, he blows hot and cold at such random intervals that any extra game time seems like a massive and unnecessary risk. D'you reckon this might be the last Lions outing then, or will we be having the same grumbles in 2017? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted February 1, 2013 Moderators Share Posted February 1, 2013 The same. But seeing as the home nations normally do a SH tour ever summer anyway individually, and we play the SH nations every autumn anyway, I don't think there's need for it anymore. It's basically a tour for tourists and a boys outing for the players, it's not like years ago when there was the novelty of playing the SH nations as we didn't far as much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Up Chuck Posted February 1, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted February 1, 2013 Mm. It's interesting to see the old traditions and how they adapt to a modern professional context. There's a lot that's gone by the wayside already - most notably, a proper English cup competition - which, of course, isn't entirely unrelated to the current international schedules. I can't see much of a change on that front any time soon, though, especially with England needing to rake in as much money through Twickenham as they possibly can to justify redevelopment that's already happened. Â The Six Nations is different, because there's still tons of excitement around it, so I can just about forgive the fact that there are Premiership games going on at the same time. Even though Tigers always get stung with a big one (Saracens at Welford Road this season, which I bet they'll fucking fancy with our best guys missing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted February 2, 2013 Moderators Share Posted February 2, 2013 The Hoff knows. Â Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 He's such a fucking mess of an alcoholic, that chap. Worked with him for a day a couple of years ago and he went out the night before on a horrific bender, and turned up to the shoot in a real mess. Â Once the cameras were on though, he was super professional. But it was sad to see. He needs help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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