6N Scotland v England

[Shelts89]

Haven't seen full game yet but was hoping jones would produce a mix of Japanese backs and English forwards. Bit disappointed

In 2 weeks? Asking a bit much haha

 

[Cardiffblue]

I reckon you're right, but Farrell just isn't a 12. He's a limited (but good at what he does) 10 and that is all. Would have been nice to see Devoto come on. Since him, Ford and JJ are all Bath players they should have been able to work together. With the game so tight I can understand why he didn't bring him on but would have still been nice.

Jones has the nous and the players to once and for all change the mindset of English rugby away from lord bald's game of attrition and percentages. He should be taking risks now and making his mark. He's got the biggest pool of players to draw on. Tbh imho winning isn't everything for England. It's about building a new ethos. The rwc showed that you ain't gonna get the prize the way England play.

 

[Shelts89]

I suspect we will see a slow drip feed over this year of new blood into the England team, and by Autumn it will be radically different in style and have many new players.

We'll see a few changes for Italy.. Maybe something like this:

M Vunipola
Hartley
Cole
Kruis
Launchbury
Robshaw
Clifford
B Vunipola

Care
Ford
Nowell
Farrell *Not a personal pick but I can't see him being dropped and Devoto starting yet
Joseph
Watson
Brown

Marler
George
Brookes
Itoje
Haskell
Youngs
Daly
Devoto

 

[Cardiffblue]

Don't underestimate player power shelts. England also has some of the worlds most overpaid egomaniacs. Jones shone with Japan cos they did exactly what they were told to. I hope he does well and brings whole of Nh with him

 

[Shelts89]

We're not a patch on France for overpaid egomaniacs really though... I think the issue isn't so much egomaniacs but many players are just so 'meh' in the English premiership. I believe Robshaw to be the perfect example... He is ok at everything but not really good at everything. Never makes a mistake and that's his game.

 

[boyo]

Drink every time Ross Ford throws the ball crooked into the lineout.

Been playing that drinking game?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Don't underestimate player power shelts. England also has some of the worlds most overpaid egomaniacs. Jones shone with Japan cos they did exactly what they were told to. I hope he does well and brings whole of Nh with him

Nice sentiment there @CardiffBlue, but the NH nations (apart from ENG and FRA) have had SH coaches for some time, and their "journey to rugby salvation" has made little progress.

The NH locals have to learn from the SH imports, and introduce the desired change at all levels of the pathway, and then generational change will happen organically as the "enlightened" players, coaches, match officials and administrators make their way to the top.

I think weather also has something to do with the way they do things up North. A NH Coach must have a well developed and practiced wet weather game plan.

Aust teams in particular are rather vulnerable in wet conditions. If a coach has the foresight to develop a wet weather plan, then they seldom get to practice that with their players. Our bloody councils are so trigger happy that they close the ovals if the groundkeeper leaves the tap on for too long. Our Wet Weather plan B D is like the fire extinguisher in the kitchen. We are smug that we have one, never plan to use it, don't check it and when it comes necessary to do use it, we find that it is out of date or out of charge.

 

[Jets]

Also Eddies hands are tied a bit with the requirement to pick a squad before the tournament and then he's pretty much locked into that group due to arrangements between the RFU and the Clubs. It will be a slow process in the 6 nations for them to change their style but come the tour at the end of their season I expect a different looking group to hit our shores.

 

[Shelts89]

Very much so, he is essentially having to play this tournament with Lancaster's squad due to the EPS agreeement.

 

[Cardiffblue]

Also Eddies hands are tied a bit with the requirement to pick a squad before the tournament and then he's pretty much locked into that group due to arrangements between the RFU and the Clubs. It will be a slow process in the 6 nations for them to change their style but come the tour at the end of their season I expect a different looking group to hit our shores.

That's true. It'll be an interesting Autumn international series for once

 

[Cardiffblue]

Nice sentiment there @CardiffBlue, but the NH nations (apart from ENG and FRA) have had SH coaches for some time, and their "journey to rugby salvation" has made little progress.

Think jones is potentially of different mindset from Schmidt and the man of cement, let alone the rabble of coaches Scotland have employed. It's easy to have a go at Gatland but he has transformed the side and a a rugby mad nation. and you wouldn't have bern mentally scarred by the gyppocaust before he took over

 

[Shelts89]

Think jones is potentially of different mindset from Schmidt and the man of cement, let alone the rabble of coaches Scotland have employed. It's easy to have a go at Gatland but he has transformed the side and a a rugby mad nation. and you wouldn't have bern mentally scarred by the gyppocaust before he took over

Bit harsh on Vern Cotter in there... but yeah wales were god awful pre-gatland.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Think jones is potentially of different mindset from Schmidt and the man of cement, let alone the rabble of coaches Scotland have employed. It's easy to have a go at Gatland but he has transformed the side and a a rugby mad nation. and you wouldn't have bern mentally scarred by the gyppocaust before he took over

Agreed, but surely their game isn't going anywhere with him at the helm now? I can't believe they've renewed his contract to be honest. Time to move on I would have thought, just like we did with Deans.

 

[Cardiffblue]

Agreed, but surely their game isn't going anywhere with him at the helm now? I can't believe they've renewed his contract to be honest. Time to move on I would have thought, just like we did with Deans.

I've thought it over a lot since rwc. It's difficult to judge atm. If we can evolve This 6n then wru will be vindicated. Wales Games against Ireland are torrid games of Celtic supremacy. For mine the problem with cementball is that the back row are tied to the fringes of the rucks and mauls chop tackling. There's almost zero chance of them getting out wide to support the wide backs from an offload. We tried using Baldwin out wide but he dropped the ball twice. Wings have almost zero chance of making ground and so they come inside and go to ground. I'd like to see him risking keeping potential ball handlers like faletau, tips or warbs out wide regularly like nz do so well. It happened once last weekend when tipuric was in position to chase foxy s kick. Think it is all it would take to change the game entirely