England v New Zealand @ Twickenham

[waiopehu oldboy]

Colin Slade & James Parsons have been drafted in to replace the injured Cory Jane (hamstring) & Nathan Harris (ankle). Both SBW & Dan Carter are said to be fit & well but it's been hinted neither will play this week.

Team therefore looks like being Crockett, Coles, O Franks, Retallick, Whitelock, Vito, McCaw, Read; A Smith, Cruden, Savea, Fekitoa, C Smth, B Smith & Dagg starting with Mealamu, B Franks, Faumuina, Tuipulotu, Cane, Perenara, Barrett & Piutau on the bench.

England have injury problems as well with Launchbury now ruled out of their November schedule.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

James Parsons

Great moment for him. Tom Mccartney will be sitting somewhere thinking bloody hell what happened

Both SBW & Dan Carter are said to be fit & well but it's been hinted neither will play this week..

That'd surprise me. DC looked good to go vs the sepps. One Nut did not. Slight regression to 2011 tinpot little boy kicking display. Still, he stepped up big time in 2013EOYTsowft

2nd 5 god what do we do there. Crotty vs Fekitoa vs SBW. Crot the Grot the safest but the other 2, vs a raw pommy midfield, v.tempting.....

HUGE statement game. Reminiscent of 2003 when Eng's roid ragers came down and did the business

ps oh dear
http://captiongenerator.com/22897/2015-Rugby-World-Cup-TV-Commercial

 

[ChargerWA]

I'd be starting Crotty at 12, but it's quite amazing to think it could have been SBW if fit.

 

[Forcefield]

Parsons almost joined the Force once upon a time. Only held back by a contract with North Harbour. Good luck to him.

England could win this one but they need to play their power game for the full 80. We saw them roll it out in New Zealand earlier in the year and completely dominate for 40 minutes and then take their feet off the pedal in the second half. That 10/12 channel needs the blow torch applied.

 

[Bairdy]

Quite the predicament NZ have with their inside centres. Crotty and Smith vs the Wallabies at Auckland was very effective for all of 40 minutes, but it makes sense to play the more experienced SBW.

Whatever choice the coaches make, they will no doubt target England's midfield. It is a case of last man/men standing with Tuilagi, Burrell out injured, and Twelvetrees out of form. I envision the uncertainty Lancaster has around his midfield will be exploited

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

England could win this one but they need to play their power game for the full 80. We saw them roll it out in New Zealand earlier in the year and completely dominate for 40 minutes and then take their feet off the pedal in the second half.

I assume you're referring to the Dunners test that England led 10-6 at HT? I'm not sure I'd call that completely dominant. In the end the 1-point loss looks better than it was as they scored twice very late in the piece, the 2nd on or after the siren IIRC.

England squad to face New Zealand

Forwards (13): Dave Attwood (Bath Rugby), Kieran Brookes (Newcastle Falcons), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), George Kruis (Saracens), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Matt Mullan (Wasps), David Wilson (Bath Rugby), Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, captain), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Rob Webber (Bath Rugby), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints).

Backs (10): Brad Barritt (Saracens), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).

www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,9817_9549852,00.html

 

[Tex]

I see the English press have declared the ABs beatable and brought up the "aura" chestnut.

I hope they get absolutely smashed. I like seeing the ABs lose, but I love seeing English optimism and pride turned to dust and recrimination.

 

[fatprop]

So this game isn't on Fox?

 

[Highlander35]

Setanta bought this one and the Wales one. They'll have the Scots one next week though.

 

[BDA]

Setanta bought this one and the Wales one.

Shaping as one of the best games of the autumn internationals (likely World Cup final next year) and its on Setanta. FFS

 

[terry j]

Shaping as one of the best games of the autumn internationals (likely World Cup final next year) and its on Setanta. FFS

double FFS, for fucking sake.

 

[JSRF10]

Setanta have had the rights to the BNZ games in November v England, Ireland and Wales for a while.

I'd love it if England got hammered but I think I'll have to settle for an 8 point loss

 

[Dctarget]

As I was enjoying this united hatred for the soap dodgers, I realised that it's all unopposed; do we not have any England supporters floating around GAGR? We have Wales, Scotland and Ireland covered. But any English?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

As I was enjoying this united hatred for the soap dodgers, I realised that it's all unopposed; do we not have any England supporters floating around GAGR? We have Wales, Scotland and Ireland covered. But any English?

Good point, seen a few thistles, shamrocks & leeks on here but never a rose which is rather odd there being plenty of expat poms living down under, they can't all be diveball fans, can they?

Quite the predicament NZ have with their inside centres. Crotty and Smith vs the Wallabies at Auckland was very effective for all of 40 minutes, but it makes sense to play the more

Kinda makes all the fretting over WTF to do if Conrad got hurt or Ma'a got cast in the new Predator movie look a bit silly, dunnit. Reading between the lines I think they want a big unit at 12 v England but aren't too keen on risking SBW in such a key game so early in his return to the fold. I'm therefore expecting Fekitoa this week, SBW (& Crotty) v the Scots & whoever has the better game v the Welsh.

 

[Forcefield]

I assume you're referring to the Dunners test that England led 10-6 at HT? I'm not sure I'd call that completely dominant. In the end the 1-point loss looks better than it was as they scored twice very late in the piece, the 2nd on or after the siren IIRC.

You're right. Completely dominant is an overstatement, but that 10-6 looks a bit better when NZ snuck a penalty right on half time. Also, England came pretty close just before half time which could easily have seen the score at 17-3. The scoreboard doesn't tell the full story though and I'd have said that at 40 minutes you guys were on the ropes. As always it's an 80 minute game and god don't we know that New Zealand play like men possessed when behind on the scoreboard and less than 10 to go.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

You're right. Completely dominant is an overstatement, but that 10-6 looks a bit better when NZ snuck a penalty right on half time. Also, England came pretty close just before half time which could easily have seen the score at 17-3. The scoreboard doesn't tell the full story though and I'd have said that at 40 minutes you guys were on the ropes. As always it's an 80 minute game and god don't we know that New Zealand play like men possessed when behind on the scoreboard and less than 10 to go.

I've been known on occasion, most recently at Suncorp on 18/10, to announce to anyone within range that "WE'RE FUCKIN' GONNA FUCKIN' LOSE THIS FUCKIN' GAME" or words to that effect. Never felt the need to do that during the Dunners match, always felt that if we kept doing what we were doing & some passes stuck instead of being grassed we'd burn them off. Which is pretty much what happened, really, with 3 tries in the 3rd 1/4 (& only 1 of them when Eng were down to 14 men).

Setanta have had the rights to the BNZ games in November v England, Ireland and Wales for a while.

That being the case unless Foxtel reimburse me the $20 Setanta signup fee (which I assume they either can't or won't) I'll be pulling the pin on their Sports package a little earlier than planned.

EDIT: match officials confirmed:

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Television match official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_9549210,00.html

Happy with Owens (I guess we can't have Uncle Craig every week or people would start talking) not so much Garces (although Owens will hopefully stop him from going full psycho), don't know enough about either of the others, perhaps our Irish contributors can help me out?

 

[Dctarget]

Good point, seen a few thistles, shamrocks & leeks on here but never a rose which is rather odd there being plenty of expat poms living down under, they can't all be diveball fans, can they?

Maybe GAGR is just such a positive environment that it's too painful for the Pommies.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Maybe GAGR is just such a positive environment that it's too painful for the Pommies.

Well then let's make them welcome with pictures of home.....

EDIT: my father's father was half English, BTW. But my mother's people were Irish, Welsh & Scots Irish so I'm a little conflicted.........

 

[boyo]

As I was enjoying this united hatred for the soap dodgers, I realised that it's all unopposed; do we not have any England supporters floating around GAGR? We have Wales, Scotland and Ireland covered. But any English?

I've seen a few roses on this website.

They walk amongst us.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/community/attachments/image-jpg.5611/

BLACK SABBATH, framed and up in the mancave,

no poms eh, I could sign up a pommy gimmick account I suppose, "Bellthorpe Prigcastle Of The Moors" or "Gav the chav", or "The 3rd Earl of Bumclasp" or some rubbish