Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Wales 19 England 9
Have just had time to watch this game.
If Oz gets to play England in the RWC I hope the Poms perform like that again because they hardly threatened the line and the few times they did, they couldn't convert. Once 115 kgs winger Banahan, going full pelt, was hauled down front on by 80 kg opponent S. Williams, and he knocked on. Amazing. It appeared that 15. S.Jones assisted in the tackle but on replay it showed Jones wasn't needed.
This was just one example of the accurate and powerful defence of Wales, who played for 20 minutes with only 14 men.
• England had all the possession and territory until the last 25 minutes of the game. They were dominant at oranges, yet the score was 6-6. At the 47 min. mark they showed a TV caption that the Poms had been in the Wales 22 for 6 mins and not scored a try. At the 50 minute mark there was another that indicated that the Poms had 5 of the 10 minutes of the 2nd half in the same area – yet Wales were a man short for most of that time – and still no try.
• I looked like England were the same team as 4 years ago. Their expansive game against the Wallabies on our last EOYT and sometimes in 6N, was gone. To be fair, winger Ashton, their most explosive back, did not play, but they should have done better. 13. Tindall made a couple of breaks but the midfield was otherwise groaningly bland. 12. Hape was poor when England had the ball. M. Tulagi, though a 13, and only 20 years old, would have done better, and Armitage also. Perhaps Tindall should move to 12 to let one of them play at outside centre.
• The score would have been different if the Poms went for a few early penalty kicks instead of for the line, and if Rolland had awarded them a penalty try for repeated Wales scrum infringements in the first half - but Wales won't care. Rolland will probably get a good mark from his assessor but in my opinion he should have carded somebody in the 1st half. The players lost respect for him because he let them stay on the park after they were penalised 17 times – 11/6 to Wales. Then after he carded somebody early in the 2nd half they were like Goody Two Shoes.
• The Wales lineout was poor, especially in the 1st half, and the scrum wasn't much better, but at least they know the scrum will improve when their star props, G. Jenkins and A. Jones, are fit, though Jenkins may miss the opening RWC game against the Boks.
• For most of the game some of the England technical things like, scrums, lineouts, restarts and holding up Wales mauls were good, (though some of their own mauls were ordinary) - but there was no creativity, no ice cream, after this main meal. As the 2nd half went on Wales got the better of the ruck contests. They looked fitter and had more at the breakdown, sooner. The tired looking Poms were not committing then and paid the price.
• Wales have done well in their first two games of the season and will bother the Boks who they play in 25 days time as I write this. Regular skipper 2. Rees and 12. Henson, who had an excellent half-hour against England before his injury, will miss the RWC, but the others will do them proud.
• England have too many good players not to get better but they have to do something about their midfield and improve the quality, rather than the quantity, of their ball, through their backrowers. These three compared poorly to Wales, especially the excellent flankers, Lydiard and Warburton, and I doubt if the presently injured Moody, who has played so little rugby in the last 12 months anyway, will make much of a difference at the RWC.
.
Have just had time to watch this game.
If Oz gets to play England in the RWC I hope the Poms perform like that again because they hardly threatened the line and the few times they did, they couldn't convert. Once 115 kgs winger Banahan, going full pelt, was hauled down front on by 80 kg opponent S. Williams, and he knocked on. Amazing. It appeared that 15. S.Jones assisted in the tackle but on replay it showed Jones wasn't needed.
This was just one example of the accurate and powerful defence of Wales, who played for 20 minutes with only 14 men.
• England had all the possession and territory until the last 25 minutes of the game. They were dominant at oranges, yet the score was 6-6. At the 47 min. mark they showed a TV caption that the Poms had been in the Wales 22 for 6 mins and not scored a try. At the 50 minute mark there was another that indicated that the Poms had 5 of the 10 minutes of the 2nd half in the same area – yet Wales were a man short for most of that time – and still no try.
• I looked like England were the same team as 4 years ago. Their expansive game against the Wallabies on our last EOYT and sometimes in 6N, was gone. To be fair, winger Ashton, their most explosive back, did not play, but they should have done better. 13. Tindall made a couple of breaks but the midfield was otherwise groaningly bland. 12. Hape was poor when England had the ball. M. Tulagi, though a 13, and only 20 years old, would have done better, and Armitage also. Perhaps Tindall should move to 12 to let one of them play at outside centre.
• The score would have been different if the Poms went for a few early penalty kicks instead of for the line, and if Rolland had awarded them a penalty try for repeated Wales scrum infringements in the first half - but Wales won't care. Rolland will probably get a good mark from his assessor but in my opinion he should have carded somebody in the 1st half. The players lost respect for him because he let them stay on the park after they were penalised 17 times – 11/6 to Wales. Then after he carded somebody early in the 2nd half they were like Goody Two Shoes.
• The Wales lineout was poor, especially in the 1st half, and the scrum wasn't much better, but at least they know the scrum will improve when their star props, G. Jenkins and A. Jones, are fit, though Jenkins may miss the opening RWC game against the Boks.
• For most of the game some of the England technical things like, scrums, lineouts, restarts and holding up Wales mauls were good, (though some of their own mauls were ordinary) - but there was no creativity, no ice cream, after this main meal. As the 2nd half went on Wales got the better of the ruck contests. They looked fitter and had more at the breakdown, sooner. The tired looking Poms were not committing then and paid the price.
• Wales have done well in their first two games of the season and will bother the Boks who they play in 25 days time as I write this. Regular skipper 2. Rees and 12. Henson, who had an excellent half-hour against England before his injury, will miss the RWC, but the others will do them proud.
• England have too many good players not to get better but they have to do something about their midfield and improve the quality, rather than the quantity, of their ball, through their backrowers. These three compared poorly to Wales, especially the excellent flankers, Lydiard and Warburton, and I doubt if the presently injured Moody, who has played so little rugby in the last 12 months anyway, will make much of a difference at the RWC.
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