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Jim Lenehan (48)
Lancaster looks like he's falling asleep
Six Nations 2014
- Thread starter RoffsChoice
- Start date
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Bairdy
Peter Fenwicke (45)
You (and I) got our wish!
Too many changes in the English backline, and they look clueless as a result.
France playing like men possessed; they're actually playing wide rather than narrow as they've been doing up until this game. Nyanga and Basteraud in particular - you know when Basteraud is shimmying and putting in deft kicks, you're going to be in for a long day.
Cardiffblue
Jim Lenehan (48)
English backs are woeful, still
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Jim Lenehan (48)
Comedy of errors
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Jim Lenehan (48)
Like mike brown. Only decent orc back
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Jim Lenehan (48)
What the hell is lordbaldtalking about
Cardiffblue
Jim Lenehan (48)
Gussett talking crap too
Bardon
Peter Fenwicke (45)
What a start to the game from France and Huget. England are still in the game but don't really deserve to be on this display. Picking a backline full of monsters in one thing but they have to have talent and then need to function as a until. England deliver neither.
Brown is the best back England have out there and is an excellent full back. But at test level he's an average wing. Still puts him a rung about the starting wings for England today. I can't understand the constant decision to switch Brown to the wing to accommodate Goode.
Brown is a genuine threat on the counter attack. At test level it would seem to me at least better to have a very good FB and an average wing. Than an average FB and average wing. Play your best players in their preferred position where you'll get the most out of them.
Brown did really well to finish his try and I'd want him more involved in the 2nd half. Not lurking on the wing hoping a pedestrian England backline will be able to get the ball wide quickly.
England have struggled in the scrum. Cole again is a penalty magnet. France have such intensity that it's overriding the English athleticism and size in the pack. Nyanga has had a pretty good first half.
Brown is the best back England have out there and is an excellent full back. But at test level he's an average wing. Still puts him a rung about the starting wings for England today. I can't understand the constant decision to switch Brown to the wing to accommodate Goode.
Brown is a genuine threat on the counter attack. At test level it would seem to me at least better to have a very good FB and an average wing. Than an average FB and average wing. Play your best players in their preferred position where you'll get the most out of them.
Brown did really well to finish his try and I'd want him more involved in the 2nd half. Not lurking on the wing hoping a pedestrian England backline will be able to get the ball wide quickly.
England have struggled in the scrum. Cole again is a penalty magnet. France have such intensity that it's overriding the English athleticism and size in the pack. Nyanga has had a pretty good first half.
Cardiffblue
Jim Lenehan (48)
England forwards might wear them down. They are on top up front
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Jim Lenehan (48)
If France are going to kick someone had better follow it
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Jim Lenehan (48)
France descending into rabble again. Psa has done it again
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Jim Lenehan (48)
What the hell are they doing kicking
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Jim Lenehan (48)
England go off the boil
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Jim Lenehan (48)
Yesssssss!!
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Jim Lenehan (48)
Hahaha!
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Jim Lenehan (48)
Pundits clearly watching different game. England take more out of game than France? I think not
Bairdy
Peter Fenwicke (45)
On beinsport, yeah? Just watching in disbelief now at how things like, "the bounce of the ball went their way, England let them back in it, their first and second tries were fortunate, they stole it etc. etc." is being said with a straight face. Credit where it's dues, Poms.
Twelvetrees looks lost, from the patches I caught, for someone with like 5-10 tests. Shame, because he's a very multi-faceted, creative centre, rather than a barge and bash 12. Brown is wasted on the wing; should be 15, Goode to bench.
Although, Vunipola seems to make like 5 metres at least per carry, and Jack Nowell, Luther Burrell, Johnny May should be better in the next few game, given the unfamiliarity in the England backline.
Bardon
Peter Fenwicke (45)
That was a fantastic game of rugby. England's power almost did it for them. But France's flare delivered in the end.
There was an interesting discussion on RTÉ about the size versus skill when picking backs given the way the game seems to be moving. It was good to see Fikou pop up at the end and put a tick in the skill column.
Both teams will take positives out of this. There's no doubt in my mind the French will take the most. They've delivered a performance in the 6Ns that has escaped them for a few years.
England might actually be in better shape to have a tilt at the championship after this result. There won't be any over-hype and talk of a grand slam so they can build through the rest of the tournament. They have some pretty special players, especially in the pack. But Lancaster needs to cut some of the ordinary backs over the next year if they've got serious ambitions for the RWC. They'll need a settled backline who are used to playing with each other by then.
France were in complete disarray at times and it looked like England were going to power over them in a Billy Vunipola shaped bull dozer a few times. But they hung in there and delivered in the end.
The combination of real heart and honest hard work from the pack coupled with some dashes of flare from the backs pulled this one out of the fire for them. But I feel they need to improve and keep the intensity up for the entire game. Otherwise one of the other big guns will take advantage when they take the foot off and the holy Mary play may not be enough.
Still France are first to knock over one of the other big guns so they'll take a lot of confidence from that and if they perform how they did for the first 35 minutes for the rest of the 6Ns they could have the championship sewn up by the time Ireland head to Paris. But this is France we're talking about and they never make things that easy for themselves.
It's been a great first day to this year's competition and I can't wait for tomorrow to see how Ireland go against Scotland.
There was an interesting discussion on RTÉ about the size versus skill when picking backs given the way the game seems to be moving. It was good to see Fikou pop up at the end and put a tick in the skill column.
Both teams will take positives out of this. There's no doubt in my mind the French will take the most. They've delivered a performance in the 6Ns that has escaped them for a few years.
England might actually be in better shape to have a tilt at the championship after this result. There won't be any over-hype and talk of a grand slam so they can build through the rest of the tournament. They have some pretty special players, especially in the pack. But Lancaster needs to cut some of the ordinary backs over the next year if they've got serious ambitions for the RWC. They'll need a settled backline who are used to playing with each other by then.
France were in complete disarray at times and it looked like England were going to power over them in a Billy Vunipola shaped bull dozer a few times. But they hung in there and delivered in the end.
The combination of real heart and honest hard work from the pack coupled with some dashes of flare from the backs pulled this one out of the fire for them. But I feel they need to improve and keep the intensity up for the entire game. Otherwise one of the other big guns will take advantage when they take the foot off and the holy Mary play may not be enough.
Still France are first to knock over one of the other big guns so they'll take a lot of confidence from that and if they perform how they did for the first 35 minutes for the rest of the 6Ns they could have the championship sewn up by the time Ireland head to Paris. But this is France we're talking about and they never make things that easy for themselves.
It's been a great first day to this year's competition and I can't wait for tomorrow to see how Ireland go against Scotland.
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