Firstly as far as the England fans are concerned, why worry about Saturdays game - Im the first person to demand a result before experimenting, but whats done is done - dont worry boys - we will deliver in NZ - Wales couldnt live with our team that was missing 6-8 first choice players in the first half and had to pull out the defensive display of a lifetime - then they acted like they had won the world cup at full time - its a marathon not a sprint - how would they have done against
Sheridan
Stevens
Hartley
Lawes
Palmer
Croft
Easter
Haskell/wood
Youngs
JW
Manu
Tindall
Ashton
Foden
Sharples
Which is what I see as our best side (I know Cueto will play not sharples) for NZ - the bottom line is that I believe we wre the better side over the 2 games but for heart and desire we came up WELL short - Wales deserved their victory and were unlucky in London - but Wales will need more than that in NZ or they will flounder - but hey if the Welsh fans want to believe anything different its not my concern - my interest is England and with the above team out in the World cup Im confident that the heart and desire will emerge
I think we may be over thinking the result on Saturday We are looking forward to Dublin and New Zealand
All Blacks in the final 134 - 0 to us
The Cold Light of Day
posted on 15/8/11
Just need to focus the game plan Lydneyian i see some individuals are being pushed to the front in a bit a blame game but the tactics/playing style needs so be bought into and put into action properly.
Also some reactions are a little over the top. Knee-jerk stuff for want of a better word is not whats required. E.G. THe sky sports boys were a little doom and gloom after the game... drama drama and 45 mins of eastenders style over acting.
Wales can be proud and England can be relaxed enough. Just get the tactics clear and play to that plan. they just seemed a little unsure as to what they were doing and i dont believe thats down to an individual/s more a team minds set. and that should be easy to rectify with a full strength side. no panic.
posted on 15/8/11
Haha Dingbat - I never watch Sky rugby coverage - too many idiots on there especially Barnes.
Hape is awful - and thats not knee jerk from my point of view - but on the whole you are right about the game plan - and my article still stands
How did you feel about the France game?
posted on 15/8/11
Not arguing with ur article mate. just looking at England from a more neutral position then those ejits on sky sports.
----
I felt MEH!...
France Flattered us by taking their typically french feet of the gas pedal. The score line flatters to deceive and was not due to us being good but they being typically french.
Anyway, there are positives. Ross is a real scrum nerd. In that he likes his job, is good at it, and wants to be better. to many props dont want to be props if u know what i mean. So Ross is possibly the best prop we have produced in many many years.
Really positive impact from the bench was POC and Heaslip but only served to show us how important a bench is as they are clearly starting 15 players.
Real positive is that it was still a disjointed and strange team picked so the first 15(22) have yet to take the field together. Which means we have had 2 games so far and we have still not got our first team up to match fitness.
Now thats an issue as the first more or less french team took the field against us and next week are really gona feel the benefit of that so we could AGAIN struggle!
By the time we meet you guys, im hoping we are some where near match fitness, and still we have another game after you so by the time we play the first WC game we really should be in a position of decent fitness... fingers crossed... That game is against the yanks on 9/11 ten year anniversary... they should certainly be up for it on that day of all days. Fitness will be KEY
posted on 15/8/11
I think it will be interesting in Dublin from both sides - we both have sinilar opinions on a lot of things - so Im reserving all comments/judgments until I see the sides - I have a feeling - based on the last 2 world cups that France will send a weakened side to Dublin - although trying to second guess Lievremont ........ well lets just say - predicting his selections is like holding a target up for a monkey with a machine gun!
I didnt know about your first game - christ on a bike - the media are gonna have a field day with that - Ire v USA on 9/11
They gave us a bit of a wake up in 07 - well I say that - it still took another 3 games to wake up
posted on 15/8/11
Completely agree with the OP