Hmmm, didn't the Vunipolas start out in the Welsh system, along with their cousin Faletau?

My stance is simple and logical. Heritage, yes. Arbitrary dates set by committees, no. Your stance it's all over the place and totally illogical. I get the coming here as a kid thing, so maybe a date can work. It would have to be 15 years though to stop mercenaries coming here when they realised that they will never be ABs or whatever. 10 years it's too short if it lets in an 18 year old who could still aim at 30 or 40 caps after 28.

Maybe the heritage thing could do with a tweak too. Maybe having to declare their country before 21 or something.

Oh, and Jones will be a Lion.

Not good enough. Pffft. He'd certainly walk into that sorry state of a Saffer side I saw on a Saturday.

One test match and he is a Lion and better than the bok centres? I hope that is tongue in cheek mate.

The first bit maybe, well see how he develops, but after Saturday, not the second bit. They were awful, just awful. Your biggest mistake would be to believe your own hype after a comfortable victory. Listen to Mr. Ed, you were no better than 6/10.

I thought we were disappointing too, I wrote the same thing after the game. I'm not concerned, we will improve.

Thank God for Stevie "Mr. Boring" Myler. Phew.

The malaise continues.

Be fair at least its still the same squad that sweeped the 6 nations and the aussies

Blarmy

What happened to the injury crisis bleat?

hardly a blot on the side now is it

My only real concern was Maro () other than that i cant see much bleating from me on here

Blarmy

You'll notice that I said all along there was no crisis. With Lawes and Launchbury in the second row, what's the big deal?

I think it's fair to say that if any other home nations side had lost their 2 first choice locks, their 4 first choice opensides, their 3 first choice wings, and arguably their first choice inside centre to injury, they'd be calling it an injury crisis.

But England have strength in depth.

Be interested to see which 4 open sides to whom you refer though.

comment by theresgonnaebeashow - El Presidente Trompeta es un hombre muy loco. (U5686)
posted 6 minutes ago
But England have strength in depth.

Be interested to see which 4 open sides to whom you refer though.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Haskell, Jones, Williams, Itoje, Underhill


So probably 5.

You could arguably add Hughes to that and make it a round half dozen.

Haskell I'll give you, but Jones and Williams, no chance. Itoje is a second row and Underhill could still be Welsh. Hughes wasn't injured, just not considered for any more than the bench, or was it that Mr. Ed thinks he's a crazy man who is a liability. What injury crisis?

England injured team

? Cowan-Dickie ?
Kruis Itoje
Underhill Haskell Jones

?
?
May
Tuilagi
?
Watson
Nowell



Coming along pretty well that.

comment by theresgonnaebeashow - El Presidente Trompeta es un hombre muy loco. (U5686)
posted 3 minutes ago
Haskell I'll give you, but Jones and Williams, no chance. Itoje is a second row and Underhill could still be Welsh. Hughes wasn't injured, just not considered for any more than the bench, or was it that Mr. Ed thinks he's a crazy man who is a liability. What injury crisis?


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What do you mean, "no chance" ?

They were the two opensides selected in the original squad for the series.

Anyway, strength in depth or not, a few more in the next couple of weeks, would leave even england at bare bones.

comment by JSpur The biggest empathy on the planet (U1059)
posted 22 minutes ago
Anyway, strength in depth or not, a few more in the next couple of weeks, would leave even england at bare bones.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Then you're have to ask the question, why so many injuries?

Prefer Maro at openside long term

Interesting weekend thus far.

We were most un-Scotlandlike. Yes, we were back to our normal level of play. Yes, Laidlaw was pretty awful. But Jones got one moment in the game and turned it into something from nothing. Most in-Scotlandlike was that we actually got over the line in a tight game. For that I am happy. Also happy with Watson at 7. Looked good.

England had a (not unexpected) huge win but they must have had an eye on Rome. I told you last week that the Boks were awful.

Wales only just squeezed through against Japan. That must have the alarm bells ringing in the valleys.

Italy must be over the moon with their results, even if it is against a very poor side.

Ireland still playing. Would be fantastic if they could do it all again, but the chances will be slim.

Show, Ireland not only had to beat the most cynical all blacks team ever, but more importantly they could not defeat the referee nor TMO.

One hell of a tough game though and the scoreline certainly flattered the blacks.

Congrats Blacks

Defeat the ref? What was the penalty count something like 14-3 in favour of Ireland, 2 sin bins(deservedly so), Ireland just didn't have the killer instinct like they did 2 weeks ago and the all blacks fronted up in defence, very good game though

comment by Blarmy - #ChelseaCharge (U14547)
posted 19 hours, 47 minutes ago
Prefer Maro at openside long term
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Kaz the deliberate targeting of Henshaw, just like in the first game, a penalty but no more?! The second yellow should have been red. The Blacks try that Sexton successfully defended! 3 times the ref asked the TMO in disbelief could he see a clear grounding and then he tells Best he has to go with the TMO The try at the end came from a clear forward pass that he refused to review ffs! It wouldn't surprise me if a couple of the Blacks are cited.

No sour grapes, it was an unbelievable battle out there, well done blacks

Some borderline decisions yes, but that last try, I'm sorry but there was literally no camara angle to suggest that was defo a forward pass, the Tmo decision even the Irish commentator I was listening to said it looked like he grounded it just but that was a moot point because of the blatant tackle around the neck of Barrett as he grounded it? Should have been a penalty try anyway