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Rugby World Cup 2011
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the 10/12 wilkinson flood combo could well work very well against the french - especially as the left foot / right foot combination is great for ensuring territory
i wouldn't imagine England would persist with it against either ire or wales if they get through to the semi's
the big midfield runners (BOD/ Roberts) would love to run at that defense
Up to now, I've recorded Wales's early morning games on Sky+ and watched them in full later, but I know that if Wales fall behind tomorrow, there is no way I would have been able to resist fast-forwarding to see if they get back into the game !
France sending England home at the minute!
"If England are going to have any hope at all, they've got to get on the score-sheet"
No shit, Sherlock
and why do they reverse the score caption at half time?
so 0-16 becomes 16-0
irritates the hell outof me
Bugger
Oh well, I'll have to console myself by watching Sale beat Gloucester
At least we'll have Cueto back next week
Hmm, we blew that. Haven't really turned up for any game, despite being previously unbeaten. I think it's now time for a culture change for English rugby. If you want to be paid as professionals, you have to behave like professionals, whether that's an alcohol ban (nice one, Wales) or having a clue who your centres are before the tournament starts. Fantastic though it was to be in the finals four years ago, I feel it papered over the cracks.
Now, England's performance can be categorised as a failure and the team's ethos completely overhauled (oddly, I think we've got the players, just not the leadership, and there needn't be the wholesale replacement of personnel)
Well done Wales (and thanks for winning me a few quid
) even if you fall to France in the semis or lose in the final, you've got some fantastic young players coming through and a canny coach; it's looking absolutely brilliant for four years' time. Wales- Australia in the final four years hence (and just possibly this year too...)
BTW, did I mention Blodwyn, my Welsh granny..?
Yep, and my middle name's Hugh, er, Huw I mean
Johnno out?
Yep, Johnno out, methinks; he was a great player and onfield leader, but isn't and never has been a coach. Too reliant on 'systems' and not able to utilise individual flair in the backs; not able to instill discipline in the forwards; not able to select combinations of players who work together.
England need a disciplinarian from outside the current set-up (rather than a recent ex-international), preferably a back, under whom a 'forwards coach' can work (and yes, this was the case 4 years ago too...)
I agree, Crashie
It's as if because a crap side got as far as the final in 2007, they arragantly think they've a right to be there, however badly they play
The off-field behaviour, however it's been blown up by the press, would never have been tolerated by Woodward
Well done to Wales and France, it will be an interesting semi-final!
Even though I knew the score it was still nerve-wracking watching the match, which makes no sense whatsoever
Dear ITV, any chance of talking to France at some stage?
I'm hoping that with England out we can loose Phil Vickery from the commentating team. Nick Mullins I can cope with, but Phil sounds like he's shouting the entire time and is just about the most annoying person to listen to that I can imagine.
Wales played out of their little red socks, while England were a bit lax, almost as if they'd believed they'd got the French beaten & just had to turn up. My doubt about the French is their ability to string performances like that together, especially against anyone NOT English.
I will be supporting Wales over the French - you watch that be the kiss of death, so far both predicitons were wrong. Anyone want to take bets on the Argies vs Saffers for the other semi?
I like it when Vickery's voice goes squeaky when he's excited. I suspect some of his commentary is only audible to dogs
It would be nice if ITV could find an old French player to talk to in the studio even if they can't get anyone for the commentary.
Not sure what will happen for France v Wales. If the French team are going to be their normal inconsistent selves then they'll play badly and lose.
Can't see the Argentinians getting past NZ but still have no idea who's going to win out of SA and AUS.
Phenomenal.
Just under 3 hours sleep didn't help, but I was there.
Still hungover mind.
NZ vs SA semi...
NZ Wales final
NZ win.
idea... Not impressed well it is now NZ to win! No team to have lost a pool match has ever gone on to win the World Cup... SO only NZ to win - 2nd time in 24 years and can only win on home soil!
Still dreaming... Favourites against the French? I like it.
Finally got a clear head to look back on the weekend. Wales won a great match. Ireland were there on the day and no more could they have done. Wales edged it in everything, but most especially in the Coaches' Competition.
England lost. They gave France some tries and then France only had to sit back and hold on to what they had. That said, France have some gifted players out wide and back. And Harinordiquy is a bull.
No idea what happened in that Aus-SA match, but I wouldn't have rated either of their chances for the next match on that basis. SA couldn't score, and Aus couldn't get out of their own half.
Argies were spirited, and good, but never had enough to concern the All Blacks. However the ABs didn't manage to show a free style of rugby until the tackles started to fail into the second half. Now down to their third choice 10, who dropped a little more than his fair share in his 30 mins, they aren't looking as far ahead of the other teams as they did during the group stage. Aus aren't enough of a challenge though, regardless of the Tri-Nations results.
I read a lot of the papers. Sunday's Telegraph was funny: after the cover there were four pages on England losing. Then two pages on Wales and Ireland. One of the Sky Sports commentators put together his team of the weekend that included two Welsh players and two English, one of which was the boy who first got fined for an interesting gumshield but then yesterday, possibly wisely, decided to jump ship and swim back to Samoa. I wonder what the coverage will be like next weekend? Jonny will probably make some of the commentators' teams of the tournament...
"my calls are
Wales
France
Australia
NZ"
am I smug or am I smug??
both Wales and France deserved their wins but how the hell the Convicts won I have no idea. No - I have one - Pocock. Outstanding game who completely unsettled the Boks and ruined their attacks. Awesome player.
NZ hardy turned up but won - not a great NZ display but it got them what they wanted.
the Wales V France semi will be a game to watch - both will want to win that but it will depend to an extent on which French side decides to turn up. it's gonna be interesting! I'll go with Wales
NZ should beat Oz - they have a better attack and they won't let Pocock control the breakdowns like he did against the Saffers.
as for England - woeful tournament both on and off field. I won't cry for them
After losing to SA in the first game, every match was effectively "make or break" and it seems to have given the Welsh team a lot of belief. We've also been lucky with injuries (touch wood) and even the injury to James Hook (which I thought was a disaster at the time) provided the opportunity to play Halfpenny at full back and settle on the centre combination of Roberts and Davies, which is proving very effective both in defence and attack.
In contrast,NZ haven't really been tested in a close contest yet.
Back to coaching corner and looking ahead to the first semi. (I don't think I did too bad on the last prediction - Ireland did try to play it tight through O'Gara and the back-row, but the Welsh tactics forced them to try to get out wider to make gains. Brilliant judgment by Gatland. Strangely, I'm going to propose that he took his inspiration from the play of Gavin Henson in his last twenty minutes against the English before he went off. He always tackled in close to the breakdown and low down at the ankles. For all his issues, he was a fearless tackler.)
Now, I can't put my brain in Marc Lievremont's head. It's simply not possible due to the amount of crap in there already. So I'm going to be controversial instead. Hook to start at number 10. Why? Because the French don't have a 9-10 combination. They might, being not unintelligent players, determine that they need to target Jamie Roberts. Hook inside him suddenly raises a doubt that they're targetting the wrong place to stop the line breaks. I also fancy seeing North drop into the full-back position on offense, also targetting the line-break off the inside pass at that 9-10 axis.
Luckily we're no longer in the position we were a few years back where England were able to spare a flanker to do a job on Jamie. There's no way you'd spare a flanker with the likes of Warburton and Faletau carrying ball. And I do think that this Welsh team are more capable of dealing with tactical changes on the pitch than some of their forebears.
What is also interesting is that France are apparently naming a team on Tuesday, and giving Warren a whole two days to figure out who he needs to counter it.
Australia - New Zealand? I think Aus are going to rely on Pocock to run it into the 10 channel, but the AB back row are just too good for that. It may just turn into a kicking contest as Aus try to pin them back.
It seems strange that though the ABs haven't really been tested yet, that they have so many injuries and niggles. Is this because of their season only recently ending? Would they be fit enough to endure a tight 80 minute game if they ever get one?