Comments on: Analysis: Why England must replace Robshaw at 7

By: Paulo

Paulo — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 15:15:51 +0000

Good point Teece. I was mulling that one over and my mind started to wander back to a certain Tom Croft… Perhaps his day has been and gone but Itoje looks like the kind of player who would bring height into the back row to help out with the line out options. Let’s hope he carries on to progress at the rate he has done so far and a star may well have been born.

By: Pablito

Pablito — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 10:12:30 +0000

I’m sure someone will measure ‘tackles behind the gainline’ and if they don’t, they should.

Now if Lydiate could learn to tackles using his arms…

By: brighty

brighty — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 09:52:11 +0000

As for Lydiate – his tackling is insane. The amount of times he brought the Fijians down behind the gameline was a key difference in that match. That’s a thought, is “tackles behind the gainline” a stat that is tracked? Sort of like a “metres saved” stat rather than “metres gained”?

Stats … schmats … fullbacks and their “metres” stats always make me laugh.

By: brighty

brighty — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 09:50:05 +0000

All that piss taking stopped after that Worsley/Roberts matchup game. Laughed at the selection before the match, saw how effective it was during the match.

By: brighty

brighty — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 09:34:47 +0000

I’ve been to many Eng v Wal games, Cardiff and Twicks, and never seen this abuse you have suffered. Our experiences are different. I watched Eng v Wal in this WC in a pub in Cardiff where half the people there were English (students and a stag weekend down for London). We had some laughs. A sing off (obviously we won), some good natured wind ups (all one way for 70mins, then all the other way for the last 10), constant reminders of how many English born play for Wales, then some nice hand shakes, well done’s, and chats at the end. I will concede that emotions were high in that game due to the way we were written off by the media, most pundits and by a lot of Eng fans, including your good self. But even when we went crazy because it was our biggest win for a long time it was still pro-Welsh crazy rather than anti-English crazy.

At the Wal v Fiji game there were stacks of Eng fans in England shirts. Bit of ribbing. Bit of proper chats about the upcoming Aus game. Booing at “Swing Low” (which isn’t abuse imo when it isn’t an English match and some of us do have a real problem with the use of that song by the English). No abuse.

I’ve read and heard plenty of crap about Wales from supposed English rugby fans. All of the sheep sh**** stuff, the “get back down the pit” stuff, the “you’re all funded by our taxes, can’t wait till we get rid of you” stuff, the “your language is s***” stuff, but I tend to assume they’re not actually rugby fans, just footie fans who are lost.

All I can say is that I’d ask you to appreciate that I think the majority of Welsh fans are not into dishing out abuse at rugby matches.

As for Eng being favourite with the bookies for the 6Ns – they were also favourites to win group A. In rugby in Britain the bookies know which side their bread is buttered on.

By: Anarky

Anarky — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 09:28:52 +0000

Here you are Col, from an Englishman who was at HQ for the match..

Andy Jolley ?@ajjolley Sep 28
@bloodandmud I have been to HQ a lot & this was the worst crowd I have seen
I even felt the need to apologise to a Welsh fan sat in front

It’s not just the Welsh who can be idiots, the English aren’t free of them either. You and Enoch are one and the same except Enoch doesn’t try and hide it behind thinly veiled digs.

By: Col

Col — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 09:17:43 +0000

Fair comment Brighty, but there are more than 1 Welshman making similar comments. Of the 2 games I got to at the RWC so far 1 defeat was more enjoyable & 1 was not & that was down to the fans around me, You don’t need to be a genius to know which game I mean. Am fed up with all the anti brigade & at times feel the need to rant back. How can I support any team when all you get from their fans at games is abuse. Never received any from Boks, Aussies or the French & they will get my support for that reason. Worst case scenario is Wales v Scotland QF = sell my 2 tickets !!!!
Strange how this rubbish England team are still favorites with the bookies for 6N 2016.
Watched both games now on TV & we were nowhere near as bad as the press / bloggers made out – only the aussies were clearly the better team

By: Pablito

Pablito — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 09:11:00 +0000

I remember the days when all my non-English supporting friends would take the piss out of Joe Worsley’s selection because ‘all he can do is tackle’

The Welsh contingent amongst them now understand that its not such a bad thing when you can do it as well as either Lydiate or Worsley

By: Pablito

Pablito — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 09:05:01 +0000

Yes he is. Take a look at the Green and Gold website link above. Sure, numbers aren’t everything but they do provide interesting insights

By: brighty

brighty — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 09:00:31 +0000

Meow! I don’t think Robshaw is an international 6 because he can’t tackle like one….

By: brighty

brighty — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 08:57:06 +0000

Makes you just as bad as Enoch, Col. Enoch’s approach is that the English rugby team deserve to be hated because Maggie Thatcher ruined the valleys, the English killed Glyndwr, etc. etc. etc. Pick your own injustice here.

Your approach is that the welsh rugby team deserve to lose, and be mocked, because one Welshman, Enoch, hates the English rugby team.

I’ve been told, rightly, many times not to label the English rugby fans/team as arrogant just because some divs in the media though beating Wales was a given. I’d suggest this works both ways – don’t assume us Welsh all have a problem with the English and their rugby team.

Saying that I wouldn’t expect you to support Wales anyway (all this “home nations” guff makes me laugh) but at least support the Boks rather than anti-supporting Wales?

By: Leon

Leon — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 08:54:45 +0000

Hurrah well said
Poor tactics all tournament, the intention of using forwards in the backline meaning we are under powered at the rucks. Don’t expect any change on that front this weekend with a distinct lack of ball carriers in the backline