Comments on: Rugby World Cup 2015: England team to play Wales

By: Don P

Don P — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 17:44:40 +0000

W class players aren’t just born, nor appear naturally (usually), but most are honed & created by coaching in skills & thinking, esp under pressure & fitting into & understanding a team’s tactics & objectives & perfecting these abilities in that environment.

It’s Lanc’s lack of understanding of the aforementioned & his defensive & conservative nature that inhibits England’s chances of producing w class players.

Need a coach like Scotland’s Cotter’s to change & free mind sets up 1st of all. Are Scotland playing better rugby than a yr ago? Flatman for 1 certainly thinks so. It’s mainly down to the coach.

By: graeme

graeme — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 14:28:03 +0000

Engand lost at the breakdown, Robshaw is not good enough as openside flanker. Tom wood should be openside and Robshaw on the blindside

By: Carl

Carl — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 17:29:20 +0000

If English football and rugby was as good as the fans think. They should win everything lol. Wales small in comparison to England and ready to pound the English even with a very weakens team.

By: Carl

Carl — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 17:21:23 +0000

Wales wales wales all the way

By: Don P

Don P — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 16:49:39 +0000

Have to agree about the fear part.

Typical Lancaster reverting to type? Hermit into his shell? 1st whiff of buck shot & he goes for the broadsword, blunderbuss & cudgel.

For me he’s setting England up to potentially fail with the gung ho rookie r. leaguer & the stolid Farrell. No doubt Winston Churchill would have approved, but where does SL think his tries are coming from? Or has he given up on his back line in doing so? Obviously, his via his fwds’ going R1… & that’ll be enough?

Well, maybe. They are @ home & if the ref favours the home side it may be enough, but as for setting out a marker for the tournament, forget it.

Just so depressing to contemplate this lack of will.

By: Pablito

Pablito — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 11:15:11 +0000

Arrrgghhh…don’t mention the scrum!

If our scrum was performing to its 6 Nations level, I reckon we’d have the Welsh on toast. Their tighthead is young and inexperienced, I don’t rate Jenkins as a scrummager and their bench props are quite possibly crocked.

As it is, if Marler can’t find a way to scrummage with Youngs and if Cole can’t pick his game up, I can see us being whistled off the park at scrum time

We may see the Brookes, Vunipola, Webber unit being bought on quite early – which is fine by me – I reckon they might be better than our starting line up at the moment …

By: Leon

Leon — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 09:55:50 +0000

“It really is going to be a case of immovable obect meets irresistable force.”

if only you could say the same about our scrum

By: harlequin

harlequin — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 08:58:52 +0000

So we have a rookie 12(who is a better 6)against a double 1st choice Lion.Win that battle and I’ll start to believe in you.Meantime my jury is very much out Sam-and I suggest you keep your mouth shut until you are a Proven union player.Like the whole England pr machine over promise under deliver.Lets hope results meet claims for once.Rant over-c’mon England!!

By: Pablito

Pablito — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 22:13:44 +0000

But if SBW had put all his energy into his union game rather than swanning off to do whatever takes his fancy- box, play league for a season, fight a kangaroo wrestle an alligator, etc etc. – he’d have been a union legend a couple of years ago

I don’t think Burgess is as flaky and is giving this his full concentration. I think and hope that he will flourish in pressure situations

I’d just rather see him do it next to someone creative who can really bring his talents out.

By: Staggy

Staggy — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 21:43:38 +0000

My concern about Burgess is not to do with his tackling or go forward, but with his inexperience in the union game. Every game that I have seen him play, he has been caught out of position both in attack and defence and against top class opposition like Wales, it could be crucial. I am yet to make up my mind about his distribution, but between Farrell and Barritt, it may not matter anyway. Personally, I think that in 12 months time he will be a great player when his instincts catch up with his physicality. SBW still isn’t a regular starter for the ABs.

By: Bryn Small

Bryn Small — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 17:49:18 +0000

Slade inexperienced? ??world cup winner is he not!

By: Staggy

Staggy — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 17:29:07 +0000

OK I take the point on historical injustices and Enoch! I wasn’t counting either but to my mind the general consensus is that we might be struggling with this team. To only pick out the ones dismissing Wales, might be regarded as slightly one eyed (not something that I have cover accused you of before………!) Just annoyed me when I read your post. I think you said the same thing on the Wales team section too. If you judge us all by Col (who I fervently hope is right by the way), then please let us judge you all on the basis of Enoch. Hope you can therefore understand why your comment got my back up.

I think that it is also fair to say that we have press and players criticising our selection while I can’t find ANY Welsh ex players, press or fans criticising your team selection or not thinking you will win.

Am looking forward to the game, but with massive trepidation. My only straws to clutch to at this stage are that Fiji are definitely better than any of us thought they would be and we are at home.