Comments on: Rugby World Cup 2015: Wales Player Ratings vs England

By: Rob Stradling (@Sourdust)

Rob Stradling (@Sourdust) — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 15:30:39 +0000

Nigel explains Player Ratings…
pic.twitter.com/iYQ2cE6wRx

By: brighty

brighty — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 11:27:35 +0000

Interesting Aussie view of the “cheating” English scrum here….

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/?p=87053

I see they’re getting their scrum whines in early.

By: Doc

Doc — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 11:26:02 +0000

I’m not sure Francis’ boring in was causing Marler to bore in. Sure, there were a couple of scrums where Francis didn’t push straight, but Marler never did – he did exactly the same against Fiji and got away with it then, too.
It’s to his disadvantage though, his back side gets so far away from the hooker that he’s getting next to no help from his second row.

I agree with the comments on Warburton (who shouldn’t have been penalised right at the end). He was just being an almighty nuisance at every breakdown, even if he wasn’t winning turn overs or making yards.

And as to the comments about Wales only winning because of better decision making: it’s a perfectly valid reason for winning!

By: Pablito

Pablito — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 14:48:34 +0000

Two points here –

1. most of the penalites were I believe on Jenkins’ side of the scrum because he kept on collapsing against Cole

2. What you call Marler scrummaging sideways, seemed to me a direct result of Francis boring in on Youngs and targeting the bind between him and Marler – a decent (buit illegal) tactic since Marler seems to have issues scrummaging with Youngs. Francis’s hips in the overhead shot I’ve seen were pointed out of the scrum, as were his lock’s. If the tighthead bores in on the hooker, the loosehead has no choice if he wantes to counter it other than to follow him in and try to get beneath him

By: Felix Morgan (@felixjmorgan)

Felix Morgan (@felixjmorgan) — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 13:05:18 +0000

Some of these make me feel I was watching a different game, which would be awkward since I was in the stadium.

Scott Williams I would give an 8, I think he was easily the best center on the field.

Bradley Davies looked poor to me, I would definitely go with Charteris moving forward. AWJ also looked a lot better to me than you’ve said, I thought he had a very good game.

I’ve no idea how anyone could claim Warburton had no influence, we dominated the breakdown and he was there time and time again bossing it! Just because he’s not getting a turnover at every ruck doesn’t mean he’s having no impact. He was an amazing leader when we needed him most, he kept his cool and lead from the front.

> with the experience of Joe Marler proving key

Are we going with that now? We’re ignoring the fact he was scrummaging sideways the entire game, and should have been penalised 5-6 times over?

England beat us in the set pieces but if you remove Marler’s illegal scrummaging I think it would have been a lot closer, so I don’t think it’s fair to say our pack struggled. We dominated the breakdown, and when we struggled in the set pieces we changed the flow of the game to suit us.

It’s disrespectful to say England lost the game rather than Wales winning it. We started off slowly, adapted, and persevered when the odds were against us.

By: Pablito

Pablito — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 11:05:27 +0000

You should definitely play Charteris. Davies is solid but Charteris is evolving into a top-notch lock

By: Prophet Enoch

Prophet Enoch — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 10:52:03 +0000

Yes Brighty I saw that bit of play from Robshaw.

He just does dull things at the wrong time and in the wrong place.

Meanwhile the reverse camer angle shows that SW won that final penalty fair and square.

Charteris was immense in that maul, straight in on the jumper as soon as he hit the ground.

We must go with Charteris as 1st choice for Fiji and Aus

By: Pablito

Pablito — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 10:49:19 +0000

Ah but it was Biggar’s excellent pass to Roberts that set the move going wasn’t it?

His ability under the high ball is amazing – reminds me of some of the incredible catches Lee Byrne used to take.

If he backs this performance up with a few similar ones, he’s going to be vying for the position of best full back in the world. I’d take him over Sexton already

I agree with you Brighty that Warburton should be higher – but for his leadership, which was immense, rather than his play – I thought he was well marshalled by the English forwards

By: brighty

brighty — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 10:32:00 +0000

Hear hear. Faultless with the boot – in pens and field kicks. Try saving tackle on Robshaw (then followed by a comedy brainfart schoolboy throw to nowhere from Robshaw – since when does a backrow forward not have a clue how recycling works?). Majestic under the high ball again, Cajoled his own team over the line. Called the final play that wound the clock down. Made the world forget the name “Halfpenny” for the night. Welsh records for pts against Eng, points at Twickenham, pts in a world cup match. It’s a 10 of a performance,

Can I also add that we won that match with Rhys Priestland at 10. He was the 10 in pos (he and Biggar moved around a bit) for the move that led to the try. Great to see him getting some much needed confidence boost, especially as we will need him going forward.

By: Pablito

Pablito — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 10:26:06 +0000

Surely a 10 for Biggar. Can’t think of anything he did wrong. And I am English

By: Leon

Leon — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 10:08:38 +0000

can we just leave the name calling out of it
“sour grapes”, “arrogance”, “chip on shoulder” etc.. it is uneccessary
Theres no need for it Wales won therefore were the better team but the game was incredibly close and could have gone either way so yes England lost this game through poor decision making as equally as Wales won it through tenacity, commitment and mental fortitude.

England do seem to have the same mental fragility that Wales have been acused of in the past and there are several instances of us being the nearly men under Lancaster and Robshaw. 3 Six nations in a row lost on points difference and some bad losses to SA when we should have done better

Wales on the other hand seem to have come out the other side beating south africa in the Autumn irlenad in the 6N and showed really good mental fortitude to pick up their game in the last 10 minutes England on Saturday

By: Garloot

Garloot — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 09:51:05 +0000

If Dan Biggar scores only a 9 I am looking forward to watching a game where there is a 9.5 or a 10. Especially when taken in the context of a critical world cup game at twickenham, degree of difficulty of final kick and the match situation. Surely a 10. (and I am Australian)