Re: Rugby Union, If you must talk about it, do it here. PART : Wed Jul 03, 2013 8:21 am  

Gatland appears to have become more and more estranged throughout this tour. Absolutely mystifying team selection today.

Re: Rugby Union, If you must talk about it, do it here. PART : Wed Jul 03, 2013 9:10 am  

richardviking wrote:

Gatland appears to have become more and more estranged throughout this tour. Absolutely mystifying team selection today.

The wingers might as well bring a deck-chair with them, no way are they getting the ball with that centre partnership.

Re: Rugby Union, If you must talk about it, do it here. PART : Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:18 pm  

Bit surprised he hasn't stuck Tuilagi at full back, make it the biggest back line in the history of world rugby.

While I agree with the O'Driscoll decision (a poor two games so far), I'm struggling to see what Davies brings to the party either. The skill set of northern hemisphere centres has been completely eroded by the insistence on playing a ten-man game at domestic level, to the point where they are little more than extra back rowers designed to batter across the gain line.

Re: Rugby Union, If you must talk about it, do it here. PART : Thu Jul 04, 2013 8:25 am  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Bit surprised he hasn't stuck Tuilagi at full back, make it the biggest back line in the history of world rugby.

While I agree with the O'Driscoll decision (a poor two games so far), I'm struggling to see what Davies brings to the party either. The skill set of northern hemisphere centres has been completely eroded by the insistence on playing a ten-man game at domestic level, to the point where they are little more than extra back rowers designed to batter across the gain line.

Yep, if only we produced more centre's like Fofana (no idea how to spell it). Then again we'd probably shift him to the wing. Thankfully England have Easmond waiting in the wings. I reckon he'll be partnering Tuilangi in the centres for the 6 nations. Brad Barritt's persistant selection to me illistrates everything that's wrong with RU in the NH.

Re: Rugby Union, If you must talk about it, do it here. PART : Thu Jul 04, 2013 12:05 pm  

Eastmond is an interesting one. No doubt there are several international sides licking their lips at the prospect of being able to send big fellas running at him in midfield.

Unlike half back in rugby league, outside centre in Union really gives you nowhere to hide defensively.

Re: Rugby Union, If you must talk about it, do it here. PART : Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:18 am  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Eastmond is an interesting one. No doubt there are several international sides licking their lips at the prospect of being able to send big fellas running at him in midfield.

Unlike half back in rugby league, outside centre in Union really gives you nowhere to hide defensively.

But, at the same time I doubt many centres in RU whom have come up against any body with his footwork and acceleration. Eastmond has also shown a passing game that most centres in RU simply don't posses.

Re: Rugby Union, If you must talk about it, do it here. PART : Sat Jul 06, 2013 11:49 am  

It's game over now.

Re: Rugby Union, If you must talk about it, do it here. PART : Sat Jul 06, 2013 2:15 pm  

Wallabies bottle it in the big game yet again, gotta love it

Re: Rugby Union, If you must talk about it, do it here. PART : Sat Jul 06, 2013 3:19 pm  

i wonder if the good folk of the press, tv, radio, punters and people on here who slated gatland's selection will now be big enough to apologise for all the vitriol and negativity in the lead up to the game - somehow i doubt it

always open your mouths after the event not before it

Re: Rugby Union, If you must talk about it, do it here. PART : Sat Jul 06, 2013 6:54 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

I'm guessing that at that level there's very little force going through the engagement, and little separation between the touch and engage calls?

Go back to allowing both props to have hold of each other before coming together, and you'll have a much more stable scrum to put the ball into.

I used to play front row when I played, and the biggest problem was that the referee would vary the speed of the difference between the pause and engage calls, so you'd be second guessing trying to get an advantage.

At international level there's such a long pause between the crouch and the actual engage calls that packs are unbalanced at engage so the scrum's always going down.

Decent game this morning, although I'm not sure about Halfpenny being man of the series, sure he's kicked his goals, but in the first two games he literally just caught and kicked the ball, there was no other contribution.