Rugby Union - Page 75

**pierrelm** · February 6th, 2019, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mizlaplan

Le Crunch:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histor...and_and_France

Interesting that this originates from the Irish Times - perhaps a little original thinking/journalistic license? I've never heard this description used before.

**footstep** · February 10th, 2019, 06:47 PM

Le crunch est d'ici.

I saw english brave men came and put us back in our graves....

Well done England.
Good luck for World cup 2019.

About us: stay home and have some coffee?

**DB83** · February 10th, 2019, 09:46 PM

Some thoughts from 'round two'

Ireland turn up and the Scots fail to do so (again)

Not wishing (honestly) to be disrespectful to England but when France play like that it is akin to a stroll in the park.

Ok. Wales ring the changes and let the fringe players have a go. But they hardly answered the call. Play the azzuri should yield a bonus point and that's the second year they have failed in that respect.

England, darn it, have got two. And I so hate to say this but come round three and Wales could well be on the receiving end.

**mizlaplan** · February 10th, 2019, 11:55 PM

The French display was embarrassing and makes it impossible to really guage how good/indifferent/bad England were.
Wales will provide a sterner test in Cardiff with the home crowd behind them.
I've always regarded "Land of my Fathers" and "Bread of Heaven" and whatever the choirmaster geniuses in Wales come up with as the Welsh 16th man.
Should be a good 'un

**pierrelm** · February 11th, 2019, 05:13 AM

The French 'performance' revealed a side lacking in direction rather than skill. They obviously have a deal of ability but their coaching and preparation is years behind the other nations.

England looked like they were going through a stiff-ish training workout. Even Cole managed not to give away a penalty. The Welsh side will offer a sterner challenge, in a ground which offers the best stadium atmosphere I've experienced. Should be a fascinating test for an England side who have pretty much their first choice team available and are reaping the rewards of concentrating on their discipline and game execution in a way I haven't seen since the days of Sir Clive.

**mizlaplan** · February 18th, 2019, 01:22 AM

A Welsh friend made a very pertinent observation about England's great start to the current Six Nations.
The brutal, physical game the England team ( gawd bless it ) is playing is a very
good way to start the campaign but it won't last till the end games.
Too much attrition.
Seeing the growing injury list, he might have a point.

**footstep** · February 23rd, 2019, 06:33 PM

Great Wales. Great match.

**george anson** · February 24th, 2019, 09:35 AM

The number of injuries is to be expected and merely confirms the fact that the human body is coming to the limit of what can be expected of it in the enormous collisions seen on the field.

England needlessly kicked away possession in the second half and lacked any direction from the half backs and did not even try to use their much vaunted backline. I still think the AB's would have changed and mixed it up and it sets their players ahead of other teams in that they can respond to the game without sticking to the same plan. In effect they did a reverse Ireland.

Jones needs to zip it a little. His digs and quotes and attempts at mind games are a bit flat and childish. Full credit to Wales and it will in all likelihood go down to the match against Ireland for the Triple Crown and Grand Slam given Scotland's injury woes.

As for France they have done pretty well at u20 level. Part of the problem is while some of those u20's have stepped up in senior rugby others have not had the chance to develop given the enormous number of foreign players in not just the Top 14 but Federale. For once they have shown including their try at Twickenham flashes of that former Gallic flair.

dazza2 · February 24th, 2019, 11:36 AM

Curry's try apart i didn't think England really looked like scoring considering how much they kicked away.

Once Wales went wide and stopped trying to batter up the midfield they pretty muched had the game won. Good win for Gatland.

**DB83** · February 24th, 2019, 05:42 PM

Some thoughts about week three.

Starting with the final game were the Azzuri shocked going in at half time in the lead ? Their game seemed to go 'off' after that. And Ireland do not appear the force they have been of late.

France v Scotland. Yes. Scot's players were missing but that affects all sides and they are still running on half-empty tanks. Better from France so a deserved win.

Living in Wales it is hard to miss the sometimes misguided optimism as published in The Western Mail especially with what had happened in the first two games. Yet the paper picked up on a quite interesting statistic that in each year from 1949 that ended in a 9 Wales had secured a victory over England. So come 2019 could they continue the run ?

As AWJ rather calmly, maybe tongue-in-cheek, said "Just another Saturday". But as has been said above England did not fire. Plan A which worked well against the French did not work and there was no plan B. Great final try though.

February 10th, 2019, 11:55 PM	#744
mizlaplan Good show! Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: The Marches Posts: 2,526 Thanks: 102,981 Thanked 31,897 Times in 2,528 Posts	The French display was embarrassing and makes it impossible to really guage how good/indifferent/bad England were. Wales will provide a sterner test in Cardiff with the home crowd behind them. I've always regarded "Land of my Fathers" and "Bread of Heaven" and whatever the choirmaster geniuses in Wales come up with as the Welsh 16th man. Should be a good 'un __________________ motley crew though they were, they were all happily united in the roisterous, bawdy camaraderie of lust.

February 18th, 2019, 01:22 AM	#746
mizlaplan Good show! Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: The Marches Posts: 2,526 Thanks: 102,981 Thanked 31,897 Times in 2,528 Posts	A Welsh friend made a very pertinent observation about England's great start to the current Six Nations. The brutal, physical game the England team ( gawd bless it ) is playing is a very good way to start the campaign but it won't last till the end games. Too much attrition. Seeing the growing injury list, he might have a point. __________________ motley crew though they were, they were all happily united in the roisterous, bawdy camaraderie of lust.

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February 10th, 2019, 06:47 PM	#742
footstep Lost luggages? Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: France Posts: 7,268 Thanks: 92,097 Thanked 86,764 Times in 7,170 Posts	Le crunch est d'ici. I saw english brave men came and put us back in our graves.... Well done England. Good luck for World cup 2019. About us: stay home and have some coffee?

February 10th, 2019, 09:46 PM	#743
DB83 Vintage Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,472 Thanks: 1,948 Thanked 12,018 Times in 1,458 Posts	Some thoughts from 'round two' Ireland turn up and the Scots fail to do so (again) Not wishing (honestly) to be disrespectful to England but when France play like that it is akin to a stroll in the park. Ok. Wales ring the changes and let the fringe players have a go. But they hardly answered the call. Play the azzuri should yield a bonus point and that's the second year they have failed in that respect. England, darn it, have got two. And I so hate to say this but come round three and Wales could well be on the receiving end.

February 11th, 2019, 05:13 AM	#745
pierrelm Vintage Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Midst the fen mists Posts: 5,450 Thanks: 55,798 Thanked 72,917 Times in 5,422 Posts	The French 'performance' revealed a side lacking in direction rather than skill. They obviously have a deal of ability but their coaching and preparation is years behind the other nations. England looked like they were going through a stiff-ish training workout. Even Cole managed not to give away a penalty. The Welsh side will offer a sterner challenge, in a ground which offers the best stadium atmosphere I've experienced. Should be a fascinating test for an England side who have pretty much their first choice team available and are reaping the rewards of concentrating on their discipline and game execution in a way I haven't seen since the days of Sir Clive.

February 23rd, 2019, 06:33 PM	#747
footstep Lost luggages? Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: France Posts: 7,268 Thanks: 92,097 Thanked 86,764 Times in 7,170 Posts	Great Wales. Great match.

February 24th, 2019, 09:35 AM	#748
george anson Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Watford Posts: 8,749 Thanks: 21,772 Thanked 293,406 Times in 8,926 Posts	The number of injuries is to be expected and merely confirms the fact that the human body is coming to the limit of what can be expected of it in the enormous collisions seen on the field. England needlessly kicked away possession in the second half and lacked any direction from the half backs and did not even try to use their much vaunted backline. I still think the AB's would have changed and mixed it up and it sets their players ahead of other teams in that they can respond to the game without sticking to the same plan. In effect they did a reverse Ireland. Jones needs to zip it a little. His digs and quotes and attempts at mind games are a bit flat and childish. Full credit to Wales and it will in all likelihood go down to the match against Ireland for the Triple Crown and Grand Slam given Scotland's injury woes. As for France they have done pretty well at u20 level. Part of the problem is while some of those u20's have stepped up in senior rugby others have not had the chance to develop given the enormous number of foreign players in not just the Top 14 but Federale. For once they have shown including their try at Twickenham flashes of that former Gallic flair.

February 24th, 2019, 11:36 AM	#749
dazza2 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: UK Posts: 192 Thanks: 6,564 Thanked 2,853 Times in 189 Posts	Curry's try apart i didn't think England really looked like scoring considering how much they kicked away. Once Wales went wide and stopped trying to batter up the midfield they pretty muched had the game won. Good win for Gatland.

February 24th, 2019, 05:42 PM	#750
DB83 Vintage Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,472 Thanks: 1,948 Thanked 12,018 Times in 1,458 Posts	Some thoughts about week three. Starting with the final game were the Azzuri shocked going in at half time in the lead ? Their game seemed to go 'off' after that. And Ireland do not appear the force they have been of late. France v Scotland. Yes. Scot's players were missing but that affects all sides and they are still running on half-empty tanks. Better from France so a deserved win. Living in Wales it is hard to miss the sometimes misguided optimism as published in The Western Mail especially with what had happened in the first two games. Yet the paper picked up on a quite interesting statistic that in each year from 1949 that ended in a 9 Wales had secured a victory over England. So come 2019 could they continue the run ? As AWJ rather calmly, maybe tongue-in-cheek, said "Just another Saturday". But as has been said above England did not fire. Plan A which worked well against the French did not work and there was no plan B. Great final try though.