I thought the only rule was not going over the halfway line?
Not sure if we did, but realistically if we did then oh well - dumb rule but it is what it is
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England vs New Zealand - 15/11/2025
- Thread starter Rugbyfan564
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Not sure if we did, but realistically if we did then oh well - dumb rule but it is what it is
We did, but it doesn't look like our v got within 10m.
Always a dumb rule, and quite honestly, for a £2k fine, just keep breaking it.
When the law is an arse, it's almost a duty to break and expose it
Was a bit tongue in cheek, based on your previous comments he grates on you somewhat.
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I did rate how he faced the haka to be fair:
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I see that as a 'clearing out' problem. Smith got beyond the two tacklers, with players behind him, who could have protected the ball. At worst a miscommunication.
Everyone brands Smith as a bit of an X factor player, yet his team-mates are surprised when he tries something a little X factor. You'd not see France or Fiji unprepared like that.
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Delighted with yesterday’s result. What is really promising is that we won even when things weren’t going well- eg the lineout first half, kicking game to begin with etc, but that we came back really strongly.
There’s usually been the need to be almost perfect to beat the ABs so to make some errors and still power through is really good news. A great win and whilst I wouldn’t disagree if someone said NZ weren’t quite at their best yesterday, we saw enough of how ruthless they are in the 22 and how they can effortlessly move the ball around and history tells you any win is a great win over them.
Thought the scoreboard management 2 mins before HT to take the 6 points on offer with DGs was exactly what was needed and set the platform for our second half.
Chasing NZ a converted score down is not an enviable task so that just helped settle us I thought and I hope is the sort of calm leadership we see going forward.
To have Baxter, Heyes, Coles, Pepper suddenly looking like they could possibly make a mark in the pack is really supplementing the established names and gives us that depth.
Promising signs and hope England continue to evolve ahead of a spicy 6N!
There’s usually been the need to be almost perfect to beat the ABs so to make some errors and still power through is really good news. A great win and whilst I wouldn’t disagree if someone said NZ weren’t quite at their best yesterday, we saw enough of how ruthless they are in the 22 and how they can effortlessly move the ball around and history tells you any win is a great win over them.
Thought the scoreboard management 2 mins before HT to take the 6 points on offer with DGs was exactly what was needed and set the platform for our second half.
Chasing NZ a converted score down is not an enviable task so that just helped settle us I thought and I hope is the sort of calm leadership we see going forward.
To have Baxter, Heyes, Coles, Pepper suddenly looking like they could possibly make a mark in the pack is really supplementing the established names and gives us that depth.
Promising signs and hope England continue to evolve ahead of a spicy 6N!
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Come on now … Coles and Ewels are not as good as Itoje, Chessum & Martin but to suggest they ‘probably wouldn’t get into any of the top 10 squads’ is a wild over statement.
For one, I’d argue that Itoje and Chessum are excellent and everyone else (including Martin IMO) suffer in comparison.
SA and France have mad depth but the after Beirne, McCarthy, Ryan and Henderson, Ireland’s cupboard is pretty bare. The Kiwi locks are largely inexperienced and not anything special. Apart from Skelton, I wouldn’t be in a rush to swap any of the Aussie locks for Coles or Ewels. Same goes for the Scots, Argentinians, Fijians, Italians.
IMO, they easily make a good chunk of those squads and possibly start in a few.
To be fair, I think he just looked excited at the prospect of playing the AB’s.
Henry Pollock stuns viewers with haka response as England confront All Blacks
There had been talk all week of what sort of response England would produce for the haka
Don't know about you guys but I was definitely stunned
Yeah I really don't trust Borthwick to have a back up plan
Martin fit was ahead of Chessum for most people
I stand by my comments though
Hard disagree with NZ
Aus have about 5 locks that are above them imo
You named 4 locks for Ireland who are well ahead of those 2
Scotland have so many better locks than those 2
Italy I would say they would be 3rd and 4th choices there
Fiji Coles would get in Ewels wouldn't imo purely down to style
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Standard Wales online. England achieve something Wales have only been able to dream of and their coverage of it consists of talking about Pollock licking his lips, Marcus Smith's hot girlfriend and the fact England got in trouble for dwarf throwing in 2011...Henry Pollock stuns viewers with haka response as England confront All Blacks
There had been talk all week of what sort of response England would produce for the hakawww.walesonline.co.uk
Don't know about you guys but I was definitely stunned
Two things. First, i dont think he went beyond those two tacklers. Second, the clearing out problem, if you want to call it that way, arises from the decision Smith takes, which puts his team mates in an arguably unfavorable (50-50 at best) position. The all blacks come from their side while the English have to go back past the ball and come back again to join the ruck. They lose both time and momentum.
The FB manual (patent pending) says you should kick (or, if you are incredibly fast, run towards the middle and kick out the ball to the other side).
I'm all in favour of x factor thingies, but there's a time and a place for it. That wasnt it.
"Marcus Smith loses hot girlfriend to even hotter Henry Pollock during dwarf throwing wager"
WOL setting standards in journalism since 1953.
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Most people? Not sure about that. I think the general consensus with Martin is that he flatters to deceive. A bigger reputation than his actual performances deserve.
Who are Scotland's 'so many better locks' and the Italians that relegate them to 3rd/4th choice?
Anyway - you said they probably wouldn't make top 10 squads and then mostly contradicted yourself.
I can't decide whether you're overrating other players or seriously underrating Ewels and Coles.
When did we last see George Martin at full fitness and form, playing to his best for England?
Been a long time if I recall.
Been a long time if I recall.
I think this is the nail on the head he has been the enforcer England have missed but only in a couple of games when fit, he has also had some average performances which is understandable post injury, if he can get to his best and put a good run of games together I think you can make a valid argument he makes most teams but that’s a relatively big if at this point. Outside of SA I can’t really think of many that don’t have a fairly significant drop off after first choice, I don’t think it’s too much of an area of concern with Itoje getting the lion share of game time as long as I can remember it’s hard for other players to be discovered and blooded. If you need solid get the job done without anything highlights real worthy in the absence of the current regulars NI could do a job, impossible to say but I think Englands lineout yesterday could have been better with him and no I am not advocating him to replace anyone currently there just saying there are options if injury happens.
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That’s the thing.
But when he is on song, he makes a difference.
Itoje’s going to be picked for the foreseeable, but I actually think Chessum is our premier lock now. He’s obviously bulked up and while I used to think Borthwick’s Plan A for him was 6, I no longer believe that.
Coles isn’t at those levels but I thought he acquitted himself decently yesterday.
As for the Boks they’re still relying a lot on Etzebeth (34), Mostert (34) de Jager (32) and Snyman (30). Some talent, but aging. Nortje has come through but I’m not sure about the real depth behind the old lags. Besides, in terms of the next RWC, I’m actually more bothered about what they’re doing behind the scrum.
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We'll agree to disagree.
I'm quite happy to be in a minority of one, but I'm not in this case, which suggests that it's not really a basis for criticising Smith's overall performance. He had a long time in a position which isn't his and looked quietly competent, even if you count that as an error.
I would say he was pretty good in last years six nations v Ireland and France
And let's be real v SA in that Semi final that was only 2 years ago so in what world is that a long time?
If memory serves me he was massive v Ireland in that same year six nations
IMHO it’s just lazy speculation without watching, others can make mistakes constantly and face very little criticism, if your not an out and out 15 every little detail is under a microscope where as if your are everything’s justified in one way or another for example I criticised Steward not looking too hot in the air in the last couple of weeks was dismissed as not having blockers anymore when this is allegedly his USP, you would also forgive smith for some errors as it’s the biggest stage and he lacks experience, I am with you he was quietly competent there, I’ve seen actual FBs make far more errors. He hasn’t ever been as bad as has been made out, considering his size was fairly heroic in parts of the wc acting as a sufficient speed bump against vastly bigger stronger players, he wouldn’t be my first choice but sometimes circumstances dictate these things and I think he gave a very good account of himself yesterday.
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