[2015 Six Nations] England vs Italy (Round 2)

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Billy V will be able to do a lot more work because he's no longer the only carrier in the backrow. Haskell means he can spare some energy for something other than running at 3 men at a time. The balance works much better.

Ewers doesn't stand a chance at getting the 6 shirt whilst all he contributes at the lineout is not falling over. And with his humpback I don't know if he'll ever be a jumper. If we get an 8 that can work the lineout, then he's an option again. It's a shame as he's been looking bloody good recently (again, in a backrow with 2 good carriers to share the load).

Thought Hasks 1st pen was actually harsh, and should have been a turnover, but have to play the ref. Would point out in his last 4 starts for England he's given away 4 pens, not bad. Wood in his last 4 games (including 13 mins for Samoa), has given away 8 (2 in each).

Indeed..the thing impressing me the most about Billy is his linespeed and defence at the nub end of games.. In fact he's been coming into games as they have gone in rather than fading as fatigue kicks in..

About Hask - at least one of the penalties annoyed me because the ref only called 'leave it now' when Hask already had the ball.. Which just meant that the ref had to blow the whistle for it not to seem odd, but really its far too late to tell a guy to leave it be.
Interesting watching other teams tackle Haskell, they rarely do without doubling up on him and ultimately this is affecting his yardage, but on the plus side they're quite attritional carries, such as when you get your tighthead lock to carry and it takes 2,or 3 men out of the defensive system.

 

[Raggs]

Haskell's running style is so odd, he just doesn't seem to stretch his legs fully (still some joint issues?), at the same time though he can get to a decent speed and naturally pumps his legs, I was surprised that he kept making meters against the welsh.

I was rather impressed with Haskells lineout steal though, again, something that Ewers wouldn't have offered.

 

[Every Time Ref]

I don't think his course changed that much ... if it was that easy to accidentally end up running into the post, surely we'd see it more often?

From memory, Robshaw doesn't seem to miss many, and when I talk about three options I suppose I mean two main options and one supporting option. I don't expect three separate players to be full-time lineout options necessarily, but a specialist (or if you're lucky two) in other areas can provide an option too - a bit like having secondary ball carriers, which I would also consider Robshaw.

 

[Raggs]

Checking the video he seems to be aiming for inside the right post, gets hit and taken off course by perhaps a meter, and is basically just out of the spin when he goes into the post, no chance of changing his course without simply getting taken down.

Robshaw missed one against Wales (harshly given as a knockon). I don't consider Robshaw good enough to worry opposition lineouts that much, wouldn't think of Haskell that way either (which is why the steal counts for a lot, it makes him a threat). We occasionally send BV up, but he'll never steal a ball, and the same would be true of Ewers. I do see the future as perhaps 6. BV 8. Hughes, as Hughes is working on his lineout now, and is clearly tall enough.

 

[msf]

http://www.espn.co.uk/premiership-2014-15/rugby/story/256889.html

Clearly Rob Baxter didn't go to the good no. 10 school of rugby analysis.

I think he will have to improve his attacking to get back into the Italian team after that performance by Morisi.

 

[Patchey]

http://www.espn.co.uk/premiership-2014-15/rugby/story/256889.html

clearly rob baxter didn't go to the andy farrell school of rugby analysis.

I think he will have to improve his attacking to get back into the italian team after that performance by morisi.

ftfy.

 

[goodNumber10]

ftfy.

roff!

 

[msf]

Hmm, Patchey changed my post and then criticized it, and then good no. 10 laughed at his criticism...Does anyone know of any forums where you can discuss rugby with adults?

 

[goodNumber10]

Hmm, Patchey changed my post and then criticized it, and then good no. 10 laughed at his criticism...Does anyone know of any forums where you can discuss rugby with adults?

er, no. Patchey is taking the p*ss out of me (with the andy farrell comment)... I'm laughing at Patchey taking the p*ss out of me.

Don't be so precious mate from the minute you arrived on this forum you've done nothing but attack me for whatever reason you could find - literally every other post of yours has been openly aimed at me and carried some kind of insult, you've even dug back through the forum to find other thigns to have apop about.

It's completely unprovoked and totally unwarranted, so i'm really not sure why you've got such a boner for me but it's wearing really thin.

 

[msf]

Oops, I've just realized what ftfy means, but I don't get the point youre making...are you comparing good no. 10 to Andy Farrell? I don't get the comparison, Andy Farrell knows something about defence.

- - - Updated - - -

Well, you were being kind of mature until the boner part...I take your point though, and I will never refer to you or your posts again.

 

[Patchey]

Well what you don't know is that GN10, despite the airs and graces of a cultured, free thinking europhile, is in fact Andy Farrell's online persona...


But yes, I made a bad joke that you didn't get. Which is sad but probably indicative of my sense of humour. As for mature places to discuss rugby? We so a pretty good job here

 

[msf]

No, it was my fault, I'm too old to get acronyms...the europhile thing made me laugh, especially since there didn't seem to be any justification for it...the thing I do like about this forum is that there are posters who support different club teams and also different countries, it's really interesting to hear what they think about your team's players and tactics.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

There was an argument on here a few months back when Farrell was still the 10 for England and some were saying he shouldn't be and also criticising his dad. GN10 regularly defended both, although he did believe that Ford was on better form than Farrell. His defense in the face of what others were saying created a bit of an in-joke that you would not have got had you not known that.

Having said that, you lay into GN10 every chance you get and it is getting irritating to me, and I'm sure others as well. Knock it off.

 

[Patchey]

You say argument, it was more like a rerun of the Battle of Nasby but with more jokes about northerners. They'll call it the Second English Civil War in years to come.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

You say argument, it was more like a rerun of the Battle of Nasby but with more jokes about northerners. They'll call it the Second English Civil War in years to come.

You mean those comments about northerns were supposed to be jokes? Oops.

 

[goodNumber10]

You say argument, it was more like a rerun of the Battle of Nasby but with more jokes about northerners. They'll call it the Second English Civil War in years to come.

jokes about northerners?