[2023 Six Nations] England v France 11 March 2023. Kickoff 16:45

[Welsh Exile]

FIFY.

If the first 20mins of that was saving private Ryan I dread to think what the first 20 mins of the Wales v Ireland game was.

 

[Le Frére Alpha]

Fraud? Explain or are you a troll?, because thats a stupid idiotic thing to refer to him as even if you dont think he's a good player.

He's dead right imo. Best poster on here.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

He's dead right imo. Best poster on here.

F - Full head of hair
R - Rapier wit
A - Always helping old ladies cross the road
U - Universally loved
D - He'll give you it

 

[TSPopinjay]

Fraud? Explain or are you a troll?, because thats a stupid idiotic thing to refer to him as even if you dont think he's a good player.

He is the most over-hyped, overrated player in rugby. The media love-in with him is vomit-inducing.

 

[AlRums]

He is the most over-hyped, overrated player in rugby. The media love-in with him is vomit-inducing.

Don't hold back, just say what you feel

 

[ncurd]

He is the most over-hyped, overrated player in rugby. The media love-in with him is vomit-inducing.

*cough*Owen Farrell*cough*

 

[Crash Hamster]

Lawrence also didn't start one game, and Smith two. (I quote from Ril again.)

So, yeah, go forward...

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Lawrence also didn't start one game, and Smith two. (I quote from Ril again.)

So, yeah, go forward...

Half of Van Der Merwe's defenders beaten probably came on that single line break against England though.

 

[Wasps92]

The quality of the Prem is being questioned but that doesn’t seem to apply to the likes of White and Huw Jones at Scotland who have been excellent this tournament.

 

[Scotty]

He is the most over-hyped, overrated player in rugby. The media love-in with him is vomit-inducing.

See thats a fair opinion to have, i kind of agree in the sense that the quins set up and attack is built to allow him freedom to play his way abit like SSimmonds when Chiefs were dominant. But throw them in an unbalanced team or team not getting go forward and they can look average.

Great talents but a team has to be built around them to make it work.

He is very talented though and is deserving of his spot for what he can do.

 

[Amiga500]

Lawrence also didn't start one game, and Smith two. (I quote from Ril again.)

So, yeah, go forward...

Probably worth pointing out that a fly-half must be able to do more than hop and skip.

Both for the effectiveness of other players as well as the effectiveness of their own hopping and skipping.

Smith looks great on the highlights reel - but can he steer a ship through choppy waters? That's a question that obviously hasn't been answered yet in the International arena. (Just to be clear here, IMO he should be given several chances to prove that either way - and not cast aside as a result of a pathetic effort from all on the team.)

 

[Zed]

You'd sack a manager after 4 matches, who inherited a failing team after they got stuffed by one of the best teams playing right now?

I don't think Borthers is the right choice but he has to be given some time.

Yeah he deserves more time I guess. I thought as a new coach he'd be bringing in some new ideas, a new refreshing attitude, Instead he has Farrell playing 12. Then he drops Smith, then he brings in Ford, then he brings back Smith. Farrell is overrated as a 10. Rarely if ever makes line breaks, lacks speed and is predictable in attack. Solid, nothing more. Most definitely not a 12. Concerning that Borthwick can't see that.

 

[Reiser99]

Yeah he deserves more time I guess. I thought as a new coach he'd be bringing in some new ideas, a new refreshing attitude, Instead he has Farrell playing 12. Then he drops Smith, then he brings in Ford, then he brings back Smith. Farrell is overrated as a 10. Rarely if ever makes line breaks, lacks speed and is predictable in attack. Solid, nothing more. Most definitely not a 12. Concerning that Borthwick can't see that.

Don't think it's common knowledge outside of England, but under current rules the head coach can only change 5 players permanently as well as injury cover to the squad between test windows.

 

[retired9]

Farrell is overrated as a 10. Rarely if ever makes line breaks, lacks speed and is predictable in attack. Solid, nothing more. Most definitely not a 12. Concerning that Borthwick can't see that.

I think the concern is that England get considerably worse when he isn't on the field, he must have an effect.

 

[Saintjay]

Yeah he deserves more time I guess. I thought as a new coach he'd be bringing in some new ideas, a new refreshing attitude, Instead he has Farrell playing 12. Then he drops Smith, then he brings in Ford, then he brings back Smith. Farrell is overrated as a 10. Rarely if ever makes line breaks, lacks speed and is predictable in attack. Solid, nothing more. Most definitely not a 12. Concerning that Borthwick can't see that.

You could apply that to Dan Biggar, Sexton, Wilkinson even. None were a great running threat. You are then reliant on the players outside you, how you martial an attack etc. You could drop the best 10 in the world into this England team and it wouldn't make much difference.

 

[Arcturus]

After the Ireland game I was curious as to how France would play, and well they were exceptional. A near flawless performance by every single player in attack and defence and it is obscene how they managed to score seven tries whilst being down in the England 22 for less than 90-seconds. Even more remarkable is that there were some French players who didn't even touch the ball.

As for the origins for England's malaise, where do you start? The gutting of grassroots funding? RFU old-boys still not fully embracing the professional era? Behind the curve in commercialising the sport? Inept oversight by Premiership Rugby? Distinct lack of academy and coaching development by most teams, and disbelief in those players and coaches?

England should have stuck with Jones, instead they went with the kneejerk reaction once Wales ditched Pivac. I think Borthwick has potential, but he should have come in after the RWC. It still boggles the mind how well Farrell and Lancaster are doing when given the support, or how negligent Sweeney has been in not doing anything to attract Edwards.

Sinckler, Dombrandt, Slade and Van Poortvliet were absolutely awful; coming across as lethargic or unsympathetic to the rest of the squad. Smith has received too much flack for the defeat, but he does remind me a bit of Cipriani – a YouTube highlights reel player – who has flourishes of absolutely spellbinding brilliance, but can also look completely anonymous. He needs to bulk up a bit to avoid being singled out (as happened for two of France's tries).

There is a real risk of the English game atrophying rather rapidly if the RFU and PR don't get their act together.

 

[Derpus]

Smith exposed as the fraud we knew he was.

'Fraud' has to be one of the dumbest ways to describe a player. If you are too stupid to properly discern a player's ability it is hardly the players fault. They havn't tricked you.

 

[IT157]

I was visiting South Africa in Autumn 2016 and the papers were tearing into their system and how things had to change drastically etc. Well fast forward 3 years and they won the World Cup.

So I believe things can be fixable for England.

 

[Derpus]

I was visiting South Africa in Autumn 2016 and the papers were tearing into their system and how things had to change drastically etc. Well fast forward 3 years and they won the World Cup.

So I believe things can be fixable for England.

They 'fixed' their system by abandoning restrictive selection criteria for the Sprinkboks - allowing a whole host of talent playing overseas to return to the national side.

Don't think that'll help England too much.

 

[TSPopinjay]

'Fraud' has to be one of the dumbest ways to describe a player. If you are too stupid to properly discern a player's ability it is hardly the players fault. They havn't tricked you.

You're rattled.

He has hoodwinked plenty with his lovely skip and his floppy hair. But he's on borrowed time.