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English summer rugby

Bet the new scrum laws will turn everything on its head. Cole and Wilson will still be first and second choice, but I don't want to make any judgements on who should be third-choice until we get to see some rounds of the new laws in action.
 
Crouch --> Bind --> Set

Players bind on the corresponding command, not after the set.

There has also been a commitment to enforce existing laws... whether this happens or not is another matter.
If it happens fully then the hit will necessarily disappear.
 
The hit's still there, but players bind (long) on the touch command and then engage with the bind already held. It becomes obvious when players are binding illegally then and players should stop doing it, reducing dropped binds and collapses in the scrum. The hopefully knock-on effect this has is that refs can go back to officiating a contested scrum, with feeds down the middle and hookers hooking for the ball. Props which struggle with the "dark arts" of the bind and hookers which have spent a lot of time practising their hook may see a substantial gain out of the new rules.
 
I think there has been talk of enforcing the feeding laws as well. What will Brian Moore shout about now?
 
That was around the time that everyone hated the negative aerial "ping-pong" game.

It was basically that 6N that made me cross from league to union. :p
2008/09... Dark days. I see less **** kicking these days. Nowhere near as many chip kicks.
 
For a long time I saw Simpson as an exagerrated version of YoCare - even faster, but even worse in his basics and tendency to make "wtf" decisions, possibly unfairly. I think being at Wasps has hurt his international career, he's not getting the platform. He has improved a lot, he should certainly be ahead of Wiggy... not sure it would change much though. Our scrum-halves problem is consistency, which is getting emphasized by some pack problems. Does Simpson change that? I'm not sure he does. But it's worth taking a better look at him.
 
For a long time I saw Simpson as an exagerrated version of YoCare - even faster, but even worse in his basics and tendency to make "wtf" decisions, possibly unfairly. I think being at Wasps has hurt his international career, he's not getting the platform. He has improved a lot, he should certainly be ahead of Wiggy... not sure it would change much though. Our scrum-halves problem is consistency, which is getting emphasized by some pack problems. Does Simpson change that? I'm not sure he does. But it's worth taking a better look at him.

Whilst in the past I've described him as just a rather fast man with chicken legs... his basics are in some ways better than the rest of the competition right now...his box kicking is knobbing insane, don't know how he does it(lots of height and length) We don't conceded too many points off counter attack ball which I think speaks highly of our tactical kicking, of which Simpsons boxes are a big part. Across other aspects, he's very small even for a 9, but has plenty of fight in him. I think he could do with more experience marshalling a genuinely good pack, rather than just a bunch of retards as at Wasps... say, the experience of working with an older bunch of guys such as Parling and more leaders generally, could help his decision making. I think he's on the right track. I think on the evidence guys like Youngs has given in th last two years, I'd say Simpson has the more potential.
 
I was pretty miffed that he didn't make the Argentina tour, or even the BaBaas games when the Exeter scrum half (Thomas?) did. At least Lancaster is talking to him. However even if an injury to Youngs or Care forces a change there is still Dickson and Wigglesworth (ugh) above him in the pecking order.
 
Whilst in the past I've described him as just a rather fast man with chicken legs... his basics are in some ways better than the rest of the competition right now...his box kicking is knobbing insane, don't know how he does it(lots of height and length) We don't conceded too many points off counter attack ball which I think speaks highly of our tactical kicking, of which Simpsons boxes are a big part. Across other aspects, he's very small even for a 9, but has plenty of fight in him. I think he could do with more experience marshalling a genuinely good pack, rather than just a bunch of retards as at Wasps... say, the experience of working with an older bunch of guys such as Parling and more leaders generally, could help his decision making. I think he's on the right track. I think on the evidence guys like Youngs has given in th last two years, I'd say Simpson has the more potential.

While Simpson's kicking is much improved, a kick is only as good as its chase - I've seen Youngs put some lovely ones down only for no one to be there, he's certainly improved there as well. Passing and thinking interest me more at the moment with YoCare and Simpson - Simpson has certainly improved at the former, Youngs needs to put some work in... more potential? Not sure I'd say that. Youngs is younger, and if you compare performances on as like for like as possible - AP - I don't think I'd put Simpson ahead of him...

... but nevermind potential, we need a scrum-half now, we've got some servicable guys - at their best, YoCare do very good impressions of Will Genia - but no one is nailing down the shirt. Some new faces might refresh things. And I just don't believe in Lee Dickson or Richard Wigglesworth tbh.

And yes, I am going to refer to Youngs and Care as YoCare from now on... because they are very close to being the same player.
 
While Simpson's kicking is much improved, a kick is only as good as its chase - I've seen Youngs put some lovely ones down only for no one to be there, he's certainly improved there as well. Passing and thinking interest me more at the moment with YoCare and Simpson - Simpson has certainly improved at the former, Youngs needs to put some work in... more potential? Not sure I'd say that. Youngs is younger, and if you compare performances on as like for like as possible - AP - I don't think I'd put Simpson ahead of him...

... but nevermind potential, we need a scrum-half now, we've got some servicable guys - at their best, YoCare do very good impressions of Will Genia - but no one is nailing down the shirt. Some new faces might refresh things. And I just don't believe in Lee Dickson or Richard Wigglesworth tbh.

And yes, I am going to refer to Youngs and Care as YoCare from now on... because they are very close to being the same player.

Christ I didn't know that...maybe he'll convert to hooker and all will be good!

Agree about YoCare, which is why I feel sorry for Care not making the lions - felt a bit of an arbitrary call to me to pick one and not the other.

I don't like Wigglesworth at all but I don't mind Dickson. Going by Ratsapprentice's preference for 9's who get there quickly, get it out quickly, and generally bring out the best in forwards letting them do the work, you'd probs have to say Dickson is the pick of the bunch. Hes less unlikely to spark magic than the others but, meh. I felt England looked alright with him in the 2012 six nations, especially against France.
 
I was pretty miffed that he didn't make the Argentina tour, or even the BaBaas games when the Exeter scrum half (Thomas?) did. At least Lancaster is talking to him. However even if an injury to Youngs or Care forces a change there is still Dickson and Wigglesworth (ugh) above him in the pecking order.

You weren't the only one miffed that England bothered handing Mr Average Wigglesworth (now 30) starts in the Barbarians and CONSUR XV games with two bench caps vs Argentina with other more worthwhile selections possible.
 
The thing about Simpson is, and this is conjecture, he seems like he would do what you tell him to.
If Lancaster said "JUST pass the ball, unless there is a gap the size of Jaime Roberts jaw, you pass it" I think he would do it, YoCare would not be able to resist.
They seemingly cannot play to a pattern.

I see it as the FH's job to decide when to move away from a pattern.
And that the SH shouldn't have to constantly go out of his way to hold defenders, unless they are just going straight out and leaving him massive gaps and the backline no space.
 
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