Italy v England

[mohamed_ali12]

Wow...England are shite.

Who knew?

 

[Gavin]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ali12 @ Feb 15 2010, 04:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Wow...England are shite.

Who knew?[/b]

I knew

 

[Olyy]

Ah well, a win's a win's a win.

England really need to rethink their tactics though (or at least go back to what they were like last weekend).

 

[Thingimubob]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Gavin @ Feb 14 2010, 04:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bristol-iain @ Feb 15 2010, 04:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Zanni MOTM.

Even Brian Moore thinks thats the right decision.[/b]

Was either going to be him or Mirco Bergamasco
[/b][/quote]

Or Luke McClean, he's been class for them!
Jesus, wtf is up with this ref completely forgetting that the ball has to be straight when you throw into a line out! England's throw ins have been ridiculously crooked!
Imo, England didnt deserve that, they got away with murder compared to the Italians. Italians looked very good, Scotland will be worried, espeically with 3 of their best players injured.

 

[Meh]

Even my Mum could see that last England lineout wasn't straight.
And don't get me started on the commentary - "They've beaten Scotland and Wales but never anybody like England"

Unlucky "plucky" Italy. I'm sure they'll win eventually, hopefully not against us.

 

[Prestwick]

Wow, GingerG and Mite, we really sorted out that "really ****" Italian side now, didn't we?

Thats more or less what I expected. A win is a win. Keeps us in with a chance of being pummelled by Ireland or France or both which is a really exciting prospect for me, oh yes...


/sarcasm.

 

[elgringoborracho]

I hate that. England will go on playing average rugby but still win until they come to the Stade de France and _god knows why_ play great rugby. We'll be surprised and panic.

 

[RC]

That was quite ridiculous.
How did England escape not getting yellow carded, and i'm pretty sure castrogiovanni should have ended up being red carded for his final act of stupidity.
It was an ugly game and to be honest, I'm glad it's over because it was an England squad who wanted nothing more than the 80 minutes to be up against an Italian squad who seemed too desperate to be able to do anything of value.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Prestwick @ Feb 14 2010, 04:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Wow, GingerG and Mite, we really sorted out that "really ****" Italian side now, didn't we?

Thats more or less what I expected. A win is a win. Keeps us in with a chance of being pummelled by Ireland or France or both which is a really exciting prospect for me, oh yes...


/sarcasm.[/b]

Nah. If Ireland do beat England somehow it won't be a thrashing. It'll be a close race for 2nd place.

 

[Prestwick]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (King D'arcy @ Feb 14 2010, 04:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Nah. If Ireland do beat England somehow it won't be a thrashing. It'll be a close race for 2nd place.[/b]

No way, jose! If England come out as disjointed and timid as they did against Italy for 70 minutes Ireland will have a field day

 

[RC]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Prestwick @ Feb 14 2010, 04:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (King D'arcy @ Feb 14 2010, 04:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nah. If Ireland do beat England somehow it won't be a thrashing. It'll be a close race for 2nd place.[/b]

No way, jose!
[/b][/quote]

Yeah, it'll be a race for 3rd place.

 

[Prestwick]

I know RC, I mean after France run over Wales like so much roadkill and James Hook forgets how to tell the time again against Italy its going to be a tough fight for 3rd place between Scotland and Ireland

 

[eoino]

In fairness Eng just had a bad day and Italy visa versa. England could turn around and beat France... always a great game to watch. As for| England v Ireland, I cant see England winning but it should be quite close unless Ireland actualy start playing properly which isnt going to happen is it?

 

[gingergenius]

Well, I was right. Italy still are a **** side... you have to be to lose at home to someone as shockingly coached as England.

Seriously, this match was 100% England's fault. We started brightly, and then the Italians had 2 or 3 mins of playing well.

But thenEngland did what Johnson has been hinting at all week. We've heard comments about the weather forecast being rainy; we've picked 5 forwards inc Deacon on the bench; we've heard a lot of rhetoric about bullying them up front, tiring them out, and then scoring tries. So England revert into their Tight Game Playbook. And we get the shockingly awful game we just had, one that gave the Italians a serious chance of winning.

Seriously, whoever is in charge of tactics is full of so much ****. Italy always try to bring teams down to their level. If this is going to happen, you have to make sure you've shown your superiority first so the game is well beyond them. The Irish managed that much. England - no. They bloody-mindedly bored ahead with the notion that they would win the Italy game upfront, which kept the Italians within reach and made the last 15 minutes close.

I can't see how anyone can think that when we are so much better than them in the backs, we should try and beat them through the forwards. It doesn't make any f***ing sense.


Positives:

* we won
* Armitage looked back to form.

Negatives:

* Hartley is doing more and more to convince me that Mears is a better player.
* Moody was once again outplayed at the breakdown by his opposite number.
* The forwards were criminally lazy.
* Care needs to catch ball off the top of the lineout
* Wilkinson was **** again, and he didn't even kick goals.
* Cueto looks to have lost a yard of pace. Time to think about blooding Ashton

 

[Prestwick]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (gingergenius @ Feb 14 2010, 04:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Positives:

* we won
* Armitage looked back to form.
* I didn't get punched in the face.

Negatives:

* Hartley is doing more and more to convince me that Mears is a better player.
* Moody was once again outplayed at the breakdown by his opposite number.
* The forwards were criminally lazy.
* Care needs to catch ball off the top of the lineout
* Wilkinson was **** again, and he didn't even kick goals.
* Cueto looks to have lost a yard of pace. Time to think about blooding Ashton

*I hate Karma.[/b]

Fixed.

 

[shtove]

Armitage with some nice distribution - cool head. Pity he was ignored for the rest of the match.

Very close to saying Italy should have won. In the end they looked like Wales against Scotland before the breakthrough - shovelling the ball back and forth across the pitch in the face of a tight defence. England should be really ticked off that Italy had the possession to unleash so many pointless backmoves.

England's kicking game: Wot?

 

[Olyy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (gingergenius @ Feb 14 2010, 04:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

* Cueto looks to have lost a yard of pace. Time to think about blooding Ashton[/b]

I agree, despite Cueto being one of my favorite players, he doesn't have the pace of alot of wingers he's up against. He's got a great rugby brain, picks great lines, good under the high ball and good kicking, but can't get away from the defenders.

Ashton won't get a look in this 6N i think, today was the game when (in theory) we should've tried out some of the less experienced players. If Johnson's not willing to risk anything against Italy he deffinatley won't against France and Ireland (and Scotland on their current form)

 

[dullonien]

What a shocking game! If the Italian backline knew how to play a little flatter to the gainline, they would have won that match. On the other hand, if England realised that kicking it aimlessly straight to McLean time after time wasn't working, and started giving the backs more ball, they could have put a decet score against Italy.

What is Wilkinson doing, seriously? He's still standing a mile from the gainline, and his kicking from hand (and tee today) is appalling! Flood would get the backline moving 100x better, and he'll kick the majority of goals Wilkinson does (more today).

Anyone who thinks Armitage had a good game today is deluded. He started off well and was unlucky not to score in the first minute. After that though, he was the main culprit of some completely horrible aimless kicking. Half the time, Italy didn't even chase their kicks, yet Armitage still didn't have the balls to try something!

Italy were pretty poor, England were worse!

 

[Gavin]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (gingergenius @ Feb 15 2010, 04:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Well, I was right. Italy still are a **** side... you have to be to lose at home to someone as shockingly coached as England.

Seriously, this match was 100% England's fault. We started brightly, and then the Italians had 2 or 3 mins of playing well.

But thenEngland did what Johnson has been hinting at all week. We've heard comments about the weather forecast being rainy; we've picked 5 forwards inc Deacon on the bench; we've heard a lot of rhetoric about bullying them up front, tiring them out, and then scoring tries. So England revert into their Tight Game Playbook. And we get the shockingly awful game we just had, one that gave the Italians a serious chance of winning.

Seriously, whoever is in charge of tactics is full of so much ****. Italy always try to bring teams down to their level. If this is going to happen, you have to make sure you've shown your superiority first so the game is well beyond them. The Irish managed that much. England - no. They bloody-mindedly bored ahead with the notion that they would win the Italy game upfront, which kept the Italians within reach and made the last 15 minutes close.

I can't see how anyone can think that when we are so much better than them in the backs, we should try and beat them through the forwards. It doesn't make any f***ing sense.


Positives:

* we won
* Armitage looked back to form.

Negatives:

* Hartley is doing more and more to convince me that Mears is a better player.
* Moody was once again outplayed at the breakdown by his opposite number.
* The forwards were criminally lazy.
* Care needs to catch ball off the top of the lineout
* Wilkinson was **** again, and he didn't even kick goals.
* Cueto looks to have lost a yard of pace. Time to think about blooding Ashton[/b]

Someone a bit bitter? Saying that is was 100% England's fault is a bit harsh - the Italian's played bloody well.

 

[gingergenius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Gavin @ Feb 14 2010, 07:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Someone a bit bitter? Saying that is was 100% England's fault is a bit harsh - the Italian's played bloody well.[/b]

They scored no tries, never got close to scoring any tries, made hardly any line breaks, had a player sin-binned and could have had more for ill-disciplined off the ball incidents, were let off the hook with 8 points missed off the tee, and against a team who did nothing all day but kick it to them... to me, that's not playing well.