[RWC19 Warm-Up] - England vs Wales

[TRF_Olyy]

Look at me

I am the grandslam champion now

 

[TheOvalBall]

Is this the norm for Wales ? Slow starters ?

 

[ratsapprentice]

I miss when Youngs used to support like that every game

The fundamental issue England have had in the last 10 years is that neither he or Care have done what they do well well every game.

 

[TheOvalBall]

Highlight of the match for me. Seeing James Bond in the crowd lol

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

If England only ever played the no. 2 ranked team in the world they'd be class. Thank god the 7s and 9s of this world **** em up on the reg!

 

[Which Tyler]

Excellent job by England in a match I did have much hope for.

A couple of players Coka, JJ, Ford, Watson all sticking thier hand up. Everyone in the pack comes home with their heads held high. Going to be hard to drop some of these guys after that.

Not sure about Coka TBH.
Should have had a say in Davoies' try, and hasn't learned when to accept that he hasn't bounced the defender and go to ground.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Is this the norm for Wales ? Slow starters ?

Yup, always have been.

Seems like a **** excuse this time out, though - we're not that far removed from the Six Nations/regular season. It'd be different if it was November and they hadn't been together since the 6N.




Massively surprised by that result, I thought we'd get battered.
Bit of a scare in the 2nd half but came good in the end.

 

[Rinkadink]

Wales...well what positive can you take from that? Apart from not being completely rubbish...

Patience.

Are England going to make that the minimum standard moving forward?

 

[Bluemoon]

Wales...well what positive can you take from that? Apart from not being completely rubbish...

Some good performances, Wainwright, JD2, north, Ken Owens (minus the wild throw). Playing against some English players who aren't first choice who are fighting for their lives.

Showed the coaches what they need to work on in terms of set piece and attack - eg Watson showed that a wide rush often shuts us down. Also shows that a little too much fitness was done in Switzerland. Glad we got the winning run tag off our back.

Plenty to work on. We always start slowly. Few boys to come back to like navidi, Tomas Williams etc

 

[ratsapprentice]

Not sure about Coka TBH.
Should have had a say in Davoies' try, and hasn't learned when to accept that he hasn't bounced the defender and go to ground.

TBF I think Heinz drifting into him was as much an issue as him not turning fast enough, combined with Ludlam overcommitting to the scrum.
And the TO he conceded I think he actually got to ground before the ref called it a maul.

 

[bushytop]

This might sound strange... but quite happy with that for a good work out. We looked super-rusty early and slowly started to find some semblance of play. It would've been nice to peg England back but sometimes it doesn't go exactly to plan... and while it means nothing, let it not go to plan now.

Our scrum looked rocky, which was a little strange as it looked decent during the 6N... so there will be some clear work ons there (as well as elsewhere). Apart from that and the defence looking a little off (which I'm sure will be reworked by Japan) we looked fairly threatening. We clearly weren't clinical with our chances but they were generated nonetheless.

Fair play to England, they got depth (always have done!), you looked good today and used your heavy ball carriers particularly well. Next week will also mean nothin but maybe we'll see you later (when it does).

 

[NickBD]

Based on that game do we think JJ has taken 13 of Slade? I do Slade has had some good games but I'd go with JJ.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

TBF I think Heinz drifting into him was as much an issue as him not turning fast enough

Aye, that was Heinz mess up not Joe - dunno if he didn't trust Joe to make the one on one hit, but he should've hung back a bit to stop a pass inside or a step


I thought Joe played well - he's not a starter for me (May is one of the first names on the sheet, and I'd have Watson and Nowell above him too) but in a fight for the bench spot it definitely showed he can bring his form/physicality to the international level.

 

[bushytop]

Look at me

I am the grandslam champion now

Dude you can take what you want from a warm up... maybe that's why England mess up so many slams

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Jiffy really out here blaming the referee, the melted welly

 

[Rinkadink]

I love Scott Quinnell

 

[Which Tyler]

Based on that game do we think JJ has taken 13 of Slade? I do Slade has had some good games but I'd go with JJ.

I'm still not convinced that Slade had ever taken the shirt from JJ. I know that puts me in a very small minority, as everyone thinks Eddie's been itching to ditch JJ at any opportunity, but he's only ever dropped JJ for Te'o, and only then against Italy.
Slade's only had JJ's shirt whilst JJ has been injured, or barely returned from injury.

Personally, I've seen little change my mind on my "if I were Eddie" midfield selections for the last 4 years. Get Slade playing 12 for Exeter, and Manu comfortable in both slots, then play any 2 from Slade, Manu, JJ with the third on the bench. Selection based on form and opponent.
With Fax able to play 12, and Daly able to play 13, you then don't need a 4th specialist centre, and have room for an outsider to have an actual chance, be they a Devoto, Atkinson, Despatch, Williams or Marchant. Or hell, even a Te'o

 

[ncurd]

I'm still not convinced that Slade had ever taken the shirt from JJ. I know that puts me in a very small minority, as everyone thinks Eddie's been itching to ditch JJ at any opportunity, but he's only ever dropped JJ for Te'o, and only then against Italy.
Slade's only had JJ's shirt whilst JJ has been injured, or barely returned from injury.

This.

 

[bushytop]

So having just seen Gats interview, together with the threats in Pool D... I think we tried to play a specifically different brand to the 6N style today. It could take a couple of games to get right (it may take four) but hopefully it'll be ready for Oz and Fiji.

Hopefully it's not too late to be diversifying (we always have the 'normal' to return to when it's appropriate) but I can see why the management team think we need a few more things up our sleeve for the two teams I mentioned.

 

[Which Tyler]

So having just seen Gats interview, together with the threats in Pool D... I think we tried to play a specifically different brand to the 6N style today. It could take a couple of games to get right (it may take four) but hopefully it'll be ready for Oz and Fiji.

Hopefully it's not too late to be diversifying (we always have the 'normal' to return to when it's appropriate) but I can see why the management team think we need a few more things up our sleeve for the two teams I mentioned.

Imagine how good you could have been for the last 12 years if Gatland had realised that a plan B was occasionally useful.
You've always had the players to do so, just not the permission.