[RWC19 Warm-Up] - Wales vs England

[bushytop]

Let's not forget Alpha Bro's racist tirade against the Scott's for being illiterate earlier this year. Poor sods couldn't even defend themselves for obvious reasons.
I think it's about time he's banned and made to comment on 42.ie articles with the rest of his kind.

Good times

 

[ncurd]

New TRFie 'Biggest Racist'...

N.b. this a terrible idea.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

'Racist fat boi'

 

[TRF_Olyy]

'Racist fat boi'

Racist against fat people now as well?
Your depravity really knows no bounds

 

[ratsapprentice]

'Racist fat boi'

Bert Kreischer?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Racist against fat people now as well?
Your depravity really knows no bounds

It's called chubbofobic

 

[Groundhog]

Alphlex Brones.

 

[bushytop]

It's called chubbofobic

Racist against erections?

 

[JonoCymru]

I barely post here but jesus I've never read so much sour grapes in all my life. The hatred towards Wales and Gatland is quite comical and the sheer disbelief from many posters here on how Wales can possibly achieve the level of success they've had is hilarious.

Most folks calling it a crap game because England could only muster a mere 6 points after putting up 33 last week. I think Wales were quite happy to strangle the life out of them in all honesty, so certainly not a crap game from a Welsh perspective. Had England walked away with a win of the same scoreline it would be considered a fantastic achievement.

Show some humility and congratulate a team on winning 15 of their last 16. No matter how you slice it, that doesn't happen often. The All Blacks have lost 3 games in that same span of time, so Wales deservedly number one in the world on overall current form. Only for a couple of weeks perhaps, but it's nice to reach that accolade and to join a very exclusive club in doing so.

Nail on head. Our style of play is similar to putting 11 men behind the ball in football. Frustrating the life out of them and forcing them into mistakes whilst quietly in the background scoring the odd try and 3 points here and there. Not pretty but works for us. Absolute sh*thousery and I love it.

World cup is wide open. May the best team win!

 

[dullonien]

Nail on head. Our style of play is similar to putting 11 men behind the ball in football. Frustrating the life out of them and forcing them into mistakes whilst quietly in the background scoring the odd try and 3 points here and there. Not pretty but works for us. Absolute sh*thousery and I love it.

World cup is wide open. May the best team win!

I really struggle with this personally. I'd be fine with it if our backs were crap, but imo that isn't the case. Even with Biggar at 10 they're capable of much more.

I would also get on board if it were a crucial 6 nations or wc game, but I still struggle to see the point in a warm up game.

I'm also convinced that this style of play will only take you do far in the wc. Prob quarter final or semi final at the most. It could be good enough to win a final if we get there, as they can often be tense affairs (NZ v France comes to mind in 2011), but i don't think it can win multiple knockout games on the bounce.

 

[bushytop]

I really struggle with this personally. I'd be fine with it if our backs were crap, but imo that isn't the case. Even with Biggar at 10 they're capable of much more.

I would also get on board if it were a crucial 6 nations or wc game, but I still struggle to see the point in a warm up game.

I'm also convinced that this style of play will only take you do far in the wc. Prob quarter final or semi final at the most. It could be good enough to win a final if we get there, as they can often be tense affairs (NZ v France comes to mind in 2011), but i don't think it can win multiple knockout games on the bounce.

I might be kidding myself but I think we haven't showed anywhere near our full hand yet... I rate Gats as being underrated in the 'canny' department and after 2 previous World Cups (one in which we got EXTREMELY and some would argue unluckily close to the final and in the other we were decimated by injury) Gats is no fool, I think he may well be holding back some stuff.

 

[ncurd]

Oh dear the Welsh are going all Irish again...

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Oh dear the Welsh are going all Irish again...

I've heard Joe Schmidt has buried secrets to winning rugby in an unmarked grave in South Killarney for the 2039 RWC.

 

[Cymro]

If the world thinks Wales have shown the best they've got then they'll continue to be surprised and caught cold. In my eyes we've achieved this winning run without showing our full hand on offence yet. Not saying we will suddenly set the world alight once the world cup starts but there'll be a few tricks in there. As there will be from every team probably.

I've grown to accept that Wales will always be underestimated no matter what we achieve. Long may it continue as the opposition's hubris when playing us does us a favour. Even if Wales win the world cup there'd be some playing it down.

Also, people do realise you can win a world cup without beating New Zealand right? Just ask England, Australia and South Africa...

 

[BPM]

I really struggle with this personally. I'd be fine with it if our backs were crap, but imo that isn't the case. Even with Biggar at 10 they're capable of much more.

I would also get on board if it were a crucial 6 nations or wc game, but I still struggle to see the point in a warm up game.

I'm also convinced that this style of play will only take you do far in the wc. Prob quarter final or semi final at the most. It could be good enough to win a final if we get there, as they can often be tense affairs (NZ v France comes to mind in 2011), but i don't think it can win multiple knockout games on the bounce.

Good post dullonien. I feel very much the same about England.

Both Wales and England have talented players who are capable of way better rugby and it frustrates me that we rarely see that.

Yesterday was one for the purists. Neither side ever really threatened to create much and it was frankly dull to watch.

 

[ncurd]

Wales can win the world cup of that there is no doubt, if you think they are going to suddenly find some level of attacking flair after 8 years of God awful brand they've produced under Gatland you have another thing coming.

 

[ncurd]

Yesterday was one for the purists.

I hate this kind of comment, I love a good arm wrestle in the rain against the elements. This was in perfect conditions with da ooof closed. There is no excuse for it and nobody should be enjoying that as a style of rugby.

 

[bushytop]

I hate this kind of comment, I love a good arm wrestle in the rain against the elements. This was in perfect conditions with da ooof closed. There is no excuse for it and nobody should be enjoying that as a style of rugby.

In fairness during the autumn of 2017 and pretty much all of 2018 we did play some more expansive stuff... and in 2018 in particular it was more successful than not. We did seem to go back to primarily a defensive game plan during this 6 Nations (which worked) and it's more than possible (though nowhere near guaranteed) that we did that so World Cup opposition would prepare for one Wales and be surprised by the other.

Now as I've said above, I could well be kidding myself... but the irony is that you have no idea that you could be kidding yourself too .

 

[ncurd]

If the history of teams have taught me anything they are way more likely to revert to type during a RWC than produce some master game plan. It may happen and it might win a one off game ala Japan V SA but reality is this will be won by a team playing the skills what they've honed for the past 4 years.

For England it will be whether they can string together those dominant performances where they completely steamroller a team (think Ire in this years 6 nations).....BTW England are probably my leat favourites of the 5 teams with a real shot.

For Wales it will be the attritional stuff trying to reduce a game to a low scoring affair and bring the side to come out in top. Again can't see them managing in 3 knock out games in a row.

Which is why I have a NZ V Ire final I think they both have the better game for knock out rugby. They aren't trying to play a perfect performance or percentages.

 

[bushytop]

If the history of teams have taught me anything they are way more likely to revert to type during a RWC than produce some master game plan. It may happen and it might win a one off game ala Japan V SA but reality is this will be won by a team playing the skills what they've honed for the past 4 years.

For England it will be whether they can string together those dominant performances where they completely steamroller a team (think Ire in this years 6 nations).....BTW England are probably my leat favourites of the 5 teams with a real shot.

For Wales it will be the attritional stuff trying to reduce a game to a low scoring affair and bring the side to come out in top. Again can't see them managing in 3 knock out games in a row.

Which is why I have a NZ V Ire final I think they both have the better game for knock out rugby. They aren't trying to play a perfect performance or percentages.

Perfectly reasonable... and I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, I'm just open to all possibilities.