[RWC2019][Semi-Final 1] England vs. New Zealand (26/10/2019)

[Aristodemus]

I'm not confident but I am hopeful! Really looking forward to it

 

[donmcdazzle]

Just looked back at the last time England and NZ met, completely forgot we somehow kept them to 1 try...

I went back and took a look as well. Forgot we came back from 15-0 down. Can't see us reeling you in if we give up that type of headstart again...

The other thing that struck me was how different the line ups will be for Saturday. NZ will probably have two backs in the same positions as that game, and 4 forwards! So 9 / 15 personnel or positional changes. Likewise England probably only 8 / 15 will be the same.

 

[Reiser99]

I went back and took a look as well. Forgot we came back from 15-0 down. Can't see us reeling you in if we give up that type of headstart again...

The other thing that struck me was how different the line ups will be for Saturday. NZ will probably have two backs in the same positions as that game, and 4 forwards! So 9 / 15 personnel or positional changes. Likewise England probably only 8 / 15 will be the same.

Possibly even less for England. One thing that makes me hopeful is that we had quite a few players who haven't made the current squad and I think this is pretty much our first choice squad. Moon, Hartley, Shields, Te'o, Ashton, Hepburn, Williams, Ewels and Care is a big difference and I would say practically all changes are either on par or better. Where as from the NZ 23, Tu'inukuafe, Franks, Squire and McKenzie are the only ones absent and 3 of those are injury related I believe. I could well be clutching at straws here as obviously New Zealand have tried new ideas and will have improved, but purely in terms of personnel it looks like England will have the stronger side in terms of like for like comparison since 2018.

 

[Ferrari333SP]

 

[Kiwiwomble]

A giant of the rugby world v a nation accused of doing perverted things to wool

TBH I could be talking about either Semi final I guess.....

i genuinely giggled sitting at my desk when i read this

it was a pleasant respite from the general sense of anxiety ive had since last week...at least if we win next week will be less stressful...oh wait

 

[Kapa O Pango]

Inform fit Tuilagi is scary.

 

[mania]

i genuinely giggled sitting at my desk when i read this

it was a pleasant respite from the general sense of anxiety ive had since last week...at least if we win next week will be less stressful...oh wait

u gotta embrace the stress. relax and enjoy. win or lose ABs have been awesome to date.
3peat is near impossible. whether ABs achieve it or not isnt the point, its enjoying each game on its merits one at a time.
and remember hakuna matata

 

[Cooper]

Just looked back at the last time England and NZ met, completely forgot we somehow kept them to 1 try...

A tough game that was, but virtually redundant now since we have completely new tactics and a completely new backline.

I can't believe this will be Sam Cane's first test match against England in 66 test matches... They're in for a shock!

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Owens given the job again

 

[donmcdazzle]

A tough game that was, but virtually redundant now since we have completely new tactics and a completely new backline.

I can't believe this will be Sam Cane's first test match against England in 66 test matches... They're in for a shock!

Some of the hits between Cane, Curry and Underhill will be brutal.

 

[donmcdazzle]

Owens given the job again

Poite and Gauzere on the flags and Marius up in the booth. Presume this is a pretty uncontroversial appointment?

 

[mania]

Owens given the job again

ok so now if we can get the english media to say how sht owens is and thats worth a few points

 

[donmcdazzle]

Penalty count was 13 - 6 against us in the quarter, plus we had the yellow card + penalty try. Wouldn't mind a bit of that favouritism we apparently get from the refs this week!

 

[ncurd]

Poite and Gauzere on the flags and Marius up in the booth. Presume this is a pretty uncontroversial appointment?

Nah pretty 'controversial' from an English perspective, Owens isn't the ref he was 5-6 years ago even that far back? Remember when he gave knock ons against us playing you even though it clearly went backwards?

I also feel England never get the rub of the green with him and all 50/50 calls go the opposition's way.

Lastly and most importantly his desire for a 'free flowing game' also known as letting teams get away with tons of **** at the breakdown benefits the ABs hugely.

It is what it is and what I felt would happen with Wales on the other side of the pool and Peyper essentially ruling himself out.

Anyway point is there will be a lot of angry Englishmen (including myself) if Owens goes to type.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

A tough game that was, but virtually redundant now since we have completely new tactics and a completely new backline.

I can't believe this will be Sam Cane's first test match against England in 66 test matches... They're in for a shock!

The all blacks have never sampled the delights of an English curry, shocks all round

 

[Jer1cho]

So the mind games from Jones has begun...

https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Rug...aim-jones-says-england-were-spied-on-20191022

 

[Goodey]

What he actually said:

"There was definitely someone in the apartment block (across from the training ground) filming, it might have been a Japanese fan," Jones said. "We knew from the start that they were filming and it doesn't change anything we do."

But Jones did not appear to be too perturbed by the issue. "Don't care, mate. Don't care."

Jones added that spying on rival teams had gone out of fashion in modern rugby. "Everyone knows what everyone else does. There's no surprises in world rugby anymore. We used to do it. I haven't done it since 2001. There's no need."

~

Is anyone else a bit sick of having to scroll through the article to find the quote and find what Jones actually said, because the headline and first few paragraphs completely contradict it?

Yeah, it's one of those.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Mind games.........or shoddy click bait journalism?

 

[Goodey]

It's no wonder Jones doesn't give a **** in the press conferences when journalists can report literally the opposite of what he says, just to help people who don't read past the headline post angry comments.

 

[Jer1cho]

Jones is such class though. I remember Jake White who got the Supersport team to record all of England's line out calls before the 2007 WC. Everyone does it that's for sure. The more the week goes on the more I think England will grow in confidence here. If Jones could get Japan to beat SA 4 years ago I'm pretty sure he can get England to one up the ABs.