Aus v England,2nd Test - Goldwash time ??

[tigercaspian]

On 23 minutes, 2nd time Aussie Capt. Moore has come steaming in from the side ,no arms : wonder if he'll last the game?

[Soggypitch]

Great Test Match, I'm knackered just watching it!!

Need to keep it tight 2nd half and drive it through the pack.

Confident but not over confident.

[tigercaspian]

Did I ever tell you how much I love those Saracens, Farrell & George? No ??

[Sajerj]

Quite superb. Brilliant.

A sensational performance by Dan Cole. His best performance by a distance since his return from neck surgery. Top, Top class by Dan.

For the Saracens lads..Farrell, Itoje, Billy, Mako and Kruis...a GS, AP, EC, and Aussie Tour victory. Sensational season.

Also a word for Robshaw whose contribution since the RWC has been massive for the team.

[Soggypitch]

Incredible defensive performance. Back row were brilliant as were the front row, the rest weren't too shabby either.

Amazing series victory against all the odds.

[Skin_and_Muscle]

A sensational performance by Dan Cole. His best performance by a distance since his return from neck surgery. Top, Top class by Dan.

I don't often agree with the sky commentators (by default, as they annoy the hell out of me) but I think Eddie Jones has done well to identify both basic roles for each position and what each player is good at. I think that suits Cole perfectly: 'Forget chasing, carrying, and passing. Quite simply, Dan, I want you to scrummage and ruck.'

[mol2]

You missed his No7 play at the breakdown. Well played Dan.

Much as it is hard to say the two players that I was most concerned about for dodgy temperaments - Hartley and Farrell have been ice cool.
Hartley perhaps benefits from being away from the Saints environment which seems to fail to control the hot heads.

Haskell played himself into the ground.

What a difference having an astute coach at this level makes.

The last 2 weeks seem to have silenced the talk about how far ahead the Southern Hemisphere teams are. The reality it's more about how far ahead the Southern Hemisphere coaches are.
The RFU need to go away and rip up their coaching manual that stifles rugby and ties the hands of those coaching at junior levels. Clubs need to pay more heed to and reflect that good players do not always make good coaches.

[strawclearer]

The last 2 weeks seem to have silenced the talk about how far ahead the Southern Hemisphere teams are. The reality it's more about how far ahead the Southern Hemisphere coaches are.

That's what we're hoping for next season!

[TomWeston]

Bit of an aside from Fatty Barnes during today's commentary when the Convicts were swapping a midfield battering ram for a playmaking rapier. He said that Matt Tomua had been looking great in training all week.

Hope Cheika doesn't include him and break him again next week!

[tigercaspian]

TomWeston,
I was going to head my post Convicts v England and then thought World Rugby might fine me £20,000 ?!

[strawclearer]

Did I ever tell you how much I love those Saracens, Farrell & George? No ??

Farrell was great, George Kruis was ok but Jamie George was very disappointing. Don't get me wrong - he rucked and scrummaged fine but the try he allowed Farrell to score was awful. Thacker would have picked it up one-handed instead of 'hoofing it' like a typical hooker. He would have feinted left; feinted right; side-stepped the entire Convict's back row; sent the Australian back 3 the wrong way and then dived over for the score under the posts. Still - I guess it helped to secure the win...

[Stu_F]

Did I ever tell you how much I love those Saracens, Farrell & George? No ??

Farrell was great, George Kruis was ok but Jamie George was very disappointing. Don't get me wrong - he rucked and scrummaged fine but the try he allowed Farrell to score was awful. Thacker would have picked it up one-handed instead of 'hoofing it' like a typical hooker. He would have feinted left; feinted right; side-stepped the entire Convict's back row; sent the Australian back 3 the wrong way and then dived over for the score under the posts. Still - I guess it helped to secure the win...

How true, and in the unlikely event that did kick it it would no doubt have been a little dink that he could have collected himself before outpacing the defence and diving in under the posts, I suspect that George's lack of imaginative vision comes from being the son of being a Saints player.

[The Boy Dave]

Farrell was great, George Kruis was ok but Jamie George was very disappointing. Don't get me wrong - he rucked and scrummaged fine but the try he allowed Farrell to score was awful. Thacker would have picked it up one-handed instead of 'hoofing it' like a typical hooker. He would have feinted left; feinted right; side-stepped the entire Convict's back row; sent the Australian back 3 the wrong way and then dived over for the score under the posts

Not forgetting that he would've done all that after having to carry that Cole bloke (who some say looks past it btw) at the scrum...

[ourla]

Just watched with the Aussie commentary on Youtube. Made it even more satisfying to hear the one eyed convicts having to accept being second best on home turf... "Austraaalia have played all the rugby in the two tests but have looost them both"

[drc_007]

England played with tremendous spirit, guts and :censored:-minded determination. The defence was absolutely out-standing and every player in the squad deserves credit for that.

However I'm still not convinced these backs will ever be threatening enough with ball in hand.

Early days yet though.