EJ - vastly underestimated the French and picked his team accordingly.
He stood by the Sarries players to give them game time. IMHO only Itogi stood up.
Yes I agree BFG and GK it was a reminder of Tigers over the past few seasons.
Not to single out YBY but the game improved when he was subbed.Also when Genge came on.
This is worrying as England normally start well in the 6N and then fade away the longer they are in camp, so if the usual patern is repeated we are in for the wooden spoon!
Does anyone have the win- loss ratio with England v anyone with Nige as arbiter of which laws laws to ignore?
Scott1 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2020 11:46 am
Bin Ben, completely! ,Kruis for Ewels,Genge for Marler Mako on bench,Lawes on bench with Ludlam at 8,Ford starts at 10 ,simples!!!
I fear Tuilagi against the Scots may be a stretch too far...
Happy days clearing straw from the pitch before the Baa-Baas games! KBO
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Agreed - BY didn't have a good game and he wasn't the only one but Heinz was even slower - both are not the answer goin forward but having said that I am not really sure who else is knocking the door down.
Funny, Youngs has a terrible game and everything is his fault. Farrell, who i rate, couldnt catch a cold, George didnt have the greatest day in the line out stakes, but dont appear to be taking pelters like one of own. Yes, he was poor, but so were others.
to my mind the main issues was a lack of number 8 to break the line and once Manu went off we had no line breakers in the back line.
Why was Ford taken off? He was one of Englands only remotely decent players. Genge was nice and fired up, and maybe thats what we need. Sinkler didnt do much in the loose either, but it is easier to slate Ben because that is easier.
Hughes started at no. 8.
Teo was at 13.
Youngs had been dropped and Care played scrum half.
Mako started ahead of Marler.
Sam Simmonds on the bench to provide specialist no. 8 cover.
Nigel Owens wasnt the referee.
I don't think for one moment Ben was the worst player on the park, Heinz was worse as was Joseph. Wasn't impressed with Ewels or Fairbank, the point I was trying to make was that it is unlikely that either Ben or Heinz will be around for the next WC and I can't see any English SH's really pushing for a place which is worrying.
trendylfj wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2020 1:13 pm
I don't think for one moment Ben was the worst player on the park, Heinz was worse as was Joseph. Wasn't impressed with Ewels or Fairbank, the point I was trying to make was that it is unlikely that either Ben or Heinz will be around for the next WC and I can't see any English SH's really pushing for a place which is worrying.
Because EJ can’t see his way past Farrell. The fact that Farrell had a dreadful game as a 10/12, and worse as a captain, makes no difference to EJ, who will stick with him through thick and thin. OK, on another day he will be a good 12, but never world class, but his inability to talk to refs or to his team is costly. His name should never be first on the team sheet - give others a chance at 12, and find a partner at 9 for Ford. The rest of the backs take care of themselves, with options available.
The scrum? Try playing players in their correct positions, and devise a strategy that takes account for the apparent lack of line-break players or, at least, play options who can!
England are hamstrung by EJs rigid strategy, and players discouraged from changing what they do during the game. Although most of the problem is the coach’s , the lack of a capable captain also contributes to the headless response to pressure and a failure to score.
I’m with Goodey. Times up for EJ, and his captain, whose win ratio is barely 50%. Listening to Dylan Hartley made me realise how much his captaincy is missed.
Robespierre wrote: ↑Sun Feb 02, 2020 6:25 pm
I missed the substitution of Tuilagi. Why was he taken off?
To quote George Ford "...a bit of a groin issue."
Ah back to the South Pacific Witchdoctor until the end of season, but don't worry Tigers are still paying your salary! I seriously think his career may be coming to an end.
To the world you may be just one person.
But to that one person you may be the world!
Dr H Flashman MBE wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2020 12:32 pm
Funny, Youngs has a terrible game and everything is his fault. Farrell, who i rate, couldnt catch a cold, George didnt have the greatest day in the line out stakes, but dont appear to be taking pelters like one of own. Yes, he was poor, but so were others.
to my mind the main issues was a lack of number 8 to break the line and once Manu went off we had no line breakers in the back line.
Why was Ford taken off? He was one of Englands only remotely decent players. Genge was nice and fired up, and maybe thats what we need. Sinkler didnt do much in the loose either, but it is easier to slate Ben because that is easier.
I recall Ben Youngs at least 3 times being totally out played by the young French 9 and one time on our scrum he was on the wrong side of the scrum when the ball came out & the French 9 was delighted..Ben played like he does for Tigers meaningless box kicks to the opposition who are gifted the ball and run it back straight through us. Some scored Ben 2/10 and others 4/10 but the whole team played as individuals so next game put names on the front of the shirts for team's assistance. I believe Gengie must start and I loved his opening tackle on Ntamack. I only hope May is retained by Tigers after that breakthrough performance.. ps anyone going to Murryfield should keep on Iron Brew and avoid Corona
To the world you may be just one person.
But to that one person you may be the world!
Good grief. I know Youngs had a poor game, but the flak he is receiving on here and elsewhere is ridiculous. He was playing behind forwards who couldn't break the line (it fact he spent a good deal of the time tracking back as the ball carriers were pushed backwards), who didn't control the ball in contact/on the ground, and with a number 8 who struggled to control the ball in the scrum. If you want to introduce anxiety into your nine's game, those three things will do it. On the other hand, Dupont had dominant forwards for most of the game, his game suffered when the French scrum started to creak.
In general I imagine a few SH will struggle to adjust to the enforcing of the 5 second 'use it' call as they will have less protection - a bit of relearning of box kick technique?
England were poor in most respects of the game and a number of influential players had shockers. The most brainless point for me was Sinckler giving away a free kick at the lineout immediately after Nigel had warned them not to close the gap.
