RWC 2023 Fixtures and results

[longlivethecrumbie]

Will George reflect on his missed throws?

But boy was one of them one of the most numerous of not straights! I don't think even the most biased hooker would try and claim it was straight

Yeah I don't think I have seen a stinker of a throw that bad since age grade rugby.

Shows how honking the conditions were.

[thebearisstilldeano]

Lest we forget.

Lost by a point.

Three points gifted to a poor kicker because our Captain talked back to the referee and got the penalty 10m closer.


The Faz fan boys should reflect on those numbers. But no one will, because we are such great losers and nothing will change because nothing changed before.

Will Freddie reflect on this poor kick and subsequent knock on that led to the scrum? Will Billy reflect on his knock on? Will George reflect on his missed throws? Will every other England player who made a mistake in the game? Of course they will and I am sure they will all regret all of it, pillorying one player who most have an axe to grind with for no real reason at this point as Rugbygramps said before has just turned into tiresome online bullying.

Hurrah!!!!

Let's forget it all then and do what we've done before and pile on more of the same.

Let's not face reality in case someone who most likely isn't even reading this forum might feel bullied.

[Scott1]

But,but,but Farrell had a great game apparently. Must have missed that ,one great DG and a couple of decent grubbers a great game does not make

[Greenwhiteandred]

Hahaha I don't know what to say, if you think there is strong autocorrelation in week to week performances in sports you would be the richest man in the world inside of a single sports season betting on games. That is what I was trying to explain with variance, SA were at the top end performance of what you could expect from them last week against France but that performance last weekend has no predictive ability on what sort of performance they were likely to put in against England, if you can prove it does it I would suggest not sharing it on a public forum as you have found a way to print money.

Didn’t say it was a predictive ability,doesn’t seem to be sinking in at all sadly. I’m comparing THIS SA performance to LAST WEEKS SA performance and a simple eye test tells me that they were leggy and shopworn. Now that is not surprising considering the level of intensity,speed of game and brutal collisions in the France game. Were SA feeling the after effects of that? 100%! And it was easy to see during the game,and it was called by myself and others all week and pre game. And your point has backfired on you spectacularly because the under par team actually won this game! That says a lot about Englands performance and someone trying to be clever! The last I’ll say on it ,well done to both teams,a C minus SA squeaked past an A England,and did it with just one tool out of their bag

You are interpreting what I am saying incorrectly, I never said SA were below par only that there performance against England was well within the normal range of performances you can expect from them to play, it is not a wild outlier game. You are the one who seems very sure that it was the performance last week that was the cause of what you just called a below par performance from SA. I am not saying this at all in fact I don't think this is the case and the SA coaches in the week didn't think it was the case either as in the media sessions this week they did not even credit the France game as the most physically demanding game they played in the tournament, that honour went to Tonga. You are of course entitled to your own opinion on why SA were in your words below 'par' and I early await your valuable insight on this upcoming weeks game. Are they still tired? Will they be below par again? Are you at all concerned Ben O'Keefe isn't reffing this game?

Don’t forget what Scott says is the truth or a fact rather than just his opinion. As much as I sometimes agree with his truths/facts I often remind myself I am just agreeing with his opinion. My opinion is that SA were slightly off their game which may indeed be due to conditioning as I think SA have peaked way too early, Eng/SB got their tactics absolutely spot on and executed them superbly with the first 15 on the pitch. The final scrum penalty was dodgy but to lose to the world champions by 1 point after leading for 74 mins given where we were and have been recently was a tremendous performance and I think it’s a bit disingenuous of some to not recognise that. Just my opinion - not the truth and certainly not a fact

[mol2]

It's simple to say that South Africa must have played badly to only win by 1 point.

Perhaps they only played as well as they were allowed to.

[longlivethecrumbie]

It's simple to say that South Africa must have played badly to only win by 1 point.

Perhaps they only played as well as they were allowed to.

Now, now - stop talking sense! It's not becoming of this forum!

[Scott1]

It's simple to say that South Africa must have played badly to only win by 1 point.

Perhaps they only played as well as they were allowed to.

It’s simple to say that England must have played superb to only lose by 1 point.

Perhaps they only did because South Africa were that poor

[AngusMcCoatup]

After a great game to lose by one point shows that the English rose has not wilted!

But has Leicester Tigers "Rose" Chief Marketing & Operations Officer wilted? as he was neither on his normal haunts of the Plaza, Final Whistle or on the pitch on Saturday. He certainly was not in the Jaffa roll!

[loretta]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67185493

Bok scrum might not be so dominant with no hooker!

[Scott1]

Here's a question,Farrell and Ford will be 36 and 35 I believe at the next RWC so not likely to make it. Do you phase them out now and start building a new RWC team or do you do it gradually? Saying that isn't Sexton 38? Is that a one off though, I'm trying to think of FH ages. How old was Dan Carter?

[GB72]

Here's a question,Farrell and Ford will be 36 and 35 I believe at the next RWC so not likely to make it. Do you phase them out now and start building a new RWC team or do you do it gradually? Saying that isn't Sexton 38? Is that a one off though, I'm trying to think of FH ages. How old was Dan Carter?

I think you start looking at options with a view that one of Ford or Farrell at least will probably make the next world cup. I would have the next couple of cabs off the rank starting less important games and getting 20 minutes or so in some of the bigger ones.

Aside from Smith though, who else is really knocking on the door at the moment. Not even sure that Smith is really hammering on the door as to play him would require a team and tactics that are totally not SB style.

[TigerFeetSteve]

Here's a question,Farrell and Ford will be 36 and 35 I believe at the next RWC so not likely to make it. Do you phase them out now and start building a new RWC team or do you do it gradually? Saying that isn't Sexton 38? Is that a one off though, I'm trying to think of FH ages. How old was Dan Carter?

I think you start looking at options with a view that one of Ford or Farrell at least will probably make the next world cup. I would have the next couple of cabs off the rank starting less important games and getting 20 minutes or so in some of the bigger ones.

Aside from Smith though, who else is really knocking on the door at the moment. Not even sure that Smith is really hammering on the door as to play him would require a team and tactics that are totally not SB style.

Fin Smith is the other one knocking

Atkinson has also been mentioned, mostly back in his Wasps days when he ousted Umaga from his starting berth at Wasps

[Leicestertinytiger]

I’d start with Marcus Smith with Fin Smith on the bench. We know what Farrell / Ford bring and there’s big question marks over whether they’ll still be around next WC.

I think this year has shown that to win a World Cup you need a functioning attack. Marcus Smith is the 10 you want to spark something without the influence of Farrell in the squad.

England have plenty of players who will likely not play again like Marler, Cole, Lawes, Manu etc. Next year I’d like to see:

Genge Walker Heyes
Itoje Martin
Ludlum Earl Curry
JVP Smith
Kelly Lawrence
OHC Steward Freeman

Rodd Dan Sinckler Chessum Mercer Mitchell F.Smith Malins

[Grimlish]

The more I think about Marcus Smith playing 15, the more I know that failed, and it failed for the same reasons his time at 10 hasnt really matched the supposed promise. He can see the space, he can kick reasonably well, he has a good pass off both hands. But his hitch-kicks and attempted steps too often confuse no-one at international level, so he runs into walls. He has some guts so he gets up and does it again and again. For me he's playing out of position at both 10 and 15. With his skill set and physical build why isnt he playing at scrum-half? Start him there for Quins for at least a season and he might still evolve into a player that adds something other than the soft stuff at international level. The French have play-making 9s who can also play 10. He looks to me like one of those.

[Big Dai]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67185493

Bok scrum might not be so dominant with no hooker!

Apparently we all need to learn Africaans as the cry was warning the Boks that the ball was on the "White Side." (Wit kant)

A similar play on words "pick my most beautiful side" in dutch has been doing the social media rounds for some time.

I expect this all to blow over.