Wales/Scotland

[Ricardowensleydale]

Unless I missed it and apart from the discussion in the de Luca thread, I haven't seen any comment about todays game.

I thought it was enjoyable although not quite as high quality as the Ireland game last week. I don't know if Wales were off the boil but their backs didn't seem as incisive or commited as last week. A big thumbs up to Scotland though, if they'd played like that last week they'd have won by 10 points.

 

[Account Deleted]

I thought Scotland were suitably "scolded" after last week whilst Wales were well below their best (thank God for Scottish poor discipline / stupidity!). One the one hand, winning when playing below par is nice. We will come unstuck if we don't get it right against England and France.

 

[Ricardowensleydale]

I One the one hand, winning when playing below par is nice. We will come unstuck if we don't get it right against England and France.

I thought Scotland were more impressive than England have been in either of their two matches. As you say, if it hadn't been for indiscipline under pressure it could have been a lot closer. I suppose that's what Wales have built over the last year - confidence in both their team mates and in the system they play.

Having said that England can only get better and, as always, it depends which France turns up.

 

[irishref]

thoroughly enjoyed the Wales v Scotland game. After feeling 2 hours had been stolen from life watching Italy v England and then the Paris farce, it was a very welcome bright spot of open rugby, bruising hits and excitment to the death. Credit to both teams!

I still think Mr Poite would benefit from an intensive english course, he sticks out (in my mind) as a poor communicator due to what I consider to be a language barrier.

 

[crossref]

there was a comical bit on the yellow card

the AR described the incident - player obstructs the other, off the ball
Poite - said, after a pause,
'deliberately?'
'you what?'
'deliberately?'
'um ... my recommendation is is YC'

that word, deliberately, is quite hard for a french person to pronounce, and the AR just couldn't catch what he said.

it was a a good example of how people often will answer the question they think they have been asked, and a reminder of why so many formal protocols will have a person repeating the question before they answer it (or repating an order before they follow it)

 

[scrumpox2]

Two years ago Robinson refused to allow Wales to close the stadium roof, saying it gave Wales an unfair advantage. This time he insisted it was closed so that Scotland could play ball in hand and not have the conditions affect Scotland's play. Result - Scotland played better than at Murrayfield. The first half was a triumph for both defences.

How do you account for the opening 15 minutes of the 2nd half? Wales maintained the pressure? Scotland made unforced errors? Wales capitalised on Scotland's malaise? Welsh backs made their "dominance" count? 27-6 was game over because the Welsh defence was never going to leak 20+ points yet the threat to add more points was always there.

Scotland came out of it with a lot of credit, Wales also showed huge composure despite several key faces missing. That sort of thing would have seen defeats not too long ago.

The Welsh Achilles heel, the line out, was what it was, what it has been for ages ... clearly it's not a game breaker though is it?

England will need an out and out 7 to beat Wales at the contact area. Do they have one?

 

[Davet]

England will need an out and out 7 to beat Wales at the contact area. Do they have one?

Does the decline of English rugby date from Neil Back's retirement...

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Does the decline of English rugby date from Neil Back's retirement...

Don't be ridiculous.

Yours sincerely

Jack Rowell

 

[Davet]

Hmm - Jack, since you were the moron who who felt that Back was too small to play international rugby and refused to pick him, I might amend the question - did the improvement in English rugby - culminating in the 2003 RWC win, begin from the point when Neil Back began to get a regular starting place?

 

[irishref]

Does the decline of English rugby date from Neil Back's retirement...

surely you can trawl South Africa or New Zealand to get another guy qualified in time for the next world cup

 

[Davet]

Maybe - though Neil Back was born and bred in Coventry.

But I tend to agree with Scrumpox2 - we need a 7 who can win the ball at the breakdown, who can link in attack, and who can defend with the best the best of them.

We don't have one at the moment.

 

[Phil E]

Maybe - though Neil Back was born and bred in Coventry.

And now Coaches Rugby Lions. :biggrin:

 

[irishref]

oops, just seen how my post could have been misconstrued..... I wasn't inferring that Neil Back wasn't English, just referencing the likes of Barrit, Botha, Fluey, Hape etc etc in england shirts. Ho hum!

proper 7's seem to be really scarce in NH rugby right now. Much like good 12's!

 

[wilksy]

back to the original thread...

What was everyone's take on RP's interpretation of the tackle / Ruck area?

I was at the stadium and obviously one eyed but he seemed to allow the Scottish to seal off the ball and allow them to arrive off their feet. This slowed the game down IMO. He also appeared to allow jackling at some tackle areas before rucks had formed but not at others, just shouting hands off, where the jackler was there before the ruck.

I havent seen the game on tv yet

 

[irishref]

back to the original thread...

What was everyone's take on RP's interpretation of the tackle / Ruck area?

I was at the stadium and obviously one eyed but he seemed to allow the Scottish to seal off the ball and allow them to arrive off their feet. This slowed the game down IMO. He also appeared to allow jackling at some tackle areas before rucks had formed but not at others, just shouting hands off, where the jackler was there before the ruck.

I havent seen the game on tv yet

I thought he was very lenient at the breakdown for both teams. Scotland did a lot of crafty hands on the ball at rucktime which they would release when RP asked them to, but it slowed down enough ball for Phillips (quick ball is not exactly his forte). At some point RP should have moved up from managing to giving penalties.

On the other hand, he didn't marshall the offside line well when Scotland were going through phased possession and he absolutely let Wales off with a lot of sealing off.

 

[crossref]

I couldn't believe how much barracking and verbals from the players RP was prepared to tolerate -- countless appeals for offside. I even heard one very lod "BUT HE WAS ON HIS FEET SIR!" yelled at him.

I thought the players very badly behaved.
Or maybe they are always like that, but the mic was more sensitive than usual.

 

[wilksy]

Crossref - I agree, I had the reflink and had to turn it down at times... I certainly would not tolerate that on a Saturday afternoon!

 

[SimonSmith]

I thought he was very lenient at the breakdown for both teams. Scotland did a lot of crafty hands on the ball at rucktime which they would release when RP asked them to, but it slowed down enough ball for Phillips (quick ball is not exactly his forte). At some point RP should have moved up from managing to giving penalties.

On the other hand, he didn't marshall the offside line well when Scotland were going through phased possession and he absolutely let Wales off with a lot of sealing off.

We were trying to hlep Phillips with his Lions bid. Everyone knows he's not a great passer, so we slowed down it enough that he looked adequate.

We're here to help!

 

[irishref]

We were trying to hlep Phillips with his Lions bid. Everyone knows he's not a great passer, so we slowed down it enough that he looked adequate.

We're here to help!

let's hope they don't have McDonalds in Oz then............

 

[scrumpox2]

My view was that he did not penalise the tackler who did not release and all the players quickly adapted to that ... from there it felt like it was mostly left to the players to sort out hands on the ball, though he did call "hands off" many times. Scots will feel aggrieved as Wales made twice the tackles that Scotland did, but Poite was consistent.
I also lost count of the forward passes, not least De Luca's to Hogg for the nailed on try which was "knocked on" ...