Six Nations

[Smudge]

I'm still waiting for the insult, Scrabble Boy.

 

[Francis]

Why wouldn't people jump on the bandwagon after that match? England have found a way to score tries. Yes France were terrible, but England did a lot of things right that they haven't done in previous games. Forget the fact that they made the World Cup final, that was their best performance in a few years.

 

[ripper868]

Why wouldn't people jump on the bandwagon after that match? England have found a way to score tries. Yes France were terrible, but England did a lot of things right that they haven't done in previous games. Forget the fact that they made the World Cup final, that was their best performance in a few years.

Because they'll be just as quick getting off of it when they lose again.

 

[Francis]

That's generally how it goes. You play well and you get praise. If you play bad you get criticised.

England played tremendously well - probably the best performance of the Six Nations this year. In every little area where they've made mistakes in the past, they improved on. The most satisfying part was when they scored off the set piece. The previous week the ball wasn't passed when a certain try was on. There was no mistake there this week. Exact same move, far better execution.

They really do deserve a heap of praise.

 

[ripper868]

The thing that gets me with all things sport and england is that one game creates claims of world beaters and one loss creates "sack the coach, captain, waterboy and canteen lady".

They performed better yes, but i dont think a heap of praise is deserved for just not ****ing up.

Praise is for the incredible moments, like a world cup, not one win against the (woeful) frogs.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

England were fantastic. They counter attacked with the ball in hand, scored from a set piece, kicked into space with a fantastic chasing game and looked for touch instead of kicking down the opposition's throat.

It's been a long time since I've seen the All Blacks play that well. Doesn't mean England will reproduce it anytime soon, but it was great rugby under the awful ELVs.

 

[Uppercut]

Why wouldn't people jump on the bandwagon after that match? England have found a way to score tries. Yes France were terrible, but England did a lot of things right that they haven't done in previous games. Forget the fact that they made the World Cup final, that was their best performance in a few years.

The point is that England are okay. They're not great, none of the Northern Hemisphere teams are, but they're not shocking either. The media tends to take one extreme or the other.

Losing in Ireland doesn't make you a dreadful side, nor does beating France at home make you a great one. But that's how people tend to react. Nothing at you in particular, but it's what annoys us about the "bandwagon effect".

 

[BoyBrumby]

Pretty much agree with what UC said. Let's not forget we had our two biggest arseholings at Twickers ever in the autumn so going overboard about mauling a frankly piss-poor France whose coach somehow imagines playing children in their halves is clever would be rather unseemly.

 

[ripper868]

The point is that England are okay. They're not great, none of the Northern Hemisphere teams are, but they're not shocking either. The media tends to take one extreme or the other.

Losing in Ireland doesn't make you a dreadful side, nor does beating France at home make you a great one. But that's how people tend to react. Nothing at you in particular, but it's what annoys us about the "bandwagon effect".

Thanks UC, what i was trying to say exactly

 

[Francis]

The point is that England are okay. They're not great, none of the Northern Hemisphere teams are, but they're not shocking either. The media tends to take one extreme or the other.

I haven't heard any media outlets in Britain call England a great side. People are just praising England for what was their best performance in many years, and you know what, it was.

I can't find one media source saying England are a great side. I've read plenty saying they have the capacity to be a great side. And those media outlets have every justification to make those comments. I'm talking about publications like The Times, which is horrendous in it's British bias.

Losing in Ireland doesn't make you a dreadful side, nor does beating France at home make you a great one. But that's how people tend to react. Nothing at you in particular, but it's what annoys us about the "bandwagon effect".

Losing in Ireland when Ireland play they way they played was disgraceful. That was the worst game of rugby I've seen since a game between Australia and South Africa in 2006. Ireland was dreadful. The quality of rugby was so poor that any other major country in the world - Scotland, France, Wales, and the superpowers - would have won easily.

England were rightfully lambasted by the press for that game. Considering England have been playing poor rugby for many years (don't let the world cup fool you), I'd say that loss did make them a dreadful side 'at the time'.

I don't know what the exact criteria is for what makes a great side. Certainly one win isn't it. To my mind, the way England played for years prior to the game against Ireland, and the way the performed against Ireland means they were 'dreadful'.

As for what makes them a great side. I suppose they'll have to string a few better performances together of the same quality to be called 'great'. I certainly don't think they're great and haven't found one renowned rugby writer in England say they're great. All I've read was that they have potential to be great, and their performance justifies that comment...

 

[BoyBrumby]

My Italy are merde. Been a wonderful and typically Gallic display from the French, but Italian defence was as accomodating as an open door.

Wooden spoon for the Italians, they really don't seem to be progressing at all. Not quite Bangladesh levels of arseness, but they haven't beaten us, France or Ireland in their ten 6 Nations.

 

[PY]

Haha Flutey's accent is pure Kiwi. Love it.

 

[Francis]

I don't want Ireland to win the Grand Slam, despite the fact that my ancestry is Irish. They haven't played well enough. Just the thought of O'Gara's performance against England makes me cringe... AND THEY WON THAT GAME! They should have lost to Wales as well, but they were off making their own mistakes.

It's been a weird Six Nations in the sense that none of the sides have played consistently. Wales have been good and very bad. England were mostly bad but then bloody great in one game. At least France are back to being the great unknowns in rugby I guess. Scotland suck and I feel bad for them... but then again they're about to play England so perhaps my words will come back to bite me.

 

[Scaly piscine]

England piss poor so far.

 

[TT Boy]

Haha Flutey's accent is pure Kiwi. Love it.

I liked how as soon as he became 'English' he ****ed off to France.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Last pass on that try looked like it might be forward but haven't seen a decent angle of it yet.

 

[PY]

I liked how as soon as he became 'English' he ****ed off to France.

, yeah it's probably one of the worst cases of defection ever.

 

[steds]

Forces of darkness have stretched us all over place over the last 10 minutes. Awful.

 

[PY]

Where the heck has England's handling come from?

 

[Scaly piscine]

I thought that was on the line when it happened... Why didn't England notice it?

Flood could of have just touched down on the line himself.