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Missing Men
Can you solve the Missing Men? Today, Leicester's class of '06 v Northampton.
Loose Pass
This week covers Australia, planning and a curious coaching situation.
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- RBS Six Nations Fixtures
- RBS Six Nations Table
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wales | 5 | 8 |
| 2 | England | 5 | 8 |
| 3 | Scotland | 5 | 4 |
| 4 | Italy | 5 | 4 |
| 5 | Ireland | 5 | 3 |
| 6 | France | 5 | 3 |
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Comments
kybone says...
J_Hdk why would the RFU give SL a long term contract if they plan to replace him? From my point of view i would say that SL certainly has a lot more to do to get to where England want to be, but he's made a fine start. I would definitely say that we've seen more to suggest that SL will be a good appointment than we have to suggest he'll be a bad appointment. Apart from the lack of flair and creativity in attack, the 6N couldn't have gone much better really, and i firmly believe that the flair will come in time.
Demers you seem remarkably confident considering the shocking trinations SA had last year! And as for the WC, you didn't do any better than England both in terms of results and performance. I think it was Francois Pienaar who said of the South Africans during post match analysis ' they looked lethargic, slow, and just unfit. Look at Piere Spies, the guy is an absolute specimen and he just did nothing tonight'. Doesn't quite fit with yor descrition of the SA team. Im not saying we'll win, but if you think its gonna be easy you've got a shock coming pal!
Posted 17:49 30th March 2012
Aleman says...
Well done RFU, I was very worried for a while there.
Lancaster's Bombers it is then!
Posted 16:28 30th March 2012
J_Hdk says...
lol lots of people seem to be having a go at me here. I'll cut tio the crux of my point. Everyone is.jumping up and down because SL is the new coach based on THIS 6N. I strongly believe that MJ would have done just as well if not better. Yes the Wc wasn't great for England but MJ could have steered Eng to another 6N while rfu were looking for a proper replacement. I'm sure that SL is still just the until and will be replaced prior to Nov 2013
Posted 10:27 30th March 2012
jamesliveinhope says...
@melkdave, pretty sure that Armitage and Haskell knew the policy before they left.
Haskell to be fair is expected back and I suspect will be a better player for it.
Posted 10:23 30th March 2012
lawynd says...
@ruckingkiwi - I've taken a screenshot of your post, so you can't feign ignorance should the unthinkable happen! ;)
It *is* the unthinkable though, and I'd be really annoyed if the vast majority of fans and the press get carried away with this Six Nations and expect a series win in South Africa; one win in three would be superb at this stage, and all I want to see is continued improvement by the players and the team. I don't think that's asking for too much! Lancaster does have some tricky issues first and foremost though, particularly that of his attack coach. As well as Farrell did, with Sarries playing hardball (yet another reason to dislike them!), I'd rather see Mike Catt added to the coaching staff, as it's rumoured that he and Toby Booth will be leaving London Irish at the end of the season anyway. Irish, for their deficiencies and faults, do play very good attacking rugby and I feel Catt would get more out of our backs than Farrell did.
On the subject of backs, this and hooker is where Lancaster needs to build some real depth. We need more of everything - centres, wingers, full-back competition.
Posted 10:00 30th March 2012
Cass402 says...
@J_Hdk,
as someone has pointed out England lost to Wales through a turnover not from an international class constructed set peice or move and also could have drawn the game. The other examples you note were all WINS, and this from a newly selected team. The Italy game turned after the halftime break when SL made a couple of changes which won the game...a case of the coach seeing what was wrong and fixing it!
Posted 07:11 30th March 2012
melkdave says...
@Pierredwlot1
Dont forget our 2 best 7s atm are unavilable S.Armitage and J.Haskal. One is tearing up the Top14 atm where his pace and power is smahing defences and his getting alot of turnovers a very shorted RFU policy has denied him a England EPS place.imo .The other is playing in the S15 with the Higlanders hopefully he will return next season as an even better player from his stint down south .Also T.Waldroum is a player very nuch like Morgon so we arnt short of class at 8 either .England have very promising young backrow players comming thru at 6-7 and 8 .Mind you atm you can say that for all the postions 1-15 .By 2015 i think we will / can have a very good team / squad and hopefully be real challangers for Bill..We have only just started developing that team / squad so a long way to go but im ever hopefully England will get there
Posted 03:17 30th March 2012
Dingbat32 says...
Good move for England. DOnt think they will win in SA (depending on new SA coach!!) but Lancaster will do the business long term.
France should sack St A and appoint Mallett immediately
Posted 21:52 29th March 2012
Demers says...
They picked the right guy for the job. Way to go, Stu. A great shame that his first test as the new permanent coach will be a certain, repeat certain, pasting in SA.
Stuart has to start building, as he says, but it will be from the wreckage of this tour as Lancaster has few quality backs to work with and gaping holes in the scrum.
On the other hand, the Saffers will have a charging pack, bigger, stronger and faster than anything in white, and will field, unlike the Roses, a fine 9/10 combo plus lightning on the wings.
Posted 21:32 29th March 2012
DavidCartwright says...
Very pleased with this decision. There are lots of great young rugby players in England and here's a chance to get the best out of them. I'm uncomfortable with this emphasis on Rugby World Cups - they only come around every 4 years and you just don't know whether your best players will be injury free or at their peak at that point. So why not aim to get the best for the next set of games: 6N; summer tours; autumn internationals. If that means you've built the best team in the world by the time you reach RWC 2015 then you've got a good chance of winning it.
Posted 21:27 29th March 2012
trelawney says...
@Meldave - I totaly agree with you.
@davodiablo - England are better than they were at the WC, they are not running around like headless chooks.
@J_HDK - Would Scotland & Italy beaten a tired Fra or Ire? I doubt it. So why the criticism?
SL is far better than MJ would have ever been. SL has installed a belief in the English jersey and the players and squad are responding.
I do not think that England will beat the 'Boks. Who knows, especially as the 'Boks do not appear to have a coach!
Posted 19:15 29th March 2012
astrospange says...
J_hdk you are worse than Davy boy. Didn't Wales play the same teams and nearly got turned over by an England team who had only played twice together? And it was close. another camera angle, a different tmo and who knows what would have happened? Anyway lets hope England can bring back a bit of dignity, pride and passion to the game.
Posted 18:53 29th March 2012
NHsaints says...
Yes, now the real acid test is how we do in SA, a win or a draw and two well contested games would be a success, two wins would be incredible and then we'd be exceeding expectations, 3 from 3 and we can safely say we should be in the top 4 in the world come the world cup or 3 from 3 and we can safely say SA have got something wrong...
Posted 17:56 29th March 2012
pierredelot1 says...
Well congratulations to the man, but boy has he got a job on. Lucky to get away with a win against the Scots, just beaten by Wales, just held on against France, nearly strangled by Italy and a good result against a weakened Ireland. This is a criticism its n honest appraisal. He has given back the England team some pride in what they are doing. he has started to produce some structure which is showing good rewards in defence but to date little in attack. But really the hard work starts now. The front row outshone Ireland, but lets face it they were hardly doing the same to Italy until Castro went off so there is much work to be done there, especially as the back up front row is hardly written in stone. Second row with Botha, Lawes Parling and a couple of others is looking reasonably well covered as is blindside, but only Morgan has really held his hand up at 8 and there is still no out and out no seven. Robshaw as skipper can't be faulted for his work rate and example, but the back three can hardly be set in stone. At nine Youngs showed he is suseptable to a big loss of form and lets face it so is Flood, although I feel the latter is hanging on by his fingertips. Hodgson isn't the future and Farrell still has a lot to learn. centres are hardly a pairing to light the touch paper, yes Manu has potential to be world class, but to be really world class he needs people with him to provide the opportunity. Wings there are plenty and Ashton particulalrly must be grateful for his retention, likewise Foden but his competition comes in the form of a player with similar talents so no problem there.
The tour of South Africa will be interesting, Lancaster is bound to take his 23 set starters with him subject to injury but it will be interesting to see who else makes up the squad and whether or not he will make any suprise selections. Now is the time to do it. Good luck to him.
Posted 17:49 29th March 2012
hazza says...
@heart_of_oak
Lancaster will report direct to CEO Ritchie. Andrew is already out of the loop.
Posted 17:21 29th March 2012
Welshy says...
Give him a good run. No witch hunts after the first defeat!
Posted 16:58 29th March 2012
ruckman says...
Good luck to him, although I think he will find it difficult - we performed ok in a very poor 6 nations, but at least he blooded some youngsters, and we have seen the first signs of progress for a long time - but there is a v v long way to go.
Posted 16:37 29th March 2012
kybone says...
J_Hdk give it up man!! If you cant see that this is a positive and sensible decision then i think the problem is that you just cant see! Its easy to keep harping on about 'you only won by this much or that much'. The word that you mentioned is that WE WON end of. There are 4 teams that wish they did as well as England in this years 6N and imo we will only get better. Im looking forward to some ding dong battles against Wales along the way.
Posted 15:08 29th March 2012
Headhunter99 says...
@swiwi - I always try to bring eloquence into the equation when speaking with you guys lol.... but you are right,from a NZ perspective it would be good to see the AB's coming to Twickenham without the match being a foregone conclusion. Good for us as well.
@GCP_JONES - you cannot annoy me today, the news is just so good !! but I can understand why a lot of people would like Care,Ashton and Hartley excluded but SL has taken swift action on Care, on Hartley its a difficult one as the guy is suspended and action on him should wait until the suspension is over. As for Ashton, he's doing enough on his own to get himself dropped without SL getting involved.
Roll on the summer tours
Posted 15:07 29th March 2012
Carpelone says...
Good luck he needs not, for he already has plenty. Have a look at the games with Scotland and Italy.
Posted 14:44 29th March 2012