Finnegan Posted 7 November 2008 Posted 7 November 2008 It's Autumn internationals time and round two of the Grand Slam Champions vs. The World Champions. Time to see little Shane put Habana back on his backside again! But we've got not scrum halves! Meanwhile Leicester's beloved Johnno takes to England management for the first proper time on home soil as the European nations ready themselves for the 6N! With not a lot of good football to watch tomorrow, who's going to be plugged into the egg chasing, what are your predictions and thoughts? Sparky? Milky? Anyone?
dandannieldanok Posted 7 November 2008 Posted 7 November 2008 Predictions: England v Pacific Islanders (High scoring narrow win for England) France v Argentina (Tight low scoring game, France win) Ireland v Canada (Reasonable comfortable for Ireland but not a thrashing) Italy v Australia (Easy win for Australia) Scotland v New Zealand (Despite New Zealand resting players, I reckon they'll cruise to a thumping win) Wales v South Africa (South Africa to win a tight(ish) game with about a 10-point margin)
Sparky Posted 7 November 2008 Posted 7 November 2008 Expect good results from Johnno but not particually eye catching Rugby ( then again thats vintage England ) Think ill back wales with a +7 handicap , can seen them running the boks very close
Father Ted Posted 7 November 2008 Posted 7 November 2008 Expect good results from Johnno but not particually eye catching Rugby ( then again thats vintage England )Think ill back wales with a +7 handicap , can seen them running the boks very close What's happened to Dwayne Peel? Anyway, I expect to see a lot of play in the forwards for England and to have a team full of Johnson's Wales will run South Africa close but won't win.
Finnegan Posted 9 November 2008 Author Posted 9 November 2008 A day on. Disappointed but not too surprised. I was gutted when it ended, I really thought an opportunity to make history had been wasted. But as much as I'm fed up of tired clichés about how we "learned a lot" or there were "many positive signs", at the end of the day the Autumn internationals mean fook all and if we keep up that level of performance then we'll be strong going into the 6N. I thought we were poor in the first half, lacked penetration. But the biggest casualty of the day was the game of rugby, to be honest. Not sure how many of you actually watched the Wales game, but the new rules have to go. How the Australians, of all people, can be massively behind them is totally beyond me. They're supposed to like playing an expansive running game, the same as us, and it's completely impossible when everyone's afraid of being caught with the ball. Horrible booted punts from end to end made the game an absolute farce at times. Sort it out, IRB. Oh. And Dwayne Peel got injured in Wales' freak injury list of 2005/06 after the first Grand Slam. Whatever mysterious ills went on behind the scenes in the Ruddock days hit a number of players form. Gareth Thomas, Dwayne Peel and Gavin Henson haven't been quite the same since. Peel was the major casualty, he hasn't returned to the same form or state of mind since. He's since moved to Sale and drifted even further out of Gatland's plans. Mile Phillips will return to being the number one when he's back, I expect. A real shame, I sincerely felt Peel was the best scrum half in the world in 2005.
dandannieldanok Posted 9 November 2008 Posted 9 November 2008 Predictions:England v Pacific Islanders (High scoring narrow win for England) France v Argentina (Tight low scoring game, France win) Ireland v Canada (Reasonable comfortable for Ireland but not a thrashing) Italy v Australia (Easy win for Australia) Scotland v New Zealand (Despite New Zealand resting players, I reckon they'll cruise to a thumping win) Wales v South Africa (South Africa to win a tight(ish) game with about a 10-point margin) Got all the results right if perhaps not quite the descriptions for a few.
Finnegan Posted 9 November 2008 Author Posted 9 November 2008 Got all the results right if perhaps not quite the descriptions for a few. Let's be honest, there aren't really surprises in international rugby most of the time. Not so much in tests, anyway.
FleckneyFox Posted 9 November 2008 Posted 9 November 2008 A day on. Disappointed but not too surprised.I was gutted when it ended, I really thought an opportunity to make history had been wasted. But as much as I'm fed up of tired clichés about how we "learned a lot" or there were "many positive signs", at the end of the day the Autumn internationals mean fook all and if we keep up that level of performance then we'll be strong going into the 6N. I thought we were poor in the first half, lacked penetration. But the biggest casualty of the day was the game of rugby, to be honest. Not sure how many of you actually watched the Wales game, but the new rules have to go. How the Australians, of all people, can be massively behind them is totally beyond me. They're supposed to like playing an expansive running game, the same as us, and it's completely impossible when everyone's afraid of being caught with the ball. Horrible booted punts from end to end made the game an absolute farce at times. Sort it out, IRB. Oh. And Dwayne Peel got injured in Wales' freak injury list of 2005/06 after the first Grand Slam. Whatever mysterious ills went on behind the scenes in the Ruddock days hit a number of players form. Gareth Thomas, Dwayne Peel and Gavin Henson haven't been quite the same since. Peel was the major casualty, he hasn't returned to the same form or state of mind since. He's since moved to Sale and drifted even further out of Gatland's plans. Mile Phillips will return to being the number one when he's back, I expect. A real shame, I sincerely felt Peel was the best scrum half in the world in 2005. The worst one is collapsing mauls
Finnegan Posted 10 November 2008 Author Posted 10 November 2008 The worst one is collapsing mauls . That's one of the few I don't mind so much. But then I'm a Wales fan so what do you expect, heh. I really don't think that spoils the spectacle of rugby, though. Watching a team slowly shunt the ball up the pitch isn't great entertainment. But what they've done is really, really over empathise the kicking game and it's just horrible to watch.
Finnegan Posted 22 November 2008 Author Posted 22 November 2008 ... that was the best thing I've ever seen.
dandannieldanok Posted 22 November 2008 Posted 22 November 2008 ... that was the best thing I've ever seen. it was good, the ref just waltzed in while they were staring each other out. Wales have started very well also.
Finnegan Posted 22 November 2008 Author Posted 22 November 2008 All Wales bias aside that was the most dramatic thing I've seen in rugby for ages and easily the best non-polynesian response to a Hakka ever.
dandannieldanok Posted 22 November 2008 Posted 22 November 2008 All Wales bias aside that was the most dramatic thing I've seen in rugby for ages and easily the best non-polynesian response to a Hakka ever. New Zealand look shaken at the minute, Wales need a try to take advantage or at least keep the penalties going.
Finnegan Posted 22 November 2008 Author Posted 22 November 2008 New Zealand look shaken at the minute, Wales need a try to take advantage or at least keep the penalties going. Need at least a try WITHOUT response before half time if we're to stay on top in this game. One in the next five or ten minutes would be so good.
dandannieldanok Posted 22 November 2008 Posted 22 November 2008 Vital 5 minutes for Wales now, 6 points isn't a great lead considering how poorly NZ are playing.
Finnegan Posted 22 November 2008 Author Posted 22 November 2008 Vital 5 minutes for Wales now, 6 points isn't a great lead considering how poorly NZ are playing. Narh vital will be the first fifteen minutes of the second half. It's very rare we have the same intensity in two halves. This is the best first half we've had in Gatland's reign so far, normally we're very much a second half team. How we come out in the second half is vital.
dandannieldanok Posted 22 November 2008 Posted 22 November 2008 Narh vital will be the first fifteen minutes of the second half.It's very rare we have the same intensity in two halves. This is the best first half we've had in Gatland's reign so far, normally we're very much a second half team. How we come out in the second half is vital. I reckon this game is taking a similar pattern as to Ireland v NZ last week unfortunately for Wales. As you say the start to the 2nd half is crucial and Wales need to come out firing again because we've seen how NZ can rack up the points when they get the backs running.
Finnegan Posted 22 November 2008 Author Posted 22 November 2008 It's very, very rare we don't score a try. The game against the Springboks was the first time in Gatland's reign we haven't crossed the line, as far as I know, and we should come out ferociously determined to get five or seven points on the board in the second half. We need to stay focused and be ready, because the ABs will come out in the second half and try and expand the game - we have to take advantage when they do because an open game can work well for us, as well, if we keep on the ball and remember the defensive work we put in in the six nations.
dandannieldanok Posted 22 November 2008 Posted 22 November 2008 There you have it, Wales resistance broken, although NZ needed two Wales men down to do it.
Finnegan Posted 22 November 2008 Author Posted 22 November 2008 They've had like, hah, 90% position and territory this half.
dandannieldanok Posted 22 November 2008 Posted 22 November 2008 Ha just stumbled on England's result, how embarassing
Finnegan Posted 22 November 2008 Author Posted 22 November 2008 Very, . I really wanted us to run this to the wire to emphasize how shit England were today. But we've been crap this second half. Which.. admittedly, I told you would happen.
Sparky Posted 23 November 2008 Posted 23 November 2008 Very, .I really wanted us to run this to the wire to emphasize how shit England were today. But we've been crap this second half. Which.. admittedly, I told you would happen. How brilliant was the welsh retaliation to the haka
Finnegan Posted 23 November 2008 Author Posted 23 November 2008 How brilliant was the welsh retaliation to the haka In all honesty, all bias aside, I really think that was the best thing I've ever seen in rugby outside of 80 minutes. Just incredible. I felt electric just watching it on the TV.
Fox You Forest Posted 23 November 2008 Posted 23 November 2008 In all honesty, all bias aside, I really think that was the best thing I've ever seen in rugby outside of 80 minutes.Just incredible. I felt electric just watching it on the TV. The look on there faces is hilarious they have no idea what to do.
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.