The Egg Chasing Warm-up Thread.

[Finnegan]

That video's shit, it completely cuts out the best bit.

The best bit is watching the All Blacks shrink. They deliver their 'mighty haka' and then you get to watch the realization spread across their faces that it's just a little dance and that twenty grown men are stood, staring back at them unphased and refusing to move with 70'000 of their compatriots stood screaming ferociously all around them.

It must have felt very small to be an All Black right then. When they turned and moved first I was literally off my feet in front of the TV, incredible.

[Sparky]

That video's shit, it completely cuts out the best bit.

The best bit is watching the All Blacks shrink. They deliver their 'mighty haka' and then you get to watch the realization spread across their faces that it's just a little dance and that twenty grown men are stood, staring back at them unphased and refusing to move with 70'000 of their compatriots stood screaming ferociously all around them.

It must have felt very small to be an All Black right then. When they turned and moved first I was literally off my feet in front of the TV, incredible.

I thought the All Blacks gave as good as they got , it was 15 vs 70015 and the ref was pushing players in to position , it was superb entertainment . I actually was rooting for Wales after all the shenanigans . The scoreline wasnt a true reflection on the match .

Anyway over to us to hammer those all blacks saturday !!!

[dandannieldanok]

Anyway over to us to hammer those all blacks saturday !!!

Staying within 30 points of them will do.

[Finnegan]

I thought the All Blacks gave as good as they got , it was 15 vs 70015 and the ref was pushing players in to position , it was superb entertainment . I actually was rooting for Wales after all the shenanigans . The scoreline wasnt a true reflection on the match .

Anyway over to us to hammer those all blacks saturday !!!

It's the look on Ryan Jones' face that did it for me when the ref came over to talk to him. He just shook his head and carried on staring as if to say "Nope, our pitch. They move."

I loved it. Must have been Gatland's idea. Will be very interesting to see if England try anything clever to follow that up or just adopt business as usual. I've got to be honest, though, if you play like you did against the Boks against the ABs then I can see them breaking the heaviest defeat record the Sewth Efrikens just set!!

[dandannieldanok]

It's the look on Ryan Jones' face that did it for me when the ref came over to talk to him. He just shook his head and carried on staring as if to say "Nope, our pitch. They move."

I loved it. Must have been Gatland's idea. Will be very interesting to see if England try anything clever to follow that up or just adopt business as usual. I've got to be honest, though, if you play like you did against the Boks against the ABs then I can see them breaking the heaviest defeat record the Sewth Efrikens just set!!

I think we've got bigger things to worry about, like getting the basic skills of rugby right first.

[Finnegan]

I think we've got bigger things to worry about, like getting the basic skills of rugby right first.

I just never quite understand team selection for England. It might sound like a bit of Leicester bias, but last year you were champions and there were barely any Tigers in the squad. This year, I appreciate Wasps might have won the Premiership, but they've had a shocking start to the season and the squad's full of them. You have to select on form, surely?

And why does Varndell, one of the best natural, English finishers I've seen in my lifetime, get consistently overlooked for absolutely terrible wingers? Sackey is absolutely woeful and what a flop Vainikolo was, these two new lads - where are they from? Irish and Quins? What a shambles.

And who in their right mind is really trying to convince the world that Danny Cipriani is actually a World Class player? If you're really resting your hopes on him then you're seriously getting it all so wrong. I know the English media likes to latch on to one or two heroes and really boost their profile, but this is all to cock.

I'm still even cynical about James Hook and his readiness to take on the world, and I don't think I'm being all that biased in saying he's twice the player young Danny is at the moment.

[dandannieldanok]

I just never quite understand team selection for England. It might sound like a bit of Leicester bias, but last year you were champions and there were barely any Tigers in the squad. This year, I appreciate Wasps might have won the Premiership, but they've had a shocking start to the season and the squad's full of them. You have to select on form, surely?

And why does Varndell, one of the best natural, English finishers I've seen in my lifetime, get consistently overlooked for absolutely terrible wingers? Sackey is absolutely woeful and what a flop Vainikolo was, these two new lads - where are they from? Irish and Quins? What a shambles.

And who in their right mind is really trying to convince the world that Danny Cipriani is actually a World Class player? If you're really resting your hopes on him then you're seriously getting it all so wrong. I know the English media likes to latch on to one or two heroes and really boost their profile, but this is all to cock.

I'm still even cynical about James Hook and his readiness to take on the world, and I don't think I'm being all that biased in saying he's twice the player young Danny is at the moment.

Agree about the Wasps bias and the Cipriani situation, its become a bit of a farce in reality. Cipriani can show glimpses of world-class quality but that's no good if your game is riddled with elementary mistakes. He needs to be dropped because he is personally costing the team points. It's harsh to single someone out but you can't afford those mistakes in club rugby never mind against the world champions.

I don't take Johnson as a man to be swayed by the media but it appears he's embraced the critics view of Brian Ashton's reign that England desperately needed the exciting back-line of Wasps and not the functional Tigers players. Granted, under Ashton the rugby wasn't exciting but I doubt an Ashton selection would have been on the end of the SA scoreline.

[Sparky]

For me Cipriani needs to stay in the England set up but id be picking Shane Geraghty and Toby Flood infront of him at the minute , Ellis still should be 9 infront of Care and why was Croft dropped in favour of Haskell . Dylan Hartley would be hooker in my team also .

We are not a great side at the minute but we must keep improving . Wales are the benchmark that good man management and coaching can turn an average side in to a bloody good one , im still bitter we missed out on Edwards

[dandannieldanok]

We are not a great side at the minute but we must keep improving.

True and I think there is the potential there to do such a thing, but for me this team doesn't reflect Johnson the player at all which disappoints me most. On the basis of highlights we looked pretty toothless against SA and just didn't front up to the tough challenge, and Johnson would never have stood for that as a player and captain. I just hope it's the same with his management and he immediately restores some grit and bottle to a team which will hopefully bring changes.

[Finnegan]

Agreed on coaching and conditioning. I think our starting 15, in terms of players, is arguably the best of the home nations but I don't think we've been able to put anything like that out for at least two years thanks to injuries, off field issues and form. We don't have the same strength of depth as England or Ireland and that's a problem for us. But what we are is well organized and confident in playing the style of rugby in which we know we excel.

I think Barnes hit the nail on the head when he described England as a mid-table Six Nations side at best, at the moment.

This might be the first year the pundits actually don't make some stupid claim that England will be first or second and rank Wales as likely to finish fourth.

[Sparky]

Agreed on coaching and conditioning. I think our starting 15, in terms of players, is arguably the best of the home nations but I don't think we've been able to put anything like that out for at least two years thanks to injuries, off field issues and form. We don't have the same strength of depth as England or Ireland and that's a problem for us. But what we are is well organized and confident in playing the style of rugby in which we know we excel.

I think Barnes hit the nail on the head when he described England as a mid-table Six Nations side at best, at the moment.

This might be the first year the pundits actually don't make some stupid claim that England will be first or second and rank Wales as likely to finish fourth.

Stuart Barnes correct for the 1st time in his life

Then again , we were coming home in the 1st round of the world cup in 07

I think Wales and France will be the front runners in the 6 nations but i think we still be competing at twickenham

[Finnegan]

Sure but I think the World Cup's a bit different, it brings out the best in teams. And like Daniel said, Ashton had a team based on solidarity and the old English up-the-jumper style, which is basically what caused France and the Aussies to come unstuck. The Boks would never have mauled you by that score with his team, you might have still lost and still done so terribly but you'd have made it a slow, ugly, low scoring game.

You don't really have that solid, defensive power at the moment and you'll have to find it quickly if you don't want a battering in Croke Park and the Millenium Stadium.

Usually England are the side that, however poorly they're doing, you never write them off and you always assume it'll be a difficult game - they just don't have that sense about them anymore. France in Twickenham could potential decide your whole Championship. Wooden Spoon?

[dandannieldanok]

You don't really have that solid, defensive power at the moment and you'll have to find it quickly if you don't want a battering in Croke Park and the Millenium Stadium.

I don't think the fixtures could have come out much worse for England, those are two venues I doubt Martin Johnson is relishing taking this team to.

[Sparky]

Sure but I think the World Cup's a bit different, it brings out the best in teams. And like Daniel said, Ashton had a team based on solidarity and the old English up-the-jumper style, which is basically what caused France and the Aussies to come unstuck. The Boks would never have mauled you by that score with his team, you might have still lost and still done so terribly but you'd have made it a slow, ugly, low scoring game.

You don't really have that solid, defensive power at the moment and you'll have to find it quickly if you don't want a battering in Croke Park and the Millenium Stadium.

Usually England are the side that, however poorly they're doing, you never write them off and you always assume it'll be a difficult game - they just don't have that sense about them anymore. France in Twickenham could potential decide your whole Championship. Wooden Spoon?

Boks beat us 36-0 at the world cup under Ashton !!!

Quite fancy the trip to the millenium stadium this year but if we managed to pull of a shock win then it wouldnt be much fun in Cardiff at night

[Finnegan]

It's always our first game that worries me the most.

The Six Nations is all about psychology, losing the first game is a horrendous blow, where as winning it convincingly (unless it's against Italy) nearly always sets up the Grand Slam talk, haha.

Murrayfield is our bogey ground, normally.

[Sparky]

It's always our first game that worries me the most.

The Six Nations is all about psychology, losing the first game is a horrendous blow, where as winning it convincingly (unless it's against Italy) nearly always sets up the Grand Slam talk, haha.

Murrayfield is our bogey ground, normally.

Scotland have improved bucket loads , they were very unlucky not to beat the boks

[Finnegan]

Aye but so were we.

James Hook handed them a completely freak try that won it and how we didn't score one of our own will forever be a mystery.

[Sparky]

Aye but so were we.

James Hook handed them a completely freak try that won it and how we didn't score one of our own will forever be a mystery.

Yeah is true , my point was you were always fancied to give the Boks a tough match but the Scots performed as well as ive seen them for years. Wales need to be considered the best northern hemesphere side at the minute and need to continue in that vein , with that comes added pressure and it will be interesting if they can keep progressing . With the Gatland / Edwards show in charge then back to back grand slams is a very big possibility

[Finnegan]

We've actually gone notably backwards, in terms of players, since 2005 and look weaker than 2008 at the moment. A lack of Henson at 12 is a staggering blow that really shouldn't be overlooked, he's a huge creative influence that we can't replace. At the moment we've got Roberts and Shanklin, too identical players, battering away in the midfield and it saps the finesse out of our side.

Defensively we've gone a little backwards since the Six Nations, too, so I'm apprehensive.

I don't think there'll be a Grand Slam this year, I think France and ourselves will tie it up on points IF we're back to our confident best. I think they'll lose at either Croke Park or Twickenham but I think they'll beat us in Paris, defensively we don't inspire me with the same confidence we did last year. Hook's off form, Phillips is a loss, Peel will never be the same, Cooper isn't world class, Jones is old and slowing down.

Lee Byrne and Shane Williams can't win the thing on their own, thought I doubt not they've got the work ethic and quality to give it a go! Haha.

That Andy Powell looks a revelation, mind. Apparently he's an ex-Tiger. I must have had a season ticket around about the time he was here, but I don't remember that.

[dandannieldanok]

Respect Haka, Henry warns England - All I can say it get over yourselves Graham Henry and Ma'a Nonu.

[Webbo]

Respect Haka, Henry warns England - All I can say it get over yourselves Graham Henry and Ma'a Nonu.

I heard this on the radio, cheeky bastards, like they're not going to try to win anyway.

I think the whole England team should stand there and give them the wankers sign.

[Finnegan]

I'm a little bit outraged by Nonu's comments, though Henry's are to be expected. Henry's just trying to play down the fairly obvious psychological impact the haka can have both ways. I think they looked quite obviously rattled in the first half an hour of the game and I don't think it's putting too much stock in a relatively small gesture to suggest that the atmosphere before kick off would have had an affect on that.

But Nonu annoyed me. I'm not going to stand here and say that Wales is a nation of ethnic Celtic warriors who have kept up a proud and warlike tradition for the last ten centuries (but then, nor exclusively is New Zealand - the most passionate delivery of the Haka came from a white man named Chris), but at the same time I think it's fairly fair to observe that all of the Celtic nations have a very fighty, confrontational and defensive spirit about them and that if you're going to come into our yard, do a war dance and expect us to just roll over then you're being somewhat obtuse. People talk about respecting the traditions and the culture of the Haka, but if you're going to do a wardance then you're going to have to accept that it's not just a pretty display for the fans but that it's a message of intent - and in a game as emotionally and physically charged as rugby, that intent is going to be matched.

If the All Blacks didn't want to meet psychological opposition to the Haka, if they didn't want to see teams stand tall and stare back, if they wanted it to go on as just some little, quaint, camp pre-match tradition then they shouldn't have re-choreographed it in 2005 and adopted the far more aggressive Kapa o Pango dance.

Turning your back on the Haka is disrespectful, having a little training session through the Haka is disrespectful. Staring back, accepting the challenge and making them realise they aren't spiritual, ancient polynesian warriors - they're a bunch of rugby players doing a traditional piece of arranged dance - is clever, powerful and fucking good entertainment.

You want to be a warrior, Nonu? Go enlist. You want to play sporting mind games? Don't cry when they bite you on the arse, and just be grateful you were far enough the superior team for the first half's damage to not cost.

I think the whole England team should stand there and give them the wankers sign.

You know what would make my day and give me infinite, life-time respect for the England team?

If Johnno had them all come out with bells hidden under their socks and wooden sticks hidden up their shirts and, after the Haka, they gave it some English stylee..

[James.]

Finners is going to be ejaculating all over this thread soon.

To be fair Wales were fantastic. I even cheered them when they scored the first try.

[Sparky]

Wales were top draw and fair play to them thou celebrating afterwards to Chelsea Dagger knocked the street cred at bit !!!

[Finnegan]

Oh Shane.

I hope Roberts is alright, mind. And Mortlock too, fair play - nobody likes to see that. England pretty shocking again, haha, although fair play the ABs really are a class above.