Always a Wasp

It's possible that Farrell was dropped as he's got the kicking yips. The vibe from the press conf was that the selection as linked to how England want to play. That said, if Farrell has the yips, then it was a no choice selection?

It's a set up like last year in Paris in that the back three are all good catchers...expecting France to kick quite a lot. Squidge did a vid on how France use their kicking offensively and look to get turnovers and quick ball vs a disorganised defence. And then do what we'd expect. They did this vs Scotland.

Regardless - if France come out and play the first 20 like they did vs Scotland....we're in for a long afternoon...Not sure we've got the tools to come from two scores down. And their defence is v good. Scotland are vg going forwards but struggled to make dents in their defence.

I'm rather torn on England. I do wonder if the best thing in the short/medium term is for France to turn up, play with that intensity for more of the game and show supporters and players and coaches just how much work/change is needed or if I'd hope we can look to gradually improve towards a too close for comfort RWC....

Saturday vs Wales was a bit of an improvement - but Wales were awful. And yet managed to take the lead....even if it was off our mistake. It seems that (and I'll reference Squidge on this and his vid on George Ford) that we still too often keep doing the same thing in possession and this is Farrell's tendency when playing and controlling from 10. We really only looked to play what was in front of us for Watson's try.

The data (from England Rugby) suggested that we were as poor as Wales at making breaks or beating defenders. I realise there's more than one way to win a game - but the lack of confidence to play heads up much, if at all, suggests a team looking not to lose.

I do think Ford was at training for a reason. He fits Evans' style more and was Tigers' FH with Borthwick. But I do think it might take the shock of getting murdered before England take a chance. We are really looking towards 6N's 2024 as the start of the new. But do we really have much to lose by looking to play more/at all now? Our form and play in the RWC will be reliant upon the rep RWC training camp more than anything. So if we're going to play in the RWC with more go forwards, why not practice vs two top teams, now? In the RWC, our relatively weak pool will allow some more try outs - assuming we don't foul up. But we need to be able to score vs good teams if we're going to impact the knock out stage.

TBH, if France play with intensity for one half - we'll be in lots of trouble. And Dublin might be a very long afternoon too. As Ireland are able to play with intensity and are v comfortable in their game plan.

My favourite "Watching Wasps Experience" was oddly at Tigers...I'd visited Tigers using conference facilities any number of times and they provided a great lunch...if you liked meat...But I was taken to Tigers by a friend who has family working for Tigers and got us great tickets. But in a whole block of Tigers. I was the only Wasps.

I remember seeing Tom V score and rising to cheer and seeing every eye look my way. I bowed deeply and thanked them...We lost...

Watched it - I know you win by scoring more points - but that was a performance that reeked of lack of ambition and of using Lawrence like a Quins' 12 substitute which next time out is likely just to provide Wales/Fra/Ire with a premeditated target....

Whilst some of the defensive effort was ok - Italy managed to show all of the rugby played and that if pressed England were porous. The effort to maul over the line from a lineout is the least, very least you'd expect from an England coached by Borthwick. It doesn't provide confidence for playing teams who can defend a lineout and maul. Scrum was ok - ref generous and after the subs, not good enough. Mako looked puffed.

Little coherence beyond that. Terrible commentary from people who think Lawrence is a regular 12....

It?s beyond question that I?d support Wasps if we moved to Sixways. I don?t see the difference between there and Loftus Road, Adams Park or the Ricoh from a moral perspective. If anything it?s rescuing an empty building. My main worry is pushing so much through before the 14th. If we aren?t allowed to compete in the Championship next year we will be finished.

Just to confirm - I'd still support Wasps. Whilst only able to make occasional games - it's been a part of my rugby world since the 80's. If it has legs - then the train to Worcester is an hour or so and no changes.

OAWAAW....

Thanks Mike. I?ve had a different urology problem a few years ago and had a scan then so am aware the procedure.

The worst I was was when I got called in after the bloods and read the NHS website, very depressing, but my doc was great. As I said, he walked me through it and was quite relaxed because I have no other symptoms.

I do recommend everyone get a PSI regularly so they have a baseline. I have an old army friend who pays for one every 6 months. It?s not the level per se but the direction of travel.

That's ok, then, it was of interest to me as I used to be a scientist, I find the people doing the diagnostics are happier to talk through stuff than my GP......(My vet is better!)  Mere coincidence - I had a call in for a PSI monitor two years after that - so hopefully all ok. I'll look into paying for one. That's a great idea.

The NHS website does try to be "balanced" but that can look a little "dramatic"!

Quote from: mike909 on February 06, 2023, 08:56:41 AM

I've seen this said by both the odd Jones fan player and many Jones fan fans. That the players had let Jones down by not being able to deliver.

What the fxxx.....I used to managed teams that were responsible for technical matters. We were part of a technical team. If my lot couldn't do what I was asking them to do, that was my problem. Not theirs's. As if fellow professionals whom I happened to be managing could not deliver what was asked, the first query was surely to ask myself if I was asking the impossible.

As a sports coach - you might have a fantastic plan (though if England did it was damn well hidden) but if it's not deliverable either "at all" or with the resources you have, then that's a coaching problem, surely?

Mike, I think we are in the perfect storm at the moment. Jones was shockingly bad. The players available to England are also sub-standard in too many positions. A good example is scrum half. Youngs has been persisted with for an infeasible amount of time. But who has been snapping at his heels? There is a clutch of players, the likes of Mitchell, Robson, Spencer. Are any materially better than Youngs? The other key position we have virtually no options at is 12. Borthwick must grasp the nettle and play EITHER Smith or Farrell at 10. But who at 12? We just don?t have a Moefana, Aki or even a Tompkins. Do we really not have enough wingers to avoid having to play Malins there (who should be absolutely nailed on at FB). Sinckler and Genge are OK but the rest of our front row on Saturday read Cole, Vunipola, George and Walker. That is miles away from what the French and Irish are selecting from. We?re suddenly lacking quality and depth at second row. We can still cobble a good back row together - although I?m absolutely astounded both Willis brothers are overlooked but Ben Curry can get a game. The reality is Jones has left us in a mess but we?re also really short of international quality in some really key areas. Results are telling us we just aren?t good enough.

Shugs, I think jones did what he always seems to do which is get early results and then confuse and piss people off. We'd got max value by 2019. (He saved time at Queensland Reds...) Looking at the assistant coaching team, something like 11 of 18 assistants were post RWC. At 2019 we had a vg coaching team and were at a RWC and they virtually all left - Mitchell asked us for sanctuary....And after the RWC we played one decent season and then the coaching choices went bizarre. Picking out of form Championship players and kids with only a handful of Prem games.

Youngs and the backrow are good examples. Robson wasn't given a sniff. Yet week in week out he looked class. Backrow, wtf has a Willis got to do to get a go? We were playing SR's at 6 even though our best period was with a normal backrow. (Wilson at 6)

What was also striking was that last season, Wasps had a better pack than England recently put out. (no bias obvs) But West/Ohgre/Biyi/Stooke/Launch/2x Willis and one other (Brad etc) is a load better than what England put out last weekend and anything in the AI's.

But if the basics were that bad - Jones had really pissed on England's chips....

England have been left in a hole since Jones decided after Covid kicked in to use the 6Ns as a testing ground and to select favourites regardless.

This can be seen most clearly in the late 2020 Italy game where regardless, we kicked, and did it over 40 times against a team we were beating easily. But better ball in hand stats that day.  And in the 2021 Scotland game and others, where we selected Championship players, off the pace and pissed on the the chips of new younger players like Lawrence and Martin and didn't give players like Dan a chance.

We then used last 6N's to try other stuff - running into defenders vs Scotland and failing to have any tactical sense. I suppose the problem in a nutshell was we missed Ford and pissing about with some master plan whilst losing so many games doesn't work as a RWC strategy.

The RFU have done their worst and left matters to wander and given Sinfield and Borthers no time to try and engender a new way of playing. Odd sparks of good play today. But as predicted, too little time to work on defence, breakdown and patterns in attack. There's nothing that the average Prem side couldn't do what with passing flat and trying cut outs. But compared to England 2016, i.e.  Lancaster's team "given the hairdryer" it was an inept and misfit of a performance.

As I wrote somewhere else, there's a lot riding on this game as lose it and you go to Cardiff really needing a result before playing France and Ireland.

I too was hoping Scotland would win, if only to get some real thinking to happen. Let's hope that's possible....