The match at Twickenham was much closer. France were on sparkling form and an away win looked likely for the first 60 minutes. In the end stamina told and an Itoje try in the 77th minute gave England a narrow win.
Final score 🏴 23 - 20 🇫🇷
Also good news for Wales, although if France win it could be months before we know who wins the Six Nations. Their match with Scotland, at a date yet to be determined, would then be key...
Two days on and I'm still feeling sorry for Wales. Also nervous for this weekend's match, even though we can get the players back from the Premiership for it.
England were ill-disciplined and outplayed. As in previous losses under the captaincy of Farrell, when Eddie Jones' plan A didn't work Farrell couldn't come up with a plan B.
And that remained so for the entire season. I have read that England’s defensive tactics are to play “on the edge of legality” but that means it is essential to adjust one’s behaviour to the refereeing! England never did that, even in games they won, which reflects badly on the entire coaching team and especially the on field leadership, such as it is.
Meanwhile, Go Scotland! Beat France, or at least hold them so that Wales win the Championship.
@sionisais My sentiments exactly 🏴
Meanwhile the rugby correspondents are still touting Mako Vunipola as a 'definite' for the Lions' tour of South Africa 😧
I suppose we should be grateful they've given up on Farrell for captain 🤣
@sionisais My sentiments exactly 🏴
Meanwhile the rugby correspondents are still touting Mako Vunipola as a 'definite' for the Lions' tour of South Africa 😧
I suppose we should be grateful they've given up on Farrell for captain 🤣
I suppose Mako is the Vunipola brother in form! The other three nations can all provide better loose heads but EJ hasn’t looked outside the camp eg his inability to consider Nathan Hughes and Sam Simmonds, let alone ignoring Ben Spencer.
Farrell shouldn’t even be on the plane. It has to be Biggar and Russell plus proper centres.
Fantastic performance by Scotland in Paris to give them their first win there since 1999. A nail-biting finish by a rejuvenated Scottish team that deserved higher than fourth in the table 🏴
Of course, it means that Wales win the Six Nations too 🏴🏴🏴
The British and Irish Lions play Japan at Murrayfield tomorrow before heading off to South Africa. What are people's thoughts on the chances of success in the series?
Although the Lions are pretty well always a touring team a home game is not unprecedented. Last time was in 2005 before touring New Zealand. On that occasion they played a second string Argentina team but they only just scraped a draw thanks to a late Jonny Wilkinson penalty from the sideline.
Meanwhile more important matches are afoot, as my team have been promoted to the heady heights of the Rugby Europe championship. Tomorrow the Netherlands play Georgia and I expect our forwards to be on the wrong end of a terrible mauling. In a new development the coming Dutch international matches will be broadcast live on telly here. This one I'm going to be watching from behind the couch.
The ABs annihilated a reasonably (first half) sharp Wallabies side last night. Clinical, disciplined, destructive: I almost felt sorry for the Wallabies, who looked very threatening for about 46 minutes. Then The ABs had a player (Savea) sent off, were stung into cold passion, and piled on 15 points before he came back on.
The Wallabies were physical but weirdly self assured, believed they could win but didn't do what in NZ we call the mahi, the work. They played as individuals not as a a pack. Speculator passes (two were intercepted for runaway tries), hard physical but unfinished tackles. The ABs were in cruel form after a messy win the previous week.
Stand out players for the ABS? The coaches. They nailed it. The Wallabies have a dangerous looking halfback in McDermott and Hooper was focussed as ever, but with the team flapping and floundering around him it was all over.
Australia have now manged to beat the Springboks twice in two weeks. That's more than the British and Irish Lions could manage this year. For the Aussie's second win, they (a) ran well in the backline with much less loose ball than usual, and (b) successfully defended against the Bok's rolling maul (which is almost their only weapon these days).
Good God - I've just read that the Italians have ended their streak of 36 losses by (just) stuffing the Welsh. Glad they didn't do it while they were playing us (although I suspect we may not be on the winning side against Ireland later on).
Good God - I've just read that the Italians have ended their streak of 36 losses by (just) stuffing the Welsh. Glad they didn't do it while they were playing us (although I suspect we may not be on the winning side against Ireland later on).
I was there and we were shocking. 😱
The Welsh team were on the pitch in training gear until 2pm - crazy for a match with a 2.15 kick-off. When they came back on the pitch for the anthems, etc, they looked flustered and edgy and it was downhill from there. What Pivac thought he was doing not giving them time before the match to settle, etc, is anybody's guess, but not wise IMHO.
I could say the referee wasn't good (2 score affecting decisions were p*ss-poor) but the bottom line is we were scrappy. Still, that's us, generous to a fault, scoring our own points and giving the Italians half of theirs too.
Paris? Les Bleus showed they are a force to be reckoned with, and a team managed by Eddie Jones doesn't have the flair to beat them. Well done France.🇫🇷
Well done Scotland.
Cardiff? Ouch, but not as bad as it could have been.
Italy are looking promising - they certainly gave Les Bleus someyhing to think about.
There has been much on the media about misogyny etc in the Welsh Rugby Union. My wife is very angry and decided not to watch the match. I, out of respect to her. didn't watch it either.
Well:
(i) My wife is a Scottish exile;
(ii) We're not watching Wales at the moment as we've been very upset by all the misogny etc which has recently come to light in the WRU.
We were woeful. The possession/territory stats tell the tale - we just can't score. Dreadful.
It will be a true wooden spoon for Wales this year, because there's no way we can beat even Italy on today's performance.
Well, they look likely to beat us in Rome on 11th March. 😱
Warren Gatland is doing his best but Pivac left him with a squad heavy on older players and didn't follow a proper plan for bringing younger players into the team. Plus, its hard for smaller, poorer nations to match the money and numbers of the traditional foe without the chaos within the WRU.😥
Oh, magic! What a St Patrick's weekend for Ireland. The Cheltenham Gold Cup with Galopin des Champs yesterday, and now the Triple Crown and Grand Slam in the Six Nations rugby, handily sponsored by Guinness.
Oh to be in Dublin ... 🇮🇪 🇮🇪 🇮🇪🍾🍾🍾
And South Africa triumph over the All Blacks at Twickenham
on the back of a major penalty count. It is impossible to win if you are down to 14 for most of the match and the opposition has 16 including one with a whistle. (I’m not biased by the way.)
Comments
Meanwhile, Go Scotland! Beat France, or at least hold them so that Wales win the Championship.
Meanwhile the rugby correspondents are still touting Mako Vunipola as a 'definite' for the Lions' tour of South Africa 😧
I suppose we should be grateful they've given up on Farrell for captain 🤣
I suppose Mako is the Vunipola brother in form! The other three nations can all provide better loose heads but EJ hasn’t looked outside the camp eg his inability to consider Nathan Hughes and Sam Simmonds, let alone ignoring Ben Spencer.
Farrell shouldn’t even be on the plane. It has to be Biggar and Russell plus proper centres.
Of course, it means that Wales win the Six Nations too 🏴🏴🏴
Mind you, it's not often you see England finishing that far south!
Although the Lions are pretty well always a touring team a home game is not unprecedented. Last time was in 2005 before touring New Zealand. On that occasion they played a second string Argentina team but they only just scraped a draw thanks to a late Jonny Wilkinson penalty from the sideline.
Meanwhile more important matches are afoot, as my team have been promoted to the heady heights of the Rugby Europe championship. Tomorrow the Netherlands play Georgia and I expect our forwards to be on the wrong end of a terrible mauling. In a new development the coming Dutch international matches will be broadcast live on telly here. This one I'm going to be watching from behind the couch.
The Wallabies were physical but weirdly self assured, believed they could win but didn't do what in NZ we call the mahi, the work. They played as individuals not as a a pack. Speculator passes (two were intercepted for runaway tries), hard physical but unfinished tackles. The ABs were in cruel form after a messy win the previous week.
Stand out players for the ABS? The coaches. They nailed it. The Wallabies have a dangerous looking halfback in McDermott and Hooper was focussed as ever, but with the team flapping and floundering around him it was all over.
I was there and we were shocking. 😱
The Welsh team were on the pitch in training gear until 2pm - crazy for a match with a 2.15 kick-off. When they came back on the pitch for the anthems, etc, they looked flustered and edgy and it was downhill from there. What Pivac thought he was doing not giving them time before the match to settle, etc, is anybody's guess, but not wise IMHO.
I could say the referee wasn't good (2 score affecting decisions were p*ss-poor) but the bottom line is we were scrappy. Still, that's us, generous to a fault, scoring our own points and giving the Italians half of theirs too.
Paris? Les Bleus showed they are a force to be reckoned with, and a team managed by Eddie Jones doesn't have the flair to beat them. Well done France.🇫🇷
Indeed! When we won the Calcutta Cup I thought we might have been in with a chance, but apparently not.
(TBH most reasons for the Marseillaise are good ones
Yes. 🇫🇷
AFZ
Cardiff? Ouch, but not as bad as it could have been.
Italy are looking promising - they certainly gave Les Bleus someyhing to think about.
SCOTLAND!!! 🏴🏴🏴🏴
(i) My wife is a Scottish exile;
(ii) We're not watching Wales at the moment as we've been very upset by all the misogny etc which has recently come to light in the WRU.
It will be a true wooden spoon for Wales this year, because there's no way we can beat even Italy on today's performance.
It most certainly was - the way they play this year, Italy just need a smidge of luck to take a big scalp, methinks.
Warren Gatland is doing his best but Pivac left him with a squad heavy on older players and didn't follow a proper plan for bringing younger players into the team. Plus, its hard for smaller, poorer nations to match the money and numbers of the traditional foe without the chaos within the WRU.😥
Much better match at Twickenham - there was a certain amount of mild rejoicing in our household 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🤣
Of course, this meant he was the one laughing at the end of yesterday's match
Oh to be in Dublin ... 🇮🇪 🇮🇪 🇮🇪🍾🍾🍾
on the back of a major penalty count. It is impossible to win if you are down to 14 for most of the match and the opposition has 16 including one with a whistle. (I’m not biased by the way.)