6 Nations , Gateway to the trout season

[ohanzee]

I switched on 5 mins the end, looked like a cracking game

 

[JRT]

I love the sound of Farrell bleating Some very sore losers this evening, get over yourselves.

Other than the obvious 14 point advantage from non-tries England had numerous poor pen decisions against them. This killed any momentum and territory in the first half.
The subs gave some stupid pens away in the last 20 but it’s understandable that England players felt they were being reffed out of the game.

If rugby is going to allow refs to be completely arbitrary and random the sport is doomed. It will be about ref lottery rather than consistent reffing.

I don’t blame wales at all - I just think they won their last 3 games by luck rather playing well.
England are sub par but looked the better side for most of the game.

 

[PaulD]

All I can say is that I'm looking forward to watching Wale's performance in the next World Cup Final as, obviously, they're now favourites to win it.

 

[boisker]

Does your mother-in-law know your opinion of her?

I don’t think she would be surprised to hear I don’t rate her as an international rugby player

but if you want a cup of tea and a chin wag... she’s your gal, world beating

 

[Mr Notherone]

All I can say is that I'm looking forward to watching Wale's performance in the next World Cup Final as, obviously, they're now favourites to win it.

I wouldn't go that far....it's obviously going to depend on which referee we can get in the final

 

[delray]

All I can say is that I'm looking forward to watching Wale's performance in the next World Cup Final as, obviously, they're now favourites to win it.

NZ and SA are sometimes watching a Northern Hemisphere side rising up in the 4 year World Cup interim period; not this time. Not sure about France being contenders yet, but the 'home' Nations are way off the mark.
The World Cup Fixtures have been announced for France 2023, I think England's first game is in Nice against Japan.

England could well go Played 5, Lost 4 and I'm not sure on Jones' future if that happens. I know, at this being-upset stage, what I would like to see.

 

[sewinbasher]

........
Wales are the most disciplined side in the Championship at the moment and it appears that's all a team needs right now.

Might be tempting fate but Wales have not picked up a card yet. I agree that we've been lucky this season but we've also played pretty well, not incurred a big penalty count, played the refs well, taken our chances and, although against most expectations (including mine), probably deserve to be where we are. France are still the best team on paper but, with the way things are going, Wales should meet France to play for the Grand Slam with a decent chance of topping the table as a Covid affected France will probably have to beat Scotland and Wales with at least one bonus point to prevent it.

 

[Alwyn]

I think England can feel aggrieved at the first try but beyond that, I think that they can have no complaints. The second try should stand by the letter of the law and other pens I thought were correct calls against what were often cynical offences aimed at killing the ball. Pivac was correct to say that England were fortunate not to be carded, Itoje in particular. It was evident early on that the ref was going be strict against any infractions, Wales adapted well to that, England did not. England at times looked great in attack but I thought that Wales were generally more alert and mentally sharper, evidenced by the quickly taken tap penalty when England were asleep waiting for a kick. England will kick themselves as they have plenty of ability in their squad to beat Wales and could’ve closed out the game after Youngs’ try, but on the day I felt that Wales were deserving winners. I think that France look to be the best team in the tournament by some distance , but provided there’s no upset against Italy, it will be a great showdown in Paris.

 

[delray]

Spot on Alwyn.

 

[colliedog]

We won the Triple Crown today. Just saying

And it was deserved.

England were well and truly stitched up by two terrible decisions (like the Capn I cant believe I just wrote that) but I think Wales would have won anyway.
I don't think England would have started playing yet had it not been for the sense of injustice created.
Better refereeing would have seen one if not two England players sin binned during the game.
Wales ruthlessness and Englands indiscipline in the last 20....Wales won by 16, not 14.

Only discipline England showed all afternoon was in the post match interviews.

I was thinking about the first try...the only way I could rationalise it was that the ref expected Biggar to kick for touch position off the pen and has said aye, get on with it, only to be been blindsided by the outcome.

Wales have played the games served up to them and won them all. Cant really argue with their success.

 

[PaulD]

. . . but I thought that Wales were generally more alert and mentally sharper, evidenced by the quickly taken tap penalty when England were asleep waiting for a kick.

I agree totally with everything else in your post - when the Captain had been instructed by the ref' to talk to his team, the team were collected, under the posts, and the Captain with his back to the ref'. At a question from Biggar the ref' raises his arm and says, into his microphone, 'time on'. The most appalling piece of International Refereeing I've ever seen.

 

[Alwyn]

I agree totally with everything else in your post - when the Captain had been instructed by the ref' to talk to his team, the team were collected, under the posts, and the Captain with his back to the ref'. At a question from Biggar the ref' raises his arm and says, into his microphone, 'time on'. The most appalling piece of International Refereeing I've ever seen.

Actually I do have to retract my point about the second try. I read Nigel Owens’ analysis and he says that it’s a knock-on as LRZ doesn’t recover the ball himself, so it doesn’t matter that it’s off his hand onto his foot and backwards. Once it’s gone forward off his hand, a knock-on is only prevented if LRZ recovers the ball himself. I would be bleating if Wales were on the receiving end of two dodgy tries but I still think that Wales were overall the better team on the day and worthy of the win.

 

[PaulD]

Actually I do have to retract my point about the second try. I read Nigel Owens’ analysis and he says that it’s a knock-on as LRZ doesn’t recover the ball himself,

Hence my post #412 yesterday.

I'd welcome Nigel Owens as referee in any game involving England!

 

[sewinbasher]

I agree totally with everything else in your post - when the Captain had been instructed by the ref' to talk to his team, the team were collected, under the posts, and the Captain with his back to the ref'. At a question from Biggar the ref' raises his arm and says, into his microphone, 'time on'. The most appalling piece of International Refereeing I've ever seen.

According to the soundtrack Biggar asked the ref to let him know when it was "time on" and the ref more or less immediately raised his arm and said "time on". I do think that Farrell had a point about being told to talk to his players and not being given enough time but by the time the ref blew the England defence on the left was more or less in place but on the right they were slow getting across, Wales did nothing wrong.

 

[sewinbasher]

Hence my post #412 yesterday.

I'd welcome Nigel Owens as referee in any game involving England!

He's a big loss to the international referee panel. Probably the only ref that many opposition teams would be happy to ref them against Wales.

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

I spotted this on the BBC website...

Sonja McLaughlan

I'm not condoning Twitter abuse in the slightest, but if it was she I was hearing interviewing folk after the match, I am not surprised at her drawing criticism. If it had been a male reporter, he would have drawn the same criticism. It came across as "I'm a journalist and it's my job to goad you and harangue you and make an issue of this, even if you want to play the whole thing down... which everyone interviewed wanted to do. I was thinking to myself, "Let it lie, woman, FFS!" But she wasn't for letting it lie...

Newton's 3rd Law... 'every action has an equal and opposite reaction'. Just sayin' Sonja...

 

[Gdog]

I spotted this on the BBC website...

Sonja McLaughlan

I'm not condoning Twitter abuse in the slightest, but if it was she I was hearing interviewing folk after the match, I am not surprised at her drawing criticism. If it had been a male reporter, he would have drawn the same criticism. It came across as "I'm a journalist and it's my job to goad you and harangue you and make an issue of this, even if you want to play the whole thing down... which everyone interviewed wanted to do. I was thinking to myself, "Let it lie, woman, FFS!" But she wasn't for letting it lie...

Newton's 3rd Law... 'every action has an equal and opposite reaction'. Just sayin' Sonja...

I saw that interview live, OF was really pissed off with some of the decisions and she kept going on at him, but fair play he kept his cool, just about.

It was the most heated post match interview I've seen since Reggie Corrigan (former Leinster and Ireland loose head) Interviewing Munster captain Peter O'Mahony after Leinster beating Munster in a PRO 12 game, aired on Irish channel TG4 a few years ago. RC "were Munster up for it" A very angry POM "of course we were up for it, what sort of question is that?" "How can you ask a question like that?"
RC "I think it's a fair question, were the Munster players fully committed" POM the head ready to blow off of him "Course we were committed, come on Reggie you played in these games"...

It went on like this for a few minutes POM visibly angry, RC slowly backing his way out, trying to avoid getting a clatter from POM. RC got lots of criticism in the media afterwards for over stepping the line.

 

[boisker]

Actually I do have to retract my point about the second try. I read Nigel Owens’ analysis and he says that it’s a knock-on as LRZ doesn’t recover the ball himself, so it doesn’t matter that it’s off his hand onto his foot and backwards. Once it’s gone forward off his hand, a knock-on is only prevented if LRZ recovers the ball himself. I would be bleating if Wales were on the receiving end of two dodgy tries but I still think that Wales were overall the better team on the day and worthy of the win.

we’ll never know... Wales got 2 dodgy scores, take those away... England may have played better in the first half.... Wales may have played better or worse... none of it matters
neither team was impressive, Wales were organised but didn’t look great, England were ok in patches but overall p!ss poor..
and i hope to never see the ref at international level again... gifting any team 14 points is just unacceptable...

and saying all that... my over riding memory of the game was Daley running off with his back to the game 10 yards from his line as Hardy skipped through to score... unforgivable

 

[diawl bach]

A great day in Wales today, sunny, warm and the news absolutely full of discussions on our latest win.
St David's Day tomorrow and the trout season opens on Wednesday, what a beautiful time to be alive and how lucky we are to be around to enjoy it.

 

[delray]

I had just typed out a critique of Jones...and Daly...and Farrel etc, and then your post popped up Col. You have just nailed it. Beautiful weather it is and yes it's good to be alive.
Nice one.