May be just as well that Mrs AC insisted on watching a romcom Christmas movie rather than the Fiji match. 
Have to wonder if I missed some dazzling play from Caleb Muntz.
I only saw Scotland v SA. Ferocious. Great Scottish energy and flair especially 2nd half but somehow you knew that SA would resist, and come out on top in the final quarter. That appears to be the theme in this N Hemisphere vs S series do far.
Bruce
I’ve lost interest in recent years which is a shame, but a lot of this has to do with most matches being on Sky as I don’t have a subscription. In Wales I’d forgotten our matches can often be seen on S4C with Welsh commentary (fine for me) if they’re not on BBC or ITV. I wonder if the same might happen in Scotland on the Alba channel.
Who needs commentary if you can see the game. It requires TNT Sports subscription in England and probably everywhere. The BBC gives a sound commentary.
Trying to see if I can abandon my principles and pay up. I have difficulty believing there are other things on EE TV I need.
Phil
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Most rugby - including this year’s autumn internationals - is on Discovery plus, not Sky 
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I did wonder, when I can only see BBC Radio coverage on BBC site I assume it’s Sky!
Yes, I almost mentioned that, not as though you’d have one in the ground unless you paid for one of those ref thingies!
Managed to miss every game so far.
I think Autumn internationals should be replaced by the ‘There’s nothing else to do in January Internationals…’
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You missed a good game last weekend, well maybe not a good game if you’re English. Aussies didn’t win it till the 83rd minute.
Well it’s squeaky bum time in the England camp. Something just doesn’t look right within the organisation. Our defence is badly coordinated and therefore leaks tries. All it needs is a close result v Japan and serious questions will be asked ahead of the 6N. Of less consequence, Courtney Lawes was a great player but needs to work hard on his punditry skills.
I can’t bear listening to Ugo Moaner. He sucks the joy out of everything…
A few thoughts.
SA are very, very good. A complete team.
Does Slade ever attend the blitz defence training sessions?
Is JVP really the best scrum half? Poor kicks, and an unremarkable pass but I haven’t seen any of the alternatives actually much better. None appear as a running threat around the ruck or seem to have a bit of unpredictablility, pace or energy.
Marcus Smith is a fantastic talent, but he can’t do it alone. Where is the bit of guile or invention elsewhere? One-out passes to trundling forwards isn’t going to crack a good defence.
Are England fit enough? Does the bench add anything? They keep getting beaten in the final quarter of matches.
SA are very, very good but if you do daft things, and make simple errors then lots of teams will beat you. England used to be dull but with a very mean defence. Now they are routinely shipping big points in matches. Generally still dull too.
Bruce
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In Germany, rugby has only been broadcast since the last World Cup in France.
In Germany, rugby is not part of the team sports culture.
That’s why the commentators explain the rules to us spectators at every game.
I find rugby very refreshing. Tough guys listening to the referee. Don’t complain like our footballers, but keep working. Even if it bleeds.
Yesterday Germany played against Bosnia.
I’d rather watch rugby.
And when the AllBlacks perform their Haka, my wife also sits in front of the TV and cheers for the New Zealanders.
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It feels like the Autumn International window has seen a deterioration pretty much across the board for the England squad. The loss of two coaches prior to the squad getting together, Sinfield not being part of the sessions as he is on a speaking tour clearly don’t help things. There is a clear malaise that is hard for outsiders to identify.
Having managed their head coach appointments so appallingly since SCW, the RFU must be in a quandary - maybe they need to be more accountable? If Borthwick to be ditched then the decision should be made after 6N but no later, that gives two full seasons for change to take effect before 2027 RWC.
Is it really the coaching though? If you look at (say) Ireland, France, Scotland, there aren’t many England players who would ‘walk’ in to those sides. Man for man, England lack in the 3/4s, and off the bench – albeit I don’t think it should be a 23-man game.
It’s encouraging that England have moved to a more dynamic and expansive game of late (and the kicking inside an oppo’s 22 has stopped), but the likes of Steward don’t fit this model, and Smith at FH (either of them!), cannot make-up for having 2 mediocre centres at this level and not much pace out wide (all IMV). This is one reason England have to play a highly structured game, as they often get cut apart in broken play.
The good though is that England have been competing and only losing by just about a score (and a pen), but it’s been a struggle, especially to watch, although I would argue England have been flattered by the scorelines of late.
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It doesn’t help to stick to a policy of Premiership players only - there is so much talent leaking to the Top 14 (which also has a healthy divisional structure unlike the perverse ring fencing of the prem). The prospects for the longer term are likely to be bleak as well as there is less rugby being played at school level so it is only clubs with a pathway from mini rugby sourcing our future pipeline of international players.
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Elite sport is often about mistakes (team with best defence usually comes out on top). Watching yesterday I was surprised how many mistakes England made. I don’t normally watch RU but our RU team like our cricket & RL teams seems to make more errors than our opponents. Unless the basics are right, which includes fitness, you lose at elite sport. There were 3 ‘charge downs’ while I was watching, 1 leading to a try. Surely 1 was enough? Shame.
VPF and Steward both donkeys but as they’re Leicester donkeys, they get selected.
Don’t get me started on why Dan Cole is still in the picture - couldn’t be anything to do with Tigers could it? 
