Rugby

Noticeable that Wales acted quickly, Pivac gone in the morning, Gatland in by teatime.

The English RFU have fudged the decision on EJ for ages, and having having sacked him they appear to have not had a replacement team ready to replace him!

Bruce

An irony is, amongst many, is that in the professional era (when players should be much better schooled as to play (process & tactics) and the laws!), the importance of a coach at international level appears to have gone up several notches. I’m not sorry EJ is no longer in post as:

1- The England team peaked in 2019 and it hasn’t been substantially changed/evolved since then, judged by results and the quality of performances.
2- After ~8 years, there’s been little cohesive play >9 over the last 3/4Y’s. The 10mins v (14) ABs was a beacon of what might be?
3- re (2) the ‘mission statement’ to perform at a continuously high level has been massively underperformed – and when England have won (e.g. latest Aus tour), it’s been down to individual’s plays, helped by some shoddy Aussie tackling.
4- to me, there’s something wrong with the team culture when there are so many high fives going on and general ‘whooping’ at micro successes and plays. Not only does it wind up the oppo but you make yourselves look stupid when you lose (and it generally goes against the spirit of rugby IMHO). Added to which why have these elite professional players been conceding so many pens, often daft ones in promising field positions? It’s almost like they’ve been in a training environment where sparse attention has been played to the laws of the game, and are simply over-eager.

5- as regards EJ and his ‘plans’, having failed against SA in the RWC final and against them recently (a weakened SA side), how can anyone give credence for what is to come.

Rugby isn’t a massively tactical game IMHO (yes, OK around possession & territory) and any plans you start with can be instantly compromised (as against Scotland in the 6N’s), and England have demonstrated time and time again that they don’t have an effective Plan B, primarily as their 3/4 line lacks flair, pace, creativity and struggles to defend in open field.

As you say, the RFU have been suckered IMV by the continual ‘jam tomorrow’ narrative, and by Jones turning the status and job description in to a highly-paid guru-type role, when the reality is perhaps somewhat less flowery. It was said that SCW ‘lost’ many of the England & Lions players due to the amount of presentations and other ‘stuff’ they were expected to on-board, which many didn’t see as relevant – leading to analysis paralysis?

Following Jones was never going to be an easy task and another failure, amongst the many, is why there isn’t a proper succession plan in place, but when you have an of-late losing record team how could that ever work e.g. someone from within the camp step-up?

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Amateur hour

Looks like Wasps will be back next season. Not sure where they’ll be based though. If past experience is anything to go by it could be anywhere between Croydon and Cumbria.

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Good news though loads of challenges ahead I am sure. The P share issue not addressed either as far as I can see.

R.I.P. Doddie Weir

A memorial service for Doddie will be shown on the Scottish RFU website on Monday 19th December at 1pm. It is being held in Melrose, the home of rugby sevens, and will celebrate the life of a great character, sportsman and tireless campaigner/fundraiser for Motor Neuron Disease

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Well I never saw this coming.

Rennie probably already got a gig lined up in Japan and getting paid more

Eddie’s mission will be to stick it right up England this RWC and then win it on home soil in 2027

And good luck to him I say

Oh and get back bledisloe this year :grinning::+1:

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Interesting choice for both parties really. I think that last years games were a bit misleading Australia played much better than the results indicated and we had an enormous amount of injuries to key players.

Guess both Eddie and the Wallabies have a lot to prove.

I agree - one could argue Rennie treated a bit poorly due to issues out of his control

All about results though , as you say lots to prove , won’t be a happy place if they continue to lose , hate to be around that dressing room if it pans out that way

But I think they might do pretty will over 2023

Bledisloe, what’s that? :rofl::rofl::rofl:

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I didn’t realise he had a 73% win rate with England, that’s probably only better by an ABs coach.

Yes an excellent win rate - I think Steve Hansen ab coach was around 80-85% before retiring

Eddie’s just dropped somewhat over last year , everyone wants instant success these days

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dont think anyone did - big call to make

I’m not a huge fan of Eddie but if he can us back on track I’ll include him on my Christmas card list.

Well good luck with that.

He started well but eventually coached England to a standstill of tactical sterility. From what I saw of the Wallabies this Autumn if he can give them some discipline without losing their flair he might do well. I just suggest trying to ignore his tedious media games.

Bruce

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England’s team performances dropped-off around 3 years ago, the ‘win rate’ being buoyed by inheriting what was acknowledged to be a decent team which needed tweaking, post the shambles which was England’s RWC 2015. Peak time was the final of the RWC2019 – since then it’s been downhill, and many of the players from 2019 have remained. Other nations have evolved e.g. France and Ireland, England’s methods of playing and team selections haven’t — especially in the 3/4 line, where’s there’s been precious little running threat & pace.

To my eyes, Australia have always had decent 3/4’s, with an ability to conjure tries from nowhere (as they did against Wales in 2022). England were mighty fortunate to win the Test series in Oz a while back.

I think Eddie has a decent hand to play with and, strangely, perhaps better potential than England have?

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Think the Wallabies and Eddie have a point to prove. While he may run out of puff I think it’s actually good timing for this years WC. Oddly enough I think the players are happy to have him back.

Least it’ll be an interesting 12 months.

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The changes in coach likely to be beneficial for both teams though Eddie might get a bigger bounce than Borthwick. Given the teams teams in same half of RWC draw, we have Gats v Jones, and potentially Jones v Cheka and/or Borthwick so supreme ironies await.