Yes it’s great
Re RWC I’m not sure the draw allows it but I’m thinking an Ireland vs Boks final
Boks come through usually
Not sure about France but home advantage may come through maybe
No picking the ABs, I still wouldn’t right them off.
The Rees-Zammett intercept try made the score line closer than the game on the field. Englamd’svdefence system coming together under Sinfield and back 5 starting to look like they have met before. The 9 shirt getting more competitive as well - more contestable kicks please. Farrell at 10 was off the boil and poses a dilemma for Borthwick - missing too many place kicks poor decision not to kick for the corner after they had scored off the back of one previously.
Wales shone briefly, but Gatland does not have the players or the inspiration to avoid wooden spoon. Hard to feel too much sympathy given previous party pooping under him. Also shows how good Shaun Edwards is as defence coach.
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There have grumbles about the management of Welsh rugby all my life; this week Nigel Walker looked haggard after negotiations. It was disappointing to hear Martin Johnson show little understanding of Wales’ plight; he’s turning into a grumpy dinosaur, out of touch with the modern world.
Sadly, there are parallels with the way the English game is going - Wales is just ahead of the curve. International rugby remains popular and cash generative for the headline Unions (f.t.b.!), but the domestic game isn’t laying more player eggs, partly due to participation levels & financial realities. Ireland appear to have cracked this via focusing their support.
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We have the same problem here club rugby is as popular as a fart in a wetsuit.
I thought it was improving England against a pretty dire Wales. With Farrell missing several fairly straightforward kicks and Wales’ only try an interception they were lucky to stay even close but that isn’t really saying a lot about England.
The pack did OK and some signs of the outside backs working better but ruck ball is still too slow, and the scrum half rarely engages the defence or kicks well. Farrell a very ordinary game.
Credit to Steward for catching everything but I cannot see France or Ireland kicking to him so easily and often, and more importantly either of them wasting opportunities to attack from bad English kicks.
All credit to an improving team but still very much second tier behind the best.
I loved the Italy/Ire game. Great to see Italy recover from their non-appearance against Eng to have a real go again. They are a bit of defensive organisation away from really being a force. I hope they can keep going with this intent.
Bruce
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When the fans started boo-ing England under Jones at Twickenham, I wonder if the RFU realised gate receipts were under threat – and the ticket prices nowadays are pretty steamy for many. Some think the respective Unions are very wealthy, borne of the money from internationals & sponsorships etc, but I think the reality is somewhat different from an operational-spend perspective (which may be what the Welsh RFU are experiencing?) – probably made worse by Covid hangovers.
Overlay the law changes (e.g. subs) which now seem to dictate the need to have a 1st team player squad of >35 per club (with 23 selected each matchday), it’s easy to see where financial challenges can arise.
Fox Sports had always supported the local regional rugby (Aus/ANZ). It grew to include SA and others. They helped fund its start however after 15 years the pull the pin, it’s struggled to find both a decent sponsor and board cast rights. It’s now shared between Stan a paywall and a free to air channel.
Japan has been dropped which is a shame.
Over here, Premiership Rugby (PR) is televised by BT Sport, the 6N’s internationals being protected FTA. BT have given over a lot of resource to supporting & promoting PR (very well IMHO), and BT have had issues of their own, borne in part from over-paying (in relative terms) for Prem footie. PR tried to negotiate-up their broadcast rights contracts and were rebuffed, this before the PR league lost 2 clubs due to self-inflicted financial issues. PR, which is owned by the participating clubs, sold-off a portion of the rights-owning vehicle to a VC house, one assumes the latter seeing opportunity for financial expansion in the game, akin to the footie. I wonder how that assumption in their business plan is playing out?!
I wonder if the financial model surrounding rugby union in the UK is now over-mature as, like football, clubs have relied upon the largesse of wealthy owners to support them. At some stage, I expect reality to bite, as the laws of gravity cannot be thwarted forever.
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I might try and stay up tonight to watch France v Scotland. Should be a good game if I stay awake. I can watch a mini match tomorrow at my leisure.
A good insight into the Welsh funding issues I thought.
Bruce
Word is that Smith back at 10 and Farrell dropped for France. Fair play to Borthwick as that is a big call. Genge as Captain.
Much as I have criticised Farrell I wonder if playing the direct and muscular French team is the game for this change but only one way to find out.
At some point England are going to have to commit to one or the other at 10. I think the idea of both playing has pretty much been kicked out.
Three potential crackers this weekend. I hope Italy can get a win as reward for their progress.
Bruce
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I wonder whether Farrell’s wayward kicking from the tee has made the decision to drop him easier. But agreed, unusually all three games are “must see” for a variety of reasons. I suspect though France will be too much for England, but I do admire them as a team.
I hope Smith gets to start as (IMHO) England need a creator/playmaker at 10 and onwards (ideally 9 too a la Dupont), not simply a distributor and someone who even kicks ball away in the red-zone. Playing a passive and slow 12 (OF), with no running threat would also be unwise against a dynamic French 3/4 line. England need to generate pace with threat from their 3/4 line, something which appeared to be some way down on Jones’ list of priorities.
Whether Smith can manage the show remains to be seen.
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A 10-12–13 combination of Smith, Lawrence and Slade is definitely more balanced and far more like the destructive combinations that Quins have displayed when they have had front foot ball. Big job for Genge and co to create that but here’s hoping!
I think the Scots have proved, and the Aussies have continually done so noting they’ve had poor packs but good running 3/4s, that you don’t need a lot of your own ball to do damage – especially when England have been content to kick it to you in several games of late!
England’s try-count was woeful in later times under Jones, we even struggled to ‘put a score’ on poor Italy sides, and as soon as we went behind, the 3/4’s didn’t have the creativity and pace to change a game, bar one-offs e.g. Arundell’s star-turn in Australia.
Traditional rugby theory says that when up against a stronger/bigger pack (as France and SA are), you try and run them around the park – we shall see.
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We will at least get a feel for whether the attack is making any progress. We need to see the defensive improvements continue to evolve too and the pack to show some real mongrel. Still feels a huge gap to to the top teams globally but would be nice to see progress.
Not just progress but a plan/style.
Bruce
Hopefully the plan will be an improvement on this….
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