2015 Six Nations

[Prufrock]

So stupid. Can't complain at that but the one before half time should have gone too.

[Prufrock]

I'd have kicked for goal there!

[Prufrock]

What do I know with (double) luck like that.

[thebish]

what a phenomenal day's rugby! putting more thyan fifty points past france!

the difference? that fecking try that scotland stupidly dropped when it was easier not to drop it!!!

(also - vunipola dropped his - but nobody noticed!)

still - that last Nowell try put us above wales in the table! (phew!)

[jaffka]

what a phenomenal day's rugby! putting more thyan fifty points past

Absolutely, three great games. That last gasp Italian try wiped the smirks off the taffs faces. Italy need to look at themselves. First half they competed but let their heads drop with the sin binning. For those Welsh fans getting over excited about great try's, all Wales did was run and if they beat the first tackle there wasn't any tracking and follow up hits.

Scotlands new dawn failed to rise again and that was one hell of an Irish performance. O'connell wanted that and drove his team on

We knew what we had to do and very nearly did it. A great game of rugby but that margin was just to much, we looked like we were going to totally bottle it in the first half but credit to the players who kept going. I thought France were going to let us in at the death with that strange choice of tapping and going rather booting the ball into touch.

Overall a great tournament and congratulations to the Irish.

Overall though Lancaster must start getting some pressure, he will be here for the World Cup but his side aren't delivering wins and trophies. He seems to have his favourites and suggestions that England is a closed shop.

Hang over as well!

[jaffka]

The RFU must have read my post

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/32035225" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He's here for the world cup and more than likely the next years six nations but the message is start winning or you will be out.

[Dujon]

That's a bit rough on Lancaster in my opinion. It wasn't he who squandered chances against Scotland or let France through the defence far too often. Admittedly four consecutive second places is disappointing but, strewth, this one was ever so close. Unless it was shown on pay-TV it wasn't televised here (understandable) so I haven't seen any or any part of any game. Were Lancaster's tactics wrong? Were his selections (assuming he has the say in that) suspect? Did injury play a part? Were the play-makers in the team up to the mark and did they follow instructions? There are too many ifs and buts and whys for me to untangle. Perhaps some of you lot could enlighten me?

[Prufrock]

The last one was pretty close too!

Not really sure what else he's supposed to do. The mood going into the Wales game with the injury crisis was keep the score down and try to finish 3rd. World Cup is surely the defining one. Semis or better he's fine, crash out early and he'll be gone.

[Worthy4England]

We let in 20 points a game. That could be fairly unimportant in a cup context, coz all you need yo go is get one more on the day, but we've let in too many sucker tries.More likely to be important against Southern hemisphere. Points diff could play a huge part in RWC in getting out of the group and determining how tough a quarterfinal team you play...both are a concern...

[jaffka]

The last one was pretty close too!

Not really sure what else he's supposed to do. The mood going into the Wales game with the injury crisis was keep the score down and try to finish 3rd. World Cup is surely the defining one. Semis or better he's fine, crash out early and he'll be gone.

The mood is irrespective, we won the game and ultimately failed again to build on that.

[jaffka]

We let in 20 points a game. That could be fairly unimportant in a cup context, coz all you need yo go is get one more on the day, but we've let in too many sucker tries.More likely to be important against Southern hemisphere. Points diff could play a huge part in RWC in getting out of the group and determining how tough a quarterfinal team you play...both are a concern...

The average might show 20 points but that's due to the last match against France where we were involved in a points chase and had to be more daring, I'm not sure that anyone is disappointed with that performance. The closest one of the other countries got to that 20 point figure was Ireland, who scored 19.

Overall we were just not good enough again, which seems to be becoming a habit. For me it was the Scotland game where failure to finish good chances cost us. People might think Italy, but playing Italy later on when they have lost their captain and seemingly couldn't be arsed is a different proposition to facing them earlier on when they were fresher and keener.

Regarding the world cup, barring any major injury disasters I fully expect us to win the group and progress to at least the semis but I don't think we have what it takes to win it overall, hence why I think he will be here for another six nations.

[Prufrock]

The last one was pretty close too!

Not really sure what else he's supposed to do. The mood going into the Wales game with the injury crisis was keep the score down and try to finish 3rd. World Cup is surely the defining one. Semis or better he's fine, crash out early and he'll be gone.

The mood is irrespective, we won the game and ultimately failed again to build on that.

Is like criticising Lennon for not getting in the play-offs. Coming so close, with so those injuries, playing Ireland and Wales away is v impressive IMO.

[jaffka]

The last one was pretty close too!

Not really sure what else he's supposed to do. The mood going into the Wales game with the injury crisis was keep the score down and try to finish 3rd. World Cup is surely the defining one. Semis or better he's fine, crash out early and he'll be gone.

The mood is irrespective, we won the game and ultimately failed again to build on that.

Is like criticising Lennon for not getting in the play-offs. Coming so close, with so those injuries, playing Ireland and Wales away is v impressive IMO.

No its not, this is Lancaster's fourth season, he has won a triple crown, that's it. England should be winning the six nations.

Do you really think he has an idea of his best team for the world cup?

Are you happy with the performance of the back row? Playing a 6 repeatedly at 7 costs us. Ignoring the best open side in Europe because he doesn't play in England is downright stupid.

[Worthy4England]

Hmmm, maybe I'm just too critical. We did play Wales and Ireland away, but we only won half of those two games! We played the bottom three teams at home and lost on points diff...

I think we looked very good in attack, but our lineout looked shakey at times, some poor individual decision making cost us tries and I think generally second shouldn't be good enough given Englands "resources".

[jaffka]

Hmmm, maybe I'm just too critical. We did play Wales and Ireland away, but we only won half of those two games! We played the bottom three teams at home and lost on points diff...

I think we looked very good in attack, but our lineout looked shakey at times, some poor individual decision making cost us tries and I think generally second shouldn't be good enough given Englands "resources".

I'm critical but just wanted to present some balance on the simple statistic of conceding 20 a game, I think that we agree overall regarding Lancaster, who I have nothing against and do think he has improved us but doesn't have the experience or ability to drive us to the next stage.

More importantly it seems that the RFU agree.

[Worthy4England]

It was a simplistic statistic, meant to be. We were nearer to the amount of points conceded to the bottom team who didn't win a game, than the team who won it. That's still too simplistic, but I don't think we're defending quite well enough at times. We seem to switch off, more often than I'd like and it's costing us.

[Prufrock]

Agreed on Armitage. That's not Lancaster though is it?

Fine margins as fook like saying these days. Other side if those margins and he'd have won the last two. Everyone would have taken a short at five minutes to score a try to win the champo before the Wales game. Most would have tasked 3rd! No doubt Ireland the best side IMO.

[jaffka]

It was a simplistic statistic, meant to be. We were nearer to the amount of points conceded to the bottom team who didn't win a game, than the team who won it. That's still too simplistic, but I don't think we're defending quite well enough at times. We seem to switch off, more often than I'd like and it's costing us.

Which was shown against Scotland.

Italy used the chip and chase well which led to Brown getting concussion and then missing the Ireland game who have been head and shoulders above everyone else at that. Goode was a backwards step, apart from one jinking run he didn't make any yards and was beaten in the air for them to score. It didn't help that our brain dead backs 3 times decided to run the fecking ball within Sexton's kicking range. That's basics and a well drilled unit which in a world cup year is what we should be, shouldn't be doing brain dead basic mistakes in the big games.

[Worthy4England]

Look at the last 10 years. 3, 6 Nations for France, Ireland and Wales. 1 for England.

Only so long you can suggest it's all about fine margins. It is, but that's the point I'm making about those "switch off" moments counting. Need to get the fine margins falling our way.

It's like being fcing Arsenal at the moment.

[Worthy4England]

It was a simplistic statistic, meant to be. We were nearer to the amount of points conceded to the bottom team who didn't win a game, than the team who won it. That's still too simplistic, but I don't think we're defending quite well enough at times. We seem to switch off, more often than I'd like and it's costing us.

Which was shown against Scotland.

Italy used the chip and chase well which led to Brown getting concussion and then missing the Ireland game who have been head and shoulders above everyone else at that. Goode was a backwards step, apart from one jinking run he didn't make any yards and was beaten in the air for them to score. It didn't help that our brain dead backs 3 times decided to run the fecking ball within Sexton's kicking range. That's basics and a well drilled unit which in a world cup year is what we should be, shouldn't be doing brain dead basic mistakes in the big games.

Yes. That last sentence. That's the badger.