2015 Six Nations

[thebish]

Oh, all right, frustration talking. We wanted it all right in the back half of it all, but by then we were trying to climb out of a hole and up a slippery slope.

nope... (in my opinion) we "wanted it" all the way through. There is no lack of passion and commitment in the England team. What there was today was a lack of discipline and precision where it counted. Today's game was a game of fairly small (but significant) margins.

[Raven]

I know nothing about Rugby (both types) but been watching these games and really enjoying it, far more than football these days anyway

[jaffka]

Was on the way to being hammered as I watched this yesterday.

Very disappointed, we knew that Ireland would come at us early on but we didn't deal with a quick start for the third consecutive time.

There will be a few players today disappointed with their level of performance.

Bad decision making in not clearing the ball gifted them penalties. Then we went through a spell of kicking the ball away.

We need to find a new deputy for brown as Goode isn't good enough at international level.

We can only hope now that Wales beat Ireland and we win our remaining games.

[thebish]

Calcutta Cup!!!

we may well eventually regret the sloppiness and imprecision that led to so many missed opportunities (TWO forward passes on crucial line-breaks???) - but - down to the wire against the french - and at least we are now MAKING opportunities.. some great individual performances out there - not least Ford and Youngs (the younger!)

[TANGODANCER]

Interesting now that the Taffs beat Ireland and us the Scots. Our result could have been double. Bit of carelessness, sloppy handling and a hefty dose of ill luck with decisions. Allowing dfor my lack of knowledge, we need to be better at line-outs and we never win much when the ball goes in the air. Enjoyable game though and it's back wide open.

[jaffka]

That was so frustrating. A game where scoring points and we had the chances to do so would have been massive for our aspirations of winning the championship.

We started off so well and looked like we would blow them away as they really struggled with our physicality, speed and aggression. Then we went to feckin pieces and looked brittle and did they enjoy that.

Seemed that over excitement upon possibly scoring got the better of us, numerous times. Still at least this week the kicking improved apart from Nowell kicking when he should have ran it.

Good to win, as test match rugby is tough but a missed opportunity in the grand scheme of things.

[Worthy4England]

Agreed. I thought Nowell had a pretty poor game tbh. Poor decision making and a couple of knock ons. Opportunity deffo missed. Wales look to have the easiest job, last round. Only thing in England's favour is we'll know what needs to be done.

[thebish]

Agreed. I thought Nowell had a pretty poor game tbh. Poor decision making and a couple of knock ons. Opportunity deffo missed. Wales look to have the easiest job, last round. Only thing in England's favour is we'll know what needs to be done.

aye - will be nerve-jangling... Italy are not the pushovers they used to be and defense is a stronger part than attack in the welsh game just now - unless italy give away penalties within about a mile of the posts, that is!

france... well - who knows? they may have nowt to play for - but that means the pressure is off them and very much ON us - and it certainly isn't beyond the bounds of possibility that they could turn us over.. however - we haven't produced a dazzling 80min performance yet - and maybe we have one in us where we actually start to convert all the chances and half-breaks that we are starting to make...

wales are quite a bit behind our points diff to start with - they have a wee bit to make up - it's between us and ireland, I think... but, well, just but!!

[jaffka]

This table, simplifies the situation much better than the BBC one.

Wales in Italy and need to score 25 more than Italy just to get level with us. That's going to be a tough ask.

Ireland in Scotland needing +4 to draw level, that is definitely doable but they have been beat the last 2 times in Scotland...

England have to win, quite simple and as worthy and bish have said we will at least know what we have to do.

[Worthy4England]

France put 29 past Italy, we put 47 (+30), Ireland put 26 past them (+23). I wouldn't rule Wales out. We could be in for a close game v France...

[jaffka]

France put 29 past Italy, we put 47 (+30), Ireland put 26 past them (+23). I wouldn't rule Wales out. We could be in for a close game v France...

Even France are in with a chance of winning the championship...

Wales for the last 3 times in Rome have won by an average of 10 points.

Ireland haven't done well recently in Edinburgh but this game has a massive prize at the end of it, which will obviously motivate the Irish.

I will be brave and rule out Wales and France from winning the championship. Wales will win but not by enough to trouble the top. Ireland are the ones we need to outdo with a 4 points start. We can certanly beat France but will need Scotland to help us out with a fantastic performance and a narrow defeat as I cannot see anything other than an Ireland win.

A great final Saturday awaits.

[Worthy4England]

Eek. Hadn't spotted the France on the outside rails scenario....!

[jaffka]

[jaffka]

France: 15-Scott Spedding, 14-Yoann Huget, 13-Gael Fickou, 12-Maxime Mermoz, 11-Noa Nakaitaci, 10-Jules Plisson, 9-Sebastien Tillous-Borde; 1-Vincent Debaty, 2-Guilhem Guirado, 3-Nicolas Mas, 4-Alexandre Flanquart, 5-Yoann Maestri, 6-Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 7-Bernard Le Roux, 8-Loann Goujon

Replacements: 16-Benjamin Kayser, 17-Rabah Slimani, 18-Uini Atonio, 19-Romain Taofifenua, 20-Damien Chouly, 21-Rory Kockott, 22-Remi Tales, 23-Mathieu Bastareaud

[jaffka]

Attwood dropped from the squad and replaced by Parling, who should offer more line out stability and leadership. No specialist lock forward replacement again, hope it doesn't bite us on the ass.

France going for power over pace with Basternaud on the bench, strange really as its easier to stand in the way of a hulk when knackered rather than chasing a flyer.

We can do this, need Scotland to keep it tight and be driven by the desire of not wanting to register 5 straight defeats in their new newest dawning

Wales have problems at front row and a Mexican stand off with Gatland and Adam Jones has developed, neither wanting to call the other.

[TANGODANCER]

Mike Brown and Jonathan Josephs to fly in and sting em.

[Worthy4England]

Attwood dropped from the squad and replaced by Parling, who should offer more line out stability and leadership. No specialist lock forward replacement again, hope it doesn't bite us on the ass.

France going for power over pace with Basternaud on the bench, strange really as its easier to stand in the way of a hulk when knackered rather than chasing a flyer.

We can do this, need Scotland to keep it tight and be driven by the desire of not wanting to register 5 straight defeats in their new newest dawning

Wales have problems at front row and a Mexican stand off with Gatland and Adam Jones has developed, neither wanting to call the other.

I suspect Wales might have been home and hosed by now, had Jones been playing...

Parling is a great return for our lineout.

I could still see Wales winning this - depending on which France turn up...

I think we have the hardest game of the three.

[jaffka]

Attwood dropped from the squad and replaced by Parling, who should offer more line out stability and leadership. No specialist lock forward replacement again, hope it doesn't bite us on the ass.

France going for power over pace with Basternaud on the bench, strange really as its easier to stand in the way of a hulk when knackered rather than chasing a flyer.

We can do this, need Scotland to keep it tight and be driven by the desire of not wanting to register 5 straight defeats in their new newest dawning

Wales have problems at front row and a Mexican stand off with Gatland and Adam Jones has developed, neither wanting to call the other.

I suspect Wales might have been home and hosed by now, had Jones been playing...

Parling is a great return for our lineout.

I could still see Wales winning this - depending on which France turn up...

I think we have the hardest game of the three.

Our task isn't easy and I agree that it would better to be playing Italy or Scotland. I do think we will do it though.

I see Ireland racking up more points than Wales. It's interesting that you see Wales running up a difference of 25 points minimum and then needing more to head the table and stay there.

Lancaster is waiting until the end of the Scotland and Ireland game before giving his team talk, the big danger for us is trying to play to much rugby early on.

[Worthy4England]

Yeah - I guess. One Six Nations since 2003 isn't a huge haul. We put 47? past Italy and if we'd have tried, would have probably kept them to less than three tries. I think 10/15 points difference would make it interesting as France are no push-overs. Max they've conceded is 20 (against Wales) and they scored 13. The max points diff for France has been -7. You could see Wales being capable of getting to 32/33, points diff...

I'm certainly not discounting Ireland at all. Same scenario, if they did a job and got 10/15 points ahead, I think it'd be really tough. Scotland haven't had any canings though this season (yet)

[Salford Trotter]

I'll be watching the game in Paris hopefully winding the locals up