Rugby Union

[TANGODANCER]

Gutted for the girlies. 60 minutes with a player down and only lost by 3. Some bizarre interventions by the TMO...

Aye, big shame that. Tough playing against an extra player. They'll be back.

I've never been a fan of Rugby League, probably because I started with the Sevens which didn't appeal, but I watched the full bore stuff last night , Australia v New Zealand...Awesome game which Oz won by just two points after World War 3. Riveting stuff.

[Prufrock]

Last night was unbelievable. Absolutely top class sport.

My football game today was cancelled so I've picked up tickets last minute for Englad-Samoa in the second semi. Conveniently taking place 2 mins away from my house!

[Worthy4England]

That crowd looks disappointing for a semi final...

Anyhow, nearly time for the proper rugby to start. Need a big step up from last week's awful performance

[Prufrock]

It was great for me, tickets available 2 mins away from my house. But that was pathetic. 40,000 there apparently. In the same way we have 12,000 turn up for Grimsby at home in the league cup.

[Worthy4England]

It was great for me, tickets available 2 mins away from my house. But that was pathetic. 40,000 there apparently. In the same way we have 12,000 turn up for Grimsby at home in the league cup.

Yeah, would struggle to really complain about a defeat, but it's never caught on really, down Sarf.

In other news, an improved England performance v Japan, across the city at a packed headquarters. I don't think there was enough in it to fill me with confidence for the next two...

[Prufrock]

Yeah Samoa deserved it, England were flat for 60 mins. It's a hypothetical but if that's in front of a packed crowd at Elland Road, or Anfield, or even the Reebok, I think there's a good chance we win. It's like they thought they could just stick it at the Emirates and southerners would suddenly care.

[Worthy4England]

Yeah Samoa deserved it, England were flat for 60 mins. It's a hypothetical but if that's in front of a packed crowd at Elland Road, or Anfield, or even the Reebok, I think there's a good chance we win. It's like they thought they could just stick it at the Emirates and southerners would suddenly care.

Aye, was wondering why anyone would think it a great idea to play it at the Emirates, caught the first half, we were awful. Didn't manage a point v 12 men...

[nicholaldo]

To be fair, the London fixtures often sell quite well, even among people who live locally but don't follow the sport.

They completely lost their composure, though. Not just during the golden point period but right at the death - and having just got themselves back level - they had an opportunity to take the tackle and then go for a drop goal about thirty metres out but instead went for the offload.

[TANGODANCER]

Can't tell a lie, the Sams were better than I expected and right from the off gave me the willies. Credit to our lads for getting it back to golden point level, but the Sams were worth their win. I don't see them beating the Oz, but who knows. Bad day all round; the women's rugby League girls ust lost by 2 after having a player sin-binned, and the tennis girls lost the semis of the Billie Jean Cup on a tie break . (Heather Watson needs to toughen up some as the Oz girl beat her by wanting it more.) And Bolton only drew with Cambridge. Only the women footballers march on beating Japan 4-0.

All in all, we're good runners up. Bad day at the office

[Worthy4England]

Not quite TD. The mens England Rugby Union team won, by a big margin, which given we're on the rugby union thread, probably deserves a mention.

[TANGODANCER]

Not quite TD. The mens England Rugby Union team won, by a big margin, which given we're on the rugby union thread, probably deserves a mention.

Aye, overlooked that in the general gloom..sorry.

[Worthy4England]

Can't believe someone told me the result, knowing I missed the second half...bastards

[TANGODANCER]

Can't believe someone told me the result, knowing I missed the second half...bastards

Amazing result. Only seen the text commentary, but wow...unbelievable..

[Worthy4England]

Can't believe someone told me the result, knowing I missed the second half...bastards

Amazing result. Only seen the text commentary, but wow...unbelievable..

Watched it this morning. Strange game, 10 minutes to go and we're down 25-6. But bizarrely, it didn't feel like we were getting a good gubbing. They scored three good tries (and had one disallowed), but it wasn't that they were camped in our 22. At the other end (we spent more time in their 22 than they did in ours), they defended really well aided by some loose handling from us.

Good to get our first try with 10 minutes left and the sin bin they got whilst we were scoring it, helped set up the finale. We then spent the last 10 playing some decent handling rugby, to end up level. There was some bemusement when Smith kicked it straight out after the kick off, post the 80 minute mark, to ensure the draw.

Some of the new guard Van P mainly, showed they have a lot to learn (to be expected)...My takeaways. Improved performance, decent result.

The RFU probably need to look at how many sin bins are being handed out for technical and accidental breaches, I say that after 2 in the last couple of weeks that have probably helped change the result. One in the girly final V NZ, where there was a clash of heads. Ref was correct under the laws to issue a red, but it looked accidental to me and in rugby you're occasionally going to get head contact...second was yesterday when NZ got a yellow, again probably correct call under the laws, but for a technical offence rather than a violent one. We saw a raft of them last 6 nations for most sides, don't think it's great, imbalancing the match...

[Worthy4England]

Unlike last week, deservedly behind at HT. Front row has been abso-fcuking-lutely brutal...Lot to do to rescue this one

[TANGODANCER]

Farrell just reduced the defisite by three....but not for long.

[Worthy4England]

Farrell just reduced the defisite by three....but not for long.

Not at the races, TD. Saffers scrum has just handed us 80 minutes of humble pie and we didn't manage to push that back to them...

They played 20 mins with a man down and still pushed us off the scrum, 7 v 8...

[TANGODANCER]

Farrell just reduced the defisite by three....but not for long.

Not at the races, TD. Saffers scrum has just handed us 80 minutes of humble pie and we didn't manage to push that back to them...

They played 20 mins with a man down and still pushed us off the scrum, 7 v 8...

Saw the final result late as there is too much going on right now. Jones takes the blame, but he doesn't play out there. Just admit we got beat and move on.

[Worthy4England]

Farrell just reduced the defisite by three....but not for long.

Not at the races, TD. Saffers scrum has just handed us 80 minutes of humble pie and we didn't manage to push that back to them...

They played 20 mins with a man down and still pushed us off the scrum, 7 v 8...

Saw the final result late as there is too much going on right now. Jones takes the blame, but he doesn't play out there. Just admit we got beat and move on.

There is a similar debate here as the football. Albeit with different background stats. England have finished 5th and 3rd in the last two Six Nations, I've been generally supportive of him up until this year, but I think I've finally flipped the other way. He needs to go.

I agree that it wasn't Jones getting pushed off the ball, yesterday, it was the players on the pitch, but he is picking them and there are plenty of options (some of which he's picking and I'm not convinced they're not emperors new clothes). This year, we've lost to Scotland, Ireland, France, Argentina and South Africa. The year before a world cup, our worst season since 2008. That's nowhere near good enough.

South Africa were very good yesterday (taking nothing away from them at all), but we need to play our best players in their best positions - Itoje, Back Row? No, he's one of the best second rows in the world, we don't gain more than we lose moving him to back row. Sometimes, we end up in a position where the forwards pull us out of the fire, even when the backs are playing the wrong gameplan. They were humbled yesterday - it was actually sad to see some players who have put everything in, get such a comprehensive mauling.

I generally wouldn't advocate a change in the year leading up to the World Cup (we have no more games until 2023), but I'm now in a place that says it's probably not going to hurt our chances to make a change - and it really has to be Eddie's head that rolls.

[Worthy4England]

And he's gone. I think probably warranted after the last couple of years. Someone has a pretty big job of getting the right selections and heads up, through the Six Nations and hope it can carry into the WC.