Rugby Thread

[GB72]

How do England avoid the scrum then? Is there a tactic they can use to do this? They've had forward notice so hopefully it is something they are working on.

The little box kicks from the French certainly negated the S.African attacking defence so I'm expecting to see that repeated.

A scrum only comes about really as the result of an infringement so just try and cut the handling errors. On our ball, just get it in and out quick to stop the penalty from losing the shove. On theirs, lock out as opposed to going for the shove. With most teams you keep the ball moving around the pitch to tire out the big men but that does not seem to work against SA. It may help that we have Aled, the strength and conditioning coach that helped SA win the last world cup. Both teams have players with a yellow card in them so that could make a difference.

I am not writing England off yet. Tigers should not have beaten Saracens in the final the year before last but Borthwick created a game plan that worked for that match and negated their strengths. I am expecting to get hammered but not totally discounting our chances yet

 

[Beezerk]

How do England avoid the scrum then? Is there a tactic they can use to do this? They've had forward notice so hopefully it is something they are working on.

The little box kicks from the French certainly negated the S.African attacking defence so I'm expecting to see that repeated.

I don’t know but SA are definitely beatable, maybe not by England though
I thought the first 2 SA tries were massively lucky, any other day the bounce goes a different way or the France player takes the catch. France let themselves down with handling errors as well, they gave away possession numerous times when they were in great positions.
SA vs NZ final by the looks of it, pick the bones out of that

 

[BrianM]

All Blacks never had to get out of first gear last night, couldn't believe how poor Argentina were, they just never turned up.
England should give South Africa a better game tonight you would think, and if it gets tight near the end, England could have a real chance as the South Africans could maybe feel it physically after the games they have had to play compared to England.

 

[rudebhoy]

All Blacks never had to get out of first gear last night, couldn't believe how poor Argentina were, they just never turned up.
England should give South Africa a better game tonight you would think, and if it gets tight near the end, England could have a real chance as the South Africans could maybe feel it physically after the games they have had to play compared to England.

Am predicting more of the same tonight. Or maybe it's wishful thinking

 

[Lord Tyrion]

The Welsh must be sat there thinking, how did we lose to Argentina? Awful last night, back to their form against England. New Zealand were clinical but barely had to break into a sweat. Disappointing.

 

[Norrin Radd]

The Welsh must be sat there thinking, how did we lose to Argentina? Awful last night, back to their form against England. New Zealand were clinical but barely had to break into a sweat. Disappointing.

Is that the Argentina that England beat with only 14 men on the park ,, I assume it's the same Argentina . I'm sure the leeks will be watching England play in the semi final ,rather begrudgingly though .

 

[Piece]

Hoping SA have an off day and England can be on top form. I think SA to win by 15 and NZ to win overall.

 

[Norrin Radd]

I hope the rugby doesn't go like the cricket today ,the saffers are absolutely stuffing us .

 

[SocketRocket]

Is that the Argentina that England beat with only 14 men on the park ,, I assume it's the same Argentina . I'm sure the leeks will be watching England play in the semi final ,rather begrudgingly though .

I believe Argentina have beat the ABs a few times recently.

 

[Imurg]

Well that's poked the Tiger hasn't it....

 

[BrianM]

Cracking start from England.

 

[BrianM]

England blew it

 

[Piece]

FFS. Sometimes it's just not your day.

 

[babylonsinger]

Another excellent advert for the game. Superb from SA in that last 20. Especially after their efforts last week.

A potentially epic final

 

[paddyc]

Massive mistake by Steward to knock on from his kick inside our own half SA always going to get a penalty from scrum and them a straightforward kick for Pollard .Steward should have launched it as far into their 22 as possible. No way would they have got the points from there. England didn't deserve to lose.

 

[ColchesterFC]

Can someone with more rugby knowledge explain what happened with the scrums in the second half? In the first half it seemed fairly even with England holding their own. In the second half South Africa completely dominated, winning penalty after penalty. Why such a massive change?

 

[fundy]

Can someone with more rugby knowledge explain what happened with the scrums in the second half? In the first half it seemed fairly even with England holding their own. In the second half South Africa completely dominated, winning penalty after penalty. Why such a massive change?

Prop substitutions played a massive part but the ref had his mind made up who he was penalising without actually watching by the end, Kock clearly engineered the last one

 

[Piece]

Can someone with more rugby knowledge explain what happened with the scrums in the second half? In the first half it seemed fairly even with England holding their own. In the second half South Africa completely dominated, winning penalty after penalty. Why such a massive change?

In short, SA scrum replacements were better than England's

 

[Grizzly]

Prop substitutions played a massive part but the ref had his mind made up who he was penalising without actually watching by the end, Kock clearly engineered the last one

Engineered is generous. Appreciate it is on Ben O'Keefe that he got it so badly wrong and in effect decided the match, but Kock was never in a legal position in either of the last two scrums.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I'm not argueing that SA scrum legit, but if Farrell hadnt shot his mouth off to the ref, they wouldnt have gone in only 6 pts down.
England played very well with some tackling of old coming out, which was good to see.