I was startled at how dominant England’s scrum was. I expected an edge, but nothing like that.
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Grand slam on! 
Rightly so I think. This year was always between France and Ireland for me.
England has on paper one of the best packs in the world, I don’t know why Lawes isn’t used alongside Itoje in the second row more often. They are both basically blind side flankers so excellent in the loose, whilst still being top tier at everything else you want from your locks. This would then free up a spot for someone like Underhill making our breakdown game far better.
Itoje, Lawes, Curry, Underhill and Simmonds/Dombrandt is a great back 5.
I did expect England to have the upper hand in the scrum - about along the lines of the first 2-3 scrums, Ireland won one, England had a clear win, and a ‘draw’ that left England breaking away better. But there must have been a stretch of 6-7 scrums where Ireland either clearly lost territory or were penalized. That was a real surprise, because the Irish pack usually hold their ground.
Yep the Irish scrum is usually very realiable but that’s the thing England’s is so dam good but sometimes just seems lazy.
I was surprised that there weren’t any yellow cards for Ireland as they gave away so many penalties.
It felt like one was imminent. My suspicion is that the ref was getting wise to some of England’s dark arts, in particular not pushing straight, and warned them accordingly.
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So can the poms knock over the froggies next weekend and let Oireland claim the title?
NON! 
England were cheating* in the scrum. Genge driving into the Irish prop. Ref let it go so they kept doing it, which is fair enough. Supposedly Eddie Jones is an expert at researching officials (their quirks and blind spots) to work out what they can get away with. Glad it didn’t work out on this occasion.
Edit: cheating maybe the wrong word, as all rugby teams operate in the blurred lines of the rules and try to work to their advantage
Surprise surprise Young’s utter shit. Another Jones failure pick. Englands back row far far too slow.
Interesting tactic setting up Genge as a ball carrier, even on kick returns.
Probably the only tactical change which has worked.
Dylan Cretin is the best name ever
Well deserved by France.
I still need to see Wales’ dismal performance earlier.
Being able to maintain possession has been the standout for me in this Championship. France and Ireland have done it better than anyone else.
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Don’t. It was awful. I don’t know where they go from there. I’m not sure what Pivac is trying to do, but beyond that there just seems a real dearth of talent available at the moment, and going on the U20 performances that doesnt look like it will rectified soon.
I’ll see it through as I’ve now seen the first half. I agree with your concerns though. I know Pivac wants to attack the wide channels and have forwards out there to achieve that but there’s this whole load in the middle that is just missing. Our points conversion per minute in the opposition 22 is woeful.
More watching needed unfortunately. I want to understand the issue but I have serious concerns on what is being done. I’m not convinced it’s 100% down to a lack of depth and ability.
I think the situation at Centre illustrates the problem. Jonathan Davies is a generational talent so it’s not that alarming to see him still be a mainstay at 33, but it’s the fact that there really isnt anyone knocking on the door that’s the problem. Fucking around with Centres (who arent like southern hemisphere centres for whom 13 and wing are similar roles in which players often interchange between) and still having to turn to the likes of the 30+ Scott Williams tells me there is a missing generation. Wales is a small country and so you might think they are susceptible to occasional down periods, but producing talent has never been a problem even when we were shit. It was always that transition from U18s to the senior professional ranks where our guys lost ground. I remember when I was at the youth rugby age, the Wales 18s went to NZ and won. Many of these were lads I knew and played with so I payed attention to their progression, and yet 4 years later not a single one had made the step up to a senior team that was still bad enough to be earning wooden spoons. We rectified that problem in the mid 2000s and now when I look at the lack of effective turnover of the last generation coupled with the poor performances from the current youth team it looks really looks more like an issue of the talent just not being produced in the first placed. That’s even more concerning and I dont know where its coming from.
Possibly, but I also think that at the top level you need a game plan that that can be picked up quickly by players as they transition in and out of the squad due to injury etc. I’m not seeing that and that is a real concern I feel. Gatland for all his faults started with a solid game plan that evolved from that basic idea of continually attacking one side with big runners. That then evolved into Warren ball etc. Etc.
Looking at the first half yesterday and I saw a group of players that were basically all over the place. Plus our first phase line out ball, particularly in the opposition 22 is just awful. That’s not a talent issue, it’s a coaching one.
The one area that really concerns me though is the regional game. We are suffering massively there. That generational change just hasn’t happened. Maybe this ties in with your thoughts?
I’ll watch the rest of the game this evening and post back some further thoughts.
Right, deep breath as I’ve finished watching the game. First up, what a great try by Italy to win the game. Fantastic. Secondly, they deserved it. Thirdly what went wrong for Wales? Lots to be honest. In some ways I’m kind of happy about the loss. The cracks are there and obvious now. Win yesterday and all is considered ok. It isn’t.
Points taken on squad depth and player quality coming through. That’s a problem that will grow I think. That hole is coming when the likes of Tipuric, Davis, Biggar etc. all start fading away into retirement. The regions are in a mess, amateur rugby is in a mess.
Yesterday however, for me that loss was tactical. It’s been a tactical issue all tournament. Wales attack in pods of 3 / 4. Yesterday, they were everywhere and nowhere. The organisation was all over the place. Players didn’t know where to go, where to be etc. Then throw in slow ruck ball, and an obvious strategy of who was going to take the next tackle it it just becomes so easy to defend. No questions are being asked. Runners were taking the ball standing still also. No dummy runners, no one at a different angle, no one on the shoulder. It honestly looks like other than creating these pods there hasn’t been an ounce of organisation or thought as to what happens when you’re in them. It took 68 minutes to create any go forward ball and we managed to suck out our own momentum and kill any progress in two follow phases.
It is literally one up, take the tackle, hope your “pod” is with you to help you recycle. You’ve taken the ball standing still so you’re slow off the mark, there’s a wall of defenders in front of you because the play is so easy to read. You take the contact behind the gain line and hope to hang on, but you lose a couple more yards. It’s slow, rinse and repeat.
Wales are in deep trouble I think. I have some serious questions about our current coaching set up and what we’re trying to achieve tactically. Whatever it is, it isn’t working. The stats prove that. But beyond that, I’m looking at players 2-5 years down the line. There’s no one to my knowledge. Sack Pivac? Maybe, but who do you get in? I think you need to answer that one first.
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