Its incredible that even after shipping 50 points in a performance where France left maybe 30 additional points on the table, that can be viewed as an improvement over last week
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I blame Gareth Bale somehow.
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Surely itās got to be Darwin Nunezās fualt. no?
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I would add that 2015 the WRU binned the youth development programme. Also Brexit cost the WRU a grant that was specifically for player development. Alun Wyn Jones, Jon Davis, the players of that era were part of that programme.
Lastly, a word needs to be said that the WRU focussed solely on the financials at international level, completely ignoring the clubs and to a certain extent the regions. Almost as if it was born from arrogance. If anything they have been sleeping at wheel, busy polishing 6 nations trophies won under Gatland while the house was sinking.
The regional and club structure has always been a challenge and the WRU has not dared to tackle it. Youth structures are missing, attracting kids yo the game is missing, thereās no coach development, nothing. It is supposed to be a union. It is nothing of the sort.
I stat I heard today is that the WRUās finances are of a similar scale to those in Ireland. While the 2 nations are poles apart in development routes it adds to the scale of the mess weāre in.
And now weāre cutting a region, when youāve got a small pool of U20 players that need exposure to top flight games.
Iām pissed off, can you tell?
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Yes a few little things in todayās game despite being totally outclassed. Not out muscled, completely outclassed.
Iām kind of ok with it. The result was expected. Thereās things than can be coached to improve things.
Weāre lightweight, so ruck speed needs to be far quicker. When youāve got the French 10 hitting your open side behind the gain line and stopping him dead, your game plan, or execution is off. Secondly, if you canāt kick, donāt play a game heavily reliant on it.
Zammit, James and Mee were the best of the bunch.
Just a word on France. They are playing some wonderful rugby. Things have been tweaked to a more running game plan. They played 5 back row forwards today. Iād love to see them play South Africa like this, to see the contrast but also how they would cope.
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As an Irishman I find it a real shame. The 6N needs a strong Wales
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The two best teams in the world by a mile
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Yeah, probably. I want to see something counter the physical dominance that South Africa has. Move them round, make those big boys have to run more.
Side note current substitution rules should be changed. None of this bringing on a fresh pack business
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Yay Wales won a game. U20ās beat Scotland. Great game to be fair. 31-21. Wales were 31-7 up at one point.
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Dunno what to expect in this game. Disappointed by Borthwicks selection, hopefully they play with more imagination than the coach.
Unsurprising and uninspiring from England atm. Ireland deserve their lead and we deserve the sod all weāve got.
A lot of very talented players in England atm and Borthwick aināt got a clue what to do with them, how to get them playing their best, or which players he should actually be choosing. Weāre not on the level of France or South Africa but we should be not be as lackluster and limp as we are.
Im only half watching but it seems like England have talent but no execution and Ireland are being put on their back foot but comfortable there knowing they can hurt england when they get ball.
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Going to declare my obvious bias at the start.
Purely talent wise I think England are the third/fourth best in the world. South Africa and France have a depth of riches that no one else quite does. Then itās between England and New Zealand.
Where England are lacking is the coaching. Borthwick is a rugby Arteta in terms of style and the players he wants use. Some of our most talented arenāt in the line up, or even getting called up for the squad. Some of our most talented are being shoehorned into positions they donāt suit. Itās a very ugly waste of what should be a very good group who are all at a good age to reach even higher levels. Like Arteta though heāll limp through doing enough to look like heās on the cusp of getting over the line but wonāt actually do it. Itās incredibly frustrating to watch. Itās also a bland predictable style of rugby that after last yearās results others have cottoned on to. If play again like we have so far today Italy will beat us and France will embarrass us.
Hopefully the combination of the Scotland game and the first half of the Ireland game was chastening enough for him to try a bit of bravery and do something new, like play players who deserve to play and drop those who are playing like shit.
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Thatās a interesting decision - penalty on the line preventing ireland scoring another try, resulting in a yellow card, but no penalty try
Deserved pasting here
Yet they have 8s dancing to find gaps in their gain line defense. You would think a safety first game plan would at least be difficult to run through.
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Feels like England are one mistake or Irish try away from complete collapse
Arundell. Shouldnāt be in the squad, let alone on the pitch, at all tbh. Lazy, and trying him at centre after wasting freeman there last week is mad to me. Dunno how or why Borthwick decided putting a lazy winger at centre would fix the problems we had last week with a hard working winger at centre. Nevermind the fact that if there is one position England have an embarrassment of riches it is wing and Arundell should be nowhere near the top of that list. But maybe he knows something I donāt and thatās why he gets paid for it.
Edit: ignore that, Iām annoyed and not thinking. Arundell was on the wing. The rest of the assessment of him as a player is valid.
It kind of feels a year early to be honest. If we are to follow the traditional English cycle
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