1 x 4 = Your thoughts on your team

As the World Cup draws ever closer I thought I'd ask everyone what their thoughts on their teams are, but.......

I'd like to ask for:

- 1 thing you're very happy with about your team
- 1 thing you're worried about
- 1 thing that has surprised you about them in the warm-ups
- 1 player you think will have a big part to play from the bench

Heres mine:

- The defence (its been very strong, scramble defence has been very quick to get back, intensity in first up tackling looks good)
- The Set piece (of course, our 2 best hookers are injured, if Adam Jones gets injured we're screwed)
- Their will to win (its been stated wales are mentally weak, I think the England game has shown they've come along, Warburton is a big cause for this for me, he leads from the front!)
- Tavis Knoyle (as an impact player, he comes on and speeds the game up for Wales in the last 20 minutes, something we'll need to do against both the island teams)

Anyway.

Feel free to pick mine apart, can we keep it free from the endless "my dad is bigger than yours but it doesnt matter cause my nan put a cat in the bin" type arguments that make no point, or sense....

We can hope!

Kisses!

happy -- they sing when they're winning
worried -- very fragile bench, nio back up players at all in the forwards, so only one 1st team
warm up surprise -- team spirit
bench player -- samo/palu, depending who starts

- 1 thing you're very happy with about your team

Stephen Ferris is back.

- 1 thing you're worried about

Our set piece and midfield.

- 1 thing that has surprised you about them in the warm-ups

How bad we were.

- 1 player you think will have a big part to play from the bench

Ronan O'Gara or Jonny Sexton depending on who starts.

- 1 thing you're very happy with about your team
front row usual benchwarmer (poux and the blond mullet hooker- even I cannot be bothered to spell his name) have proven to be serious contenders for 1st team
- 1 thing you're worried about
trinh-duc to be injured
- 1 thing that has surprised you about them in the warm-ups
backline starting to tick together (at least during 30minutes over the last 2 irish gales - still much more than during the last 6N)
- 1 player you think will have a big part to play from the bench
Barcella if he gets close to the level he had one year ago

I have two teams playing in the world cup so I'm going to do one for each:

Wales:
- finally remembered how to score tries
- Huw Bennetts mental fragility when it come to pressure lineouts. Bakkies and Victor always seem to get to him
- how many injuries we've got
- Ken Owens simply because he has to

Scotland:
- simply winning
- still not scoring many tries
- our inability to finish off breaks. come on guys get on the shoulder
- Not actually sure who the first team is...but I'll say Strokosch

roddersm wrote:- 1 thing you're worried about

Our set piece and midfield.

Classic!

Carpe Diem wrote:

roddersm wrote:- 1 thing you're worried about

Our set piece and midfield.

Classic!

Well I know that's 2 but I worry about them both at the same time..

Wales

- 1 thing you're very happy with about your team -
we appear to have resecovered the lost art of defence.


- 1 thing you're worried about -
the press are going to be hyping up certain players (Hook, North, possibly Priestland/Scott Williams) and I am not sure that the players will live up to the expectations

- 1 thing that has surprised you about them in the warm-ups -
We started to tackle people, and to look like we didn't want to conciede tries.

- 1 player you think will have a big part to play from the bench-
Paul James will most likely be one of our most important players, as I have a feeling he will be coming on to replace an injured Geth/Adam, so hopes will be pinned on him managing to either maintain the pressure in the pack, or to somehow out-prop a Lions prop.

Hmmm,

Scotland,

Happy About - Perhaps some stability in the midfield and the fact we finally have a fly half with a genuine interest in playing a running game of rugby. Couple that to the fact that players of genuine flair are getting a chance. Ansbro and NDL spring to mind immediatly and perhaps we can leave behing the gym monkey crash ball centres behind.

Worried About - Not much actually, as McKay pointed out we still seem to struggle to score tries, but that trend (touch wood) seems to be slowly dying.

Biggest surprise of warm ups - I knew we had a powerful backrow unit but seeing Strok, Rennie, Barclay, Brown and Vernon all having good games was encouraging.

Player with a big part on the bench - Wagga. Hines will most likely be used as an impact sub in the 2nd row since Gray and Kellock seem most likley to start. His abrasive skills and his experience of playing at the top level will provide the kick up the jeer or the stabalizing element Scotland will need to close games out.

Happy to have seen hunger and intensity from the senior guys, they looked motivated for the first time since 2009.

Worried about New Zealand.

Surprised that SARU forced/convinced PDV to accept help.

From the bench, Pat Lambie, Bismarck, Willem Alberts.

England

- 1 thing you're very happy with about your team

Manu Tuilagi giving our midfield much needed penetration and direction.

- 1 thing you're worried about

Drift defence, we don't seem to cover across with our inside backs and so our wingers and OC are often exposed and the only forward ever covering is Croft.

- 1 thing that has surprised you about them in the warm-ups

The fact that in all three we've enjoyed total front five domination. Cracking job done by the big lads up front (just a shame about some of the rest).

- 1 player you think will have a big part to play from the bench

Matt Stevens, the ability to bring so much more ball carrying threat off of the bench might well be the catalyst for a late charge if England need one, combine his arrival with Hartley and that's a whole load of ball carrying front row mobility coming onto the field.

England:

Tuilagi - really added something, in attack and defence.
No class out and out 12, leading to poor distribution to a good back three.
Wigglesworth. Didn't think he was up to much at International level, he's done well in the games he's played.
Sub hooker (probably Hartley). We'll probably make a hooker switch at the 60 minute mark in most games (earlier if it's going poorly) and we'll need to see a fresh impetus in terms of hitting rucks and ball carrying.

Wales

- 1 thing you're very happy with about your team

The team fitness and spirit going into the WC

- 1 thing you're worried about

Getting the Set Piece sorted (mostly the lineout)

- 1 thing that has surprised you about them in the warm-ups

The returning form of key player, Mike Phillip, Jamie Roberts etc and the form of new players such as Preistland.

- 1 player you think will have a big part to play from the bench

Umm, Gethin Jenkins when fit (though then he will be starting), Tavis Knoyle/Lloyd Williams....also perhaps Faletau (unless hes starting)....or Stephen Jones...........I dont know :/

Happy - Tuilagi. We finally seem to have a game changing center who will worry opposition defenses.
Worried - Inability to turn pressure and possession into points (and in particular try's). Thought we had got over that in 2010.
Surprised - Lack of match fitness, especially against Wales. Looked better against Ireland but worried it's not enough and was shocked it looked an issue.
Bench - Wilkinson. Still think MJ will want to start with Youngs & Flood and look for JW to close games out.

happy, defence seems to have been shored up
worried, andy powell!!!!!!!!
surprised, overall the players hunger for the game seems to have been restored
bench, I think Lloyd Williams is going to have a few crackers (I hope)

B91212 wrote:Surprised - Lack of match fitness, especially against Wales. Looked better against Ireland but worried it's not enough and was shocked it looked an issue.
Bench - Wilkinson. Still think MJ will want to start with Youngs & Flood and look for JW to close games out.

Agree with the first point, we've also got Youngs and Moody who won't be match fit due to their injuries. I think we'll probably start with Wigglesworth and Wilkinson in the first game against Argentina and look to play almost exactly as we did against Ireland. I think Youngs and Flood will be on the bench and come in for the second game, and we'll see how they go then, when we'll also be looking to get a lot of tries and the bonus point.

Happy - Wilkinson's return to form, bang on time.

Worried - Moody first choice 7, no, really? No-one else?

Surprised - Tindall & Tuilagi - didn't they do well?

Impact - Foden/Armitage, broken field running with gas to burn...

HAPPY -seem to have started attacking well, not the Poopie go the same side repeat repeat repeat repeat
WORRIED- setpiece
SURPRISED- team spirit. did you see the way the boys seemed so up for it, even if not playing that well, every turnover big hit good scrum(not many) they were all slapping each other on the back and smiling. agree must have something to do with Sam Warburton.
IMPACT- agree with Wales606, it depends on who is starting in the front row and who gets injured/isnt fit enough to go the distance. but whoever our front row subs are will have to play out their skin.

Poopie

Flip Kumquat soloist urine bum Cat

blowjob glory hole

sorry. was just amazed how words were changed(im easily impressed). no more childishness.

For England-

Happy- Centre pairing looked best I've seen for a while against Ireland
Worried- Lack of time for 1st choice combinations (above centres)/ who are 1st choice (halfback)
Surprised: That the forwards can be so effective at set piece but often so ineffective at the breakdown, is it lack of fitness? poor technique? or ineffective structures (going too wide too early, not commtting enough men)
Impact: Simpson, if he makes the bench could inject some real pace to the game as it breaks up, would like to see him play against the minnows as we'll be going in search of big scores.

Happy- great defence and fitness levels to match, plus running rugby without steven jones at the helm, phillips getting it together and so many promising young players.

Worried- lineout still not good

Surprised: The form of jamie roberts, mike phillips, AWJ, Huw bennett in fact most of the squad all show signs of improvement. Good work Gatland a proper rocket up the backside

Impact: The youngsters. Scott Williams, Tavis Knoyle, Priestland, Warburton, Lydiate, Faletau, Halfpenny and Lloyd Williams are all fantastic players and a pleasure to watch and support.

What was kumquat supposed to be?

Happy - how strong our scrum and lineout have looked

Worried - We don't create too many real chances

Surprised - How good Haskell has been in these warm up matches

Impact - Tuilagi and Wood, possibly Simpson

IRELAND

Happy- About how much our scrum has improved and injured players returned well

Worried- Our general backline play and inability to break the line

Surprised- Our general backline play and inability to break the line

Impact sub- Rog and Flannery

Happy- to see Flannery back and Pualie back to his commanding best and Geordan Murphy in.

Worried- Our centres havnt had one line break in 4 games

Surprised- No real suprises

Impact sub:Honestly dont think we have one apart from ROG closing out a game or changing a game.

Props not going to make an big impact other than weaking our scrum. Second rows wont change things. Back rows I would start with the Leinster backrow so I dont see any major impact there.

At scrum half Murray wont be given enough time to get into any game and make an impact. And the backs well if your looking to the backs to turn things around well then we are clutching at straws. If we are been beaten is because our pack are losing the battle especially at the break down.