Wales v England Official Match Thread

[RubyGuby]

First topic message reminder :

It's 5th v 4th in the World Rankings on Sat. and a real opportunity for 1 of these sides to put another marker down in their development - These games now have even greater significance given that we share the same RWC Pool in 2015 - The fact that Wales have won the last 2 meetings between these old foes will count for nothing - It should be Awesome .

Good luck to both teams and both sets of fans

[trebellbobaggins]

Enjoy it Wales. Could be a long time before eng do it to to again but it will happen again, that's sport.

[Sgt_Pooly]

Hmm.. Be lucky if eng have one or two lions.

We've been lucky to come 2nd in this tournament, helped by the fact everyone else (minus Wales) seemed to be absolutely cack against us.

Rubbish from both of you.

We've been stuffed today but we are not a poor side. We're clearly in the top 2 this 6N and we've got numerous players in a shout with a Lions spot.

[rodders]

What a player Halfpenny has become, he should be the first player on the Lions teamsheet.

Warburton and Tipuric have been fantastic, as has Phillips.

England have plenty of positives from this tournament, they are much better than last year.

The two best sides in Europe here and the best side will be lifting the trophy again.

[trebellbobaggins]

World class Rodders.

Golden period of welsh rugby. Again.

[George Carlin]

MoM is difficult. I actually think Tipuric or Halfpenny. Both have been more consistent than Warbs. The Butt of the Cuff has also been hard to ignore with his brace. Robshaw is the only real shout for England.

[glamorganalun]

Now England are in trouble S Williams and Hook are on

[flyhalffactory]

What a player Halfpenny has become, he should be the first player on the Lions teamsheet.

Warburton and Tipuric have been fantastic, as has Phillips.

England have plenty of positives from this tournament, they are much better than last year.

The two best sides in Europe here and the best side will be lifting the trophy again.

Agree Rodders

you can add

Adam Jones cemented over Dan Coles
Jon Davies cemented over Tualagi
Tips to travel with the Lions as well

[nathan]

World class Rodders.

Golden period of welsh rugby. Again.

crikey you are one extreme or the other!

[flyhalffactory]

Hook!!!! Oh No

[rodders]

For England to become a great side they need to find a way to beat sides that they can't physically dominate. They are clearly improving though and they'll learn from this.....

[flyhalffactory]

Hook!!! Oh Yes

[Maddog]

Is Tom croft playing?!

[nathan]

deserved mom.

[Maddog]

First time I've notice Tom croft there!

[trebellbobaggins]

Poor Lancaster, I was harsh. You need players to win matches. They have no big forwards too win these games.

[Josiah Maiestas]

For England to become a great side they need to find a way to beat sides that they can't physically dominate. They are clearly improving though and they'll learn from this.....

Spoken like a true Scot!

What is there to learn?

Learn to turn up with players who are international class?

Shocking display, if I was any of those players i'd refund the fans immediately!

[aitchw]

Well done Wales. Great performance, way better than England today.

[flyhalffactory]

WELL DONE WALES............... Awesome Performance

Wonder what the Welsh "Howley Bashers" are going to say now

[Shifty]

Fantastic.

God were gonna be ruing that loss to Ireland we have blown a grand slam this year.

But well done that was a brilliant result against England.

[Guest]

Commiserations England. A team on the up and up. Maybe next year.

Congrats Wales. What a win!!

[ALPanorak]

England are finally being shown up as the pretenders they are. That NZ win was a smokescreen. The standard of the 6 nations this year has been generally quite poor yet many have ignored this, eulogising over England in the light of a possible 'Grand slam' - not any more. Wales are executing superbly right now.

We've been found out basically. This team might have a great attitude, but after today I can now see exactly no obvious improvements since MJ. Less attacking potency, poorer set piece and finally, a return to the abject rucking of usual. Gutted we didn't get one of the NZ coaches mentioned at the time.

Yeah, this England team is very young and obviously has some real talent and potential (the Launchbury, Youngs, Tuilangi etc). But I feel the team have been led to believe they are better than they actually are - buying into their own (& the media's) hype.
Take Farrell for instance, I don't understand the guy being anointed the new Jonny Wilkinson. His penalty kick % this championship is around 70%. He's accurate only in patches. And apart from stellar defence, which is very important, the lack of attacking instinct and skill is palpable in every performance.

[rodders]

well done Wales! Very deserved winners!

Commiserations England... they didn't do a lot wrong and the scoreline was harsh. This wasn't like the 2011 side who capitulated in Dublin, they've been beaten by a better side.

Fantastic game, well done guys!

[nathan]

For England to become a great side they need to find a way to beat sides that they can't physically dominate. They are clearly improving though and they'll learn from this.....

Spoken like a true Scot!

What is there to learn?

Learn to turn up with players who are international class?

Shocking display, if I was any of those players i'd refund the fans immediately!

really, because it was a better game than the other dross.

[Shifty]

World class Rodders.

Golden period of welsh rugby. Again.

crikey you are one extreme or the other!

We are the new French!

[BamBam]

Well done Wales

God it hurts, but best team on the day won

[majesticimperialman]

I did expect a tight game today. but to be honest Wales truly deserve their win today.

Well played Wales. back to back 6ns winners.

[nathan]

World class Rodders.

Golden period of welsh rugby. Again.

crikey you are one extreme or the other!

We are the new French!

not we, i mean trebell

[rodders]

For England to become a great side they need to find a way to beat sides that they can't physically dominate. They are clearly improving though and they'll learn from this.....

Spoken like a true Scot!

Ah to be a scot right now .....

[Mad for Chelsea]

well done Wales, played with incredibly intensity and England just disappeared in the second half. Fully deserved win and tournament

am I though the only one who thought Walsh was very one-eyed throughout? certainly the turnover for the Welsh try should never have stood... also the scrum, seemed to ignore the fact that Cole was dominating Jenkins (mostly) and only focussed on the one side...

[Sugarlump]

There'll be much disection of the match (I'd like to disect Steve Walsh, without anaesthetic) but Wales totally out classed us in every facet of the game

[ALPanorak]

Also, must give credit to D.Biggar. He has stepped up massively this championship & Wales now have a 10 to really lead the backline (sorry Priestland)

[flyhalffactory]

For England to become a great side they need to find a way to beat sides that they can't physically dominate. They are clearly improving though and they'll learn from this.....

Spoken like a true Scot!

Ah to be a scot right now .....

All the time....... all the time!!

Pressure on us to perform at 8pm ooooooh errrrrrr mummy

[Hood83]

Is Tom croft playing?!

No he wasn't. For all the big talk, he's still just a big winger. If you've got a monster pack, play Croft. If not, anyone else.

[Shifty]

We deserved it today, i have to be honest.
I fancied us to win all week, but I expected England to be champions. No one expected that kind of scoreline though, I have never seen anything like that in my life time.

Jesus most of Wales will be still partying at work time on Monday.

[yappysnap]

Well done Wales.

I've said for a while that these coaches aren't all the media make out that they are, great media men but crap rugby coaches.

A lot of players have just played their last game for England.

[VinceWLB]

How AWJ wasn't motm? One of the best 2nd row perfomance i have ever seen.

Wales showed they are the best team in europe.

[Hood83]

Hmm.. Be lucky if eng have one or two lions.

We've been lucky to come 2nd in this tournament, helped by the fact everyone else (minus Wales) seemed to be absolutely cack against us.

Rubbish from both of you.

We've been stuffed today but we are not a poor side. We're clearly in the top 2 this 6N and we've got numerous players in a shout with a Lions spot.

Perhaps that's a bit much, we weren't lucky to come 2nd, we were worthy of that. But only as a result of how bad the other teams have been France and Ireland have been woeful, Italy very decent, and Scotland forgot they had forwards. We've been better than that lot, but that's nothing to show we're a good side.

[Hood83]

Well done Wales.

I've said for a while that these coaches aren't all the media make out that they are, great media men but crap rugby coaches.

A lot of players have just played their last game for England.

THANK you, someone who agrees with me! Same old same old i'm afraid. If Wales can add a bit of invention to their backs they'll be a top top team.

[nobbled]

Well done Wales - totally deserved win. Best wishes to all the Welsh fans - even Rainbow and View - I am going to go and crawl into a bottle of Scotch.
Hope you all have the hangovers from hell - I will!

[Josiah Maiestas]

I have a Welsh last name so I guess I've won either way!

[Hood83]

What a player Halfpenny has become, he should be the first player on the Lions teamsheet.

Warburton and Tipuric have been fantastic, as has Phillips.

England have plenty of positives from this tournament, they are much better than last year.

The two best sides in Europe here and the best side will be lifting the trophy again.

...are we, how so? Better that Dowson isn't playing but I'm not sure how else.

[nathan]

Well done Wales.

I've said for a while that these coaches aren't all the media make out that they are, great media men but crap rugby coaches.

A lot of players have just played their last game for England.

THANK you, someone who agrees with me! Same old same old i'm afraid. If Wales can add a bit of invention to their backs they'll be a top top team.

and i bet when we were winning they were amazing, now there losing there rubbish....

[EnglishReign]

Shades of Ireland 2011 - we couldn't live with the intensity. I hope this means we'll play a proper number 8 and actual wingers next time...

Well done Wales, enjoy it

[glamorganalun]

Well done both teams a great advert for a roof, in fairness England came to play.

[Mad for Chelsea]

Lancaster should shoulder some responsibility for not heeding the warning signs about the backrow balance, Croft was shocking today and while Wood worked hard he's not a n°8. It's no coincidence that our best performance going forward against Scotland came with a proper n°8 (and Twelvetrees in the centre). Robshaw put in a good shift today again, easily the best England player on the park, but that's about it.

The trouble, as people have pointed out, is that England don't seem to have kicked on since the opening couple of wins: after that they produced dodgy performances which got results, and then this. Tiredness could be an issue I guess, but really questions need to be asked about how they got this one so badly wrong.

Having said that, I don't think there's any need to get hysterical yet, this is still a group of very young players, and they still have lots of time to improve. Just feel we need to make a couple of big calls right now, so here's my verdict:

1) a proper n°8. Wood and Robshaw work great on the flanks, but we need a big ball carrier in there. Robshaw is good at making the hard yards aroung the fringes, but won't make big gains.

2) teach Tuilagi some basic skills. Very exciting player, but the number of chances he butchers through holding onto the ball when he should pass is just awful.

3) Get some more pace in the back three. I like Goode as a footballer, but today he had many chances to counter and just never did anything with it, so maybe it's time for something else there.

4) Sort the scrum out, it's been messy all six N particularly on the LH side, who seem to let their opponent get inside them way too easily. Corbs never lets that happen, so we could really do with him being fit.

5) If Goode isn't stepping into the line (which he didn't today), we need Twelvetrees in the centres. Farell had a poor day today, not helped by never getting front foot ball, but Baritt and Tuilagi don't really offer enough creativity in the centres.

[Notch]

Just popping in to say, well done Wales. Enjoy it- try not to rub it in too much.

Very much deserved champions.

[rodders]

What a player Halfpenny has become, he should be the first player on the Lions teamsheet.

Warburton and Tipuric have been fantastic, as has Phillips.

England have plenty of positives from this tournament, they are much better than last year.

The two best sides in Europe here and the best side will be lifting the trophy again.

...are we, how so? Better that Dowson isn't playing but I'm not sure how else.

I think you guys are growing as a side. Farrell, Tuilagi and Youngs are much improved and Robshaw is an outstanding player and captain. England aren't the finished article but are on an upward curve.

As an Ireland fan who watched our side win 4 from 5 several times in the noughties, I know how frustrating it is to fall short but this sides time will come.

[glamorganalun]

England absolutely should and must win this game. Our victory against the ABs and dominance, albeit in defeat over SA and Aus, means England have kicked on and deserve their place at the top table.
Although I'll admit it was a stuttering performance against Italy - hopefully just one of "those" games we needed to get out of the works, this England team is a class apart from the Welsh team. I'd probably only have Halfpenny in the England XV and if Foden were truly fit not even him.
If England really are to push on and fulfill their potential we must put Wales away comprehensively and if we don't I shall be very disappointed.

Anything to say from the above poster?

[gavstar]

Agree with you ALP, WELL DONE DAN BIGGAR.

his first 6nations campaign.

1/2 p cant take another kick so biggar takes two awkward angle kicks slotted over cool as cuke, when he hasnt been asked to kick in any of the games. calm drop goal, interception, speed off the try line for tackles excellent....... and, yes there is more, he passes into the bread basket at pace. kicking options great today.

if he had had a few more games with wales before the 6ns, we may have had the grand slam . and no , we are not related!! i'm just pleased for a guy ,23, whos proved himself............a lion is prowling in the background, maybe.

[maestegmafia]

What a game.

Wales did fantastically well today. England had a great tournament and as a young talented side their great future in northern hemisphere rugby is just a few big games ahead of them.

As a fan of Wales through thick and thin I can soundly say. In consideration to our English friends that it is days like this that make your team better far more than the great wins.

A god team is born out of talent, but also pain and hurt. You live to play another day. You learn from your mistakes and the hurt makes you stronger.

It's a wonderful night to be in Cardiff. Very proud of the team and coaches today.

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