England Saxons v Irish Wolfhounds - Kingsholm

First topic message reminder :

25th January 2014 - Live on Sky Sports 1 (4:45pm Kick Off)

Saxons XXIII to face Ireland Wolfhounds:

1. A Waller
2. J George
3. T Mercy
4. C Matthews
5. G Kruis
6. C Clarke (c)
7. L Wallace
8. D Ewers
9. J Simpson
10. F Burns
11. C Sharples
12. S Hill
13. M Hopper
14. A Watson
15. E Daly

16. D Ward 17. N Catt 18. S Wilson 19. E Stooke 20. S Dickinson 21. D Lewis 22. H Slade 23. R Miller


Ireland XXIII

15. Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster)
14. Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht)
12. Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
11. Craig Gilroy (Dungannon/Ulster)
10. Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
9. Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster)
1. David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster)
2. Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
3. Martin Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster)
4. Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
5. Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster)
6. Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) (capt)
7. Tommy O’Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster)
8. Robin Copeland (Cardiff Blues)

Replacements:

16. Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster)
17. Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
18. Stephen Archer (Cork Constitution/Munster)
19. Robbie Diack (Malone/Ulster)
20. Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21. Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht)
22. Ian Keatley (Young Munster/Munster)
23. Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Given the conditions it is not looking to bad a game. Woofhounds deserve their lead.

Just hope the second half will be better for England Saxons.

Woofhounds!    

People seem surprised that it is such a bad game... Its like this every year! Pointless game imo. I would much rather put the funds towards a sevens team.

I apologise to Henshaw it was Felix Jones with that brutal pass leading to the try

Is Darren Cave playing? I hope Joe recognises him

Jones isn't up to this level. Irish will get the ball moving a bit more in the second half, not much point kicking it with the wind so strong.

Henshaw and Cave have linked well in the midfield and their defence has been very good as well.

Strauss on. Amazing how quickly hes back

Sky Sports are going on about how Boss and Madigan have managed the game. I feel like I'm missing something. There's been little structure. It's perhaps harsh to criticise too much given the lack of preparation time and the conditions but...

Richardt Strauss   

Daly gone to 13. Look forward to watching him

Gilroy isn't making the impression he'd like to here, struggling to get into the game. Cold hands.

Notch wrote:Sky Sports are going on about how Boss and Madigan have managed the game. I feel like I'm missing something. There's been little structure. It's perhaps harsh to criticise too much given the lack of preparation time and the conditions but...

Richardt Strauss   

Not just you Notch, I also have no idea where they get that idea from.

SCOTTY WILSON!! Good lad.

Sorry Scotland he's ours now

Kilkoyne has been poor. McGrath should come on soon enough

Nachos Jones wrote:

Notch wrote:Sky Sports are going on about how Boss and Madigan have managed the game. I feel like I'm missing something. There's been little structure. It's perhaps harsh to criticise too much given the lack of preparation time and the conditions but...

Richardt Strauss   

Not just you Notch, I also have no idea where they get that idea from.

Cause they always say that about the leading team along with took their chances etc

Gilroy and Kilcoyne off- neither man took their chance tonight to jump up the pecking order.

Shocking clearance kick from Boss

Sounds like I'm glad I'm missing it

Would like to see Marmion get a good run out

Burns!! There are three other kickers in the team. Give the goal kicks to one of them.

You know I don't think I've seen a decent Saxons performance since Lancaster took over them. Haven't seen that many at all but the ones I've bother watching haven't been great considering the players are supposed to be fighting for full caps.

Please take boss off.

Two narrow phases, up and under. So predictable.

why is Simpson the only player trying to ruck over for England?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What the frak are England thinking here?!

Ireland keeping it tight and we're commiting no one, not rushing up to tackle and losing the gainline with every hit. Every player in the team looked disinterested and like they'd rather be anywhere else right now.

Are England even fielding a backrow right now?

So still no competition for Woodshaw I guess?

FINALLY!!

62 mins in and the ref realises Ireland are slowing every bloomin ball down!

Finally kicked one, might be too little to late. Ireland are superior

Yappy, if the ref won't deal with it we should be streetwise enough to do,that...the dark arts as they're called. But we're not

I love the the so heavy biased commentators saying this will disappointing if Ireland don't win. Admitting defeat!!

England look pretty clueless so far. Not looking good for the Scotland game next up.

Not sure. England seem to have the rub of the green from the ref in my eyes. The give away is always when the ref penalises the dominant scrum for a crooked put in. And advancing on the lineout? Please. Haven't seen a single straight put in by the Saxons to the lineout all game.

Zebo has looked very good since coming back from injury. I think it will be him and Fitz to start next week.

Marmion on 

Ireland are going to lose from here I feel.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Yappy, if the ref won't deal with it we should be streetwise enough to do,that...the dark arts as they're called. But we're not

Totally true Geordie, really dissapointed with how Wallace and that other one with the arm fetish got on. No physicality, no power and no smarts.

Havent heard Clarks name once.

Dickinson looking really good.

Get Burns out and put the forwards at 10!

I'm not happy with the way we've been dominated in terms of possession and territory.

Golden wrote:Havent heard Clarks name once.

Not true, he gave away two pens in the first half and Stu Barnes spent about 10 mins chatting about how he botched an overlap.

Gretgael1 wrote:Please take boss off.

Ja, take the MOTM off with 5 mins to go. He deserves it.

Ruddock probably shades him tho.

Great defending bi hit from thuohy then the support getting over to win the penalty

Great defensive work from the wolfpups but other than that they have offered very little tonight.

Superb defence from the Wolfhounds but how are England not getting penalised at the scrum, they are being demolished.

Well done Jordi Murphy, getting in over the ball. Some good hits from most of the forwards.

What the Frak!!!!!!!!!!!


Every ruck the ref is asking the Irish players to roll away and then penalises England!

What a pile of utter five knuckle shuffle.

Why kick the ball away with so little time left...

What was that? Wow good end.

Whew!

Sums up Freddie Burns night there...

Just the one try by England, and that from an intercept. Oh dear. England's woes in creative Backline play will not be solved by Saxons players, and certainly not by the woeful burns.