England Versus Australia 18th November 2017 3pm k.o.

First topic message reminder :

A resurgent Wallabies arrive in town with a great opportunity to halt their run of defeats to England. They are in much better current form and are looking sharp. EJs is trying to test out a few new players and rotate his Lions with a long term RWC view. He has said he will take the odd defeat along the way if it helps develop the side longer term. I think this Sat could be one of those defeats.

I do agree with seeing how some different players cope and do not disagree with his approach. Therefore, we need to see Williams, George, Watson (at 15) all start. If Teo was fit I would also go Farrell at 10 and Teo at 12 with Slade at 13 (deserves 1 more go despite being poor on Sat).  

Once these AIs are over then I think the time for experimenting is done and we then play each match as if it is our last. This will enable the combinations to bed in and be battle hardened for RWC 2019.

Team: Watson, May, Joseph, Farrell, Daly; Ford, Youngs; M Vunipola, Hartley, Cole; Launchbury, Lawes; Robshaw, Underhill, Hughes.

Replacements: George, Marler, Williams, Itoje, Simmonds, Care, Slade, Rokoduguni.



Australia: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Marika Koroibete, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Samu Kerevi, 11 Reece Hodge, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia; 1 Scott Sio, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 3 Sekope Kepu, 4 Rob Simmons, 5 Adam Coleman, 6 Ned Hanigan, 7 Michael Hooper, 8 Sean McMahon
Replacements: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 Tom Robertson, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Matt Philip, 20 Ben McCalman, 21 Lopeti Timani, 22 Nick Phipps, 23 Kurtley Beale, 24 Henry Speight*

*one to be omitted

No 7&1/2 wrote:I'm still jot sure having Daly at wing us good after that. His contesting of the high ball is iffy

Agree....I think someone like Roko is more effective . Daly isn't a winger. Fb maybe but centre yes...

Chieka is such an unlikable bloke on TV

Agree gf. Australia are well rattled.

Ah I just don't like Hooper.

Really good contest from full back but you can see why brown is picked from this.

Inexperienced ref being played slightly at scrum.

Ah I think Watson should keep it now . He's generally done well on the high ball but its all other facets that we should push Watson now. Only aggression is he really behind.

Maro killing the lineouts. Impressive.

I agree. With gf.

Underhill not coming back

Itoje is having a MASSIVE influence on this game....

Not sure a drop was a the best idea when we have an extra man ...

Yep Itoje making a mockery of his bench spot.

Struggling to understand the decision making for that drop goal. Not exactly Ford's forte...and we have the YC. Dumb.

Good so far - should really be 10 - 0 though but for an over eager bit of whistling by the ref to deny a try at the beginning.

Poor game in horrible conditions.

Some of England's decision-making with ball in hand has been questionable, while Australia do look dangerous on the counter-attack.

All to play for!

Cheika is going to implode but he can have no complaints

Absolute 100% yellow card for that knock down, Beale needs to shut his yap. Cheika's no better mind.

Wanted our scrum to perform today and it hasn't so far. We've given away good possession a few times there, and we're probably lucky not to have also given away points.

Have to say Launchbury is playing really well also. Being that brilliant at that link to backs also hitting every ruck really well. It's my mission yo make everyone appreciate him and Itoje are the perfect lock combo.it's out of them to for motm so far. All to play for in the match overall though.

All the forwards putting in a good shift to be fair.

Moody. Nice. And yes mid gen much better from the pack.

Agree Itojoe really adds a lot at set pieces, contesting possession. England forwards starting to put together some drives. I thought the Wallaby defence did well to hold out England on the goal line just before Hooper got binned.

Ford's drop goal attempt says the backs have nothing much to offer in attack really. I think they know the Wallaby backs have got them covered.

Another sin bin! This time Beale. We can't afford to keep getting players sent off.

Again Foley leaves points on the field... relatively straightforward penalty attempt even in that abysmal miserable awful weather. If we can just string together a couple more passes like the one leading up to the no-Try I can see a few gaps opening up through the England defence.

How many's that in the last few years? 80-100 points?

I imagine Marler will be on soon. Ref has it in for Mako now. I wouldn't mind but is he not seeing Sio collapsing almost every time?

He was about 5 foot away from sio unattached and his elbow on the floor so....

Ahhhh. Poor from Itoje then vunipola.

That should have gone to may and it was a try!!

Vunipola having a bit of a stinker. Clumsy in the loose and a liability in the scrum.

No 7&1/2 wrote:He was about 5 foot away from sio unattached and his elbow on the floor so....

Unfortunately he clearly has no clue how to ref the scrum

mid_gen wrote:Vunipola having a bit of a stinker. Clumsy in the loose and a liability in the scrum.

I don't think he was great v Argentina either.

I think with refs as everyone you have to give them time. I think overall he's been good.

Overall OK but all his little errors are costing England - a try and a load of scrum penalties

Got to score in those situations....

England are their own worst enemies.

Freakish try. Kuridrani blew that last pass!

How can it be a deliberate KO when the ball went backwards?

Yes Launchbury yes ford. Yes Daly.

No. The ball was always in.

Erm.

Get in Daly... but Jesus where was the tackle on that Krwveti

Try for me if we're saying clear and obvious

Try for me

Surely the TMO can't say that that's a clear and obvious reason not to award the try. It is anything but clear and obvious.

Not clear and obvious - so try - got lucky with the bounce for sure

Arggghhhhhh. Marler please

I guess you have to ride your luck and take your chances.

I would have had Market on from the start.

Indeed - makes up for the denied try at the beginning - a bit

Get Mako off the feckin pitch

I've never been convinced about MV

Beale is having a mare. But he's the type of player who can make something from nothing even when  he's playing badly.