France v England - Paris - 01/02/2014

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French XXIII

1. T Domingo 2. B Kayser 3. N Mas
4. A Flanquart 5. P Pape
6. Y Nyanga 7. B Le Roux 8. L Picamoles
9. J-M Doussin 10. J Plisson
12. W Fofana 13. M Basteraud
11. M Medard 15. B Dulin 14. Y Huget

16. D Sarzewski 17. Y Forestier 18. R Slimani 19. Y Maestri 20. A Burban 21. D Chouly 22. M Machenaud 23. G Fickou

England XXIII

1. J Marler
2. D Hartley
3. D Cole
4. J Launchbury
5. C Lawes
6. T Wood
7. C Robshaw
8. B Vunipola
9. D Care
10. O Farrell
11. J May
12. B Twelvetrees
13. L Burrell
14. J Nowell
15. M Brown

16. T Youngs 17. M Vunipola 18. H Thomas 19. D Attwood 20. B Morgan 21. L Dickson 22. B Barritt 23. A Goode

Care adds some pace to the game (finally) and we get some points. Much better. Suddenly the tails are up and even Nowell looks like he's settling in.

Why did we waste the opportunity..

Why was advantage called over? I saw no advantage for England there...

I'd like to Farrells kicking ratio for England....he misses a few

16-8 at HT

England showing signs of coming back into the match. The replacements will be key in this match and I honestly feel that England have the strongest bench.

England missed nearly a quarter of their tackles!

French are all over the ball at the ruck.

I hope that those missed 3 points at the end when we had pen advantage doesn't come back to haunt us. A Gregan style accidental knock on could have been useful

The French is extrmely close to the offside line at the breakdown

clivemcl wrote:I thought Nyanga was actually on his feet there. His competing for the ball was fair. Another poor call from Owens today.

he was on his feet but resting his knee's.

Moments before the french hooker was laying on the ball whilst another french player won the turnover.

France will get pinged far more in the second half for it.

Biltong wrote:The French is extrmely close to the offside line at the breakdown

That's the diplomatic way of saying it.

We should be dead and buried, but we aren't, and the momentum at the end of the half was ours. It really isn't over yet. We've really got away with it, all things considered.

Much will depend on fitness in the last 20.

Tbh. I think that's enough for England.. Positive that we will have the edge second half, cracking first 25 from them.. But that's there lot today

Better game than earlier with some good play. England forwards doing OK - Lawes very good indeed. Goode looks dangerous as ever as does Brown. However the french have taken chances and Farrell has taken the wrong option a couple of times

Two poor calls from Owens. One saved them from a yellow for a no arm tackle owens and TMO missed, second gave england a try for penalising Nyanga who was actually on his feet competing at the ruck.

clivemcl wrote:I thought Nyanga was actually on his feet there. His competing for the ball was fair. Another poor call from Owens today.

I thought that. Possibility of a knock on by Brown too. Close call mind.

clivemcl wrote:Two poor calls from Owens. One saved them from a yellow for a no arm tackle owens and TMO missed, second gave england a try for penalising Nyanga who was actually on his feet competing at the ruck.

the tackle on vunipolas (8) head should of been carded to.

Lawes has been Englands best player by some margin tonight.

Twelvetrees has been so Frak poor

ChequeredJersey wrote:Twelvetrees has been so Frak poor

none of the backs have been brilliant. cares kicking has been crap

England kicking has been poor. Vision poor as well.

Forwards are working hard, but the backs are really struggling. But then with all the changes and the gameplan we've usually played it's always going to be like that.

Got no problem with Owens. He's been fine. We've made our own mistakes and fought our way back into the game. We just might have too much to do in the second half, but it's certainly not impossible.

I think Woodward is the best pundit on the beeb, not saying much but still.

sheephead wrote:

clivemcl wrote:I thought Nyanga was actually on his feet there. His competing for the ball was fair. Another poor call from Owens today.

I thought that. Possibility of a knock on by Brown too. Close call mind.

Clearly clearly wasn't... If there's downwards pressure on the line, forward is still a try not a knockon

Goode
Nowell
36
Farrell
All been poor so far Nowelll showed some promise at the end.

Why are england kicking it so much.

Forwards have been great with the ball, but France have got the better of us in the breakdown.

If we don't get the first score in the second half then we might have given ourselves too much to do.

He was talking about before the award pen that was quickly taken. But to me it wasn't a knock. Just a straight drop

nathan wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:Twelvetrees has been so Frak poor

none of the backs have been brilliant. cares kicking has been crap

Not disputing that but every other back has done something competent. Twelvetrees has made a mistake every single time he has got the ball or been involved at all.

Plus I'd say Brown had been good and Nowell, Care mixed, not all the backs poor

really enjoying this game and how england are playing.

If they can improve their accuracy the game is theirs

It will be interesting to see how France handle some extra pressure from England. I thought they finished the 1st half more positively and the question may be do France have the legs for the full 80.

Love brown..

This is a whole lot better.

ChequeredJersey wrote:

sheephead wrote:

clivemcl wrote:I thought Nyanga was actually on his feet there. His competing for the ball was fair. Another poor call from Owens today.

I thought that. Possibility of a knock on by Brown too. Close call mind.

Clearly clearly wasn't... If there's downwards pressure on the line, forward is still a try not a knockon

Entitled to your opinion, but if you watch again it looks like he loses control if the ball an it hits the French player before the downward pressure

Wood has been very good too

No try

Just short.
Back for the penalty.

Come on, hurry up!

When England get.it right they look good but there's so,much inconsistency

No try

Great start and excellent kick from Farrell.

I think Twelvetrees has been mixed. Kicked away turnover ball, but carrying strongly and a few good passes

Wood has been good. Lawes looking the real deal now.

Care doing good aswell

36 passing has been mostly poor though

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatt!!!

Blocking Care there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Burbank looks a monster

im impressed with the intent from England as a neutral its great to watch

Woo!

On a lighter note I just used the 'wench, beer me' and it worked. Going to pay for it tomorrow but happy at the result tonight

Starting to take control.. Come on england

The difference is that we are actually THINKING in this half. Nowell perhaps excepted.

Nachos Jones wrote:On a lighter note I just used the 'wench, beer me' and it worked. Going to pay for it tomorrow but happy at the result tonight

Time to take that to the next level after the game... Can't go wrong right? Erm...