England XV vs New Zealand First Test

First topic message reminder :

1. Joe Marler (Harlequins)
2. *Rob Webber(Bath)        Dave Ward (Harlequins)
3. Dave Wilson (Bath)
4. Joe Launchberry (Wasps)
5. Dave Attwood (Bath)
6. Tom Johnson (Exeter)
7. Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
8. Ben Morgan (Gloucester)

9. Danny Care (Harlequins)
10. Danny Cipriani (Sale)
11. Jonny May (Gloucester)
12. *Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester) Kyle Eastmond (Bath)
13. Manu Tuilagi (Leicester)
14. Marland Yard (Harlequins)
15. Mike Brown (Harlequins)

16. Dave Ward (Harlequins)        Joe Gray (Harlequins)
17. Matt Mullan (Wasps)
18. Henry Thomas (Bath)
19. Ed Slater (Leicester)
20. James Haskell (Wasps)
21. Ben Youngs (Leicester)
22. Freddie Burns (Leicester)
23. Kyle Eastmond (Bath)        Henry Trinder (Gloucester)

*Injury concern...

Thoughts?

Doh

Keep composure England

sickofwendy wrote:Never a knock on

It was a try.

It went back. But let's not dwell and beat these kiwis up

llittle errors undoing us here

yeah, not a knock on.

Brown should have taken that one AFL style... over May on the sideline.

Good start to the game. Both teams want to run it.

Basic errors threatening to wreck us here

When will BT be buying the rights to england rugby, Barnes is doing my nut in already

They've got the game to make those near misses stick though. Early days.

have to say Ben Youngs is getting the ball away from the back of rucks fairly quickly.

Fantastic from Burns and Brown there. Hopefully that settles them down!

Is Barnes drunk? Calling Robshaw Webber, referring to Cruden as a scrum half

BamBam wrote:Is Barnes drunk? Calling Robshaw Webber, referring to Cruden as a scrum half

He's getting over excited as usual.

nathan wrote:have to say Ben Youngs is getting the ball away from the back of rucks fairly quickly.

Yep good signs. He needed to step up after cares performance

mystiroakey wrote:

nathan wrote:have to say Ben Youngs is getting the ball away from the back of rucks fairly quickly.

Yep good signs. He needed to step up after cares performance

He does, good signs for england. Will keep a rocket up the behind of both players

he hit it sweet

Fantastic kicking by burns

i think thats about 3 tackles on nonu by burns. impressed by his tackling so far

Does look as if Nonu is fancying himself go run over Burns but he's made some good tackles

Good signs from Burns. He's a rhythm kicker.

Poor mistake from the KO leads to an easy penalty to give the points back though.

mccaw straight off his feet and owens calls play on?

BamBam wrote:Does look as if Nonu is fancying himself go run over Burns but he's made some good tackles

He's making his hit's but doing so on a big man tires you out which you don't want happening to your 10. Could do with protecting him better if possible.

who's doing your commentary?

Did you hear Tony Johnston say "..and NZ take the lead" when it was 3-3? Some do tend to get ahead of themselves. Sometimes, it's as if there is no other team on the field.

Linebreaker wrote:who's doing your commentary?

Did you hear Tony Johnson say "..and NZ take the lead" when it was 3-3? Some do tend to get ahead of themselves. Sometimes, it's as if there is no other team on the field.

Stuart Barnes

Great job Parling

it's strange this, Parling and Burns who a lot us thought shouldn't start are playing well

nathan wrote:

Linebreaker wrote:who's doing your commentary?

Did you hear Tony Johnson say "..and NZ take the lead" when it was 3-3? Some do tend to get ahead of themselves. Sometimes, it's as if there is no other team on the field.

Stuart Barnes

It's a worry isn't it?   Just out of his league really. Can't miss critical things like that which could turn a game.

You-know-who would be feeling flustered too!

England are making NZ look very average. They don't usually kick this much. Keep it up England,

Great work Haskell not giving up on the choke tackle there!

James Haskell is having a storming game. He Is everywhere and keeping his discipline as well. Tom Wood might find himself on the bench for the second test.

Ermmmmm.

right idea hask, bad execution lol

Wtf

Not a smart decision by Launchberry, two props and running straight at them

surely Yarde was taken out?

Outplayed them. But not clinical enough. 9-9

Burns should have either made that drop goal or not taken it(easy to say)

But he had miles of space.

Close game could go either way. Pretty tight.

Disappointed to only be level
Who would of thought it
More composure and we could of scored twice

Excellent half for the understrength English team. Lancaster has certainly got them drilled well and they are not letting him down. Burn's has had a very good first 40.

England deserve to be in the lead. They've controlled the breakdown and NZ hasn't want to engage them there. Their kicking game is poor as is their accuracy. And yet they're 9-9. Expect they'll get a rark up at half time and look to hang onto the ball more and string some phases together.

Credit has to be given to England. They're looking good on attack and solid on defence. They're the more accurate side at the moment and the ones looking likely on attack. Good stuff and let's see how NZ react because they know they're in a game and are struggling at the moment.

Pen and paper
Cutbacks at sky?

Need to convert pressure into a try.

Our ferocity at the breakdown is really causing NZ problems but poor errors are letting us down.

Hate to say it but still feel the AB's are one break/try away from clicking.

Woodward game show time..

Burns is surprising me. Doing fairly well.
England need to field kicks with consistency.
Too many times forwards arew getting the ball standing still then getting smothered. Not enough direct attack at cruden though he is being protected a bit.

If one of those try opportunities had gone our way, Id be feeling a lot more excited.

mystiroakey wrote:Outplayed them. But not clinical enough. 9-9

Burns should have either made that drop goal or not taken it(easy to say)

But he had miles of space.

Pretty even I'd say. Scores probably about right.

As always subs will prove crucial. There was a time when Cruden had the ball and two men outside him who were marked and he could've run back but chose to put in a nothing kick to Brown. NZ need a bit of zip out there with no Savea. Barrett on for Cruden and depending on the score Fekitoa might get out there to provide some impact.

fitz thinks yellows cards arent allowed in the first 2 minutes of the game lol

blackcanelion wrote:

mystiroakey wrote:Outplayed them. But not clinical enough. 9-9

Burns should have either made that drop goal or not taken it(easy to say)

But he had miles of space.

Pretty even I'd say. Scores probably about right.

More possession more territory and a perfectly fine try not given, yeah ok.

At what point is Owens going to start pinging the ABs for lying all over the ball at the breakdown?

The England pack look like they are missing some firepower ball in hand. Manu and Eastmond are creating space and getting us into the AB 22 but then the forwards are just getting the ball and everything is slowing down because they just can't make any ground and put us on the front foot with some usable ball. Launchbury looks lightweight and Parling has never been much of a ball carrier. Wilson has been shocking in the loose but good in the tight. Need to change something up. Morgan needs to get involved he's there to carry the thing not guard the rucks and watch his team mates go backwards.

Webber playing well, Eastmond is injecting so much creation and Is bringing our outside backs into the game, Manu is then getting space and looking good. Youngs/Burns combo looks to be working nicely as well. Flankers work rate is excellent and proving to be crucial.

Webber, Parling, Robshaw and Haskell really impressing from the forwards.

Youngs, Burns and Eastmond likewise in the backs.