Rugby Fake news?

[LondonManc]

Listening to something over the weekend, basically pillorying Italy for being part of the 6 Nations when Georgia are much better, and now even higher ranked, the suggestion was for a Autumn Series Qualifier to determine the last place, but this has been ruled out as never gonna happen, mainly because people like a nice day out in Rome

Given Romania are only just behind Italy (2 places) in the rankings, it could be worth looking into making it an eight nations series. You could even let Romania play at Queen Elizabeth Park and it would feel like a home game.

[malvolio]

I would have thought that Dylan Hartley, Mako Vunipola, Jack Clifford, Teimana Harrison, Nathan Hughes & Ben Te'o would provide a bit of Southern Hemisphere style & belief...

Nah, they're swamped by England's win at all costs strategic mentality and too much reliance on set-piece plays at which they are really very good until something disrupts the pattern...

It's become obvious that all the back lines are moving far more like the SH teams these days and that everyone regardless of shirt number can run with the ball. Next challenge is turnover - the Lions should have that in spades given who's available to them - and retention which means focussing on what the No 9s and 10s are doing: more Sextons and less Farrells is the key I feel.

The Lions tests should be intriguing to watch.

[northernladuk]

I blame Brexit

It's the immigrants again innit

[Mordac]

You reckon...?

It was looking a bit dodgy at half time, granted. However, all's well that ends well. (Wrong play, I know).

[BrilloPad]

It was looking a bit dodgy at half time, granted. However, all's well that ends well. (Wrong play, I know).

The WElsh guys round the office going on about how poor England were and don't understand the rules. Amazing how they can open their mouth when they lost. They really should stick to sports they can win. Like sheep sh4gging.

[malvolio]

The WElsh guys round the office going on about how poor England were and don't understand the rules. Amazing how they can open their mouth when they lost. They really should stick to sports they can win. Like sheep sh4gging.

You really are a cock, aren't you? Only us Welsh can make that kind of comment...

Just for the record, England "won" by one misplaced kick and a piece of sheer genius by one player, having comprehensively lost the rest of the match. But hey, they all count.

[LondonManc]

You really are a cock, aren't you? Only us Welsh can make that kind of comment...

Just for the record, England "won" by one misplaced kick and a piece of sheer genius by one player, having comprehensively lost the rest of the match. But hey, they all count.

They won 36-15; how's that one misplaced kick and a piece of sheer genius?

[malvolio]

They won 36-15; how's that one misplaced kick and a piece of sheer genius?

Against Wales. They should have had 50+ over Italy.

[WTFH]

Against Wales. They should have had 50+ over Italy.

Yeah, this year if you can't beat Italy by, say 53 points, you're not good enough.
Of course, that being the case, your best defence is to complain that they didn't play they way you were expecting them to, that they didn't play fairly, remember 1966 2003, blah blah blah, or maybe that your team didn't have any tactics in the bag to deal with it.