The Silver Fern

@Daffy-Jaffy first Seibold now Hodgson. What’s with the Aussie leaguies for defence coaches?

@nostrildamus said in Australia v England - the decider:

@MajorRage said in Australia v England - the decider:

@Derpus said in Australia v England - the decider:

@ACT-Crusader Something seriously wrong with you if you'd rather England win.

England fans have never:

Punched me on a train after a game Ruined a dinner party over rugby
> 3. Tried to start a fight with me after the ABs lost

Cmon England.

I'd be surprised at number 3 as well..

My experience of England rugby fans over the years has been almost entirely positive. Very little in the way of unpleasantness, just the occasional bit of boorish behaviour. Maybe it’s different seeing things from an opposition viewpoint. I would also say that my overall positive view of England fans is mirrored by all the other countries too. In the main, rugby fans first, jingoistic second.

@Stargazer

Good on Mitchell for honouring the bet. Awful voice though.

@Stargazer said in Australia v England - 1st Test:

I actually agree with the decision in Swain's case. That was the softest head butt to get red-carded I've ever seen. It was stupid to respond to a provocation like that, no doubt, but it's ridiculous that he gets suspended while the grub who pulled his hair (and the incident earlier in the game) didn't even get a mandatory meeting with the Disciplinary Committee.

The softest I've ever seen was Mose Tuiali'i on Marius Joubert. It was more like a head push than a butt. Tuiali'i was red carded in the first half, the Stormers would still lose and Tuiali'i would be suspended for 3 weeks (entry point was 6 weeks).

And some say history doesn't repeat?

Swain decision definitely seems worthy of getting the blood pressure up over lol

@mariner4life said in France v England:

The damning thing for Eddie is I think England are playing less than the sum of their parts. That's on him.

Has he ever kept a job this long?

Yet Ian Foster is still in his job.

Some heated discussion:

@mikethesnow said in 6N 2022 : England v Wales:

@mariner4life said in 6N 2022 : England v Wales:

@mikethesnow said in 6N 2022 : England v Wales:

However, despite gaining loads of metres when he was brought down it either resulted in turnover ball or a penalty for holding on.

i noted a couple of very good Welsh breaks came to nothing because the support play was absolute zero. There were white jerseys everywhere scrambling, and not a red jersey in sight.

Cuthbert the best line breaker on the day and the worst culprit of running away from support

That game epitomised Cuthbert for me. All the physical attributes but just not very bright. Also i think that England missed an opportunity to put the ball behind him as his positioning is a bit suss and he has the turning circle of a supertanker.

@nta said in Scotland v England:

@pakman makes my case - when did that happen? 🙂

Vs France in Paris a few years ago

@smuts said in England vs Springbokke:

I hope @Catogrande is recovering well. But I’m also hoping the boks are heading home thinking about how critical developing a more incisive attack is.

Thank you. My recovery was going well but due to recent self medication consisting mainly of Chenin blanc, I may be relapsing.

@nta said in England v Australia:

@higgins no ruck - play on, unfortunately.

Further to that: the option for Ikitau was to hit the deck and wait, but it wouldn't have made a lot of difference - only Leota and McDermott were in frame and there were about 8 Poms on their feet.

@junior I think NZ have been able to get this from their coaches who have been overseas and had to fashion game plans based on the players at their disposal. It has forced them to innovate.

Maybe an idea for NZ would be to (shock, horror) invite some non-NZers to coach in NZ and introduce NZ players to different approaches and techniques. Worked ok for the Crusaders with Ronan O'Gara.

Fine's tour over following three match ban

Winger Viliami Fine will miss Tonga's remaining tour matches against the French Barbarians and Romania after he was suspended for three weeks following his sending off against England.

The 23-year-old appeared before an independent judicial committee via video link, having received a red card for striking the head of England's replacement flyhalf Marcus Smith.

Fine was dismissed 13 minutes after coming onto the field as a replacement for Walter Fifita and admitted the incident was worthy of a red card.

The Disciplinary Committee ruled the Otago winger struck his opponent with the upper part of his arm, that the strike was not powerful and there was no injury to the player.

The suspension was halved from six weeks to three, after the committee accounted for Fine's clean record, early guilty plea, apology to Smith and the way in which he approached the disciplinary process.

Viliame Fine will also be banned for a third match which is still to be determined. He has the right to appeal the suspension within 48 hours.

Nov 11, 2021  /  Pacific Tonga make five changes for French Baabaas clash Tonga make five changes for French Baabaas clash

Tonga have made five personnel changes to their starting fifteen to take on the French Barbarians in their latest Northern rugby tour match in Lyon.

@bovidae Yeah, although at her age and players only being part-time (less than semi-)professionals at test level, other life choices may have taken over that don't allow for international rugby, camps etc. Hirini isn't there either.

@l_n_p said in Eddie Jones confirms he's finishing up at England after RWC2023:

@machpants

Good article on Nick Dolly, the (aussie) England hooker but with a very Oz background

I only came to the UK to visit my grandparents — now I’m an England international

Headline writes itself: "Well Hello Dolly!"

@cgrant said in England v Canada:

@sparky said in England v Canada:

@bones Favourites for 2023 RWC iMHO.

Not if Eddie Jones is their coach.

I think he is trying to unfurl a very long joke/setup about how unbeatable England would be if they played the ABs again.
At the moment I think that is a rather dangerous ploy.

@Catogrande said in RWC - how the poms beat us..:

@Smuts said in RWC - how the poms beat us..:

@antipodean that is some very tough marking.

But pretty much true. Eddie virtually admitted as much during an evening audience with him. From the word go he was targeting NZ in RWC 2019. It was the same in 2003 and both times it worked but maybe came a game too early.

I think the opening line of the vid summed it up well - he’s the master of the upset.

I wonder if he thought to himself (secretly) that he could afford to do that because England would have enough talent to beat whoever made it to the final from the other side of the draw without giving them as much focus as the All Blacks (certainly a year out I thought that might be his approach just looking at the way draw was likely to pan out)

@Crucial I never said he was ok with it. There's been a few comments pointing at his response showing that he wanted the book thrown at Marler, and similar. He never said any such thing.

But yeah make up a rant about something else.

@NTA said in England Vs Ireland, Six Nations 2020:

Intensity from the Poms was great but Ireland didn't adapt or adjust to any of it.

Not the only team in recent history for that to happen to!

@Catogrande said in Scotland vs England, Six Nations 2020:

@sparky Nah mate, you can tell it was bad. some of the Scots had got their long sleeve shirts on.

Ah yes. Saturday night then.

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