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Bath RFC	InTheFastLane
Exeter Chiefs	Driver - RIP 606
Gloucester	Anonmattyt
Harlequins	Steven_Sharks
Leicester Tigers	LukeLovesLuka
London Irish	stnick88
London Wasps	Arry
Newcastle Falcons	Sgt_Pooly
Northampton Saints	Dammit_Chris
Sale Sharks	SirJohnnyEnglish
Saracens	LDCPete
Worcester Warriors	prop_lyd

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Waiting List
1. Sam
2. pullthestrings
3. Bathite

Chris, I agree with you for once, a big part of why Roberts and Davies looked ineffective is the way Gatland uses them. They seem to be in structed to just bash it up the middle and little else, when both are far better players than that. I thought both showed it in glimpses, but not for any sustained period in the game.

Thought Roberts looked good yesterday in patches. Cannot see gatland in charge after wc think he has got stale

Agree on Gatland Mat, his heart doesn't look in it and he looks bereft of ideas.

Best game by Roberts and Phillips for years. Don't think you play Davies and Roberts though, need Hook in there somewhere. Priestland was very impressive.

How'd Falatau play?

Had a stinker mate threw some silly passes , comes across as the new Andy Powell

He's only 18 remember.

Faletau is raw but I see him as a good impact player

Agree with lyd I think he could be some player

Falatau is one of the brightest prospects in world rugby. All round game is really really good.

Read he did well in the Telegraph and the Mirror.

His work rate impressed me. In the times re tuilagi they made the following statement " he scored a try tindall never would have scored however the defensive line would not have been as shaky if tindall was in it"

That for me is 100 percent accurate. Tuilagi is not bad defensively but
Tins is a tremendous defender

I thought Faletau did ok, and you have to remember that the whole Welsh pack was getting a beating first half. He's a young kid and will get better, good prospect.

Boks squad for home legs....

Backs: Gio Aplon, Frans Steyn, JP Pietersen, Bryan Habana, Jaque Fourie, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers, Morne Steyn, Butch James, Ruan Pienaar, Fourie du Preez, Francois Hougaard.

Forwards: Pierre Spies, Jean Deysel, Danie Rossouw, Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield Gerhard Mostert, John Smit (captain), Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira, Jannie du Plessis, Gurthrö Steenkamp, CJ van der Linde

Slightly more quality involved. No Lambie though
which is either surprising or not so when we remember who is boss. I'm going for:

1. Beast
2. BdP
3. JdP
4. Botha
5. Matfield
6. Brussow
7. Deysel/Russouw
8. Spies

9. FdP
10. Steyn
11. Habana
12. JdV
13. Fourie
14. JP
15. Steyn

Not sure if Brussow will go straight in but PDiv has been sweating over his fitness and he looked damn tasty on Saturday, albeit for 25 mins!

I was commenting on him yesterday , thought he worked hard but made to many mistakes to be considered a first choice number 8 at international level.

But who else do Wales really have? Delve has been the best option but is playing his rugby in the SH. I'd be experimental and go with

6.Dan Lydiate
7.Josh Turnbull
8.Sam Warburton

Agree with the Tuilagi statement matt , he is still raw. yesterday he needed to hold his depth a bit more and in Wale's first try he was caught ball watching when Armitage on his outside was screaming at him to come across.

Does anybody think we could see a potential england backline of 9.Youngs 10.Wilkinson 11.Cueto 12.Tindall 13.Tuilagi 14.Ashton 15.Foden come the RWC?

Think he'll go with Butch at 10 pooly

Steenkamp brussow and a few others not expected to play this weekend but expected to the following week

Was talking to the boards resident South African Biltongbek yesterday and he seemed to think from noises in South Africa that Butch will play 10 and will be 1st choice there for the World Cup with Morne as back up.

Apparently nobody outside of Pretoria thinks that Morne has done enough to even be in the squad.

I think it maybe too soon Matt, nice bench to bring on though. I reckon he may give Steyn another chance.

You see Falcons won the JP Sevens Driver? Saracens won it last year and look at the season they had.....Falcons for AP!!!!! You heard it here first!

Hodgson and Fielden superb all competition.

Fancy Aplon to start at 15

I didn't mate , can't stand 7s it's five knuckle shuffle! I got told i was playing 7s today at Tech for Seaton but i didn't even bother getting out of bed for it! And i only just got back from Twickenham at 6am lol

"Does anybody think we could see a potential england backline of 9.Youngs 10.Wilkinson 11.Cueto 12.Tindall 13.Tuilagi 14.Ashton 15.Foden come the RWC?"

I really hope not Pete, love to see Wilko get gametime with Youngs but Tindall at 12 could be a real mare. His hands just arnt up to it.

Butch at ten is everywhere on bok press

Knowing PDV i wouldn't be surprised to see John Smit at 10..............

I don't see there being such a problem with Tindall's hands. He has been an international centre for 10 years or so. The boy can pass.

He seriously can't...the Tindall/Noon years where very dark. Watch the 6N back and watch how many overlaps Tindall messes up. I love the lad but he butchers so many attacks.

Steve I am a huge tindall fan but his hands are not good enough for 12. He has many skills distribution is not one of them

Sgt_Pooly wrote:"Does anybody think we could see a potential england backline of 9.Youngs 10.Wilkinson 11.Cueto 12.Tindall 13.Tuilagi 14.Ashton 15.Foden come the RWC?"

I really hope not Pete, love to see Wilko get gametime with Youngs but Tindall at 12 could be a real mare. His hands just arnt up to it.

Wasn't me that suggested it mate, was Driver, and for what it's worth I wouldn't want to see Tindall at inside centre either.

I reckon Flutey is the favourite for the 12 shirt unless he gets injured. Hape hasn't done much wrong and I wouldn't mind seeing him at 13 but I think Fluteys all round game is a class above any of our other 12's

Prop - pretty sure Felatua is nearly 21, he's a good player just had the feeling he was trying a bit too hard yesterday. Some of the passes he threw were crazy.

Pete - I think Gatland's lost it, personally dont believe you can have a Roberts-Davies partnership can work, but they dont have anyone else they can play there. Hook has been moved around far too much, they should have settled him as a 10 or 12 at least 3-4 seasons ago, now I dont know where you would play him. If you play Roberts-Davies then Hook has to be 10 as his passing game is the only way that combination will have any creativity.

Wales are in a lot of trouble as Gatland wont change his tactics, he's so stubborn and Wales havent changed tactics since 2008 GS - they get stuffed at the breakdown, they just pass the ball from left to right and have no apparent plan B if that doesnt work.

He also leaves out Peel who is their best no9 by a mile for their tactics.

Can't see them getting out the group stage, Samoa will beat them and I think Fiji will target that one game as their chance to get some glory and they'll have too many strike runners for Wales to cope with....

If you play Wilkinson for Engalnd you need to play Flutey next to him - it will start Flood, Hape, Tins and finish Wilko, Flutey, Tins - Tuilagi will be the impact player...

Chris

Premier rugby won't release Peel for the wales sessions so he can't really play

Personally for Wales I would play Hook at 13, think he is very good there, and would be fantastic outside of either Roberts or Davies.

If Wales are going to persist with Roberts and Davies in the midfield I would have them the other way round with Davies at 12 and Roberts at 13.

I'm with Steve on Tindall , The best way to judge Tindalls hand is too look and Englands most recent high try count game (Italy 2011) and look at his stats from that.

Mike Tindall

Total passes : 7
Offloads : 1
Clean breaks : 3
Kicks : 3

Compared to Ma'a Nonu at the weekend (vs Australia)

Ma'a Nonu

Total passes : 7
Offloads : 1
Clean breaks : 0
Kicks : 0

Tindall has the same stats as a 'world class' Ma'a Nonu so on paper he could be a good asset to England inside centre. Tindall always seems to average about 7 passes a game

Mate, where did you get them stats from? I am certain from watching the game that Nonu made more than 0 clean breaks.

ESPN Scrum mate http://www.espnscrum.com/tri-nations-2011/rugby/match/121713.html

Only Weepu and Sivi made clean breaks according to it.

Mate, I have watched games with scrum.com on and seen the stats as they go and I would take them with a pinch of salt.

Those stats seem about right. Not entirely sure how genia lost a lineout though

I watched the game on my phone and Sky +'d it and am going to watch it again shortly, so I'll do a count and let you know if scrum.com is right.

I do like my stats....but my Mark I eyeballs can see how shocking Tindalls passes are sometimes. It's not every pass but he throws some absolute shockers sometimes.

Tindall is no 12

Depends on what you take a clean break as i suppose , Carter is fantastic with his foot work and pulling a defender and putting Nonu through a hole which in my mind is a clean break.

Owen Franks made a clean break too Driver, I remember that one! Pure magic lol

I;ve seen Tindall at 12 and he doesnt work at all there. Nonu works as he's a destructive ball carrier - Tins isnt. Tindall is our best 13 because he can organise the defensive line brilliantly, is an excellent leader and respected by all the team.

I'd have my backline as Wilko, Flutey and Tins - with Tuilagi on the bench for impact as Tins tires.

I do have major concerns with Moody and Tindalls ability to last a game, their bodies are taking beatings - yet again Moody failed to last 80mins for England. What's he going to be like in a WC?

I am yo yo ing so much with regards to my England team. As we get closer I am starting to think are going to need experience on the pitch. Team has been packed with experience in both 2003 and 2007.

1. Sheridan
2. Hartley
3. Cole
4. Lawes
5. Palmer
6. Croft
7. Moody
8. Easter
9. Youngs
10. Flood
11. Cueto
12. Flutey
13. Tindall
14. Ashton
15. Foden

16. Thompson
17. Stevens
18. Shaw
19. Haskell
20. Care
21. Wilko
22. Banahan

That is the squad I think Johnson would like to put out as it has a little bit of everything.

Gear had a few clean breaks. The one lead almost lead to a try he went through offloaded and then smith and nonu messed it up. Beale made a break also.

Hape will be 12 for england. I thought flutey was pretty poor yesterday and certainly did not do enough to keep his place.

Haskell needs to start for me also

But where would Haskell play matt?

Though he was England's best back row yesterday , wouldn't mind a cheeky back row of Croft , Easter , Haskell

No balance to that back row

Depends how you look at it Steve , Croft wins plenty of turnovers , Haskell carries well.

Wood, Easter, Haskell. Love croft but he is not utilised properly by England. We need crofts lineout. It's hard to fit haskell in but mj now saying moody not guaranteed captaincy so croft Easter Haskell looking likely

Who would be the captain though??

I think they might give it to Hartley you know. Simply because I think he is the best captain who is pretty certain to start. Don't rate Easter as a captain ad other options (Moody, Wilko and Tindall) aren't guaranteed starters.

I wish we had a top class 7 in the Back mould, can't think of anyone coming through