CWC1983

All home wins for me this week. 
Im in the pub for the last 2 games, plan to bring in Paddy's day 1 day early with some Guiness. 
Watch us wilt in Dublin and get beat by +20
 

I watched Winchester RFC the other week against Witney.
Didn't bear much resemblance to 6N rugby as described.
More like formation mugging......

Have you started scouting in France now?  🤷‍♂️

This is a transfer thread about Derby. 
Kelly is an average goalie at best. My opinion has nothing to do with who he played reserve football for, more to do with observing him playing for Scotland and Motherwell. Morton in the Cup? 
Im always one to stick up for the SPL, but Kelly isn't the answer for Championship or L1. He's petrified of coming for a cross. 
Barron? There's a player in there, a sort of Barry Bannon lite.  I doubt he has the strength physically or mentally for either Champ or L1. 
 
 

Had a read and I can confirm it's not me, I've not really watched ay football outside of DCFC for a while now.

@RadioactiveWaste, @Comrade 86
 
Is that one of you with another log on trying to bait me in the Summer transfer thread? 
😄
 

I am nobody's sockpuppet.

Won't lie, i've started checking in on this thread just to see how this whole saga pans out 😂

Whenever I watch a bit of rugby as I did over the weekend, I wonder why on earth I bother with football.  I know the standard of rugby in the 6 nations is high and the standard of football I watch is - well - not high.  But the rugby seems to be thrilling for almost the whole game - loads of jeopardy, extraordinary athleticism - huge men darting around like gymnasts - it gets me off my seat and shouting at the tele.
So I tell myself I’ll go watch Derby RFC but I never do.  I suppose there’s just something special about football.  But I’ve got a ton of respect for the top rugby players.
 

I'd be really surprised if Lennon is appointed. 
The chairman needs to appoint someone that the fans will get behind, Lennon is a definite no go on that front. 

My bets this weekend have all bombed completely, but the lads' performance today more than compensates. To be fair, even if we'd not have nicked that game today, I'd have been delighted just to see us playing running rugby and getting the ball wide. It's been a fair old while for us English fans and to match the best side I've ever seen emerge from the Emerald Isle is really pleasing, even if realists like myself will know that there's still much work to do. 
No pep talk needed this week, I'd imagine, after Heaslip's demeaning assessments. You could tell from the kick off that the lads were 'playing angry' and they maintained that right to the end, without letting it override what they were trying to do. Heaslip now just looks a complete mug and even my Irish pals are pissed at him. One described him as being the 'kind of eejit who'd poke a sleeping dog just to see whether it would bite him' which made me laugh. He has his answer now anyway. Important now that both players and fans keep level heads and not assume we're back. There were a still a large number of errors made, even simple kicks from out in front of the posts, so the boys must keep working hard to improve if they are to compete with the likes of Ireland regularly. As for Ireland, well I'd not like to be playing them next week! I suspect we'll see them remind us all again why they are generally considered the best team out there right now.

When we were 11 points up I stuck £5 on Italy at 10/1. 
Softened the blow a bit. 
Enjoy, there's nothing quite like your country winning in the 6 nations as underdogs, 👍

Was just thinking the same myself. I'm tempted to ask why we don't play like this more often, but I'm going to get incredubly drunk with the lads instead. Thank you Engalnd. It's lovely to have you back! 

England Italy double would have been a good price. 
They fronted up brilliantly and deserved that win. 
 

I've never seen an Italian side defend like that. It looked like Scotland were going to walk it, but I thought Russell was quite ordinary today by his own high standards and Italy were absolutely on it in all aspects for their game. It's a shame that the Scots will rightly view this campaign as another instance of 'what might of been', but as you've very sportingly surmised, all credit to Italy who were immense today. I don't think anyone will begrudge them that result after so many close shaves against the higher rated sides.

Well played Italy, that result has been coming for them for 2 years. 
 

Well played Italy, that result has been coming for them for 2 years. 
 

Its their moment in the sun at the moment.
The WC still stings since they will never have a better chance to make a semi final.....😄
It's been a while since the backs have had to play going backwards, let's see how they get on if you can put some forward pressure on them. I think you could win the  scrum to get penalties and put scoreboard pressure on them. 
 

The Steward thing is made even weirder by the chosen replacement, a fullback with concrete hands. Arundell, meanwhile, is tearing it up in Top 14 rugby in the same position. How I'd love to see him collecting the kicks and running from deep if Steward is not going to play. Ah, well, I give up on England for the time being. I thought the idea was to roll out the next generation but instead we're trying to salvage a dead tourny for us with a team full of guys who are at the very end of their careers. Whatever the strategy is, I'm not seeing it.
As for Scotland, we beat Italy and we're poor, so I'm not expecting too many problems for your chaps, but I'm afraid that's as good as it gets as I don't see us getting near the Irish, especially with the team selected. Would love to help you out as the Irish are giving the Saffas a run as the most arrogant fans ever these days, but sadly, it'll be them singing tomorrow, not us.
Yours, fed up and grumpy,
86 😋

The Steward one is weird, isn't it?  
Slade and Lawrence had shockers against us, can't be as bad again tomorrow. 
Lawrence must be in to take on Ake. 
It will be some of the players Twickenham swansong, can't imagine Care, Marler, Cole pulling on the white shirt there again. 
I also wonder if Itoje might take a break at some point. 
If you could manage a low scoring draw I'd be a happy man, assuming we beat the Italians in the afternoon. 
Italy will fancy it tomorrow and we've never given them a doing over there. It will be a lot closer than some are thinking. 
We got out of jail last season against them, for me it's a 60/40 game in favour of Scotland. 

Cheers. I'd never set foot in Germany until last year for Eintracht Frankfurt v Aberdeen in the conference league.
Loved it, they have a great attitude to football, beer, socialising. 
The last tournament I did was France 98 when I was a young lad.  Its been a long time coming..... 😀

The game and result I expected as right now, Scotland have our measure. Borthwick is looking to the future which I welcome and while RWC 2027 seems distant right now, it'll be on us quicker than we think. He is being hampered by injuries, but we have to accept that as he starts to bed in younger players, there will be bumps in the road. Our relative 'success' at the last WC presented a rather rosy view of the current crop and having watched us humbled at home by Fiji, most England fans are fully aware of how big a job he has on his hands. 
Well done to the Scots though. It's always VDM these days that puts us to the sword. He's been the difference again today. As it is, Scotland have a cutting edge we lack at the moment. Thankfully I had the big lad to score two or more and Scotland to cover a 7 point spread so they made me a decent chunk of change today, which has somewhat eased my pains 😋

Good win from a very scrappy game. 
Thank god that boy that scored England's 2nd try didn't start, he looks a player. 
I have to say I thought Borthwick and George's interviews after the game were excellent. The question from Sonja to Borthwick about fans waiting for results was uncalled for and daft. 
It might have been me, but Russell seemed to charm the ref more than George did. Shouldn't matter, but it does. 
For the 1st time in my life I'll be cheering on England v a Celtic nation in a couple of weeks.....😅

Is it that the scotland rugby side is pretty good and the england rugby side is pretty bad?
Delighted.
 

He's getting on a bit granted, but scoring since 1884?