RWCR1 England vs Argentina

[Ymx]

Worth its own thread

[clydecloggie]

Argentina by 12.

[Thor Sedan]

Tricky one to call - both sides are prone to dropping their sh*t and shipping 30 or 40 points.

Reckon that Argentina will win it by 4 or 5 - providing they don't lose a player to a card/s.

[Lobby]

As Farrell isn't playing, Lavanini must be favourite for this game's red card moment of madness

[dpedin]

I'm really looking forward to this game and suspect it could be really close. It will be fascinating to see if England stick with their existing game plan or decide they need play more expansively to win a key match for them. If they spend all their time playing one out rugby and kicking to the Argies back 3 then they could regret it.I cant see England getting much change out of the Argies pack. If they play Smith at 10 and open up a little then we could see some tries for both sides. The Argies are not a bad side and if they play fast running rugby as they are capable of then England might be exposed. Both sides struggle with getting tackle height right so there might be a few cards and I suspect both sides will be right up for the game. My bet is Genge for first yellow/red card.

[Ymx]

Have a feeling it will be decided by cards.

[SaintK]

England by 9

[Sandstorm]

Argentina will run this one a lot and scores tries. England will get left behind.
Argies by 16

[JM2K6]

I'm really looking forward to this game and suspect it could be really close. It will be fascinating to see if England stick with their existing game plan or decide they need play more expansively to win a key match for them. If they spend all their time playing one out rugby and kicking to the Argies back 3 then they could regret it.I cant see England getting much change out of the Argies pack. If they play Smith at 10 and open up a little then we could see some tries for both sides. The Argies are not a bad side and if they play fast running rugby as they are capable of then England might be exposed. Both sides struggle with getting tackle height right so there might be a few cards and I suspect both sides will be right up for the game. My bet is Genge for first yellow/red card.

It would be insane if they did suddenly decide after playing one way to try something completely different that requires everyone to be on the same wavelength. They're going to double down on the approach. It's all about the "competitive animal" now. We're going to try and arm wrestle everyone to death, and hope that we're in with a shout towards the end of matches where some stardust might actually win a game.

[sockwithaticket]

I'm at a wedding, which I was somewhat peeved about when it was announced, but will actually serve to save me from succumbing to poor judgement and watch England spack around the pitch for another couple of hours.

I'm really looking forward to this game and suspect it could be really close. It will be fascinating to see if England stick with their existing game plan or decide they need play more expansively to win a key match for them. If they spend all their time playing one out rugby and kicking to the Argies back 3 then they could regret it.I cant see England getting much change out of the Argies pack. If they play Smith at 10 and open up a little then we could see some tries for both sides. The Argies are not a bad side and if they play fast running rugby as they are capable of then England might be exposed. Both sides struggle with getting tackle height right so there might be a few cards and I suspect both sides will be right up for the game. My bet is Genge for first yellow/red card.

Someone must be I suppose. If Borthwick starts Smith at 10 for any reason other than Ford getting injured, I'll eat a wardrobe. He's about as anti-Borthball as a player gets.

[Kawazaki]

Borthwick could have Antoin Dupont and 2005 vintage Dan Carter as his halfbacks and it would make zero difference to how he coached England to play.

[Paddington Bear]

https://comb.io/J7NHjB

[Ymx]

https://comb.io/J7NHjB

You’re just dropping a mysterious and dodgy looking link with no explanation??

[lemonhead]

England by 9

Yep, picking England for this one.

With all the criticism and expectations so low they're down with the bog people something has to give.

[Ymx]

Argies by 10

[el capitan]

England to win by a late catch and unopposed drive try, after being so shit and boring that everyone in the stadium (including the opposition) and watching worldwide has either fallen asleep or bleached their own eyeballs to escape it.

[Lobby]

I'm at a wedding, which I was somewhat peeved about when it was announced, but will actually serve to save me from succumbing to poor judgement and watch England spack around the pitch for another couple of hours.

I'm really looking forward to this game and suspect it could be really close. It will be fascinating to see if England stick with their existing game plan or decide they need play more expansively to win a key match for them. If they spend all their time playing one out rugby and kicking to the Argies back 3 then they could regret it.I cant see England getting much change out of the Argies pack. If they play Smith at 10 and open up a little then we could see some tries for both sides. The Argies are not a bad side and if they play fast running rugby as they are capable of then England might be exposed. Both sides struggle with getting tackle height right so there might be a few cards and I suspect both sides will be right up for the game. My bet is Genge for first yellow/red card.

Someone must be I suppose. If Borthwick starts Smith at 10 for any reason other than Ford getting injured, I'll eat a wardrobe. He's about as anti-Borthball as a player gets.

Of course he's looking forward to it; its another opportunity for him to post more of his tedious 'England are shit' posts in the the English Rugby thread

[Paddington Bear]

I'm at a wedding, which I was somewhat peeved about when it was announced, but will actually serve to save me from succumbing to poor judgement and watch England spack around the pitch for another couple of hours.

I'm really looking forward to this game and suspect it could be really close. It will be fascinating to see if England stick with their existing game plan or decide they need play more expansively to win a key match for them. If they spend all their time playing one out rugby and kicking to the Argies back 3 then they could regret it.I cant see England getting much change out of the Argies pack. If they play Smith at 10 and open up a little then we could see some tries for both sides. The Argies are not a bad side and if they play fast running rugby as they are capable of then England might be exposed. Both sides struggle with getting tackle height right so there might be a few cards and I suspect both sides will be right up for the game. My bet is Genge for first yellow/red card.

Someone must be I suppose. If Borthwick starts Smith at 10 for any reason other than Ford getting injured, I'll eat a wardrobe. He's about as anti-Borthball as a player gets.

Of course he's looking forward to it; its another opportunity for him to post more of his tedious 'England are shit' posts in the the English Rugby thread

Which he can do regardless of the result, of course

[dpedin]

I'm at a wedding, which I was somewhat peeved about when it was announced, but will actually serve to save me from succumbing to poor judgement and watch England spack around the pitch for another couple of hours.



Someone must be I suppose. If Borthwick starts Smith at 10 for any reason other than Ford getting injured, I'll eat a wardrobe. He's about as anti-Borthball as a player gets.

Of course he's looking forward to it; its another opportunity for him to post more of his tedious 'England are shit' posts in the the English Rugby thread

Which he can do regardless of the result, of course

It's not much fun anymore now that everyone has joined in!

[inactionman]

I'll be in the pub in south Edinburgh watching this one - expecting a fair few gleeful jibes and not a great deal of exciting rugby.

[Hal Jordan]

Torygraph reporting Smith is seen as a full back sub by the England management. No word on whether this is a Brexit Bonus or the fault of Harry and Megan.

I mean, a player who has exclusively played at fly half all his career and has little experience in fielding high balls and defensive positioning as the last line. What could possibly go wrong?

[Margin__Walker]

Times going with this as the starting 15.

Mitchell, May and Cole the headline calls.

Probable England XV vs Argentina F Steward; J May, J Marchant, M Tuilagi, E Daly; G Ford, A Mitchell; E Genge, J George, D Cole, M Itoje, O Chessum, C Lawes, T Curry, B Earl.

[JM2K6]

Hands up anyone who thinks Tuilagi has earned his spot ahead of Lawrence. Anyone? Bueller?

Glad to see Mitchell & Marchant in there. Worried about Curry's lack of fitness. Is that Earl at 8 or 7? Cole starting, jesus christ. May better have a better defensive day than last time, ditto Steward who's been flogged to death so far.

[Raggs]

Mitchell over Youngs to start is a massively surprising, but very positive call.

Question now is can be secure those rucks quickly enough. We can go with a simple game plan, plenty of kicking options, and potentially not be embarassed.

[ASMO]

Mitchell over Youngs to start is a massively surprising, but very positive call.

Question now is can be secure those rucks quickly enough. We can go with a simple game plan, plenty of kicking options, and potentially not be embarassed.

Mitchell being there just means we will be kicking the ball away more quickly.

[inactionman]

Hands up anyone who thinks Tuilagi has earned his spot ahead of Lawrence. Anyone? Bueller?

Glad to see Mitchell & Marchant in there. Worried about Curry's lack of fitness. Is that Earl at 8 or 7? Cole starting, jesus christ. May better have a better defensive day than last time, ditto Steward who's been flogged to death so far.

Play well in centres, get dropped for Tuilagi until he's injured again. That seems to be the lot of an English centre - I suppose at least now they can't be shunted out to shoehorn Farrell and Ford into the same XV.

[inactionman]

Still, I know there's a huge amount of negativity but it's a World Cup and I'm getting excited.

[Hal Jordan]

The fact that Cole is still an option is a sad indictment of a nation that used to have tight five players falling out of our ears.

But Sinckler has fallen off a cliff, form wise, and Stuart is a back up at best.

[sockwithaticket]

Still, I know there's a huge amount of negativity but it's a World Cup and I'm getting excited.

I'm excited for the tournament, just not our part in it. Of all the tournaments I've watched, I think only Japan rivalled the French in '07 for the extent to which they embraced the whole thing with a carnival atmosphere and really effusive support for the minnow nations.

[sockwithaticket]

The fact that Cole is still an option is a sad indictment of a nation that used to have tight five players falling out of our ears.

But Sinckler has fallen off a cliff, form wise, and Stuart is a back up at best.

Most of our problem positions don't lack a large number of England qualified players. It's just that very few of them look capable of competing at the thick end of the Heineken Cup, let alone international rugby.

[inactionman]

Still, I know there's a huge amount of negativity but it's a World Cup and I'm getting excited.

I'm excited for the tournament, just not our part in it. Of all the tournaments I've watched, I think only Japan rivalled the French in '07 for the extent to which they embraced the whole thing with a carnival atmosphere and really effusive support for the minnow nations.

I've blocked out the Japan WC from memory, I was in Japan and had tickets for England's opening game up in Sapporo but had to fly home as my mum was dying - lost her a few weeks later. Just desperate, dreadful associations in my head, even the NZ game is tainted.

I say this not to be a miseryguts but to highlight that, no matter how woeful England are, from a personal perspective this year's WC is going to be an order of scale better than the last one.

[Ymx]

Still, I know there's a huge amount of negativity but it's a World Cup and I'm getting excited.

I'm excited for the tournament, just not our part in it. Of all the tournaments I've watched, I think only Japan rivalled the French in '07 for the extent to which they embraced the whole thing with a carnival atmosphere and really effusive support for the minnow nations.

I've blocked out the Japan WC from memory, I was in Japan and had tickets for England's opening game up in Sapporo but had to fly home as my mum was dying - lost her a few weeks later. Just desperate, dreadful associations in my head, even the NZ game is tainted.

I say this not to be a miseryguts but to highlight that, no matter how woeful England are, from a personal perspective this year's WC is going to be an order of scale better than the last one.

Jesus Christ man. You are making it very hard to taunt you now ??!!!

[Paddington Bear]

Still, I know there's a huge amount of negativity but it's a World Cup and I'm getting excited.

I'm excited for the tournament, just not our part in it. Of all the tournaments I've watched, I think only Japan rivalled the French in '07 for the extent to which they embraced the whole thing with a carnival atmosphere and really effusive support for the minnow nations.

As much as It Never Happened, we were very good hosts all things considered in 2015.

Agree on the excitement. I’m expecting nothing so anything we do is a bonus, and the competitiveness will be up a notch on previous editions

[sockwithaticket]

Still, I know there's a huge amount of negativity but it's a World Cup and I'm getting excited.

I'm excited for the tournament, just not our part in it. Of all the tournaments I've watched, I think only Japan rivalled the French in '07 for the extent to which they embraced the whole thing with a carnival atmosphere and really effusive support for the minnow nations.

I've blocked out the Japan WC from memory, I was in Japan and had tickets for England's opening game up in Sapporo but had to fly home as my mum was dying - lost her a few weeks later. Just desperate, dreadful associations in my head, even the NZ game is tainted.

I say this not to be a miseryguts but to highlight that, no matter how woeful England are, from a personal perspective this year's WC is going to be an order of scale better than the last one.

Understandable. A belated sorry for your loss, hopefully this tournament gives you a double dose of enjoyment.

[sockwithaticket]

Still, I know there's a huge amount of negativity but it's a World Cup and I'm getting excited.

I'm excited for the tournament, just not our part in it. Of all the tournaments I've watched, I think only Japan rivalled the French in '07 for the extent to which they embraced the whole thing with a carnival atmosphere and really effusive support for the minnow nations.

As much as It Never Happened, we were very good hosts all things considered in 2015.

Agree on the excitement. I’m expecting nothing so anything we do is a bonus, and the competitiveness will be up a notch on previous editions

I don't think any of the other tournaments have been bad, it's just that France and Japan as hosts were better.

As much as a packed Kingsholm cheering on minnows was good, French rugby fans are a different breed than English with all their singing and the stadium bands plus there were generally more of them in bigger, better venues (municipally funded stadia for the win).

[Raggs]

Times going with this as the starting 15.

Mitchell, May and Cole the headline calls.

Probable England XV vs Argentina F Steward; J May, J Marchant, M Tuilagi, E Daly; G Ford, A Mitchell; E Genge, J George, D Cole, M Itoje, O Chessum, C Lawes, T Curry, B Earl.

Just been reading that they predict Care on the bench too!

[Hal Jordan]

Resting Big Gun Youngs until the quarter finals when we need our undisputed no 1 veteran to lead us to glory.

[petej]

Hands up anyone who thinks Tuilagi has earned his spot ahead of Lawrence. Anyone? Bueller?

Glad to see Mitchell & Marchant in there. Worried about Curry's lack of fitness. Is that Earl at 8 or 7? Cole starting, jesus christ. May better have a better defensive day than last time, ditto Steward who's been flogged to death so far.

Play well in centres, get dropped for Tuilagi until he's injured again. That seems to be the lot of an English centre - I suppose at least now they can't be shunted out to shoehorn Farrell and Ford into the same XV.

Once farrell is back you know they will likely put Farrell at 12 move Tuilagi out to 13 and ditch Marchant.

[Slick]

Still, I know there's a huge amount of negativity but it's a World Cup and I'm getting excited.

I'm excited for the tournament, just not our part in it. Of all the tournaments I've watched, I think only Japan rivalled the French in '07 for the extent to which they embraced the whole thing with a carnival atmosphere and really effusive support for the minnow nations.

As much as It Never Happened, we were very good hosts all things considered in 2015.

Agree on the excitement. I’m expecting nothing so anything we do is a bonus, and the competitiveness will be up a notch on previous editions

Yes, I agree. My favourite WC memory is being in a pub with my dad after a game at Twickenham and each countries supporters taking it in turns to sing a song, magical rugby moment

[Sandstorm]

I'm excited for the tournament, just not our part in it. Of all the tournaments I've watched, I think only Japan rivalled the French in '07 for the extent to which they embraced the whole thing with a carnival atmosphere and really effusive support for the minnow nations.

As much as It Never Happened, we were very good hosts all things considered in 2015.

Agree on the excitement. I’m expecting nothing so anything we do is a bonus, and the competitiveness will be up a notch on previous editions

I don't think any of the other tournaments have been bad, it's just that France and Japan as hosts were better.

SA in ‘95 was awesome. The whole country got behind the Boks and at the same time welcomed fans and teams from everywhere. Except Australia; wankers.