RWCR1 England vs Argentina

[sockwithaticket]

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.

That one was kinda before my time. I'm sure my dad watched it and I was probably propped up next to him or playing on the floor nearby, but I was 6 and more interested in my toys. '03 is the first one I can really remember actively following.

[Sandstorm]

'03 is the first one I can really remember actively following.

Puke

[JM2K6]

as widely predicted in the media

Good: Mitchell & Marchant starting
Please Be Better: Earl as an 8, Steward, Cole, Daly
Fucking Hell You're Lucky To Be There: May, Tuilagi
Hope You're Fit!: Curry, Chessum

[Margin__Walker]

I miss Eddie already. He made the journos work so much harder for the team sheet.

Kind of boring knowing the team a few days before it's announced each gameweek.

[tc27]

TH prop situations not good is it.

[JM2K6]

Nope. Stuart went from looking promising not that long ago to being an absolute fucking liability. Sinckler dropped off a cliff after moving to Bristol. Heyes hasn't kicked on. No-one else seems to have made any waves (Harry Williams is a disaster).

[Slick]

'03 is the first one I can really remember actively following.

Puke

I followed this one from SA. Great memories.

[Ovals]

Nope. Stuart went from looking promising not that long ago to being an absolute fucking liability. Sinckler dropped off a cliff after moving to Bristol. Heyes hasn't kicked on. No-one else seems to have made any waves (Harry Williams is a disaster).

It's shocking how far Sinkler's form has fallen - and hard to really understand - he should really be at his peak now.

[JM2K6]

Nope. Stuart went from looking promising not that long ago to being an absolute fucking liability. Sinckler dropped off a cliff after moving to Bristol. Heyes hasn't kicked on. No-one else seems to have made any waves (Harry Williams is a disaster).

It's shocking how far Sinkler's form has fallen - and hard to really understand - he should really be at his peak now.

He's had a lot of injury problems but I suspect something went badly wrong at Bristol. A lot of players have not come out well.

[sockwithaticket]

Nope. Stuart went from looking promising not that long ago to being an absolute fucking liability. Sinckler dropped off a cliff after moving to Bristol. Heyes hasn't kicked on. No-one else seems to have made any waves (Harry Williams is a disaster).

The stocks are pretty bare. If we look outside of the ones who've been recently involved with England (the three mentioned above plus Cole) we've got Max Lahiff, Harry Williams, Ehren Painter, Marcus Street, Fraser Balmain, Will Collier, Lovejoy Chawatama, Trevor Davison, Paul Hill and Nic Shoenert to choose from as tightheads who play fairly regularly as first or second choice at their clubs. I wouldn't say any of them are really nipping at the heels of those in the national set up. Collier may be the best of the lot, which is damning with faint praise to an extent.

[sockwithaticket]

'03 is the first one I can really remember actively following.

Puke

That and the couple of years beforehand being my first conscious exposure to English rugby really made the following banter years hurt.

[JM2K6]

Nope. Stuart went from looking promising not that long ago to being an absolute fucking liability. Sinckler dropped off a cliff after moving to Bristol. Heyes hasn't kicked on. No-one else seems to have made any waves (Harry Williams is a disaster).

The stocks are pretty bare. If we look outside of the ones who've been recently involved with England (the three mentioned above plus Cole) we've got Max Lahiff, Harry Williams, Ehren Painter, Marcus Street, Fraser Balmain, Will Collier, Lovejoy Chawatama, Trevor Davison, Paul Hill and Nic Shoenert to choose from as tightheads who play fairly regularly as first or second choice at their clubs. I wouldn't say any of them are really nipping at the heels of those in the national set up. Collier may be the best of the lot, which is damning with faint praise to an extent.

Hill, Balmain, Williams, and Heyes were all touted as being the next big thing at a young age and never kicked on. It's a real concern. Is it a coaching issue?

Painter is gigantic, it's a real shame he isn't better.

[Hal Jordan]

If Collier could stay fit he'd be a decent back up level player, but he's perma-broke.

[Oxbow]

Painter is gigantic, it's a real shame he isn't better.

Solid in the scrum, fairly useless in open play. Maybe the enforced move to Exeter will see him kick on, but I doubt it.

[Paddington Bear]

'03 is the first one I can really remember actively following.

Puke

That and the couple of years beforehand being my first conscious exposure to English rugby really made the following banter years hurt.

Yeah. My Dad worked for a guy at the time who’d inherited debentures but didn’t like rugby, so as a primary school kid I saw us beat just about everyone. It still remains a challenging adjustment to reality.
Conversely the first time I went to Lord’s we were ranked as the worst test team in the world, which was excellent preparation

[petej]

Putting England on at 8pm means that committed rugby fans will be drunk enough to not be too disappointed by the shit rugby.

[tc27]

Both France and NZ suffered in that heat..its not going to be a clasic tomorrow is it.

[Paddington Bear]

Both France and NZ suffered in that heat..its not going to be a clasic tomorrow is it.

Weather conditions are largely irrelevant as to whether we are going to produce vintage rugby or not. Honestly all I’m hoping for is that we produce a proper amount of intensity and effort, a la Dublin. And yes I am aware that ‘I hope we produce a performance much like when we lost by 13 points in March’ is a pretty chastening take on where English rugby is four years on from a final.


Still, I suspect we’re going to win very narrowly tonight

[Hal Jordan]

Putting England on at 8pm means that committed rugby fans will be drunk enough to not be too disappointed by the shit rugby.

And 9pm in France, I'm not sure some of the spectators will make it through the second half.

[BnM]

I'm guessing 18 (2t, 1c & 2p) - 9 (3p) to Argentina.

[Torquemada 1420]

Nowhere near as hot in Marseille at 26-27C and will drop.

However, best stadium in France for atmosphere and I suspect the noise will be behind Arg.

[ASMO]

Prepare for Borthball...

[Line6 HXFX]

WTAF was Jonny Wilkinson on about there? Think they cut his Mike after that steaming bag of shite.

[OomStruisbaai]

England on the rack tonight

[tc27]

Its time to put the 2003 era player pundits out to pasture surely.

[tc27]

A plus side of losing that 2019 final is we won't get Billy V sharing his pearls of wisdom on the holo vision as an ITV pundit for RWC 2035

[Tichtheid]

This could be a banger of a test match, really tight. I hope so as a neutral.

[BnM]

I think we should have stuck with Eddie, teams ebb and flow. And now that Steve is his replacement I think Wigan u15s coach would have been preferable. I didn't understand how he was captain, I don't understand how he is coach unless he's a 'yes' man. I still remember Care waiting 2m from try line, trying to figure out what for and it was for Borthwick to trundle from half way line.

And just how much dubious shit do I have to read about Dallaglio in the press and yet keep seeing him on TV. Shit not sticking somehow.

[OomStruisbaai]

Small crowd. Expected a full house for all the travelling Europeans. Thought that's important for them.

[Hal Jordan]

I think we should have stuck with Eddie, teams ebb and flow. And now that Steve is his replacement I think Wigan u15s coach would have been preferable. I didn't understand how he was captain, I don't understand how he is coach unless he's a 'yes' man. I still remember Care waiting 2m from try line, trying to figure out what for and it was for Borthwick to trundle from half way line.

And just how much dubious shit do I have to read about Dallaglio in the press and yet keep seeing him on TV. Shit not sticking somehow.

Being a member of the Stonecutters is a powerful thing.

[Margin__Walker]

Small crowd. Expected a full house for all the travelling Europeans. Thought that's important for them.

Lots still outside the stadium apparently

[Slick]

Small crowd. Expected a full house for all the travelling Europeans. Thought that's important for them.

Think you may have seen a pre recorded thing? Surely this will be packed

[Slick]

What’s the capacity there, looks awesome

[ASMO]

67000 i believe

[Slick]

67000 i believe

So I hear

[C69]

Those anthem are terrible

[Hal Jordan]

Anthems

[Slick]

Anthems

Oh, so you hate poor kids. Shame.

[Hal Jordan]

Those anthem are terrible

I could feel my soul leaving my body.

[Torquemada 1420]

LMAO. Apparently the queen has been revived.

Worried about Arg. Look overly emotional. Expect Lavanini to see a card within 10 mins.