Article: The Original Rugby Championship - Six Nations 2016

Crash

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Catogrande" data-cid="561514" data-time="1456651282">
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Brown was certainly reckless and clumsy and I was worried at the time that he's get a yellow. He could still be cited but I think red would be harsh, but let's not forget we're talking the IRB judiciary here so anything can happen.
 
In the end a reasonably solid win for England against an Irish side that has suffered from retirements and injuries, so and not wishing to denigrate this Irish side, nothing to get above ourselves about. Scrum has improved but still some way to go, line out looking better but our discipline is shocking. We will never win consistently if we keep gifting points, pressure and territory like that.
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Good summary, Cato.
The TOs in possession were staggering. Patience is rewarded. Just hold onto the ball and build phases, ffs.

Siam

Us neutrals were denied an exciting finish when Ireland weren't allowed a try after Veldsman et al (IRB) told us that obscured camera vision = no try when anyone who's played or watched the game knows that ball touched some grass. For that sub back on debut to totally deny the ball on the grass, just didn't happen
 
I understand the jeopardy with TMO rulings but would have loved the ref to say, nah, I saw enough, that was a try. At least the old "is there clear footage why I shouldn't award the try" leads to more interpretation of just plain old rugby 
 
We increasingly live in a world where camera shots supersede eyes and exerience

MiketheSnow

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="561423" data-time="1456598495">
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Solid performance from England. The main improvement so far under Eddie Jones has been their scrum.
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Is Marler wearing a Cloak of Invisibility?
 
Should be pinged at every scrum for incorrect bind / not binding and/or pulling down.

MiketheSnow

Poite et al bottled the big call. Haskell yellow for killing the ball. Two yellows = red.
 
Dirty fluffybunny Brown straight red for trying to be Michael Flatley.
 
Once is clumsy. Twice is reckless. Thrice is dirty.
 
Hopefully that dirty shit will be cited.
 
Danny Care must be gutted.
 
And 13 men on the park for the last 10 mins and the match becomes a whole lot more interesting.
 
Moving on to 12 March,
 
Stop Billy, stop England.
 
Simple really.

Catogrande

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MiketheSnow" data-cid="561522" data-time="1456658993">
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Is Marler wearing a Cloak of Invisibility?
 
Should be pinged at every scrum for incorrect bind / not binding and/or pulling down.
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I didn't say it was perfect Mike, just an improvement :think:

Catogrande

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MiketheSnow" data-cid="561523" data-time="1456659452">
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Poite et al bottled the big call. Haskell yellow for killing the ball. Two yellows = red.
 
Dirty fluffybunny Brown straight red for trying to be Michael Flatley.
 
Once is clumsy. Twice is reckless. Thrice is dirty. - I agree, but then the first one was more of a ruck so doesn't count :fishing:
 
Hopefully that dirty shit will be cited. - I really don't see him as a dirty player, but you're most likely right that he will get cited.
 
Danny Care must be gutted.
 
And 13 men on the park for the last 10 mins and the match becomes a whole lot more interesting.
 
Moving on to 12 March,
 
Stop Billy, stop England. - Yep. And itoje. And Mako. And joseph. However from yesterday's game you could be excused for thinking Billy = England, it was a bloody impressive performance, his stats were damned good. It's made me revise my thinking of him not being an 80 minute player. A looser game might find him out on that front, but his fitness has improved greatly. still someway to go yet which is encouraging (for en England dam anyway).
 
Simple really.
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MiketheSnow

Mako and Itoje both had very good games.
 
Joseph was ok and certainly not the threat he has been and can be.

SimonAdd

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MiketheSnow" data-cid="561523" data-time="1456659452">Poite et al bottled the big call. Haskell yellow for killing the ball. Two yellows = red. </blockquote>
 
Haskell was fine. On his feet, there before the Irish support, perfectly entitled to go for the ball. Did a good job letting go once cleared out too. 
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Catogrande

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MiketheSnow" data-cid="561526" data-time="1456660537">
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Mako and Itoje both had very good games.
 
Joseph was ok and certainly not the threat he has been and can be.
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So Mike. Two weeks time. Are you feeling confident? I've been impressed with Wales' defence so far this 6N but they haven't seemed that crash hot on attack. Scrum is looking pretty good though. Samson Lee seems to have come on a fair bit.
 
I'm hoping our scrum holds out and that so does our discipline. If we can sort out those two issues I'd back us to take it at HQ although 7 is still worry for me whether Gatland plays Warburton or Warburton and Tipuric. It's going to be an interesting call for Steady Eddy if Launchbury is fit - to pick two out of him, Itoje and Kruis will be hard. Who would have thought a few months ago that a fit Lawes would be third choice?

antipodean

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MiketheSnow" data-cid="561522" data-time="1456658993">
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Is Marler wearing a Cloak of Invisibility?
 
Should be pinged at every scrum for incorrect bind / not binding and/or pulling down.
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If he packed straight first they could worry about that stuff.

Derm McCrum

Congrats England. 
That's all I'm going to say about that match. 
Italy and Scotland are looking to be interesting match-ups. 
We might manage to beat one of them. 
On the plus side - happy for VDF, Dillane and McCloskey who all had good bows. 
Hopefully Payne has to sit out the remainder of the 6N.

ACT Crusader

Loved that England v Ireland test. Fantastic try saver late in the game, some decent tries and an awesome atmosphere coming through the TV.
 
England's title to lose now.
 
Watched that France v Wales test and that was the complete opposite. A dire game. France lacking any sort of organisation in attack, let alone innovation or flair. Wales were also frustrating to watch because despite dominating in defence they could barely do much with the ball either.

mooshld

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Catogrande" data-cid="561514" data-time="1456651282">
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Brown was certainly reckless and clumsy and I was worried at the time that he'd get a yellow. He could still be cited but I think red would be harsh, but let's not forget we're talking the IRB judiciary here so anything can happen.
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There is precedent though isn't there. Reckless behavior even within the laws can get you a red and even a ban afterwards. I hate to harp back to it but the Jared Payne incident is the bench mark for me now. If you are doing something technically legal in the game but that causes harm to another player due to your reckless execution, you should expect a red. 
 
The thing is he didn't need to do it anyway care had already taken one for the team by killing the ball knowing full well he could expect a yellow for it.

MiketheSnow

The Times today
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
 Joe Schmidt, the Ireland head coach, has called on World Rugby to outlaw the practice of players trying to fly hack the ball from rucks after Mike Brown connected with the face of Conor Murray and left the scrum half requiring stitches close to his left eye.
 
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Brown will be waiting anxiously to discover whether Douglas Hunter, the citing officer at Twickenham on Saturday, decides today to lay charges. Schmidt accepted that Brown would not have intended to kick Murray, however in repeatedly swinging his right boot the England full backâ€™s actions could be deemed as reckless.
 
Jonathan Kaplan, the former international referee, has told The Times that Brown should have been shown a red card, which is the litmus test for any citing to be brought.
 
â€œI cannot agree that Mike Brownâ€™s constant and reckless use of the boot, which made contact with Murrayâ€™s head, was one big accident,â€ Kaplan said. â€œWorld Rugby has gone to great lengths to protect the player in the air, it should be no different for the player on the deck. Brown needed to exercise more care when putting his boot there in the first place and a red card would have been more apt. I would be astonished if this wasnâ€™t cited.â€
 
Hunter has 48 hours from the final whistle on Saturday to bring a citing. Schmidt said that he would not raise that specific incident with the authorities, although he does have wider concerns about the practice of players trying to kick the ball clear.
 
â€œIt is something that appears to be a strategy,â€ Schmidt said. â€œThere is a lot of kicking the ball out of the ruck and I just think itâ€™s probably something that even the lawmakers or the officials have to have a bit of a look at just regarding player safety.â€
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<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/rugbyunion/article4701609.ece'>http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/rugbyunion/article4701609.ece</a>

Catogrande

Yeah mooshld, precendents galore. Both in further sanction and in getting away scot free, which it is beginning to look as though Brown has - the citing window must be closing rapidly by now. Leaving aside for now the was it/wasn't it and any one-eyedness about Brown's actions, I find it infuriating that there is still this level of uncertainty about such situations. If the clarification of the law was, well, clarified then one could have no argument about the rights and wrongs - pretty much either guilty or innocent. But here we have many calling for Brown's head on a platter (and if I were either Irish or Welsh I'd likely be among them), the ref and TMOs saying not even a penalty and all colours in between.

Margin_Walker

I'd expect him to be cited some time this afternoon as it's probably red card worthy for me. You have to be aware of what your feet are doing when you step over a ruck like that to kick the ball. Was reckless rather than deliberate but he exacerbated it by continuing to try and kick the ball out of Murray's hands when he had dragged it back in to his chest.
 
The incident being reviewed on the pitch and not being deemed an issue, isn't always a big indicator of whether someone will end up with a ban. Seen a few that have been reviewed as just pens etc and ended up having the citing commissioner taking a much harder view.

Victor Meldrew

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MiketheSnow" data-cid="561413" data-time="1456573664">
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Deserved result but boring as batshit.
 
 
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As Ali Williams said at half-time:
 
"Wayne Barnes has been consistent. he's consistently blown his whistle" :yes:

Calf

I'm surprised how much the press are loving Billy V. I was at the game on Saturday sitting behind the posts. From my angle, his go forward impact was not as apparent, but what was clear is that each time after he crashed it up, he then went and stood out on the wing or dropped to a second full back position to get his breath back. He didn't hit any rucks (that I noticed) and only tackled if an Irishman ran at him while he was standing at 2nd or 3rd receiver. Zero effort at cover defence, kick chasing or getting involved in any attacking movement. Every now and then he'd just stop and stand still during play to recover or retire out of the line and leave his teammates to it. I was shaking my head when he got MoTM.
 
Have since seen the replay and admittedly, from side on, he is very effective at hitting the ball up. But England have to play with 7 forwards for everything else.

Sapetyvi

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Calf" data-cid="561648" data-time="1456749661">I'm surprised how much the press are loving Billy V. I was at the game on Saturday sitting behind the posts. From my angle, his go forward impact was not as apparent, but what was clear is that each time after he crashed it up, he then went and stood out on the wing or dropped to a second full back position to get his breath back. He didn't hit any rucks (that I noticed) and only tackled if an Irishman ran at him while he was standing at 2nd or 3rd receiver. Zero effort at cover defence, kick chasing or getting involved in any attacking movement. Every now and then he'd just stop and stand still during play to recover or retire out of the line and leave his teammates to it. I was shaking my head when he got MoTM. 
Have since seen the replay and admittedly, from side on, he is very effective at hitting the ball up. But England have to play with 7 forwards for everything else.</blockquote>
He is a one trick pony, but very destructive one when he gets going with the carrying

Victor Meldrew

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Calf" data-cid="561648" data-time="1456749661">
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I'm surprised how much the press are loving Billy V.
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Having read the English rugby press for far, far too long, I've come to the conclusion there is no such thing as a common or garden-type England Rugby player. They are either an England Rugby Hero, England Rugby Sensation or England Rugby Superstar.

The Silver Fern

Article: The Original Rugby Championship - Six Nations 2016