England to whitewash Australia

NTA

Yeah and I'm not sure, short of this being a huge snow job, that we're going in that direction.
 
Anyway, I'm going over to GAGR to see how shrill the QLDers are getting.

Bovidae

Does Mumm have some incriminating photos of Cheika?

NTA

Well, he's not yet on the bench - one of Mumm, Palu, or Coleman will go I think, depending on Eddie's team announcement, which I assume is this afternoon.

NTA

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="590690" data-time="1466640614">
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Yeah and I'm not sure, short of this being a huge snow job, that we're going in that direction.
 
Anyway, I'm going over to GAGR to see how shrill the QLDers are getting.
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</blockquote>
 
Yep. Pretty shrill.
 
 
Weather forecast from today is "Mostly Sunny", "Windy", "Mostly Sunny".
 
Will be cold this weekend in that part of Sydney - tops of 15-16 during the day so kickoff will be fairly chilly compared to normal.

Frank

Nick, What do you think of Skelton as a starting lock?

NTA

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Frank" data-cid="590710" data-time="1466642884">
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Nick, What do you think of Skelton as a starting lock?
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</blockquote>
 
I think fighting English size with our own is pointless without a better attitude and plan of attack.
 
Need to get our ruck working, then popping the ball to Skelton, Kepu, Moore, and Slipper at pace could work a treat. Only then should we chuck it at the second channel. Fuck the backs.
 
 
If Skelton is going to play then he'd better fucking run into the teeth of the Pommy defense all day and fuck some shit up, as well as get some offloads away. None of the niggly shit we've seen from him in the past.
 
Our lineout consists of Simmons, Fardy, and McMahon with Hooper at a pinch, so that is a concern any time you include Skelton, but mostly you should be smart enough in Test Rugby that the number of jumpers doesn't matter on your own ball. A good enough opposition will pick you apart.

NTA

Oh - and Skelton needs to fucking hurt some fluffybunnies in contact with or without the ball.

Bovidae

Eddie Jones is expected to name another ex-Rotorua BHS player in his team to play Aust - Teimana Harrison. Poachers!!

taniwharugby

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="590365" data-time="1466553831">
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Fuck, then its YOUR fault! Bloody Queenslanders cursing our shit. 
 
Get ready for the whitewash everyone!
 
England are $1.95 at the TAB, Wallabies $1.85. Line is +1.5
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Aussie were -1.5 last week, they ruined my multi!

Cookie

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="590790" data-time="1466656359">Eddie Jones is expected to name another ex-Rotorua BHS player in his team to play Aust - Teimana Harrison. Poachers!! :) </blockquote>
 
Didn't see that coming- thought Cifford would start as he came off the bench last week. I really don't know much about Harrison. I'm hoping he's more of an out and out fetcher as it would make a refreshing change to see how we play with one!

Disgusted of TW

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="barbarian" data-cid="590381" data-time="1466555162">Yeah that's me. 
 
That was a well made point (wasn't me). Again reflects badly on Moore. He was getting into the niggle, encouraging it, and we were screaming at the ref all game. So it's not surprising that England got the 50/50s.</blockquote>
 
Even in the first test, there was one instance when Moore started to address Poite, for the umpteenth time, Poite cut him off with "Stephen, we are not going to talk like this all the time". In contrast, against all my expectations, Hartley seems to have pitched his comms just right.

Disgusted of TW

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Cookie" data-cid="590813" data-time="1466668627">Didn't see that coming- thought Cifford would start as he came off the bench last week. I really don't know much about Harrison. I'm hoping he's more of an out and out fetcher as it would make a refreshing change to see how we play with one!</blockquote>
 
He impressed in the Wales match. Wouldn't say he's an O&OF, but probably better suited to that role than Clifford.

Cookie

Cheers DTW - I missed the Wales games - good to know he's at least a bit more "fetchy" than Clifford, hope he goes well on Sat.

gollum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Cookie" data-cid="590813" data-time="1466668627">
<div>
Didn't see that coming- thought Cifford would start as he came off the bench last week. I really don't know much about Harrison. I'm hoping he's more of an out and out fetcher as it would make a refreshing change to see how we play with one!
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</blockquote>
 
He just spent half a season playing 8 for Norths. "Abrasive" would be the phrase I'd use to describe his play. I don't actually think England have brought an out & out fetcher in the squad, Ksevic is with the Saxons & that young Welsh bloke is at home

Catogrande

Yeah, he's another 6.5/can play 8 from what I've seen. However Percentage Eddie seems to have got the three big lumps in the backrow strategy working OK so maybe this is all part of his cunning plan to change how rugby is played.

NTA

Why fetch when you've got no intention to attack the ruck? 
Eddie is using what he's got - in 2003 he used two openside flankers because they were better than the other options. 
Now he's decided to just tackle the fuck out of everything because that is what this crop of blokes does best.

Stargazer

ENGLAND
 
1. Mako Vunipola (34) 2. Dylan Hartley Â© (74) 3. Dan Cole (64) 4. Maro Itoje (6) 5. George Kruis (17) 6. Chris Robshaw (50) 7. Teimana Harrison (1) 8. Billy Vunipola (28)
9. Ben Youngs (60) 10. George Ford (24) 11. Jack Nowell (16) 12. Owen Farrell (42) 13. Jonathan Joseph (24) 14. Anthony Watson (23) 15. Mike Brown (51)
 
Reserves: 
16. Jamie George (7) 17. Matt Mullan (12) 18. Paul Hill (4) 19. Joe Launchbury (34) 20. Courtney Lawes (48) 21. Jack Clifford (7) 22. Danny Care (61) 23. Elliot Daly (4)
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.englandrugby.com/news/harrison-starts-final-test-sydney/'>http://www.englandrugby.com/news/harrison-starts-final-test-sydney/</a>

Catogrande

Not a lot of controversy in that squad. Let's hope we can finish the job properly. Some possession would be nice.

antipodean

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Catogrande" data-cid="590855" data-time="1466678075">
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Some possession would be nice.
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Would make for a prettier game to watch.
 
I'm still flummoxed by the selection for the Wallabies. Genuinely can't see how the changes address the astonishing incompetence of last week.

gollum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="590843" data-time="1466675957">
<div>
Why fetch when you've got no intention to attack the ruck? 
Eddie is using what he's got - in 2003 he used two openside flankers because they were better than the other options. 
Now he's decided to just tackle the fuck out of everything because that is what this crop of blokes does best.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Helps that he has Itoje too who is one of the most, if not the most mobile locks around. That boy is a legend in the making. They are virtually playing 3 6's & Billy. And then Launchbury & Lawes on the bench could easily play 6 in test rugby (Lawes has). England have a genuine claim to 4 or 5 of the top 10 locks in world rugby right now.
 
Its not entirely dissimilar to the tactic the ABs used in the second half of the WC games bringing on Vito & playing Read as a lock. Might be a pointer to later in the season for us if we bring Ardie or Dixon on as a blindside & move Kaino to lock.

The Silver Fern

England to whitewash Australia