England to whitewash Australia
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<p>Thought I'd post this here - the England v Wales pre tour match. I'm not sure too much can be read into this game as there were some notable absentees on both sides. England ran out comfortable winners in reality although not evidenced by the scoreboard with George Ford missing six out of seven kicks - and some of those pretty much sitters. Five tries to one was more reflective. A wee bit of controversy with Cliffords try though - in the build up with Wales on the attack, Dan Cole went for the one handed intercept and got a paw on it. The ball went backwards, Clifford picked it up and ran 40 meters for the try, showing good pace. The intercept went to the TMO with the ref asking the question "is there any clear reason I cannot award the try?" No clear reason evident, the ball went backwards but the physics would suggest it should have gone forwards - did it hit a Welshman first? Quite likely it did, but it was not clear. Try awarded. I have to say as an Englishman I wouldn't have been too surprised or too pissed off if the ruling was no try but the TMO was right in his answer to the ref's particular question.</p>
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<p>Plusses for England = Launchbury had a great game, Watson looked dangerous every time he got the ball, we have some very good young front rowers coming along - Ellis Genge could well be one to watch. The line out was very good. Elliot Daly has got a great outside break and serious wheels - but we all know that anyway. Minus points = Ford's place kicking, the 9.10.12 axis not working too well and still no real balance to the back row. Kvesic came on for a cameo at 7 and showed what we need.</p>
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<p>Plusses for Wales = Hallam Amos looked dangerous, George North looked hungry and Rhys Webb is pretty much the finished article. If ti were Lions year it would be a close call between him and Conor Murray I reckon. Minus points = injuries, line out, defence and coaching in general. Bish, bash, bosh is not going to work in NZ.</p> -
<p>Lots of good news for England yesterday. Clifford, Burrell and Yarde all played as well as I've seen them play. Launchbury and Lawes looked back to their best. Add in the Saracens lads and it is a talented and hungry squad that Eddie Jones is putting together. England are heading to Australia with lots of players in form. Looking forward to the series greatly.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MiketheSnow" data-cid="584137" data-time="1464619684">
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<p>Great rebuke by Jones</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=''></a></p>
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<p>He is right and wrong there. The English media is negative, sure. But that kicking performance certainly rated at least a few questions from the press, 5/6 is historically bad for top tier test matches. This was a hit out to warm up for the Aussie tour - it's very reasonable to make a big deal about it as you project forward to the Australia tour. Tries will be at a premium, and goal kicking is the one factor that isn't effected by the quality of opposition.</p>
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<p>I also find his praise of their performance a little OTT, if Wales had have edged them he would have been the first to play the "it was just a warm up game" card.</p>
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<p>Hansen was asked at least twice about the poor kicking form of Cruden and Barrett in Super Rugby at the squad announcement on a day which should have been all sweetness and light. Jones went off the reserve here a little IMO.</p> -
<p>I guess he's just defending his player really. Hit 1 from 7 from the tee in an international and you know it's been a bad day at the office. Eddie knows that, George knows that.</p>
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<p>In terms of projecting forward to the Oz tour, I'd be pretty confident that Farrell will be one of the first names on the teamsheet (either at 12 or 10), so Ford's goalkicking is unlikely to be too much of a factor. </p>
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<p>Agree really about the praise of the performance. Always nice to put 5 tries away against Wales and it looked good on the highlights. However, large passages were pretty loose and ball security at the ruck wasn't as good as it will need to be in a few weeks. That said, confidence will be high on the flight out and they've got the Sarries/Exeter players to slot back in. Not necesarrily what I'd expect Eddie to go with, but I'd go with something like this for the first test:</p>
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<p>M Vunipola</p>
<p>Hartley</p>
<p>Hill</p>
<p>Kruis</p>
<p>Itoje</p>
<p>Clifford</p>
<p>Haskell</p>
<p>B Vunipola</p>
<p>Care</p>
<p>Ford</p>
<p>Watson</p>
<p>Farrell</p>
<p>Joseph</p>
<p>Nowell</p>
<p>Brown</p>
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<p>Mullan, Cole, George, Launchbury, Robshaw, Youngs, Slade, Yarde</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="582655" data-time="1464169868">
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<p>The whole Folau at centre thing confuses me. He's done a decent fist of it so far this year, but hardly world beating.</p>
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<p>It's like Cheika never saw the All Blacks at RWC 99, 03 and 07.</p>
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<p>I thought Folau was awesome in the weekend.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="rotated" data-cid="584138" data-time="1464622748">
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<p>He is right and wrong there. The English media is negative, sure. But that kicking performance certainly rated at least a few questions from the press, 5/6 is historically bad for top tier test matches. This was a hit out to warm up for the Aussie tour - it's very reasonable to make a big deal about it as you project forward to the Australia tour. Tries will be at a premium, and goal kicking is the one factor that isn't effected by the quality of opposition.</p>
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<p>I also find his praise of their performance a little OTT, if Wales had have edged them he would have been the first to play the "it was just a warm up game" card.</p>
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<p>Hansen was asked at least twice about the poor kicking form of Cruden and Barrett in Super Rugby at the squad announcement on a day which should have been all sweetness and light. Jones went off the reserve here a little IMO.</p>
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<p>He may well be proving that old men can change. He certainly doesn't have a lot of friends in Australia. Apparently he's quite a fluffybunny. <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/open-message-eddie-jones-super-coach-enrique-topo-rodriguez'>Topo Rodriguez certainly thinks so.</a></p> -
According to the Daily Telegraph, England are going to unleash "bodyline" Rugby on Australia. I always called it tackling.<br><br>
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/wallabies-vs-england-june-2016-test-series-eddie-jones-side-to-unleash-bodyline-rugby-20160530-gp7ogt.html'>http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/wallabies-vs-england-june-2016-test-series-eddie-jones-side-to-unleash-bodyline-rugby-20160530-gp7ogt.html</a> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="584831" data-time="1464872756"><p>
According to the Daily Telegraph, England are going to unleash "bodyline" Rugby on Australia. I always called it tackling.<br><br><a class="bbc_url" href="http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/wallabies-vs-england-june-2016-test-series-eddie-jones-side-to-unleash-bodyline-rugby-20160530-gp7ogt.html">http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/wallabies-vs-england-june-2016-test-series-eddie-jones-side-to-unleash-bodyline-rugby-20160530-gp7ogt.html</a></p></blockquote>
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Unsurprisingly none of the quotes use the term "bodyline".<br><br>
I think it may surprise many Aussies but no-one outside of Australia contemplates bodyline in any way shape or form. -
Eddie Jones' mind games on Cheika have begun:<br><br><a class="bbc_url" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/36432549">http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/36432549</a><br><br>
Judging on his time with the Wallabies, we can expect a lot more of this sort of crap from Jones in the years ahead. It worked a little on Mitchell and Deans, I doubt it will rattle Cheika or deflect Hansen at all. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="584842" data-time="1464885236"><p>
Eddie Jones' mind games on Cheika have begun:<br><br><a class="bbc_url" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/36432549">http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/36432549</a><br><br>
Judging on his time with the Wallabies, we can expect a lot more of this sort of crap from Jones in the years ahead. It worked a little on Mitchell and Deans, I doubt it will rattle Cheika or deflect Hansen at all.</p></blockquote>
Cheika has yet to prove is a mental giant at international level given his multiple run ins with officials and his own admission he messed up at the quarter final. He was also the creator of the very successful "we call them New Zealand, not the All Blacks" strategy that was the biggest waste of (limited) brainpower in the last World Cup.<br><br>
More interesting in that link is the continual subtle jabs between Jones and Hansen. As Shag has pointed out England will not play us until next years EOYT at earliest so Jones is content to chip away and talk about the ABs.<br><br>
How anyone could come up with Chieka > Hansen is beyond me. I'm with Henry when it comes to holding off crowning him until he actually wins something. -
<br>when it does become time for England v Allblacks it will be interesting ,<br><br>I get the impression unlike other past AB coaches , Shag enjoys a bit of banter
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="kiwiinmelb" data-cid="584848" data-time="1464897697">
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<p>when it does become time for England v Allblacks it will be interesting ,</p>
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<p>This will be far and awayt the most interesting series in this international window. England with a point to prove, and Australia being, well, Australia.</p>
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<p>can't wait - three late Saturday nights coming up</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="584831" data-time="1464872756">
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<p>According to the Daily Telegraph, England are going to unleash "bodyline" Rugby on Australia. I always called it tackling.<br><br><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/wallabies-vs-england-june-2016-test-series-eddie-jones-side-to-unleash-bodyline-rugby-20160530-gp7ogt.html'>http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/wallabies-vs-england-june-2016-test-series-eddie-jones-side-to-unleash-bodyline-rugby-20160530-gp7ogt.html</a></p>
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<p>Looking forward to this
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="rotated" data-cid="584844" data-time="1464894470">
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<p>How anyone could come up with Chieka > Hansen is beyond me.</p>
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<p>When I read Jones' comments about Cheika my first reaction was WTF. Then I thought about it, and Jones is correct - Cheika <strong>is </strong>the best coach in the world. World Rugby says so! :think:</p> -
<p>Well he did win coach of the year, and he turned a bit of a ramshackle Aussie outfit into the Rugby Championship champs, the best team in the pool games at the world cup, and into the final.</p>
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<p>The All Blacks coach always gets a bit of an overhead view that he has the best talent available and the easiest job etc etc.</p>
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<p>I think the next 4 years will define Hansen's legacy as AB coach, much more than the last 4 years. Which is a bit of a joke really, given the success.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="antipodean" data-cid="584216" data-time="1464654226"><p>
He may well be proving that old men can change. He certainly doesn't have a lot of friends in Australia. Apparently he's quite a fluffybunny. <a class="bbc_url" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/open-message-eddie-jones-super-coach-enrique-topo-rodriguez">Topo Rodriguez certainly thinks so.</a></p></blockquote>
Wow!<br>
My brother was good mates with a guy who played for the Reds when Jones coached him. Eddie's method of motivation was to repeatedly refer to him as a fat C*unt. <br><br>
I have tickets for the Brisbane match and am really looking forward to it. Never thought I'd say that about an Aus vs Eng game.<br><br>
It's a funny thing coaching. Cheika was a dodgy decision away from his team suffering a humiliating RWC exit. Now he's the best in the world? -
<p>It was like dejavu hearing Eddie's voice over the radio this morning about being the underdogs. He's always been good at the PR/media stuff and using a 'fact' to try and put pressure on his opponent. </p>
