bosstrabs The opening game was only yesterday, not sure you can make the ‘captain’ shout there.

    A lol for Amps and the boot cut jeans post!

    Amps My expectations for England for the tournament are so low, that yesterday felt like a half-decent performance. Slightly fewer unforced errors, slightly fewer daft penalties given away. As Yazz would have said…

        alistair Can’t disagree with that. Farrell’s no longer an infallible goal kicker. His last couple of performances from the tee for England have been woeful. He’s certainly not good enough to keep his place at 12 on open play merit.

        I’d keep Smith, and find an alternative at inside centre to replace Farrell I reckon…

        • Heno replied to this.

            vinnyt77 Only problem is that Farrell is captain, creates a load of bluster when he gets dropped

              Pity Slade’s out injured. Obvious starter. Daly too. Farrell is still the in form 10 in the prem.

              6 days later

              First 30 mins of Ireland v France was about as good as it gets for a neutral.

              Was at the game yesterday, was unreal, sport at its best just hope this isn’t the peak before the World Cup

                Heno It is. We always look unbeatable before a World Cup and then…

                  The form cycles in rugby should be studied like a science.

                  10 days later

                  Nice of the Welsh to get their act together.

                  Not sure in all my years of watching that I have seen a full back as strong under the high ball as Steward. Beast.

                  21 days later

                  alistair

                  Jaco Peyper has never refereed England well IMO. Yellow card, for sure - but red is ridiculous. He’s trying to pull out of the contact. The Irish player is crouching to pick the ball, so his head is in the wrong place. He’s picking up a ball that should be England’s anyway, as Ireland lost the ball forward! In all of that, Peyper is unable to find a shred of mitigation… Twat.

                      It’ll be unbearable in my household as she’s now got bragging rights… again.

                      Fair fucks to the BIG though. Best side throughout the tournament, and deserved champions.

                      The expectation of players to be ‘perfect’ in every contact is too high a bar, regardless of whether it’s rolling away or wrapping the arms etc. It’s causing anomalies in the results. The French should be fuming.