Yet another scrum reset required
First thing first
Rome
Saturday afternoon. Dry and warm. 19°C.
Weather should favour the Italians, who like to run the ball more and more incisively than Wales.
A solid scrum will get parity and may even create problems for Wales.
The Cannone brothers, Lamaro, Polledri are fast and mobile, all excellent poachers. But the Italian line-out might be a weakness. Garbisi is back and despite his young age will provide experience and vista. He’s surrounded by seriously good backs, Morisi at center and Bruno and Padovani.
Their big loss, though, is Capuozzo who would’ve kept the welsh defence on their toes. Allan is not in the same league.
As long as they do not attack crazily from their own 22 (it was suicide vs France) and show patience, they could create what wouldn’t be a surprise anymore vs a team deflated both on and off the pitch. Wales’ problems are well-documented. New coach but old horses, lack of confidence that leads to unusual mistakes, lack of a clear style or game plan….
Will the fear of a new defeat at the hands of Italy and the real prospect of a wooden spoon inspire a fight back or paralyse them?
I can’t tell. On one hand I wish Italy could win this so as to put an end to the boring discussions about their so-called unwarranted place in the 6N. On the other it’s sad to see Wales so down and out. True, Wales were boring for years but at least they won. Is Gatland really the answer? I doubt he can reinvent Warrenball, at least not until the emergence of a new generation of players. The U20 results – three losses out of three – do not bode well. Prediction: a very narrow win for Italy.
London
Saturday afternoon. Cold and wet. Very wet around 6pm.
I read the English press. It seems England, after years of playing ten-man rugby, have discovered a new version of the game: the one-man squad. It’s all about Smith and /or Farrell. Slade will tell you all you need to know.
My prediction? France by a score.
Edinburgh
Sunday afternoon. Cold, windy and wet. Quelle surprise.
For me the game of the week-end.
Both teams at their peak and full of confidence. Never seen a Scottish team so consistently good, and of course Ireland have been camping on the Everest of rugby for yonks now. For too long?
Not many weaknesses in any of them. A bit more structure with Ireland, wonderfully effective, regardless of who is on the pitch (not enough Northern Irishmen, I know), maybe to the point of having a hard time changing to plan B, if plan A does not work? But what won’t work? They do the basics better than anybody else, so a meltdown is quite unlikely.
Scotland seem a bit more flexible. They also do the basics well, except maybe at the line-out. They also showed their mettle as they reacted well to the early French onslaught. I poked fun at the English press for turning all their attention to the FH debate, but it’s hard in a post about Scotland not to mention Finn. I love the way he plays with a smile on his face and I’m convinced it helps him play better as he seems to feel no pressure. But it is a double-edged sword, isn’t it? He was dreadful with Racing last Sunday and literally cost them a must-win game, by missing several easy conversions and a kick into touch two minutes before the end when Racing was trailing by 4 points. Is it a question of concentration? He cannot afford these sorts of lapses vs Ireland.
My prediction: Ireland by a score. Or not.
Match predictions by Flair99
Firewood and the Art of Rugby Commentary
Last week I took delivery of our second annual (New Year) delivery of firewood; everyone in our countryside burns oak/hornbeam/cherry from local woodlands for heating and cooking. Nearly every commune contains a farmer who also cuts and delivers wood to local inhabitants. We use up to 15 cu. metres (or steyres) per annum.
The obliging and cheerful tractor driver, a chap in his mid-twenties, is a keen ‘rugbyman’ and plays 10 or 15 for the local club, Marciac.
This SW area of France is completely rugby mad and, whilst famous club names like Dax, Tarbes, Auch have faded in recent years, every large village / small town upwards has its rugby club. Typically, the pitch, premises and facilities belong to the local council, are usually multi-functional and therefore relatively grand for their surroundings. Marciac’s stadium is the base for our annual Jazz Festival and the rugby club benefits from the pitch being re-surfaced every August.
Marciac play in Regionale 3, Pool 5 and were lying second prior to last weekend’s fixture against local rivals Bassouse, lying first. Our team won 16 – 13 and are now top dog!
The French club structure is: Top 14 (who have now completed 20 rounds of fixtures this season); Pro D2; Nationale 1; Nationale 2 (2 pools); Federal 1 (4 pools); Federal 2 (8 pools); Federal 2b (8 pools); Federal 3 (20 pools); Federal 3b (20 pools); Regionales (lots of pools!). It’s no wonder the national team is pretty good!
So, anyway, we talked rugby whilst stacking wood. He knows Antoine Dupont and Claud Jelonche from neighbouring villages and these friendships reflect the pyramidal structure of the clubs.
Our local top teams are Toulouse, Bayonne, Bordeaux and Pau. My wood-man’s views on England is that they are always tough to beat at Twickenham, the toughest fixture in the two-year cycle. Farrell and Marler are the most highly rated English players: dour, unforgiving opponents with the necessary skills and combative spirit. Ntamack is considered to be similar to Farrell but Jalibert rated more highly skilful. Olivon now getting too old. Jelonch (now injured), Dupont and Alldritt are the grannies’ favourites – and they know what they are talking about!
France have won 11 times at Twickenham since 1911 and the prospect weighs heavily. It’s 18 years since the last victory, when the little devil Dimitri Yachvili was at the helm.
Since taking control, Fabien Galthié has not won there and Yachvili holds the strong belief that for England, France c’est l’équipe à battre absolument.
Imanol Harinordoquy (remember him?) believes that England are never stronger than when facing France at home.
But Yachvili sees reason for optimism: since seeing 10 minutes of interesting attack play by England facing the All Blacks in the 2019 semi-final, he has seen nothing notable, the team not having evolved since then.
So, just to win one over the irritating (as a player) Yachvili, I go for an England win. They are usually successful when they score early and hard and put on the squeeze. If it opens up, then France will win.
Interesting match-ups are: the front rows, the 9s/10s and the back threes: Thomos Ramos is a much better all-round player than Steward and the French wings are a real handful. However, key may be the back-row forwards – an English weakness so far.
Any red cards and all bets are off. I think there will be at least one as the intensity will be immense.
The view from the southwest of France by sladeis#42
Onna telly this week
Friday 10th March
| Italy v Wales (U20s) | 19:15 | BBC iPlayer / S4C |
| Scotland v Ireland (U20s) | 19:15 | BBC iPlayer / RTÉ2 |
| Northampton v Bath | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
| England v France (U20s) | 20:00 | BBC iPlayer |
Saturday 11th March
| Italy v Wales | 14:15 | ITV1 / S4C |
| England v France | 16:45 | ITV1 |
Sunday 12th March
| Gloucester v Leicester | 13:00 | BT Sport 1 |
| Scotland v Ireland | 15:00 | BBC1 / RTÉ2 |
Ovally Balls 
errr …………………….. you know when I said: Italian Passion and English Pragmatism well, what I meant was:
Gallic Flair and French Speed of Thought and Fitness
Cripes!
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French pack superb, English pack not so much. Back row gone missing, maybe they have sloped off to the bar with the two second rows and the front row. Genge gets a brownie point for talking to the ref better than Faz, but thats about it.
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Stunning 1st half by France. Hope it continues.
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WTF France?!
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See what happens when you take the ball at pace?
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Mitchell. 200% difference.
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Now, that’s a hell of a poacher’s try.
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Poached egg?
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This is embarrassing.
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Academic, but someone grounded that before Ollivant. May have been Smith.
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Dupont is just brilliant, even though that didn’t quite come off.
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France have been just sublime today
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I’m amazed we beat these fuckers. Am sure they will win their World Cup.
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That was such a good decision from Fickou to make that kick pass
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Bloody hell, Pennaud in again!
Flair, I think you underestimated a wee tiny bit.
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When I said France by 10-12, I meant tries.
Fucking hell.
That was a lovely, lovely try!
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Well that was nice. Time for a couple more.
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Can we have Jones back please?
France were superb today.
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That is as good a performance as I can remember from any side, even that great ABs team of Carter and McCaw
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Hell of a performance by France. At least half the team could have had the MotM award.
England looked like they took a step back, from the last couple of games. Though it is only Borthwick’s 3rd game in charge, so fingers crossed there will be improvements to come.
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Refit – I’m not sure that the RFU’s strategy of appointing ‘players we liked a lot’ as coaches is really working out.
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Wow, just wow!
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Wilko going all zen on our arses.
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Well………………………..trashed. Never thought I’d see that.
France were terrific in all aspects – every player fully aware.
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Thaum, I like JW, his book is a very interesting insight into his character, he’s very driven but also a deep thinker
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Break open the nice wine this evening, Flair, that was a hell of a performance from your team, every one of them, the coaches too.
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Ticht – haven’t read the book, but completely agree from what I know of him.
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Tich, I will.
First champagne, ( friends are coming), then some terrific Gevrey Chambertin.
My MOTM is Flament. Thanks Britain to have made his rugby education.
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I thought Flament too.
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Man that was shit. Well played France. Somewhere, Eddie is smiling.
Everyone in the RFU fired into the sun please. Who’d have thought hiring a relative rookie over a twice world cup finalist as head coach and a world cup as consultant in a world cup year would have set us back?
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Flament, Ollivon, Alldritt, I don’t think there was much between them, Flament would have deserved the accolade for his tries, both were wonderful in different ways but both required great athleticism
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Flair – I’m having one of Aldi’s finest Aussie reds… sums it up really.
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I thought France were fucking excellent BTW. Gutted for England but that was an amazing performance. They’ll take some stopping at the RWC.
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Craigs, Eddie left a shit pile. Borthwick can’t take the blame after a couple of games. France were out of this world, but England pack didn’t front up, and Jack VPF looked exactly like a Ben Youngs at his worst replacement. Mitchell has a quicker cleaner pass. Backs basically had no ball at all to play with in the first half, and looked a little better in the second. breakdown is still light years behind every other team in the tournament, and has been for a while.
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SBT
100% correct re the Jones bequest.
Mitchell, if he is to be the answer, must eliminate his brain farts. Goodness knows what to do elsewhere.
It will be interesting to see what Borthwick does when he can pick his own squad.
Currently there is a rather ‘£shop’ air about England.
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For a long time, England have looked utterly clueless with ball in hand. They just don’t seem to have the back line moves any decent team has. They are terrible at leaving ball carriers to get isolated, have no idea how to convert a turnover into an attacking move and can’t take advantage of simple overlaps, kicking it away or running sideways every time. When you over so little thread in attack, you invite the opposition to be bold.
The World Cup this year is a total write-off for England. If I were Borthwick I would treat it as a development tour and take nobody over the age of 27.
France were a different class today. It was a pleasure to watch a team with so much power, pace and precision. I hope they take their form of today into the World Cup and win it.
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I’m not blaming Borthers. I just think he’s learning on the job.
We won a series in Australia and drew with the All Blacks last year whilst trying to embed a radical new attacking system. The whole plan was to build for the RWC but he was judged on poor form a year out.
I wouldn’t mind if this was the start of a cycle but we’ve just wasted the last 3 years.
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Craigs, I’m on the Aldi Aussie red too, it’s a bit punchy at 14.5%
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And it’s fucking ridiculous that Borthers can’t chose the whole squad.
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Ticht – pfft. 15% Barossa! Am airing it at the moment.
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15% Barossa not bad after at the right temperature.
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Also, I used to see people in comments section in the Graun saying you can’t have an attacking team with amazing defence and vice versa. Common wisdom apparently. France showed what a load of bollocks that was tonight.
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Craigs, that is the sort of “common wisdom” that used to go along the lines that the great ABs would attack from anywhere and didn’t kick, or that South Africa won the last World Cup purely because of their pack.
I’m talking about the rugby here, not the 15% Barossa
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“And it’s fucking ridiculous that Borthers can’t chose the whole squad.”
It’s part of the agreement between the clubs and the RFU, so the clubs can plan for who is missing over the course of the season.
I always thought it was daft how much power the individual club owners hold in England and France, but it is what it is.
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Earlier today I was wondering which organisation is in more chaos: the WRU or the BBC. The RFU is coming up fast on the inside as it turns out.
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Moved on to some Welsh whisky (sic).
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Craigs, Penderyn? (sp?)
I don’t think I’ve had that – any good?
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Ticht – Aber Falls. Single malt and £20 with a Tesco club card. It’s OK. Not especially complex but it’s doing the job.
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SBT, I’ve seen England future at SH. Although he was at the wrong end of a drubbing like the senior team, he has one of the best pass I’ve seen . It’s Charlie Bracken, with the U20s. Probably son of. Good genes.
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