In the exciting battle for the wooden spoon between Ireland, Wales, Italy and England, coaches have not learninged much from their previous selection errors. To be fair to Italy, they don’t have a huge range of players from which to select, and they have played brilliantly; they could and possibly should have beaten Ireland, so we’ll let Quesada off.
As for Ireland, it seems that Farrell has at least learninged that the Prendergast experiment has woefully failed after watching him splash around in the shallow part of the pitch in the first match, and create his own wadi in the second. While Crowley, like his other possible replacements, is dubious with the kicking tee (and by the way, kicking points is only HALF YOUR FUCKING JOB as a fly-half), he’s clearly much more effective on the pitch.
The inclusion of more Ulster players made a clear difference in the second match with Player of the Match being narrowed down to a choice between McCloskey, Baloucoune, Fischetti and Zuliani: two Ulstermen, and two Italians. So of course Farrell drops Izuchukwu, who also performed well, and Timoney remains on the bench.
As for England, the inclusion of Stewart continues to please ABE supporters, and Genge is always on a hair trigger for a card. Maro is looking less saint-like these days. Boris Johnson’s illegitimate son, the Pillock, provides a figure one loves to hate, sadly also because, like most super-villains, he’s pretty effective.
On to Wales. Well. Their set-pieces are functioning well, and I reckon they can beat Ireland. Also first-week Scotland, but not brilliant second-week Scotland. Probably not Italy either, especially if they keep kicking possession away, although possession is often coughed up anyway.
France obviously don’t need any learnings*.
*Have I mentioned how much I hate this horrendous evisceration of the English language?
Ovally Balls 
If anyone is at a loose end before the games, and hasn’t watched this weeks Scrum V, you could do worse than kill 33 minutes watching it. Maybe the most thoughtful and insightful discussions on tactics and positional problems on TV, I can’t help but thinking its a shame there isn’t an English version, Foxy and Cuthbert spot on as usual, Jim Hamilton on the bench this week as well, knowledgeably and passionately marshalled by Lauren Salter. All to the point, very little fluff, and especially not a lot of time spent looking at stats charts, which seems to be the mode du jour on BBC shows, Match of the Day as well as Rugby Special.
LikeLike
Been watching a few podcasts/videos over the last week (for some reason). Some better than others (why oh why did England lose?). Squidge was one of the better ones – this is how Scotland WON. The Rugby Pod is OK when Dan Biggar’s on and Hamilton & Goode tone down the matey-ness. A Surprise has been For The Love of Rugby with Ben Youngs and Dan Cole. I was originally put off when they did their Lionz picks (let’s pick an Englishman!), but some of their videos looking at the technical details of how the Lionz played were good. It was also interesting to hear Schalk Burger talking about when the Boks played Scotland they made sure Finn went down a few times in the first 10 minutes (some of them might even have been legals hits!) just to deny him space and time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
From previous: “Townsend, described by Beattie as “the best Scottish coach of the modern era””
Isn’t he the only Scottish coach of the modern era?
LikeLike
It’s fun watching Jonny and Brian playing catch.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Refit, that was an excellent bit of insight into the modern game – stuff trying to field these spiral bombs
LikeLike
Less than convinced by BOD’s paean to Pollock’s personality. Think he might have been trying to convince himself everyone loved him being a bit of a twat when he was young.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Refit, there is some good stuff in scrum v about the Scottish players not performing, and them accepting that it isn’t Townsend’s fault, how they can raise their game against England, but flop against others. Also loved the comment about the Edinburgh kit man giving macDuhan a Thistle undershirt to try and get him to perform in club matches like he does in Internationals.
Quite nervous about today, hope Pollock goes well, I think on form Maro should be on the bench, hope he gets hooked early if he is flat again. Would certainly be happier to see Prendegast at ten for Ireland.
LikeLike
Don’t know what to expect here really. I guess I’d have England as favourites, but I can imagine it not being close without being confident which way!
LikeLike
The more someone tries to do with ‘God Save the King’ the more apparent its inadequacies become.
LikeLiked by 1 person
CMW, I turn the sound off for GSTK, I really detest it, REALLY.
LikeLiked by 3 people
More like that from Lowe please.
LikeLike
So far so good, but no idea why Lowe dropped the ball there, other than, ‘oh shit, I’m about to get tackled’.
LikeLike
Ticht – snap!
LikeLike
Re GSTK, maybe we republicans should start a thing where you shout ‘and his brother!’ after every mention of the king.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve missed Lawrence in midfield.
LikeLike
Quite a fun game so far even if things aren’t quite coming off for either side.
LikeLike
What is it with England getting right up to the line then dropping it?
LikeLike
Landed in Kinshasa 3 hours ago. It’s 20km from the airport to where I’m going. Only got 45 minutes to go! If you ever want to see a post-apocalyptic city in action, come to Kin. Lubumbashi and Kolwezi were model cities in comparison.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Booo! Ireland now have someone with pace on the wing.
LikeLike
TRY Leprechaun!
LikeLike
Arse!
LikeLike
Sharp work.
LikeLike
Imagine if we had a functioning lineout.
LikeLike
Yellow card ref!
/s
LikeLike
Bollocks referee decision.
LikeLike
Starting to think England caught something from Wales when they played us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fuck me.
LikeLike
BALOUCOOOOOOOOUUNNEEEE!! (McCloskey did most of the work.)
LikeLike
Shoulda been a penalty try for Steward’s infringement.
LikeLike
Ref’s broke.
LikeLike
Oh dear, we might be losing Piardi.
LikeLike
Why no Spencer on the bench ?
LikeLike
O’BRIEEEENNNN!!!
LikeLike
It’s a bloodbath.
LikeLike
Shoulda been an Irish penalty for the tackle round the neck.
LikeLike
JVP is so much faster off the ruck.
LikeLike
In from the side by Beirne
LikeLike
I’d love a point.
LikeLike
He knocked that back.
LikeLike
And even if he didn’t surely everyone wanted to see how that played out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I assume that’ll be a yellow for van der Flier? Same infringement as Steward.
LikeLike
Bollocks.
LikeLike
The comeback’s on!
LikeLike
No, apparently it’s fine when Ireland play the 9.
LikeLike
Bit of a ray of light with Marcus Smith. Ford, by my reckoning, has butchered two big overlaps, and should have given the pass earlier to Arundell. Interesting. Ireland looking way better with Crowley at the helm with Gibson-Park. A long way back for England, needed that try.
England really need to try and keep the ball in hand, they are getting no change from the high kicks at all.
LikeLike
What a load of cock!
I intend no disrespect to Ireland (who are doing great) but England clearly clueless and clumsy.
Terrible from Ford and Borthwick e.g. Steward off for 10 minutes; he comes back on and then gets subbed off again so that Smith can get 2 minutes. C-Dickie also crap. It’s not that these are poor players they just look completely deflated.
Anyway, Slade is having a good 6 Nations ………………………………
LikeLike
Maybe not a good match to run the advert featuring George Ford.
LikeLike
Could have been game over and still should be really, but with getting that try at the end and the number of attacking positions England had in the first half I don’t feel that it is.
LikeLike
Pretty sure Curry got hit in the face just then.
Cool, down to 14 again.
LikeLike
Pillock Johnson yellowed.
LikeLike