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Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

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    #51
    Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

    What is the point of Italy?

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      #52
      Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

      Levin wrote: What is the point of Italy?
      To keep it a closed shop and prevent Georgia progressing. They'll eventually introduce a play off when Georgia have lost their current crop of players.

      Italy 7 Wales 33

      The scoreboard flatters Wales and cracks have been papered over again. I'm really fearful for the next four games after this performance.

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        #53
        Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

        Levin wrote: What is the point of Italy?
        Can't help feeling that if Georgia played in Spain or Portugal or another agreeable weekend break destination the Six Nations committee would be falling over themselves to introduce promotion and relegation.

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          #54
          Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

          Or if they had a large television market to which rights could be sold.

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            #55
            Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

            Weird game, we were garbage in the first half and showed no invention to break Italy's, (admittedly awesome) defence down while they ran varied lines from deep to attack with momentum and ideas.

            We were incredibly lucky to go in only four points down but after half time the Italians just seemed burnt out. The switch from Biggar to Sam Davies wasn't much of a catalyst because we barely seemed to give him the ball. AWJ was the first receiver most of the time. Davies did break through with some running late on but our entire back line was managing it by then.

            I'm not going to bemoan a 26 point margin of victory and 33 unanswered points but today didn't tell us anything, well, apart from the fact that Sergio Parisse is a god amongst mortals but we already knew that.

            Great afternoon, fantastic weekend and now the fear starts for next Saturday,

            Comment


              #56
              Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

              Antepli Ejderha wrote: Some perspective now from BBC website:

              Former South Africa captain Joost van der Westhuizen is in a "critical condition" in hospital as he continues to fight motor neurone disease.
              Sadly he's lost his fight. RIP J9.

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                #57
                Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                The news about Joost van der Westhuizen is just too sad, I can't process it however well publicised his illness was in recent years.

                Reading Jean de Villiers talk about JvdW's tackles on Jonah Lomu in the '95 final is almost unbearable, we've lost both of them before they even got to their late forties.

                "Joost's tackle on Jonah that day - a front on tackle on the guy that was destroying every team in the world. Here comes a scrum-half, someone who is not meant to put in tackles like that, and tackles him front on.

                "The team as a whole got so much inspiration from him for doing that. For us as a country it became an iconic day and it changed the way that we were viewed forever."

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                  #58
                  Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                  Indeed.

                  It seems statistically significant that three of the starters in the Final (the other being Ruben Kruger) are no longer with us.

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                    #59
                    Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                    Great player, best scrumhalf I've ever seen live IMO and up there with Gareth Edwards for the best of all time. Surprisingly similar players, actually, my biggest memory of both is they were nonpareil at sniping around the ruck and collecting tries.

                    Relegating Italy would be doing them a major disservice. The big European unions haven't been particularly bothered about making them better.

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                      #60
                      Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                      Just the one slight surprise in England's Match-day 23 for game against Wales:

                      England: Mike Brown (Harlequins); Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs); Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Elliot Daly (Wasps); George Ford (Bath Rugby), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers); Joe Marler (Harlequins), Dylan Hartley (captain, Northampton Saints), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Nathan Hughes (Wasps)

                      Replacements: Jamie George (Saracens), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Wasps), Danny Care (Harlequins), Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby)

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                        #61
                        Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                        The weren't joking about giving North and Biggar as much time as possible to prove their fitness (more the former, I'd imagine), the Wales team was meant to be announced an hour ago but no sign of it.

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                          #62
                          Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                          Steff Evans hasn't been released back to the Scarlets but Thornton and Cracknell are back at the Ospreys.

                          Team to be announced at 1pm.

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                            #63
                            Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                            No surprises, backs unchanged, only the props are changed. Faletau onto the bench and no Charteris.

                            I'm expecting North and Biggar to undergo fitness tests on Saturday morning.

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                              #64
                              Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                              Predicatably conservative.

                              I hope it's still tight around the 60 minute mark when I imagine Sam Davies will get on, injuries notwithstanding. I fear we could have lost it by then though.

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                                #65
                                Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                                Happy to see changes in the front row. I'm more concerned about the last 20, when England will have brought on Te'o and Haskell and we're struggling to last the pace.

                                Comment


                                  #66
                                  Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                                  We're generally very strong finishers though, even if other teams' fitness and conditioning work has caught up with ours.

                                  There will obviously be the disadvantage of a day less turnaround time but we'll have Roberts and Faletau to bring on to counter the two players you mention. Obviously the fitness of the latter may be questionable but so is Haskell's and Toby is ten times the player.

                                  Comment


                                    #67
                                    Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                                    Antepli Ejderha wrote:

                                    I'm expecting North and Biggar to undergo fitness tests on Saturday morning.
                                    They've confirmed that the checks on North and Biggar are actually ongoing.

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                                      #68
                                      Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                                      I'm firmly of the opinion we're actually already planning to do a last minute tactical switcharoo with Davies in for Biggar now.

                                      Roof open, just announced.

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                                        #69
                                        Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                                        Owen Williams released from the camp to play for Leicester but can be called back. Thomas Young also released.

                                        Sounds like Biggar will be OK but North is a doubt based on who's been released.

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                                          #70
                                          Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                                          More team news:

                                          Italy: E Padovani; A Esposito, T Benvenuti, L McLean, G Venditti; C Canna, E Gori; A Lovotti, L Ghiraldini, L Cittadini; M Fuser, D Van Schalkwyk; M Mbanda, S Favaro, S Parisse.

                                          Replacements: O Gega, S Panico, D Chistolini, G Biagi, A Steyn, G Bronzini, T Allan, M Campagnaro

                                          Ireland: R Kearney; K Earls, G Ringrose, R Henshaw, S Zebo; P Jackson, C Murray; C Healy, R Best (capt), T Furlong; D Ryan, D Toner; CJ Stander, S O'Brien, J Heaslip.

                                          Replacements: N Scannell, J McGrath, J Ryan, U Dillane, J van der Flier, K Marmion, I Keatley, C Gilroy.

                                          Comment


                                            #71
                                            Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                                            I'm guessing the France and Scotland teams will be announced tomorrow as they play on Sunday.

                                            Comment


                                              #72
                                              Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                                              Americas championship #2 is underway. USA 29-23 Uruguay in San Antonio last weekend. Home to Brazil in Austin next week, then at Canada, Chile, and something resembling Argentina.

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                                                #73
                                                Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                                                The final teams for the weekend.

                                                Scotland: Stuart Hogg, Sean Maitland, Huw Jones, Alex Dunbar, Tommy Seymour, Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw; Allan Dell, Fraser Brown, Zander Fagerson, Richie Gray, Jonny Gray, John Barclay, Josh Strauss, Hamish Watson.

                                                Replacements: Ross Ford, Gordon Reid, Simon Berghan, Tim Swinson, John Hardie, Alistair Price, Duncan Weir, Mark Bennett.

                                                France: Scott Spedding, Noa Nakaitaci, Gael Fickou, Remi Lamerat, Virimi Vakatawa, Camille Lopez, Baptiste Serin; Cyril Baille, Guilhem Guirado (capt), Uini Atonio, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Yoann Maestri, Loann Goujon, Kevin Gourdon, Louis Picamoles.

                                                Replacements: Christopher Tolofua, Rabah Slimani, Xavier Chiocci, Julien Le Devedec, Damien Chouly, Maxime Machenaud, Jean-Marc Doussain, Yoann Huget.

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                                                  #74
                                                  Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                                                  Lots of rugby on TV tonight but surprisingly the Glasgow Scarlets game isn't on.

                                                  Munster Dragons on the red button
                                                  Wales England U20s on BBC 2 Wales
                                                  Ulster Edinburgh on BBC 2 Ulster and Alba

                                                  I'm watching the U20s. There's a minute's silence for Joost at the match, impeccably observed, and there will be at all the Six Nations games this weekend.

                                                  Comment


                                                    #75
                                                    Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

                                                    Italy 3 Ireland 21 after 27 minutes. What to say about Italy? They're struggling with the basics and giving away penalties.

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