The Road to Bilbao and Beyond: Rugby 2018

[Antepli Ejderha]

Italy score a great try, it's going to make the score respectable for now. Gatland must be enjoying this.

[Levin]

What happened to seatbelt tackles being banned?

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

15-46 at the end.

[Antepli Ejderha]

What happened to seatbelt tackles being banned?

The only one I remember was by Mike Brown, were they more obvious?

In the PRO14 they are regularly picked up and penalised but not carded.

[Ray de Galles]

George North and Liam Williams are expected to be fit for Wales for three next round of matches.

I'd have a fully fit Williams back for Adam, not that he did anything wrong against Scotland.

Having watched that game back I think our coaches have to get a lot of credit for the win - instructing our players how to force and exploit mistakes from Scotland (their half backs especially) and the 14 points that tactic created in the first 14 minutes spooked them, inhibited their plan A and they had no real plan B.

I think it will have relatively little bearing on this Saturday though, England aren't likely to be susceptible to the same treatment. We'll certainly be more confident and look more creative and adaptable but I don't see it being enough, however shaky England looked in defence yesterday.

[Antepli Ejderha]

I'd also pick Liam Williams and at 15. North on the bench too.

Cory Hill is our only doubt from Saturday.

England have called up Richard Wigglesworth to replace Ben Youngs, strange they only had two 9s in their squad.

[Ray de Galles]

I’d have Williams on the wing, can’t see the sense in moving Halfpenny after Saturday’s display. I’m concerned about exposing North to Twickenham really, I would be worried he’d break down even from the bench.

[Ray de Galles]

Wales name an unchanged starting XV for Saturday, North on the bench for Watkin. Looks like Liam isn't match fit.

[Ray de Galles]

England make two changes, bringing in Care and Joseph for the injured Youngs and Te’o respectively.

Two players who really worry me and could particularly trouble Wales.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

The bookies have the England/Wales handicap at 12. I think it's England's to lose, but I think it will be closer than that. Scotland - after thst shocking performance on Saturday, are 1/2 favourites against France. I think France to win with a 5 point start is a good value bet at evens.

[Antepli Ejderha]

England make two changes, bringing in Care and Joseph for the injured Youngs and Te’o respectively.

Two players who really worry me and could particularly trouble Wales.

England team to face Wales: Brown; Watson, Joseph, Farrell, May; Ford, Care; M Vunipola, Hartley, Cole, Launchbury, Itoje, Lawes, Robshaw, Simmonds.

Replacements: George, Hepburn, Williams, Kruis, Underhill, Wigglesworth, Te'o, Nowell

Here's the team in full. Not a bench that strikes fear but Nowell is dangerous.

I agree with you about Care and Joseph, perhaps starting might count against Care.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Scotland team to face France: Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour, Huw Jones, Peter Horne (all Glasgow), Sean Maitland (Saracens), Finn Russell (Glasgow), Greig Laidlaw (Clermont Auvergne); Gordon Reid (London Irish), Stuart McInally, Simon Berghan, Grant Gilchrist (all Edinburgh), Jonny Gray (Glasgow), John Barclay (Scarlets, capt), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow).

Replacements: Scott Lawson (Newcastle), Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow), Jon Welsh (Newcastle), Ben Toolis (Edinburgh), Dave Denton (Worcester), Ali Price (Glasgow), Chris Harris (Newcastle), Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh).

Scotland can only shuffle their pack rather than make big changes due to the number of injuries, they'll do well to beat France but I can't really see it.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Ireland team to face Italy: Kearney; Earls, Henshaw, Aki, Stockdale; Sexton, Murray; McGrath, Best, Furlong; Toner, Henderson; O'Mahony, Leavy, Conan.

Replacements: Healy, Cronin, Porter, Roux, Stander, Marmion, Carbery, Larmour.

Ireland rotate some players against Italy and should win with a bonus point.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Despite a couple of Google searches I can't find either they Italy or France sides.

[ursus arctos]

Here’s Italy. France not yet announced

Questo il XV azzurro per Dublino:
15 Matteo Minozzi; 14 Tommaso Benvenuti, 13 Tommaso Boni, 12 Tommaso Castello, 11 Mattia Bellini; 10 Tommaso Allan, 9 Marcello Violi; 8 Sergio Parisse (c), 7 Abraham Steyn, 6 Sebastian Negri; 5 Dean Budd, 4 Alessandro Zanni; 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Luca Bigi, 1 Nicola Quaglio.
A disposizione: 16 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17 Andrea Lovotti, 18 Tiziano Pasquali, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 Maxime Mbandà, 21 Edoardo Gori, 22 Carlo Canna, 23 Jayden Hayward.

[Ray de Galles]

No fairytale return in Dublin for Ian McKinley yet then.

[Antepli Ejderha]

France name their side and bring some experience onto the bench.

15-Geoffrey Palis, 14-Teddy Thomas, 13-Remi Lamerat, 12-Geoffrey Doumayrou, 11-Virimi Vakatawa, 10-Lionel Beauxis, 9-Maxime Machenaud, 8-Marco Tauleigne, 7-Yacouba Camara, 6-Wenceslas Lauret, 5-Sebastien Vahaamahina, 4-Arthur Iturria, 3-Rabah Slimani, 2-Guilhem Guirado (captain), 1-Jefferson Poirot.

Replacements: 16-Adrien Pelissie, 17-Eddy Ben Arous, 18-Cedate Gomes Sa, 19-Paul Gabrillagues, 20-Louis PIcamoles, 21-Baptiste Serin, 22-Anthony Belleau, 23-Benjamin Fall.

[Ray de Galles]

Halfpenny out, Anscombe in - at 15 it appears. Doubly damaging as it’s pissing down so wet ball, England will rain bombs down on him.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Halfpenny out, Anscombe in - at 15 it appears. Doubly damaging as it’s pissing down so wet ball, England will rain bombs down on him.

Just seen that. Watkin onto the bench. Liam Williams cannot be anywhere near match fitness.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Ireland got there bonus point before half time and Italy are conceding close to a point a minute. The concerns for Ireland are the two injuries to Furlong and Henshaw.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Minozzi does look a decent player but Italy have been poor and Ireland efficient. Ireland had no line breaks against France last week but are making them for fun today.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Minozzi scores Italy's third, with the game lost they waste a minute on the conversion rather than using that time for their quest for a bonus point.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Italy seem to have gone dramatically backwards this season. Last year they were giving England a bloody good scare. What's happened?

[Antepli Ejderha]

England 12 Wales 3 at half time with England dominating.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Italy seem to have gone dramatically backwards this season. Last year they were giving England a bloody good scare. What's happened?

I'm really not sure what's going on there. Their two PRO14 sides have genuinely looked better. A six day turnaround and an away match is always tough.

O'Shea is trying to do two jobs as well, international coach and rugby development.