27 replies to this topic

[sparky]

The oldest international rugby rivalry of them all about to get under way. Loads of new caps and two new captains (Ross Ford for Scotland and Chris Robshaw for England. Scots crowd bellow out Flower of Scotland. Weather awful. Amazing atmosphere, I hope the rugby lives up to the occasion.

[sparky]

Not many survivors for England from the RWC quarter final starting line up - Hartley, Cole, Palmer, Young, Foden, Ashton. That's it.

[sparky]

England have made the livelier start but after 8 minutes no points to show.

Edited by sparky, 05 February 2012 - 05:13 AM.

[sparky]

England the upper hand in the scrums so far. Long aimless kick from Parks. Good run back from Foden. Penalty just inside the Scotland half for England.

Shot for Owen Farrell from 47m. Lots of boos. Has the legs easily but not the radar. 0-0.

[sparky]

England organised on D in first 15 minutes, Scots making aimless long kicks ahead with no pressure on the receivers.

[sparky]

Mistakes rule. No real momentum to either side, but England winning more penalties and forward ball.

Handbags between Cussiter and Robshaw leave England captain with ripped jersey.

[sparky]

Long kick from Hodgson on a free kick. Good hang time. Decent England pressure. Chance for Strettle. Scots in at the side.

Penalty on 22 for Owen Farrell. The 20 year old gets it. His first international points. Many more to come from him I reckon. 3-0.

[sparky]

Scotland with a scrum in England 22. Decent scrum. Back line move goes all wrong. But Scotland go through the phases. Robshaw off his feet.

Penalty right in front for Scotland. 3-3. Game sparked into life.

[sparky]

Scotland scrum now on top. England aimless throw it to Ashton as first receiver in their 22. Dumb stuff. Cussiter tackles him. Not releasing.

Penalty to Scotland. Parks gets it. Scotland 6 England 3 after 32 minutes.

[sparky]

England stuggling to put any phases together. Their backrow look awful going forward.

Scotland are able to put a few phases together but look toothless and disorganised in attack. Scots balls up a drop goal attempt because their own forwards were in Parks way. Not high quality stuff.

[sparky]

6-3 to Scotland at half time. Scrappy from both teams. Neither playing well. Scotland will be encouraged to be ahead, England will be encouraged that they weathered some pressure in the last ten before half time and it's only 3 points.

[TeWaio]

Unbelievably poor quality rugby. That so many professional rugby players can conspire to make so many basic skills-based mistakes beggars belief. Cold weather is a factor but really it's inexcusable. Hodgson gets the opening try off a chargedown of Parks' clearing kick. Odds on that being the only try? Sigh.

[TeWaio]

Scotland 7 now manages to butcher one of the most simple draw and passes you'd ever wish to see after making a clean break. Coms saying you can't expect to win games throwing away chances like that, have to agree with them

[Tordah]

The Scottish non-try around 62 minutes - I probably would have given the try, but that was one of the hardest TMO decision I've ever seen. On a sidenote, Scotland has to be the least clinical side in rugby. Their No 8 looks the goods, though

[sparky]

Scotland wasted so many chances in the second half. England especially Barritt and Botha have defended well.

All over. England win 13-6.

[sparky]

Sooooo many errors by Scotland. Time for them to hire a skills coach and have some catching practice.

[bartkiwi]

I only got to see 1st half but agree that Scottish No8 looks something - they always breed great loosies

[mariner4life]

That's 3 games in a row now I have watched Scotland do everything but win the game. They are a porn clip (a boring husband-wife missionary amateur one) without the come shot. England basically stole that one.The second half was both entertaining and frustrating in equal measure. The first half was dire.

[NH Fan]

bartkiwi said:

I only got to see 1st half but agree that Scottish No8 looks something - they always breed great loosies

Denton is a 21 year old born in Zimbabwe and played for Eastern Province in SA before shifting to Scotland where his mother is from. Cracking player today. The only bright light in 80 minutes of absolute tedium.

[Tim]

Can anyone in Scotland do a draw & pass? Even their sevens team lacks such basic skills.

[Luigi]

Horriible to watch. The only excuse for England is being a new side, but even that doesn't mitigate enough. Having said that, I'm still happy with the overall approach.

That was a non try for me. How anyone can call that as downward pressure is bizarre.

[Duluth]

England did not pay any attention to the ball at ruck time. How many times was good position lost because the ball squirted out and the Scots noticed quicker? Or they win a turnover but were too sloppy and handed the ball straight back?
The quality of the passing was poor too with so many balls going behind the target. The alignment of the backline, as has been the case for the past 5+ years, was too deep.

Still not a bad start to the championship for England given the build up. The messiness at ruck can be remedied fairly quickly.. the backs alignment and lack of basic skills they're stuck with though. I don't think these guys have the ability to play flatter.

[Blue]

Frogs are gonna do a number on these guys.

[Zader]

England were the less inept team on the night might be the way to put it. The BBC guys said this fixture hadn't had a try since 2004 which pretty much sums it all up.

The positive for England was their discipline.

Clancy again had a poor game.

Scotland actually have some good back, I think they were throwing the ball wide too soon all night.

[Luigi]

Duluth said:

England did not pay any attention to the ball at ruck time. How many times was good position lost because the ball squirted out and the Scots noticed quicker? Or they win a turnover but were too sloppy and handed the ball straight back?
The quality of the passing was poor too with so many balls going behind the target. The alignment of the backline, as has been the case for the past 5+ years, was too deep.

Still not a bad start to the championship for England given the build up. The messiness at ruck can be remedied fairly quickly.. the backs alignment and lack of basic skills they're stuck with though. I don't think these guys have the ability to play flatter.

Good calls Duluth. Our ball security was abysmal and we lost momentum too often because of it.

[SimonAdd]

Luigi said:

That was a non try for me. How anyone can call that as downward pressure is bizarre.

I actually thought he had downward pressure, if only for a split-second, but the only way he got to that position was pulling Youngs back, jumping on him and riding him into the ground when he didn't have the ball - Youngs would have got there first comfortably otherwise. I don't know how none of the ref, TMO or match commentators considered it a foul.

[dejo]

mariner4life said:

That's 3 games in a row now I have watched Scotland do everything but win the game. They are a porn clip (a boring husband-wife missionary amateur one) without the come shot. England basically stole that one.The second half was both entertaining and frustrating in equal measure. The first half was dire.

Hilarious. It makes you wonder about the fans. How does it feel to show up to murrayfield in minus fucking 250 degrees with only one certainty: that your team has an almost freakish nose for not being able to score tries, under any circumstances! I hope they were good and drunk to dull the awful pain from this most rock solid of cardinal laws about the Scottish game.

[taffyjoe]

Its sport mate, it lives on the fact that hope springs eternal, that this time your team won't be a hopeless pile of steaming shite. I supported Wales throughout the 90's and the england cricket team before 2004, I know what its like.

Also: see the blackcraps/NZ cricket team.