The Rugby Thread

[leedswolf]

GSTQ.

 

[Dinowolf]

GSTQ.

That's the British Anthem.

 

[leedswolf]

It was originally written as a rallying call for the English when the Jacobites were on the march and it was feared that they would descend on London. It premiered at the London Palladium IIRC.

 

[Johnny75]

It was originally written as a rallying call for the English when the Jacobites were on the march and it was feared that they would descend on London. It premiered at the London Palladium IIRC.

I knew you were knocking on a bit Leeds but not that old.

 

[Dinowolf]

"God Save the Queen" (alternatively "God Save the King") is the national and/or royal anthem in a number of Commonwealth realms, their territories, and the British Crown Dependencies.

It is the national anthem of the United Kingdom as well as for several of the UK's territories that have their own additional local anthem.
It is also one of two national anthems of New Zealand and the royal anthem as well of Australia (since 1984), Canada (since 1980), Barbados and Tuvalu.

England has no official national anthem of its own, and "God Save The Queen" is treated as the English national anthem when England is represented at sporting events, but a Bill is being put through Parliament to try and change that. The next reading of the Bill is 4th March.

IMO it's about time we fell in line with other UK countries, and had our own national anthem, esp. for Rugby games.

 

[Johnny75]

As long as it's not the pompous nonsense that's Jerusalem I don't really care, they could play Nick Berry's Every Loser Wins for all it matters.

 

[Dinowolf]

I wasn't too impressed with England in the first half either. Our scrum was OK but our line-out was terrible, due to the fact we only had two jumpers (Kruis and Lawes), and Hartley's poor throwing.

The breakdown was too slow as well, which was quite worrying considering who we were playing, no disrespect to Italy who played well in the first half, and the first 15 minutes of the second half.

Onto the next game, Ireland at Twickenham, when we will have to start better.

 

[Dinowolf]

Sean O'Brien, Mike McCarthy and Dave Kearney are set to miss the rest of the Six Nations.

Ireland's injury problems continue to get worse.

 

[Dinowolf]

Luther Burrell back in the England set-up for the injured Devoto.
Whether he will make the 23 for the next game remains to be seen, but he has recently rediscovered his best form.

 

[Dinowolf]

Elliot Daly is included in England 23 man squad to play Ireland.

Courtney Lawes misses out as Eddie Jones reverts to a 5/3 split for his replacements.

Forwards (13): D Cole (Leicester Tigers), J Clifford (Harlequins), J George (Saracens), D Hartley (Northampton Saints, capt), J Haskell (Wasps), P Hill (Northampton Saints), M Itoje (Saracens), G Kruis (Saracens), J Launchbury (Wasps), J Marler (Harlequins), C Robshaw (Harlequins), B Vunipola (Saracens), M Vunipola (Saracens)

Backs (10): M Brown (Harlequins), D Care (Harlequins), E Daly (Wasps), O Farrell (Saracens), G Ford (Bath Rugby), A Goode (Saracens), J Joseph (Bath Rugby), J Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), A Watson (Bath Rugby), B Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

 

[Tredman]

Seems harsh on LAwes - suppose Itoje is earmarked to come on at 2nd row?

 

[Dinowolf]

Seems harsh on LAwes - suppose Itoje is earmarked to come on at 2nd row?

Launchbury didn't take part in the full session yesterday, so could be carrying a slight knock. Itoje might start, but I doubt it.

Rumour has it that Lawes has stated that he has held back slightly recently because he keeps getting stingers. Don't know how true that is.

 

[Dinowolf]

Launchbury has been declared unfit for the Ireland game and Lawes has been re-instated in the 23.

Who will start with Kruis?

 

[Tredman]

It's got to be lawes, but you're definitely right he hasn't looked himself.

Saw him last year at twickenham and some of the hits he put in were unbelievable. Can easily see they could do some damage to himself.

Be happy to see Itoje play, but I'd rather see him at flanker really.

 

[Dinowolf]

Itoje and Marler named in starting XV.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

R Kearney; A Trimble, R Henshaw, S McCloskey K Earls; J Sexton, C Murray; J McGrath, R Best (capt), M Ross; D Toner, D Ryan; CJ Stander, J Van der Flier, J Heaslip.

Irish team for saturday, 5 changes from France including 2 debutants, McCloskey and Van der Flier. Pleased with that, both good prospects, McCloskey is a serious unit in the Jamie Roberts mould.

Perception (rightly or wrongly) in Ireland is the only areas where we can get the better of England is at the breakdown and we might be able to get at an out of form Ford, VDF who is a pure No 7 has been put in for this reason.

Due to that I think we will hang in their for 60 mins, but will struggle in the scrum (takes a while for Ross to get into his form and its his first game back, plus locks not the greatest) that and the much stronger English bench (plus Sexton is bound to be injured at some point) will be the difference in the last 20.

Only one of our backrow born in Ireland and he is called Van Der Flier...

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Wales v France time then. I fancy this to be one of the games of the tournament.

 

[Tredman]

Allez les bleus!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I hear Betfair are offering a 14-16 minute spread on when you first accuse the ref of anti-Welsh bias

 

[Dinowolf]

Wales to win a rough old game by 10pts minimum.