The Rugby Thread

[Dinowolf]

Jonny Sextons kicking is so composed in the Tournament so far, makes Owen Farrells robotic head movements look laughable.

Talk about kicking someone when they're down.

 

[jd1981]

Jonny Sextons kicking is so composed in the Tournament so far, makes Owen Farrells robotic head movements look laughable.

Doesn't matter how you kick as long as they go over, but of a classless dig.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Not the first one either.

 

[Dublin Drummer Wolf]

Not the first one either.

Oh come on! You've got previous for the exact same thing on TWF and Molmix, don't act like you're whiter than white!

I stand by my statement. I was watching Farrell's approach to each kick last night closely, I thought he looked nervous, his weird robotic head and eye movements and taught body shape don't translate to what his body then does, so I wonder why he bothers trying to map out the flight of the ball with head movements.

Watching Sexton today, apart from the last kick which he missed, he looked really composed, taking his time catching his breath, and standing fully instead of crouching before beginning his run up. His game has improved immensely over the last few years, he seems to have overcome the minor issues that affected his kicking before.

 

[jd1981]

Oh come on! You've got previous for the exact same thing on TWF and Molmix, don't act like you're whiter than white!

I stand by my statement. I was watching Farrell's approach to each kick last night closely, I thought he looked nervous, his weird robotic head and eye movements and taught body shape don't translate to what his body then does, so I wonder why he bothers trying to map out the flight of the ball with head movements.

Watching Sexton today, apart from the last kick which he missed, he looked really composed, taking his time catching his breath, and standing fully instead of crouching before beginning his run up. His game has improved immensely over the last few years, he seems to have overcome the minor issues that affected his kicking before.

Don't think anyone would knock or deny the quality of Sexton.
I'm not a huge Farrell fan but when converting penalties or conversions his record is good and that's all that matters, ie last nights conversions from the try was out wide and under huge pressure.
If it works for him then so be it.
He didn't miss a thing against Wales as far as I can remember.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

He was 100% against Wales. Both kickers were 100% from the tee, although Biggar missed a drop goal.

Farrell may look mechanical, but his method works for him. He is a good kicker. It is the rest of his game as flyhalf that is the issue at the moment.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Oh come on! You've got previous for the exact same thing on TWF and Molmix, don't act like you're whiter than white!

I stand by my statement. I was watching Farrell's approach to each kick last night closely, I thought he looked nervous, his weird robotic head and eye movements and taught body shape don't translate to what his body then does, so I wonder why he bothers trying to map out the flight of the ball with head movements.

Watching Sexton today, apart from the last kick which he missed, he looked really composed, taking his time catching his breath, and standing fully instead of crouching before beginning his run up. His game has improved immensely over the last few years, he seems to have overcome the minor issues that affected his kicking before.

It's not about me, I'm not the one posting the stuff others are moaning about! My previous posting has nothing to do with this, thanks.

As for his kicking routine that's the least of England's worries.

 

[North West Wanderer]

He was 100% against Wales. Both kickers were 100% from the tee, although Biggar missed a drop goal.

Farrell may look mechanical, but his method works for him. He is a good kicker. It is the rest of his game as flyhalf that is the issue at the moment.

He's the best kicker we have IMO. But ford isn't far off and is a far better player. I'd even take Cipriani ahead of him simply as he's capable of the unexpected, if that makes sense.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Farrell played well against Wales, less so yesterday. I'm wary of him becoming a scapegoat when there are multiple issues with the team but our biggest issue in an attacking sense is Barritt playing every game when he is the most limited of any centre that plays regularly for any of the top 6-7 nations in the world. And by a distance as well.

 

[jd1981]

He was 100% against Wales. Both kickers were 100% from the tee, although Biggar missed a drop goal.

Farrell may look mechanical, but his method works for him. He is a good kicker. It is the rest of his game as flyhalf that is the issue at the moment.

This %100 agree with, Ford is an all round better player but maybe not as consistent with the boot.
Picking snippets out of someone's technique how to kick when he's barely missed a thing in two matches is petty.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I always thought Wilkinson's kicking routine looked moderately silly, but it never seemed to do him any harm!

The point for a kicker is the routine needs to be absolutely repeatable, every time. Watch 1/2p or Biggar. Their idiosyncratic routines never ever change. Same with Farrell. It works for him.

Barritt looks much better when played in his correct position. He just isn't an outside centre.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

Poor from Ireland today, low intensity and poor execution, I suppose the best we can take from it was that we closed out the game comfortably enough in the last 20 mins and Italy have given us a good bar to judge where we are at the moment, play like that next week and we will get beaten easily.

Italy are a different team with Parisse in them, fucks knows why they subbed him off with 20 mins left, I know he had been injured but it was shit or bust for them.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

I always thought Wilkinson's kicking routine looked moderately silly, but it never seemed to do him any harm!

The point for a kicker is the routine needs to be absolutely repeatable, every time. Watch 1/2p or Biggar. Their idiosyncratic routines never ever change. Same with Farrell. It works for him.

Barritt looks much better when played in his correct position. He just isn't an outside centre.

Suppose Jonny was the first to do it and we all saw how successful he was, and since then the kicking percentages for a decent international kicker have upped from 75-80% to 90-95% ish so must be something in it.

Not sure how Biggar manages to remember all of his routine as he looks like he has ants in his pants, but obviously does him no harm, personally I think so far he has been the top No 10 at the moment in the competition.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

One minor thing as the pool stages wrap up is that it looks like non of the Pacific Islanders are going to gain automatic qualification and with Asia getting an additional place due to Japan being hosts, it means it looks like Tonga, Fiji and Samoa are playing off for 1 qualification spot,(there may possibly be another in a play-off), to me that is an awful shame considering what they can bring to the tournament, they have a tough enough time with lack of funds and the ANZACS stealing their best players.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Bernard Foley is ahead in the number 10 slot for me. He was majestic last night.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

One minor thing as the pool stages wrap up is that it looks like non of the Pacific Islanders are going to gain automatic qualification and with Asia getting an additional place due to Japan being hosts, it means it looks like Tonga, Fiji and Samoa are playing off for 1 qualification spot,(there may possibly be another in a play-off), to me that is an awful shame considering what they can bring to the tournament, they have a tough enough time with lack of funds and the ANZACS stealing their best players.

Japan are qualified as hosts and will also by the look of it still finish in at least third so the spare place will go to the South Sea Islanders. Two of them is better than one.

 

[Kenny]

England squad is ready for the Quarter Finals

 

[Sniffer]

Hooper banned for one match

Hooper was cited for an alleged act of foul play during Saturday's 33-13 victory over England.

The incident occurred towards the end of the first half when the 23-year-old cleared Mike Brown out at a ruck.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

England team for Uruguay, still good few frontliners there, I would have expected them to give a few more of the fringe players a runout.

A Goode (Saracens); A Watson (Bath), H Slade (Exeter Chiefs), O Farrell (Saracens), J Nowell (Exeter Chiefs); G Ford (Bath) D Care (Harlequins); M Vunipola (Saracens), T Youngs (Leicester Tigers), D Cole (Leicester Tigers), J Launchbury (Wasps), G Parling (Exeter Chiefs), J Haskell (Wasps), C Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), N Easter (Harlequins).

A new centre partnership again, this time 2 fly halfs playing there. In fact 4 fly halfs in the backline

 

[Donegal Wolf]

Bernard Foley is ahead in the number 10 slot for me. He was majestic last night.

To be honest cant really disagree with that, except for one thing which nullifies all of that

he is called Bernard...