The Rugby Thread

[Cormack74]

Sadly I was out all afternoon - not planned, but we went out for lunch with some friends an hour and a half away and the ****ing meal took 3 hours by the time we'd had to wait to be seated then fed.

Three hours ffs with the best part of an hour waiting for pudding to turn up. And we had reservations . . .

So I saw **** all today apart from the last 20 mins of the England game.

Need to try and catch up with everything I missed which judging by the Sco / Ire game was even better than I'd anticipated.

[fowlen]

Rugby legend, Joost vd Westhuizen now in hospital in critical condition
Hoping for the best for him, but to get even this far with such an awful disease proves just how strong he is
Thoughts with him and his family at this time.

[Red_Polo]

Wales took a while to get going against a resolute Italian defence, but started to shine a bit more second half and unlucky not to clinch the bonus point by the end there.

[Cormack74]

Rugby legend, Joost vd Westhuizen now in hospital in critical condition
Hoping for the best for him, but to get even this far with such an awful disease proves just how strong he is
Thoughts with him and his family at this time.

Top player; very sad to see what's happened to him.

[Cormack74]

Wales took a while to get going against a resolute Italian defence, but started to shine a bit more second half and unlucky not to clinch the bonus point by the end there.

Yes very unlucky, they played pretty well when they got into their stride. 30 points in the second half was a fair reward for their patience.

Equally I was hugely disappointed by Italy - loads of really stupid penalties, especially in the first half at times when they weren't actually under pressure.

Also, the one thing that Quins were good at under O'Shea was their attack play yet when Italy had a decent period of pressure prior to half time they just kept sending one off runners from the base - pretty much the easiest thing for Wales to defend.

And I don't watch huge amounts of Pro 12 rugby but surely there must be a better scrum half than Gorri. I don't think I've ever seen an international srcum half who can't or won't box kick. So all the Italians defensive kicks were 10 yards short of where they would otherwise have been once the ball had gone back the FH to kick plus the up and under as an attacking option was massively limited.

[Buzzo]

Italy actually got themselves into a reasonable position in the match, and then blew it with some ridiculous pens. They'll not even get close to winning and a match with discipline like that.

[Red_Polo]

Yeah their discipline was poor throughout, but after Wales took the lead it really went to ****. If it hadn't have been for the bonus point rule, Wales might've kicked themselves a bigger winning margin ffs!

[RichC]

Joost van der Westhuizen has passed away. Really sad that only 45 as well. Some player in his day

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38882762

[Buzzo]

Sad news indeed.

Motor neurone disease gives me the fear. What a terrible illness.

[RichC]

The 2013 interview with him on the BBC is a tough bloody watch. Horrible disease.

[Cormack74]

That game at Cardiff was pretty decent. Bit surprised to see no one down here

[Buzzo]

I watched both the footy and the Rugby. Switching at half time in both.

Wales had it and blew it. Why they didn't kick for touch with 4 mins to go is a mystery.

England winning without playing particularly well again. They've just got too much power off the bench for everyone else.

[Cormack74]

One of the pundits (might have been Martyn Williams) said it was part of Wales tactics to keep the ball in play - but evidently not at all times - certainly not when three quarters of your team is out of the game in one corner of the pitch and one of the quickest blokes in the 6N, (maybe the quickest) is waiting on the far side to receive the ball.

[Cormack74]

Incidentally I'm almost more interested in tomorrow's game, it's such a fascinating match up. If France remember how to run the ball (which they hinted at v England) and Scotland have the confidence to keep playing the same way they've been doing then it could be sensational.

[Red_Polo]

CJ Stander what a beast. Could reasonably say Ireland were imperious, but Italy didn't show.

Wales blew it with a combination of bad decisions and failure to execute. Turned down easy points and failed to make sustained pressure count. You could read the script from about 60 mins. Silly.

Had some gooduns and loads more to come yet. Tomorrow should be good.