Not a great game to watch. I thought Ireland employed the rugby union version of football's high press. Didn't give us any time to pick out passes, before they were on us. Disappointing that we never got the ball to our quick guys whilst they were actually in motion. All too often they were receiving the ball whilst static, then getting hammered. ITV didn't cover themselves with glory, reference camera angles (unless it's to do with the stadium). No cameras behind the kickers or posts. As a general observation, the kicking "for the corner" seems to be so conservative, compared to yesteryear. Modern day kickers are seemingly content to get near the 22m line, whereas the kickers from way back would be aiming to get inside the 10m line. I don't get that, at all.
NZ try and run it when given a penalty in the opposition half. I am sure England have the ability to mix things up. Perhaps if the back line was not so flat that would negate a team playing the "high press" as the ball would be spun out to runners coming on to the ball at speed. Then the runner can offload the ball to another team mate quickly when faced by an opponent, and thus open the game up. NZ do this.
If you kick for inside the 10m, your tactics have to be catch and drive really. Unless you have a mad overlap on the far side. If you kick to the 22m you can set up set plays where runners can come from deep at pace, with dummy runners all over the show. Whilst also having the option of catch and drive.
Forget the Six Nations, this was the big Welsh international game today. It even made the Radio 2 news this morning! http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-39282020
England were robbed, the ref was ****. As for France, I honestly can't see why Wayne Barnes didn't award a penalty try after Wales collapsed the scrum for the third time in added time. I cannot believe the Welsh got away with so much gamesmanship.
Going for the persistent scrum besides collapsing it, is as much gamesmanship as anything else. Why didn't France just get that ball and fling it out wide instead of going for the scrum all the time. Maybe the rules should be changed? if you cannot score after being given a third scrum for an infringement so close the opposition line, well frankly you really don't deserve to be awarded a penalty try. And if the referee gives the penalty then it is a kick at the posts or nothing at all. Hopefully the Springboks will slaughter the mediocre French this summer.
Mind games from Hamilton in saying Ferrari are quickest? Or have they genuinely caught up? I bloody hope so as I'd love to see a close season this time round. Got a sneaky suspiscion that Mercedes were hiding a lot of pace at testing though...
Britain's Lewis Hamilton put in a scintillating performance to set the pace in second practice at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. He was 0.547secs clear of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in second, who was just 0.009secs quicker than Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Who are we supposed to cheer for in F1? Are there any British car manufacturers involved in F1 any more?
Would love to see this new Amercian do really well in years to come, Frances ???????. Just beaten by Federer in Miami!!
Nearly all the cars are built in the UK so take your pick. Great to see Seb win that one. Not a thriller but at least the cars look sexy again.