If they had scored their simple penalty they'd have won though. Ireland solid but unspectacular, Wales good and Scotland terrible.
I have no sympathy for the French. They have been playing one dimensional rugby for the best part of 20 years or more. They should be playing running rugby like NZ, or even England at times and not persisting with the outdated battering ram. Even SA have outgrown that way.
There's little flair in the team, don't think they can play running rugby. Teddy seems like the only player with a bit of skill, and the young player who went off injured
France have a vast pool of players so there really is no excuse not to pick a team that can play with flair. But the team put out this evening, proved to be a team of donkeys. I hope England forego the easy penalties and choose to run everything tomorrow. Italy are poor so there really is no reason why England should choose kicking the points in the first place and only release the running side of the game in the last 20 which they normally do in these kinds of games.
The big game changer is the introduction of the bonus point, which has been a huge success in club rugby. If that doesn’t encourage try-scoring nothing will, as Wales will testify, even if their 4th was a bit suspect. Great try from Thomas for France, but Ireland did amazingly well to go through over 40 phases to work their way into drop-goal range.
And it would have been criminal if the French had been allowed to get away with blatant cheating on the HIA decision to bring the scrum half back. I felt for Nigel Owens, as he clearly didn’t believe the (French if I understand right) IRFU doctor, but had to go with the decision. Unforgivable, the constant whinging by Sexton, though, to him. Please don’t let rugby get like football with players questioning the officials all the time.
Absolutely, that was a complete farce. The player limps off clutching his knee, and yet it’s allowed as an HIA? To be fair to Sexton, he simply couldn’t believe what was happening!
Here's to hoping the French finish bottom. They deserve to because of their dull rugby, and contrasts sharply with the era of Serge Blanco.
Cameron Norrie lost a thrilling first set in the tie break. He looks a really good player. Born in South Africa of British parents, then raised in NZ until he came here at the age of 16. What is it about our need to send sporting youngsters to be raised in sunny climes....even Andy Murray had to move to the sunshine as a teenager.
Norrie takes second set 6-2. What a player. He disturbs the other player....not by being annoying, but by his variety of play.
Shame...Norrie loses tie break. Spain lead 2-1 going into 4th set. Proved too much in final set. Spain win 3-1, so go through to quarter finals of Davis Cup.
Good stuff from England in the end. Score didn’t show how well Italy played. I can see them beating someone (France or Scotland) this season ......
Yes - cracking player. Only 5’7” and 12 stone - a midget by current rugby standards. I think Italy look SO much better and had a lot more chances than last year. I’d so like to see them beat a couple of teams and not end up bottom of the table.
Philadelphia win, and deserved it. The play on Brady when it looked like the script was written for him to win it in the fourth was amazing.
That was awesome. Also, Jay Ajayi becomes just the fifth Brit to win the Super Bowl. Philly finally off the mark in the Lombardi era!
As much as I enjoy seeing Brady and the Patriots lose I couldn't have picked a worse team to beat them. The Eagles fans are probably the worst in the NFL and I wouldn't wish any success on them. Still fair play to the team as they were big underdogs in every game they played in the play offs after Wentz got injured and performed brilliantly in every game. Foles probably just guaranteed himself a nice fat contract after that (I think he is hitting free agency this year?)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/rugby-union/42547155 Annoyed with myself, forgot England women were playing Italy after the mens game as I intended to watch both. They won of course...even more likely than the men winning. Congrats to both teams.
