6 Nations 2014 - Other Nations.

[Morf]

its bad but at least Ball is a better/taller jumper than Coombs

The beard is strong in him . . .

That wasnt my only reason for rating him higher than Coombs

Priorities though.

[nelly the elephant]

England playing it fast & loose here.....I dunno...they may regret that?

[StrangeButBlue]

Or win by 20 ! North butchered a good chance earlier

[nelly the elephant]

Wharburton having an outstanding game....

[IanD]

Someone must have made a mistake but for less than 30 seconds Paddypower had Wales to win at 30/1. One whole euro staked.

So come on Wales.

[Leinster Exile]

No mention of a triple crown until 5 minutes are the game finish

[Sionnach]

Someone must have made a mistake but for less than 30 seconds Paddypower had Wales to win at 30/1. One whole euro staked.

So come on Wales.

Good stake by PP in the end!

[hugonaut]

Wharburton having an outstanding game....

Yeah, he did so many things well. Great athleticism and technique. When he plays his best stuff he really is quite a player. It's funny that he never really looks particularly hyped up before the England games, but in the last three he has really brought his 'A' game.

With that said, Robshaw was very good again. Great workrate and an under-rated footballer - gets on the ball a lot, good awareness of where play is going, links well and brings other players into the game. Obviously a very physical and disciplined player as well.

English second row were great again, both individually and as a pairing, but AWJ was very impressive throughout and Ball didn't let the side down. Did better than I expected.

Pretty obvious that the difference between the teams was in the halfbacks. Rhys Webb was very poor. Killed Wales' pace at source – he's slow getting to rucks, too often dawdles at the back of them, and tends to pick up the ball, have a look, then pass. Thought that the Welsh were kidding themselves when they were talking about how they had found a successor to Mike Phillips in the aftermath of the French game. He wasn't much better in that one but they were playing in front of a home crowd against a badly coached team and Rolland gave them everything on the night. Phillips is on the slide – hasn't been professional enough in his approach for too long in his career and it's catching up on him – but he's still a lot better than Webb.

Danny Care was impressive for England, enjoying a good run of form. Took the opportunity for his try very well, but the Welsh defense were terribly negligent. A couple of their players had their backs turned 5m from their own line … that should be trained out of you by the time you're U9!

I think pretty much every Leinster fan looks at Rhys Priestland and Dan Biggar and asks how the f*ck is the latter not in the team! Biggar's kicking game is so much more reliable [and just of a higher standard overall] and he's clearly a more confident outhalf with more poise under pressure. He's more athletic than people give him credit for as well. I'm not saying that Priestland is a dud or anything, but when he's not bang in form his frailties are very apparent.

[nelly the elephant]

Wharburton having an outstanding game....

Yeah, he did so many things well. Great athleticism and technique. When he plays his best stuff he really is quite a player. It's funny that he never really looks particularly hyped up before the England games, but in the last three he has really brought his 'A' game.

With that said, Robshaw was very good again. Great workrate and an under-rated footballer - gets on the ball a lot, good awareness of where play is going, links well and brings other players into the game. Obviously a very physical and disciplined player as well.

English second row were great again, both individually and as a pairing, but AWJ was very impressive throughout and Ball didn't let the side down. Did better than I expected

Pretty obvious that the difference between the teams was in the halfbacks. Rhys Webb was very poor. Killed Wales' pace at source – he's slow getting to rucks, too often dawdles at the back of them, and tends to pick up the ball, have a look, then pass. Thought that the Welsh were kidding themselves when they were talking about how they had found a successor to Mike Phillips in the aftermath of the French game. He wasn't much better in that one but they were playing in front of a home crowd against a badly coached team and Rolland gave them everything on the night. Phillips is on the slide – hasn't been professional enough in his approach for too long in his career and it's catching up on him – but he's still a lot better than Webb.

Danny Care was impressive for England, enjoying a good run of form. Took the opportunity for his try very well, but the Welsh defense were terribly negligent. A couple of their players had their backs turned 5m from their own line … that should be trained out of you by the time you're U9!

I think pretty much every Leinster fan looks at Rhys Priestland and Dan Biggar and asks how the f*ck is the latter not in the team! Biggar's kicking game is so much more reliable [and just of a higher standard overall] and he's clearly a more confident outhalf with more poise under pressure. He's more athletic than people give him credit for as well. I'm not saying that Priestland is a dud or anything, but when he's not bang in form his frailties are very apparent.

This fella's an absolute warrior.....had never really appreciated him(wrongly) prior to the Lions tour this year but have been keeping an eye on him since....tremendous impact in all he does. I thought Launchbury was better than Lawes tbh.....but they have been very good the pair of them.Wales lost it at halfback today...the amount of hard won possession they squandered was criminal. Phillips has surely played in his last championship(will probably play next week due to injury situation)

[LeRouxIsPHat]

At one stage Wales looked like they weren't going to have a scrumhalf at a ruck so Priestland ran in and took the responsibility. Thing is though, Webb was only just behind him but didn't demand that the ball be left to him, or then make himself useful when Priestland got there. You'd think he'd have gone to ten or ensured he was right behind the next pod but he just sort of hung around the ruck doing absolutely nothing and yet was still very very slow to the next breakdown that was even very close to the previous one. Really really poor.

Priestland had a shocker. I can't understand why he's starting for them either but it was even worse to leave him on as long as they did. Why wait until a few minutes after they brought Phillips on? Both of them should have been on sooner.

Have to say I'm very surprised and impressed with how England have progressed. They've played some good rugby in patches over the last couple of years but have been very reliant on the power game and not really had a plan B. I expected them to persist with plan A for the most part whilst adding slightly to their attack like they did last year. They've really developed it hugely though and are willing to play from anywhere. I think Care is a big reason for that. He puts pace on their game which had been badly lacking. When you consider the players they were missing today (4 or 5 of their first choice pack plus Tuilagi) they are becoming a serious force. I think they're real contenders for the World Cup.

[JB1973]

dire display by the welsh half backs, thought halfpenny, awj, ball and warburton especially played really well.

England certianly on an upward curve, they were the better team but if we had started with phillips or better still that davies from the scarlets and biggar at 9 and 10 we could have pinched that

ps should hartley have been sin binned for taking out felatu in the air or am i being biased?

[nelly the elephant]

dire display by the welsh half backs, thought halfpenny, awj, ball and warburton especially played really well.

England certianly on an upward curve, they were the better team but if we had started with phillips or better still that davies from the scarlets and biggar at 9 and 10 we could have pinched that

ps should hartley have been sin binned for taking out felatu in the air or am i being biased?

Given he'd been singled out twice before by Poite for infringements.......no....he probably should have seen the bin.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I didn't think that incident was bad at all tbh.

I did think England got away with a lot more at the breakdown though. There was one incident in particular when an English player secured a loose ball on their own line and Launchbury literally dived in from both the Welsh side and the side of the ruck yet it went unpunished. Couldn't have been more obvious.

[Morf]

England have a reputation (mostly) as a disciplined team now just like Ireland had as an illegal team at the break down couple of years back.

We were treated a bit unfairly then and England get breaks now (add being at home in HQ). I'm sure Ireland would too if our penalty count continues to average so low in games.

[simonokeeffe]

Webb has a habit of making it very obvious too what hes going to do/where hes going to go; Philips seems to have benefitted from the kick up the arse

Welsh side seems to be great when they belive they can win eg home v France and dependent on home support/confidence

[Morf]

Alex Cuthbert went on a Lions tour . . .

Turned over 3 times and 0 for 4 in tackles.

Didn't see him compete one kick. Gatty had Desperate Dan chasing kicks in his place (at least on one occasion).

Is there any of this unquantifiable x-factor in that?

[JB1973]

Cuthbert was poor Sunday and in all honesty as you point out there are huge gaps in his all round game but his size pace power and ability to finish makes him a handful.

With 4 trys in last years 6 nations including 2 in the championship winning game he was always going to on that lions tour and in fairness 1 try in 1 test wasn't that bad of a return for his tour.

Wales have two major issues to sort, our front row is pretty much all going over the hill at the same time and our half backs have been rubbish all year.

I'd certainly take a punt on lee and james or even rhys gill as the two props for the next game and I would go for Phillips and Biggar at 9 and 10 with G Davies from the Scarlets as the back up option at 9.

ps how Liam Williams to get sin binned if he starts seems a very safe bet

[jezzer]

Pretty obvious that the difference between the teams was in the halfbacks. Rhys Webb was very poor. Killed Wales' pace at source – he's slow getting to rucks, too often dawdles at the back of them, and tends to pick up the ball, have a look, then pass. Thought that the Welsh were kidding themselves when they were talking about how they had found a successor to Mike Phillips in the aftermath of the French game. He wasn't much better in that one but they were playing in front of a home crowd against a badly coached team and Rolland gave them everything on the night. Phillips is on the slide – hasn't been professional enough in his approach for too long in his career and it's catching up on him – but he's still a lot better than Webb.

Philips made a big difference, but Wales also stopped putting so many bodies in the ruck around the same time and so - for the first time in the game - they weren't trying to conjour magic up from a huge numerical disadvantage. England are amazingly disruptive in the contact area with only one or two players, they played Poite like a Stradivarius in slowing up Welsh ball. Wales responded by putting more and more forwards in the ruck and just ran out of numbers when Webb finally got it out of there.

[tigerburnie]

ps should hartley have been sin binned for taking out felatu in the air or am i being biased?

Faletau wasn't in the lineout, the ball was passed to him and he jumped into the tackle, penalty England(this was the only time that Hartley wasn't at fault however).

[JB1973]

ps should hartley have been sin binned for taking out felatu in the air or am i being biased?

Faletau wasn't in the lineout, the ball was passed to him and he jumped into the tackle, penalty England(this was the only time that Hartley wasn't at fault however).

jumped into the tackle? he was in mid air catching the ball, that's how it looked to me anyhow.

If RP considered it an offence by Hartley which he clearly did as he gave Wales a penalty then he has to yellow card especially after already warning him about previous offences.

Not sure if North also tackled Nowell in the air earlier in the game as well in fairness