England v 6 Nations Champions 2018 Twickenham March 17

[Dave Cahill]

Its funny how sport always seems to work in circles. This time last year we were preparing to face the newly crowned 6 Nations champions who came to Dublin looking to claim a grand slam against a team who had lost two matches. This year, the mirror image.

The Irish players should be forewarned then - they know how they felt last year about the opposition arriving for their coronation, and they can be sure that the English players will feel the same.

[olaf the fat]

If you look at our games so far we have been lucky, I know you make you own luck, but it really shows the tight margins in the 6Ns. But for a magic drop by Sexton in Paris, last play intercept by Stockdale against Wales and Scotland butchering at least 3 try chances things could be so different.

England lost 2 away form home, so they will fancy themselves to get the wheels back on the chariot in Twickers - but on St Patrick's day and we nearly always win on Paddys Day!

[Dave Cahill]

If you look at our games so far we have been lucky, I know you make you own luck, but it really shows the tight margins in the 6Ns. But for a magic drop by Sexton in Paris, last play intercept by Stockdale against Wales and Scotland butchering at least 3 try chances things could be so different.

England lost 2 away form home, so they will fancy themselves to get the wheels back on the chariot in Twickers - but on St Patrick's day and we nearly always win on Paddys Day!

I think perhaps lucky is the wrong word. We certainly haven't played well, but a well coached team that believes in what its doing can, even when it isn't playing well, fall back on its structures and basic plays to keep things moving forward. For example, the drop against France was magic - but you don't go through 40-odd phases on luck. You do it because every player knows their role in every circumstance and is confident that their team mates are the same. That period of play was as close to perfection as you'll see in professional sport.

[offshorerules]

Bookies have Ireland as favourites heading to Twickenham, who'd have thunked it.

[Dave Cahill]

If you look at our games so far we have been lucky, I know you make you own luck, but it really shows the tight margins in the 6Ns. But for a magic drop by Sexton in Paris, last play intercept by Stockdale against Wales and Scotland butchering at least 3 try chances things could be so different.

England lost 2 away form home, so they will fancy themselves to get the wheels back on the chariot in Twickers - but on St Patrick's day and we nearly always win on Paddys Day!

I think perhaps lucky is the wrong word. We certainly haven't played well, but a well coached team that believes in what its doing can, even when it isn't playing well, fall back on its structures and basic plays to keep things moving forward. For example, the drop against France was magic - but you don't go through 40-odd phases on luck. You do it because every player knows their role in every circumstance and is confident that their team mates are the same. That period of play was as close to perfection as you'll see in professional sport.

Actually "haven't played well" is itself a poor choice of words. "Haven't played consistently at the level they're capable of" would be more accurate.

[olaf the fat]

If you look at our games so far we have been lucky, I know you make you own luck, but it really shows the tight margins in the 6Ns. But for a magic drop by Sexton in Paris, last play intercept by Stockdale against Wales and Scotland butchering at least 3 try chances things could be so different.

England lost 2 away form home, so they will fancy themselves to get the wheels back on the chariot in Twickers - but on St Patrick's day and we nearly always win on Paddys Day!

I think perhaps lucky is the wrong word. We certainly haven't played well, but a well coached team that believes in what its doing can, even when it isn't playing well, fall back on its structures and basic plays to keep things moving forward. For example, the drop against France was magic - but you don't go through 40-odd phases on luck. You do it because every player knows their role in every circumstance and is confident that their team mates are the same. That period of play was as close to perfection as you'll see in professional sport.

Actually "haven't played well" is itself a poor choice of words. "Haven't played consistently at the level they're capable of" would be more accurate.

I suppose that's the thing, we have won but not really clicked, we need to "click" (or play consistently at the level we are capable of) if we are to have a chance of beating a highly motivated England.

[Dave Cahill]

Definitely. We need to play the best rugby we've played this season to have a chance of winning this one.

A big question is does Eddie Jones stick with his one man ruck or bow to reality.

[simonokeeffe]

I think spoiling a party suits our mentality more than theres

Would love Haskell to play. He is not going to come roaring in with composure

Via @SimonGleave on twitter

Ireland have scored on 12/22 vists to not Italian 22s

England 4/22

[RoboProp]

Our media are not much better than their English counterparts but they don't seem to have the same power over union's decision making when it comes to appointing or sacking coaches. This could be because the IRFU set the agenda here and the provinces have to toe the line but in England the RFU run the game in name only with the real power resting with the premiership clubs. When rugby decisions are made based primarily on commercial grounds to suit sponsors the media has more influence and this is not always the best for the game .

UK media are arrogant, ours are by and large idiots

[RoboProp]

Definitely. We need to play the best rugby we've played this season to have a chance of winning this one.

A big question is does Eddie Jones stick with his one man ruck or bow to reality.

I still think we can ramp it up another level. At no stage in attack or defence did we ever look like were breaking our collective b*%&!cks.

[Oldschool]

Definitely. We need to play the best rugby we've played this season to have a chance of winning this one.

A big question is does Eddie Jones stick with his one man ruck or bow to reality.

I still think we can ramp it up another level. At no stage in attack or defence did we ever look like were breaking our collective b*%&!cks.

+1
Our problem might be figuring out how to tap into that next level.

[Oldschool]

Our media are not much better than their English counterparts but they don't seem to have the same power over union's decision making when it comes to appointing or sacking coaches. This could be because the IRFU set the agenda here and the provinces have to toe the line but in England the RFU run the game in name only with the real power resting with the premiership clubs. When rugby decisions are made based primarily on commercial grounds to suit sponsors the media has more influence and this is not always the best for the game .

UK media are arrogant, ours are by and large idiots

If having an anti Leinster and Joe agenda is idiotic then I'd agree.

[The Doc]

A big question is does Eddie Jones stick with his one man ruck or bow to reality.

This is an interesting one - can he change his ruck approach without having an impact on his attacking or defensive shape - putting a couple more players in the ruck has to alter their pattern. That team doesn't strike me as one that handles change very well

[Fireworks]

A big question is does Eddie Jones stick with his one man ruck or bow to reality.

This is an interesting one - can he change his ruck approach without having an impact on his attacking or defensive shape - putting a couple more players in the ruck has to alter their pattern. That team doesn't strike me as one that handles change very well

Over lunch heard a guy solve the problem for them, "just stick two more guys into every ruck". He appears to have missed the bit that you point out which is those two guys had other jobs to do and if you stick them in the ruck you knock out the balance across the rest of the pitch. I think this issue might take a while to fix. The summer tour might be a good time to work on it.

My worry would be that they try to fix it by going physical and try and break us with route one beef. I think we can now handle this but I would worry about the damage we would incur.

[paddyor]

Definitely. We need to play the best rugby we've played this season to have a chance of winning this one.

A big question is does Eddie Jones stick with his one man ruck or bow to reality.

THey changed it in both games so far so I'd imagine yes. With Lawes and Hughes out he's already looking at changes in the back row. Having watched their game back yesterday one thing that did strike me is that some of their players aren't really that effective at it. It's like they don't expect having to do it or are a bit out of practice because of how teams in the AP don't commit numbers to the ruck.

[simonokeeffe]

Definitely. We need to play the best rugby we've played this season to have a chance of winning this one.

A big question is does Eddie Jones stick with his one man ruck or bow to reality.

THey changed it in both games so far so I'd imagine yes. With Lawes and Hughes out he's already looking at changes in the back row. Having watched their game back yesterday one thing that did strike me is that some of their players aren't really that effective at it. It's like they don't expect having to do it or are a bit out of practice because of how teams in the AP don't commit numbers to the ruck.

The gif of Warson runninh away from a prone to turnover ruck is telling, hardly Trimble esque stuff, even a Southern dandy like Zebo would have made an effort

[Experimental]

I really think we have not seen the best of Ireland this six nations. The scary thing for England is, there is still a big game in this Ireland team. You'd have to say that the English looked shot at the end of that France game. They are a great side, but I think to beat a full strength Ireland even at home might be beyond them in this situation, if they can do it, they deserve to be back in second in the world. There is a real feeling for me that this is quite similar to Wales going to Paris on the last day for their last grand slam, it was just daunting cause the Welsh just seemed so strong and had already won in Dublin. I'm finding it very hard to see anything but an Irish victory, I'm trying to think of any player from England who would get into the Irish team at the moment and honestly I cant think of any I'd choose. Not trying to be arrogant, just realistic...

[paddyor]

They haven't stuck to their one man rucks tactics. THey were clearly latching on to each to take it into contact in parts of the firt half. But some of their clearouts are just ineffective especially Vunipola and Cole. Even when they did number up they seemed to make bad decisions so they seem to get isolated after a few phases. Best example I can think of is Vunipola and Farrell around 45 mins on the match clock. Farrell went straight thru the ruck and bound to no one, Vunipola flops down on his knees, they kept the ball but France counter rucked at the next ruck and won a peno.

[Dave Cahill]

What Jones is talking about when he talks about one man rucks is that it should only take one player to clear out a ruck, not necessarily only putting one player into a ruck. What is happening then is that only one person is attempting the clear out initially and if the opposition are flooding the ruck then that player is outnumbered and the other English players are too late to have any effect. Even with a ref like Wayne Barnes who allows teams more time than most to compete for the ball England were too slow to get the multiple players France were putting on the ball cleared. France were also being constructively obstructive at the breakdown, their players almost universally rolled away directly into the path of an oncoming English player who was attempting to get to the ruck.

[ronk]

What Jones is talking about when he talks about one man rucks is that it should only take one player to clear out a ruck, not necessarily only putting one player into a ruck. What is happening then is that only one person is attempting the clear out initially and if the opposition are flooding the ruck then that player is outnumbered and the other English players are too late to have any effect. Even with a ref like Wayne Barnes who allows teams more time than most to compete for the ball England were too slow to get the multiple players France were putting on the ball cleared. France were also being constructively obstructive at the breakdown, their players almost universally rolled away directly into the path of an oncoming English player who was attempting to get to the ruck.

With the laws effectively eliminating jackeling teams are lying over the ball at the tackle if teams want quick ball because so many teams are using someone to clear out the tackler rather than the arriving player (who should be the priority). The key way to get away with it is to have the ref thank you for making an effort because you only slowed the ball a little.

Quick ball is as much about presentation, retaining possession after making meters is more about clearing the guy coming from the side rather than the tackler.