Rugby

England vs Spain in the wheelchair rugby league is fantastic stuff

Terrible performance. England deserved to be beaten by 10-14 points.

Eddie gets his first choice midfield for the first time in ages and it’s dreadful.

Argentina will be in the mix in France. England won’t.

Yep to all that.
Just a dull brand of rugby, so much talent not utilised.

Both teams kick better than SA though 😭

Every time I watch England I'm staggered by the sheer collective lack of Rugby IQ they possess. The amount of stupid penalties they give away is staggering. The players almost always look better for their Prem clubs than when they step up to England, I think they're over coached and lacking any ability to think for themselves on the pitch.

Smith and Farrell isn't a partnership that should be persisted with. If you play a Marcus style 10 you need an Esterhuizen style 12 for him to dovetail off. Slimmed down Tuilagi is also not much of an attacking threat these days (although his D is still fearsome).

True, what SA would do for an outside back that kicks as well as Boffelli!

Slimmed down Tuilagi is also not much of an attacking threat these days

I don’t recall him getting any front-foot ball, so wouldn’t know either way! I also haven’t seen him for Sale, so have no idea whether he has any form.

England don’t have an Esterhuizen. Mind you, apart from ZA, who does? So there must be a plan B… oh wait.

Manu has been solid for Sale but not ripping up trees or causing damage.

Granted England don't have an Esterhuizen but Smith needs someone who offers a threat with ball in hand next to him (whether that's pace or power). Farrell offers no carrying threat so it's easy to defend against them as a pair as you can afford to just shut Smith down and not worry about Farrell.

I see Jones has sent all the pace back to their clubs again...

His jibe about Smith and Farrell needing 13 games to work out their combination...

(Assume there are 13 games until RWC final? - Edit: actually, they will have had 13 games until the end of the pool stages, so I assume Eddie means that is when they will be knocked out?)

I have a spare ticket for tomorrow's semi final at the Emirates. Happy to let it go for a forum donation if anyone is looking.

I can email the ticket over but it says it needs printing.

Fucking ITV.
Bit epic this morning and only 20 mins in.

Jeez. This one is going to be a nail-biter.

Red was nailed-on. Fwd pass for nz try. Aaargh.

The Black Ferns at times look more AB than ABs atm.
by which I mean- some sensational crossing runs.

Sealing off every breakdown too. Very Wayne Smith…

Kiwi TV director buying them decisions too now. Ffs

(Edit: This happens for every home side - something controversial... Quick, to the big screen!)

With no skin in the game I thought NZ deserved it. England relied to heavily on their maul and didn't really try and test NZ outside of that.

The NZ 13 is absolute class, definitely someone you can sell a global game with.

Genuine question, why don't the women play with smaller balls? It would seem an easy fix and would massively speed up the passing and reduce the knock on rate. The balls looked huge in their hands. It would also allow for Sonny Bill style offloads to come into the game.

Genuine question, why don't the women play with smaller balls?

I just asked one of the coaches in the clubhouse the same question. “Because that’s what the law says”, was the answer.

didn't really try and test NZ outside of that

Down one in the backs, that was the right call. You have much, much less chance of an overlap.

It just seems an obvious way to improve the game and also give the girls a fair chance to show flair and demonstrate their skills. It hugely disadvantages them playing with the same size ball as the men.

Women Javellin and Shot Putters throw with lighter, smaller implements than the men, it in no way dimenishes them.

I heard in a podcast that if there was a third race of being that were as proportionally stronger and bigger than men as men are than women then they would need to play football with a basketball to replicate a men's football, yet the women don't benefit from playing with a smaller ball.

England ballsed up that last lineout by not setting the full line. Everyone within 5m. One jumper. It was obvious NZ were going up at 2. The inner hooker in me was shouting for a call change.

End of the day, that red was the game. Sad for the winger who will blame herself.

Didn't watch the game as I don't like rugby, but the support and atmosphere here has been great. Lots of chat both in the media and around town about the games. Hopefully the momentum continues and we see a lot more women's sport.

Genuine question,

It's a philosophical point in women's sport I think.

There is a desire to make the games equal, and changing the ball, goal, pitch size is seen as diminishing the sense of equality...