Rugby

Have you played in the back row before?

blind side only (ex prop - now 15st) - will see how it goes, pretty sure i know how to control a ball with my feet, failing that i'll just pick up and smash into their scrum half every time

Normally the best plan if your finding it difficult to control the ball is to pick it up and pop to the scrum half having committed the opposition scrum half to tackling you. Speak to your scrummy before the game and find out what he would prefer as some guys feel exposed if you do this, you will always have the fall back (and more fun) option of going for the break if things start to go pear shaped.

plan is to find the fucker with 9 on his back, if he's small, nail him. if he's a Mike Phillips type, wait for our 9 to pick up or pick, commit their 9 and pop.

thankfully I know our 9 well, hard little fucker

WTF are these cunts on about? Dangerous spear tackle, didn't put him down carefully just let him drop onto his neck.

Red card.

Changed everything, it's about damage limitation now, conspiracy theories will abound. Wales shouldn't keep going down the blindside it's too easy to shove them into touch.

Except he didn't just drop him on his neck, he was trying to lift him yes, but he didn't intentionally take him through horizontal, or put his weight behind the man when he was returning to earth; yellow at best. when I played at my highest level that tackle would have been legal.

Come on wales! brilliant defence

well he started on his feet and finished with his feet in the air, approximately 180 degrees I'd say.

And you have a responsibility as the tackler to make sure he lands safely if you've taken him 'through the horizontal'

They're not playing with jumpers for goalposts.

there was no intention to flip him over, yellow would have been harsh but understandable for his tackle.
Red is beyond comprehension.
especially that early in the game.

His feet and his back were at 90 degrees to each other his back was parallel to the floor so horizontal as I understand the law. You don't play rugby with jumpers for goalposts, that's football, a game for overpaid pussies who like to roll about on the floor pretending to be hurt.

Wales doing surprisingly well having lost the cap, would be amazing to see them pull this off

France also seemed very eager to end the half, in the position they are in I am surprised that they weren't pushing for more points.

Actually just saw another replay of that tackle; his back wasn't horizontal. Still wasn't a red

Aaaaaargh fucking shitty annoying IBM sponsorship videos!

Come on boyos

Was waiting for other opinions on the tackle, dangerous, yes, red card no! Remembering the BOD tackle from the lions tour of Nz, when he was tackled, lifted and then driven earthward, this looked more like Warburton wanted to get his hands free to attack the ball once the man hit the turf.
Rolland should have given a penalty, probably a yellow card and let the game carry on. Now a d forever unless Wales win this game will be defined by that call, and how it affected the game.
No one wants to see players hurt, but one of the joys of rugby is the little 'un against the big 'un and sometimes that creates mismatches which can lead to a dangerous/big hits as the one we're discussing, or leaves someone on their arse and a long run into opposition territory.

Just out of curiosity why is an Irishman reffing this game? I'm not doubting Rolland's professionalism but surely it would be better to have a southern hemisphere ref to remove any potential to call bias in much the same way that an Englishman shouldn't have been reffing the Scotland Argentina game.

Racist

Go on son!!

Fucking brilliant! time to dust off the Tom Jones chest wig!

This Welsh team is quite something.
fucking brilliant rugby.

Come on Wales, was on the verge of tears with the injustice of it all and France's dour kicking tactics, but Phillips try and the Faletau break has got me believing again..

Corny, France's dour kicking is exactly what Wales were doing until they got a player sent off and were forced to chase the game..

France have an extra man and the lead, therefore they're not going to do anything high risk, instead they'll play the numbers, gain territory and put on some defensive pressure. It may not be barbarians rugby but that's not what wins world cups.

With you on that Corny if France win their is no justice in the world. They don't deserve a place in the final if they struggle to beat a 14 man team in 60 minutes

What's all this talk of justice? Didn't hear any of this stuff at the last world cup when Argentina kicked their way into 3rd place..

In the last world cup argentina earned that third place the way that Wales have played if France win I think it will be unfair

Are you crying? You're being a little incoherent