Ireland vs England - Sat 4.45pm

[Banquo]

I do remember BCurry outpacing a winger the other month (against Bristol? Maybe?) when chasing back to defend a kick through, so I don't think he's particularly slow.

Puja

Who said he was . But ok, the Curry's are RAPID!

Same sprint coach Ant Watson was using for his several comebacks at Tigers.

he said that BC was slow? Harsh

[jngf]

Who said he was . But ok, the Curry's are RAPID!

Same sprint coach Ant Watson was using for his several comebacks at Tigers.

he said that BC was slow? Harsh

Regardless of their sprint times in training the Currys’ playing style seems more about speed endurance/workrate than outright pace as such which is more Earl’s forte, at least when it comes to a rugby match context.

[p/d]

Martin is rapidly becoming a nailed on starter.

Does that make him fast?

[Banquo]

Martin is rapidly becoming a nailed on starter.

Does that make him fast?

Wouldn’t that be his strict diet?

[Mellsblue]

Martin is rapidly becoming a nailed on starter.

Does that make him fast?

Fastest Tigers player in the XV.

[FKAS]

Martin is rapidly becoming a nailed on starter.

Does that make him fast?

Fastest Tigers player in the XV.

Not with the state of his knees.

[Banquo]

Martin is rapidly becoming a nailed on starter.

Does that make him fast?

Fastest Tigers player in the XV.

He has a hunger for the game

[Oakboy]

Does SB's strategy cope with Ireland not kicking to keep the ball in play? If they do multi-phase stuff to make progress will their bigger back row cough the ball up? Is the Irish FH (whichever it is) good enough to bounce the ball into touch every time he kicks outside the 22?

Steward is picked for his prowess under opposition high ball. Will there be much (any)? Does that make Murley a clever wing selection?

Whilst I'm still trying to decide whether the back row selection is inspired or stupid, I can't help applauding SB for taking the initiative and doing something unexpected.

[Oakboy]

Martin is rapidly becoming a nailed on starter.

Does that make him fast?

Fastest Tigers player in the XV.

He has a hunger for the game

Even starved of the ball?

[FKAS]

Does SB's strategy cope with Ireland not kicking to keep the ball in play? If they do multi-phase stuff to make progress will their bigger back row cough the ball up? Is the Irish FH (whichever it is) good enough to bounce the ball into touch every time he kicks outside the 22?

Steward is picked for his prowess under opposition high ball. Will there be much (any)? Does that make Murley a clever wing selection?

Whilst I'm still trying to decide whether the back row selection is inspired or stupid, I can't help applauding SB for taking the initiative and doing something unexpected.

Steward is good positionally, England also normally drop the flyhalf into the backfield from phase play so Marcus will be back there as well. Should give us good coverage and good options irrespective of whether Ireland kick to compete or kick long.

Three opensides in the backrow should give us line speed and a great chance to spoil, hopefully that makes going through multiple phase attack difficult.

Three opensides and two quick wingers should mean we have a good kick chase, which is suspect is the game plan. Keep the ball on the park and pin Ireland in their own half so they are going through a lot of phases in their half or around the middle of the field. Tire their pack and then offload our bench and look to play in the final half hour.

[Mellsblue]

Does SB's strategy cope with Ireland not kicking to keep the ball in play? If they do multi-phase stuff to make progress will their bigger back row cough the ball up? Is the Irish FH (whichever it is) good enough to bounce the ball into touch every time he kicks outside the 22?

Steward is picked for his prowess under opposition high ball. Will there be much (any)? Does that make Murley a clever wing selection?

Whilst I'm still trying to decide whether the back row selection is inspired or stupid, I can't help applauding SB for taking the initiative and doing something unexpected.

Stats Believer obvs knew you were going to post this.

“When they bring that multi-phase attack they are very, very dangerous,” he said. “They’re looking for an opportunity, a lapse in concentration from the defender and then they’ll get you — it’s four, five phases, six, eight, ten phases. It becomes a test of concentration, a test of discipline. That’s the crux of this battle. All three [England backrow] players have got incredible engines, incredible mobility, they are fantastic players defensively, their tackling and their jackal.

“Ireland have started kicking many more contestable kicks and I’d be interested [to see] whether they’re going to do that; whether they’re going to bring a contestable game or are they going to play their phase game? I think it’s the phase game that’s the real threat. When they play that they are arguably the best in the world.”

[Mr Mwenda]

I'm currently on an optimism surge and am looking forward to this now. Ireland are good, but they are also a bunch of fossils. That pack will get stuck in and there's a great chance to make a statement. The centres remain the main disappointment but that is now an authentic tradition and to paraphrase Terry pratchett if you left off traditions just because you didn't know what they were for then you'd be no better than a foreigner.

[Banquo]

Fastest Tigers player in the XV.

He has a hunger for the game

Even starved of the ball?

[Banquo]

Does SB's strategy cope with Ireland not kicking to keep the ball in play? If they do multi-phase stuff to make progress will their bigger back row cough the ball up? Is the Irish FH (whichever it is) good enough to bounce the ball into touch every time he kicks outside the 22?

Steward is picked for his prowess under opposition high ball. Will there be much (any)? Does that make Murley a clever wing selection?

Whilst I'm still trying to decide whether the back row selection is inspired or stupid, I can't help applauding SB for taking the initiative and doing something unexpected.

Steward is good positionally, England also normally drop the flyhalf into the backfield from phase play so Marcus will be back there as well. Should give us good coverage and good options irrespective of whether Ireland kick to compete or kick long.

Three opensides in the backrow should give us line speed and a great chance to spoil, hopefully that makes going through multiple phase attack difficult.

Three opensides and two quick wingers should mean we have a good kick chase, which is suspect is the game plan. Keep the ball on the park and pin Ireland in their own half so they are going through a lot of phases in their half or around the middle of the field. Tire their pack and then offload our bench and look to play in the final half hour.

Trouble is with three open sides we look vulnerable physically at the breakdown and come lineout time. It’s a chunky roll of the dice.
The game plan you outline is deffo in statistically blinded’s wheelhouse of comfort.

[p/d]

I have a fear we are going to get caught static on the gain line. Ending up forcing attacking ‘moves’ that result in ball’s to the face or fresh air.

All while CCS and Willis look on

[Mikey Brown]

I have a fear we are going to get caught static on the gain line. Ending up forcing attacking ‘moves’ that result in ball’s to the face or fresh air.

All while CCS and Willis look on

It's as if, with all the talk of impact from the bench, we've forgotten that's only useful if you've made enough impact from the start to still be in the game. It seems such a glaringly risky selection that I think Borthwick may well have a very cunning plan up his sleeve, but maybe I'm being overly optimistic.

I can't imagine what this strategy would be that is made unworkable by having either CCS/Willis starting.

Borthwick tends to talk about risks and bravery a fair bit, and the selection does potentially support that, but I worry it's really just another reason to focus on a kick-chase game. I remember the OHC selection feeling quite bold last year, then it felt as if his career ended on the choice to run (and get turned over) rather than return a kick.

[jngf]

I have a fear we are going to get caught static on the gain line. Ending up forcing attacking ‘moves’ that result in ball’s to the face or fresh air.

All while CCS and Willis look on

It's as if, with all the talk of impact from the bench, we've forgotten that's only useful if you've made enough impact from the start to still be in the game. It seems such a glaringly risky selection that I think Borthwick may well have a very cunning plan up his sleeve, but maybe I'm being overly optimistic.

I can't imagine what this strategy would be that is made unworkable by having either CCS/Willis starting.

Borthwick tends to talk about risks and bravery a fair bit, and the selection does potentially support that, but I worry it's really just another reason to focus on a kick-chase game. I remember the OHC selection feeling quite bold last year, then it felt as if his career ended on the choice to run (and get turned over) rather than return a kick.

Cunning is not a word that immediately springs to mind in context of Borthwick - more honest, grafter, and taken by surprise and a bit slow to react to changing events…

[FKAS]

Does SB's strategy cope with Ireland not kicking to keep the ball in play? If they do multi-phase stuff to make progress will their bigger back row cough the ball up? Is the Irish FH (whichever it is) good enough to bounce the ball into touch every time he kicks outside the 22?

Steward is picked for his prowess under opposition high ball. Will there be much (any)? Does that make Murley a clever wing selection?

Whilst I'm still trying to decide whether the back row selection is inspired or stupid, I can't help applauding SB for taking the initiative and doing something unexpected.

Steward is good positionally, England also normally drop the flyhalf into the backfield from phase play so Marcus will be back there as well. Should give us good coverage and good options irrespective of whether Ireland kick to compete or kick long.

Three opensides in the backrow should give us line speed and a great chance to spoil, hopefully that makes going through multiple phase attack difficult.

Three opensides and two quick wingers should mean we have a good kick chase, which is suspect is the game plan. Keep the ball on the park and pin Ireland in their own half so they are going through a lot of phases in their half or around the middle of the field. Tire their pack and then offload our bench and look to play in the final half hour.

Trouble is with three open sides we look vulnerable physically at the breakdown and come lineout time. It’s a chunky roll of the dice.
The game plan you outline is deffo in statistically blinded’s wheelhouse of comfort.

Yeah if Mitchell dithers at the breakdown then we do look possibly open to a counter ruck, thankfully he's pretty quick there. I'm more worried about what happens if our line speed drops, not many of the pack are going to stop Irish momentum if we are static in defence. Could lead to penalties and sin bins or to the Irish cutting loose if we get it wrong.

[FKAS]

I have a fear we are going to get caught static on the gain line. Ending up forcing attacking ‘moves’ that result in ball’s to the face or fresh air.

All while CCS and Willis look on

It's as if, with all the talk of impact from the bench, we've forgotten that's only useful if you've made enough impact from the start to still be in the game. It seems such a glaringly risky selection that I think Borthwick may well have a very cunning plan up his sleeve, but maybe I'm being overly optimistic.

I can't imagine what this strategy would be that is made unworkable by having either CCS/Willis starting.

Borthwick tends to talk about risks and bravery a fair bit, and the selection does potentially support that, but I worry it's really just another reason to focus on a kick-chase game. I remember the OHC selection feeling quite bold last year, then it felt as if his career ended on the choice to run (and get turned over) rather than return a kick.

Cunning is not a word that immediately springs to mind in context of Borthwick - more honest, grafter, reactive and taken by surprise….

Dunno, he has tried different things in charge of England. He's tried to move things on a good deal from the super basic game plan from the world cup.

[Oakboy]

I have a fear we are going to get caught static on the gain line. Ending up forcing attacking ‘moves’ that result in ball’s to the face or fresh air.

All while CCS and Willis look on

It's as if, with all the talk of impact from the bench, we've forgotten that's only useful if you've made enough impact from the start to still be in the game. It seems such a glaringly risky selection that I think Borthwick may well have a very cunning plan up his sleeve, but maybe I'm being overly optimistic.

I can't imagine what this strategy would be that is made unworkable by having either CCS/Willis starting.

Borthwick tends to talk about risks and bravery a fair bit, and the selection does potentially support that, but I worry it's really just another reason to focus on a kick-chase game. I remember the OHC selection feeling quite bold last year, then it felt as if his career ended on the choice to run (and get turned over) rather than return a kick.

Cunning is not a word that immediately springs to mind in context of Borthwick - more honest, grafter, reactive and taken by surprise….

Agreed, but . . . I, for one, have been whingeing for some time about no inspiration or innovation in the planning. Even if I think his plans are misguided, I applaud him for trying. Something seems odd about Chessum, CCS and Willis on the bench in that they are, arguably, the opposites of the three backrowers chosen. An impactful bench or a backstop if things go wrong? Even then, at least there IS a Plan B.

[FKAS]

It's as if, with all the talk of impact from the bench, we've forgotten that's only useful if you've made enough impact from the start to still be in the game. It seems such a glaringly risky selection that I think Borthwick may well have a very cunning plan up his sleeve, but maybe I'm being overly optimistic.

I can't imagine what this strategy would be that is made unworkable by having either CCS/Willis starting.

Borthwick tends to talk about risks and bravery a fair bit, and the selection does potentially support that, but I worry it's really just another reason to focus on a kick-chase game. I remember the OHC selection feeling quite bold last year, then it felt as if his career ended on the choice to run (and get turned over) rather than return a kick.

Cunning is not a word that immediately springs to mind in context of Borthwick - more honest, grafter, reactive and taken by surprise….

Agreed, but . . . I, for one, have been whingeing for some time about no inspiration or innovation in the planning. Even if I think his plans are misguided, I applaud him for trying. Something seems odd about Chessum, CCS and Willis on the bench in that they are, arguably, the opposites of the three backrowers chosen. An impactful bench or a backstop if things go wrong? Even then, at least there IS a Plan B.

Borthwick did like to load the bench at Tigers on occasion. I remember a couple of times he'd put Jasper Weise on the bench or the starting props and then bring them on early in the second half. Sometimes playing incredibly pragmatically in the first half and the attacking in the second as the opposition tired and their subs could be exploited.

Brave to do something like that Vs Ireland but looking at the bench I'm expecting a very different set of tactics in the second half to the first. Borthwick managed to plot a way to victory last 6N and by naming such an unexpected selection early I wonder if he's playing some mind games with inexperienced head coach Easterby.

[Danno]

I don't know that a last minute DG counts as plotting a way to victory

[FKAS]

I don't know that a last minute DG counts as plotting a way to victory

Since we all expected a massacre I'll take it.

[Mikey Brown]

I don't know that a last minute DG counts as plotting a way to victory

[FKAS]

I don't know that a last minute DG counts as plotting a way to victory

love it