England u20 24/25 Season

[Oakboy]

I do like our second row. Two big mobile units!

Shame that Bracken over-ran on the breakaway. Looked a try otherwise.

[fivepointer]

A bit more control and composure in the French 22 and the game would be wrapped up by now.

[Which Tyler]

A bit more control and composure in the French 22 and the game would be wrapped up by now.

And another one

[Which Tyler]

Harsh, ball is up, and moved away from the ruck. Looks like it's outside the 1m untouchable zone.

Still a horrible law, right or wrong in this case

[FKAS]

Harsh, ball is up, and moved away from the ruck. Looks like it's outside the 1m untouchable zone.

Still a horrible law, right or wrong in this case

Always looks bad when you dive over the ruck to slap the ball down.

France's discipline has been awful. Their 8 looks a cracking talent though. All Rugby saying he's not getting any game time at Bordeaux, I imagine that'll change pretty quick it somebody else will offer it to him.

[FKAS]

Unlucky from Davies there, his footwork had given him more time to make that clearance than he thought.

[Which Tyler]

Wins a win.
TBH, the result never looked in doubt, but just a touch more clinical and we'd have have had 50-up

[fivepointer]

Made hard work of that. Nice to finish with a try but we should have put a lot more points on the board.

Good moments from pretty much everyone, but Pollock and particularly Timmins put the consistent work in over the full 80.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Scrappy but comfortable. Lord knows how Coen stayed on as long as he did! He was pretty woeful, kicking at goal aside. The 18s lads who’ve come up are proper talented and picked on skill not size.

And nice to show France and Ireland that technique beats size come scrum time!

[Epaminondas Pules]

Scrappy but comfortable. Lord knows how Coen stayed on as long as he did! He was pretty woeful, kicking at goal aside. The 18s lads who’ve come up are proper talented and picked on skill not size.

And nice to show France and Ireland that technique beats size come scrum time!

I get it cause it was a late call up for Davies, but still Coen was far from good.

[p/d]

Scrappy but comfortable. Lord knows how Coen stayed on as long as he did! He was pretty woeful, kicking at goal aside. The 18s lads who’ve come up are proper talented and picked on skill not size.

And nice to show France and Ireland that technique beats size come scrum time!

I get it cause it was a late call up for Davies, but still Coen was far from good.

All ok EP?

[Scrumhead]

Surely odds on for a GS now?

[FKAS]

Scrappy but comfortable. Lord knows how Coen stayed on as long as he did! He was pretty woeful, kicking at goal aside. The 18s lads who’ve come up are proper talented and picked on skill not size.

And nice to show France and Ireland that technique beats size come scrum time!

I get it cause it was a late call up for Davies, but still Coen was far from good.

Davies came on at fullback didn't he. Perhaps there was an injury concern that made them hold off bringing him on at 10. Kinder not making it past half time maybe limited them a little, needed to hold someone back against another injury.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Scrappy but comfortable. Lord knows how Coen stayed on as long as he did! He was pretty woeful, kicking at goal aside. The 18s lads who’ve come up are proper talented and picked on skill not size.

And nice to show France and Ireland that technique beats size come scrum time!

I get it cause it was a late call up for Davies, but still Coen was far from good.

Davies came on at fullback didn't he. Perhaps there was an injury concern that made them hold off bringing him on at 10. Kinder not making it past half time maybe limited them a little, needed to hold someone back against another injury.

He did, but he can play 10, 12, 13 and 15. Hall went to FB when Kinder went off with Lilley going to 13. I’m biased cause I’m a massive Davies fan, but also Coen is the weak link in this backline.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Scrappy but comfortable. Lord knows how Coen stayed on as long as he did! He was pretty woeful, kicking at goal aside. The 18s lads who’ve come up are proper talented and picked on skill not size.

And nice to show France and Ireland that technique beats size come scrum time!

I get it cause it was a late call up for Davies, but still Coen was far from good.

All ok EP?

All good. First time I’ve talked to myself and not ended up in an argument!

[p/d]

[Oakboy]

I get it cause it was a late call up for Davies, but still Coen was far from good.

All ok EP?

All good. First time I’ve talked to myself and not ended up in an argument!

EP, I've never seen Coen play before. Based on just last night's game, I'd say not outstanding but efficient to more or less the same level as the rest of the backs. He looked an integral part of a good, functional backline with no stars. You obviously know far morel

Overall, the match looked a classic rugby example of the forwards deciding who won and the backs determining by how much. Our forwards looked special. The backs looked unexceptional.

One little aside. The lineout frequently mis-functioned till the change of hooker but the new guy was far less ambitious with safer, shorter routines. I just wondered if that was coach-inspired or skill-related i.e. did the captain's calls relate to how good the hooker was perceived to be. Inside knowledge would probably suggest different conclusions to a casual spectator's view.

[FKAS]

I get it cause it was a late call up for Davies, but still Coen was far from good.

Davies came on at fullback didn't he. Perhaps there was an injury concern that made them hold off bringing him on at 10. Kinder not making it past half time maybe limited them a little, needed to hold someone back against another injury.

He did, but he can play 10, 12, 13 and 15. Hall went to FB when Kinder went off with Lilley going to 13. I’m biased cause I’m a massive Davies fan, but also Coen is the weak link in this backline.

I thought Coen was tidy but conservative. The conditions maybe playing a part, his goalkicking was impressive and always a bonus in poor conditions. Can't say I've been impressed on the limited number of times I've seen Coen previously. I'd like to see Davies get a go just to see if this backline can cut loose with someone a little more ambitious at 10 or whether core skills are a limiting factor, we knocked on a few times from promising moves last night.

[twitchy]

Do we have any good centres?

[Oakboy]

Do we have any good centres?

All I can say after watching ONE game, is that there were no obvious budding BODs. Others will be far better-placed to judge.

[fivepointer]

Thought Allison looked pretty handy. Good feet and hands, plus defensively very solid.

Also thought McEachran was good. We know about Sela's quality but the LH put in a very effective performance.

[Which Tyler]

Coen is the weak link in this backline.

You can say that again!

All good. First time I’ve talked to myself and not ended up in an argument!

Definitive proof that you NOT Mike Brown!

[Mellsblue]

Do we have any good centres?

Shouldn’t this be on the EPS thread

[Oakboy]

Do we have any good centres?

Shouldn’t this be on the EPS thread

Doesn't matter where you put it, we still haven't fricking got any!

[Mellsblue]

Do we have any good centres?

Shouldn’t this be on the EPS thread

Doesn't matter where you put it, we still haven't fricking got any!

lol. Very true.