Women's rugby world cup

[Digby]

Waterman out- big loss.

Ouch, don't really see anyone else with that speed of footwork.

[welshsaint]

Good luck to the English women tonight. Thumbs down to the RFU though.

[I R Geech]

Great composure so far, great phases through the forwards. C'mon!

[morepork]

Hammer and tongs. Great stuff.

...apart from that bullshit yellow.

[canta_brian]

That's a yellow card? That's insulting to all women rugby players.

[morepork]

England really putting the squeeze on.

[Puja]

Well shit. Great job by the Kiwis in the second half - recognised that the ref wasn't allowing much competition at the breakdown and just sent their big runners round the corner over and over and over again to grind us into a sticky paste. Infuriating game, cause we really could have won that, but we just couldn't stop them going forward and paid the price.

Puja

[Spy]

Great effort to win from NZ. They were getting ground out of the game in the first half - I really couldn't see how they'd come back. Total turnaround in the second half, beating the vaunted England pack into submission with collisions around the ruck. Good game.

[Digby]

England are going to be gutted with the mistakes make, the kicking game especially with any number of mistakes and also the subs coming on just didn't get up to pace in the game, didn't work hard enough coming around the corner, were too slow off the floor and got brushed going too high in contact, the idea to bring on fresh legs really didn't pan out.

A terrific 2nd half from NZ though, and an excellent game. I know a number of people who watched the match and found themselves very pleased they did with the standard being well above what they'd expected.

And now we'll see how the new pro league goes, even if it's still insane there's no Lichfield, sodding RFU

[fivepointer]

Our kicking was generally awful. We kicked far too much and most often without length or accuracy. Couldnt understand our reluctance to move the ball around and stretch the NZ defence when we had the chance.
Have to hand it to the NZ forwards who got on a roll that we couldnt contain in the 2nd half.

[Digby]

Our passing too often wasn't up to playing around the NZ press, which is a shame as there was space there to attack. The NZ forwards were impressive, and we don't know if we hadn't made changes if the starting players mayn't have wilted anyway, but it didn't help that we slowed so much with the subs coming on.

Hunt will be somewhat cross, not only was it her passing that gave problems to our 10 when we had ball to attack with , but even in a game of poor kicking it was her kick out on the full which saw a big shift in momentum.

I had thought after 20-30 minutes we were the better conditioned side, so whether NZ were simply managing their energy levels I don't know, and also not watching the team often enough I don't know if it was the physical or mental side that faded going into the 2nd half (for those who stayed on or the subs)

[Banquo]

Our passing too often wasn't up to playing around the NZ press, which is a shame as there was space there to attack. The NZ forwards were impressive, and we don't know if we hadn't made changes if the starting players mayn't have wilted anyway, but it didn't help that we slowed so much with the subs coming on.

Hunt will be somewhat cross, not only was it her passing that gave problems to our 10 when we had ball to attack with , but even in a game of poor kicking it was her kick out on the full which saw a big shift in momentum.

I had thought after 20-30 minutes we were the better conditioned side, so whether NZ were simply managing their energy levels I don't know, and also not watching the team often enough I don't know if it was the physical or mental side that faded going into the 2nd half (for those who stayed on or the subs)

McClean kicking away at least two big overlaps didn't help much. We looked much the better side for 30 minutes, not just conditioning tho.

[canta_brian]

The reffing of the breakdown didn't invite a lot of competition for the ball (in fact it was a yellow card offence apparently). I think NZ adapted to this quicker, kept the ball in hand and went through the middle. Good coaching spot at half time

[Puja]

The reffing of the breakdown didn't invite a lot of competition for the ball (in fact it was a yellow card offence apparently). I think NZ adapted to this quicker, kept the ball in hand and went through the middle. Good coaching spot at half time

Agreed. Thought the ref was poor (both yellows were very harsh on NZ, imo) and let everyone lie all over the breakdown to slow the ball, but only gave holding on penalties sporadically and with no real rhyme or reason. It was definitely a change of tactic at half-time to play to that that won the game for NZ and well done to them.

Puja

[oldbackrow]

Thought the first one very harsh, no more than a penalty. The second one, as warnings had been given and it was 'deliberate' was fair enough. Well done to the Black Ferns on a deserved win.

I'm not sure how much effect it would have had, given the momentum NZ had built, but the props second try surely shouldn't have stood? Watching it from 1:42:27 the 10 is tackled, places the ball then, without getting up, picks it up and passes for the try. I thought if you were on the ground you couldn't play the ball? Am I missing something?

[morepork]

Thought the first one very harsh, no more than a penalty. The second one, as warnings had been given and it was 'deliberate' was fair enough. Well done to the Black Ferns on a deserved win.

I'm not sure how much effect it would have had, given the momentum NZ had built, but the props second try surely shouldn't have stood? Watching it from 1:42:27 the 10 is tackled, places the ball then, without getting up, picks it up and passes for the try. I thought if you were on the ground you couldn't play the ball? Am I missing something?

If you aren't held, which she wasn't, but are on the ground, then you can place the ball and pick it up as long as you are onside when you pick it up (i.e. can't pick it up from behind you).

[oldbackrow]

Sorry forgot the link!

As I say 1:42:27 Looks like the 10 is tackled to me!

If you're talking about the other try 15.5 (d)
A tackled player may release the ball by pushing it along the ground in any direction except forward, provided this is done immediately.

[morepork]

I'm actually not sure about that one. The ref was right there and called "no", I assume to the defending Engrishweemin. Didn't blow up the tackled player playing the ball. No ruck formed?

[Banquo]

Looked fine to me, tho the ball went forward after she placed it, her knee was the culprit

[oldbackrow]

Looked fine to me, tho the ball went forward after she placed it, her knee was the culprit

Sorry Banquo are we looking at the same thing? At about 1:42:27 black 10 attacks the line and is tackled by 2 Eng players. On the floor she places the ball with her right arm extended and lets go. Black 9 then goes to pick the ball up but misses it so black 10 who hasn't moved, reaches out with her right hand pulls the ball back into 2 hands and flips it up to black 1 to go over. For me thats playing the ball on the floor.

On the other try I still think she ples the ball and it rolls forward then as she goes to pick it up again it is pushed along the ground.

[Banquo]

Looked fine to me, tho the ball went forward after she placed it, her knee was the culprit

Sorry Banquo are we looking at the same thing? At about 1:42:27 black 10 attacks the line and is tackled by 2 Eng players. On the floor she places the ball with her right arm extended and lets go. Black 9 then goes to pick the ball up but misses it so black 10 who hasn't moved, reaches out with her right hand pulls the ball back into 2 hands and flips it up to black 1 to go over. For me thats playing the ball on the floor.

On the other try I still think she ples the ball and it rolls forward then as she goes to pick it up again it is pushed along the ground.

its the latter one, and it rolls forward off her knee.

anyway, nitpicking over slo-mos doesnt alter the fact that NZ blew us out of the water after 30 mins.

[oldbackrow]

its the latter one, and it rolls forward off her knee.

anyway, nitpicking over slo-mos doesnt alter the fact that NZ blew us out of the water after 30 mins.

Agreed NZ deserved winners, just wasn't sure if I misunderstood the laws!

[richy678]

Yup

It was our ladies not going for route one, trucking it up which was a mistake.
We allowed NZ to do it, but I think we could have had an advantage in that some of our girls were individually bigger and stronger on the carry, we seemed to want to play too much rugby. Miller Mills would have pushed that on.

[kk67]

On the other try I still think she plays the ball and it rolls forward then as she goes to pick it up again it is pushed along the ground.

She releases the ball and it slightly ricochets off her knee. It was a good call by the TMO. Ahh....yeah. Banquo is right.

Good stuff. Nice to see some proper rugby played the way the game was designed.

[scuzzaman]

I listened to the BBC commentary.

One, they emphasised several times England's relative strength in depth and how hard the NZ side would find it to compete against the subs. (ahem!)

Two, they thought the ref had a wonderful game. (ahem!)