RugbyRebels

Buggaluggs wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 3:56 pm

Mellsblue wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 3:55 pm This is really fucking embarrassing.

Hold my beer

Ha! Very good. Reckon you’d fancy playing us again after the last two matches.

Biggest question for me is why the team are unable to change their play when faced with a plan that is categorically failing?

Oakboy wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 4:09 pm

Banquo wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 4:06 pm Our tackling has been pretty weak, alongside our very average defensive shape and decisions.

Lot to fix.

How does a HC not improve anything after last week?

Dunno. A lot of the same issues tbh; not standing up to intensity, wobbly lineout,not smart at the breakdown, half backs not really up to their opponents level and probs worse defence.
Ireland were good but didn’t have to work too hard to rack up 40+ points. All their tries were soft iirc.

Well let’s start by not banging on about ‘if only this’ or ‘if only that’ that followed last week

We have good players playing average rugby under the guidance of coaches who have been smacking their heads on the ceiling for far too long.

Feck ‘em.

Banquo wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 4:11 pm

TheDasher wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 4:05 pm

Banquo wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 4:02 pm

No mention of our annihilated back row?

Don't worry, just havent got to them yet

To me though, the issue is about quality, attitude, basics under pressure and approach rather than individuals. We can argue the toss over say 5 positions but it’s more fundamental imo.

Yep. Looked shapeless and clueless, in equal measure. Not sure different players lead to a different result. Bad coaching performance all around given selection (presciently autocorrected to dejection) and substitutions. Not that I’m sure who else you’d select in most positions.

There is one positive!

Wales and Italy are both sure to lose which means we stay in 4th after their matches…

Two more defeats await England unless Stubborn Bonce changes his tactics.

Two more defeats await England unless Stubborn Bonce changes his tactics.

Two more defeats await England unless Stubborn Bonce changes his tactics.

Two more defeats await England unless Stubborn Bonce changes his tactics.

Two more defeats await England unless Stubborn Bonce changes his tactics.

Well, that was fun. The complete lack of leadership and problem solving is a minor issue. As is intensity and basic execution.

Otherwise a top performance!

Well, that was fun. The complete lack of leadership and problem solving is a minor issue. As is intensity and basic execution.

Otherwise a top performance!

This opens the door for Wales...to not be the most embarrassing team this weekend. But I'm sure they'll push you close.

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 4:04 pm

LongForgotten wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 3:54 pm Hopefully this is the end of Arundel's England career.

I think of everything that’s gone to shit this game my focus would also be on Arundell

Ha, yeah was a (massive over)reaction to him ambling around. Probably was just him completely lost rather than not trying.

Don't know whether England/Borthwick come back from that. Obviously didn't look well coached but so many players were awful on an individual level. You'd hope our game plan was one where you can reliably stick to it when the pressure is on but doesn't seem like it (because Arundell is hopeless in the air...? )

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 4:12 pm Biggest question for me is why the team are unable to change their play when faced with a plan that is categorically failing?

We tried, started to run a lot more with Marcus on at 15. It didn't work, Marcus was as shite as the rest of them and Ireland just picked us off.

The backrow is too like for like. We needed more physicality up front and we just didn't have it in the squad. The bench was largely as awful as the starting options. Rodd for Genge sucked a lot of energy out of the pack for instance and we held off as long as we could to replace Heyes but once we did we were playing with 14.5 players.

Got to find more physicality up front, none of the opensides we've got in the backrow are currently undropable at this point.

Hard to comprehend how we went into a match that was going to be reffed by Piardi/Brousset, therefore knew the breakdown would be a shitshow and picked that back row. Particularly with Itoje miles off at the moment.

Clearing our own ball has been a problem for years. We even saw it with the under 20s last night. Is it because the game is reffed differently at international level? Or we just can’t handle the physicality?

Either way, I was a Borthwick supporter but just cannot forgive the team selection (not even accounting for the performance in general). Feels fairly certain we’ll lose to Italy now and then we’ll get pumped off France and South Africa. Which seems difficult for him to come back from.

Only thing I’d say in his favour is that our lions look completely goosed. Freeman has played more rugby than any other player in the world last 2 years, Mitchell not playing well and now injured, Genge useless in the loose, LCD useless, Stuart injured, Itoje miles off it, Curry anonymous.

Not sure on the stats but would guess that our lions have played a lot more minutes than Ireland’s have…

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 4:12 pm Biggest question for me is why the team are unable to change their play when faced with a plan that is categorically failing?

We tried, started to run a lot more with Marcus on at 15. It didn't work, Marcus was as shite as the rest of them and Ireland just picked us off.

The backrow is too like for like. We needed more physicality up front and we just didn't have it in the squad. The bench was largely as awful as the starting options. Rodd for Genge sucked a lot of energy out of the pack for instance and we held off as long as we could to replace Heyes but once we did we were playing with 14.5 players.

Got to find more physicality up front, none of the opensides we've got in the backrow are currently undropable at this point.

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 4:04 pm

LongForgotten wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 3:54 pm Hopefully this is the end of Arundel's England career.

I think of everything that’s gone to shit this game my focus would also be on Arundell

Ha, yeah was a (massive over)reaction to him ambling around. Probably was just him completely lost rather than not trying.

Don't know whether England/Borthwick come back from that. Obviously didn't look well coached but so many players were awful on an individual level. You'd hope our game plan was one where you can reliably stick to it when the pressure is on but doesn't seem like it (because Arundell is hopeless in the air...? )

Well, that was fun. The complete lack of leadership and problem solving is a minor issue. As is intensity and basic execution.

Otherwise a top performance!

Two more humiliating defeats await unless Stubborn Bonce changes his tactics|!

Well, that was fun. The complete lack of leadership and problem solving is a minor issue. As is intensity and basic execution.

Otherwise a top performance!

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 4:04 pm

LongForgotten wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 3:54 pm Hopefully this is the end of Arundel's England career.

I think of everything that’s gone to shit this game my focus would also be on Arundell

Ha, yeah was a (massive over)reaction to him ambling around. Probably was just him completely lost rather than not trying.

Don't know whether England/Borthwick come back from that. Obviously didn't look well coached but so many players were awful on an individual level. You'd hope our game plan was one where you can reliably stick to it when the pressure is on but doesn't seem like it (because Arundell is hopeless in the air...? )

This opens the door for Wales...to not be the most embarrassing team this weekend. But I'm sure they'll push you close.

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 4:04 pm

LongForgotten wrote: ↑Sat Feb 21, 2026 3:54 pm Hopefully this is the end of Arundel's England career.

I think of everything that’s gone to shit this game my focus would also be on Arundell

Ha, yeah was a (massive over)reaction to him ambling around. Probably was just him completely lost rather than not trying.

Don't know whether England/Borthwick come back from that. Obviously didn't look well coached but so many players were awful on an individual level. You'd hope our game plan was one where you can reliably stick to it when the pressure is on but doesn't seem like it (because Arundell is hopeless in the air...? )