RugbyRebels

We’re being out sung in our own stadium.

I salute this magnificapent French team that is a joy to watch. And there are signs of life in the welsh team but we are fucking dire as a team.

We’re trying our own off loading game and it shows some promise, but we keep losing the ball.

And when something goes well, like James intercepting that pass, we are inevitably too slow to take advantage and capitalise.

I wonder what difference Che Hope could make?

But what’s the actual plan? Are we trying to play at pace or kick the leather off the ball? We can’t just rely on transitions.

Our handling skills are atrocious!

Eddie James has proven that he can get over the gain,one when given the ball. He seems to have shifted to the wing when a Grady came on, but why don’t we get him running at defenders more?

Wainwright has played well again. Plumtree was also putting himself about and James looked muscular. Zammit looked a bit inexperienced at times at FB, but also had some alright touches.

We looked better when we stopped aimlessly kicking the ball away. Tomos Williams seems to take an age to get to rucks.

Thank God France lost interest. That could have been 90 points. The gulf between the teams in basic skills is staggering

Sandydragon wrote: ↑Sun Feb 15, 2026 4:57 pm Wainwright has played well again. Plumtree was also putting himself about and James looked muscular. Zammit looked a bit inexperienced at times at FB, but also had some alright touches.

We looked better when we stopped aimlessly kicking the ball away. Tomos Williams seems to take an age to get to rucks.

Yes, it was very laboured at times. And we had a decent set piece platform to play off for once, which makes it frustrating we had so little to show for it. France were always going to have too much today, but we still didnt fire many shots.

Sandydragon wrote: ↑Sun Feb 15, 2026 4:46 pm I wonder what difference Che Hope could make?

But what’s the actual plan? Are we trying to play at pace or kick the leather off the ball? We can’t just rely on transitions.

It would have been good to have had him on the bench today and blooded him with 15 minutes. The game was well lost by then and we already know what Hardy brings.

pompey-zebra wrote: ↑Sun Feb 15, 2026 5:05 pm

Sandydragon wrote: ↑Sun Feb 15, 2026 4:57 pm Wainwright has played well again. Plumtree was also putting himself about and James looked muscular. Zammit looked a bit inexperienced at times at FB, but also had some alright touches.

We looked better when we stopped aimlessly kicking the ball away. Tomos Williams seems to take an age to get to rucks.

Yes, it was very laboured at times. And we had a decent set piece platform to play off for once, which makes it frustrating we had so little to show for it. France were always going to have too much today, but we still didnt fire many shots.

We did have a big pack weight advantage and squeezed a scrum penalty and free kick but we didn’t make it really pay.

There are green shoots and it will be good to measure ourselves in our last three games.

pompey-zebra wrote: ↑Sun Feb 15, 2026 5:05 pm

Sandydragon wrote: ↑Sun Feb 15, 2026 4:57 pm Wainwright has played well again. Plumtree was also putting himself about and James looked muscular. Zammit looked a bit inexperienced at times at FB, but also had some alright touches.

We looked better when we stopped aimlessly kicking the ball away. Tomos Williams seems to take an age to get to rucks.

Yes, it was very laboured at times. And we had a decent set piece platform to play off for once, which makes it frustrating we had so little to show for it. France were always going to have too much today, but we still didnt fire many shots.

We did have a big pack weight advantage and squeezed a scrum penalty and free kick but we didn’t make it really pay.

There are green shoots and it will be good to measure ourselves in our last three games.

A better performance than last week, unfortunately against a better team. Our set piece was 100% (as was theirs), like they didn't bother to target us there because they destroyed us everywhere else. Somehow we had 52% possession (but only 41% territory), but that and the moderate number of penalties (9) and zero cards made the whole thing a bit more bearable (the ref was more easygoing than last week).

But it was like they were playing a different game at times, like they didn't get caught in rucks - they'd already offloaded before then. We were playing in treacle by comparison. And Tandy may be tempted to sack his defence coach . Only 80% of tackles completed - 34 missed in all.

Too many kicks - we did not catch the French by surprise - we needed a bit more patience with building phases (it wasn't like the ball was slippery). And second rows should not be kicking the ball FFS.

Hey, we put Carre to good use at last.

https://www.rugbypass.com/live/france-v ... /?g=947109

We were so laboured. Too many errors that cost a couple of likely tries and we looked like we were playing in treacle in attack and defence.

Better than last week in that we didn’t concede any cards and fewer penalties. And our set piece game us some possession. The players all worked hard so no criticism in et effort. But that the fuck is our game plan? What are we trying to do in defence to slow down the opposition and regain the ball? It’s baffling and I think that’s. The fault of our coaching team.

I thought you were ok, bar some absolutely stupidity- Beard- and inaccurate kicking.

France have great individuals and when they click are fabulous; but imo their lightweight pack strategy could bite them against other sides. Whether they were playing madly on the edge and concentration slipped or whether that strategy could fall apart with better oppos is a good question; they were definitely vulnerable to turnovers as you showed twice on the scoreboard and prob missed at least 4 other chances?!

Banquo wrote: ↑Sun Feb 15, 2026 8:00 pm I thought you were ok, bar some absolutely stupidity- Beard- and inaccurate kicking.

France have great individuals and when they click are fabulous; but imo their lightweight pack strategy could bite them against other sides. Whether they were playing madly on the edge and concentration slipped or whether that strategy could fall apart with better oppos is a good question; they were definitely vulnerable to turnovers as you showed twice on the scoreboard and prob missed at least 4 other chances?!

You mean aside from our sppalling defence? I agree that the Bokke or perhaps England could strangle the French. Certainly we didn’t put much pressure on them and force mistakes.

Sandydragon wrote: ↑Sun Feb 15, 2026 9:03 pm

Banquo wrote: ↑Sun Feb 15, 2026 8:00 pm I thought you were ok, bar some absolutely stupidity- Beard- and inaccurate kicking.

France have great individuals and when they click are fabulous; but imo their lightweight pack strategy could bite them against other sides. Whether they were playing madly on the edge and concentration slipped or whether that strategy could fall apart with better oppos is a good question; they were definitely vulnerable to turnovers as you showed twice on the scoreboard and prob missed at least 4 other chances?!

You mean aside from our sppalling defence? I agree that the Bokke or perhaps England could strangle the French. Certainly we didn’t put much pressure on them and force mistakes.

The appalling defence was nearly all on the back of a shit kick and chase. Your scrum and lineout and maul defence was very good, and when you didn’t kick it stupidly you managed a fair few line breaks, your bigger forwards broke a lot of tackles, cos you made them make a lot more than you did. That French team
made Ireland look stupid in defence.

I’m less despondent today than I was a week ago. There’s still much to do but we are getting better. I even think we might give Ireland a game in Dublin.

We need a confidence boost from another improved performance and with the three lesser sides in the tournament to come (not belittling Scotland’s fantastic win on Saturday) we could push any of the three to a close finish.

Tomas Williams needs to work on his box kicks. Keeping kicking long to those fabulous French backs was a recipe for disaster as events proved.

normanski wrote: ↑Mon Feb 16, 2026 9:21 am I’m less despondent today than I was a week ago. There’s still much to do but we are getting better. I even think we might give Ireland a game in Dublin.

We need a confidence boost from another improved performance and with the three lesser sides in the tournament to come (not belittling Scotland’s fantastic win on Saturday) we could push any of the three to a close finish.

Tomas Williams needs to work on his box kicks. Keeping kicking long to those fabulous French backs was a recipe for disaster as events proved.

And we need to shore up the midfield defence. I read a suggestion that Hawkins bit in too easily and left James with too much to do, but need to rewatch the game to check. But the French made easy yardage through our centres again.