England vs Scotland - minute-by-minute

[Mikey Brown]

I've seen a few mentions of Itoje being completely knackered from 60 minutes on and basically walking to every ruck. It wasn't something I noticed at all at the time but interesting to see if it's picked up on.

As bizarre as Russell's decision making seemed to look in the early stages of the game, you wonder how much his matador act when kicking influences moments like that with Farrell thinking he can fly up and put in a big hit, knowing he's got two centres outside who can probably exploit a gap. Very different situations on the pitch though obviously.

[Mellsblue]

Yep. Leaving it so late doesn’t always work but when it does…
As much as we delight in the late but legal hits on Russell I bet he delights in them more.

[Mikey Brown]

I assume everyone has seen the clip of Russell barging Farrell and laughing in his face when VDM runs past him? Good stuff.

[Puja]

I assume everyone has seen the clip of Russell barging Farrell and laughing in his face when VDM runs past him? Good stuff.

Nope. Please share with the class?

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

I'm not sure I want to influence your wonderfully impartial minute taking. I also wanted to see if you picked it up when it happens.

Nonetheless, I find this stuff funny when Russell does it, even though I'd be calling Farrell petulant if the roles were reversed.

I can only find this terrible quality version. There's a reasonable block on Farrell by Turner to be honest, but it wasn't much of an effort to get round him. I wonder if he actually assumed that was a team-mate going in for the tackle in his periphery?

[Which Tyler]

Nope. Please share with the class?

Looks like it's been taken down

[Mellsblue]

I'm not sure I want to influence your wonderfully impartial minute taking. I also wanted to see if you picked it up when it happens.

Nonetheless, I find this stuff funny when Russell does it, even though I'd be calling Farrell petulant if the roles were reversed.

I can only find this terrible quality version. There's a reasonable block on Farrell by Turner to be honest, but it wasn't much of an effort to get round him. I wonder if he actually assumed that was a team-mate going in for the tackle in his periphery?

Someone on Twatter, and I can’t remember who, clipped up one that showed Farrell giving some verbal to Russell about taking a big hit only for this to then happen…

[Mellsblue]

Also the noise at the end from the ‘camera man’ troubles me…

[p/d]

Minute 11: The ball is pulled back to Russell to kick and Farrell's eyes light up as he targets a ribcage. Hit On Russell Which Isn't Technically Late But Is Definitely To Put Him Off: Ludlam x1, Farrell x1

Wasn't that the one when Dayglo, with all his chest pumping majesty, said; "always good to get one on your opposite number!!!"

[Puja]

Minute 11: The ball is pulled back to Russell to kick and Farrell's eyes light up as he targets a ribcage. Hit On Russell Which Isn't Technically Late But Is Definitely To Put Him Off: Ludlam x1, Farrell x1

Wasn't that the one when Dayglo, with all his chest pumping majesty, said; "always good to get one on your opposite number!!!"

Yup. Was perfectly fine as well - well timed, defence had cover for him shooting up, primed Russell for future shocks that led to him flubbing some kicks - pretty much the polar opposite of... The Incident.

Puja

[ad_tigger]

That behind the posts view makes it look like a proper 'your man' moment for Farrell. Not entirely sure of my laws on this but if Farrell actually makes an attempt to tackle but get blocked isn't it pretty obvious obstruction, completely accept that the lack of attempt gives the ref nothing to go back for?

Wikipedia say 'The player holding the ball can travel in any direction, providing he does not use teammates to obstruct defenders from making a tackle'

[Sandydragon]

My sister was at the game and fed back that Farrell was spending a lot of time in the first half trying to get other player into the correct positions. Some new faces out there and perhaps some uncertainty in your alignment.

[Mellsblue]

The farking irony.

[Puja]

Minute 26: We gather a functional Scots kickoff on our 22, and recycle a couple of times to give JVP a better angle for the box.

Minute 27: It's a decent kick and Malins and Curry chase well to reel in VDM. However Scotland recycle and Itoje loses his balance while trying to compete at the next breakdown, before compounding it by staying in on the jackal as he gets up off his knees. It's a really obvious pen to give away and disappointing. Third time I've had cause to note Itoje in a bad way so far. Thankfully White screws up the advantage by scuffing a chip and then knocking it on, so we go back to the penalty.

Minute 28: Scotland make touch just inside our 22 and take a fairly straightforward front ball without competition. Disappointing. The maul is well defended, but Scotland peel away and Itoje is very lucky to avoid getting pinged for a cheap bodycheck on Turner just after he's passed the ball (hells, he's lucky not to make contact with the head, cause that could happen).

England spread, but entertainingly Marchant is reluctant to drift despite there being players inside trying to push wide - he genuinely doesn't trust Farrell not to go AWOL - and it causes a little bit of a problem by opening space on the outside. However, OHC does a good job of blocking the passes, Russell is paralysed by options, and Farrell gets across and absolutely nails him with a lovely low tackle that knocks the ball free. Textbook - worth every second of that tackling coaching course we sent him on.

OHC and Curry regather and reset the ball and we take another phase through Dombrandt to set up another box-kick.

Minute 29: Oh. It's *that* box-kick. Right - assigning blame. Firstly, JVP kicks poorly - this should either be short to compete or long and finding touch. This one lands on Steyn who catches with a whole 20m before the nearest English player.

Secondly, fun as it is to blame Farrell for everything, he's done everything right here - the inside chase is slow and haphazard and he has to stay tighter and passive to stay connected. If he charges up to engage VDM, then he's likely not getting there and leaving a hole and, if he drifts wider to join Marchant, then he gets stepped and VDM goes through the big gap on the inside. Marchant has gone too wide and pressed too high up and, by the time he realises, VDM has gone.

Thirdly, the scramble defence after DVDM breaks through. Chessum does well to get across and is unlucky that his tap tackle caught the wrong foot. Steward probably needs to do better, but VDM's footwork is excellent to take him off balance and I'm willing to give that to a fine international winger. JVP probably needs to do better, but I'm willing to give him the same pass as Steward. Dombrandt... it's not the easiest thing in the world as he's had to make up a lot of ground to get there and is travelling at speed, but the fact still remains that he's got a near stationary target (as VDM has just jinked round JVP and lost his forward momentum) and, if he uses better technique and tackles around the waist, that try is not scored (or at least is not scored that phase). It's a lazy tackle and it's not a good look.

All things told, it's a phenomenal try and I don't blame VDM's comment that he watches the video back and giggles.

Minute 30: The up high replay makes me give JVP more of a pass - that is a hell of a step that VDM puts in. Steward still needs to do a bit better though - he gets himself too long and needs to make more of an effort to put a shoulder in rather than flapping arms at him.

Russell manages to mess up the conversion - possibly should've concentrated more on that than on giving Farrell lip after the try.

[Puja]

Minute 31: Another perfectly functional kick-off, but we're not effectively competing here. I think the kicks need to be going higher. Speaking of going high, Chessum's probably a bit lucky to get away with a lazy assist tackle that's more of a shoulder that goes dangerously near Nel's head. Can't see from this angle whether he connects, but it's poor technique again.

White kicks to Steward who has a look at a jinking counter, only to get his wires crossed with Ludlam who blocks his path. We recover the ball and carry up in midfield.

Minute 32: The ball comes back to Smith, who changes direction and kicks. He appears to be looking for a 50:22, but it's poorly directed and Russell gathers and kicks back. Steward has a bit of room and beats the first defender before making a good run up over halfway. We make some good direct carries from Curry and then Genge which make a few metres. The ball is spun wide to Smith who sends Dombrandt crashing up - he loses the ball in contact and we're lucky to get it back, but the bobbling ball has tempted Scotland and good decisions by Smith leaves us with a 3-on-2. Steward draws and gives and OHC opts to take the metres himself rather than look at the pass. They're good metres though and we've got quick ball just outside the Scots 22. Ludlam runs a hard line, pops an offload to Dombrandt who is through the gap... but hasn't taken the ball with him. Piss.

Minute 33: The replay shows that, while it wasn't a perfect offload, it was perfectly catchable by Dombrandt and probably needed to be taken. It's not helping that Dombrandt's too flat as well - if he's half a second slower, then that's into his hands rather than glancing off his shoulder. More lack of practice together. Scotland kick away and the ref calls it as touched in flight, so it's a Scottish lineout. Not great.

We actually compete at this lineout though - Itoje makes a real nuisance of himself and forces a tapdown that Ritchie fumbles to give us the ball back. Quick ball, Smith looks wide before putting a lovely pass back to where Dombrandt is taking the inside line... only for him to demonstrate further clog hands and spill it forwards. Three handling errors in the space of two minutes. This one's less egregious in one sense, as it's not a likely try if he takes it, but also worse because the pass is fine; he's just looking at the defenders before he's caught it.

Minute 34: A scrum is failed at.

Minute 35: There are further failings to scrum and the ref eventually decides it's England's fault. I don't know that it is, but it's as good a guess as any, given that both front rows are playing silly beggars on the engage. Scotland kick to touch.

[Puja]

That behind the posts view makes it look like a proper 'your man' moment for Farrell. Not entirely sure of my laws on this but if Farrell actually makes an attempt to tackle but get blocked isn't it pretty obvious obstruction, completely accept that the lack of attempt gives the ref nothing to go back for?

Wikipedia say 'The player holding the ball can travel in any direction, providing he does not use teammates to obstruct defenders from making a tackle'

I thought that when I saw that replay first, but the behind the posts angle is very misleading - Farrell is actually a good distance back from VDM when he crosses his line and had no chance to get him, even if he'd tried a patented Fazlet lunge forwards to leave others exposed. It's foreshortening - making it look like they're close together, but actually they're a distance apart on the Y-axis (as seen from that camera angle).

Puja

[Danno]

10 minutes with no KADAB.

mind, I spose Scotland had a fair bit of possession in between Dombrandt spilling ball.

[Mellsblue]

There’s a clip doing the rounds, which I obvs now can’t find, of DVDM changing the ball from right to left hand just as Dombrandt is attempting to tackle. I wonder if Dombers was thinking “I’ll target the ball and knock it loose or, worst case scenario, prevent an offload… oh balls”.

[Banquo]

10 minutes with no KADAB.

mind, I spose Scotland had a fair bit of possession in between Dombrandt spilling ball.

kadabi kadabi kadabi

[Puja]

There’s a clip doing the rounds, which I obvs now can’t find, of DVDM changing the ball from right to left hand just as Dombrandt is attempting to tackle. I wonder if Dombers was thinking “I’ll target the ball and knock it loose or, worst case scenario, prevent an offload… oh balls”.

Nah - he's just being lazy. I don't (necessarily) mean that in a pejorative sense - he's run a good distance to get there and, instead of expending that extra little bit of energy to bend down and launch into a proper tackle, he's instead just tried an upright hug. It's understandable - he's a big lad and, 90% of the time, that's going to be good enough to get the job done here and he'll be lauded for having got back. He's unlucky that it's a superb hand off and finish by a top-class winger and this is the 1/10 occasion where a lazy tackle isn't good enough, but the fact still remains that, if he'd put in a little bit more effort to do it properly, he could've made it a 100% of the time successful tackle.

Puja

[fivepointer]

Dombrandts was the worst miss tackle in the try. he got into a good position and really should have made a proper tackle. DVDM was yards from the line so he wouldnt have been able to slide in if tackled.
It was a pretty poor effort.

[Mellsblue]

I’m glad we’re all so certain…

[Mikey Brown]

In my obvious desperation to defend the Quins player I had thought that Dombrandt ends up a lot closer to VDM than he might have wanted in order to get low.

I certainly expected VDM to go left at the penultimate defender and Dombrandt wouldn’t have known whether he’d have to get to the far side or not. Suddenly he’s got VDM right in his face, in a perfect position to hand him off. Nobody is putting him down once in that position, but if he’d readjusted quicker maybe he could have avoided it.

[16th man]

I've not watched it back, but my thoughts on watching it on the day were that, once JVP (who you can't really blame as he's been pretty badly exposed) has made VDM step one way, it was disappointing that Steward and Dombrandt weren't able to sort it out between them.

I think it may be a classic case of one of those instances where we're questioning England's defence, but if it had been OHC who'd made the break we'd all be questioning his credentials as an international wing if he had been stopped once he'd stepped the 9, and the lock had missed the tap.

[FKAS]

The weekend's game reinforced my opinion of Dombrandt, he's a very good club player who's struggling to adapt to the speed and intensity of international rugby. He's probably got the 6N to make the step up as long as he avoids any real stinker performances but come the summer when Mercer comes available, maybe Tom Willis as well then it'll be tougher for him if he can't point to some positive performances for England.