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Six Nations

Everyone is saying the same thing after Ireland's loss to England

Jamie George chats with AR Andrea Piardi - PA

Many rugby fans are saying the same thing after heavy underdogs England clinched a nail-biting Guinness Six Nations victory over Ireland with a 23-22 scoreline at Twickenham.

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The result has kept the Six Nations title race – which looked for all the world to be done and dusted – alive until the final weekend. The match also marked England’s most impressive display under Steve Borthwick’s leadership highlighted by Marcus Smith’s dramatic stoppage-time drop goal.

Smith who returned from a calf injury for his first tournament appearance became the hero by securing the win in the game’s final act effectively denying Ireland consecutive Grand Slams.

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‘Ireland’s true test will come in July’ – Boks Office | RPTV

The Boks Office crew dispel the notion that Ireland are the best team in the world right now. Watch the full show exclusively on RugbyPass TV

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‘Ireland’s true test will come in July’ – Boks Office | RPTV

The Boks Office crew dispel the notion that Ireland are the best team in the world right now. Watch the full show exclusively on RugbyPass TV

Watch now

After much criticism, England found their attacking rhythm with Ollie Lawrence George Furbank and Ben Earl scoring tries against an Ireland team previously deemed ubackable favourites. Despite losing the lead just after halftime, England showcased resilience and a newfound attacking flair to take home an impressive win.

The match appeared to tilt in Ireland’s favour following James Lowe’s 72nd-minute try but England’s spirited late-game assault capped by Smith’s drop goal changed the narrative.

Pre-match discussions had lauded Ireland as potentially the world’s top team – a notion that England’s victory has now thrown into question.

Now, some variation of the same sardonic question being asked on social media: “Does that mean England are the greatest team in the world?”

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Former England prop David Flatman tweeted: “Does that mean the England are the best team in the world now?”

Former England flyhalf Andy Goode tweeted more or less the same at former Wales captain Sam Warburton: “Does that mean we are now the best team in the world Sam Warburton?”

Many other accounts made the same sarky observation:

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The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

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Comments on RugbyPass

N
NB 7 minutes ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

You can achive a better effect by allowing 21 players on the bech but limit the tactical interchanges to five or six. Keeps all the tactical options open while making coaching decisions even more critical. Best of both worlds.

198 Go to comments
N
NB 10 minutes ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind



Only addressing a small part of your argument by I have been wondering why we don't outlaw jumping for the highball.

The true athletes in the game would not like it?😁



...

198 Go to comments
N
NB 12 minutes ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

As aboive, I think we can expand the bench while restricting the number of interchanges.

198 Go to comments
N
NB 13 minutes ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

Why not have a full squad of 21 on the bench but limit interchanges to say, 6 per game?

That way you don’t have to worry about specilaist front row reps being unavailable, coaches still hv plenty of tactical options, but the number of comings and goings is much more limited!



...

198 Go to comments
N
NB 15 minutes ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

In Top 14 the real difference maker is the the local rule that allows for 12 interchanges rather than the usual 8. I’ve seen props trot on and off just for couple of important scrums under that rule, so there is a lot more opportunity for ‘breathers’ and situational subs…

198 Go to comments
N
NB 20 minutes ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

Ahhh… Again I think the English refs do a good job on that frot, France maybe not so much.

198 Go to comments
N
NB 21 minutes ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

It’s a fair comment G. I wouldn’t mind seeing all the players in a squad on the bench, a full team of 15, but limit the number of interchanges to say, 6 per game.

198 Go to comments
N
NB 23 minutes ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind



When does it end and when does rugby evolve into something that is barely recognizable?

Haven’t we already passed that point HH?😁



...

198 Go to comments
C
CB 45 minutes ago
Italy inadvertently throw England a Six Nations hospital pass

It will come down to (as it always does) to who controls the gain line. Scotland need to stop the English forwards at the gain line and suck then into a war of attrition up front. If the English forwards are able to mix in the back line and punch holes then it will be game over.

3 Go to comments
P
PB 48 minutes ago
'I’m severely worried': Ex-players sound alarm over looming Irish crisis

Hmmm think somehow the Saffa influence is to blame. RG must have negatively impacted the way the locks in Ireland play. Nienaber has totally ruined their catching and passing skills, with his defence system, and clearly Franco was not supposed to get the Glasgow Warriors humming like a finely tuned V12

11 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

The main problem is that on this thread we are trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. Rugby union developed as distinct from rugby league. The difference - rugby league opted for guaranteed tackle ball and continuous phase play. Rugby union was based on a stop start game with stanzas of flowing exciting moves by smaller faster players bookended by forward tussles for possession between bigger players. The obsession with continuous play has brought the hybrid (long before the current use) into play. Backs started to look more like forwards because they were expected to compete at the tackle and breakdowns completely different from what the original game looked like. Now here’s the dilemma. Scrum lineout ruck and maul, tackling kicking handling the ball. The seven pillars of rugby union. We want to retain our “World in Union” essence with the strong forward influence on the game but now we expect 125kg props to scrum like tractors and run around like scrum halves. And that in a nutshell is the problem. While you expect huge scrums and ball in play time to be both yardsticks, you are going to have to have big benches. You simply can’t have it both ways. And BTW talking about player safety when I was 19 I was playing at Stellenbosch at a then respectable (for a fly half) 160lbs against guys ( especially in Koshuis rugby) who were 100 lbs heavier than me - and I played 80 minutes. You just learned to stay out of their way. In Today’s game there is no such thing and not defending your channel is a cardinal sin no matter how unequal the task. When we hybridised with union in semi guaranteed tackle ball the writing was on the wall.

198 Go to comments
R
RC 1 hour ago
'I’m severely worried': Ex-players sound alarm over looming Irish crisis

😆😆

11 Go to comments
R
RC 1 hour ago
'I’m severely worried': Ex-players sound alarm over looming Irish crisis

😆😆

11 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

What you are talking about is on field tactics - not taking into account that the on field tactics are the immediate expression of a long laid carefully planned strategy. Like the “Art of War” says (not in these words) the better the strategy the less you have to adapt tactics.

198 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 2 hours ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

What I would like to know is; in a game that developed as a stop start game with exciting flowing moves in between physical confrontations, and was eagerly watched and revered by millions, why has it become a yardstick of excellence for how long it takes to through 20 phases to gain 10 meters?

198 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 2 hours ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

It is axiomatic that the countries with the most talented athletes will have greater depth. Limiting the bench because not all nations produce lots of high quality players is like saying lets have three runners in a relay so those who only have three top athletes can compete.

198 Go to comments
G
GoTahs 2 hours ago
Highlanders confirm Fabian Holland will be sidelined until August

That’s a real shame for Holland - and I suppose it will also mean the end of the Tupou Vaa'i at 6 experiment, at least in the short term. With Barret, Vaa’i and Tuipuloto likely to be the 3 locks for the July window.

1 Go to comments
R
RugCs 2 hours ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

Warped logic there. Pollock, Curry and Itoje are not bigger because they sit on the bench. In the RWC final Fourie and Kwagga were not bigger than so called power wingers. If you watch NH rugby you will know this and you will know that this supposed lack of endurance comment about T14 teams is ignorance.

198 Go to comments
H
Hammer Head 2 hours ago
'I’m severely worried': Ex-players sound alarm over looming Irish crisis

🤣

11 Go to comments
H
Hammer Head 2 hours ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

My issue is: that we keep tinkering with the game, the rules - not liking all the consequences of the changes, making more changes.

When does it end and when does rugby evolve into something that is barely recognizable?



...

198 Go to comments
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