Forget Cully... Forwards are the key.

[Wobbly]

Having seen the 'England A' forwards play NZ Maori last night, I have to admit to being pretty impressed.  Apart from in the scrums where I felt the maoris held their own fairly well, they dominated the game.

Its all very well wondering if we should have Cullen in the team for Saturday, or arguing where Howlett should play, or whether Carlos is a match for Johnny...  But if our forwards get monstered, the game is as good as over.

So are the All Black forwards up to the job?  I'm not so sure.  I bloody hope so!  

I think we are fine in the loose...  Hopefully better.  McCaw is head and shoulders above Matua Parkinson thats for sure.  But in the tight, I dunno.  The All Black tight five needs to be able to stop the White steamroller when it gets close to our line.

Let them rumble over for a try as they did against the maoris and the psychological battle is over.

Any thoughts?

Wobbly.

[DH]

I don't wanna sound negative, but.........WE'RE DOOMED!!!! *sob sob*

 

cheers
DH

[Wobbly]

Hmmm...  Don't tell me I am going to have to smite you yet again!

 

Wobbly.

[Geeves]

The rolling maul is England's offensive weapon.  They use it either to score the try or get Wilkinson into kicking range or when they feel like it when they are making easy metres and your backline is backpeddling to stay on-side they then unleash their backs but normally they don't stray too far from their forwards.

If you can holt the rolling maul then you are doing well.  The problem is stopping it as they are very well drilled in its use and they form it very quickly

If the tackler can put his man man down quickly beofre the maul is started then you are at least in with a chance.

If the ABs forwards can get atr least parity then the AB back will win it but not before.  

I am looking forward to a high body count from the game! As it will make it easier for the Wallabies.

[gary]

So are the All Black forwards up to the job?  I'm not so sure.  I bloody hope so!  

I think we are fine in the loose...  Hopefully better.  McCaw is head and shoulders above Matua Parkinson thats for sure.  But in the tight, I dunno.  The All Black tight five needs to be able to stop the White steamroller when it gets close to our line.

the all black tight five is much better than the maori one

Sommerville Oliver hewiit compareed with Hayman Mcfarland Feek - only haymen would be near all black status

then
Jack and Williams vs Tito and Ormsby

so 4 out of 5 of the maori tight five wouldn't even make NZ A

[Hamish]

Don't worry folks. We are going to crush them. This is the beginning of a new era. Our locks are taller, our props are faster and our loosies are quicker. As for the backs - no contest.
Stopping the rolling maul - easy. Just look at what Auck did throughout the S12. Kees Meuws positioned himself alongside the opposition's jumper at 4 in the lineout and tackled the guy the moment his feet hit the deck. Maul is stopped before it starts and if the team with possession has managed to shift the ball, they then trip over the ball-winner and Meuws on the deck.
Come-on you guys, stop being doom merchants. I think everybody is a little nervous about this game but we want to stop talking up the opposition. Respect them - sure. But this is a f.....n good AB side. Best one in 5 years I reckon.
Bring on the Test!! I can't wait!! and I'll be there

[DMac]

Ahh some wise words on this topic.
A few more for the collection.

The Eng pack is huge.
No it isnt. Both our locks are taller although one isn't quite as heavy.
The english newspapers say that Eng is too strong at Lineout, Re-Starts and Scrum.
Lineouts - We need to compete more on their throw. For the first time in my life we have had two locks who are bigger than either of the oppositions. Please , please Anton have a good day with the throws.

Re-Starts. If we can contest them we have as good a chance as they do.

Scrum. This is not the front row who played in November. This is a much better scrummaging front row than that was and the November scrum held its own fairly well.


Tactic: Eng like rolling mauls. How did the Aussies stop the lions in the third test? they tackled low and put runners on the ground. Thus few mauls. Therefore a key part of englands game was eliminated.

ABs weaknesses...... Not many.
Kicking options. None of the backs can really kick except Marshall and Spencer...under pressure we have few options to kick well which adds to the pressure on two guys who can kick.

The ABs forwrads need to play really well together. I just can't see england being dominante enough to make it. Remember the crusaders beat the brumbies in a S12 final with only 30% possesion. the poms may want to strangle us but we just carry on.

It'll be a ripper of a test.
ABs by 8.

[cantabulous]

Yeah Yeah. All the talk about the bloody fowards.

The man for England is Wilko. He's the one with the brains in their team.

If you can shut him down then you win....plain and simple

Nuff said

[cantabulous]

Come on the Boys...

Nothing worse than an English team who wins...........especially on our home turf.

Hanging out for Sat night, when we must kick their sorry asses all the way back home.

Bring it on Biarch!!!

[Wobbly]

Stopping the rolling maul - easy. Just look at what Auck did throughout the S12. Kees Meuws positioned himself alongside the opposition's jumper at 4 in the lineout and tackled the guy the moment his feet hit the deck. Maul is stopped before it starts and if the team with possession has managed to shift the ball, they then trip over the ball-winner and Meuws on the deck.

Isn't Meeuws on the bench?  In which case, I hope he taught Hewitt a few tricks...  

But, you make a good point.  Combining that sort of trick with good round the ankles tackling is the way to go.  The best way to stop a rolling maul is to never let it start.

Cheers!

Wobbly.

[Wobbly]

The man for England is Wilko. He's the one with the brains in their team.

If you can shut him down then you win....plain and simple

I suspect the argument is the same as it was for the Highlanders when they played and defeated the Blues.  Win the battle up front, target the men who feed the pivot and he will struggle.  A Wilko going backwards, starved of space and time will be a very unhappy Wilko.  

Targetting him directly has been tried many times no doubt, and it doesn't appear to succeed.  Attempting to attack the number 10 directly rarely works...  Trying to exert pressure as wide as the flyhalf stands tends to open up gaps inside of him.  Focusing on one player can be a dangerous gamble.


Cheers,

Wobbly.

[cantabulous]

Agreed.

As you pointed out it was done well by the Highlanders against the Blues.

Lets hope that the AB's can do it just as well against the English

 

[ugly ref]

Wilkinson can be shut down, France beat England 2002 in Paris by harassing him to death.

Magne, Betsen and Galthie got in his face so much he was completely fazed. This was after one of his best running games when they'd beaten Ireland by 30 points.

But having said that our bench choice for forwards is weird. How is Collins going to get a game?

By moving the Rube to lock? Then why put Brad Thorn on the bench?

I don't understand that.

[Wobbly]

I was thinking Collins would probably come in as a number 8.  He did play there for a while when So-oialo was injured for the Canes.

Here's hoping the All Blacks get enough ball, play the game at great pace and use the whole bench to good effect running the English ragged.

The bench is stacked with talent, so lets use it.

Cheers!

Wobbly.

[jules]

Collins is on the bench to cover 6 and 8. Barring injuries I imagine he will get a run at 8 at some stage.

If Mccaw gets injured though then I guess Collins will be asked to cover that spot too as there is no specialist openside cover on the bench.

While Brad Thorn has played some No 8 with Collins and So'ioalo in the team he's not going to get a lookin there (unless both those other guys get injured) so if he gets a run it will be at lock.

The backline cover off the bench is interesting too. If things go badly and we need another kicking option close to the action then Nonu will get dragged and Carter will come into 12 and Umaga will slide out to 13. I don't expect Mils will get a run in the midfield, he's there to cover the back three.

I suspect if Mauger was fit then he would start at 12 and Carter would drop out of the team altogether, and Nonu would be on the bench. And much to all you Ralph haters chagrine I expect that if Macdonald was fit then it would be Rockocoko that would be dropping to the bench if Howlett went back to the wing, not Ralph. Playing a full strength England team is not the best time to be blooding new guys, do that against Wales!  


Jules