The French are a shambles plus they're now out on their feet as most of them played less than a week ago. Lot better Welsh performance than the first two games.
What an odd match. France just didn't turn up and had no plan of what to do and made a huge number of errors. Wales were efficient in first half and turned points to pressure with a lucky try and a then a dodgy try in the second half (you can roll the ball forward to score??).
Scrums were dire, Rolland seemed to give alternate penalties, interspersed with the front rows not always being able to keep their feet on a poor surface.
Hard to say who will win the 6 nations.
What an odd match. France just didn't turn up and had no plan of what to do and made a huge number of errors. Wales were efficient in first half and turned points to pressure with a lucky try and a then a dodgy try in the second half (you can roll the ball forward to score??).
Scrums were dire, Rolland seemed to give alternate penalties, interspersed with the front rows not always being able to keep their feet on a poor surface.
Hard to say who will win the 6 nations.
I thought Warburton was about an inch short and then he rolled the ball to the line - thus a double movement because he had already placed the ball once in the original attempt to score. Still, as Brian Moore says all too often, the referee gave it so we all [try to] move on
France are so infuriating to watch because they always have a talented backline, but then almost with the same regularity fail to turn up for away matches
The Welsh front 5 were excellent, I do agree that Warburton's try should have been disallowed though, not that it would have made any difference to the outcome.
While I wouldn't want to return to a game dominated by fly halves kicking on muddy pitches, for a while now, I sit watching top rugby union and wonder what the powers that be have done to it.
It's as if the game has been turned into a version of Rugby League but not as good.
Gone are the days of a ball going along the line for a possible try by the winger or outside centre.
Now, it's a procession of phases, with the big guys bull-dozering through a few yards at a time with endless rucks.
At these, when the ball comes out, the scrum half often waits, killing any momentum.
Why on earth is he allowed 5 seconds to play it?
The referees call out to the players telling them to 'play it'. What's all that about?
How would it be in football if the referee called out to a winger to get his cross in, or an Umpire in cricket called out to a batsmen not to leave a delivery?
Surely, the referee is there to penalise breaches of the laws, not to coach the players through the game while it is happening?
And this style of refereeing is inconsistent. Do Referees tell players to roll away in rucks?
Then we get the scrums. Where do we start with these?
By the 2nd half, I was turning over whenever a scrum was called.
They are a complete farce.
While at the start of these internationals we get US style pyrotechnics lead razzamatazz heralding the greatest event since the 2nd coming, within minutes, we are witnessing the dance of obsessive referees and conniving players wasting endless minutes.
The crowd sits quietly and any momentum in the game is lost.
Maybe when a scrum is called, they should re-light the fireworks?
Then we get just about every try referred to the TV official, delaying things even more.
It saddens me as I have watched the 5/6 nations all my life and have watched and enjoyed live Rugby Union at top clubs below the Premiership level.
The whole thing flatters to deceive for me now.
My enthusiasm could easily be rekindled in part, if they made play instant at rucks once the ball is available and if they sorted the scrums out.
Perhaps the IRB should be sat down and shown re-runs of Gareth Edwards' try against the Barbarians in 1973 and asked the question as to how they could change the game to recreate that?
Fair play, I'll admit when I'm wrong. Rhys Webb had a bloody good game today.
He's not the second coming of Gareth Edwards but he reminded me a bit of when Dwayne Peel was thrown in instead of Rob Howley way back in the day. On paper a terrible decision but it all worked out well on the pitch.
I was slightly worried myself that my overwhelming disdain for Phillips was making me build Webb up to better than he actually is, but I'm glad he's shown he's more than capable and worthy of being picked on his own merit rather than just as an emergency call-up.
Tennis man - the 5 second rule was introduced to stop the scrum half just leaving the ball in the ruck and wasting time by running down the clock. The ref can now say the ball is available and must be passed or run with. Failure to do this results in a scrum to the other side. We saw that happen when France had the ball in their 22 and did nothing.
Comments
And England
Can't say I wasn't impressed with Wales' last scrum, France moved back at quite a pace.
For the neutral, this hasn't been a good game to watch - endless re-set scrums do not a spectacle make
France get the penalty ??
Rolland is clueless about the scrum so he is giving alternate penalties
They're not that good if truth be told. They never should have won the England game, they were clearly second best there.
Of course, but then the onus is on the players not to get sent off and unbalance the scrum.
Scrums were dire, Rolland seemed to give alternate penalties, interspersed with the front rows not always being able to keep their feet on a poor surface.
Hard to say who will win the 6 nations.
Yep, it should really have been England and Ireland going for the Grand Slam tomorrow.
I thought Warburton was about an inch short and then he rolled the ball to the line - thus a double movement because he had already placed the ball once in the original attempt to score. Still, as Brian Moore says all too often, the referee gave it so we all [try to] move on
France were absolutely horrific.
It's as if the game has been turned into a version of Rugby League but not as good.
Gone are the days of a ball going along the line for a possible try by the winger or outside centre.
Now, it's a procession of phases, with the big guys bull-dozering through a few yards at a time with endless rucks.
At these, when the ball comes out, the scrum half often waits, killing any momentum.
Why on earth is he allowed 5 seconds to play it?
The referees call out to the players telling them to 'play it'. What's all that about?
How would it be in football if the referee called out to a winger to get his cross in, or an Umpire in cricket called out to a batsmen not to leave a delivery?
Surely, the referee is there to penalise breaches of the laws, not to coach the players through the game while it is happening?
And this style of refereeing is inconsistent. Do Referees tell players to roll away in rucks?
Then we get the scrums. Where do we start with these?
By the 2nd half, I was turning over whenever a scrum was called.
They are a complete farce.
While at the start of these internationals we get US style pyrotechnics lead razzamatazz heralding the greatest event since the 2nd coming, within minutes, we are witnessing the dance of obsessive referees and conniving players wasting endless minutes.
The crowd sits quietly and any momentum in the game is lost.
Maybe when a scrum is called, they should re-light the fireworks?
Then we get just about every try referred to the TV official, delaying things even more.
It saddens me as I have watched the 5/6 nations all my life and have watched and enjoyed live Rugby Union at top clubs below the Premiership level.
The whole thing flatters to deceive for me now.
My enthusiasm could easily be rekindled in part, if they made play instant at rucks once the ball is available and if they sorted the scrums out.
Perhaps the IRB should be sat down and shown re-runs of Gareth Edwards' try against the Barbarians in 1973 and asked the question as to how they could change the game to recreate that?
Other one is hard to call too.
I was slightly worried myself that my overwhelming disdain for Phillips was making me build Webb up to better than he actually is, but I'm glad he's shown he's more than capable and worthy of being picked on his own merit rather than just as an emergency call-up.
Can't fooking wait and may the best team win!