4 Nations

skippymac6

Can't wait for the start of this tournament this Saturday.

England's team looks very good. I love the fact that Widdop and Smith are in the halves together and Tomkins back at full back with Hall and Charnley on the wings. James Roby is out so I was a bit surprised to see Hogdson named ahead of Clark at hooker. George Burgess and James Graham at prop looks potentially brilliant too.

The Wallabies team takes an interesting shape with no Thurston, Hayne or Slater. It will be interesting to see how Jennings and Walker do in the centres and Cherry-Evans and Cronk do in the halves. Paul Gallen is another big loss. They aren't as invincible this year and NZ will be looking for a scalp.

They have Foran back in the halves with Johnson and with youngsters Taumalolo, Watene-Zelezniak etc in there adding youth to the experience of guys like Mannering, Kenny-Dowell etc it should be a good test match.

Dozen Wicked Words

Looking forward to it too, just hope England can actually live up to their potential.

James Graham captains for the first game, excellent player, plays on the edge though.


First game is live on BBC 2 starting from 6.30am. Great shame they don't show the Australia Kiwi game on after it, or any of the games not featuring England. They are all on Premier/Setanta.

skippymac6

Yeah all the games are on Setanta as you say. Kick off in both games are 7am and 9:30am.

Graham is captain as O'Loughlin has a quad strain and won't be risked. Really think that England's pack is as good as the Aussie or Kiwi one and with the guys in the backline that they have, there is no reason they can't go very close in this tournament. Obviously Sam Burgess, James Roby etc are big losses but it can be argued that the guys that Oz are missing and SBW defection are even a greater harm to their chances.

Really looking forward to it and hopefully the long season the English lads have had added to the long trip doesn't greatly effect their chances. Although this time it's weighted in the southern hemisphere's favour (final in NZ along with Australia and NZ playing England at home), I'm saying pre-tournament that it will be England vs Oz in the final and a narrow, narrow win for Aussie.

Not Playing Tiddlywinks Vinny

Oz named a very exciting young side! Delighted for Mansour to get in on the wing. Am looking forward to seeing young Sione Mata'utia get a run soon. He's freakishly talented for a guy just 19!

Kiwi NZ another Panther wing Dallin Watene-Zeliniak being ruled out with a broken ankle following a beach mishap.

skippymac6

Not Playing Tiddlywinks Vinny wrote: »

Oz named a very exciting young side! Delighted for Mansour to get in on the wing. Am looking forward to seeing young Sione Mata'utia get a run soon. He's freakishly talented for a guy just 19!

Kiwi NZ another Panther wing Dallin Watene-Zeliniak being ruled out with a broken ankle following a beach mishap.

Ah I didnt hear that he was out and referenced him at the top as someone I was looking forward to seeing. He was very good for the Panthers this year, big shame.

Dozen Wicked Words

Come on England! Going to miss this, don't finish work til 0800,won't get home before the end. Might try and stay up and watch the Aus Kiwi game though, should be the better of the 2 games anyway.

skippymac6

20 gone and England committing a lot of silly mistakes and giving Samoa the lions share of possession. They haven't threatened too much but England aren't getting their hands on the ball.

As I speak now England go over for their first try. Great break from Daryl Clark with pretty much his first touch and sends Shenton over! Hopefully that kick starts them now. If they just complete their sets regularly the Samoans should tire in the second half

skippymac6

A dropped ball and two penalties conceded and Samoa go over. 6-6 now and as I said, just silly mistakes keep gifting the Samoans the ball in dangerous situations.

Dozen Wicked Words

Bombed it home, wish I hadn't, England have looked crap what I've seen of it.

skippymac6

The Samoans have scored two tries in a row from their dummy half off two quick play the balls. 22-20 to Samoa with just under 20 to go. Going to be an interesting last quarter!

skippymac6

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

Bombed it home, wish I hadn't, England have looked crap what I've seen of it.

Yeah they've just taken their foot off the gas since they went 20-10 up. Hopefully that rather fortunate try just there kicks them up a notch for the final 15.

Dozen Wicked Words

England back in front, less than convincing

Dozen Wicked Words

Phew. Under the kick has cost Samoa

Dozen Wicked Words

Don't think Aussies or Kiwis will be shaking in their boots at prospect of facing England.

Dozen Wicked Words

Game on again.

Dozen Wicked Words

Terrible tackling from what I've seen of England.

Wins a win I suppose!

skippymac6

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

Don't think Aussies or Kiwis will be shaking in their boots at prospect of facing England.

No but I do think England will improve from that. A lot of new combinations especially in the halves. That will blow off the cobwebs and with guys like O'Loughlin to come back too I think they'll give them both a scare.

skippymac6

Aussies in massive trouble here!!

Faing

I think Chris Hill was really giving his all. Shame that England never used Hall and Charnley at what they do best.....on t'wing.Ryan Hall is turning into a bulldozer nowadays. Still, as was said, a win is a win is a win and England are probably goingto get into second gear next week. Worth getting up in the middle of the night(almost)? Yes, enjoyed it. Samoa really surprised me with their stamina this time round and may provide an upset later on.

Dozen Wicked Words

skippymac6 wrote: »

Aussies in massive trouble here!!

Well that was a huge turn up, only caught the highlights but Kiwis looked very good.

Exciting, good games to start the tournament.

skippymac6

Yeah the Kiwis were dominant and they butchered a few open goals too. The Aussies will bounce back next week so it will be interesting to see how England deal with them, they'll have to step up on today's performance!

Dozen Wicked Words

Even earlier start Sunday morning, on from 4:30 am on BBC2. Highlights later the same day at 5:00 pm. If England play much better than the Samoa game and Australia as average as they did against the Kiwis we will have a cracker of a game. Don't think its going to pan out that way though, think the Aussies will win by 20 points. Disappointed they have gone back to a non-neutral ref but not surprised.

Not Playing Tiddlywinks Vinny

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

Even earlier start Sunday morning, on from 4:30 am on BBC2. Highlights later the same day at 5:00 pm. If England play much better than the Samoa game and Australia as average as they did against the Kiwis we will have a cracker of a game. Don't think its going to pan out that way though, think the Aussies will win by 20 points. Disappointed they have gone back to a non-neutral ref but not surprised.

Can't wait to see Sione Mata'utia getting his 1st Test.

Wayne Bennett earmarked this kid 2 years ago as the future of the knight, earlier this year said he's a future captain.

Made his debut two wks after turning 18. 7 games, a handful of tries and stellar performances and he's now a Kangaroo!

Watch out England!

Dozen Wicked Words

Kiwis left it very late to snatch a win against the Samoans, they've been a revelation (to me anyway) this tournament.

skippymac6

England with a great chance to knock out the Aussies here. Super first half and they lead by more than a score at 12-4. Their defence has been rock solid

skippymac6

Also the jerseys both teams are wearing are eh interesting!!

England should have extended their lead at one end and Inglis nearly makes them pay but for an obstruction that calls the would be try back

skippymac6

55 gone and the Aussies are getting a bit worried. They've brought Bennie Hunt on the exciting half back for Brisbane and put him at dummy half. Cameron Smith goes to lock.

It pays of nearly immediately as Smith interchanges with Hunt and dribbles a kick in for Hunt to touch down. 12-10 now and very much game on

skippymac6

Aussie really finding their stride now. Cherry Evans splits the defence with a beautiful dummy and draws the last man and send Inglis over. 16-12 for Aussie now and England need to go back to attacking the gain line agains. They've been happy to probe the corners since half time and they have only really threatened the Aussie line once.

skippymac6

5 to go and australia looking comfortable in defence. Clark might be the best option out of dummy half. England not taking chances with offloads and finishing sets with high bombs that are being gobbled up by the australian back three

skippymac6

Luke Farrell with a chip through and Inglis makes a meal of putting it over the dead ball line. Ryan Hall gets a finger on the ball and in slow motion it looks like he's grounded the ball. In real time it looks like a knock on. There's only a minute left so this is pretty much the ball game.

Ruled no try and because he touched it, it's a 20m restart for Aussie and that's the game now. England will rue not really going for the throat in the second half like NZ did last week. Bare facts are if you don't score in the entire second half you're not going to beat Aistralia full stop

Dozen Wicked Words

Had to think that was their best chance in years to beat the Aussies, but just seemed to lack belief second half.

All on the NZ game now for England, but don't fancy their chances.

skippymac6

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

Had to think that was their best chance in years to beat the Aussies, but just seemed to lack belief second half.

All on the NZ game now for England, but don't fancy their chances.

Yeah big time. Like most underdogs in big games they started to play not to lose instead of to win and that cost them. They had a great chance before the break to be 18-4 up and then early in the second half as well. Unfortunately they just were happy to give the ball back to australia time and again and they were never going to keep them out for the whole second half.

New Zealand weren't great on Saturday but I'd be worried that there will be a backlash from them next week. I'd make NZ about 6 point favourites and if England play like they did in the first half today they have a shot but it has to be for the full 80

skippymac6

skippymac6 wrote: »

Yeah big time. Like most underdogs in big games they started to play not to lose instead of to win and that cost them. They had a great chance before the break to be 18-4 up and then early in the second half as well. Unfortunately they just were happy to give the ball back to australia time and again and they were never going to keep them out for the whole second half.

New Zealand weren't great on Saturday but I'd be worried that there will be a backlash from them next week. I'd make NZ about 6 point favourites and if England play like they did in the first half today they have a shot but it has to be for the full 80

So NZ are indeed 6 point favs from the bookies. I think that's about right. I think that it will be very difficult for the English lads to beat them in Dunedin. They have to win by at least 10 points to overtake them. While I don't see that making England go out and go hung ho straight away, it might get inside their heads in the second half if it's tight late on. Here's hoping they start well anyway and with 20 minutes to go that they're still in with a squeak.

Dozen Wicked Words

Slightly more reasonable kick off time tomorrow after the last horrendously early start.

England to win by six, but still go through to final after huge shock Samoa win against the Aussies!

In reality I'm watching in hope rather than expectation.

Dozen Wicked Words

Good start to the game

skippymac6

What a pass from O'Loughlin

Dozen Wicked Words

Hall disappointing in defense again

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England have had all the play and trial by 4. Typical

Dozen Wicked Words

Don't think the commentary team need to worry about England winning by 10.

Dozen Wicked Words

Good first half, enjoyable stuff, some height on the kicks.

Off topic but RL is clearly for the people, working class, not the corporate feeding trough of most sports.

skippymac6

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

Don't think the commentary team need to worry about England winning by 10.

Yeah big time. Disappointing to concede a soft try there for the second NZ try. If it was 12 a piece they'd have a chance but at 12-8 down it might be just a small bit too much to ask for

Dozen Wicked Words

Balls, game over now I reckon.

England need a new coach

skippymac6

Yeah that's that in terms of qualifying automatically. Just a bit hesitant on defence that is costing them. I thought Hall was going to finish that other own though!!

Dozen Wicked Words

Impressed with the crowd for a RL game in Union territory.

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Fluffed that fuppin chance

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Think Matty Smith has played well, just the kicking bit iffy. Hall disappointing, but maybe I have such high expectations I suppose.

Dozen Wicked Words

Hahaha, and there he disproves me!

skippymac6

Clark making a massive impact. Need to move it quick from the ruck and there is space

Dozen Wicked Words

Good game, and as usual England come up just short.

skippymac6

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

Good game, and as usual England come up just short.

Yeah fine margins. I suppose away from home losing to the two best sides by a score is encouraging but you've to start wining those games soon. It is a very young team though. Burgess, Sarginson and Clark in a few years will be back boning that team.

Dozen Wicked Words

You're quite right, definitely signs of a good future, just need to start winning rather than gallantly losing.