Hey Tim…great analysis & thank you for not being as miserable and pessimistic as so many so called fans. As you say their losses to the ‘big’ teams were not that big…some improvements in defense, less penalties & closing things out & becoming a more cohesive unit is all possible. Roll on the Six Nations I say.
@@EggchasersRugby I agree Tim - but there is a failing showing up with the SB regime: the lack of future planning; eg Dan Cole will be in his 40s by next RWC and he won't be there - so why has Opoku-Fordjour just made it to the bench now? And Fasogbon, Davison? Where are the 12s coming through... For me, the Eng A game was telling and impressive, but so far only O-F has come through the ranks on that one. I think this England team is heading north not south (and return of Mitchell will be massive), but SB needs more adventure and chutzpah with selections (esp. the bench), and the defence needs fixing; it's clearly in a post-Felix dip. PS "Land of Hope & Glory" every time!
Thanks Tim for being a breath of fresh air on here. I am player family and honestly, it's like hell seeing the lads get trashed at every possible juncture.
Hi Tim, Must say I'm a South African rugby supporter but love listening to your comments. Your interesting analysis and truthful comments make it a pleasure to go to eggchasers after every game. I want to start something similar in South Africa in my own language Afrikaans. Would love to chat to you and maybe in the future connect live. All the best and keep up the good work. All the best from here in South Africa. I think personally England is starting something that could reap rewards starting in the Six Nations. Let's see!
Couple of class moments. Freeman’s offload to Furbank and Sleight’s little grubber to score. The biggest question from my eldest son, is what haircut does Sleights ask for in the chair?
Sadly the All Blacks introduced this ugly mullet, shaved sides look a few years ago and now it seems to be a must have. I suspect it was an anti-Ronaldo, anti-pretty boy move. It looks stupid.
I think he got out of the chair halfway through and said “that’s it, perfect!” Then put his glasses on and left!! As for everything else, I agree entirely.
I had to dive into the comments even before hearing your thoughts, Tim, (sorry!) because I am utterly outraged by how dismal and shambolic our defence has become. The issues were glaring against New Zealand and Australia-understandable, given the calibre of those teams. However, to remain so chaotic, disjointed, and uncoordinated against a Tier 2 nation is deeply concerning. The ease with which we were exposed today highlights the severe and systematic problems plaguing our defence. Attack-wise, I think we are significantly improving but if we don't address our defensive issues, we aren't going to be anywhere near the team we can or should be!
The whinging just never ends! Japan has a great offence and does this to all the top teams at times. A year ago everyone was crying that we had no attack. We just won by 50 points and the first thing you do is come here and complain. 🤦♂
@@thomaslequesne5475 If you watch it, you'll see the vulnerabilities! I'm not talking about England's attack, it is the defence that needs to be addressed!
Had England picked a 2nd team, there would be someone saying "£225 to watch a B side???". I might agree we learned little BUT I'm ok that when the boys take to the field in Dublin the last time they played together was a win not a 5th defeat. There's merit in that. I coach a team and can remember playing and I think this is true regardless of the level.
@@leighmarsden623 we learned that given the right platform England have players with attacking ability. Yes it may only have been japan but some of those tries were well crafted.
I think that defence still needs tweaking - not binning, but just adapting to circumstances. Unfortunately I think Bortwick is going to stick with it and England supporters will be holding their heads in their hands all the way through the 6 Nations. It’s a coaching issue. My only real selection issue is Tom Curry, who seems ok, but doesn’t have enough impact. Underhill is far better right now, even if he doesn’t jump in the line-out. Also Spencer is unlucky not to get more caps.
I agree 100%. Confidence breeds performance breeds results. I cannot understand doom mongers who appear to ignore the mental and momentum aspects of the game. England are a work in progress. 'nuff said.
With you on that. The only concern I have is in the centre if either Slade or Lawrence get injured. No game time at test level for anyone else in those positions.
Great video as always Tim. Putting my 'cup half empty' nature to one side I can see where you're coming from with most of you points. I do feel that the biggest issue this autumn goes back to the coaching upheaval over the summer as we've clearly gone backwards since the NZ tour. I also feel that Borthwick needs an experienced head somewhere in his coaching team. WRT the defence I'm fairly confident that will be sorted out once the new coach has had time to get his systems in place. I'm a huge Marcus Smith fan and it pains me to say it but I think Finn's game might be more suited to the international game in the medium to long term. Moving forwards I feel that our midfield needs change and (for me) having great hands doesn't outweigh Slade's deficiencies elsewhere (lack of pace, lack of power, lack of footwork and a long history of dodgy defence). We also need a proper number 8 - presumably Willis, with Earl moving to 7.
Agree with a LOT fo that. Definitely gone backwards and agree the coaching upheaval is at its heart. You MAY be right on Finn Smith - both class talents. Midfield and prop we are not elite. I also don't think the personnel exists to solve that quickly.
@@jmurphy9657 build depth mr Murphy, its the key to the Boks' success in recent years, and other tier 1 teams have realized this and have begun the process . Rugby is an incredibly hard sport physically, so teams need backup players of quality in all positions!
@@Treefellow1 preaching to the choir. It's all well and good having a centre with 60+ caps, another with 20+ if the next cab off the rank has none. Same with including the same props off the bench who are over mid 30s. Still another year or two before WC build up begins
I'm a great believer in highlighting the positive, as you do, and work on a considered approach on improvements. I'm afraid that MSM is not cutting the mustard ... people like you need a bigger voice. Thank you!
Hi Tim. I agree with your optimism and all the positives you see. That said the defence is a mess right now. We could have been sitting on 3 wins from 4 if it had simply functioned a bit better. I was at France vs the ABs and the only reason France were able to turn the game around in the 2nd half was because their defence kept them in it in the first half. Joe El ABDE was a poor hire. IMO he doesn't have the credibiity with the players to trust and believe.
move freeman into the centre with lawrence, slade on the bench, sleightholme and waboso on the wings. finn smith and roebuck looked good too. i think weve got enough potential to be very good in a couple of years if we get our tactics right
Wouldn't have Slade in the squad, he just isn't at that level. Take JVP out too be played better today but Randall and Mitchell are much better than him
It'll depend if we sort out defensive issues. Let's face it, we'll probably beat Wales and Italy, but the other 3 will depend on our defensive frailties.
The thing is on our day we're capable of challenging. The problem is, more often than not for the last few years, we have games where we're way off it.
@@paulmulryne8405 I'm assuming (maybe naively) that this issue - which was a strength in July - must be because of the unexpected coaching change, and can be sorted.
I agree, it would be more beneficial to start the autumn series with a tier 2 or 3 team to get all needed connection and automatism needed prior to play bigger teams. This would have put England into the proper launch pad with a good momentum and spirit! I also believe England is better than many people think. Anyway, we shall see that in the 6 nations!
I will say Tim, although French fans certainly didn't act as worried after the Japan game as some English fans are doing at the minute, the overall takeaway was also "we learnt nothing". Realistically I don't think your ability to beatdown inferior opponents is closely remated to your ability to win close games against the top nations.
I accept that. I also think after the last 3 weeks, I understand the confidence boost from the same guys exorcising some of those demons. So that they have that memory, rather than the last time they played being SA, AUS, NZ
Yet they learnt so much from the previous three games. Lessons from the losses and a confidence boost from the game against Japan will certainly help them in the six nations. I'm backing them to finish 1st or 2nd. It'll be a good six nations I can feel it
Excellent stuff Tim. Things are never as good or bad as they seem for England. One thing that seems to have changed since the summer is the interplay between forwards. Was very good vs New Zealand, has dropped off in the last 3 games.
The difference between France and England picking a full team vs Japan is that Englands full team has a bunch of consistently underperforming players who you can’t see taking the step up whereas there is a bunch of talented players sat at home
Tim love your optimism!…👍🏼 however, we play Ireland in Ireland first up in a couple of months, that will tell us where we are. I don’t always agree with SB’s choices and I have an opinion but let’s see how we do in the 6N’s… After that he has had two years, a WC and played a lot of top teams. We should be able to see some progress. However, we need to go back and review our predictions prior to the AI’s and the consensus was 4/4 Brilliant (stretch), 3/4 consensus on what would be considered acceptable, 2/4 failure, 1/4 disaster… go read I’m not making it up. And now we got 1/4 and we are all looking for more excuses..🤷🏼♂️
English rugby at every level would be better off without the English media. I know they’re mouthy about opposition teams too but the English media needs to be more accountable for the motivation of their readers as much as you are Tim. They can learn from your positive outlook on the game.
On the money again Tim. Good to hear an analyst not concentrate on a single player but talk about the systems. I did start to think Marcus at FB to weave ad hoc counter attacking magic and Fin at FH to get his backs into the game more often. We saw how that would work when Slade was at first receiver and released Marcus out the back with a delightful slip pass. The high ball would exploit Marcus' size at FB though. Conundrum. Looking forward to the 6Ns anyway.
I think the English team can, and will improve, but, the game against Japan did nothing for them. They were going to win, like we knew the Springboks would beat Wales. They needed a game against another tier 1 nation
It’s not about a city in Palestine…it’s about building the city of God ( if you’re into that kind of thing!) in our own homeland… and William Blake was a visionary and champion of the ordinary people. I would sing my heart out to that as an anthem anytime!
@@johnstuart1688 I understand it’s a sort of metaphor and I think it’s a great song but I don’t think you can have a national anthem that has to be explained every time it’s sung. Plus, as you say, the religious connotation isn’t ideal.
Bear in mind that Freeman went to 13 when Smith and Roebuck came on. You’ve got to think if Mitchell, Fin Smith and Furbank are there the chemistry and flow should be so much better in playmaking positions, although when injuries happen then it’ll be back to square one. Then throw Freeman at 13 and you’ve got a much more cohesive backline. Defensively though Northampton are the polar opposite and prefer to slow play through double tackles and RL style high shots (similar to OG saracens) and so it might not work as well that way. I do like the look of Lawrence Freeman midfield with a playmaking fullback.
Tim there was no positives from todays game.Japan were rubbish 13th in world.England could have played their under 20s team and still won.England are mess as you said.Nothing will change until the management change.England will keep plodding along into the six nations unfortunately.
Some really nice commentary from Will Greenwood today that's worth taking a look at In particular his analysis of Finn Smith at 10, and how he ignited the backline with quick passes and recycling. Centres looked more animated as they got more of the ball earlier. Lots have said the 10 debate is over. I think it's just beginning.
Thanks for the great work Tim, as always. I will never agree with you about Slade. I think you have a serious blind spot about him due to the odd pass and fancy kick. He doesn’t threaten the line, ever, and he’s always the one out of position in this defensive mess we are in. Also think you can no longer offer Ford up as a “great”. Even in the World Cup he quickly faded after the excellent Argentina win. I also don’t always agree with your evaluation of certain players. But I always enjoy your work.
With the England A game last week, it’s feels like we played Japan last so some of the A team players would get promoted into the main team. But because we hadn’t won a game this autumn yet, that plan went out the window
England need to hire an out and out attack coach and although I some what agree with the point of blooding new players but in a game like this u don’t learn anything from starting the likes of George Curry and Slade would have loved to have seen Lozoski Hill and Dan at least have a go and there lies my problem Borthwick is terrible with his bench selection and needs to get better
Main thing that England need to fix is that defence. The number of tries they've gifted to teams this Autumn series is mainly down to defensive mistakes which should be easy to fix.
@tim - your hypothesis- play Japan first - is always valid (it’s always better to build into a series and get the opportunity). It doesn’t explain Englands your tour to New Zealand.
Well done England, they have come close a few times on this tour...but this was kind of what I expected. As a bok fan I reckon a bit of tweaking and England are right back in it.
Tim if you were watching harquuins, Bristol, Gloucester would you be surprised if at half time any off those clubs were 40 nill up or 40 nill down and the game was a draw . Great to watch, but is the premiership way off playing creeping into the England team. Attack all out and defence optional?
I've had the same thought! The Premiership doesn't look like "traditional english rugby". It's not Leicester and Wasps of the 2000s is it?! A great observation
‘If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry Xmas’. Fact is, we’ve lost 3 times to the ABs, a below par Australia and SA. How much money does the RFU have Vs any other nation..and what’s our ranking..
I would be interested to see both Smiths playing together and alternating as 10 and 15 throughout the match. It would confuse the opposition. Thank you for recognising Henry’s beautifully timed and floated passes. This was about the first opportunity he has had for years in an international shirt to actually make a pass. With the ball he has had from other 10’s it was always negligible, as most of us recognise that the ball was always kicked away for our wingers to hopefully chase down to feed from scraps. So yes, appart from those named Smith, by all means introduce all of those other double barrelled obviously English players to the team, it will be an interesting mix. What’s with the fashion statement? Does any of that matter? Oh yes our dour national anthem. How on Earth do we get lumbered with that, when we could surely pick from the Last Night of the Proms. Rule Britannia, or as you say Jerusalem. Those sort of tunes could get a guy excited before a match, similar to a Hakka.
Well done England . Can’t say we’re better than 4 games ago as we’ve lost three of them but some good performances in those defeats . Surely the emergence now of sleightholme should free up Tommy Lawrence to partner Olly Lawrence. Henry slade been very poor this Autumn. Great to see Fin Baxter and Fordjour together at last.
Agreed re order of fixtures, England looked very reserved and nervous/tense against ABs, after a performance like that im sure we would have seen them chuck the ball around and open up a lot more
England played well you can talk about the standard of the opposition but in general England were pretty good in most aspects of the game and when you come up against a weaker team all you can do is put them away and thats what England did, they still have issues most noteably in their defence but they are making progress in most areas of the game.
Tim you are the best on your TH-cam. I didn’t even turn on my TV Why? 1. England had home advantage. 2. OMG England at 7 /8 playing a team at 13/14 in world standings. More like a training session for England Now we have to read for the next decade the UK newspapers. ( I live in UK) Ireland, France and Scotland must be looking forward to 6 Nations… Well played England.
Irishman here. England aren't far off, played New Zealand 3 times, twice away from home, could have easily won all 3 tests. Gave South Africa a run for their money. Just momentary lapses cost them when it mattered. No one will be licking their lips next year expecting an easy win..
It would be better for England not to play the British anthem and have Jerusalem instead. It might also help with respect for the rest of the nations in Britain.
Its a funny one this, its a good win , with some really good rugby, but it doesnt make you feel any more optimistic going to the nations. Obviously because its japan, and they are as poor as ive ever seen them. But also because the same issues were there against much weaker opposition. I get people blaming the def system, but no defensive system works when you miss so many tackles, especially in the tight! Players need to be able to read and adjust in game, they seem to be defending set training ground plays and not necessarily whats happening in front of them. With that being said though, any system you have to make your tackles! There are positives though we are blooding in young front rowers, we have top second row options, we're producing world class back rowers. Good options at 9, marcus as good a 10 as any team have! Exciting young wingers, options at 15. If e sort the 12/13 combo out, like tim says we're not a million miles away.
This England team can mix it up with anyone. They just seem to have a mentality issue in the closing quarter of game. Could also be a fatigue/efficiency issue. I’d be quietly buzzing for this six nations as an English supporter.
Hey Tim, on Japan as a tier 1 situation. World rugby has very little choice in the matter. If they don't include them at the big table, they will have zero presence in the massive Asian market. So, from a fairness point of view, you're right, there are more deserving unions. From a business point of view, it would be insane.
Eddie calling a heckler a "clown" is the height of hypocrisy. In other news, anyone else seen the video on another channel claiming that Japan are "THE next rugby superpower"? I had to double check if it was posted on April 1st. As for anthem, 'God save our team" works for England though?
Why does anyone want to play for England, no matter what they do they get caned by their supporters! England are not my favorite team but give them some time on the ball and they are going to be tough to beat!!
I just watched the official TH-cam highlights of the game. What is sadly clear from these snippets is that everything good we did in attack and the scores we created had at least one error in the build up / were built on what seemed to be training ground intensity against poor opposition.
Our fans cannot be reasoned with... When things are going well 'we're unbeatable', and we suffer a few losses then 'we're the worst team in the world'... Just chill out. Things are fine! We have some weaknesses and some strengths... We can beat anyone in the world on our day, and not one other international squad believes they can just show up and beat us. Get behind the team and just support the lads!
If we'd played Japan first, we would have had more confidence?...Maybe...but if that last drop goal had gone over , we'd have started the Autumn series with a win over ABs. England are NOT in some dire state. They need to change their defence. Either fix it or bin it. If they can do that before the start of 6Ns, they've got a good chance of winning.
I did criticize France not bringing a few first caps on against japan. it was Galthie´s chance to see how some youngsters could fit into the team. Case in point : Buros, who would then be brought on for his first cap against the All Blacks. Mind you, he did a good job, but why play Barre against Japan? It was good from Borthwick to plan the transition in a very balanced way, keeping experience while giving youngsters a chance. And that´s from someone who has criticize the age of many players in my previous comments. Glad to see Borthwick respond to that criticism.
Barre is 22 and has only played a few tests. Buros (i think) came in because he is the best aerial 15 in France and it was tactical for NZ. Barre arguably better counter attacking. So a bit plike Eng picking Steward for SA and Furbank for today. The England team, before the newer faces, is an incredibly young team, but agree, 30 minutes of Opoku Fordjour and Roebuck is a positive.
@@EggchasersRugby yes, France expected NZ to play a very aerial game, so Buros was the better choice in that regard, which also forced NZ to play a passing game. I would agree England is a relatively young team, despite fielding many 30+ yos, like Jamie George, George Ford, Cowan-Dickie or even Maro Itoje. Even Genge is 29. These guys will most likely not be around for Aus 2027, and if, likely on the bench, so need to build the transition in these positions now, like SA, NZ and France are doing. I could be wrong, but it seems to me there´s still an over-reliance on the older generation in the England squad (maybe for a lack of an alternative) compared to the depth France has. Ireland seems in a similar position as well.
If England get absolute and total forward dominance the attack looks better? Wow really! Just out of curiosity in how many of the six nations matches are people expecting England to get compete and total unanswered forward dominance. If England can ever build a try from their own half using good hands and running angles against a tier one team i will start to believe, but until then i still think putting a very good forwards coach (Borthwick) in total control of one of the top international sides is/was a mistake.
No team can play without a platform. Can't scrum, can't win. No lineout, no win. Even teams with great backlines need this. Northampton Saints only won Premiership when they sorted this. Doesn't matter the level or competition. A universal rugby truth.
The anthem that is enforced on us is the British Union anthem NOT the English Anthem. The British Union was only created in 1707. We are English. 🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴
You are quite right. We have had an English anthem since 1931: "Land of Hope & Glory". Unfortunately the woke brigade got involved and decided that a church hymn, "Jerusalem" is a better option (it's a beautiful hymn, but another dirge, not a rousing anthem). Compare with La Marseillaise or the Russian anthem - two of the most rousing, ever.
Honestly even tho England lost against nz South Africa and Australia people need to remember all those games we small margins of Los plus remember 4 of those losses were against South Africa and nz even then we could have won all of them so i totally agree with this video England isn't far away if England can sort these defence problems England will be a real contender in six nations as 5 narrow loses to the top 1 and 3 in the world is a step in right direction
Eddie Jones spoke well in the press conference afterwards. I have no idea why England fans give him such a hard time, it's pathetic. I think Japan played a lot better than the score would indicate. England lost control of the game for quite a bit of the second half, which is concerning. I suspect Japan, like Fiji, will be very hard to beat come the next world cup.
Honestly I love Marcus Smith He's a very gifted and overall most of Englands good stuff in these recent tests have come through him but I couldn't help notice that when Finn Smith came on there seemed to be way more structure, but thats just an observation. Also I really want to see Freeman at centre. The truth is England have run both the AB's and South africa close. Yes they have questions to ask about the manner in which they lost those games but give or take certain aspects of decision making that need to be addressed and a functioning bench, they havent been far away from the top teams. Obviously the australia game was an aberration but it's really not all doom and gloom at all
I haven't got the facts or figures to prove this BUT how many "tier 1" teams since the world cup have changed their entire back line (9-15). I think it's only England and Wales. England have played well considering their inexperience. Wales and Englands changes over the past year have been fairly similar. Their forwards have stayed much the same but they have a completely new back line. So it's interesting to compare the two teams.
Tim slighthome may have been exposed on defense but it was all because of slade. Glad Austin called it out too because slade always seems to get off with it from pundits
Great rugby players are all making dreadful calls - Slade, Freeman, Furbank, Genge, Cunningham South, Martin. When it's so prevalent across the team (and worked so well in July!) it MUST be system/coaching rather than personnel related. Surely? (I hope so because that can be changed)
@EggchasersRugby oh no doubt the system has failed. Finn Smith posses some great questions, we have some leathel runners but we haven't utilised them enough.
Completely disagree here mate. Slade has taken so much heat this Autumn, much of it unwarranted. You can debate the pros and cons of the blitz but for the most part the big errors have come around the ruck CCS, Martin & Genge and on the edge from wingers / FBs like Sleightholme and Marcus that aren’t used to playing it. The system needs work for sure, but Slade hasn’t been the problem.
@@lucascarlisle9116 it's not unwarranted he isn't performing. Slade is used to this defence yet it's him constantly messing up. Non of them have been great but for me he's been the worst in the backs. I don't think we have the players for a blitz defence
It's good to see you smiling for a change but you are dreaming in technicolour regarding this game. This was the equivalent of a first team playing their school team, and they let in two tries and missed a number of opportunities. England have a long way to go to meet your expectations for the six nations.
Who's talking about magic switch? All I've said is we're not as bad as some are saying. Issues to address but the sky is not falling in. You wouldn't know it from some of the things written amd said
100% agree Tim, for the money and resources that have been pumped into Japanese rugby has been shocking. Instead help Samoa, Tonga, Georgia, Romania etc.
There'll be very small margins between the top NH teams in the 6 nations and between the top SH teams next season too. Great for the sport, competitive as it should be.
I am one of those "Doom Mongers" you mentioned, Tim. As I can't find the enthusiasm for the team that you have, I shall simply leave a comment for the algorithm. 😊
I was really looking forward to the autumn series listening to Richie "rugby analyst"and your takes on it but by the end I was to flat to bother watching this one
Yes about the anthem changing to either Jerusalem or Land of Hope and glory. Every English person will then be singing. Get rid of the anthem singers as well. For the Six Nations I’d like to see(I know it won’t happen due to eligibility): Baxter, Dan, Stuart, Itoje, Martin, T Hill, T Willis, J Willis Mitchell, F Smith, Hartley,Freeman, Roebuck, Feyi-Waboso Arundell Bench: Rodd, Langdon, Fagosban, O Chessum,Earl, Porter, M Smith, Slightholme
Well said Tim. Shore up that D somehow and I like where England are. They wouldn’t win a World Cup right now and not sure the 6N is possible next year but they are building. Despite what most of the media and part time rugby ‘fans’ say
Agree - 'not nearly as bad as it might seem'.........but...... > Wigglesworth is not adding much as attack coach. > Lawrence is not true test class (notwithstanding his lovely skill for Sleightholme's try) > Earl is getting found out (and his whopping and hollering for turnovers is a total embarrassment) > Chessum will add to the mix at 4......Martin can drop to 19 > van Poorvliet ain't good enough > the Smith-Smith combo is good - but only after 50-60 > Building some great strength in key areas..........except centre and prop > Lastly, we can't possibly have our captain coming off at 47-mins.
You got it in one, should have played that game first, don’t understand the logic, in fact the Japan game was nothing to me. Roll on the six nations, my prediction, France 1st. Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Italy.
In less than 1000 words, give me a summary of the contribution made by Martin, C South, Curry, V Poortvliet and Slade. None of them has had a decent game this autumn. Earl, George and Lawrence have become too predictable. Above all, can you tell me anything about the mentality going into this game? 9 tries scored - 5 by forwards from short range. - what has that proved? Were we getting our own back after having been on the receiving end, three weeks running? Whatever Borthwick was trying to achieve during this campaign, he has signally failed - but I guarantee the same band of no-hopers will take the field against Ireland.
Lots of work to do. Lacking elite quality in a couple of positions...no argument from me there. "No-hopers", can't agree. Same group of players beat Ireland in March.
Hey Tim…great analysis & thank you for not being as miserable and pessimistic as so many so called fans. As you say their losses to the ‘big’ teams were not that big…some improvements in defense, less penalties & closing things out & becoming a more cohesive unit is all possible. Roll on the Six Nations I say.
Lol the way a team can win by 45 points and still get dragged by it's fans 😂🤣
It pickles my head!
😆
Amen
We have justifiable high standards.
@@EggchasersRugby I agree Tim - but there is a failing showing up with the SB regime: the lack of future planning; eg Dan Cole will be in his 40s by next RWC and he won't be there - so why has Opoku-Fordjour just made it to the bench now? And Fasogbon, Davison? Where are the 12s coming through... For me, the Eng A game was telling and impressive, but so far only O-F has come through the ranks on that one. I think this England team is heading north not south (and return of Mitchell will be massive), but SB needs more adventure and chutzpah with selections (esp. the bench), and the defence needs fixing; it's clearly in a post-Felix dip. PS "Land of Hope & Glory" every time!
Thanks Tim for being a breath of fresh air on here. I am player family and honestly, it's like hell seeing the lads get trashed at every possible juncture.
We needed to see England win well with their first choice team and thank goodness we did.
Finn Smith's pass to Roebuck was similar to Willie le Roux cross kick against Scotland, passing to the space and trusting his winger to get there
Hey Tim, England is still a force to be reckoned with. Looking forward to their progress! Looking forward to the 6 nations in 2 months time
Hi Tim, Must say I'm a South African rugby supporter but love listening to your comments. Your interesting analysis and truthful comments make it a pleasure to go to eggchasers after every game. I want to start something similar in South Africa in my own language Afrikaans. Would love to chat to you and maybe in the future connect live. All the best and keep up the good work. All the best from here in South Africa. I think personally England is starting something that could reap rewards starting in the Six Nations. Let's see!
Couple of class moments. Freeman’s offload to Furbank and Sleight’s little grubber to score. The biggest question from my eldest son, is what haircut does Sleights ask for in the chair?
Hahaha. Hard agree on all counts!
Sadly the All Blacks introduced this ugly mullet, shaved sides look a few years ago and now it seems to be a must have. I suspect it was an anti-Ronaldo, anti-pretty boy move. It looks stupid.
The saints special, been around the clubs for a few years now. Think Teimana Harrison started it
It’s a variation of the mullet called the muppet. 😅
I think he got out of the chair halfway through and said “that’s it, perfect!” Then put his glasses on and left!! As for everything else, I agree entirely.
I had to dive into the comments even before hearing your thoughts, Tim, (sorry!) because I am utterly outraged by how dismal and shambolic our defence has become. The issues were glaring against New Zealand and Australia-understandable, given the calibre of those teams. However, to remain so chaotic, disjointed, and uncoordinated against a Tier 2 nation is deeply concerning. The ease with which we were exposed today highlights the severe and systematic problems plaguing our defence. Attack-wise, I think we are significantly improving but if we don't address our defensive issues, we aren't going to be anywhere near the team we can or should be!
The whinging just never ends! Japan has a great offence and does this to all the top teams at times. A year ago everyone was crying that we had no attack. We just won by 50 points and the first thing you do is come here and complain. 🤦♂
@@wanderer5598 Because it's been a recurring theme for 4 straight games now!
I couldn't watch this game but that seems a pretty extreme take after a 45 points victory.
@@thomaslequesne5475 If you watch it, you'll see the vulnerabilities! I'm not talking about England's attack, it is the defence that needs to be addressed!
Calm down with all of the superlatives!
£225 to watch that live??!! We learnt nothing from England .. The next three games will be the real test! Ireland, France and Scotland!
Why £225 !!
Had England picked a 2nd team, there would be someone saying "£225 to watch a B side???". I might agree we learned little BUT I'm ok that when the boys take to the field in Dublin the last time they played together was a win not a 5th defeat. There's merit in that. I coach a team and can remember playing and I think this is true regardless of the level.
@@leighmarsden623 we learned that given the right platform England have players with attacking ability. Yes it may only have been japan but some of those tries were well crafted.
@@EggchasersRugby To be fair the fixture list now will get easier on paper.
My ticket was £60 and loved it. Great to see my national team live. 🏴👍
I think that defence still needs tweaking - not binning, but just adapting to circumstances. Unfortunately I think Bortwick is going to stick with it and England supporters will be holding their heads in their hands all the way through the 6 Nations. It’s a coaching issue. My only real selection issue is Tom Curry, who seems ok, but doesn’t have enough impact. Underhill is far better right now, even if he doesn’t jump in the line-out. Also Spencer is unlucky not to get more caps.
Agree entirely. Hopefully Chessum will improve the line out and the team . He’s been a miss. 🏴
Wow! Just looked at the other 'analyst' and you'd think we were the worst team in the world. Keep up the good work, Tim. You're spot on as ever.
I agree 100%. Confidence breeds performance breeds results. I cannot understand doom mongers who appear to ignore the mental and momentum aspects of the game. England are a work in progress. 'nuff said.
Great take. I'm with you.
Count me in too!
Fully agree
With you on that. The only concern I have is in the centre if either Slade or Lawrence get injured. No game time at test level for anyone else in those positions.
It's been over 2 yrs work in progress. Zzzzzzz
Great video as always Tim.
Putting my 'cup half empty' nature to one side I can see where you're coming from with most of you points.
I do feel that the biggest issue this autumn goes back to the coaching upheaval over the summer as we've clearly gone backwards since the NZ tour. I also feel that Borthwick needs an experienced head somewhere in his coaching team. WRT the defence I'm fairly confident that will be sorted out once the new coach has had time to get his systems in place.
I'm a huge Marcus Smith fan and it pains me to say it but I think Finn's game might be more suited to the international game in the medium to long term.
Moving forwards I feel that our midfield needs change and (for me) having great hands doesn't outweigh Slade's deficiencies elsewhere (lack of pace, lack of power, lack of footwork and a long history of dodgy defence). We also need a proper number 8 - presumably Willis, with Earl moving to 7.
Agree with a LOT fo that. Definitely gone backwards and agree the coaching upheaval is at its heart. You MAY be right on Finn Smith - both class talents. Midfield and prop we are not elite. I also don't think the personnel exists to solve that quickly.
Why not work with 2 flyhalfs? The Boks currently have 3 for different types of game plan. Marcus Smith and Finn Smith, building depth!
@@Treefellow1I'm a fan of playing your best but I recall uproar when another pair of 10s both started for England 🤨😉
@@jmurphy9657 build depth mr Murphy, its the key to the Boks' success in recent years, and other tier 1 teams have realized this and have begun the process . Rugby is an incredibly hard sport physically, so teams need backup players of quality in all positions!
@@Treefellow1 preaching to the choir. It's all well and good having a centre with 60+ caps, another with 20+ if the next cab off the rank has none. Same with including the same props off the bench who are over mid 30s. Still another year or two before WC build up begins
I'm a great believer in highlighting the positive, as you do, and work on a considered approach on improvements. I'm afraid that MSM is not cutting the mustard ... people like you need a bigger voice. Thank you!
England need to get the transition from Defense to Attack right and with more options in attack.
You lose all credibility talking g about England, when you can't write in English.
DefenSe FFS!!!! 🤬🤪
Nailed it about the Smith's 'dial' dynamic, I love them both, both play makers used correctly will do damage
Hi Tim. I agree with your optimism and all the positives you see. That said the defence is a mess right now. We could have been sitting on 3 wins from 4 if it had simply functioned a bit better. I was at France vs the ABs and the only reason France were able to turn the game around in the 2nd half was because their defence kept them in it in the first half. Joe El ABDE was a poor hire. IMO he doesn't have the credibiity with the players to trust and believe.
move freeman into the centre with lawrence, slade on the bench, sleightholme and waboso on the wings. finn smith and roebuck looked good too. i think weve got enough potential to be very good in a couple of years if we get our tactics right
Wouldn't have Slade in the squad, he just isn't at that level. Take JVP out too be played better today but Randall and Mitchell are much better than him
@@Stvalgore89 yeah agreed tbh, JVP isnt for me
Slade out cannot tackle Freeman to center Roebuck on wing
Interesting suggestion
I think anyone counting England out of the six nations is very very silly. From an Irish fan
I completely agree
It'll depend if we sort out defensive issues. Let's face it, we'll probably beat Wales and Italy, but the other 3 will depend on our defensive frailties.
I concur. Writing off England is both daft and dangerous. From a Scottish fan.
The thing is on our day we're capable of challenging. The problem is, more often than not for the last few years, we have games where we're way off it.
@@paulmulryne8405 I'm assuming (maybe naively) that this issue - which was a strength in July - must be because of the unexpected coaching change, and can be sorted.
Well done England you beat Japan 13th in world rankings.Let’s all celebrate
So wish that Argentina were playing against England today
Would've been.a cracker. Mind you, couldn't have had France Argentina though and that was FUN!
They would have got beat like in the WC
@@TimMoss-uz5psSo right Tim. Twice and with 14 men in one.
Why ?
@@neilcarpenter2669 cuz England are better than them
Georgia and Portugal need to get more opportunities to play with the top 8
I agree, it would be more beneficial to start the autumn series with a tier 2 or 3 team to get all needed connection and automatism needed prior to play bigger teams. This would have put England into the proper launch pad with a good momentum and spirit!
I also believe England is better than many people think. Anyway, we shall see that in the 6 nations!
I will say Tim, although French fans certainly didn't act as worried after the Japan game as some English fans are doing at the minute, the overall takeaway was also "we learnt nothing".
Realistically I don't think your ability to beatdown inferior opponents is closely remated to your ability to win close games against the top nations.
I accept that. I also think after the last 3 weeks, I understand the confidence boost from the same guys exorcising some of those demons. So that they have that memory, rather than the last time they played being SA, AUS, NZ
Yet they learnt so much from the previous three games. Lessons from the losses and a confidence boost from the game against Japan will certainly help them in the six nations. I'm backing them to finish 1st or 2nd. It'll be a good six nations I can feel it
Excellent stuff Tim. Things are never as good or bad as they seem for England. One thing that seems to have changed since the summer is the interplay between forwards. Was very good vs New Zealand, has dropped off in the last 3 games.
The difference between France and England picking a full team vs Japan is that Englands full team has a bunch of consistently underperforming players who you can’t see taking the step up whereas there is a bunch of talented players sat at home
Tim love your optimism!…👍🏼 however, we play Ireland in Ireland first up in a couple of months, that will tell us where we are. I don’t always agree with SB’s choices and I have an opinion but let’s see how we do in the 6N’s… After that he has had two years, a WC and played a lot of top teams. We should be able to see some progress. However, we need to go back and review our predictions prior to the AI’s and the consensus was 4/4 Brilliant (stretch), 3/4 consensus on what would be considered acceptable, 2/4 failure, 1/4 disaster… go read I’m not making it up. And now we got 1/4 and we are all looking for more excuses..🤷🏼♂️
I heard Scotland were also fist pumping small gains on the radio so its catching😁
Rugby world in shock as tier two England upsets Japan.
But loads of saffas said we were dog pooh and was gonna lose.
@@iannoble404 You are dog pooh.
@@iannoble404That sounds like something Eng fans would've said 😆
Tell me 1 S African that said Japan would win.
@ go check out the England rugby ebook page. Plenty there.
Non so blind as those that refuse to see
Lol
English rugby at every level would be better off without the English media. I know they’re mouthy about opposition teams too but the English media needs to be more accountable for the motivation of their readers as much as you are Tim. They can learn from your positive outlook on the game.
On the money again Tim. Good to hear an analyst not concentrate on a single player but talk about the systems. I did start to think Marcus at FB to weave ad hoc counter attacking magic and Fin at FH to get his backs into the game more often. We saw how that would work when Slade was at first receiver and released Marcus out the back with a delightful slip pass. The high ball would exploit Marcus' size at FB though. Conundrum. Looking forward to the 6Ns anyway.
🌹 tinted glasses Tim ? ☹️🤣
I think the English team can, and will improve, but, the game against Japan did nothing for them. They were going to win, like we knew the Springboks would beat Wales. They needed a game against another tier 1 nation
They can only play/ beat the team that’s in front of them.
We can’t have a national anthem that sings about another country’s city. My vote is for I Vow to Thee My Country. Brilliant build up and great lyrics.
The power of that would be unbelievable
It’s not about a city in Palestine…it’s about building the city of God ( if you’re into that kind of thing!) in our own homeland… and William Blake
was a visionary and champion of the ordinary people. I would sing my heart out to that as an anthem anytime!
@@johnstuart1688 I understand it’s a sort of metaphor and I think it’s a great song but I don’t think you can have a national anthem that has to be explained every time it’s sung. Plus, as you say, the religious connotation isn’t ideal.
@@glennaston2412 fair enough…we will respectfully differ!
F.Smith really got that backline going hey? I'm really not against F.Smth to 10 and Marcus to 15 now.
Bear in mind that Freeman went to 13 when Smith and Roebuck came on. You’ve got to think if Mitchell, Fin Smith and Furbank are there the chemistry and flow should be so much better in playmaking positions, although when injuries happen then it’ll be back to square one. Then throw Freeman at 13 and you’ve got a much more cohesive backline. Defensively though Northampton are the polar opposite and prefer to slow play through double tackles and RL style high shots (similar to OG saracens) and so it might not work as well that way. I do like the look of Lawrence Freeman midfield with a playmaking fullback.
Tim there was no positives from todays game.Japan were rubbish 13th in world.England could have played their under 20s team and still won.England are mess as you said.Nothing will change until the management change.England will keep plodding along into the six nations unfortunately.
Very much reminds me of how me played against Ireland, I just hope games like these don’t come in a blue moon
Some really nice commentary from Will Greenwood today that's worth taking a look at
In particular his analysis of Finn Smith at 10, and how he ignited the backline with quick passes and recycling. Centres looked more animated as they got more of the ball earlier.
Lots have said the 10 debate is over. I think it's just beginning.
Marcus starts, Finn finishes.
It’s not a hard debate.
Thanks for the great work Tim, as always.
I will never agree with you about Slade. I think you have a serious blind spot about him due to the odd pass and fancy kick. He doesn’t threaten the line, ever, and he’s always the one out of position in this defensive mess we are in.
Also think you can no longer offer Ford up as a “great”. Even in the World Cup he quickly faded after the excellent Argentina win.
I also don’t always agree with your evaluation of certain players. But I always enjoy your work.
With the England A game last week, it’s feels like we played Japan last so some of the A team players would get promoted into the main team. But because we hadn’t won a game this autumn yet, that plan went out the window
First scoring a try, then winning a scrum should always be celebrated💪💪
England need to hire an out and out attack coach and although I some what agree with the point of blooding new players but in a game like this u don’t learn anything from starting the likes of George Curry and Slade would have loved to have seen Lozoski Hill and Dan at least have a go and there lies my problem Borthwick is terrible with his bench selection and needs to get better
Willis and or Hill on the bench would make a big difference. Agree with you there.
Main thing that England need to fix is that defence. The number of tries they've gifted to teams this Autumn series is mainly down to defensive mistakes which should be easy to fix.
@tim - your hypothesis- play Japan first - is always valid (it’s always better to build into a series and get the opportunity). It doesn’t explain Englands your tour to New Zealand.
Well done England, they have come close a few times on this tour...but this was kind of what I expected. As a bok fan I reckon a bit of tweaking and England are right back in it.
Tim if you were watching harquuins, Bristol, Gloucester would you be surprised if at half time any off those clubs were 40 nill up or 40 nill down and the game was a draw . Great to watch, but is the premiership way off playing creeping into the England team. Attack all out and defence optional?
I've had the same thought! The Premiership doesn't look like "traditional english rugby". It's not Leicester and Wasps of the 2000s is it?! A great observation
I think the biggest issue re: age was the front row. Hopefully we’ve started to turn the corner on that
Agree with you. Marcus Smith has become a key defence player. If we get the defensive system right we will be a real force
Great video etc. but big question, where's the rascal jacket from Tim? Big fan
‘If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry Xmas’.
Fact is, we’ve lost 3 times to the ABs, a below par Australia and SA. How much money does the RFU have Vs any other nation..and what’s our ranking..
Jerusalem would be AMAZING as the national anthem! But, i still think La Marseiiles is the best anthem- with the most marshall lyrics- awesome
Marseilles is the GOAT of anthems in my opinion too.
I would be interested to see both Smiths playing together and alternating as 10 and 15 throughout the match. It would confuse the opposition.
Thank you for recognising Henry’s beautifully timed and floated passes. This was about the first opportunity he has had for years in an international shirt to actually make a pass.
With the ball he has had from other 10’s it was always negligible, as most of us recognise that the ball was always kicked away for our wingers to hopefully chase down to feed from scraps.
So yes, appart from those named Smith, by all means introduce all of those other double barrelled obviously English players to the team, it will be an interesting mix.
What’s with the fashion statement? Does any of that matter?
Oh yes our dour national anthem. How on Earth do we get lumbered with that, when we could surely pick from the Last Night of the Proms. Rule Britannia, or as you say Jerusalem. Those sort of tunes could get a guy excited before a match, similar to a Hakka.
Well done England . Can’t say we’re better than 4 games ago as we’ve lost three of them but some good performances in those defeats . Surely the emergence now of sleightholme should free up Tommy Lawrence to partner Olly Lawrence. Henry slade been very poor this Autumn. Great to see Fin Baxter and Fordjour together at last.
Agreed re order of fixtures, England looked very reserved and nervous/tense against ABs, after a performance like that im sure we would have seen them chuck the ball around and open up a lot more
More like it Tim! Let's have more of the bullish England support. #believeinSteve 💙🌹🏉
England played well you can talk about the standard of the opposition but in general England were pretty good in most aspects of the game and when you come up against a weaker team all you can do is put them away and thats what England did, they still have issues most noteably in their defence but they are making progress in most areas of the game.
Tim you are the best on your TH-cam.
I didn’t even turn on my TV
Why? 1. England had home advantage.
2. OMG England at 7 /8 playing a team at 13/14 in world standings. More like a training session for England
Now we have to read for the next decade the UK newspapers. ( I live in UK)
Ireland, France and Scotland must be looking forward to 6 Nations…
Well played England.
Irishman here. England aren't far off, played New Zealand 3 times, twice away from home, could have easily won all 3 tests. Gave South Africa a run for their money. Just momentary lapses cost them when it mattered. No one will be licking their lips next year expecting an easy win..
Good to hear that you are happy with the England mediocrity Tim.
It would be better for England not to play the British anthem and have Jerusalem instead.
It might also help with respect for the rest of the nations in Britain.
Its a funny one this, its a good win , with some really good rugby, but it doesnt make you feel any more optimistic going to the nations. Obviously because its japan, and they are as poor as ive ever seen them. But also because the same issues were there against much weaker opposition. I get people blaming the def system, but no defensive system works when you miss so many tackles, especially in the tight! Players need to be able to read and adjust in game, they seem to be defending set training ground plays and not necessarily whats happening in front of them. With that being said though, any system you have to make your tackles!
There are positives though we are blooding in young front rowers, we have top second row options, we're producing world class back rowers. Good options at 9, marcus as good a 10 as any team have! Exciting young wingers, options at 15. If e sort the 12/13 combo out, like tim says we're not a million miles away.
You are right. They play to ther SB "plan" not to the actual action.
Bravo, bon match 👏
This England team can mix it up with anyone. They just seem to have a mentality issue in the closing quarter of game. Could also be a fatigue/efficiency issue. I’d be quietly buzzing for this six nations as an English supporter.
Hey Tim, on Japan as a tier 1 situation. World rugby has very little choice in the matter. If they don't include them at the big table, they will have zero presence in the massive Asian market. So, from a fairness point of view, you're right, there are more deserving unions. From a business point of view, it would be insane.
Eddie calling a heckler a "clown" is the height of hypocrisy.
In other news, anyone else seen the video on another channel claiming that Japan are "THE next rugby superpower"? I had to double check if it was posted on April 1st.
As for anthem, 'God save our team" works for England though?
Nice to hear some support. We are close.
Close to failing again in the 6 Nations.
I think Sleighthome’s trim is called a “Florida Fat Back” 2025 gonna be stinkin’ of them.
Why does anyone want to play for England, no matter what they do they get caned by their supporters! England are not my favorite team but give them some time on the ball and they are going to be tough to beat!!
I just watched the official TH-cam highlights of the game. What is sadly clear from these snippets is that everything good we did in attack and the scores we created had at least one error in the build up / were built on what seemed to be training ground intensity against poor opposition.
Our fans cannot be reasoned with... When things are going well 'we're unbeatable', and we suffer a few losses then 'we're the worst team in the world'... Just chill out. Things are fine! We have some weaknesses and some strengths... We can beat anyone in the world on our day, and not one other international squad believes they can just show up and beat us. Get behind the team and just support the lads!
Happy for you.
If we'd played Japan first, we would have had more confidence?...Maybe...but if that last drop goal had gone over , we'd have started the Autumn series with a win over ABs.
England are NOT in some dire state. They need to change their defence. Either fix it or bin it. If they can do that before the start of 6Ns, they've got a good chance of winning.
I did criticize France not bringing a few first caps on against japan. it was Galthie´s chance to see how some youngsters could fit into the team. Case in point : Buros, who would then be brought on for his first cap against the All Blacks. Mind you, he did a good job, but why play Barre against Japan? It was good from Borthwick to plan the transition in a very balanced way, keeping experience while giving youngsters a chance. And that´s from someone who has criticize the age of many players in my previous comments. Glad to see Borthwick respond to that criticism.
Barre is 22 and has only played a few tests. Buros (i think) came in because he is the best aerial 15 in France and it was tactical for NZ. Barre arguably better counter attacking. So a bit plike Eng picking Steward for SA and Furbank for today.
The England team, before the newer faces, is an incredibly young team, but agree, 30 minutes of Opoku Fordjour and Roebuck is a positive.
Buros, credit to his honesty, said he was not at 100% due to a sore thigh.
@@EggchasersRugby yes, France expected NZ to play a very aerial game, so Buros was the better choice in that regard, which also forced NZ to play a passing game. I would agree England is a relatively young team, despite fielding many 30+ yos, like Jamie George, George Ford, Cowan-Dickie or even Maro Itoje. Even Genge is 29. These guys will most likely not be around for Aus 2027, and if, likely on the bench, so need to build the transition in these positions now, like SA, NZ and France are doing.
I could be wrong, but it seems to me there´s still an over-reliance on the older generation in the England squad (maybe for a lack of an alternative) compared to the depth France has. Ireland seems in a similar position as well.
If England get absolute and total forward dominance the attack looks better? Wow really!
Just out of curiosity in how many of the six nations matches are people expecting England to get compete and total unanswered forward dominance.
If England can ever build a try from their own half using good hands and running angles against a tier one team i will start to believe, but until then i still think putting a very good forwards coach (Borthwick) in total control of one of the top international sides is/was a mistake.
No team can play without a platform. Can't scrum, can't win. No lineout, no win. Even teams with great backlines need this. Northampton Saints only won Premiership when they sorted this. Doesn't matter the level or competition. A universal rugby truth.
The anthem that is enforced on us is the British Union anthem NOT the English Anthem. The British Union was only created in 1707. We are English. 🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴
Plus originally it was a French National Anthem!!
And it's an awful religious dirge. The lyrics are an insult, just god and king. I can't even listen to it...way past time it was ditched.
You are quite right. We have had an English anthem since 1931: "Land of Hope & Glory". Unfortunately the woke brigade got involved and decided that a church hymn, "Jerusalem" is a better option (it's a beautiful hymn, but another dirge, not a rousing anthem). Compare with La Marseillaise or the Russian anthem - two of the most rousing, ever.
Jerusalem stirs my bones. At Twickenham 15 minutes before the game it is a thing of beauty.
@robinguitar Well we are a Christian nation under a monarchy so it makes sense.
England anthem should just be Sweet Caroline
Hahaha. That would be AMAZING
No test rugby for 2 months.Not sure how I am going to survive without serious withdrawal symptons.Only Ire v Aus to come.
100%! Champions Cup in a couple of weeks. I HOPE that's good 🙏🏼
I think it’s clear Fin Smith should be Englands number 10. Not nearly that bad, but japan scored two easy tries against a poor defence.
They scored 2 tries against France and New Zealand too. I agree we have issues there BUT the margins are smaller than some are saying.
@@EggchasersRugbythey are better than some are saying, but they don’t seem to know how they want to play, thats a coaching problem.
As a Welsh fan, I truly wish we were in England’s position 😂
Honestly even tho England lost against nz South Africa and Australia people need to remember all those games we small margins of Los plus remember 4 of those losses were against South Africa and nz even then we could have won all of them so i totally agree with this video England isn't far away if England can sort these defence problems England will be a real contender in six nations as 5 narrow loses to the top 1 and 3 in the world is a step in right direction
Eddie Jones spoke well in the press conference afterwards. I have no idea why England fans give him such a hard time, it's pathetic. I think Japan played a lot better than the score would indicate. England lost control of the game for quite a bit of the second half, which is concerning. I suspect Japan, like Fiji, will be very hard to beat come the next world cup.
Honestly I love Marcus Smith He's a very gifted and overall most of Englands good stuff in these recent tests have come through him but I couldn't help notice that when Finn Smith came on there seemed to be way more structure, but thats just an observation. Also I really want to see Freeman at centre. The truth is England have run both the AB's and South africa close. Yes they have questions to ask about the manner in which they lost those games but give or take certain aspects of decision making that need to be addressed and a functioning bench, they havent been far away from the top teams. Obviously the australia game was an aberration but it's really not all doom and gloom at all
I haven't got the facts or figures to prove this BUT how many "tier 1" teams since the world cup have changed their entire back line (9-15). I think it's only England and Wales.
England have played well considering their inexperience. Wales and Englands changes over the past year have been fairly similar. Their forwards have stayed much the same but they have a completely new back line. So it's interesting to compare the two teams.
Never heard Jerusalem song, quickly listened to it, would be much better. Lovely song
Tim slighthome may have been exposed on defense but it was all because of slade. Glad Austin called it out too because slade always seems to get off with it from pundits
Great rugby players are all making dreadful calls - Slade, Freeman, Furbank, Genge, Cunningham South, Martin. When it's so prevalent across the team (and worked so well in July!) it MUST be system/coaching rather than personnel related. Surely? (I hope so because that can be changed)
@EggchasersRugby oh no doubt the system has failed. Finn Smith posses some great questions, we have some leathel runners but we haven't utilised them enough.
Slade more so than most, consistently exposing the rest of the backline.
Completely disagree here mate. Slade has taken so much heat this Autumn, much of it unwarranted. You can debate the pros and cons of the blitz but for the most part the big errors have come around the ruck CCS, Martin & Genge and on the edge from wingers / FBs like Sleightholme and Marcus that aren’t used to playing it. The system needs work for sure, but Slade hasn’t been the problem.
@@lucascarlisle9116 it's not unwarranted he isn't performing. Slade is used to this defence yet it's him constantly messing up. Non of them have been great but for me he's been the worst in the backs. I don't think we have the players for a blitz defence
You watch too much rugby mate...🤣🤣...great job on your podcasts 🙌🏻
You sound like my wife? haha
@@EggchasersRugbySorry dear 😂
It's good to see you smiling for a change but you are dreaming in technicolour regarding this game. This was the equivalent of a first team playing their school team, and they let in two tries and missed a number of opportunities. England have a long way to go to meet your expectations for the six nations.
France seem ok, no? Scored 1 fewer try and also conceded 2 to Japan?
..Both Freddie Steward and George Furbank are International Quality ..Can Mix / Match depending on Game Plan..
__________________
Sorry , no magic switch Tim , you just played a school boy team
Who's talking about magic switch?
All I've said is we're not as bad as some are saying. Issues to address but the sky is not falling in. You wouldn't know it from some of the things written amd said
@ just pulling your chain Tim 👋. Keep
Up the good work , and watch the Polar Express this Xmas 🤞
100% agree Tim, for the money and resources that have been pumped into Japanese rugby has been shocking. Instead help Samoa, Tonga, Georgia, Romania etc.
100 million people in japan. = money
There'll be very small margins between the top NH teams in the 6 nations and between the top SH teams next season too. Great for the sport, competitive as it should be.
International rugby is in a great place at the moment
I am one of those "Doom Mongers" you mentioned, Tim. As I can't find the enthusiasm for the team that you have, I shall simply leave a comment for the algorithm. 😊
I thoroughly appreciate it :)
@EggchasersRugby You, Sir, seem like a good man. As my friend from Uni - who comes from Manchester - used to say, Top Banana! 😎
I was really looking forward to the autumn series listening to Richie "rugby analyst"and your takes on it but by the end I was to flat to bother watching this one
Yes about the anthem changing to either Jerusalem or Land of Hope and glory. Every English person will then be singing. Get rid of the anthem singers as well. For the Six Nations I’d like to see(I know it won’t happen due to eligibility):
Baxter, Dan, Stuart,
Itoje, Martin,
T Hill, T Willis, J Willis
Mitchell, F Smith,
Hartley,Freeman,
Roebuck, Feyi-Waboso
Arundell
Bench: Rodd, Langdon, Fagosban, O Chessum,Earl, Porter, M Smith, Slightholme
Apart from lack of depth in the prop department, its mainly the top 2 inches with England. Quoting Tim Cocker, many times from the podcast.
100%.
One can be sorted quickly. One is going to take some time.
Well said Tim. Shore up that D somehow and I like where England are. They wouldn’t win a World Cup right now and not sure the 6N is possible next year but they are building. Despite what most of the media and part time rugby ‘fans’ say
Agree - 'not nearly as bad as it might seem'.........but......
> Wigglesworth is not adding much as attack coach.
> Lawrence is not true test class (notwithstanding his lovely skill for Sleightholme's try)
> Earl is getting found out (and his whopping and hollering for turnovers is a total embarrassment)
> Chessum will add to the mix at 4......Martin can drop to 19
> van Poorvliet ain't good enough
> the Smith-Smith combo is good - but only after 50-60
> Building some great strength in key areas..........except centre and prop
> Lastly, we can't possibly have our captain coming off at 47-mins.
You got it in one, should have played that game first, don’t understand the logic, in fact the Japan game was nothing to me. Roll on the six nations, my prediction, France 1st. Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Italy.
In less than 1000 words, give me a summary of the contribution made by Martin, C South, Curry, V Poortvliet and Slade. None of them has had a decent game this autumn. Earl, George and Lawrence have become too predictable. Above all, can you tell me anything about the mentality going into this game? 9 tries scored - 5 by forwards from short range. - what has that proved? Were we getting our own back after having been on the receiving end, three weeks running? Whatever Borthwick was trying to achieve during this campaign, he has signally failed - but I guarantee the same band of no-hopers will take the field against Ireland.
Lots of work to do. Lacking elite quality in a couple of positions...no argument from me there. "No-hopers", can't agree. Same group of players beat Ireland in March.