The attacking play was so dreadful it was untrue. A RL cut-out pass is quick and hits the winger on the run. A cut-out pass from England in the World Cup was just lobbed into the air and the winger stood still waiting for it and then tried to run. It was dreadful.

10 yards....less chance of an intercept. That said, Englands Union team were a shambles.......a laughing stock who got more press off the field than on it.
2015 Could be interesting if they get a group with the Argies and Scotland again.....both could stop them making the Quarters...

And i'll bet its done the sport or the players no harm at all.

Attack from deep then

Sport....TV figures are way down on 2003 for the group and QF matches....ITV have the rights to 2015, but after that, will they be prepared to fork out again?
Players? Sponsors won't be rushing to sign this lot up a la Johnny post 2003..........although with the amount of penalties he missed in 2011 Pizza Hut might give him a tug

I would imagine a few of the sponsors will be re-evaluating their current and future deals. RFU belatedly have stated after an internal enquiry takes places the guilty players maybe disciplined.

give it 6 months to all settle down and all will be forgiven and forgotten.the coach will probably step down because he's taken them as far as he can,one or two players will retire and write books about it all.
Once the 5 nations comes round the hysteria with all the tv stations and the written media ill start again.
Did bloodgate do any harm?.

[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/oct/14/english-clubs-attack-rfu?cat=sport&type=articleIt's amazing how one tournament can shed light on just how rancid a sport can be.[/url

has somebody dropped out ? - hopefully the english......

I thought I'd give it a try on 17 mins. A cracking tackle from a Welsh bloke led him to being sent off. Otherwise nothing to report. It took until 23 mins for more than 2 passes in a passage of play. Now France seem intent to win by pushing Wales back to their line in a scrum or maul. They have no idea how to make the extra man work in open play. It is like watching the schoolkids at half time in RL where each kid takes a turn trying to barge over. A French bloke has just tried a drop goal from about half way despite the advantage. A Mexican wave has started which sums up the fare.

France won, but I can't even remember them once attempting to score a try

So I woke up just as 2nd half started. Thought I would give it a go and god damn that was torture.

That was a horrible game to watch.

how is it possible for an international team to play consistently badly,be completely clueless and absolutely inept and still make a world championship final ?

saying that,rather reluctantly : ALLEZ LES BLEUS !

bad luck Wales - you deserved better...

Terible decision by the ref to send of the Welsh Captain.

A very good tackle that just went a bit too far on the follow through. In RL it would have been a penalty and that was it.

A red card was a joke even the pundits were saying it should have been a yellow. It should have been neither a complete joke.

Is RU becoming a non contact sport!

It did just remind me of a kids half time game. Instead of a PTB there is a mawl, the half back picks up the ball & passes to the biggest player standing close by who, for a split second, thinks 'what do I do?' before driving it 2 metres forward. At least in kids rugby they don't waste that split second deciding what to do. For the first 10 minutes I watched I bet there were more errors than 80 minutes of last weeks' GF in pouring rain.

I'm copying+pasting these comments to Union supporting mates, if you don't mind?



You are spot on.

Was lying in bed and turned on the coverage and saw the build up... lots of talk about how it was such an occasion and it will be a great game etc etc

Then the Welsh kicked off, a Frenchman caught the ball and promptly kicked it straight into touch. That 5 seconds summed up Rugby Union for me... a hugely frustrating game to watch and so negative in its laws and tactics

There was a point at the end when wales did this for like 25 phases. Going nowhere at all!

where they just trying to play for a penalty as it made no sense to me. The rules in Union just allow negativity to win matches.

Not entertaining to watch at all!

That Welsh game was the best advert for Rugby League for a very long while.

No wonder Shaun Edwards has shaved his head otherwise he'd be tearing his hair out at those muppets in a Welsh shirt.Not a move in them and no one had a clue.

Didn't any of them think of a drop goal? Probably not!

People moan and complain yet they still watch. When the RFU/IRB come to negotiate the next tv deal they should right letters of thanks to all the rugby league fans who helped push up the viewing figures.
Do you think union fans will return the gesture on 2013?

Dunno, looked a bit of a bottle job from Jones they had a few phases of play bang in front of the posts where he could have nailed it from about 20 yards out, but he never 'dropped into the pocket' - brave plucky etc, but brainfarted themselves out of a world cup final

Final is a no lose for me, really don't want this french side to win, but if the all blacks choke it will be funny as too.

I am far from being a union hater, but totally agree with the point about the comparison with last weeks GF, made the point a few times at work this week, no comparison in terms of skill and excitement, and willingness to try and score tries, England were awful last week, France are like a pragmatic old england team, play by numbers and scrap through

Please do. I consider it missionary work.

The 23 minutes I watched will suffice for 3 years. I watched some of the Tory conference, it doesn't mean I will be voting for them.

Harsh by the ref.
He should have taken a moment to consider his decision and it's implications and swatted the baying French out of his face first.
If after that he thought it was a sending off, he would have had a bit more credibility.
Still harsh though.
Spoiled the game and handed it to the French.
Games like this should be won by the better side free from controversial decisions.

I watched the 1st half and turned it off. Boring!!!

The main issue with Union the ability to win games by making few mistakes and kicking goals. It was the same 4 years ago and the same today.

I can watch the All Blacks but then again I saw them last week v Argentina and that was poor as well.

It seems that whenever I watch the Union world cup knock out stages I'm bored less with the lack of adventure and actual risk taking by the sides involved. I have no problem accepting that an open Union game can be great to watch however these games at the highest level are so damn rare.

I dont understand the constant pass 2 metres then a guy goes into contact, the team rucks and does the same thing over and over again. Each to there own and Union fans obviously love it but it just does nothing for me.


Is that before of after they tell us 1 billion people watched it.