Chances at Twickers??

**joeSoap** · 02/03/2004, 8:29 PM

I know people will laugh at me, and I'll probably be proven wrong here....again...but I think we have a squeak of a chance on Saturday. England have a few injuries, no Johnson or Wilkinson, and bucketloads of their usual arrogance.
We have been given no chance, absolutely none. We are huge underdogs. Nobody goes to the home of the 'Sweet Chariot' these days and gets a result. Looking at it man for man though, I think we'll hold our own in the front row, easily have the better second row, and only slightly inferior back row. This in my book gives us the advantage up front, and we should be able to deprive them of the type of quality ball they're used to. I think we're pretty equal at half back, but O'Driscoll apart, they fairly kill us with their back three and Robinson.
I think if we keep it tight for the first hour, they might just panic, and we could have a big chance in the last 20.

Or am I just being an optimistic fool???

**adamcarr** · 02/03/2004, 8:39 PM

Well thank god wilkinson is out. England have to be the most boring team in the world. They just give the ball to johnie and never risk going for a try. C'MON IRELAND

**Footie_Fan** · 02/03/2004, 10:32 PM

I'm reasonably optimistic. If we can utilise our centres and keep the ball away from their sensational back three we have a chance. Ronan will have to keep the ball in hand as kicking to likes of Robinson is asking for problems. England's back row is also significantly superior.

Hopefully we go there and try to play a tight but positive game. O'Driscoll and D'Arcy need a repeat of Wales, if not more.

**S�C** · 03/03/2004, 9:04 AM

Robinson is playing in the centre so O'Driscoll should have him "marked" to an extent.

My worries are our back three too. Although they are all decent in defence but we wont get much going forward from them. Once all our players are fit all three would be dropped. A 2nd string against England just wont be good enough Im afraid.

I think we could beat them but it would involve playing exactly opposite to the way we played them last year. We'll have to bring them down to our level, into a scrap because in the forwards we have them.

**brendy_�ire** · 03/03/2004, 9:08 AM

I can't see us winning at all to be honest. I think the best we can hope for is a respectable loss. England might have a few injuries, but they have a massive squad to choose from.
Don't imagine we have much of a chance, but here's hoping.

**wws** · 03/03/2004, 11:28 AM

I think we'll lose 6-0

two Dallaglio Hat tricks

**tiktok** · 03/03/2004, 12:27 PM

probably won't win, but given the circumtances it's the best chance we've had in Twickenham in years. Can't see us breaking through their defence very often, we'll need O'Gara on top form to have a proper shot at them.

**eoinh** · 03/03/2004, 12:29 PM

When i say the title for the thread - "Chances at Twickers?? " I thought that you would be talking about a board game like scrabble!
What a let down.

**S�C** · 08/03/2004, 9:05 AM

Joe Soap calls it right.

The other thread has been taken up with the status of rugby etc so I'll post here.

We did exactly what we needed to do. The exact thing we needed to do last year. High balls to a weak full back and we made total sh�t of their line-out. O'Connell and O'Kelly were unreal.

O'Gara played a blinder. He had poor old Lucey and Balshaw in a twist.

As expected our forwards gave us the platform. Byrne did very well. The back row are animals, total animals, Axel Foley showed again what a poor decision it was to drop him in the world cup.

As a for Stringer; f�ck me, how he caught up with Robinson and then (AGAIN) saved us with an ankle tap summed up the match for me.

I was in a pub in Cardiff full of English Rugby fans. All very gracious in defeat. As were their TV pundits (for the most part). Fair play to them for taking it well.