7 Nov: Second Test - England v New Zealand (Olympic Stadium) - Match Thread

[chuffer]

Just don't mess with the England team selection!

 

Disagree....it'd be nice if we had two centres playing for a start. Bateman can move to the pack (if he has to start off the bench then so beit)

 

I'd also give another half-back a run out instead of Widdop. 

[flyingking]

Best parking is in the Westfield Centre https://uk.westfield.com/stratfordcity/centre-info/getting-here

For those coming down by train from the North or Midlands make your way to St Pancras and catch the train from platforms 11-13 to Stratford International.

To get to St Pancras from Euston, go to the road in front of the bus station and turn left into Euston Road (St Pancras church will be on your right hand side), and walk for 10 minutes, turning left by Burger King

From Kings Cross take the exits on the left hand side facing the giant departure board and shops and cross over the road.

East Midlands arrivals at St Pancras, come down the escalator, make a U turn, go right and look for the escalators behind Starbucks.

 

The fanzone will be located on the right hand side of the Aquatics Centre as you look towards the Stadium

[Griff9of13]

Disagree....it'd be nice if we had two centres playing for a start. Bateman can move to the pack (if he has to start off the bench then so beit)

I'd also give another half-back a run out instead of Widdop.

Noooooooooooooooooo

It's a winning team, leave it that way FFS.

[CiderWire]

Bateman, although a darn fine player, didn't do it for me in the centres. He didn't seem to run with his head up, looking for a gap or support inside or on the wing. He ran like a 2nd rower. Yet Im not sure that I'd switch him to the pack so I'd like to see Cudjoe given a go as well as Westwood.

We had them matched down the middle so I think Kearney will test our flanks moreso in the second test so maybe pick specialist centres to play in the centre? I'd like to see McGilvary on for Burgess too. We never utilised our backs to create any chances so nothing can really be drawn from the first test in that respect. So, do we play to the same strengths and pattern or mix it up to keep them guessing?

Who'd be Steve Mac right now?

[Futtocks]

Bateman, although a darn fine player, didn't do it for me in the centres. He didn't seem to run with his head up, looking for a gap or support inside or on the wing. He ran like a 2nd rower. Yet Im not sure that I'd switch him to the pack so I'd like to see Cudjoe given a go as well as Westwood.

We had them matched down the middle so I think Kearney will test our flanks moreso in the second test so maybe pick specialist centres to play in the centre? I'd like to see McGilvary on for Burgess too. We never utilised our backs to create any chances so nothing can really be drawn from the first test in that respect. So, do we play to the same strengths and pattern or mix it up to keep them guessing?

Who'd be Steve Mac right now?

I think yesterday's style of game would have seen McGilvary get very little quality ball, just like Burgess. Very hard to judge Joe's performance when we mainly won it up the middle.

[chuffer]

Noooooooooooooooooo

It's a winning team, leave it that way FFS.

Just because we won doesn't mean we cant play better, be more cohesive etc

[CiderWire]

I think yesterday's style of game would have seen McGilvary get very little quality ball, just like Burgess. Very hard to judge Joe's performance when we mainly won it up the middle.

Agreed, so maybe McGilvary is the type of winger who not only offers pace on the outside but, like Hall, can be a battering ram up the middle too..........especially if they make him angry!

[Mushy]

I must have seen a different game to some of the people on here. Thought Widdop played pretty well actually, handling the ball loads to help Williams settle in. And Bateman did shed loads of work when we needed it without being spectacular. I don't buy into the 'give someone else a go, they must be better' calls given (for example) how poor I think Cudjoe has generally been this year particularly. And to be honest I don't mind a player or two playing in their second position (not out of position as some call it) - if it's good enough for NZ and Aus for years with plenty of centres and halves it came be all bad.

But back onto the main part of this thread, I'd maybe only consider getting a fresh body or two into the pack rotation and hopefully we can come home for a series win against the best team in the world. England by 6 for me.

[Old Frightful]

Not bothered of we win or not just as long as there's a good atmosphere, no Mexican waves, and no bleeders standing up during the game.

Oh, and no moaners.

[Futtocks]

Traffic jams defeat the Kiwis' team bus on the way to their hotel. If that had been the All Blacks, Radio 5 would have run a 10-minute feature on it...  

 

[JoneslessBishop]

Fan park details High Peak:

https://theta.ecommzone.com/lz/RFL/00ASBS/06395ad345f01cc636bedbfa3563a41f07/story2.htm

[Maximus Decimus]

But the last 3 wins for NZ over Aus were 30-12, 22-20 and 26-12 (all in last 12 months). Two with decent margins (12+) and 3 consecutive wins in total over No.1 ranked nation.

 

However you work it out, if you've beaten a side 3 times in a row and convincingly in two of them then it's pretty fair to say that you are better than that team. 

[SouthernRLfan]

Coming up from Portsmouth for this, managed to talk 3 RU friends into coming along and they are excited for it. Should be a cracking day!

[JohnM]

Just because we won doesn't mean we cant play better, be more cohesive etc

or that we cant play worse if we change things because this forum thinks so

[arcticchris]

Bateman did not get Hall into any space but in this instance I would praise the high calibre defensive performance from Dean Whare.

The only change I would look at is swapping the flanks our wings are on as the power game of hall is as easy to use from both wings and the speed and passing game of burgess is best used on his preferred wing.

[Dunbar]

I wouldn't swap the halves but maybe a switch in the outside backs. Personally I think McGilvary would provide more coming away from his own line that Burgess (as we saw from Hall) without losing anything in attack.

I would probably keep Bateman but Cudjoe has dine little wrong when playing for his country.

I suspect McNamara will keep the same 17 and I would not argue with that.

[Brigg Rover]

Have to say being live at the game our edge with Williams, Whitehead and Burgess looked completely at sea defensively. Very lucky to have the try "chalked off" as Williams had a very bad read and was then lazy to get off the dummy runner. Burgess looked totally lost and even kept getting in the way on attack at times. 

Whitehead was a lot better in the Second half when he was moved further in field. Williams improved a lot after he gave the pass to Ferres for the 2nd try, he seemed to get more confidence.

If we run the same team as Sunday expect RTS and co to be coming after our right side a hell of a lot, and I don't think we will get out of jail again.

[Scubby]

Great guardian feature with Tom Burgess. He was immense on Sunday and really stood up with some massive carries. Very insightful piece.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/02/thomas-burgess-sam-burgess-brothers-england-new-zealand-russell-crowe?CMP=share_btn_tw

[Harrigan]

That block from 64 (or 84, couldn't see) though!! That made the whole play! Destroyed the defensive player and opened up he big lane. Out of all that, he would have got the most praise from the coaching staff!

[Monkeydo]

That block from 64 (or 84, couldn't see) though!! That made the whole play! Destroyed the defensive player and opened up he big lane. Out of all that, he would have got the most praise from the coaching staff!

????

[mt smart]

Of the two sides I would say the Kiwis have the most improvement potential.

Its not bias to say that. I'm not talking about some improvement as a collective (the halves situation casts doubts over whether its even possible for the Kiwis to have better team play).

What I'm looking at is the individual lapses in ball handling....especially unforced errors.Credit to England, they created the pressure that saw forced errors generated, but the unforced stuff is an area where NZ will have more scpoe to make improvement.

The same is true of New Zealand's ill discipline, again they have more scope to improve and aim for the consistency that their opponents displayed.

Should they achieve thier goals in those key areas, we will see a very different contest.The Kiwis saw very little ball in the second half as much by their own design as by England's excellent, merciless,eighty minute close out of the contest.

I have England as favorites, clear favorites in fact, based on them being deserving of that position leading into the series.Historically they have always given the Kiwis a hard time....irrespective of whether or not the Kiwis field their preferred halves.

Stephen Kearney has a solid record of being able to make gains in series/tournamens...any Australian league Authority will tell you that....the Kiwis improve over a course of games (the same will be true of England) but focussing on the kiwi point of veiw...you should expect a tougher game this time around.

If the Kiwis lose this, it will be interesting to see England's attitude to game three.

There were periods in that last test where the Kiwis tried to lift, England's defence stamped out any fight back.

No sour grapes from me folks, I genuinely feel even this version of the Kiwis is much better than that....while acknowledging that when we did play well, England still had the ability to dig in and go with the Kiwis...without much fuss.

[Steve Fox]

????

Looks like a stray NFL post.

But that was a great NFL block for the disallowed try. Just a pity they're not allowed in RL.

[MrPosh]

I'm driving down early on Saturday morning. Does anyone have any ideas where the best olace to park would be?

 

There is plenty of parking at Westfield, but remember that 45,000 people at the stadium is small beer compared to an average shopping day there, so it's likely to be extremely busy.

 

Another option would be Redbridge Tube station - a few hundred yards from the bottom of the M11 and straight into Stratford on the Central Line.

[Harrigan]

????

So this is where that post went!

I was confused when I went back on the thread I meant to post it on and there was nothing there

[Scubby]

Hiku is a massive game at 6 for the Kiwis. Not only is he a novice getting a team around the park but he was heavily spotted in defence and will be again.