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#Post#: 144231--------------------------------------------------
Re: CCS off to Glos?
DIR By: Quinky
Date: October 29, 2025, 1:42 pm
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--- Quote from: TomBuckQuin link ---
>
> I know recruiting terrifying, man-eating South African locks
is way too much to ask for as a Quins fan.
>
--- End Quote ---
Remember that Herbst chap?
#Post#: 144233--------------------------------------------------
Re: CCS off to Glos?
DIR By: TomBuckQuin
Date: October 29, 2025, 2:04 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Quinky link ---
>
> Remember that Herbst chap?
>
--- End Quote ---
Was always incredibly solid and reliable for us - and sure, he
threw himself into tackles, but I wouldn't have described him as
"terrifying". Especially ball in hand.
#Post#: 144235--------------------------------------------------
Re: CCS off to Glos?
DIR By: Brown Bottle
Date: October 29, 2025, 2:29 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: TomBuckQuin link ---
>
> Was always incredibly solid and reliable for us - and sure, he
threw himself into tackles, but I wouldn't have described him as
"terrifying". Especially ball in hand.
>
--- End Quote ---
Scary beard, though.
#Post#: 144237--------------------------------------------------
Re: CCS off to Glos?
DIR By: Quinky
Date: October 29, 2025, 2:36 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: TomBuckQuin link ---
>
> Was always incredibly solid and reliable for us - and sure, he
threw himself into tackles, but I wouldn't have described him as
"terrifying". Especially ball in hand.
>
--- End Quote ---
I'd rather you try to stop him than me! 😁
(Bearing in mind I was an incredibly muscular and robust fly
half 😉 )
#Post#: 144240--------------------------------------------------
Re: CCS off to Glos?
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: October 30, 2025, 1:59 am
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Nurse! Nurse! He has forgotten his Meds again!...
#Post#: 144241--------------------------------------------------
Re: CCS off to Glos?
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: October 30, 2025, 2:41 am
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Irne was definitely terrifying!
I randomly watched a highlights video of that last second loss
to Australia from last year and had forgotten that CCS scored
twice and looked extremely powerful.
Also Marcus set up multiple tries with awesome skills, kicked
some difficult conversions and penalties, and got roasted for
the crime of tackling his man when shunted to 15 at the end when
it was very very obvious that Sleightholme had completely messed
up and left him with no alternative
Not bitter or anything
#Post#: 144244--------------------------------------------------
Re: CCS off to Glos?
DIR By: poorfour
Date: October 30, 2025, 3:48 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
>
> Irne was definitely terrifying!
>
> I randomly watched a highlights video of that last second loss
to Australia from last year and had forgotten that CCS scored
twice and looked extremely powerful.
>
> Also Marcus set up multiple tries with awesome skills, kicked
some difficult conversions and penalties, and got roasted for
the crime of tackling his man when shunted to 15 at the end when
it was very very obvious that Sleightholme had completely messed
up and left him with no alternative
>
> Not bitter or anythingime
>
--- End Quote ---
Well, quite. It seems that Marcus carries the can for all of
England's faults during the time between Eddie losing the plot
(or more accurately, failing to communicate it to his players)
and Furbank getting injured, when the worst things you can say
about his individual performances are that he missed the same
number of kicks as McKenzie at Eden Park, he occasionally tried
things that weren't on when the rest of the squad weren't giving
him options and he got flattened by much bigger runners at speed
on occasion.
No-one else is to blame, obvs.
#Post#: 144245--------------------------------------------------
Re: CCS off to Glos?
DIR By: Rugbycat
Date: October 30, 2025, 4:57 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: poorfour link ---
>
> Well, quite. It seems that Marcus carries the can for all of
England's faults during the time between Eddie losing the plot
(or more accurately, failing to communicate it to his players)
and Furbank getting injured, when the worst things you can say
about his individual performances are that he missed the same
number of kicks as McKenzie at Eden Park, he occasionally tried
things that weren't on when the rest of the squad weren't giving
him options and he got flattened by much bigger runners at speed
on occasion.
>
> No-one else is to blame, obvs.
>
--- End Quote ---
The media view of him is interesting, and in particular the
selection for the AI. they seem to forget he was our best player
in last years AI's and was selected for the Lions.
Ford did not cover himself in glory in the last years AI's and
was not selected for the Lions, but a tour against a weakened
Argentina side, which was more about a change in Englands
playing style than any one player has seemed to make him first
choice.
Ford was selected for the summer tour because there was no one
else, and would not have been first choice to play that type of
game if one or both Smiths were available.
But none of this is really being written or spoken about in the
press.
#Post#: 144246--------------------------------------------------
Re: CCS off to Glos?
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: October 30, 2025, 5:50 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Ford at his best is an incredible 10 and the best game
controller the English game has produced.
What's interesting to me is the blithe assumption that his form
is so much better than Marcus's. It was very noticeable to me
that he escaped any criticism for what was a terrible showing
against Saracens - especially (but not solely) in defence where
I was shocked by how slow, ineffectual, and exposed he was in
the backfield. His kicking game backfired massively and they
didn't change their approach at all.
Against Tigers he was repeatedly put under pressure very
successfully, which can happen to anyone, but then at the end he
also did the classic Ford thing of deciding the best way to win
a game from behind was to kick the ball to the opposition with
only a couple of minutes left after having possession on
halfway. Tigers won because he gave them the ball back for them
to do what they wanted, which was ultimately to put in a much
better kick, force an error, and kill the rest of the time with
the scrum.
Ford kicking to destruction cost England a decent number of
matches, and while I believe it's a consequence of Eddie Jones
primarily, it is something that Ford has continued to do since
then at times. We saw Marcus alter his approach for Quins after
his England experiences.
Anyway, the ledger for Ford this season vs Marcus is an
interesting thing to consider. Ford had a very bad game against
Saracens and a mixed-but-positive one against Tigers, similar
against Bath (some big defensive errors in that one and some
shonky kicks!), and frankly I have no idea abotu Sale's other
matches. Marcus has played three, one where he was absolutely
outstanding in implementing an innovative and devastating
kicking game to beat Saracens, one where he was awful in a team
meltdown against Exeter, and then another great display against
Falcons.
Ford wasn't quite as bad as the Exeter-Marcus against Saracens
but he was in the ballpark. Reading online opinions and media
you'd think he was producing peerless performances while Marcus
struggles to pass a rugby ball, and it's really not that simple.
It's ironic because Ford is benefiting from the laser focus on
Marcus right now in the same way the Ford suffered from the
Farrell obsession. Every Ford missed tackle or missed kick was
evidence of his fallability. Now when he's actually making a
decent number of defensive howlers and looking shaky, or making
some tactical blunders, he does enough good stuff that it's
largely described as being "red hot form".
Funny old world.
#Post#: 144259--------------------------------------------------
Re: CCS off to Glos?
DIR By: Rugbycat
Date: October 30, 2025, 9:43 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
>
> Ford at his best is an incredible 10 and the best game
controller the English game has produced.
>
> What's interesting to me is the blithe assumption that his
form is so much better than Marcus's. It was very noticeable to
me that he escaped any criticism for what was a terrible showing
against Saracens - especially (but not solely) in defence where
I was shocked by how slow, ineffectual, and exposed he was in
the backfield. His kicking game backfired massively and they
didn't change their approach at all.
>
> Against Tigers he was repeatedly put under pressure very
successfully, which can happen to anyone, but then at the end he
also did the classic Ford thing of deciding the best way to win
a game from behind was to kick the ball to the opposition with
only a couple of minutes left after having possession on
halfway. Tigers won because he gave them the ball back for them
to do what they wanted, which was ultimately to put in a much
better kick, force an error, and kill the rest of the time with
the scrum.
>
> Ford kicking to destruction cost England a decent number of
matches, and while I believe it's a consequence of Eddie Jones
primarily, it is something that Ford has continued to do since
then at times. We saw Marcus alter his approach for Quins after
his England experiences.
>
> Anyway, the ledger for Ford this season vs Marcus is an
interesting thing to consider. Ford had a very bad game against
Saracens and a mixed-but-positive one against Tigers, similar
against Bath (some big defensive errors in that one and some
shonky kicks!), and frankly I have no idea abotu Sale's other
matches. Marcus has played three, one where he was absolutely
outstanding in implementing an innovative and devastating
kicking game to beat Saracens, one where he was awful in a team
meltdown against Exeter, and then another great display against
Falcons.
>
> Ford wasn't quite as bad as the Exeter-Marcus against Saracens
but he was in the ballpark. Reading online opinions and media
you'd think he was producing peerless performances while Marcus
struggles to pass a rugby ball, and it's really not that simple.
>
> It's ironic because Ford is benefiting from the laser focus on
Marcus right now in the same way the Ford suffered from the
Farrell obsession. Every Ford missed tackle or missed kick was
evidence of his fallability. Now when he's actually making a
decent number of defensive howlers and looking shaky, or making
some tactical blunders, he does enough good stuff that it's
largely described as being "red hot form".
>
> Funny old world.
>
--- End Quote ---
Don't disagree but Ford really struggles when the pack is
retreating, which is true of most 10's but he seems to fall into
panic kicking self destruct default mode.
And his defence and pace seems to going in the wrong direction,
i just think the smiths offer more variety.
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