6 Nations

[westred1]

Italy v England 12.30

City v Swindon 3pm

France v Ireland 5pm

 

 

I think I'll just about get the first and third in around playing rugby!

[MichaelRobartes]

I think I'll just about get the first and third in around playing rugby!

 

Good man Lewis. G'wan Ireland!

[Red-Robbo]

Hate hearing that dismal God Save The Queen sung:

A) It's not "England's" anthem

B) It's not about England at all

C) It's a dirge

[chipdawg]

Hate hearing that dismal God Save The Queen sung:

A) It's not "England's" anthem

B) It's not about England at all

C) It's a dirge

Wholeheartedly agree

[Lrrr]

Congratulations to Ireland and a great send off for B.O'D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wonder how much Dussain was paid to miss that kick and how much the player was paid to pass the ball forwards..... 

[MichaelRobartes]

Congratulations to Ireland and a great send off for B.O'D

Wonder how much Dussain was paid to miss that kick and how much the player was paid to pass the ball forwards.....

Money well spent! G'wan Ireland. Did our best to balls it up but feels good now.

[Super]

Certainly the luck of the Irish today.

[Lrrr]

Thankfully looked like Sexton was alright as he was walking around at the end, that looked nasty as he was out before he hit the floor

[MichaelRobartes]

Certainly the luck of the Irish today.

We deserved a bit of luck after all the near misses over the years, several of them in Paris! Definite forward pass though I felt we were lucky that we weren't penalised at the last scrum. Scored three good tries and won the game. Perfect.

[Super]

It was definately forward but a truly shocking pass when it was certain to be a try.

[MichaelRobartes]

It was definately forward but a truly shocking pass when it was certain to be a try.

Almost as shocking as Kearney's garryowen to gift them the ball back.

[Northern Red]

To be fair that 2nd French try was a knock on near the foot of the post, not seen as the ref gave the try without going to a replay.

[Welcome To The Jungle]

Ireland were the best team at this 6 nations (although only just). Looking back to the rambling rage at which I started this thread it seems all the more potent. England should have been grand slam winners, but then that in itself would have been unfair to the Irish.

[MichaelRobartes]

To be fair that 2nd French try was a knock on near the foot of the post, not seen as the ref gave the try without going to a replay.

True but as Brian Moore said they may have scored from the resulting penalty and we may even have ended up with a man in the bin.

[WTFiGO!?!]

Being a 3/16th Irish, I was happy enough to see the Irish win. General consensus is people are happy for BOD.

World Cup is the test for England, now. No 2002/03 though, is it?

[Rob k]

England only have themselves to blame they did not win it!

However they will be very positive moving forward.

[Super]

England only have themselves to blame they did not win it!

However they will be very positive moving forward.

I agree. Fair play to Ireland but England threw that away in Paris.

[chipdawg]

We deserved a bit of luck after all the near misses over the years, several of them in Paris! Definite forward pass though I felt we were lucky that we weren't penalised at the last scrum. Scored three good tries and won the game. Perfect.

I have no idea how France didn't get a penalty at that last scrum! Steve Walsh refereed the whole game in a manner that could only be described as 'arbitrary' and I guess he'd decided there would be no more penalties! I think Ireland had perhaps been marginally the better team up to the last weekend, but they were poor against France and rode their luck, so maybe in the end England were the best team this year (of course they only had themselves to blame for not winning!). However, wouldn't deny BOD having that kind of send off so hats off

[MichaelRobartes]

I have no idea how France didn't get a penalty at that last scrum! Steve Walsh refereed the whole game in a manner that could only be described as 'arbitrary' and I guess he'd decided there would be no more penalties! I think Ireland had perhaps been marginally the better team up to the last weekend, but they were poor against France and rode their luck, so maybe in the end England were the best team this year (of course they only had themselves to blame for not winning!). However, wouldn't deny BOD having that kind of send off so hats off

Classic Walsh.

I wouldn't say that we were poor, after all we scored three excellent tries and if Sexton had brought his kicking boots it would have been comfortable enough. For me Murray was the best player on the pitch and departed for the average Reddan way too early. Joe having the Leinster reserve front row on the bench rather than guys who play regularly didn't help at scrum time. Until the changes we were dominant there.

Sure we had a bit of luck and made it hard for ourselves but we scored 3 tries to their 2 and don't forget how crap our record is in Paris.

[Portland Bill]

England only have themselves to blame they did not win it!

However they will be very positive moving forward.

Next 3 games, away to the All Blacks!

[chipdawg]

Classic Walsh.

I wouldn't say that we were poor, after all we scored three excellent tries and if Sexton had brought his kicking boots it would have been comfortable enough. For me Murray was the best player on the pitch and departed for the average Reddan way too early. Joe having the Leinster reserve front row on the bench rather than guys who play regularly didn't help at scrum time. Until the changes we were dominant there.

Sure we had a bit of luck and made it hard for ourselves but we scored 3 tries to their 2 and don't forget how crap our record is in Paris.

Poor is maybe a bit harsh; the tries were pretty excellent and initially the scrum functioned well, but it was inconsistent. There'd be a spell where another Irish score looked inevitable and then all of a sudden you'd be on the back foot and making mistakes. I have to say though, I thought you might have felt the pressure and that showed, but Ireland did what they had to do. Shame England couldn't have scored a couple more tries against Italy and really put the pressure on!

[MichaelRobartes]

Poor is maybe a bit harsh; the tries were pretty excellent and initially the scrum functioned well, but it was inconsistent. There'd be a spell where another Irish score looked inevitable and then all of a sudden you'd be on the back foot and making mistakes. I have to say though, I thought you might have felt the pressure and that showed, but Ireland did what they had to do. Shame England couldn't have scored a couple more tries against Italy and really put the pressure on!

 

There were one or two dodgy scrums but I feel that we had the upper hand there until the subs. It's pretty strange that guys like McGrath and Moore get onto the Ireland bench ahead of guys like Kilcoyne and Archer who play regular Heineken Cup rugby but there you go. In the end it didn't matter and we won but hopefully Joe will broaden his horizons a bit and realise that there are Irish guys playing good rugby outside of Leinster, we'd be a better team for it. We'd usually crack under the pressure in Paris, which is weird when you consider that the likes of Munster and Leinster win in France pretty regularly but test match rugby is a totally different kettle of fish. Wondering why France always turn it on against us though, that was probably a better all round performance from then than against England!

 

I think England stuffed themselves a bit. They were looking to throw the ball around before they'd bashed it up the middle a bit and gained the upper hand up front and it resulted in a very disjointed and scrappy first half hour which yielded few scores. If they'd done the basics first and then gone for tries then who knows...

[chipdawg]

There were one or two dodgy scrums but I feel that we had the upper hand there until the subs. It's pretty strange that guys like McGrath and Moore get onto the Ireland bench ahead of guys like Kilcoyne and Archer who play regular Heineken Cup rugby but there you go. In the end it didn't matter and we won but hopefully Joe will broaden his horizons a bit and realise that there are Irish guys playing good rugby outside of Leinster, we'd be a better team for it. We'd usually crack under the pressure in Paris, which is weird when you consider that the likes of Munster and Leinster win in France pretty regularly but test match rugby is a totally different kettle of fish. Wondering why France always turn it on against us though, that was probably a better all round performance from then than against England!

I think England stuffed themselves a bit. They were looking to throw the ball around before they'd bashed it up the middle a bit and gained the upper hand up front and it resulted in a very disjointed and scrappy first half hour which yielded few scores. If they'd done the basics first and then gone for tries then who knows...

Front row depth has been a problem for Ireland for a while though. I think the improvement that's been obvious since Schmidt came in has been obvious and if that continues then you could definitely have a chance of doing some damage at the World Cup. But I think new depth has to be discovered first and I agree that looking outside of Leinster is probably the way forward. Perhaps even looking to naturalise some players in the way England and Wales have

The problem with that approach is that I think that plays to Italy's strengths. I think the accelerator could have been pushed a little earlier though and it's refreshing to see an England team chuck the ball about for a change, because it's been a while since that's happened!

[MichaelRobartes]

Front row depth has been a problem for Ireland for a while though. I think the improvement that's been obvious since Schmidt came in has been obvious and if that continues then you could definitely have a chance of doing some damage at the World Cup. But I think new depth has to be discovered first and I agree that looking outside of Leinster is probably the way forward. Perhaps even looking to naturalise some players in the way England and Wales have

The problem with that approach is that I think that plays to Italy's strengths. I think the accelerator could have been pushed a little earlier though and it's refreshing to see an England team chuck the ball about for a change, because it's been a while since that's happened!

 

It has, but we are getting some genuinely good prospects through across the three main provinces. Obviously I'm delighted that we've won but with my Munster hat on it's very frustrating to see guys who are Heineken starters behind guys who are at best benching in that competition. Healy Cronin and Ross got mashed by our (all Irish) front row the last time we met so I can't help but feeling sorry for our lads who are effectively told that they're not even as good as their second choice front row. Tommy O'Donnell should be benching ahead of the likes of Ruddock and Murphy, though all three are good players. In fairness we've won the championship and Joe's selections have been vindicated but that is still a disappointment. I don't think that we need to look to naturalise players and to be honest I'd sooner that we didn't. We've Strauss who has been capped recently but I'm struggling to think of others, bar Tom Court. Possibly Tuohy and McCarthy, but I don't know the story with their families.

 

I don't mean that they should have gotten involved in an arm-wrestle as such, but it's usually hard to go out and start flinging it around straight away and I think that England could have put more points on the board by being a bit more direct and not so intricate early on, but who knows. We shouldn't forget that putting so many points on Italy in Rome is no small thing. They looked tired before the end but despite heavy back to back defeats they're no mugs anymore. It was certainly more points than I expected England to get and all credit to them. I think that someone will have to play very well next year to beat them.

[westred1]

Oh, that forward pass from Pape will haunt me for a few weeks that's for sure! Up there with Lee Miller at Swindon...

 

In all honesty, well done Ireland - thoroughly deserved winners of what was one of the best six nations, imo, for a long time! Perfect send off for BOD too.

 

England can hold their heads high after their performance in Rome; simply magnificent!

 

My team of the Tournament would be: Brown, North, Burrell, Roberts, Huget, Farrell, Care; Healy, Hartley, Ross, Lawes, Launchbury, O'Mahony, Robshaw, Morgan

 

Farrell just pips Sexton for the accuracy of his kicking and his very much improved maturity in his performance (except the push on Cusiter and late hit on Murray). Sexton's tries, although brilliantly worked, were pretty simple finishes and his kicking against France was terrible.

 

Brown was man of the series; he's come on leaps and bounds in the past year. North and Huget are in for their tries as are Burrell and Roberts who were excellent defensively. Healy and Ross formed a destructive at scrum time; Hartley, minus his awful performance against Wales, is ahead of the rest of the hookers for his lineout success and overall performances. Lawes and Launchbury seem like chalk and cheese but have an overwhelming understanding of each other's game and compliment one another well. O'Mahony was epic in defensive and his passion for Irish rugby really shone through. Robshaw led from the front in every match; he almost goes unnoticed in games but he does everything so articulately. Number 8 was a difficult decision to pick; surprisingly, there weren't any stand-outs! Morgan gets the nod just because he did well filling in for Billy Vunipola and always makes yards (plus he's English!). 

 

 

 

[MichaelRobartes]

Oh, that forward pass from Pape will haunt me for a few weeks that's for sure! Up there with Lee Miller at Swindon...

 

In all honesty, well done Ireland - thoroughly deserved winners of what was one of the best six nations, imo, for a long time! Perfect send off for BOD too.

 

England can hold their heads high after their performance in Rome; simply magnificent!

 

My team of the Tournament would be: Brown, North, Burrell, Roberts, Huget, Farrell, Care; Healy, Hartley, Ross, Lawes, Launchbury, O'Mahony, Robshaw, Morgan

 

Farrell just pips Sexton for the accuracy of his kicking and his very much improved maturity in his performance (except the push on Cusiter and late hit on Murray). Sexton's tries, although brilliantly worked, were pretty simple finishes and his kicking against France was terrible.

 

Brown was man of the series; he's come on leaps and bounds in the past year. North and Huget are in for their tries as are Burrell and Roberts who were excellent defensively. Healy and Ross formed a destructive at scrum time; Hartley, minus his awful performance against Wales, is ahead of the rest of the hookers for his lineout success and overall performances. Lawes and Launchbury seem like chalk and cheese but have an overwhelming understanding of each other's game and compliment one another well. O'Mahony was epic in defensive and his passion for Irish rugby really shone through. Robshaw led from the front in every match; he almost goes unnoticed in games but he does everything so articulately. Number 8 was a difficult decision to pick; surprisingly, there weren't any stand-outs! Morgan gets the nod just because he did well filling in for Billy Vunipola and always makes yards (plus he's English!). 

 

 

I think your team is pretty much spot on Lewis, though I'd have Trimble over North, he was very good in every game. With my green hat on Paulie and possibly Best (who has done very well to get over his yips from last year) would come into it too, but all the players that you've picked were excellent throughout. Of course I'd have BOD just because but Burrell was the best 13 all championship.

[Mr Mosquito]

I think your team is pretty much spot on Lewis, though I'd have Trimble over North, he was very good in every game. With my green hat on Paulie and possibly Best (who has done very well to get over his yips from last year) would come into it too, but all the players that you've picked were excellent throughout. Of course I'd have BOD just because but Burrell was the best 13 all championship.

 

Well done Ireland. I often get bored to tears watching rugby on television but the France v Ireland game yesterday was a classic as were most of the other 6 nations games. In general, I much prefer watching Bristol Rugby at the Memorial Ground and there I can wander off for a pasty and a pint if I get bored.

[chipdawg]

I think your team is pretty much spot on Lewis, though I'd have Trimble over North, he was very good in every game. With my green hat on Paulie and possibly Best (who has done very well to get over his yips from last year) would come into it too, but all the players that you've picked were excellent throughout. Of course I'd have BOD just because but Burrell was the best 13 all championship.

Huget was the only winger who stood our for me, though Trimble did a decent job every time I saw Ireland. North, May, Nowell and Sarto all did decent jobs. 11 and 14 are definitely positions up for grabs for England though. I agree with your assessment of Burrell/BOD; Luther was the better player in this tournament but who would deny Brian in his final 6 Nations?! I think Billy Vunipola was the outstanding number 8 of the tournament despite only playing half the games and Lawes/Launchberry should be there both on individual merit and because they were so good in combination. The one I don't get is Ford; his ability in the scrum is obvious (see Saturday against France and how much the scrum went backwards after he and Healy went off), but he doesn't do enough in the loose for me and modern props have to be a little more dynamic around the park. Not entirely sure who'd replace him though if I'm honest- Marler played very well in the loose but the English scrum needs work. I'd also pick Best over Hartley: a) because his all round game is a little better and b) because he's not a complete and utter ********!

[Eco]

Well done Ireland. I often get bored to tears watching rugby on television but the France v Ireland game yesterday was a classic as were most of the other 6 nations games. In general, I much prefer watching Bristol Rugby at the Memorial Ground and there I can wander off for a pasty and a pint if I get bored.

Not for much longer !  Do hope they bring the pasty maker along with them.