| Six Nations 2018 12:41 - Jan 31 with 23521 views | robith |
Kicks off this weekend! Thought it might be good to take people's mind off the doom at the moment.
Some shameless pluging as well, you may know I used to write the old blogs, well I've now started a podcast as well, which I'd be honoured if you gave it a listen. Preview of the tournament and my squeaky voice for you delection
https://soundcloud.com/user-152690766/1-six-nations-preview
(apols for plugging clive, let me know if it's not cool and I'll take it down)
Anyway open tournament - England have a lot of injuries as do Wales. Kinda makes Ireland favourites by default, and despite my recent scepticism on us, we really should be winning it.
Scotland are the glamour team, but they're missing a lot of front rowers so will their backs get the ball enough? Wales have had to pick a lot of the Scarlets players so will be interesting to see how they play.
I reckon
Ireland
England
Scotland
Wales
France
Italy
FAO: people who will moan about pubs with made up stories about rugby fans. We've heard it all before so maybe lay off it? Surely preferable to gastro pubs full of Cockney Reds on a Sunday #winkyface #banter #earlybirdcatchestheworm |  | | |  |
| Six Nations 2018 on 14:42 - Mar 1 with 4734 views | SimonJames |
| Six Nations 2018 on 13:45 - Mar 1 by TGRRRSSS |
Really p[athertic behaviour by thosde blokes, grown adults, he still did a photo with them and stuff.
Pathetic.
Not a EJ fan either! |
Yeah it's bang out of order! |  |
| 100% of people who drink water will die. |
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| Six Nations 2018 on 14:45 - Mar 1 with 4726 views | Lblock |
If in reverse I feel England fans would be hung out to dry with shrieks of "Jingo-istic racists" etc.
Do not forget - it is socially acceptable to hate England, abuse the English and rare up about the English |  |
| Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal |
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| Six Nations 2018 on 15:20 - Mar 1 with 4691 views | Phildo |
The least of Eddies problems. He needs to think about how to stop his backrow resembling a chocolate teapot. |  | | |
| Six Nations 2018 on 17:56 - Mar 8 with 4424 views | robith |
By eck, all go today!
Ireland look like they're going to fight fire with fire vs Scotland. Ringrose starts, Larmour on the bench.
Eddie has rolled the changes out. Sadly he's stumbled onto a much better team two weeks earlier than I would've liked! | | | |
| Six Nations 2018 on 18:20 - Mar 8 with 4415 views | SimonJames |
| Six Nations 2018 on 17:56 - Mar 8 by robith |
By eck, all go today!
Ireland look like they're going to fight fire with fire vs Scotland. Ringrose starts, Larmour on the bench.
Eddie has rolled the changes out. Sadly he's stumbled onto a much better team two weeks earlier than I would've liked! |
Eddie's got to go for the more attacking team and the 4 try bonus point, and hope Scotland take their A-game to Dublin... otherwise there's nothing to play for on St Paddy's Day. | |
| 100% of people who drink water will die. |
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| Six Nations 2018 on 20:57 - Mar 8 with 4393 views | robith |
| Six Nations 2018 on 18:20 - Mar 8 by SimonJames |
Eddie's got to go for the more attacking team and the 4 try bonus point, and hope Scotland take their A-game to Dublin... otherwise there's nothing to play for on St Paddy's Day. |
Oh, there might be something to play for! Just only for us | | | |
| Six Nations 2018 on 10:28 - Mar 9 with 4326 views | swisscottage |
I wasn't impressed with that back row against Scotland .. powder puff comes to mind. Hughes I could only describe as soft as a big teddy bear.
I don't understand Lawes playing as a flanker. I would switch him and Itoje. For me Itoje is faster and certainly quicker to the breakdown. The amount of turnover Itoje managed when he first got into the setup was amazing at flanker, but now he's playing lock he's just not there where he's most effective and England are the worse for it. |  | | |
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| Six Nations 2018 on 11:09 - Mar 9 with 4317 views | Phildo |
| Six Nations 2018 on 10:28 - Mar 9 by swisscottage |
I wasn't impressed with that back row against Scotland .. powder puff comes to mind. Hughes I could only describe as soft as a big teddy bear.
I don't understand Lawes playing as a flanker. I would switch him and Itoje. For me Itoje is faster and certainly quicker to the breakdown. The amount of turnover Itoje managed when he first got into the setup was amazing at flanker, but now he's playing lock he's just not there where he's most effective and England are the worse for it. |
I think you need a specialist 6 and 7 in the positions but EJ seems to favour ball carrying rather than breakdown specialists. Still think there are more questions than answers with the English pack even if they go well against the French.It does not seem to be a back row with any balance.
Tidy English back line now though. Not a huge fan of Teo but he is in against France to do a specialist job. | | | |
| Six Nations 2018 on 13:14 - Mar 9 with 4286 views | TGRRRSSS |
You can get away with an 8 at 6 as it's different.
7 is a different story and you really do need a 7 and nothing else, failure to do this means you will nearly always lose when playing the best 5 or 6 sides.
Beyond that there is more scope.
If England havent got it sorted in November a certain Mr Cane will monster them!
Assumign he's fit obviously.
Not sure England have a true McCaw, Pocock or Cane yet. [Post edited 9 Mar 2018 13:26]
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| Six Nations 2018 on 13:52 - Mar 9 with 4266 views | SimonJames |
| Six Nations 2018 on 11:09 - Mar 9 by Phildo |
I think you need a specialist 6 and 7 in the positions but EJ seems to favour ball carrying rather than breakdown specialists. Still think there are more questions than answers with the English pack even if they go well against the French.It does not seem to be a back row with any balance.
Tidy English back line now though. Not a huge fan of Teo but he is in against France to do a specialist job. |
The England back row is a mess. The masterplan always seem to fall apart when Billy is unavailable. Robshaw is in terminal decline, as witnessed by his failures at the breakdown against Scotland. And Lawes mainly seems to be there to do a lot of tackling and stop the run.
England has a dearth of great 6s and 7s which sadly doesn't look like it will be resolved before the next world cup.
I think Teo's only reason for being picked ahead of Joseph is to stop Bastareaud. | |
| 100% of people who drink water will die. |
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| Six Nations 2018 on 15:18 - Mar 9 with 4253 views | robith |
| Six Nations 2018 on 13:14 - Mar 9 by TGRRRSSS |
You can get away with an 8 at 6 as it's different.
7 is a different story and you really do need a 7 and nothing else, failure to do this means you will nearly always lose when playing the best 5 or 6 sides.
Beyond that there is more scope.
If England havent got it sorted in November a certain Mr Cane will monster them!
Assumign he's fit obviously.
Not sure England have a true McCaw, Pocock or Cane yet. [Post edited 9 Mar 2018 13:26]
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God, Cane will absolutely take that England back row to pieces.
There is just no balance there whatsoever. The classic tackler, fetcher, carrier set up is really en vogue at the moment and England are playing a lock at 6 ffs | | | |
| Six Nations 2018 on 02:08 - Mar 10 with 4201 views | bob566 |
Ireland, england and wales to win | | | |
| Six Nations 2018 on 00:23 - Mar 11 with 4126 views | bob566 |
Ireland champions. Can england stop the grand slam though? | | | |
| Six Nations 2018 on 12:07 - Mar 11 with 4047 views | TGRRRSSS |
Not with that backrow, and having lost Hughes in all likelihood means a change anyway but not necessarily the ideal change.
I think Haskell will come in and he'll do a job but against that Irish back row it'll be a long afternoon with too little time to turn it round you would think....
I think Schmidt will be targeting this as a real marker going towards the World Cup which isn't far away in terms of International games available before your firming up your squad.
France were very poor in the set piece yesterday but the mess that was England in most facets otherwise especially the breakdown meant that the French inability to put away several key chances to really put England away went begging and still meant England perhaps should have won it at the last due to French mistakes but alas they still cocked it up.
The game was summed up for me when England were in about 5 metres of the line and Bastareaud was over the tackled man - with only George Ford going in to clear him out, failing and England penalised for holding on.
Another thing is this finally proof Ford and Farrell axis doesnt work when your not getting fairly clear ball, and has Lawes lost too much weight to be affective now at lock, and is he really good enough to play at 6?
I'm not sure he is, and Robshaw is an earnest and hard working player but probably time for him to be put to bed, if someone better can be found, but they should, once again the lack of a proper 7 really cost England and mix and match wont win a world cup. | | | |
| Six Nations 2018 on 19:19 - Mar 11 with 4000 views | johncharles |
Calling Inverdale, calling Inverdale.
“England will now have to bonus points against France “
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| Strong and stable my arse. |
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| Six Nations 2018 on 21:18 - Mar 15 with 3763 views | bob566 |
Class as always by Jones. England should get shot of him. | | | |
| Six Nations 2018 on 20:41 - Mar 16 with 3692 views | BlackCrowe |
| Six Nations 2018 on 21:18 - Mar 15 by bob566 |
Class as always by Jones. England should get shot of him. |
Would much rather he relaxed the mind games out, but he's one of the best managers out there. England's run up until 2 weeks ago has been flipping impressive. |  |
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| Six Nations 2018 on 21:31 - Mar 16 with 3672 views | bob566 |
| Six Nations 2018 on 20:41 - Mar 16 by BlackCrowe |
Would much rather he relaxed the mind games out, but he's one of the best managers out there. England's run up until 2 weeks ago has been flipping impressive. |
Hes actually not all that. His best as a coach was beating the all blacks in the WC semi before losing to england in the final. Think he then went on a nine or ten game losing streak in the southern hemisphere before oz sackef him. Then some club rugby and the club finished bottom of the league in oz. Their name escapes me. The japan win was impressive but that sa team was the worst i can ever recall. Unbeaten at home with england is impressive tbf. | | | |
| Six Nations 2018 on 06:30 - Mar 17 with 3628 views | BlackCrowe |
| Six Nations 2018 on 21:31 - Mar 16 by bob566 |
Hes actually not all that. His best as a coach was beating the all blacks in the WC semi before losing to england in the final. Think he then went on a nine or ten game losing streak in the southern hemisphere before oz sackef him. Then some club rugby and the club finished bottom of the league in oz. Their name escapes me. The japan win was impressive but that sa team was the worst i can ever recall. Unbeaten at home with england is impressive tbf. |
3-0 whitewash in Oz year before last wasn't too shabby either. | |
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| Six Nations 2018 on 11:22 - Mar 17 with 3577 views | SimonJames |
| Six Nations 2018 on 06:30 - Mar 17 by BlackCrowe |
3-0 whitewash in Oz year before last wasn't too shabby either. |
Unbeaten in five games against Aus since he took over,
4-0 against Wales
2-1 against France
2-1 against Scotland
1-1 against Ireland
all three defeats were away from home.
As you say, not too shabby. | |
| 100% of people who drink water will die. |
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| Six Nations 2018 on 01:00 - Mar 21 with 3463 views | bob566 |
| Six Nations 2018 on 11:22 - Mar 17 by SimonJames |
Unbeaten in five games against Aus since he took over,
4-0 against Wales
2-1 against France
2-1 against Scotland
1-1 against Ireland
all three defeats were away from home.
As you say, not too shabby. |
Just finished second last. He may have had a great record but its gone now. | | | |
| Six Nations 2018 on 14:20 - Mar 21 with 3404 views | SimonJames |
| Six Nations 2018 on 01:00 - Mar 21 by bob566 |
Just finished second last. He may have had a great record but its gone now. |
True. We'll see how they bounce back. | |
| 100% of people who drink water will die. |
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| Six Nations 2018 on 16:08 - Mar 21 with 3386 views | Phildo |
| Six Nations 2018 on 14:20 - Mar 21 by SimonJames |
True. We'll see how they bounce back. |
They will be Ok as there is a big playing pool to find new talent. Look at Ireland fielding a good few players who were playing schools rugby not long ago.
To me they looked as if some previously key players had just got a bit old. I thought they played OK against Ireland. The warning signs were all there for the last year (Italy game?).
A lot of hunting for excuses going on (referees, the pro 14, the lions,attack coach etc) which is a bit tiresome.
Farrell booting the ball into Haskells head just about summed up England's tournament- luckily no brain cells were present to be injured. I will never forget that time he ran into a goalpost- still in my top three comedy rugby moments. | | | |
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