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Six Nations

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Thoughts then people?

Ireland favourites & rightly so in light of their wins over Oz & yer saffies in the autumn, but it is quite an open tournament. Ireland could waltz off with a slam but could equally cop a pasting in their first game at the Millenium on Sunday.

France seem all over the place, but they almost invariably do. The recall of Skrela at 10 after (it seems) about a decade smacks of desperation. Think the hidings they got at the hands of the ABs has probably provoked one of the macho sulks French rugger is sometime prone to. They have to come to Dublin & Twickers too, so are actually quite rotten value @ 5/2 for the title.

England have the creamiest of openings possible: home games v Scotland & Italy. If we don't have 4 points after them we might as well give up the sport now. Wilko being back is the big news, obv. A fit & firing Wilkinson is obviously a massive boon to any team but the boy's body has been in bits for 3 years now. He may be fit but I guarantee you he isn't match fit. Farrell starts @ 12 which is probably his best position in the senior code. His distribution skills would be wasted in the back row, but he does lack gas & is a 31 year old with dodgy knees. England could actually win the whole thing, but could end up with Rugby egg all over our world champion mushes too.

Wales will be competitive, particularly at home & James Hook is a star in the making. Ireland & us have to go to the Millenium so they could have a say in the destination of the title if nothing else.

Chris Cusiter back at scrum-half is great news for the sweaties, but Jason White is a big miss for them. They could find themselves on the end of a mauling against an England team with a point to prove but at 5/1 for the game may be worth a sly quid or two.

Italy, god bless them, will scrummage well, but still don't have the backs to make use of all that lovely ball yet. Another spoon for them I fear.

Final table for me:

1) Ireland
2) England
3) France
4) Wales
5) Scotland
6) Italy
 

PY

International Coach
Haha, dreaming with that table BB.

I'd put it as:

1) Ireland
2) Wales
3) France
4) England
5) Scotland
6) Italy

With having to go to Millenium Stadium and Landsdowne Rd, we're going to cop a right flogging IMO. There's hope that it'll all click together but to be fair, we're basing our hopes on nothing more than distant memories of Wilko and Farrell. I'll happily eat my words if I'm wrong but I don't think I will be. Only consolation is the fact that the garlic-munchers may cop it worse than us and we sneak 3rd.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Haha, dreaming with that table BB.

I'd put it as:

1) Ireland
2) Wales
3) France
4) England
5) Scotland
6) Italy

With having to go to Millenium Stadium and Landsdowne Rd, we're going to cop a right flogging IMO. There's hope that it'll all click together but to be fair, we're basing our hopes on nothing more than distant memories of Wilko and Farrell. I'll happily eat my words if I'm wrong but I don't think I will be. Only consolation is the fact that the garlic-munchers may cop it worse than us and we sneak 3rd.
It's a building site just now, we're playing at Croke Park, the Gaelic Footy/Hurling place.

Admittedly our team does have a bit of a Dad's Army look about it (8 30-somethings in the XV by my count), but when the boiler blows up you don't send for the boilermaker's apprentice, do you?!

Ashton's completely changed the team round from the one that embarrassed us in the autumn so we do have grounds for some cautious optimism, IMHO. Leicester won over in Munster so anything's possible.
 

PY

International Coach
I'd forgotten that LR was being re-done but it's not like this other place is going to be friendly to the landowners now is it? :p

I will say that I think having the Scots and Italians over to Twicks will heighten our chance of doing well because we shouldn't be punished for crap quite as much against those sides and give match time to the side. I'd love to be optimistic, cautious or otherwise, but I don't see that side as being world-class without relying on the same two or three people to make us able to beat teams.

i.e. lack of creative talent in the backs so we're reliant on everything different coming from one person who is going to run out of tricks sooner or later.
 

steds

Hall of Fame Member
Farrell starts @ 12 which is probably his best position in the senior code. His distribution skills would be wasted in the back row
Well, he's hardly Paul Cooke with ball in hand.


1) Ireland
2) France
3) England
4) Wales
5) Scotland
6) Italy

for mine.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Well, he's hardly Paul Cooke with ball in hand.
He's got a very good kicking game tho & should dovetail nicely with Wilko, what with Jonny being a cack-hander


1) Ireland
2) France
3) England
4) Wales
5) Scotland
6) Italy

for mine.
Would probably need France to win @ Twickers for them to finish above us. Can't see it if Jonny or Farrell plays. It was only Charlie H's place kicking that effed it up last time.

Nice to see you retain faith in your glory sweaty boys too. :p
 

steds

Hall of Fame Member
Would probably need France to win @ Twickers for them to finish above us. Can't see it if Jonny or Farrell plays. It was only Charlie H's place kicking that effed it up last time.
Can see France pulling themselves together tbh.

Nice to see you retain faith in your glory sweaty boys too. :p
I'm biased, not stupid :p They ain't world beaters at the best of times. And with White, Hogg and Blair out and Cusiter in a similar position to Wilkinson, having played just one game (a 48-0 loss btw), it probably won't be the best of times.
 

Smudge

Hall of Fame Member
The French side looks a bit better just for the fact Traille has been moved from 10. He really was as impotent a flyhalf as you could find.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Hoping that Italy do well and also that guys like Gavin Henson, Dwayne Peel, Florian Fritz, Yannick Yauzion and other very talented players can string together a good season to take them into the WC.
 

ohtani's jacket

State Vice-Captain
I'd love for Ireland to win, but I can't see them putting the performances together. France will probably take it, albeit in unimpressive fashion like last year.
 

DCC_legend

International Regular
Ireland have a good crop of ulster players coming through and i think the squad is probably the best it has been for a few years. It will probably be tight between Ireland and France.
England will probably scrape third but wales will give them a run for there money. Scotland and italy will have to fight for 5th spot although scotland have been playing quite well recently, they do have a number of big injury losses such as jason white, but chris cusiter is back and that shoud give them a big boost.
I can see scotland making a few upsets this time round! I hope its england they upset tbh :p

my table

  1. Ireland
  2. France
  3. England
  4. Wales
  5. Scotland
  6. Italy
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Double injury blow for England

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose, as our Gallic chums would have it. Least Wilko isn't one of the two; Lewis Moody & Iain Balshaw the unlucky players this time. Actually if Balshaw is broken, it might be a blessing in disguise. I'd presume Tait would come onto one of the wings & either Robinson or (more likely) Lewsey would go to 15. Balshaw (when fit) is always a threat with ball in hand, but isn't what I'd call rock-solid under the high ball.

From the Beeb's site.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Hoping that Italy do well and also that guys like Gavin Henson, Dwayne Peel, Florian Fritz, Yannick Yauzion and other very talented players can string together a good season to take them into the WC.
Hairgel hasn't even made the Taffs' XXII. Given that their backs have been pretty much decimated (no Shanklin, Parker, Thomas G, Williams S or Jones M) that's pretty damning. I thought when Thomas copped his ban he'd at least get on the bench, but the powers-that-be opted for Aled Brew. Ironically he's a 20-year-old kid who was loaned out by The Ospreys (Hairgel's province) to Newport/Gwent for first team Rugby.

Henson is a decent player, but (rather like the erstwhile England Association Football captain) is better known for his haircuts & where he sticks his old fella. Unlike Dave Beckham tho he has let it turn his head.
 

Smudge

Hall of Fame Member
Henson is one of the biggest sooks in international rugby and is still to provide consistent displays of his qualities at the top level. Still seems to be rated thanks to his one tackle on Mathew Tait and a penalty goal.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Henson is one of the biggest sooks in international rugby and is still to provide consistent displays of his qualities at the top level. Still seems to be rated thanks to his one tackle on Mathew Tait and a penalty goal.
You have a point, but I don't think there can be any doubt of how much ability he has. I've seen quite a few games where he has been able to dominate the mid-field with slicing runs and big tackles.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
I'll give my tips for the first round:

France to beat Italy by 12-15 - could be fairly close until late on. I'd expect Italy to have a fair share of the ball but not make best use of it.

England to beat Scotland by 15-20 - I actually feel quite excited to see Ashton's England play. Hope Jonny makes it thru ok & that Magnus Lund puts on a decent display. He's the first real specialist openside we've had since Back retired. If we get the same amount of ball we got last year we should win comfortably.

Ireland to beat Wales by 8-10 - Hardest game to call. Have to go with the Micks tho as Wales have so many injuries to their backs. It will also be interesting to see how Hook goes against D'Arcy & BOD. The boy could be very special.
 

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