It's about time England, it's been far too long. They do have pace, size, power and they have the most promising young scrum half in the world. But i suspect those pesky kelts will spoil things. I'm going for France again, they'll recover from their Ozzie bashing.
Rugby 5 Nations 2011
- Thread starter Rams
- Start date
Wales vs England at the rugby.
Biggest non football sporting event of the year...it decides my nationality for the next 12 months.
Biggest non football sporting event of the year...it decides my nationality for the next 12 months.
It's the most open 6 nations I can remember. Anybody except Italy could win it...... Scotland have improved immensely, & could well be contenders.
England are probably marginal favs, but take your pick from any of the 5 (sorry Azzuri Boy's)!.......... therefore "come on the Irish"!
England are probably marginal favs, but take your pick from any of the 5 (sorry Azzuri Boy's)!.......... therefore "come on the Irish"!
Are you wumming with your title ?
5 nations ?? 5
I'm going for Ireland this year. Hopefully England come last! I hate Martin Johnson.
5 nations ?? 5
I'm going for Ireland this year. Hopefully England come last! I hate Martin Johnson.
Since when are six nations matches on Friday nights? I happened to be flicking channels and discovered it.
Good win for England. They took their chances well.
1st blood to England. Well done
1st blood to England. Well done
A couple/few years now, first time it's kicked off the tournament on a Friday though
Set to end though, which is good imo
BBC Sport - Rugby Union - Six Nations to end experiment of Friday night matches
Efficiency from England I haven't seen in a long time. The Welsh certainly didn't help themselves though, the number of misplaced passes was ridiculous.
Ireland have been ridiculously sloppy.
So many sloppy errors by the Irish.
I should have put money on Italy. I fancied them. 1 point ahead with 4 minutes left and a conversion to come.
Lucky.
Completely undeserved
Completely undeserved
I lost a fiver bet in work! I'll take that though. Jammy undeserved win.
My main problem with Union, and I do love watching it, is the scoring system. Three points for a drop goal is utter bullshit.
I'm not aware of Rugby League rules. We see none of it here in Ireland, what is it for a drop goal?
2 points would have won the game regardless.
No clue, Rugby League is sport I never watch. I think a try should be worth 6 like a Touchdown is in the NFL and all conversions/drop goals and pens should be rewarded with 2 points.
3 points for a penalty/drop goal is too much in comparison to 5 points for a try.
After the weekend...
FRANCE look efficient and strength in depth.
SCOTLAND look determined and have a good chance of upsetting the likes of Ireland England or Wales this year
WALES as per usual seem a better second half team but not at their brilliant best.
ENGLAND, look the strongest they have been since 2003. However could grow strong if they beat Scotland with ease. Lack discipline in the pack and concede silly penalties
IRELAND, injuries aside, they seem to lack the usual belief...however write them off at your peril, they can pull a performance out of their arse when they lease deserve to win.
Think this is our closest 6 nations in years.
Puttin France in top spot, you genuinely couldnt pick 2nd place!
FRANCE look efficient and strength in depth.
SCOTLAND look determined and have a good chance of upsetting the likes of Ireland England or Wales this year
WALES as per usual seem a better second half team but not at their brilliant best.
ENGLAND, look the strongest they have been since 2003. However could grow strong if they beat Scotland with ease. Lack discipline in the pack and concede silly penalties
IRELAND, injuries aside, they seem to lack the usual belief...however write them off at your peril, they can pull a performance out of their arse when they lease deserve to win.
Think this is our closest 6 nations in years.
Puttin France in top spot, you genuinely couldnt pick 2nd place!
Agree with your assessment more or less.
Wales and Ireland seem to have regressed since last season whereas Scotland are continuing to improve. Can't see them winning at Twickenham, but a 100% record at Murrayfield is achieveable and depending on how results pan out, 2nd or 3rd place would not be an entirely unrealistic aim.
France, by and large, are out in front and everything will hinge on the game with England.
The most despicable man in sport who happens to look like a ferengi. I'm not sure I could deal with that prick's team winning the GS in Dublin.
Conversions, penalties and drop goals should be 2 points. Especially as so many penalties are being given at the scrum which is way too harsh.
The scrum is a part of the game that is killing the sport and the refs, especially the french ones, are whistle happy every time a scrum goes down. This too often then leads to 3 points.
They could start by removing the PAUSE and having a linesman come onto the field to monitor the side that is blind to the ref. They should also think about free kicks only at a scrum collapse.
And stop the clock when a scrum is called, and then only start it again when the ball is out of the scrum or freekick/penalty given
The refs seem inept when dealing with the scrums. When it goes down, they seem to pick one of the props as the reason for it and give the penalty to the opponents, whilst nobody knows why.
How the referee can actually ref the scrum properly is ridiculous as he can only see it from one angle. I agree with Lynott, the linesman should be called over to look at the opposite side.
As the referees don't seem to have a clue anyway, how about an actual scrum referee, preferably a former player who actually understands the dimensions of the scrum and what happens in it.
How the referee can actually ref the scrum properly is ridiculous as he can only see it from one angle. I agree with Lynott, the linesman should be called over to look at the opposite side.
As the referees don't seem to have a clue anyway, how about an actual scrum referee, preferably a former player who actually understands the dimensions of the scrum and what happens in it.
Why is O'Leary in the Ireland team again? He was shite against Italy and has been shite all season. Stringer should play.
Spot on. It's actually good listening to Moore commentating on a live match. very insightive
Yeah totally agree. We need quick ball against the French and Stringer is still one of the best at that.
Stringer and O'Leary both offer different attacks.
Stringer is like a jack russell in a rabbit hole. Straight in and out with the goods while disposing of it in a quick and efficient manner.
O'Leary seems to be a better defensive player for the number 8 break or to counter the attacking scrumhalf.
Though i always thought the 6 nations which Eoin Reddan displaced Stringer would have been a massive breakthrough for us, but he flunked after his big move.
I think its a position, Irish Rugby are lacking in at the moment.
Reddan takes three steps before every pass. Wrecks my head. Boss should be ahead of him at Leinster not to mention Ireland.
Its always been rumoured Boss attitude affects his selections. Though for me he looks good every time he plays.
I reckon Ireland need to drop D'Arcy. A real overachiever in an Ireland shirt. I definiteley would be up for playing Wallace in there against the French for his tactical kicking alone.
Ireland must be ther only 6 nations team with one natural ball kicker in the backline.
Wales have it with Hook and Jones
France have it throughout from Yachvili to Jauzion
From an attacking prospect i reckon it would benefit a selection of Sexton and lay less pressure on him. Besides Wallace and BOD have played all through junior levels together and compliment each others ability pretty well.
I reckon Ireland need to drop D'Arcy. A real overachiever in an Ireland shirt. I definiteley would be up for playing Wallace in there against the French for his tactical kicking alone.
Ireland must be ther only 6 nations team with one natural ball kicker in the backline.
Wales have it with Hook and Jones
France have it throughout from Yachvili to Jauzion
From an attacking prospect i reckon it would benefit a selection of Sexton and lay less pressure on him. Besides Wallace and BOD have played all through junior levels together and compliment each others ability pretty well.
Wallace has been very unlucky in an Ireland shirt. Always seems to open his head up early on in the games and ends up practically bleeding to death for the rest of the game.
I think Darcy should be dropped alright though. Poor performance last week and to inconsistent.
I think we will be destroyed in the scrum and the penalties will kill the game off.
I would like to see an Ireland team not play into the oppositions hands for once.
Just see O'Leary has pulled out through injury and now Stringer gets the start 
...
Most Rugby experts say that France & England are clear favourites... so I would guess that makes England clear favourites for 2nd place.
Just read Sheridan is out of the Italy game anyone know how serious the injury is.
I have a feeling ireland might get raped by France today
...
Most Rugby experts say that France & England are clear favourites... so I would guess that makes England clear favourites for 2nd place.
After yesterday i would say they would be right, but today its up to Ireland to pull a performance from nowhere. If Ireland do, i reckon England will win it as Ireland will then go and lose to Scotland or Wales.
6 NATIONS RE-REVIEW:
SCOTLAND: Offered so much promise last week, shot themselves in the foot and an error prone team, couldn't break Wales down.
ITALY: Again offered so much last week yet, bottled it yesterday Now looking like a wooden spoon match with Scotland
WALES: I think they met England a game too early...Hit cruise control yesterday and frustrated Scotland, Still a contender for 2nd or 3rd.
ENGLAND: Still error prone but gaining that swagger and arrogance again which we aint seen since 2003. Looking like that performance could push France to respond today. They really cannot afford Ireland to beat France and it hinge on a game at the Aviva. However one could argue that it would do them a favour
IRELAND: Defo got to raise their game today against France and send a message to the other nations and the fans who i see have started calling for Kidney.
FRANCE:However traditionally the French are powerful runners with great tactical kicks with a good pack to compliment that. I actually couldnt predict it. I would be sure they are glad to get this one out of the way early
We're playing well so far.
Good game so far, I was wrong
20 + phases for that Irish try Ireland back in it 25-22 France.
FFS. Great attack but sloppy sloppy defending and giving away silly penalties.
We should have won this, by far the better team. France will not win the 6 Nations.
My money (literally) is on England.
We should have won this, by far the better team. France will not win the 6 Nations.
My money (literally) is on England.
Put your money on England after that performance!
France were outplayed from start to finish today. Ireland i'm afraid were outdone by poor decision making from D'Arcy, who committed the schoolboy error of hanging your arm out to dry when making a tackle. I said before the game, overrated.
Bring to that the shit hands and knock ons and conceding silly penalties which gave France 18 points.
Thought Servat though was immense for France. But ireland defence was solid throughout.
Horrible spoiling tactics though by France in the last 5 minutes and deliberately going to ground.
Anyone think the referee was a bit Over The Top today with his decision making? Bit whistle happy when advantage would be a bit easier. Even the biased old cnut Brian Moore commented on it
France were outplayed from start to finish today. Ireland i'm afraid were outdone by poor decision making from D'Arcy, who committed the schoolboy error of hanging your arm out to dry when making a tackle. I said before the game, overrated.
Bring to that the shit hands and knock ons and conceding silly penalties which gave France 18 points.
Thought Servat though was immense for France. But ireland defence was solid throughout.
Horrible spoiling tactics though by France in the last 5 minutes and deliberately going to ground.
Anyone think the referee was a bit Over The Top today with his decision making? Bit whistle happy when advantage would be a bit easier. Even the biased old cnut Brian Moore commented on it