6 Nations

oldwelshman

Soyy to Irish, I did not see that game as I had to take my daughter shopping 8)

oldwelshman

Just managed to get 3 tickets for Italian game yipeeee
I hope Italy pick same team against Wales and don'stchange the no 10. If they had a decent no10 and put Andrea Masi centre England may have lost and they could give Wales a big scare!!
They have a pretty impressive pack and the best No8 in Paresi , and best captain, in the tournament.

SteveR_100Milers

I was reliably informed this morning by a Welsh colleague that on some of the replays you can see white paint on his boot....oh rage on controversy!

afx237vi

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

I was reliably informed this morning by a Welsh colleague that on some of the replays you can see white paint on his boot....oh rage on controversy!

At the end of the match, when Inverdale and co were discussing it, they showed a side-on view where you could clearly see a puff of chalk coming off the line. The TMO did not see that view.

In situations like this - and the Cueto non-try in the RWC final - the TMO is virtually useless. Sometimes you just can't say definitively, no matter how many replays you get. Same with pushover tries where have no idea who has the ball, let alone whether it's grounded or not.

However, I think the benefit of the doubt should always go with the attacking player, so Shane's try was right to be awarded.

oldwelshman

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

I was reliably informed this morning by a Welsh colleague that on some of the replays you can see white paint on his boot....oh rage on controversy!

But when did it get there?
Anyway the TMO gets the same views we saw, the only ones he does not see are the stills from photographers.
Anyway it deserved to be a try

ddraver

afx237vi wrote:

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

I was reliably informed this morning by a Welsh colleague that on some of the replays you can see white paint on his boot....oh rage on controversy!

At the end of the match, when Inverdale and co were discussing it, they showed a side-on view where you could clearly see a puff of chalk coming off the line. The TMO did not see that view.

In situations like this - and the Cueto non-try in the RWC final - the TMO is virtually useless. Sometimes you just can't say definitively, no matter how many replays you get. Same with pushover tries where have no idea who has the ball, let alone whether it's grounded or not.

However, I think the benefit of the doubt should always go with the attacking player, so Shane's try was right to be awarded.

this is where the can i award the tr or is it a try question becomes crucial

Mike Willcox

So how many points are the Welsh going to beat the Italians by 30 points, 40 points or more?

Must be at least 30 points on the basis that Wales thrashed England and England only just managed to beat Italy (luckily with a fading unfit pack).

heavymental

Not by a great deal I wouldn't have thought. Games involving Italy are normally fairly close...but mainly just dull and hard to watch.

Mike Willcox

Heavymental wrote:

Not by a great deal I wouldn't have thought. Games involving Italy are normally fairly close...but mainly just dull and hard to watch.

I'm waiting for the "triumphalists" to make a prediction. It's called putiing your money where your mouth is. Anyone can be wise after the event.

redddraggon

Mike Willcox wrote:

Heavymental wrote:

Not by a great deal I wouldn't have thought. Games involving Italy are normally fairly close...but mainly just dull and hard to watch.

I'm waiting for the "triumphalists" to make a prediction. It's called putiing your money where your mouth is. Anyone can be wise after the event.

I guessing I'm one of the triumphalists then. We haven't beaten Italy since 2005, so I'm not expecting anything, England seem an easier match to be honest having beaten them twice since we last beat Italy.

25-10 to Wales if we are lucky.

ddraver

i'm not sure Wales thrashed England....England thrashed themselves would be more a more accurate description

I'm gonna go back to my hole in the sand next weekend i think, its safer in there

oldwelshman

Heavymental wrote:

Not by a great deal I wouldn't have thought. Games involving Italy are normally fairly close...but mainly just dull and hard to watch.

Watching England play is not as exciting as watching the tub glue drying on my zipp rims 8)

oldwelshman

Mike Willcox wrote:

Heavymental wrote:

Not by a great deal I wouldn't have thought. Games involving Italy are normally fairly close...but mainly just dull and hard to watch.

I'm waiting for the "triumphalists" to make a prediction. It's called putiing your money where your mouth is. Anyone can be wise after the event.

I will hedge my bets Mike
It depends which Italy turns up.
As I said their forwards are a match for any team, unfortunately their backs are not.
If Wales get enough ball they are well capable of scoring 4 tries.
If Italy pick same team as last week, they will struggle to pose a threat in the backs so will struggle to score.
Thier fullback is on a par with Balshaw, no idea how he will play
Their outside half does not know how to kick a ball so is easy to defend against.

If they replace the outside half and fullback has a good game, it will be a lot closer.
They need a kicking game to control it for their forwards, their lineout is better than Wales, and pack stronger, so just depends how much ball Wales will be allowd to win!!!

secretsqirrel

To change direction a little...........

Does anybody else think that Scotland should change their tune?

'Flower of Scotland' is such a dirge. I was at the Wales v Scotland match on Saturday, and it nearly sent me to sleep!

If music won rugby matches then the 6 Nats would be between Wales, France & Italy everytime.

cycologist

I've always found Flower of Scotland to be somewhat inspirational both in terms of the tune and the sentiment. i agree that italy and France both have rousing anthems and i even quite like the rather corny irish conjoint tune. However, when it comes to an anthem that is so crap that it is embarrassing then God Save The Queen wins hands down.

Richrd2205

SecretSqirrel wrote:

if music won rugby matches then the 6 Nats would be between Wales, France & Italy everytime.

*long answer*
Between France (clear winners) & with Italy as a distant second, surely?

I've always been offended that England gets the British national anthem, surely that should be the preserve of the Lions, no?

That England cannot find a "national" anthem makes a mockery of the idea of union, but that might be another (soapbox) thread.

*short answer*
I agree!

secretsqirrel

I don't have an issue with the words of FOS, its just the tune is a bit mournful, and in 3/4 time. The Scots are essentially going out to play with a waltz ringing in their ears!

I wasn't going to mention England, I still think that they are trying to find themselves as far as patriotism is concerned. At least thay have stopped waving the Union Jack.

I have heard the Irish song many times but I still couldn't sing it back to you.

The Welsh, we have a big anthem for a little country, and the delivery is always impeccable, got to be worth a point or 2, or 10, or 20.

heavymental

I like all the anthems in their own way I think. I always have a hearty hum along to them all! Even GSTQ isn't too bad. Its over pretty quickly and its fairly robust.

SteveR_100Milers

Wales v Italy will be a real zzzzzzz big packs slugging it out and a tedious half back pairing.....that'll upset the Turks...

ddraver

FOS used top be great when scotland used to superb when it was done with the whole of Murryfield (and quite often twickenham) singing with a full on pipe and drum band

This crap with the opera singers (yes, even Kathrine) just ruins it, all the anthems (in all sports) used to be full on rousing battle hymns, now they all sound kind of wet

with the exception of the Irish adn Italian ones that just don't lend themselves to opera singers and so are a whole crowd affair, plus I think that both of those anthmes just epitomise the countries they re representing

cbj

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Wales v Italy will be a real zzzzzzz big packs slugging it out and a tedious half back pairing.....that'll upset the Turks...

Go on then I'll bite

'Tedious half back pairing' - dear oh dear, Dwayne is world class and with The Count helped us win the Grand Slam in 2005 with some of the most exciting running rugby I've seen since the 70's

I'm hope its not a snore fest either way as I'll be in section M32 of the stadium hoping for a decent game, where Wales win of course

SteveR_100Milers

cbj wrote:

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Wales v Italy will be a real zzzzzzz big packs slugging it out and a tedious half back pairing.....that'll upset the Turks...

Go on then I'll bite

'Tedious half back pairing' - dear oh dear, Dwayne is world class and with The Count helped us win the Grand Slam in 2005 with some of the most exciting running rugby I've seen since the 70's

I'm hope its not a snore fest either way as I'll be in section M32 of the stadium hoping for a decent game, where Wales win of course

Not from Mr Jones you didn't.... In any case the argument is irrelevant, as by 2011 RWC a certain Daniel Biggar will have pushed Hook onto the bench or a centre position with Jon Davies, who looks like Noon, but runs like Shane Williams....Cipriani vs Biggar will hopefully provide many an afternoons entertainment over the coming years.

cbj

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Not from Mr Jones you didn't.... .

I know I'd had a few ales by that point but I'm sure S Jones sparked the revival against the French in Stade de France with a lovely break from our own half, come on admit it . . . .

Daniel Biggar sounds good, Jon Davies looked promising when I saw him on the TV against the Scots U20's last week, hope he grows into a decent player , a lot of our 'next big thing' type prospects just seem to never reach their full potential after youth and U21 period. Fingers crossed eh.

And here's to hoping it isn't another Welsh false dawn with Gatland and Edwards, I like the realistic and no BS approach so far.

SteveR_100Milers

cb

remember up until 2 yrs ago Hook was playing in the U19 and U21 who won GS after GS. he was a class act to say the least. If you watched the Wales U20 game against Scotlan you can see he has the same running ability as hook but his passing is something else. And he bossed the game, didnt need an ex kiwi to run the show for him!

As for Jones' break, yes I have seen that one a few times, along with the other 3 he made during the last 6 years or so of his career..

cbj

Duw thats a bit harsh, he only sparked one of the greatest 2nd half comebacks in welsh history which helped win the GS, you just can't please some people can you

Anyway, who cares as long as we win , we haven't actually beat the Italians since 2005 !

robbarker

On a different note I enjoyed a pint of Evan Evan's latest brew at the weekend - "Sais Slayer"!

;-)

Mark Alexander

Richrd2205 wrote:

SecretSqirrel wrote:

if music won rugby matches then the 6 Nats would be between Wales, France & Italy everytime.

Sorry, that's rubbish. Wales would win hands down. Hen Wlad fy Nhadau,
Class!

ddraver

Mark Alexander wrote:

Richrd2205 wrote:

SecretSqirrel wrote:

if music won rugby matches then the 6 Nats would be between Wales, France & Italy everytime.

Sorry, that's rubbish. Wales would win hands down. Hen Wlad fy Nhadau,
Class!

No disagree with both

Scotland and Ireland (especially before opera singers got in on the act)

Mark Alexander

Right! but we have Cathrine Jenkins

cbj

Flower of Scotland ain't bad , and Amhrán na bhFiann was okay when sung by the crowd but Ireland's Call is pretty awful.

Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau every time , even one of my English mates admitted it sent a shiver down his spine when we were in the Millenium Stadium and said you don't get an anthem like it anywhere else.

Predictions for the weekend ?

Wales 25 Italy 10
Ireland 19 Scotland 9
France 15 England 10