6 Nations 2012

secretsqirrel

Even Gatland agreed it was a red card. Can't see Bradley in a red jersey again for a while.

Best team won tho'. George North was awesome.

lemon63

We made hard work of that today, deserved the win. Wales showed some restraint by not reacting to the usual Irish ball killing and blatant cheating, I guess BD's spear was borne out of frustration, their forwards are lucky to have any skin left on their hands.

Pross

Definately should have been a red for Davies. Mind you, if a tip tackle is a red card offence then the Irish bloke at the end was also a red "by the letter of the law" as so many were keen to point out with Warburton. Wales were the better side and as usual Ireland got away with hands in the ruck and all round ball killing whenever under pressure plus holding onto Welsh players to stop them getting into the defensive line when attacking. Harsh to take Cuthbert off at half time for failing to stop a 3 on 1 after one of the centres missed a tackle!

Scotland should have walked it in their game, they look scared to win games. I did think they scored a try though, looked like downward pressure from the forearm as it did enough to stop the ball rotating. The Scottish number 8 was very impressive. England looked poor but they probably need the courage to stick with the youngsters now and re-build for the next RWC.

Didn't see much of France v Italy but it looked like France just absorbed pressure and scored whenever they had chances. Masi and Parisse looked good for the Italians and Picamoles very good for the Frogs.

Monkeypump

Pross wrote:

I did think they scored a try though, looked like downward pressure from the forearm as it did enough to stop the ball rotating.

I think you and Andy Robinson must be the only two people watching who think that was a try! Even Laidlaw knows he didn't get that ball down.

ddraver

Monkeypump wrote:

Pross wrote:

I did think they scored a try though, looked like downward pressure from the forearm as it did enough to stop the ball rotating.

I think you and Andy Robinson must be the only two people watching who think that was a try! Even Laidlaw knows he didn't get that ball down.

It was brilliant was nt it! You could see is brain working, "oh dammit did nt quite make that, well defended England, wait what? they re going to the TV Ref?..err....YEAH!! WOOO!!! TRY FOR ME BABY!!!!"

daviesee

Monkeypump wrote:

Pross wrote:

I did think they scored a try though, looked like downward pressure from the forearm as it did enough to stop the ball rotating.

I think you and Andy Robinson must be the only two people watching who think that was a try! Even Laidlaw knows he didn't get that ball down.

Nobody in the stadium around me thought it was a try.
After the first replay we were all just wanting the ref to get on with the game. Especiallly the Scots.
It was just wasting valuable time from our point of view.

Pross

How was it wasting valuable time? Time is off when a TMO decision is pending. The amount of time the TMO took to look at it suggests he was in doubt and no try was awarded as the question asked was "try or no try" rather than "is there any reason why I shouldn't award the try". In realtime I didn't think he got anywhere near it so it was a good call by the ref to go upstairs.

daviesee

The whistle blew on 80 minutes so no time was added. Or is the stadium clock stopped too?
I will admit to not being clear on that one.
Going to a replay was fair enough but once was enough, twice to confirm it but it went on and on and on.
Probably in vain hope but it was never going to be given.

DrKJM

Yes, when the referee calls time off the stadium clock is stopped. It shows elapse time of minutes in play.

daviesee

DrKJM wrote:

Yes, when the referee calls time off the stadium clock is stopped. It shows elapse time of minutes in play.

Thanks for the clarification.

Blacktemplar

ddraver wrote:

Dan Parks is just not good enough unfortunately, too many simple mistakes...

FTFY fella - welcome to our world

Parks is often cast as the pantomime villain, but anyone who messes about like that on their own 5-metre line with attackers in his face frankly isn't good enough to be an international 10. Unfortunately there seems to be an ongoing stubbornness in the SRU that says we should "protect" our more gifted young players. Erm.... George North, Owen Farrell, Leigh Halfpenny etc etc etc anyone? Young guys like Weir, Hogg, Grove etc all to often struggle to get a game - too much reliance on old warhorses I'm afraid, and institutionalised risk aversion. Until that culture changes, Scottish rugby will continue to be the glorious failure it so often is.

daviesee

Blacktemplar wrote:

too much reliance on old warhorses I'm afraid, and institutionalised risk aversion. Until that culture changes, Scottish SPORT will continue to be the glorious failure it so often is.

FTFY

Pross

Blacktemplar wrote:

ddraver wrote:

Dan Parks is just not good enough unfortunately, too many simple mistakes...

FTFY fella - welcome to our world

Parks is often cast as the pantomime villain, but anyone who messes about like that on their own 5-metre line with attackers in his face frankly isn't good enough to be an international 10. Unfortunately there seems to be an ongoing stubbornness in the SRU that says we should "protect" our more gifted young players. Erm.... George North, Owen Farrell, Leigh Halfpenny etc etc etc anyone? Young guys like Weir, Hogg, Grove etc all to often struggle to get a game - too much reliance on old warhorses I'm afraid, and institutionalised risk aversion. Until that culture changes, Scottish rugby will continue to be the glorious failure it so often is.

They gave Denton a go on Saturday, Richie Gray a go last season and both took to international rugby like they're born to it. Ironically Parks was there as he is seen as a safe pair of hands!

mamiljock

Scottish rugby - catch the ball standing still, run directly at the guy in front of you, drop the ball - we've got some big guys now but don't they have any sort of sporting instinct/control to do something a bit different or god forbid creative ?

753forme

The problem is with Robinson, not Parkes. Consistency in selection is key - Scotland decided Jackson ( a running fly half not a tactical kicker) was the answer last season. So if Jackson not available they should have gone with Laidlaw. I'm not sure all Lancaster's new caps came off but at least he had the balls to pick some rather than carry on with some one who has already been found wanting. Scotland don't have a huge pool of players but if Parkes wasn't good enough last year why go back to him?

Blacktemplar

Something else that strikes me having watched Wales is that as the backline gets bigger, and the distinction between them and the back three becomes ever more blurred, there is enormous pressure on players to 'bulk up' - I've watched Max Evans get chunkier and chunkier over the past couple of seasons (oo-err missus) and as a consequence he no longer has the same agility and elusiveness that scared the crap out of SA in 2010. I can see that when you're up against huge backs like Jamie Roberts, George North, Alex Cuthbert and the like you would want to enter the arms race and put up big hitters like Morrison and Lamont, but it saddens me to see so little of the fleet-footed magic of small guys like Shane Williams disappearing these days.

Pross

Shane also bulked up once he got back in as first choice after the 2003 RWC. The question then was getting asked whether it had affected his pace when he went through a lean spell but that was soon forgotten once he started scoring regularly again. I don't think it is so much that players lose their agility as they bulk up but more that as they are bigger they think they need to start running at people more.

Pross

Looks like the criticism of Parks has taken it's toll as he has decided to retire immediately from international rugby!

Ron Stuart

Lots of promising new bloods on display over the weekend in many of the teams. You need mediocre games to contrast the really good ones, relax the future of Northern Hemisphere Rugby looks just fine. The standard of rugby officials is way beyond anything available in the National sport of soccer, in fact we have grown so used to a high standard that when they make a mistake there is uproar about it. Even the foreign players can speak English with words of more than two syllables, fantastic; I'm looking forward to more.

daviesee

Pross wrote:

Looks like the criticism of Parks has taken it's toll as he has decided to retire immediately from international rugby!

The way I've heard it on the radio is that Laidlaw was injured but is now fit to play.
Being positive - Parks was going to retire but was asked to play until someone (Laidlaw) was fit. :?
Being cynical - Convenient excuse to bail out.

I am going to have to go for cynical as Laidlaw will still need a back up in case he is injured again.

To finish on a high note. Man of the match in 3 games during the 2010 Six Nations tournament when Scotland did nothing must mean he was better than often portrayed.

sandy hill

I am taking the wife to Rome for an early Valentines this weekend.

She doesn't know that we have rugby tickets.

tonyf34

Can't believe people think this is entertainment, it's like watching paint dry. Kick it into the stands or ping pong it from one end to the other or 10 fat guys have a cuddle on the ground whilst the backs have yet another fag & a cuppa.
Rugby League is where it's at, makes union look like a kickabout on the park and always has done 8)

pst88

Rugby league, or as it's more commonly known: touch rugby.

Pross

tonyf34 wrote:

Can't believe people think this is entertainment, it's like watching paint dry. Kick it into the stands or ping pong it from one end to the other or 10 fat guys have a cuddle on the ground whilst the backs have yet another fag & a cuppa.
Rugby League is where it's at, makes union look like a kickabout on the park and always has done 8)

Yawn! Surprised it took a whole 3 pages for a northern troll to appear. Let's all count to six now and then give the other team a chance

Ron Stuart

Pross wrote:

tonyf34 wrote:

Can't believe people think this is entertainment, it's like watching paint dry. Kick it into the stands or ping pong it from one end to the other or 10 fat guys have a cuddle on the ground whilst the backs have yet another fag & a cuppa.
Rugby League is where it's at, makes union look like a kickabout on the park and always has done 8)

Yawn! Surprised it took a whole 3 pages for a northern troll to appear. Let's all count to six now and then give the other team a chance

Troll probably not his interests stated are Rugby League, Cycling and Women he is more likely to be plain ordinary sports biggot but 'Northern' maybe not and so what, does Northern add more gravity and to whom :?: He doesn't live up North it seems and so what if he did, maybe your assumption is that Rugby League is only followed by Northern folk :!: :?:

Pross

Ron Stuart wrote:

Pross wrote:

tonyf34 wrote:

Can't believe people think this is entertainment, it's like watching paint dry. Kick it into the stands or ping pong it from one end to the other or 10 fat guys have a cuddle on the ground whilst the backs have yet another fag & a cuppa.
Rugby League is where it's at, makes union look like a kickabout on the park and always has done 8)

Yawn! Surprised it took a whole 3 pages for a northern troll to appear. Let's all count to six now and then give the other team a chance

Troll probably not his interests stated are Rugby League, Cycling and Women he is more likely to be plain ordinary sports biggot but 'Northern' maybe not and so what, does Northern add more gravity and to whom :?: He doesn't live up North it seems and so what if he did, maybe your assumption is that Rugby League is only followed by Northern folk :!: :?:

It's called banter - you should try it sometime! Rugby league supporter comes on Union thread and takes the mickey out of Union (boring, kick and chase etc. etc.). Union supporter responds in kind. If you look at the Stobart thread on the League season you'll see similar in reverse. I actually enjoy a bit of League but Union is always my preference. To be honest they are completely different games and I've never understood why some people think it's either one or the other. I take your point about rugby league not only being followed by Northerners, Australia is in the south

brettjmcc

Pross wrote:

Shane also bulked up once he got back in as first choice after the 2003 RWC. The question then was getting asked whether it had affected his pace when he went through a lean spell but that was soon forgotten once he started scoring regularly again. I don't think it is so much that players lose their agility as they bulk up but more that as they are bigger they think they need to start running at people more.

Shane was way bigger when he finished his career than at the end - the stadium that day was magical when he went over, we all went mental - though personally I do wonder if SA let it happen.

If you saw the Scrum V/BBC online doc they did on him, the coaches were saying that scarily he was actually quicker and more agile at the end based on the tests they do. I just don't think his body could take it any more.

As for George North, I really would not want that running at me....

RoadMeridaBen

brettjmcc wrote:

Pross wrote:

Shane also bulked up once he got back in as first choice after the 2003 RWC. The question then was getting asked whether it had affected his pace when he went through a lean spell but that was soon forgotten once he started scoring regularly again. I don't think it is so much that players lose their agility as they bulk up but more that as they are bigger they think they need to start running at people more.

Shane was way bigger when he finished his career than at the end - the stadium that day was magical when he went over, we all went mental - though personally I do wonder if SA let it happen.

If you saw the Scrum V/BBC online doc they did on him, the coaches were saying that scarily he was actually quicker and more agile at the end based on the tests they do. I just don't think his body could take it any more.

As for George North, I really would not want that running at me....

The last game shane played was against Australia not SA, fair play to you for paying attention to the game :P

ddraver

^ Yeah...see I just let that one go...

Pross

Scrum V Classic on last night showed the 2010 match between Wales and Scotland. I was there that day but had managed to forget just how good a match it was with Scotland taking an unexpected big lead before completely exploding. My only memories were the last 5 minutes and Thom Evans' career ending injury (Scotland would be a far better attacking side today with him still there).