6 Nats 2014

secretsqirrel
secretsqirrel Posts: 1,713
edited March 2014 in The cake stop
Close one to call this year?

France v England championship decider on the first day?


















C'mon Wales!!! . :D
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Comments

  • verylonglegs
    verylonglegs Posts: 3,949
    First game France away...don't tell me, it's an Irish ref too? Conspiracy I tell ya! Ashton and Youngs left out was bit of a surprise though I haven't seen much of the new guys so can't judge. Looking forward to it as ever.
  • pipipi
    pipipi Posts: 332
    Looking forward to it!
  • <drinks pint of piss>
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Should be good. Suspect that it ll be England or Wales...

    England seem to play a game that works south of the equator, but Wales have had beating the Northern Hemisphere down for a while now. Will depend if they can get into that extra gear they only have against England or not...? *innocent face*

    France being France could get the wooden spoon or the Grand Slam and I wouldn't be surprised either way....I hope these new boys can do something to kickstart the back line though

    Hopefully Ireland can give Brian O'Driscoll a worthy send off. I'm going to Twickenham for that game having never seen England win live so I'm slightly concerned :P
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,076
    Thing about the 6N is that it's always so hard to call. Even the first game is never a great indicator as form seems to change throughout the tournament. Last year England started well and gradually declined, Wales had a poor start and went on to win it.

    Shoddy weather tomorrow, 2 games on tv. Happy daze.
  • Wales have it quite tough this year with England and Ireland away, although they have won Grand Slams on 'blues home' and 'blues away' years.
    France at home on a Friday night is a horrible one. Wales never seem to play well on Friday night fixtures. So I think 3 in a row is a tough ask.

    Hope it's a good competition. Quite fancy Ireland this year.
  • crispybug2
    crispybug2 Posts: 2,915
    Greetings from France

    Staying at a mates house in the eighth, tickets in hand and the weather looks good for a day of running rugby.

    Can't wait! !

    Allez Les Rosbifs!!!
  • lemon63
    lemon63 Posts: 253
    Would be grateful if someone could help me source a pair of England v Wales tickets, my rugby club has let me down. :?
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    f**KING French I flipping knew they were going to do something like that!!!

    Godammit now I know how an All Black in Paris (or a Welshman in New Zealand) must feel!!
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    I'm still not quite sure how they did that... Looked to be done and dusted
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    Sluggish start from Wales. Irish looking good, but still don't understand what the Scots are trying to do. They seem all clumsy and cumbersome. Are they trying to play in a style that their players just aren't capable of?

    Only saw the last ten minutes of the England game, so can't really comment on that.
  • laurentian
    laurentian Posts: 2,371
    Mikey23 wrote:
    I'm still not quite sure how they did that... Looked to be done and dusted

    Well, I think I'd start with the fact that Lancaster saw fit to take off Danny Care who was running the show from 9. Baffling, quite baffling!

    England were good though, the pack look as good as any out there and B Vunipola had a great second half (again, puzzlingly replaced when clearly firing on all cylinders). Courtney getting better and better and we may have gone some way to solving the perennial 12/13 question with Burrell.

    Two lucky bounces is what it came down to but you make your own luck and France certainly did that but England played all the rugby.

    Don't think there will be a slam this year . . . Wales or England for the Championship.
    Wilier Izoard XP
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    laurentian wrote:

    Don't think there will be a slam this year . . . Wales or England for the Championship.
    or Ireland...
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    Wales need to wake themselves up a bit before Saturday, they won't win if they play like they did last week. Fair play to Italy, they looked well organised in defence and stronger in the backline than they have in the past but Wales seemed short of ideas for creating gaps (lack of possession was also a big problem). With the weather as it is I think Wales may struggle as Ireland are stronger up front and have a better tactical kicker (in fact, most mini rugby teams have a better tactical kicker than Wales!). England looked good on Sunday but it will be interesting to see how they respond to the disappointment. Conversely, that win may get the French heads up which will be a worry for everyone else.

    Scotland look like wooden spoon winners. Battled well enough first half but looked inept after that.
  • fat_cat
    fat_cat Posts: 566
    As a proud Englishman I've got a bad feeling about Saturday's game. Scotland always raise their game against England, and looks like they have laid on the traditional weather for the fixture, blowing a gale, and chucking it down!
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    Fat Cat wrote:
    As a proud Englishman I've got a bad feeling about Saturday's game. Scotland always raise their game against England, and looks like they have laid on the traditional weather for the fixture, blowing a gale, and chucking it down!
    Meh. There's no need for you to worry. They are dire.
  • MartinGT
    MartinGT Posts: 475
    Im an RL man myself, but always enjoy the 6 Nations.

    Whats the RU fans thought of Sam Burgess joining the ranks? He would be a great loss to League IMO.
  • Scottish forwards just didn't look fit enough. Way too early to stick my neck out and predict who will win championship but I agree with Laurentian that it won't be a Grand Slam year.
  • fat_cat
    fat_cat Posts: 566
    MartinGT wrote:
    Im an RL man myself, but always enjoy the 6 Nations.

    Whats the RU fans thought of Sam Burgess joining the ranks? He would be a great loss to League IMO.


    Would be interesting to see what position he fits into for Rugby Union. Think it's easier for backs to convert than forwards. Don't doubt his class as a league player, or his power, he looked aweseome in the world cup, but think it would be a difficult transition to playing back row for example in a Union pack.
  • MartinGT
    MartinGT Posts: 475
    Fat Cat wrote:
    MartinGT wrote:
    Im an RL man myself, but always enjoy the 6 Nations.

    Whats the RU fans thought of Sam Burgess joining the ranks? He would be a great loss to League IMO.


    Would be interesting to see what position he fits into for Rugby Union. Think it's easier for backs to convert than forwards. Don't doubt his class as a league player, or his power, he looked aweseome in the world cup, but think it would be a difficult transition to playing back row for example in a Union pack.

    Aye, I would tend to agree with that. Will be interesting to see though.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Scottish forwards just didn't look fit enough. Way too early to stick my neck out and predict who will win championship but I agree with Laurentian that it won't be a Grand Slam year.

    Trouble then is it usually comes down to a points difference and it all ends up being a bit meh...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    ddraver wrote:
    Scottish forwards just didn't look fit enough. Way too early to stick my neck out and predict who will win championship but I agree with Laurentian that it won't be a Grand Slam year.

    Trouble then is it usually comes down to a points difference and it all ends up being a bit meh...

    What, like last year ended up being a bit "meh"...
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    you don't think..?

    Dunno, i was pretty unmoved when England won the 6Nats but lost to Ireland a few years back...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    I think it's more the losing a final game that would have won you the Grand Slam than only winning the title on points difference that makes it feel 'meh'. By contrast, it felt great in Wales last year winning it on points difference with a great performance in the final game (even better as it denied England obviously :wink: ) after starting the tournament so badly.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Maybe, I suppose it makes a difference when several teams lose games as a reuslt of great performances rather than 2 teams mucking up maybe...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • laurentian
    laurentian Posts: 2,371
    Fat Cat wrote:
    MartinGT wrote:
    Im an RL man myself, but always enjoy the 6 Nations.

    Whats the RU fans thought of Sam Burgess joining the ranks? He would be a great loss to League IMO.


    Would be interesting to see what position he fits into for Rugby Union. Think it's easier for backs to convert than forwards. Don't doubt his class as a league player, or his power, he looked aweseome in the world cup, but think it would be a difficult transition to playing back row for example in a Union pack.

    He'd play in the centre
    Wilier Izoard XP
  • fat_cat
    fat_cat Posts: 566
    laurentian wrote:
    Fat Cat wrote:
    MartinGT wrote:
    Im an RL man myself, but always enjoy the 6 Nations.

    Whats the RU fans thought of Sam Burgess joining the ranks? He would be a great loss to League IMO.


    Would be interesting to see what position he fits into for Rugby Union. Think it's easier for backs to convert than forwards. Don't doubt his class as a league player, or his power, he looked aweseome in the world cup, but think it would be a difficult transition to playing back row for example in a Union pack.

    He'd play in the centre

    Not sure about that, sounds like Andy Farrell all over again, and that didn't really work out.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    ^Yeah but in 30-40 years we ll have a great No 10!
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    ddraver wrote:
    you don't think..?

    Dunno, i was pretty unmoved when England won the 6Nats but lost to Ireland a few years back...
    For last year? As a welshie, certainly not :wink:
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Flippin' Nora Ireland where has this come from?!?
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver