Six Nations 2022

[bendeus]

Certainly justified his selection ahead of LRZ. Pleased for him as I recall he got a lot of quite nasty abuse when he was short of form. If he never plays again for Wales he can look back on some good performances this season.

Absolutely agree. He was crucified by a section of the 'fans' here. I remember the world cup in Englandwhen he was the only fit winger but his confidence was shot. He kept fucking up and received so much abuse. Well, he's stuffed that right back in a lot of faces over the last couple of games.

 

[bendeus]

Oh, and it seems that England's try was delivered via some top drawer cheating. Dombrandt impeded beard's jump by all accounts

 

[Infidel Castro]

I dared dream in that last 5 mins. Mental. Cuthbert was good enough for Gats and therefore always good enough for me. What a game lad. Tomp , Fal too. Randall a good player. England hesitant. Too reliant on a spark from 10 at times. Mad game. Well done England, but I can't help think what might have been. And now we have France. Hooray.

 

[stavros]

What are those rectangles at the top of the backs of the England players? Some protection for the top of the spine? Secret communication channels?

Because no one else has answered you I think they're GPS units, so the teams' stats people can analyse their movements. I think they wear them on something that looks like a sports bra.

 

[two sheds]

secret communication channels it is then, I thought so

 

[fucthest8]

secret communication channels it is then, I thought so

Look a bit more closely mate, literally every player in every side has them

 

[fucthest8]

Ouchie fucking ouch! Well played France... Scotland? Not so much...

Scotland certainly played a lot of rugby, eh?

Really felt like they reverted to type for the mid section of the second half, lots of multi-phase play whilst going backwards or sideways, it looks exhausting - and then you end up with spaces on the wing and the easiest two tries Penaud will ever score.

 

[fucthest8]

I'm no rugby expert, but watching that, all the creativity and flair in the back line was coming from Wales. England's forwards look very good, but their backs don't offer much to my eyes. I can barely remember a thrilling piece of skill from any of them. In the end, England could only get over the line with the aid of a brainfart from the opposition.

England lacking a carrying threat in the backs to get over the gain line so aren’t scoring tries. Can’t capitalise on the ball they produce. Tuilagi was meant to do that. Personally I’d sack him off, too fragile and look for another option

I think these two comments pretty much sum England up. They have so much potential and yet somehow never really produce it in the backs. Long way to go and yes, definitely need a proper alternative to Tuilagi.

Wales can feel really hard done by, that second half was cracking, some lovely tries - and some really poor defence from England, Wales' last try was just piss poor attention from England.

I fancy France to beat England by 20 points or more. Some of the passages from France were, once again, sublime, even though there were clearly some nervy moments - and again, piss poor defence at the end to allow Scotland a consolation try

E2A:
I reckon Wales v France might be interesting, Wales at home ...

 

[two sheds]

Look a bit more closely mate, literally every player in every side has them

bloody hell they're all at it

I bet they're 5G

 

[Elpenor]

Scotland certainly played a lot of rugby, eh?

Really felt like they reverted to type for the mid section of the second half, lots of multi-phase play whilst going backwards or sideways, it looks exhausting - and then you end up with spaces on the wing and the easiest two tries Penaud will ever score.

Scotland play too much of their rugby in the wrong places like inside their own 22. Russell has been poor this tournament.

 

[mx wcfc]

sorry - can someone explain to me why the Italians are down to 13 men. It's a pointless game now.

 

[sleaterkinney]

Italy down to 13, what a farce.

 

[fucthest8]

Well this is fucking ridiculous. What a shame. No-one expected Italy to win, but this is going to be pointless now

 

[fucthest8]

sorry - can someone explain to me why the Italians are down to 13 men. It's a pointless game now.

Because it's the law. It's a bit of a weird one though, not sure what is intended to achieve. Well, unless "an uneven contest that no-one wants to watch" was the objective

 

[fucthest8]

Okay, so designed to stop teams pretending someone is injured in order to get unapposed scrums

Very blunt instrument

 

[Elpenor]

Italy can’t ever get a break can they.

Mike Lowry isn’t a bad boy at full back

 

[SpookyFrank]

Okay, so designed to stop teams pretending someone is injured in order to get unapposed scrums

More like designed to stop players reporting head injuries. But then if they started taking head injuries seriously the sport would cease to exist so maybe that does make sense.

 

[fucthest8]

More like designed to stop players reporting head injuries. But then if they started taking head injuries seriously the sport would cease to exist so maybe that does make sense.

Not sure I follow you. Head injuries being reported - even two of them - leads to no extra players being taken off. So how does the design prevent players reporting head injuries?

E2A plus the ref/official doctors (as in, not team doctors) can force players off for an HIA

 

[littlebabyjesus]

More like designed to stop players reporting head injuries. But then if they started taking head injuries seriously the sport would cease to exist so maybe that does make sense.

Compared to what it was like just a few years ago, they're taken pretty seriously now. A player going off for an HIA is very common and routine. That's only happened in the last five years. Players used to be praised for staying on when they were clearly concussed - brave, spirited, etc. Now they're forced off whether they like it or not - and normally they don't like it.

 

[Elpenor]

Specialist front row have to be on the pitch or uncontested scrums. If a team couldn’t have 6 front row in their squad, game can’t even start.

Neck injuries are the concern at scrum time. HIA generally occur around tackles.

 

[stavros]

As ever with Italy they put their all in, but never get anything. I think they said 2015 was their last 6N win, and they've not even got a losing bonus since 2018.

 

[Elpenor]

They benefited from having other crap teams in the 6N when they started. The standards of the other teams have risen and the gap is much bigger now

 

[flypanam]

The sending off ruined the game, Christ i dont think there was intent in that hit on Sheehan. A yellow at most. I thought we were disjointed and I guess there is reason that a team wins a World Cup with 23 to 25 players.

I hope Farrell sees that Joey is not the heir apparent, that Casey is as guilty as Murray as slowing play and that we maybe need Coombes to bench against England.

 

[stavros]

They benefited from having other crap teams in the 6N when they started. The standards of the other teams have risen and the gap is much bigger now

Yes, even a few years ago Scotland and France were fairly crap, but both have improved massively.

Whether it was a red or not I was gutted when he went, as you knew it would destroy any hope of a competitive game.

 

[flypanam]

Andrew Porter is out for the rest of the six nations. Healy to step up but I wonder if he has the legs for 60 minutes? He certainly doesn’t have the distribution. I wonder if Jack McGrath will get call?

 

[sleaterkinney]

The sending off ruined the game, Christ i dont think there was intent in that hit on Sheehan. A yellow at most. I thought we were disjointed and I guess there is reason that a team wins a World Cup with 23 to 25 players.

I hope Farrell sees that Joey is not the heir apparent, that Casey is as guilty as Murray as slowing play and that we maybe need Coombes to bench against England.

There wasn't intent but he was stood up in the tackle, they have zero tolerance now for head contact.

Why are you so down on Joey?. He needs a run in the shirt. I think he has the skills and the mentality.

 

[flypanam]

There wasn't intent but he was stood up in the tackle, they have zero tolerance now for head contact.

Why are you so down on Joey?. He needs a run in the shirt. I think he has the skills and the mentality.

I think Joey is marvellous as a fullback with the pace and vision to be the best attacking fullback we’ve ever had. I don’t think that he has the game to play at ten, he’s not awful but he doesn’t boss the attack like sexton or even Harry Byrne does.

The game against Argentina sealed my thinking. I didn’t think we were playing that well but a poor and tired Argentina mad us look okay but when Byrne came on although he made mistakes we clicked better and Joey was a revelation running from deep.

I think he’s playing out of position, and by insisting on being a ten he’s keeping some real talent from getting a shot, Crowley at Munster could be something special but can’t get the game time.

 

[bendeus]

I think Joey is marvellous as a fullback with the pace and vision to be the best attacking fullback we’ve ever had. I don’t think that he has the game to play at ten, he’s not awful but he doesn’t boss the attack like sexton or even Harry Byrne does.

The game against Argentina sealed my thinking. I didn’t think we were playing that well but a poor and tired Argentina mad us look okay but when Byrne came on although he made mistakes we clicked better and Joey was a revelation running from deep.

I think he’s playing out of position, and by insisting on being a ten he’s keeping some real talent from getting a shot, Crowley at Munster could be something special but can’t get the game time.

Sounds like he's caught a nasty case of the James Hooks; another player whose talent at the position he should have played in (12) was wasted by his insistence on wearing 10 in spite of all the evidence that he didn't have the brain or big game mentality for playing there.

 

[flypanam]

Sounds like he's caught a nasty case of the James Hooks; another player whose talent at the position he should have played in (12) was wasted by his insistence on wearing 10 in spite of all the evidence that he didn't have the brain or big game mentality for playing there.

actually yes that’s a good way of putting it. I don’t think anyone could be enamoured by joeys stint at ten against Italy, especially after they went to down to 13. It’s such a waste of a very special player.

 

[Elpenor]

There’s a lot of talk about 3 away wins being likely this weekend. I really can’t see it. Away wins are very rare outside of Rome.