Six Nations 2023
- Thread starter Elpenor
- Start date
bendeus
Bellend Tagline Generator
Based on all the performances this weekend I fear the spoon is an almost certainty. Ironically the only win I could possibly see us scraping is England at home and that only with a blood and guts performance for pride in front of a partisan crowd. Blues away and Rome and Murrayfield anything but gimmes these days. It's looking seriously bleak.
fucthest8
Cool people die horrible, preventable deaths.
Called it!
Not the performance I was hoping for, but all credit to Italy, that was a full 80 from them, gone are the days when you can expect them to fade later on.
Also, let's be honest, if it wasn't for a couple of poor scrum half decisions from Italy - box kick chargedown, looking away from the ruck as the ball comes out - I'm not sure how that would have ended. Loved all the TV coverage of Shaun Edwards looking stressed
Really bloody nervous about Ireland now, they will be analysing the shit out of that game. Feels like France have lost a bit of their spark somewhere, was evident in all the autumn games too.
flypanam
Sausage to fortune
It’s a long time to go unbeaten. That brings its own pressures. It looked like they were carrying a heavy load yesterday. Still they played badly and won, that’s a champion team right there.Called it!
Not the performance I was hoping for, but all credit to Italy, that was a full 80 from them, gone are the days when you can expect them to fade later on.
Also, let's be honest, if it wasn't for a couple of poor scrum half decisions from Italy - box kick chargedown, looking away from the ruck as the ball comes out - I'm not sure how that would have ended. Loved all the TV coverage of Shaun Edwards looking stressed
Really bloody nervous about Ireland now, they will be analysing the shit out of that game. Feels like France have lost a bit of their spark somewhere, was evident in all the autumn games too.
flypanam
Sausage to fortune
You’ve been here before though with Scotland. Wales in a trough, Scots Ona high. Wales win. I fancy you’ll do it on Saturday. Look we played okay but we made capital out of your penalties. Tighten up and who knows.
bendeus
Bellend Tagline Generator
I think what brings me down is the yawning gap between your boys and mine up front. Ireland won the contact every single time, making gainline metres with one up carries. We were getting smashed back. Similar passivity in defence, similar again at setpiece.
I think Gatland would have been hoping to integrate the new boys I mentioned above into a side that was at least holding its own, after Saturday fuck knows what we do - stick and probably suffer a similar outcome or twist and probably suffer a similar outcome but begin to blood the next generation in (albeit losing) test rugby. It's a real quandary.
Elpenor
Dancing as fast as I can
Teams being named for the Saturday games today
France are unchanged, Ireland swap out the injured Sheehan coming in for Herring at Hooker.
Gatland has made five changes in the pack - no Alun Wyn Jones, Tipuric or Faletau. Starts for Jenkins, Tshiunza and Reffell. Probably necessary and might as well blood players now with a view on winning the 2024 6N. Unchanged backline but it remains to see if will they get any more ball and Biggar will probably waste it anyway. Surprised he wasn’t changed too but probably no other realistic option.
Scotland have Fagerson back in for Nel at tight head.
France are unchanged, Ireland swap out the injured Sheehan coming in for Herring at Hooker.
Gatland has made five changes in the pack - no Alun Wyn Jones, Tipuric or Faletau. Starts for Jenkins, Tshiunza and Reffell. Probably necessary and might as well blood players now with a view on winning the 2024 6N. Unchanged backline but it remains to see if will they get any more ball and Biggar will probably waste it anyway. Surprised he wasn’t changed too but probably no other realistic option.
Scotland have Fagerson back in for Nel at tight head.
flypanam
Sausage to fortune
Herring is a better scrummager. We lose something in the loose, but at least Kelleher is back on the bench.
All our injuries are hamstrings (apart from Furlong), I wonder what they are doing in training that is causing such an injury?
Also I've just watched the Italy France game again, do France play with three 8s in the backrow?
bendeus
Bellend Tagline Generator
I was watching Slammed: The 70s last night. Imagine Barry John leaving and then Phil Bennett strolling in to replace him. Or Terry Holmes for Gareth Edwards. By fuck I wish we had such options now. Depth at 9 and 10 is literally as bad as I can remember in my lifetime. Even in the shit years of the 90s we had the Likes of Howley, Neil Jenkins et al. Now? Nothing.
AverageJoe
...
Look out for this 12 year old in 6 or 7 years time...
Elpenor
Dancing as fast as I can
So todays games…
Ireland have to surely win this, they’re either playing France or New Zealand in their World Cup QF and going in with two straight losses seems if not unthinkable at least unwise. I think France had a far bigger test than Ireland last week, but Ireland have more of an all around game compared to France I think. With the Irish home advantage and the shorter turnaround for the French, I’m saying Ireland by 4 points
Scotland play a new look Wales team, at least in the pack. A Wales team coached by Gatland have never lost to Scotland, and Scotland haven’t won their first two games since 1996. I fancy both of those stats to change today. And reckon Scotland win by 8 points but the youth in Wales’s pack get some vital experience.
Sunday sees England play Italy at home. Another change to the centre partnership sees Ollie Lawrence - in form for Bath - line up with Slade. Farrell is back at 10, controversial but on premiership form the right call. I feel Italy will be miffed with their defeat last week, despite the losing bonus point. I will stick my neck out and say they’ll come to play again, with the aim of scoring tries against a leaky English defence and seeing what happens. I reckon it’s another (try this time) bonus point loss with England winning by 12.
Ireland have to surely win this, they’re either playing France or New Zealand in their World Cup QF and going in with two straight losses seems if not unthinkable at least unwise. I think France had a far bigger test than Ireland last week, but Ireland have more of an all around game compared to France I think. With the Irish home advantage and the shorter turnaround for the French, I’m saying Ireland by 4 points
Scotland play a new look Wales team, at least in the pack. A Wales team coached by Gatland have never lost to Scotland, and Scotland haven’t won their first two games since 1996. I fancy both of those stats to change today. And reckon Scotland win by 8 points but the youth in Wales’s pack get some vital experience.
Sunday sees England play Italy at home. Another change to the centre partnership sees Ollie Lawrence - in form for Bath - line up with Slade. Farrell is back at 10, controversial but on premiership form the right call. I feel Italy will be miffed with their defeat last week, despite the losing bonus point. I will stick my neck out and say they’ll come to play again, with the aim of scoring tries against a leaky English defence and seeing what happens. I reckon it’s another (try this time) bonus point loss with England winning by 12.
