Six Nations 2012.

Ugly, scrappy wins will be better for England in the long run.....As long as they keep improving.

On paper, well, on the beeb site, which is all I can see of it, it's two played, two won. Fantastic. Nothing else to be said. On paper.

A website isn't on paper ...

Yorkie Jill wrote:On paper, well, on the beeb site, which is all I can see of it, it's two played, two won. Fantastic. Nothing else to be said. On paper.

Add "against Scotland and Italy, neither of which made the RWC play-off rounds", and you may want to burn off the right half of the paper.

well it has been a nice intro to the tournament.

Maybe I printed it off, Peter.

Wales and France will be a different proposition, but two out of the remaining three games at home means a decent chance at retaining the title (easy to forget England are actually defending champions with everything that's gone since!)

beamer wrote:(easy to forget England are actually defending champions with everything that's gone since!)

Including some of the guys who helped them into that position...

mynah wrote:

beamer wrote:(easy to forget England are actually defending champions with everything that's gone since!)

Including some of the guys who helped them into that position...

some or all?

There's not too many of them left, on or off the field...

It all seemed to fall apart when we lost the game for the Grand Slam in Dublin. Up until then we'd had a decent few months, with the likes of Ashton, Foden and Youngs at last giving us some threat from the backs, combined with lots of experience in the pack. That Ashton try against the Aussies that Youngs started off from his own line was the symbol of that particular false dawn. Now it's virtually a blank canvas again, as has so often been the case since 2003...

mynah wrote:Frogs vs Paddies called off almost at kickoff. Has anything like this ever happened before in international rugby?

Apparently not the first time a game involving Ireland was called off. In 2001 three Ireland matches were postponed due to foot-and-mouth disease. Not clear who they feared would give it to whom.

Wales on course for a sensational implosion at Twickenham in a few weeks.

DJ_Smerk wrote:Wales on course for a sensational implosion at Twickenham in a few weeks.

Will need to be quite sensational to lose to this England side... but Wales may find the favourites tag hard to handle, as the Irish often have as well.

Was able to watch only part of the England v Wales match, but looked a good one, not as dominated by (English) defence as widely expected. Despite slow feeds on occasion - why don't England teams have a bit more assurance in the organisation and running of their backs and loose forwards? - the best I have seen from England from some time.

They still lost - by a knife's edge, a close squeak over a disputed try - but surprisingly encouraging signs. It appears (didn't see that bit) a few minutes of the other old sin of England teams, overenthuastic penalty concessions, made the diffeerence. It seems also Farrell did miss one. Pity for him. Looks a good player, a cool head and a decent kicker (usually).

For Wales, skipper Warburton in particular was tremendous in defence. In each of the three sections of the match I did see, he put on a crunching and crucial tackle.

Wales looked a good strong side, but seemed to make few clear active breaks in this match. Which I think speaks well for the England team.

I imagine both sides could go on from here to better things. Well, Wales won the triple crown, but that's not as big as the mighty Gatland will be aiming.

I see Ireland eventually walked the game against Italy, after only being on level terms at half-time.

I suppose they could still be in the frame for the Championship, if the obvious favourites Wales and France "cancel each other out". ~ Though, hang on, Ireland have still to play France, so they might only require the French to best the Welsh.

Heart in your mouth time. Almost had a heart attack during that game.

Botha looks too South African to play for England.

Well done Smerky - but England put in a decent performance. All in all, one of the better games I've seen recently.

DJ_Smerk wrote:Heart in your mouth time. Almost had a heart attack during that game.

Botha looks too South African to play for England.

*snorfle*

About time we Yarpified our rugby team, though when it reaches football we will know things are getting desperate! A better performance anyway, just didn't have the experience to see it through - a seemingly young Welsh side had around three times as many caps to their name as the England XV. We'll finish 3rd or 4th which is about what's expected at this stage, hopefully a few signs of progress though.

Speaking of players of changed nationality, why do the Italians keep picking third-rate imports at fly-half? I know they haven't had a half decent 10 since Dominguez (and he was Argentinian anyway!) but surely the current policy must be demoralising for the young prospects, and they should just pick one of them and stick with him?

One would think that, of all positions, flyhalf would be one in which the Latins would excel...

mynah wrote:One would think that, of all positions, flyhalf would be one in which the Latins would excel...

The Spanish flyhalf?

Italy have always seemed strongest up front, just lacking invention behind (rather like Scotland, though they at least turn out reliable kickers).

Must be frustrating for someone like Parisse (can't believe he's only 28, seems to have been Italy's forward talisman since time began, along with "Castro") to be leading a side with so little cutting edge and ability to put points on the board. Still think they've progressed since they entered though, they're no Bangladesh in cricket equivalent. Maybe it will just take one superstar to emerge to take them up a level like BOD did for Ireland a decade or so ago.

taipan wrote:

mynah wrote:One would think that, of all positions, flyhalf would be one in which the Latins would excel...

The Spanish flyhalf?

Haven't heard of him - but probably less effective than the Spanish fly.

mynah wrote:

taipan wrote:

mynah wrote:One would think that, of all positions, flyhalf would be one in which the Latins would excel...

The Spanish flyhalf?

Haven't heard of him - but probably less effective than the Spanish fly.

Actually, they have a rugby team - which recently beat Georgia - and they have a flyhalf. Apparently he is a full-blooded Frenchman - unlike the last four French flyhalves I can recall...

Big day today. Cardiff is awash with the French.

It's like a Saddam Hussain convention.

Cymru Am Byth to the boys bach!

Wooden Spoon for Scotland then. Very poor today, if Italy had some cutting edge backs the scoreline would have been embarrassing for them.