View Full Version : The official Six Nations Thread : could be the best in years!
Two weeks to go and what a cracker this could be:
Wales
Buoyant, flamboyant and entertaining. Will be eager to build on their "also ran" status in the Autumn. Moral is at a high but the clubs cannot yet compete in Europe./
England
The world champions. Missing a LOT of players. But when you have that size of population you can have class in depth. And there is some very young class on show. Could do very well and set an unbeatable team for the future at the same time. Draw very tough so big games could go either way especially if they lose their opener.
France
Bad autumn series but clubs firing well in Europe. Exciting new players, established old ones. Could get Grand Slam but I have a feeling this could be one of those off years for the french.
Ireland
Difficult to see any real flaws. Will develop from last year. Have a home game against Wales in Cardiff ;) Club rugby very strong at the moment.
Scotland
Seemingly in disarray but walloped Japan by the same number as Wales. Structure falling apart and club form terrible. Recent weeks have seen shock victories.
Italy
Same as usual. This year must be seen as a real opportunity to develop. Time is running out for the Italians.
If you want a real laugh check out this thread for Wales v England
in 2009 !
http://forum.gwladrugby.com/showthread.php?t=24710&highlight=2009
DarthPearce
21-01-2005, 10:32
I think it will be the closest 6 nations since it turned into a 6 team competition with France, Ireland, England and Wales all in with a shout of winning IMO.
As and englishman living in Wales I'm worried about the Wales v England clash as I think the Welsh look favourites.
Welshlad
21-01-2005, 10:39
While i'd like to be optimistic, I dont think we have a chance.
It'll be the same as every other 6-nations: full of optimism but underachieving IMO
Id love to be proven wrong though!
Rabbi of Caerbannog
21-01-2005, 11:04
I still fail to see England as potential 6 nation winners. I do not watch very much club RU so do not know what any of the "new" members of the England squad are like.
I just feel that with Wilkinson injured we have been a shadow of the team that won the world cup (which I do not think would have been achieved with out Wilkinson)
Going by what I saw of them last year my money is going on the Irish and French to battle this one out.
Hope I am worng though :thumbs:
DarthPearce
21-01-2005, 11:08
I just feel that with Wilkinson injured we have been a shadow of the team that won the world cup (which I do not think would have been achieved with out Wilkinson)
Although Wilkinson is the 'face' of the success of England in the WC I actually think we are missing Johnson and a few of the other senior players who retired more than Wilkinson.
You also have to remember that even Wilkinsons brother (a scrum half playing at outside half) made mincemeat of the Dragons last week :(
Matholwch
24-01-2005, 15:24
To be fair the Dragons never turned up for that game!
TBH I think England will benefit from not having Wilko, his replacement - Hodgson offers better attacking play than Wilkinson, and will prove to be much more of a loose canon.
I think Wales will loose it up front, our backs can't do a thing unless we gain possession up front.
But it does look like it'll be a tantalising 6 nations (apart for Scotland ;) ).
horseflesh
24-01-2005, 17:25
I'm quietly confident.......
Aw, crap. Wales now have no experienced opensides.
Mind you Englands back row is hardly sparkling with talent.
Could make it that bit more interesting!
Matholwch
26-01-2005, 12:59
Colin Charvis going off to New York with an ankle injury - into the snow and ice, very clever of him, no wonder its taking so long.
Richie Pugh is a pretty good player, more effective in the loose than Martyn Williams IMO.
GreyJackal
27-01-2005, 08:56
Are they like midichlorians?
Clutching at straws, boyo, clutching at straws :D
Radiohead
27-01-2005, 10:30
Really tough to call the opener for England. As has been said we're missing Johnson/Back/Hill/Dallalgio far more than Wilkinson. Wales are going to miss Charvis and I think a couple of their first-choice backs are injured as well. So both sides aren't at full-strength to balance that argument out to a degree.
I just pray that if Robinson plays Paul again he at least leaves him, but I can see him going for Barkley with a debut from the immensely promising Matthew Tait as distinct possibility. Either way we have to keep a kicker on the field with a back-up on the bench. Missing Tindall, Greenwood and Wilkinson is a big hole to fill in the backs though.
Wales will fancy their chances against a weakened and largely changed side - but the forward battle will be important for us to win. If we don't then I fancy Wales to use their backs to great effect. They're due a big scalp, and England in Cardiff would be as good as it gets.
France - depends which side turns up. The way NZ tore them apart in November was jaw-dropping to watch. Missing Betsen and Magne for the early games and that could hurt them, but look at the form of their players in Europe this season.
Ireland - I think they could win it this year, and have some superb players. O'Driscoll is my bet for the Lions captaincy.
Scotland and Italy - not a hope in well.
My prediction for the final table
Ireland
France
England
Wales
Scotland
Italy
But it's such a close competition this year, with any of 4 teams able to win, possibly with no-one winning the slam or even Triple Crown.
I have a feeling that France are due their off year.
Ireland will either win everything OR suffer bottom table mediocrity. Despite their Heineken performance they may have peaked.
As to Wales and England I would actually underplay the losses. Anyone new who starts for those teams will want to start the next game as well. Competition is a good thing.
My prediction would be
Ireland
Wales
England
France
Italy
Scotland
Are they like midichlorians?
Clutching at straws, boyo, clutching at straws :D
You have to remember that everyone in Wales knows everything about everyone else ;)
AND I NOW HAVE TICKETS FOR THE GAME! :clap: :clap:
DarthPearce
27-01-2005, 10:56
You have to remember that everyone in Wales knows everything about everyone else ;)
AND I NOW HAVE TICKETS FOR THE GAME! :clap: :clap:
Lucky bugger - as usual it's a real struggle to find them at a sensible price. :(
Radiohead
27-01-2005, 11:06
I have tickets for the England-France game at Fortress HQ.
Matholwch
27-01-2005, 11:44
Lucky bugger - as usual it's a real struggle to find them at a sensible price. :(
My sentiments exactly!
Radiohead
27-01-2005, 13:21
England squad named for Wales match:
England squad (to face Wales):
Backs: Jason Robinson (Sale Sharks, capt), Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks), Josh Lewsey (Wasps), Iain Balshaw (Leeds), Ben Cohen (Northampton), Mathew Tait (Newcastle), Jamie Noon (Newcastle), Ollie Smith (Leicester), Henry Paul (Gloucester), Olly Barkley (Bath), Charlie Hodgson (Sale Sharks), Matt Dawson (Wasps), Andy Gomarsall (Gloucester), Harry Ellis (Leicester).
Forwards: Graham Rowntree (Leicester), Andy Sheridan (Sale Sharks), Julian White (Leicester), Phil Vickery (Gloucester), Steve Thompson (Northampton), Andy Titterrell (Sale Sharks), George Chuter (Leicester), Danny Grewcock (Bath), Simon Shaw (Wasps), Steve Borthwick (Bath), Ben Kay (Leicester), Hugh Vyvyan (Saracens), Lewis Moody (Leicester), Andy Hazell (Gloucester), Joe Worsley (Wasps), Jamie Forrester (Gloucester).
I reckon we can rustle up a decent enough 15 from that lot
:nuts:
Lucky bugger - as usual it's a real struggle to find them at a sensible price. :(
Would it really annoy you if I said they were £14?
DarthPearce
27-01-2005, 13:57
Would it really annoy you if I said they were £14?
Have a guess! ;)
I'll give you £15 for them..... :p
Have a guess! ;)
I'll give you £15 for them..... :p
Not a chance. I'm suprised you can't get any being down in the heartlands so to speak.
Something to try is this. Normally North and far West Wales clubs have a surfeit of tickets. So it's worth joining a club just to get the annual ticket draw even if you never get to the club. I hear St Davids is a good bet in West Wales.
Matholwch
27-01-2005, 16:18
Hoping to get a couple of tickets through my Ponty contact for the Wales v Ireland match - let's see if we manage to win at home against the Irish for once!
horseflesh
27-01-2005, 16:38
Wales v Ireland match - let's see if we manage to win at home against the Irish for once!
Dream on sucka!!!
GreyJackal
27-01-2005, 17:01
I have tickets for the England-France game at Fortress HQ.
Doing the hospitality thing for the Scotland game in March :D
Me, my boss (aka my dad) and 8 pharmacists. Just add alcohol \o/
BISCUIT SHOULDERS SIGNS NEW TWO YEAR-CONTRACT
England rugby world cup hero Johnny Wilkinson has today signed a new record-breaking two year contract with the BUPA North East Sports Hospital in Newcastle.
The deal, which is estimated to be worth a whopping £350,000 a year, will see the drop-kick king spend a further two years at the exclusive private sports clinic.
Said BUPA North East Sports Hospital Chief Executive Rob Andrew: "I'm delighted to be able to sign Johnny up for a further two years. He's quite clearly the best patient in English rugby. He rarely troubles himself with playing sport, and when he does occasionally leave the hospital he soon returns. I guess he must like the place."
Publicity-shy Johnny, best known for appearing in TV adverts for the Times, Boots and Lucozade, said: "I've spent the best part of my career on the treatment table here at the BUPA North East Sports Hospital. I'm delighted to be able to sign up for a further two years."
Johnny recently made his BUPA North East Sports Hospital comeback after a brief period on the sidelines playing rugby with Newcastle Falcons. He's now safely tucked up in bed monitoring his own progress in the broadsheet newspapers.
"We've told him before that he should never play rugby," Rob Andrew said. "It only leads to heartache. If he stayed in hospital like he's supposed to, the papers could get on with their job of printing nonsense stories about his never-ending recovery from injury." :D
mobile-spares
27-01-2005, 23:26
As a welshman in Bath am looking forward to the Wales v England match. It is also my last exam the day before so it will be a big weekend and hopefully we will sneak a thrilling and tense match - my money on the score being 21-18 :)
GreyJackal
28-01-2005, 10:19
England centre Mike Tindall is set to miss the entire Six Nations campaign because of a foot injury.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/international/4214807.stm
:brickwall
And Noon limped off last night as well.
Radiohead
29-01-2005, 20:44
Dead leg apparantly - he'll be back for Saturday - otherwise we let Tait on you.
Add in Dawson as well now. Frankly we're far more scared of Dawson than most others.
Great Welsh Celtic League performances this weekend. Put the Irish well away last night (including their 6N players and none of ours).
Great for morale.
Radiohead
30-01-2005, 19:58
Not this one though.....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/irish/4216409.stm
Dragons failed to turn up. ;) And Baber is a shadow of Cooper. Only when Cooper plays every game will they stand a chance of winning.
The Scarlets one is significant in the play for places.
England: J Robinson (Sale Sharks, capt); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), M Tait (Newcastle), J Noon (Newcastle), J Lewsey (Wasps); C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), M Dawson (Wasps); G Rowntree (Leicester), S Thompson (Northampton), J White (Leicester), D Grewcock (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), L Moody (Leicester), A Hazell (Gloucester), J Worsley (Wasps).
Replacements: A Titterrell (Sale Sharks), P Vickery (Gloucester), S Borthwick (Bath), J Forrester (Gloucester), H Ellis (Leicester), O Barkley (Bath), B Cohen (Northampton).
Big load of buggers
Radiohead
31-01-2005, 17:36
Tait and Noon start then. That's a very pacey set of backs with them, Billy Whizz, Lewsey and Cueto. Dawson's good for experience. Grewcock may still be cited for, ahem, wandering on Dallaglio on Saturday.
Nice big pack though.
cheeseypuffs
31-01-2005, 17:48
I presume Worsley will play at 8 then? A fair bit of pace in the back row as well as the backs...
mobile-spares
31-01-2005, 18:49
Atmosphere for the game is brewing up nicely - cant wait for this one.
Chance to win tickets here - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4216699.stm
Tait and Noon start then. That's a very pacey set of backs with them, Billy Whizz, Lewsey and Cueto. Dawson's good for experience. Grewcock may still be cited for, ahem, wandering on Dallaglio on Saturday.
Nice big pack though.
Massively fast but quite inexperienced. Will go either way. Won't be dull.
Grewcock will play just as Dallaglio did all those years ago.
Radiohead
31-01-2005, 20:50
Won't be dull.
Agreed
Jonathan Davies' prediction for the final table in yesterday's Independent was the same as mine, but I'm going for a narrow Welsh win on Saturday.
22-19
Can I mention I'm going again ;)
Also on Friday night Bridgend RFC hosts the Wales v England Classics in aid of the Tsunami appeal.
Rumoured to attend are N Jenkins, J Leonard, J Davies, etc and get this...........................
J
P
R
mobile-spares
01-02-2005, 15:33
Welsh team officially announced at 6:30 tonight but likely to be:
15 Gareth Thomas
14 Hal Luscombe
13 Tom Shanklin
12 Gavin Henson
11 Shane Williams
10 Stephen Jones
9 Dwayne Peel
8 Michael Owen
7 Martyn Williams
6 Dafydd Jones
5 Brent Cockbain
4 Robert Sidoli
3 Adam Jones
2 Mefin Davies
1 Gethin Jenkins
Im not sure about Luscombe? I would have suggested Gareth Thomas go to wing and Craig Morgan go full back?
Matholwch
01-02-2005, 16:32
Can I mention I'm going again ;)
Also on Friday night Bridgend RFC hosts the Wales v England Classics in aid of the Tsunami appeal.
Rumoured to attend are N Jenkins, J Leonard, J Davies, etc and get this...........................
J
P
R
He he Superb! :D
So looking forward to Saturday's game, will also watch with interest the U21's results! C'mon hogia :clap:
mobile-spares
01-02-2005, 19:03
Welsh team announced as i put above. What do people think of the team?
I'd take Shanklin over Parker anyway. Luscombe's pretty weak but it's a chance to silence his critics.
Pretty pleased otherwise. Hope J Thomas gets on. Quite like him.
Oh and I HAVE TICKETS.
mobile-spares
02-02-2005, 23:55
I'd take Shanklin over Parker anyway. Luscombe's pretty weak but it's a chance to silence his critics.
Pretty pleased otherwise. Hope J Thomas gets on. Quite like him.
Oh and I HAVE TICKETS.
Surely you only need one TICKET for yourself - how about donating the spare to a poor student ;)
Radiohead
03-02-2005, 10:12
Grewcock is free to play, and Moosy is struggling with a leg injury leaving Chris Jones favourite to start in his place if he doesn't make it.
Matholwch
03-02-2005, 10:23
Im not sure about Luscombe? I would have suggested Gareth Thomas go to wing and Craig Morgan go full back?
Agreed I'm not too certain about Luscombe, don't think he's experienced enough. Shane might find things tricky, teams are wary of him these days, and lock him down - giving him no space to do one of his darting moves. England are structured too well in defence, Shane's only good in the loose, and it seems that recently he feels the pressure to try and go solo, rather than distributing the ball.
Craig Morgan as full back?? Wouldn't touch him with a barge pole, he's not a rugby thinker, he runs in straight lines - reminds me of some rugby league players.
GreyJackal
03-02-2005, 11:10
I'd take Shanklin over Parker anyway. Luscombe's pretty weak but it's a chance to silence his critics.
Pretty pleased otherwise. Hope J Thomas gets on. Quite like him.
Oh and I HAVE TICKETS.
I've just been informed my dad does as well. Is he taking me? Is he ********
Ah well, pub it is then. Should be a cracker - it's by no means cut and dried and I think the Welsh atmosphere is only going to amplify that feeling.
To clarify I have one ticket and am going with my brother.
For the sake of completeness I have A ticket. :)
Really starting to look forward to this now. Should be a special night.
Ah well, pub it is then. Should be a cracker - it's by no means cut and dried and I think the Welsh atmosphere is only going to amplify that feeling.
:thumbs: really looking forward to this one. will i cope without a beer though :eek: :cry:
will i cope without a beer though :eek: :cry:
If England win? No.
If they lose? Definitely not.
:D
Okay maybe this is a bit off track, but can anyone recommend decent pubs in central London from which to watch the Rugby. No souless chain pubs please. Anyone who recommends the sport cafe should be ashamed.
I'd like to say England are a cert, but that would be delusional. My moneys on Ireland
Radiohead
04-02-2005, 15:32
Moody's failed to recover, so Sale's Chris Jones comes in on the open-side. Mobile, quick, and superb in the line-out but not the ball carrier Moody is.
Matholwch
04-02-2005, 15:39
We'll have to hope that Sidoli can do the job in getting some of that lineout ball.
p.s. managed to get a ticket yesterday - £30!!
Good price there Mat. Some on ebay going for £600 for four now!
Sky sports tonight 8pm. :thumbs:
Radiohead
04-02-2005, 17:50
Sky sports tonight 8pm. :thumbs:
Anything to do with the 6 Nations Brad? Ya bleeding League monkey.
;)
Matholwch
04-02-2005, 17:50
Good price there Mat. Some on ebay going for £600 for four now!
I know, its crazy isn't it? Luckily a mate had to drop out and he's giving me his ticket for face value!
Will be watching the U21 Wales V England game tonight 19.05 kick off I believe.
Radiohead
04-02-2005, 21:56
Sky sports tonight 8pm. :thumbs:
What an excellent game then - I thought they were going to nick it at the end!
2-1 to England so far.
Under 19's and Tsunami Classics game to England
Under 21's to Wales.
I fancy it'll be 2 all by the end of the day. Have a nasty hangover after the tsunami game. Only one cure for that. Out by 1 o clock and train into cardiff.
My mistake. Wales Uni's won as well making it 2 all.
Whoever wins today, wins................
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/CLH007/Wales_flag_large.png
I might have this on today and watch it but I'll never convert to the darkside. :D
I fancy Wales to be honest with home advantage swinging it, if it was at Twickers id have said England.
I I fancy Wales to be honest .
All of us? :suspect:
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 12:22
My mistake. Wales Uni's won as well making it 2 all.
Whoever wins today, wins................
No, whoever wins today wins just one game - the 6 Nations is a long road.
As usual the Welsh seem to care about only beating England - until you get rid of that mentality and approach Ireland, France et al with the same attitude you won't win enough. Jonathan Davies said the very same this week....
No, whoever wins today wins just one game - the 6 Nations is a long road.
As usual the Welsh seem to care about only beating England - until you get rid of that mentality and approach Ireland, France et al with the same attitude you won't win enough. Jonathan Davies said the very same this week....
Um, wins this weeks "round" of games?? As I said above there are five "representative" type matches between Wales and England this weekend. We're two apiece.
Whoever wins today......wins this round of representative matches. I didn't mention winning the six nations.
Got my gin and tonic ready :D ;)
Is Henry Paul playing today?
Charlie Hodgson comes from my town, he lived about 300 metres from where I live. I think Charlie is a better attacking player then Wilkinson, he seems far more creative.
Matholwch
05-02-2005, 13:53
My mistake. Wales Uni's won as well making it 2 all.
Whoever wins today, wins................
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/CLH007/Wales_flag_large.png
C'mon Cymru!!
GreyJackal
05-02-2005, 13:56
Good luck Scotland....you'll need it in a few minutes :D
As for England v Wales...
May the better team win :) And whichever one does, remember it's France who are the defending nation and need to be hammered :thumbs: :D
:lol: :lol: Turn the mic off on the player line up for god sake :D
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 14:30
I think Charlie is a better attacking player then Wilkinson, he seems far more creative.
Arguable, and he not the defender JW is, nor does he have the kicking game, nor does he have the mental strength.
So, we'll see.
Scots doing ok thus far and France looking very average. Why on earth is Michalak on the bench?
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 14:33
Um, wins this weeks "round" of games?? As I said above there are five "representative" type matches between Wales and England this weekend. We're two apiece.
Whoever wins today......wins this round of representative matches. I didn't mention winning the six nations.
Just a gentle dig pre-game....
:D
GreyJackal
05-02-2005, 14:34
Aye, France haven't turned up have they :thinking:
Ouch at tackle :lol: Scotland have been very aggressive and up for it though...much more "interested" in the game, if you see what I mean.
Oh good defence Scotland (last few mins of 1st half).
6-0 to Scotland at halftime - amazing :clap:
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 14:50
Great first-half and I've been cheering the Jocks on big-time. Laporte seems to want to get the sack IMO, not selecting a recognised kicker these days is just madness.
I can still see France winning it, but to do so they're going to have to play 200% better in the second-half.
Its official its going to be a Wales victory :( My husband is half English Half Welsh and I've had enough of him glory hunting and switching teams (sometimes mid way through a game). So I've made him decide before the game who he's supporting and he's plumped for England - which is the kiss of death for them!
Come on England (but I have to say that quietly living in Wales ;))
GreyJackal
05-02-2005, 15:10
50 minutes for France to get points on the board :lol:
Andy Craig for Scotland :eek:
He played 4 years ago for Halifax Rugby League in Super League and he was useless and a waste of space, he spent half the time in the reserve team.
Used to play for Swinton, just shows the state of Scotland.
GreyJackal
05-02-2005, 15:38
What appalling decisions :eek:
He was not in touch and they didn't score because the french player went the wrong way :brickwall
Noooooooooooooooo! Poor Scotland :(
GreyJackal
05-02-2005, 15:43
Noooooo!!!!
Robbed. Totally robbed.
France were shocking and only won because of abysmal decisions by the officials
Agree with GregB, Scotland were easily the better team and France got lucky :(
GreyJackal
05-02-2005, 15:56
Actually Im going to take back my comment about Scotland not being in touch and agree with old Keith. The touch judge was right up with him and couldn't be in a better place.
FFS, it must have been a slither of leather then...shame, not only would they probably have won, it would have blown the championship right open. Still, perhaps this years tournament is going to be as unpredictable as people have been, er, predicting.
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 16:35
France were abysmal - dreadful decisions cost Scotland that game. Just saw the post match interview with Matt Williams and to say he was livid would be an understatement.
France wont be anywhere near the top of the table if they play like that. Looks like it's between England, Ireland and Wales :D
That new pitch is really cutting up.
Welsh peppering the new English centres arent they.
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 18:10
Brad - I'm interested why, as an Englishman, you're backing Wales - unless you're just trolling?
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 18:11
One yellow apiece there - Grewcock for careless use of feet and Jenkins for a "punch" (not really a punch but he ran in 15 yards to deliver it so fair enough).
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 18:13
Wales playing better so far - England look nervous and ragged.
Nothing from Tait or Noon yet, and haven't even seen Cueto get the ball. Lewsey looks shakey and Thompson's line-out again looks dodgy.
I have to question Henson's liking for shoulder-barging rather than actually tackling as well - has no-one told him he's supposed to wrap a player up?
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 18:15
England finally show some threat from the backs but Hodgson fluffed the ensuing penalty kick.
Doh!
Still have some way to go to shake off the slow-down-the-ball mentality of the Woodward era......
Henson has some kick on him.
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 18:17
8-3 Wales at half-time - I expected a higher score.
So far this game has been two bald men fighting over a comb.
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 18:19
What on earth is going on with that pitch - the more cynical might suspect the groudsman of jobbing it deliberately to lessen the England pack
:suspect:
d.boyd1uk
05-02-2005, 18:23
England look terrible, what a boring game, even from the Wales point of view. Wales should have picked up more points in the 1st half.
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 18:24
Agreed - if there's a fault with Wales so far (and it's the only one to their credit) it's that they haven't made the most of the chances they've had.
I think we're seeing just what a difference players like Tindall, Hill, Greenwood, Wilkinson etc bring to the Red Rose side.
What on earth is going on with that pitch - the more cynical might suspect the groudsman of jobbing it deliberately to lessen the England pack
:suspect:
There was a big thing on the welsh news about it being laid after the Tsunami concert. They were going on about what a great pitch it was going to be. They showed them laying it. Its loads of pallets that looked about 6ft square with the grass grown in it. They couldn't have been more than 6-8 inches deep. It looked like giant window boxes full of turf!
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 18:36
Get the feeling Tait doesn't like Henson much?
Ouch - that's 2 big ones now.
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 18:41
That's 4 shoulder-barges from Henson now - surely Walsh has to ping him soon.
Only watching the odd international match I'm not 100% on all the rules in RU - Can you shoulder barge like Henson keeps doing?
Brad - I'm interested why, as an Englishman, you're backing Wales - unless you're just trolling?
It stems from comments made by Stuart Barnes and Dewi Morris who just cos they got turned down went they approached league clubs to convert and nobody wanted them.
99.9% of articles they write about league are put downs.
Plus ive a soft spot for wales as they had soe excellent converts like Davies, Gibbs, Moriaty, Devereux and so on.
Those England centres are getting a right hammering, Robinsons made a right mistake picking em both at the same time, yes mabye blood 1 but not 2 so young at the same time.
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 18:50
Tait's off for Barklay - a baptism of fire, but good experience and we'll see him again.
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 18:52
It stems from comments made by Stuart Barnes and Dewi Morris who just cos they got turned down went they approached league clubs to convert and nobody wanted them.
99.9% of articles they write about league are put downs.
Plus ive a soft spot for wales as they had soe excellent converts like Davies, Gibbs, Moriaty, Devereux and so on.
So what. You're English, so I utterly fail to see how you want the team your country are playing to win.
A very odd attitude.
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 18:53
Only watching the odd international match I'm not 100% on all the rules in RU - Can you shoulder barge like Henson keeps doing?
No - you have to attempt to wrap the player up as you hit him and Henson's not even pretending to do that. He should be pinged, but it's about what I'd expect from a ref as poor as Walsh.
No - you have to attempt to wrap the player up as you hit him and Henson's not even pretending to do that. He should be pinged, but it's about what I'd expect from a ref as poor as Walsh.
He must have been watching Sonny Bill Williams last night. :lol:
Its not wierd as well having a soft spot for Wales, always have, always will. I dont particularly support England rugby union so i dont feel an allegiance to support them. Ive just always liked the welsh players they have produced, especialy those who have switched codes as they have usually been very good converts.
Williams to Williams, forward by Williams lmao.
I think Wales are gonna nick this, too much pressure.
Who's that Henderson player, looks a decent prospect.
NicolaUK
05-02-2005, 19:12
He might shave his legs but that was a great kick :thumbs:
Well played Wales. A scrappy game but IMO Wales were the better team (unfortunately ;))
Having watched both games the best team out of the 4 lost today and that was Scotland.......
Well done Wales :) did the commentator just say Wales win by 9 points to 8 ?
d.boyd1uk
05-02-2005, 19:16
well done WALES and Henson for MOM.
England were truly awful, odd game!
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 19:17
Well done Wales - the better team, and we were deeply average.
Great kick from Henson at the end, but Wales were creaking in the second half. Now they have to go on and repeat this against Ireland and France. Don't let beating England be the highlight of the season or it counts for nothing.
Now I await the inevitable gloating from CLH.
We won the World Cup :suspect:
We won the World Cup :suspect:
A couple of years ago and with a very different team.
Good Win Wales.
Will have to do better to win the Grand Slam though.
I thought England were dire. A very scrappy game.
Silver Boots to the rescue to the rescue though :)
Mark
The boyfriends English and currently in Cardiff - drowning his sorrows, no doubt - so I just have to get this out of my system before he gets back.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
...(phew) Ta!
Yesss!!!! what a result :clap: :clap: :clap:
Don't let beating England be the highlight of the season or it counts for nothing.
It'll do for me :D
Seriously though I agree we have to on and build on this win. In the second half we were under pressure and we really should have put more points on the board, also I thought we wasted quite a lot of good opportunities.
England are not the team they were but it's still a great day :clap:
Radiohead
05-02-2005, 19:56
No we're not the team we were - and we England have to accept that we are rebuilding, and have half the first-team out with injuries. No excuses though, we were outplayed today.
The harsh reality is thay sport is cyclical and no team rules forever - the 90's were hard to take for Welsh fans after the hegemony of the 70's and 80's, and our expectations are that England will win. We have to find replacements for for players like Johnson, Dallaglio and so on, but that won't be easy and we seem to be in the middle of players ending their careers, and others at the beginning of theirs.
Wales now have to find that sort of performance for teams other than England, and I think Ireland will be their sternest test - that's a game I look forward to immensely as a neutral. Wales have a lot to work on, not least taking their chances. England, on the other hand, have to remember how to play rugby. The one positove we can take is that our defence still looks very strong, and only conceded one try against the much-vaunted Welsh backs - the flipside of this is that we didn't really ever look like scoring one ourselves.
England now have to front up for France next weekend. I wonder who'll get injured this week....Corry, Moody, Tindall, Wilkinson, Hill - we need you back gents.
Very pleased with all the teams preformances today. Now if we go out and put in a decent if not great preformance against Italy tommorow then it will be our best chance ever to win the Six Nations. The teams should be afraid to face us
mr starface
05-02-2005, 20:23
A win for the dragons over the old enemy at last! Now lets hope we can go on and win a few games back to back.
Thought we thoroughly deserved the win and should have won by more. England have serious problems and provided no entertaining rugby at all.
A couple of years ago and with a very different team.
I was joking of course :D Well done to the Welsh. England were so poor in one of the worst games of rugby I've ever seen. Yes Wales wern't very good either. No disrespect.
cheeseypuffs
05-02-2005, 21:09
Well done to the Welsh. England were so poor in one of the worst games of rugby I've ever seen. Yes Wales wern't very good either. No disrespect.
Agreed, well done Wales, the scoreboard doesn't lie, you can only beat what's put in front of you, the best team on the day won and any other cliche you can think up (they are all valid ;))
It's pretty obvious that both teams can play a lot better, Wales made a bit of a mess of a few chances, but at least they had the chances in the first place!
I kind of get the feeling that England think they can get themselves in front with not long to go and hang on. They did it against the Aussies and again today :doh:
When Henson got that penalty, I was expecting England to do what they did in the world cup, kick to the 22 and force Wales to kick for touch, then set up field position. But I guess with no Johnno, Johnny, Dallaglio or Dawson on the field, there was no one to make the call :(
Also, what was the point of James Forrester being in the squad? When Moody was injured, you'd have thought he'd have been promoted from the bench, but Jones leapfrogged him because he was to be used as an "impact player", but he only got on for a couple of minutes as a blood replacement :thinking:
Whoooo just got back from watching it at the Stadium! And I won £30 from my English mate on the result to boot! :D
Now I await the inevitable gloating from CLH.
It'll have to wait. Very tired.
One thing to note. For anyone who read the Western Mail today and the headline "Believe."
That was my idea......editor took it up on my suggestion.
Off to bed now. Have to be up early to take Gavin Henson a bottle of champers. He is my neighbour after all.
And Gareth Cooper lives behind me.
Radiohead
06-02-2005, 08:02
It'll have to wait. Very tired.
One thing to note. For anyone who read the Western Mail today and the headline "Believe."
That was my idea......editor took it up on my suggestion.
Off to bed now. Have to be up early to take Gavin Henson a bottle of champers. He is my neighbour after all.
And Gareth Cooper lives behind me.
Get over yourself man!
This is the sort of nonsense we can expect after one win is it:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4240243.stm
He played well, in a team that played reasonably at home, who beat a inury-hit side who played badly. No more, no less. I suspect with Wilkinson and Tindall against him things might have been very different, and he's now going to have to cope with being targeted in every game. Then we'll see how good he is, and O'Driscoll will give him one hell of a test. Watching his post-match interview yesterday he smacks of arrogance IMO, and that's going to motiviate opponents even more. Turning Tait over is one thing, doing the same to, say, Umaga, Tindall or Rathbone, is quite another.
Feet are to be kept on the ground for Wales to move forward.
I look forward to your increasingly flowery and over-the-top reactions....
;)
He IS that good. What he lacked in previous seasons was being an adult. Played around and drunk too much. He is a superstar and one who's worth every penny of what Wilkinson, Tindall, or Greenwood earn.
Henson will just get better and that's great news for the Lions and bad news for O'Darcy.
Radiohead
06-02-2005, 08:20
He IS that good. What he lacked in previous seasons was being an adult. Played around and drunk too much. He is a superstar and one who's worth every penny of what Wilkinson, Tindall, or Greenwood earn.
Henson will just get better and that's great news for the Lions and bad news for O'Darcy.
No - we don't know that he is yet. He's played like a Wilkinson in ONE game, that's all. He's got the potential, but his arrogance needs to be kept in check.
freelancer
06-02-2005, 08:25
Get over yourself man!
This is the sort of nonsense we can expect after one win is it:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4240243.stm
He played well, in a team that played reasonably at home, who beat a inury-hit side who played badly. No more, no less. Of course, with Wilkinson and Tindall against him things would have been very different, and he's now going to have to cope with being targeted in every game. Then we'll see how good he is.
It never ceases to amaze me.
He has nothing to get over. You do for making all the excuses you possibly can. If us taffy`s make excuses when we get beat by england, like so many of us have done before, we are told a win is a win and thats all that matters.
Well, shoes on the other foot now im affraid. A win is a win and thats all that matters. It hurts doesent it, being beaten by us. Well now you can sample a fraction of what us welshman have felt for so long.
And with regards to Tindall and Wilko being there, if it was 30 years ago and Gareth Edwards was there, or 3 years ago and johnson and back were there, it would have been a different game. Fact is the team thats fielded, is the team that matters.
The ref and linesman were pee poor imho. Thomas should never have been sent off, it wasnt even a punch. It was a hand off. But Danny Grewcock`s use of the boot was inexplicable, and he should be cited.
Still, all over now, and we got the result we wanted, although maybe not in the fashion we would have liked. From what i saw of the teams yesterday, and im sure im going to see today, this is going to be the toughest championship in a long time.
May the best team win!
P.S - Good luck to the micks today!
Radiohead
06-02-2005, 08:31
It never ceases to amaze me.
He has nothing to get over. You do for making all the excuses you possibly can. If us taffy`s make excuses when we get beat by england, like so many of us have done before, we are told a win is a win and thats all that matters.
Well, shoes on the other foot now im affraid. A win is a win and thats all that matters. It hurts doesent it, being beaten by us. Well now you can sample a fraction of what us welshman have felt for so long.
I don't like being beaten by anyone, who does?
But, the fact remains - I said the best team won yesterday, so how is that making excuses? And we had to put up with you winning throughout the 70's and 80's...so don't give me that nonsense about what the Welsh have felt. The fact remains that England are a seriously depleted side in the middle of a rebuild - that's not an excuse, that's a fact. You have a lot of work to do to become the finshed article, but we have a lot more.
Sport's cyclical and we'll be back. Don't doubt that. In the meantime enjoy your victory and prepare for Ireland and France.
No - we don't know that he is yet. He's played like a Wilkinson in ONE game, that's all. He's got the potential, but his arrogance needs to be kept in check.
We do because we've watched him in every league, Heineken and U21 game that he's played. NO they're not internationals and it could go horribly wrong. HE demolished Ulster 3 weeks ago on his own for example:
http://www.ospreysrugby.com/results/20042005/results.asp
The rest of the team didn't turn up. It's all very well saying "we'll see" but for those who have followed Gav's career we're starting to see it. If only Iestyn Harris hadn't kept him out.
freelancer
06-02-2005, 08:35
. The fact remains that England are a seriously depleted side in the middle of a rebuild - that's not an excuse, that's a fact. You have a lot of work to do to become the finshed article, but we have a lot more.
Like you say, its cyclical, and we were in that position for many years.
So here`s hoping you stay in the position for many years and I see Wales hammering out 50 plus point victories over the auld enemy.
:)
Radiohead
06-02-2005, 08:35
We do because we've watched him in every league, Heineken and U21 game that he's played. NO they're not internationals and it could go horribly wrong. HE demolished Ulster 3 weeks ago on his own for example:
http://www.ospreysrugby.com/results/20042005/results.asp
The rest of the team didn't turn up. It's all very well saying "we'll see" but for those who have followed Gav's career we're starting to see it. If only Iestyn Harris hadn't kept him out.
Fair enough - I wasn't aware of that.
He's a Lions shoe-in, no doubt.
Radiohead
06-02-2005, 08:36
Like you say, its cyclical, and we were in that position for many years.
So here`s hoping you stay in the position for many years and I see Wales hammering out 50 plus point victories over the auld enemy.
:)
In your dreams!
:thumbs:
freelancer
06-02-2005, 08:37
If only Iestyn Harris hadn't kept him out.
Oi Vey!
What a complete waste of time putting him in the side turned out to be.
Im sure he is/was a great in league, but he doesent even compare to Henson when it comes to union.
http://www.swinglow.net/articles/news.asp?NewsID=357
Wales were without Charvis, Parker, Jones, Mcbryde (on bench because of fitness doubts).
Contrast this more realistic view.
http://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s245/st66630.htm
Fair enough - I wasn't aware of that.
He's a Lions shoe-in, no doubt.
Trust me when I also say that Gareth Cooper is by far the best sh in the UK. If he hadn't been so injured this year he would be a Lions shoe in as well. I hope he still goes because the boy is magnigicent.
Has to be done
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/CLH007/gav.jpg
GreyJackal
06-02-2005, 12:42
Bugger
In a word.
freelancer
06-02-2005, 13:34
Bugger
In a word.
Is that what henson is trying to do in the above pic?
I thought buggery was illegal?
:)
Radiohead
06-02-2005, 13:37
Looks like he's going for a reacharound.
Tait's a minor surely...
Radiohead
06-02-2005, 15:05
Blimey - the Italians have started brightly. 8-3 down now, but the Irish looked very shakey for the first 15 minutes and D'Arcy has gone off injured with what looks like a recurrence of his recent hamstring injury.
If they take out Byrne next they could be onto a winner. Pack is getting outplayed.
Radiohead
06-02-2005, 15:11
6-8 now - fair play to them.
England for the wooden spoon then?
freelancer
06-02-2005, 15:29
6-8 now - fair play to them.
England for the wooden spoon then?
We can only pray!
:)
Radiohead
06-02-2005, 16:26
So a win for Ireland but they looked really poor today. O'Driscoll looks to have a serious injury and it could be hamstring - so Ireland may lose both centres for the rest of the tournament. With BOD Ireland may well have lost today and on current form it's an impossible championship to call.
The Italian pack monstered the Irish today, and that will give other teams heart. If Ireland lose their centres they're in real trouble IMO.
What an odd weekend of rugby.
Radiohead
06-02-2005, 16:29
Here's the table after the first games
RBS Six Nations table
Sunday 06 Feb
P PD PTS
1 Ireland 1 11 2
2 France 1 7 2
3 Wales 1 2 2
4 England 1 -2 0
5 Scotland 1 -7 0
6 Italy 1 -11 0
Yea i hope there both ok for next week but from the way they came off during the match, It's not looking to good.
So a win for Ireland but they looked really poor today. O'Driscoll looks to have a serious injury and it could be hamstring - so Ireland may lose both centres for the rest of the tournament. With BOD Ireland may well have lost today and on current form it's an impossible championship to call.
The Italian pack monstered the Irish today, and that will give other teams heart. If Ireland lose their centres they're in real trouble IMO.
What an odd weekend of rugby.
Yep, I fancy the result to be better for the Welsh as the Italians may lose more confidence having come so close.
BOD apart the Irish really aren't as good as they are supposed to be.
Every newspaper pundits prediction so far looks way off the mark.
Radiohead
06-02-2005, 20:34
France squad to face England:
Forwards: Nicolas Mas, Sylvain Marconnet, Olivier Milloud, William Servat, Sebastien Bruno, Fabien Pelous, Jerome Thion, Gregory Lamboley, Serge Betsen, Julien Bonnaire, Sebastien Chabal, Yannick Nyanga
Backs: Dimitri Yachvili, Pierre Mignoni, Frederic Michalak, Yann Delaigue, Damien Traille, Brian Liebenberg, Jean-Philippe Grandclaude, Christophe Dominici, Jimmy Marlu, Pepito Elhorga.
Betsen in subject to outcome of citing commission this week.
Radiohead
06-02-2005, 20:36
O'Driscoll out of Scotland game, D'Arcy injury less serious and likely to play.
BOD out for 2 weeks or so.
Radiohead
06-02-2005, 20:37
Wales centre Sonny Parker and number eight Ryan Jones will miss Saturday's game with Italy because of injury.
Parker has not recovered from a trapped nerve in his neck that kept him out of the win over England, and Tom Shanklin is expected to continue at centre.
Jones damaged his collar bone after coming on as a replacement against England and joins flanker Colin Charvis (foot injury) on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Mike Ruddock may make Gavin Henson his first-choice kicker in Rome.
BBC sources for all news
Interesting times. I expect Grewcock to be cited today, has to be done by 9 o clock.
My predictions for next weekend (on the basis of no GOD)
Wales to beat Italy comfortably but not easily
France to shade England in a thriller
Scotland to put paid to Irelands GS hopes.
Radiohead
07-02-2005, 08:54
Mmmm - there's talk of Cockbain also being cited for a later stamp on Worsley's head - so it could be one each.
Radiohead
07-02-2005, 08:56
Davies adds to pitch concerns
By James Corrigan
07 February 2005
The whole of Wales jumped in indignant unison on Saturday evening when England muttered about the state of the Millennium Stadium pitch,
However Mefin Davies, the Wales hooker, sympathised with the English last night, admitting: "Yes, the pitch was poor and it's not the first time. Exactly the same thing happened a few years ago against Scotland, but then it didn't get that much publicity. This time around the English will probably make a fuss of it."
Andy Robinson's team have not as yet, although they could easily have been forgiven for doing so after the scrums visibly began moving on the "floating" pallets of grass and the huge divots that appeared in the very first minute played havoc with the players' footing.
"We know that a concert had been staged there two weeks ago, but regardless of that it unfortunately remains true that it's a great 'spectacle' stadium, but not the best playing surface," Davies said.
The "Welsh Live Aid" on 22 January saw more than 60,000 people watch an eight-hour festival in aid of the Tsunami Relief Appeal. The pitch was then relaid just 10 days before the Six Nations opener.
"Week in, week out we play on great pitches then suddenly you come here and can't sidestep because you lose your footing and then in the scrums the field actually moves. If nothing else, it's dangerous," Davies said.
Stadium staff have been working around the clock to get the pitch ready for Wales' football friendly with Hungary on Wednesday. "I feel sorry for them," Davies said.
http://sport.independent.co.uk/rugby_union/story.jsp?story=608427
I've been told that Boots the Chemist in Swansea have been inundated with calls from fans about a new range of deodorant, because they've heard that Gavin Henson puts Mathew Tait under his arms.
Radiohead
07-02-2005, 09:22
Surely it would be a run on hair-gel
I'm expecting Noon to be dropped for the France game, with Barklay starting along with Ellis and Dawson on the bench (Ellis looked much more of a threat when he came on and we need to start playing him now if he's the first-choice for the future).
http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/RFUHome.Articles_Detail/StoryID/9388
Must be able to carry out wheel change ;)
Radiohead
07-02-2005, 12:49
Kepp them coming........
Radiohead
07-02-2005, 12:50
Moody and Corry likely to start against France.
Radiohead
07-02-2005, 13:14
Something has to.
Matholwch
07-02-2005, 14:08
Any news on Grewcock yet? Reckon Wales could come seriously unstuck at Italy next week.
Wouldn't surprise me to see a complete turn around next week and no team being left unbeaten...........
Wouldn't surprise me to see a complete turn around next week and no team being left unbeaten...........
If the Welsh forwards play as well as this week and the backs catch the same plane then they will win. The Welsh backs all have O'Driscolls pace and they HAVE to use it to beat Italy. If they try to outmuscle rather than compete then they'll be onto a loser.
Fast ball can win it for Wales this week.
Other than that I think you're spot on. A complete reversal is absolutely possible.
Radiohead
07-02-2005, 15:02
Any news on Grewcock yet? Reckon Wales could come seriously unstuck at Italy next week.
9pm is the deadline for any citing decision from what I've read today. He's also looking at Cockbain.
The Italian pack were excellent yesterday, but I think the Welsh will beat them.
If the Welsh forwards play as well as this week and the backs catch the same plane then they will win. The Welsh backs all have O'Driscolls pace and they HAVE to use it to beat Italy. If they try to outmuscle rather than compete then they'll be onto a loser.
Fast ball can win it for Wales this week.
Other than that I think you're spot on. A complete reversal is absolutely possible.
Well I expect Wales to win, but I don't think the Welsh forwards played that well against England and will certainly need to improve to compete with the best teams week in week out.
wolfkiller
07-02-2005, 15:41
9pm is the deadline for any citing decision from what I've read today. He's also looking at Cockbain.
The Italian pack were excellent yesterday, but I think the Welsh will beat them.
I thought that if the ref has already taken action then that is the end of it.
Should drop him anyway (I said this to friends after the Wasps incident) as he is far too much of a liability.
Doesn't do any of the legimate "bullying" which sets players like Johnson and Dallaglio apart from the rest, just a cheapshot.
My starting XV for the France game:
White, Thompson ( :oh-hum: ), Rowntree
Shaw, Kay (looks back to his pre-RWC form)
Worsley, Moody, Corry (not worried if the latter two don't make with the French back row being similarly crocked)
Dawson, Hodgson
Barkley, Noon/Smith bring Tait back in a year, when he's beefed up
Cueto, Lewsey, Robinson
cheeseypuffs
07-02-2005, 15:53
I read a report this morning that Ruddock said he wasn't going to cite Grewcock, maybe he thinks, as do quite a few people except Andy Robinson, that Shaw is a better bet for England ;)
Radiohead
07-02-2005, 15:59
I'd rather see Shaw in the side, but isn't he injured?
wolfkiller
07-02-2005, 16:20
I'd rather see Shaw in the side, but isn't he injured?
He was sat on the bench for Wasps on Sunday.
Radiohead
07-02-2005, 16:26
That's a travesty - must be coming back from injury then?
Matholwch
07-02-2005, 16:32
The Welsh backs all have O'Driscolls pace and they HAVE to use it to beat Italy. If they try to outmuscle rather than compete then they'll be onto a loser.
Fast ball can win it for Wales this week.
The Welsh backs didn't look too hot against England, didn't seem to work the angles. Looked content to drift accross, rather than straighten up - suck in some players and offload. Italy's centres looked pretty weak, especially the Argentinian who kept being left for O'Driscolls dust.
The Welsh backs didn't look too hot against England, didn't seem to work the angles. Looked content to drift accross, rather than straighten up - suck in some players and offload. Italy's centres looked pretty weak, especially the Argentinian who kept being left for O'Driscolls dust.
Ball needs to be shipped better. Henson is a star but will need to pass a few more balls on.
We also need to lose Luscombe, little point passing to him on the right wing.
Angles will be better on Saturday.
mobile-spares
07-02-2005, 22:39
Wales wasted several overlaps in the match.
I think at one point Shane even had a word with Shanklin to tell he has space and to give him the ball more. (see the BBC highlights of just after the try)
Radiohead
08-02-2005, 08:44
Robinson set for changes as England's ranking slips
By Chris Hewett
08 February 2005
Wales, prancing through the highways and byways of the Six Nations with a peacock tread after their momentous victory over England in Cardiff, yesterday addressed the worst aspect of their act - the desperate condition of the Millennium Stadium playing surface - by suspending the pitch contractors and taking delivery of 250 metres of fresh turf in time for tomorrow night's football international against Hungary.
"What happened at the weekend was unfortunate and embarrassing," said Paul Sergeant, the general manager of the 74,000-seater venue. "We can't hide from the facts and we can't make excuses."
If only life was as easy for the world champions, who have dropped to fourth in the global rankings following the damaging two-point defeat on Saturday. They play France at Twickenham this weekend - no tea party at the best of times, a positive nightmare at moments like this - and it will beggar belief if the side that underperformed in Wales takes the field against Fabien Pelous and his reigning Grand Slammers. Andy Robinson, the red rose coach, will name his team today, and there could be as many as five changes, depending on fitness.
Olly Barkley, the Bath midfielder, and Harry Ellis, the Leicester scrum-half, stand every chance of promotion, while another Welford Roader, Ollie Smith, may get a run at outside centre if Robinson decides not to expose the Newcastle teenager Mathew Tait to trial by Tricolore. Up front, the Gloucester flanker Andy Hazell is at risk - a third man of Leicester, Lewis Moody, is certain to start somewhere in the back row if he recovers from the hamstring problems that cost him a cap in Cardiff - and if Moody's partner at club level, Martin Corry, also declares himself fit, Chris Jones of Sale might find himself down amongst the bench-bunnies.
To make matters worse for England, the form flanker in world rugby is confident of taking the field on Sunday. Serge Betsen missed his country's second-gear victory over Scotland in Paris with a thigh injury, but turned out for Biarritz at the weekend and played a full part in their 39-7 victory at Grenoble. "To play England at Twickenham is a great challenge," he said yesterday after rejoining Les Bleus at their training camp in Marcoussis. "A win there would be a first for me. I played there in 2001 and 2002, and lost twice."
Just one small problem: a disciplinary hearing in Glasgow tomorrow night, resulting from the incident in which Stuart Abbott, the England centre, suffered a broken leg during the Heineken Cup tie between Biarritz and Wasps at Parc des Sports Aguilera on 15 January. Betsen is alleged to have tripped Abbott. If the hanging judges of European Rugby Cup Ltd find him guilty as charged, he will have more chance of taking up residence in the Elysée Palace than travelling to London for the big match.
"This business has been going on for four weeks and it's weighing me down," he complained. "I didn't intend to hurt Abbott. I didn't move my leg, he just collided with me and he wasn't wearing shin pads. I'm told the referee, Alain Rolland, confirmed in his report that he saw the incident and decided I had not tripped Abbott intentionally. A sanction would be unfair and very frustrating four days before a game against England."
If Betsen is suspended, the French coach, Bernard Laporte, will summon one of the flanker's fellow loose forwards at Biarritz - possibly Imanol Harinordoquy, who has himself been injured, or maybe Thomas Lièvremont, whose magnificent form at No 8 during the pool stages of the Hieneken Cup should have guaranteed him a place in the squad in the first place. Laporte, who names his side tomorrow, will probably recall Frédéric Michalak to a starting position after restricting the lavishly gifted Toulouse half-back to replacement duty against the Scots.
Meanwhile, Ireland's high-profile casualties from the hard-won victory over Italy - Brian O'Driscoll and his fellow centre Gordon D'Arcy - were having their leg injuries scanned last night. D'Arcy is expected to miss the rest of the Six Nations, and some Irish insiders believe O'Driscoll may be equally compromised.
http://sport.independent.co.uk/rugby_union/story.jsp?story=608846
No GOD and no BOD.
Can I forecast the Irish to come last but one on that basis???
Radiohead
08-02-2005, 09:00
It's going to really hurt them, that's for sure.
Radiohead
08-02-2005, 10:12
Barkley set for England call
08 Feb 2005
Bath fly-half Olly Barkley looks set to land a place in England's starting line-up as they attempt to nudge their RBS Six Nations campaign back on track against France.
England boss Andy Robinson names his squad for Saturday's Twickenham showdown, with the world champions' ailing midfield the department in most urgent need of attention. The decision to field inexperienced Newcastle duo Jamie Noon and Mathew Tait backfired spectacularly in England's Millennium Stadium defeat by Wales, with both players looking out of their depth.
Barkley's entrance for the last 20 minutes - he replaced Noon at inside-centre - added solidity to the backs, and his long-range touch-finders gave England the belated breathing space they needed.
He pinned the Welsh back in their own half and relieved some of the pressure on his own side, reviving memories of Mike Catt's second-half appearance against Wales in the 2003 World Cup quarter-final.
Barkley was Jonathan Davies' pick to partner Tait for that exact reason, the Wales great citing the need to select a kicking centre to assist fly-half Charlie Hodgson.
``I think Olly Barkley is a good option,'' said the former Great Britain rugby league star, one of an elite band of players to make an impact in both codes of the sport.
``As an outside-half, I used to love playing alongside a centre who can kick - guys like Mark Ring and Bleddyn Bowen were great for me, because if I was in a pressure position I could offload the ball to them with every confidence they could kick.
``Olly Barkley also provides that option. He is a left-footer who can ask questions of any back three.''
Hodgson also failed to convince. But it is unlikely Robinson will drop the Sale playmaker at this stage, suggesting Barkley is poised to replace Noon as England look to improve a dreadful run of seven defeats from their last 10 Tests.
Bath coach John Connolly certainly believes Barkley deserves his chance and implored Robinson to include the 23-year-old in his starting line-up.
``He has matured as a player. Last year he had so much on his plate. This year he has settled in at 12 for us very comfortably. I think he should be given his chance,'' he said.
Robinson will also be considering who should fill the scrum-half berth – with rising Leicester talent Harry Ellis looking an increasingly attractive alternative to Matt Dawson, who failed to shine in Cardiff.
Lewis Moody missed the Wales clash with a hamstring injury, and his return to the back row would be welcomed. If fit he is certain to replace Andy Hazell at openside in what should be the only change up front.
England's defeat by Wales could not be portrayed as anything but a disaster - even allowing for a glittering performance by Mike Ruddock's side which points to their emergence as serious Six Nations title contenders.
The latest set of International Rugby Board official rankings chronicle England's sharp decline since their World Cup triumph - they lie fourth, their lowest position since the standings were introduced in October 2003.
http://www.scrum.com/news/news_detail.asp?newsid=28760
Radiohead
08-02-2005, 10:13
Grewcock escapes the rap
08 Feb 2005
England lock Danny Grewcock appears to have escaped further punishment for kicking out at Dwayne Peel in the RBS Six Nations defeat to Wales on Saturday.
The 32-year-old was sin-binned during the 11-9 loss at the Millennium Stadium, and independent match commissioner John West had until yesterday evening to decide on a possible citing.
The 53 times-capped forward is now set to play in the clash with France on Sunday as the World Cup holders look to get off the mark in the championship.
http://www.scrum.com/news/news_detail.asp?newsid=28757
Cockbain hasn't been mentioned at all so it's obviously all fine there as well.
You know what.
i think that's a worse decision for England than anyone else.
Radiohead
08-02-2005, 10:27
Ireland's rugby fans 'are smartest'
By Terry Kirby
07 February 2005
Ireland's win over Italy yesterday may not guarantee overall victory in rugby's Six Nations tournament, but the team have already trumped all the opposition in one way: they have the most intelligent supporters.
A test of fans from the six countries in the event placed the Irish highest. Devised by researchers at Bath University, the test covered the five core areas of intelligence - logic, verbal ability, general reasoning, visual-spatial ability and numbers.
The Irish had the best overall average with 79 per cent, and the best logical abilities, averaging 83 per cent. The Welsh,seen by some as loquacious, came bottom in verbal ability with an score of only 55 per cent. The English fans topped the table for visual-spatial ability, recording an impressive 80 per cent.
And who came last, overall? The French.
http://sport.independent.co.uk/rugby_union/story.jsp?story=608429
Radiohead
08-02-2005, 10:28
Wales must beware misplaced conceit of early 1980s
Alan Watkins
08 February 2005
Several accounts of the Wales v England match have referred to the statue of Aneurin Bevan in Cardiff, bedecked with a red jersey and a flag. As it happened, the founder of the NHS had no interest in rugby or any other sport apart from snooker, at which he was adept. Likewise David Lloyd George. George, a North Walian who had been born in Manchester, denounced what he called the "morbid footballism'' - he was referring to rugby - of the south. And the great journalist Hugh Cudlipp, who came from Cardiff, possessed no interest at all in sport of any kind.
Even so, these famous Welshmen were an unrepresentative minority. South Wales, the coastal strip from Newport to Carmarthen and its hinterland, is perhaps more obsessed by sport than any comparable slice of the United Kingdom: not only rugby, but football, boxing and cricket as well. Did you know that 20,000 turned out to see Bradman's Australia at St Helen's, Swansea, in 1948?
Rugby, however, has always been pre-eminent. For all kinds of historical, geographical and, formerly, religious reasons - for the chapels were against it - it has never been a truly national game. It was nevertheless the only game, perhaps the only activity apart from singing, at which Wales could take on the rest of the world and win. It therefore possessed a unique importance in the national consciousness.
Young men whose talents were to run and to pass and kick a funny-shaped ball found that the weight placed on their shoulders was oppressive. Players of the past 15 years or so became thoroughly fed up with hearing stories of Merve and Delme, Gareth and Barry, Gerald and JPR.
Their successes did not bring the pressure on themselves but their elders did, with their endless talk - partly boastful, partly full of regret - about the glories of the past. So if Wales do go on to win the Six Nations Championship, the Triple Crown or even the Grand Slam, I hope we shall have no repetition of the misplaced conceit of the early 1980s.
England supporters went in for something similar after winning the World Cup in 2003. Their euphoria lasted for something over a year, when retirements, injuries and a new head coach in the form of Andy Robinson combined to persuade them that they were mortal after all. And Saturday's match did nothing to dilute this realisation: quite the contrary, in fact.
Wales could and should have scored three tries rather than Shane Williams's one. One of those could have come from a similar overlap, of which there were several, of varying degrees of obviousness. The other try - or, at the least, penalty kick - should have come from the spell when the Welsh forwards were camped out yards from the England line. Danny Grewcock then caught Dwayne Peel on the head with his boot. I do not say that Grewcock was trying to injure Peel, but he was trying to impede Peel's progress towards the line, even though Peel did not, I think, have the ball in his hands at the time.
What Grewcock was not trying to do was to heel the ball back to Matt Dawson or Charlie Hodgson to enter a relieving kick. Or, if he was, he must be a monumentally incompetent exponent of rucking.
Gareth Thomas, the Wales captain, then entered the fray, running 15 yards or so to give Grewcock a big girl's push. This was idiotic. Wales were sure of a penalty at least. The result was that Stephen Walsh, the excellent New Zealand referee, gave both miscreants a yellow card.
If a kick had been awarded instead, it would have been taken by Stephen Jones, who took all the kicks at goal, except the last one by Gavin Henson, which belonged to the old "Boy's Own" paper; as did the rest of his performance. Jones would presumably have got it over from that distance. But the truth is that throughout the evening he did not kick well, whether for touch or at goal.
The question now arises: with Henson now a fixture, do Wales need Jones as well? There is certainly a case for giving a run to Ceri Sweeney, who played his part in the Welsh revival in Australia in 2003, who was among the substitutes, who can kick also but who, strangely, was not called on.
As it was, Saturday's match produced four Welsh candidates for the Lions XV in Henson, Shane Williams, Peel and Martyn Williams. By the end of this splendidly unpredictable competition, there may be more.
http://sport.independent.co.uk/rugby_union/story.jsp?story=608845
Radiohead
08-02-2005, 10:33
Brian O'Driscoll and fellow centre Gordon D'Arcy are expected to be named in the Ireland team for Saturday's RBS Six Nations game against Scotland.
The Leinster duo limped off towards the end of Sunday's victory over Italy because of hamstring injuries.
Scans on Monday evening suggested that the injuries were not as serious as first suspected although they will have further fitness tests later this week.
Coach Eddie O'Sullivan will name his team for Saturday's clash on Tuesday.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4245633.stm
----
Perhaps not last then?..
Hmm, will be interesting to see if they are named. If they're not 100% then it's quite risky IMO.
"Their successes did not bring the pressure on themselves but their elders did, with their endless talk - partly boastful, partly full of regret - about the glories of the past. So if Wales do go on to win the Six Nations Championship, the Triple Crown or even the Grand Slam, I hope we shall have no repetition of the misplaced conceit of the early 1980s."
If we do and we keep winning then it won't be misplaced :nuts:
We have to get there first though.
Radiohead
08-02-2005, 11:57
England coach Andy Robinson has delayed naming his team for the Six Nations match against France until Wednesday.
Robinson was due to name his line-up for Sunday's match at Twickenham on Tuesday but decided to delay it.
However, he has called up four players to the squad, lock Simon Shaw, centre Henry Paul and prop forwards Matt Stevens and Andrew Sheridan.
-------------------------------------
About time Shaw featured IMO.
Don't think Wales will win it this year, but it can certainly go a lot of ways.
I think Ireland have to be favourites at the moment, although France are obviously up there too. I think England will beat France this weekend though and put pay to their grand slam hopes.
cheeseypuffs
08-02-2005, 13:03
Welsh rugby fan cuts off testicles after win
LONDON (Reuters) - A Welsh rugby fan cut off his own testicles to celebrate
Wales beating England at rugby, the Daily Mirror has reported.
Geoff Huish, 26, was so convinced England would win Saturday's match he
told fellow drinkers at a social club, "If Wales win I'll cut my balls
off", the paper said on Tuesday.
Friends at the club in Caerphilly, south Wales, thought he was joking.
But after the game Huish went home, severed his testicles with a knife, and
walked 200 metres back to the bar with the testicles to show the shocked
drinkers what he had done.
Huish was taken to hospital where he remained in a seriously ill condition,
the paper said. Police told the paper he had a history of mental problems.
:cuckoo: :cuckoo:
Both O'Darcy and O'Driscoll named in the squad to play Scotland, but no guarantee that either of them will play. They might not make the Murrayfield game, but hopefully they'll be back for the last three games.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4246803.stm
I've got tickets to Wales v Ireland on the 19th, and I'm not looking forward to it as much as I was on Saturday morning.
Huish was taken to hospital where he remained in a seriously ill condition,
the paper said. Police told the paper he had a history of mental problems.
Talk about an unenecessary statement. Sane people do not cut off their own balls do they.
Matholwch
08-02-2005, 14:46
The question now arises: with Henson now a fixture, do Wales need Jones as well? There is certainly a case for giving a run to Ceri Sweeney, who played his part in the Welsh revival in Australia in 2003, who was among the substitutes, who can kick also but who, strangely, was not called on.http://sport.independent.co.uk/rugby_union/story.jsp?story=608845
Ceri Sweeney's kicking game hasn't been on form, he's consistently been charged down when under pressure. I believe pundits are far too quick to forget Stephen Jones' performance in the Autumn tests. Stephen Jones was quiet in the Wales v England game, but I suspect that was down to English defence rather than his quality. It does seem that his kicking game has gone down hill since he's left Wales, but then again I believe he's become a better, more inventive player, who's surprised his opposite numbers with some nice breaks down the centre, and some excellent offloading.
Sweeney is suffering IMO from Henson syndrome pre 2005. i.e. he needs to do a bit of growing up. When he does he should be class.
I even said that to a member of his family on Friday. Just as well she's my brother's girlfriend ;) (and was too drunk to hit me back).
Matholwch
08-02-2005, 16:58
I even said that to a member of his family on Friday. Just as well she's my brother's girlfriend ;) (and was too drunk to hit me back).
Good God, if she's anything like her brother you're very lucky you've still got your teeth ;)
He's a tackler and a half!!
Radiohead
09-02-2005, 08:49
Paul back in frame for France showdown
By Chris Hewett
09 February 2005
If Henry Paul knows whether he is coming or going at this precise point in his rugby career, he must be equipped with 20-20 vision and the pathfinding skills of Sherpa Tensing. Publicly humiliated at Twickenham last November, when he was substituted 24 minutes into the Cook Cup match against Australia, and ignored during the build-up to the Six Nations opener against Wales, the Gloucester centre was yesterday recalled to the élite England party in preparation for this weekend's test of nerve and sinew against France.
The one-time rugby league international has been the human equivalent of the hokey-cokey since he was first fast-tracked into the squad by Sir Clive Woodward almost three years ago. Passed over for the 2003 World Cup, he was rehabilitated by Woodward's successor, Andy Robinson, for the Tests against Canada, South Africa and the Wallabies last autumn. When he failed to cut it against the latter, it was generally assumed that he had entered the past tense in terms of international recognition.
He was very much present at yesterday's training session, however. Along with three forwards - the Sale loose-head prop Andrew Sheridan, the versatile Bath front-rower Matt Stevens and the Wasps lock Simon Shaw - Paul was added to the mix following Robinson's decision to delay his selection for 24 hours. Concerned by the poverty of England's midfield kicking game during the defeat in Cardiff, the coach was considering promoting Bath's Olly Barkley to a starting position at inside-centre and drafting Paul on to the replacements' bench.
By summoning two props from the "A" squad preparing for Friday night's match with the French in Bath, the management appeared to confirm suspicions of an injury concern over the front row. Graham Rowntree has back problems and was substituted during the second half of Saturday's game while Julian White took a blow to the face and failed to go the distance.
Another area under debate was the back row. England were badly undone here and, as a result, Robinson was pondering recalls for two Leicester loose forwards - Lewis Moody, who would have played last weekend but for a hamstring problem, and Martin Corry, who has not played for anyone since picking up a serious elbow injury six weeks ago. It would be a major leap of faith to include Corry, given his lack of activity. But England need all the experience they can get.
France are also in a fluid situation and there were few clues to their thinking when they trained at Marcoussis yesterday. Dimitri Yachvili shared the scrum-half duties with Pierre Mignoni, while Frédéric Michalak replaced Yann Delaigue at outside-half after his rival took the day off to rest a stiff neck. "Can we face England without an experienced goalkicker?" asked the backs coach, Bernard Vivies. "This is the question we must solve."
There was more heat than light about Ireland, too. Eddie O'Sullivan, their coach, named Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy for the match with Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday, despite their hamstring problems. Both will be given late fitness tests, which most observers expect them to fail. Jonny O'Connor, the Wasps flanker, is a definite starter.
Wales, meanwhile, have taken the obvious route for their game with Italy in Rome. The starting line-up responsible for the victory over England has been retained, and the only change on the bench is an enforced one: Ian Gough, the Newport-Gwent Dragons lock, for the injured Ryan Jones.
http://sport.independent.co.uk/rugby_union/story.jsp?story=609164
Radiohead
09-02-2005, 09:59
France: Elhorga (Agen); Dominici (Stade Francais), Liebenberg (Stade Francais), Traille (Biarritz), Marlu (Biarritz); Delaigue (Castres), Yachvili (Biarritz); Chabal (Sale), Bonnaire (Bourgoin), Betsen (Biarritz); Thion (Biarritz), Pelous (Stade Toulousain, capt); Mas (Perpignan), Bruno (Sale), Marconnet (Stade Francais).
Replacements: Servat (Stade Toulousain), Milloud (Bourgoin), Lamboley (Stade Toulousain), Nyanga (Beziers), Mignoni (Clermont), Michalak (Stade Toulousain), Grandclaude (Perpignan)
Michalak on the bench again - is Laporte dim? Delaigue looked completely out of his depth against Scotland.
Also, Harinordiquay not even on the bench....
Radiohead
09-02-2005, 10:33
Robinson turns to twelve-year-old outside centre for France game
After the failure of the Matthew Tait experiment in England’s defeat to Wales, head coach Andy Robinson has turned to an even younger player than the Newcastle eighteen year old in an attempt to fix up his injury ravaged midfield. Andrew Jackson, an uncapped twelve-year-old from Plymouth, Devon, will be lining up against France in the upcoming Twickenham clash. “I’m never afraid to select young, talented players if I feel they are ready,” said an under pressure Andy Robinson at a press conference at Twickenham.
Andrew Jackson will be the youngest player to line up for a test match in English history. The threequarter, who has scored thirty-three tries this season for Plymouth Wanderers Under 13s, is thrilled at his call up. “I’m meant to be visiting my Grandma this weekend, but I hope that Mum will let me off for once,” said the enthusiastic schoolboy. Upon hearing the news Jackson went out and bought a new autograph book so he could get all his teammates autographs.
Jackson got the nod after his consistent performances in the South West Mini League which has seen him return a strike rate of more than two tries a game. “You can’t argue with those figures," said Robinson. The coaching management rebuffed queries about Jackson being intimidated by his larger, more physical opponents citing Jackson’s experience in tackle practice against his fifteen-year-old brother in his backyard. “He hits hards,” said defensive guru Dave Aldred.
Robinson hopes that his unknown player will overcome the potential physical limitations by the fact there is little video footage or statistics available on Jackson for his French opponents to watch. The only useful footage of Jackson, a clash between Plymouth and Exeter Under 13s, was held by his mother until it was accidentally erased last week when she taped an episode of Eastenders.
However, the potential hitch in Robinson’s scheme is that Jackson must make sure his room is tidy or his mother claims he won’t be going anywhere: “Every time I go in that room I break my neck on something or other. It’s his last warning, I don’t care if his mates are playing some big game on the weekend or not.” Robinson is considering adding a ‘Domestic Arrangements Manager’ to his plethora of coaching staff to address the potential crisis.
Jackson’s Plymouth coach, John Reid, was ‘pleased’ with the recognition of his outside centre but was more worried about the effect it may have on his side’s Sunday fixture with local rivals Torquay Minis. “It’s a half term weekend so I’ve lost half my squad to holidays, groundings or trips to Grandma,” said Reid. “As pleased as I am for Andrew it couldn’t have come at a worse time, to be honest.”
:lol:
http://www.theeastterrace.com/12yearoldcentre.asp
Radiohead
09-02-2005, 11:02
Ireland team named
Ireland: Murphy, Horgan, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Hickie, O'Gara, Stringer, Corrigan, Byrne, Hayes, O'Kelly, O'Connell, S Easterby, O'Connor, Foley.Replacements: Sheahan, Horan, O'Callaghan, Miller, G Easterby, Humphreys, Dempsey.
BOD was on crutches yesteday
:nuts:
GreyJackal
09-02-2005, 11:19
Don't BOD and GOD both have a history of hamstring injuries? They might make the park, but they sure ain't going to last the game.
Radiohead
09-02-2005, 11:28
England team named for France
England team: J Robinson (Sale, capt); M Cueto (Sale), J Noon (Newcastle), O Barkley (Bath), J Lewsey (Wasps); C Hodgson (Sale), H Ellis (Leicester); G Rowntree (Leicester), S Thompson (Northampton), P Vickery (Gloucester), D Grewcock (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps) L Moody (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester).
Replacements: A Titterrell (Sale), A Sheridan (Sale), S Borthwick (Bath), A Hazell (Gloucester), M Dawson (Wasps), H Paul (Gloucester), B Cohen (Northampton).
Tait not even on the bench this time - not a huge surprise.
Don't agree with playing Noon ahead of Paul or Cohen though. Good to see Ellis in, same for Barklay, and the team looks better balanced with a back row of Moody, Corry, Worsley. I expect Corry to not last the game due to lack pf recent games, and Jones to come on for him with Worsley going to 8 when he does.
wolfkiller
09-02-2005, 13:20
.
Don't agree with playing Noon ahead of Paul or Cohen though. Good to see Ellis in, same for Barklay, and the team looks better balanced with a back row of Moody, Corry, Worsley. I expect Corry to not last the game due to lack pf recent games, and Jones to come on for him with Worsley going to 8 when he does.
Noon looked better at OC when he moved there so I'm not overly fussed. Glad to see players in their preferred/usual positions, neither Paul nor Cohen are outside centres.
Without a natural 8 on the bench I'd can see Moody moving to 6 and Worsley at 8 if Corry comes off - no Jones in the squad I saw.
I'm upset at 'Cock still being in there, but I suppose Robinson didn't want to make wholesale changes - must be the last-chance saloon, though.
I don't think him or Cohen are playing well enough at present to merit being in the squad, not with viable alternatives around.
There's a lot of pressure on Ellis to perform, I expect Dawson will spend most of the game warming up ready to come on at a moments notice if Ellis' game falls apart under pressure (a la Tait and Paul recently) or he resorts to some of his club-game thuggery.
wolfkiller
09-02-2005, 13:23
Noon's job on Sunday must be to give the ball to the outside backs. How many times did they receive the ball in an attacking position against Wales?
Lewsey to his credit went looking for it, but far to often the ball stopped at 13.
Radiohead
09-02-2005, 13:28
Noon looked better at OC when he moved there so I'm not overly fussed. Glad to see players in their preferred/usual positions, neither Paul nor Cohen are outside centres.
Without a natural 8 on the bench I'd can see Moody moving to 6 and Worsley at 8 if Corry comes off - no Jones in the squad I saw.
I'm upset at 'Cock still being in there, but I suppose Robinson didn't want to make wholesale changes - must be the last-chance saloon, though.
I don't think him or Cohen are playing well enough at present to merit being in the squad, not with viable alternatives around.
There's a lot of pressure on Ellis to perform, I expect Dawson will spend most of the game warming up ready to come on at a moments notice if Ellis' game falls apart under pressure (a la Tait and Paul recently) or he resorts to some of his club-game thuggery.
All fair comments - my mistake about Jones as well, just assumed he'd get the nod ahead of Hazell. I reckon Grewcock is in there because Robinson feels the need for an "enforcer" - but he has neither the wit or presence of Johnson.
So far, mucho selectorial bizarreness from Robinson.
wolfkiller
09-02-2005, 14:07
So far, mucho selectorial bizarreness from Robinson.
Sir Clive went through a lot of players in his first years in charge as he looked to revamp England's playing style.
Maybe its a bit of the same from Robbo - bit worried about it, though
Radiohead
09-02-2005, 15:08
I'm happy to give him time, and there's the fact that he's plagued with injuries. I've no doubt he has an ideal XV in his head, but can't play them at the moment.
Don't BOD and GOD both have a history of hamstring injuries? They might make the park, but they sure ain't going to last the game.
Very dangerous IMO. Both could be out for the season if it goes wrong and their Lions places could be compromised.
Expect the Scots to target both early on. And rightly so.
Radiohead
10-02-2005, 08:48
Tait pays price for England's defeat as Ellis ousts Dawson
By Chris Hewett
10 February 2005
"I'm not here to blame Mathew Tait for the defeat against Wales," said Andy Robinson, the England coach, a few seconds after announcing his team to play France in this week's Sabbath offering from the Six Nations Championship - a team in which the teenage centre from Newcastle was nowhere to be seen, either in the starting line-up or on the replacements' bench. As the rest of a three-quarter line that threatened virtually nothing and achieved even less in Cardiff last Saturday survived the cut, it was not easy to take Robinson at his word.
Good enough for England one week, but not good enough the next? As Robinson acknowledged, Test rugby is an unforgiving place. "I'm disappointed for Mathew; we all are," he continued. "But I don't see him as a 19-year-old, I seem him as a rugby player. And like all rugby players, he'll have his good times and his bad times. We sat down together and talked it through; he will remain with the squad and will be involved in this tournament as it unfolds.
"For this game, we feel we need a slightly different approach and have picked the side accordingly. It's where we are as a team."
Suitably enough, this different approach has another centre at its centre: Olly Barkley of Bath, who very nearly dug England out of the hole into which they disappeared at the Millennium Stadium by putting boot to ball in the time-honoured fashion.
He should have taken the field from the start, of course, and if Robinson did not exactly admit to botching his midfield selection last week, he did not defend his decision either. If Tait is unfortunate to lose his place to his club colleague Jamie Noon, who shifts from inside centre to the outside position to accommodate Barkley, this midfield unit still looks more potent for the selectors' tinkering.
During the second half of Sir Clive Woodward's long tenure as head coach, red rose followers became accustomed to certainty. Richard Hill, Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio were always in the back row, the Martin Johnsons and Jonny Wilkinsons and Will Greenwoods were stone-cold picks. Suddenly, there is a greater sense of continuity about the Tory leadership. Robinson made seven changes, two of them positional, to his starting XV and a further four to his bench - a fall-out of precisely 50 per cent, which is quite something in this day and age.
Away from the midfield, there is a first start for the 22-year-old Leicester scrum-half Harry Ellis, who has dumped the infinitely more experienced Matthew Dawson among the substitutes, and a promotion for the World Cup-winning prop from Gloucester, Phil Vickery, who replaces the stricken Julian White, whose neck injury may threaten his participation against Ireland in Dublin later this month. And the back row? Major surgery. Joe Worsley of Wasps is the only survivor from the unit badly outplayed by the Welsh, moving from No 8 to the blind-side flank in place of Chris Jones. Lewis Moody has elbowed Andy Hazell out of the breakaway position, while Martin Corry returns to the middle of the formation to play his first game since dislocating an elbow during a Premiership match early last month.
Ellis deserves his opportunity, and should add some zest to the England mix provided he does not allow his opponent, Dimitri Yachvili of Biarritz, to lead him astray as he did during the recent Heineken Cup tie at Welford Road.
"That's in the past," Ellis said of his violent excesses that day. "Yachvili is an unpredictable player and I'll have to be a little cleverer in the way I handle him. I won't change the way I play, though, because it's got me where I am now. How long have I been waiting for this? Pretty much all my life."
If England are in a state of flux, the French are far from settled themselves. Bernard Laporte, the Tricolore coach, also made a fistful of personnel changes, dropping the brilliant Toulouse hooker William Servat in favour of the anglicised Sebastien Bruno of Sale - an astonishing decision, warmly received in the English camp - and recalling Serge Betsen for the jettisoned Patrick Tabacco in the back row. The Biarritz flanker was last night cleared to play by a disciplinary tribunal who found him not guilty of deliberately tripping the Wasps centre Stuart Abbott and breaking his leg during a Heineken Cup pool match last month.
Jimmy Marlu and Nicolas Mas, contrasting talents to say the least, replace Aurelien Rougerie and Pieter de Villiers at wing and prop on injury grounds, while Yachvili is preferred to Pierre Mignoni.
There is still no starting place for Frédéric Michalak. The most celebrated member of the Toulouse glitterati stays on the bench as second fiddle to Yann Delaigue, whose display in the last 40 minutes against the Scots saved his bacon. It may well be that Laporte is alone in considering that bacon worthy of saving, but his is the opinion that counts.
TWICKENHAM TEAMS
England
15. J Robinson (Sale, capt)
14. M Cueto (Sale)
13. J Noon (Newcastle)
12. O Barkley (Bath)
11. J Lewsey (Wasps)
10. C Hodgson (Sale)
9. H Ellis (Leicester)
1. G Rowntree (Leicester)
2. S Thompson (Northampton)
3. P Vickery (Gloucester)
4. D Grewcock (Bath)
5. B Kay (Leicester)
6. J Worsley (Wasps)
7. L Moody (Leicester)
8. M Corry (Leicester)
France
15. P Elhorga (Agen)
14. J Marlu (Biarritz)
13. B Liebenburg (Stad Français)
12. D Traille (Biarritz)
11. C Dominici (Stade Français)
10. Y Delaigue (Castres)
9. D Yachvili (Biarritz)
1. S Marconnet (Stade Français)
2. S Bruno (Sale)
3. N Mas (Perpignan)
4. F Pelous (Toulouse, capt)
5. J Thion (Biarritz)
6. S Betsen (Biarritz)
7. S Chabal (Sale)
8. J Bonnaire (Bourgoin)
http://sport.independent.co.uk/rugby_union/story.jsp?story=609465
GreyJackal
10-02-2005, 09:29
"I'm not here to blame Mathew Tait for the defeat against Wales," said Andy Robinson
Evil sod, saying that. Gives the association doesn't it.
One of the blokes at Gwlad created this. (wrong number on tait shirt and is being changed by him).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/CLH007/0a_1_b.jpg
Italian Centre Canale has withdrawn.
Can't think why...................................
Radiohead
10-02-2005, 12:05
Henson vs Tindall - another matter entirely...
Radiohead
10-02-2005, 12:50
Italian Centre Canale has withdrawn.
Can't think why...................................
A shoulder injury - are you seriously suggesting he's pulled out because of Henson?
:wave:
You don't really think I think that?
Radiohead
10-02-2005, 14:35
For a minute I did, but then reality bit.
I wondered if you were still drunk on English blood....
:D
Nah, for all my ribbing I'm keeping a level head.
We really need to win our next three games and win them well.
Then face up to the three player team.
Matholwch
10-02-2005, 16:32
I'm also feeling cautious about the next couple of matches, The Auzzuri have strong forwards and competed well in the line out (always a weakness for Wales) against Ireland, which is quite a feat! If our forwards can gain that parity with the Italians, then I'm certain we'll walk away with a win, Henson and the backs can do nowt without possession.
Here's looking forward to a good entertaining rugby this weekend :thumbs:
Radiohead
10-02-2005, 19:40
O'Driscoll's out of the Scotland game.
What a surprise.
horseflesh
10-02-2005, 20:34
Scotland by 7 then
Fancy a side bet on that??? ;)
Radiohead
10-02-2005, 23:12
I strill fancy Ireland to win. Their pack are too strong, and O'Connor starts, and they still have the class of Murphy and Horgan in the backs. Aside from Cussiter the Scots backs looked poor amd Danielle flapped like a beached fish to give the French their try.
GreyJackal
11-02-2005, 00:02
I know we've only had one game to gauge performances so far but, going on that nontheless, I fancy the Ireland Scotland game to be the best out of the lot tbh.
wolfkiller
11-02-2005, 08:13
I strill fancy Ireland to win. Their pack are too strong, and O'Connor starts, and they still have the class of Murphy and Horgan in the backs. Aside from Cussiter the Scots backs looked poor amd Danielle flapped like a beached fish to give the French their try.
You can't use the words Horgan and class in the same sentence.
Hickie's been quiet of late, expect a big game from him.
Radiohead
11-02-2005, 08:53
I MEANT O'GARA
:doh:
wolfkiller
11-02-2005, 12:29
D'arcy is out as well
Scotland have obviously had their prayers answered
Just need O'Gara's piles to flare up and Murphy to go down with a mystery complaint
D'arcy is out as well
Scotland have obviously had their prayers answered
Just need O'Gara's piles to flare up and Murphy to go down with a mystery complaint
ireland will still be far too strong. the replacements are more than adequate. dempsey and maggs are both good players. just as long as they're back for the england game - although saying that, i don't think it would matter even if they weren't. i think ireland's toughest game will be against the welsh
Radiohead
11-02-2005, 13:21
So gents, shall we have some predictions for this weekend's game
I'll start
Italy 15 - 32 Wales
Scotland 9 - 23 Ireland
England 15 - 22 France
Italy 12 - 32 Wales
Scotland 12 - 31 Ireland
England 12 - 9 France
there's a running theme there!
GreyJackal
11-02-2005, 13:42
I think they're all going to be low scores tbh
Italy 9 - 13 Wales
Scotland 12 - 21 Ireland
England 15 - 6 France
wolfkiller
11-02-2005, 13:59
Italy 20 - 27 Wales
Scotland 13 - 12 Ireland
England 24 - 5 France
Radiohead
11-02-2005, 14:04
Am I the only one expecting an England defeat then?
GreyJackal
11-02-2005, 14:43
Against France? Yup :D
If it was Ireland....
wolfkiller
11-02-2005, 16:00
Am I the only one expecting an England defeat then?
If it was going to be warm and dry and firm underfoot, France would be in with a good shout. But given the conditions in London at the moment and French teams feeble performances away from home in the Heineken Cup, and England's proud home record, I'm certainly backing England - I would regardless of anything I've already stated, anyway.
Scotland 19-Ireland 13
Wales 40-Italy 22
England 6 France 9
scrappy but that was a stunningly intelligent try.
GreyJackal
12-02-2005, 14:24
Wasn't it just. The italians really aren't happy about that :lol: I guess most of the crowd don't know the rule.
Looks like I was massively out on my score prediction :D
Radiohead
12-02-2005, 14:28
Funny old game again isn't it - nothing's caught fire yet.
The Italian backs have nothing though - no pace, no power.
Good play by Wales so far, but could do with drawing tacklers in before off-loading when spreading it wide.
GreyJackal
12-02-2005, 14:50
That was some superb support and tackle offloading there by the Welsh :thumbs:
Radiohead
12-02-2005, 14:55
A much more open game now - The Wooly-backs (geddit) are having a field day. I can see this being close to 50 at the end.
Job done. Was only a few out on my Wales prediction though I fancied the Italians to get a few more.
GreyJackal
12-02-2005, 16:27
Nice one :thumbs:
Poor Scotland are getting robbed again :(
Radiohead
12-02-2005, 17:00
25-8 now - Scotland are getting hammered
Robbed my arse, we deserved that victory and you know it. They had a good start and that was about it.
Robbed my arse, we deserved that victory and you know it. They had a good start and that was about it.
Be nicer to watch if you didn't adopt England 99 mode mind.
Supose but i was happy with our performance, with BOD and Darcy out.
You should be happy. It was going to be a tight game and you've stolen our top of table spot away from us :(
Big games next round.
SIMON ADEBISI
12-02-2005, 20:08
Nice to see O'Kelly get m.o.t.m. O'Connell was his usal powerhouse too.
Italy 12 - 32 Wales
Scotland 12 - 31 Ireland
England 12 - 9 France
there's a running theme there!
wasn't too far away. all i hope for now is that i got the france/england scores the wrong way around
freelancer
12-02-2005, 20:59
Wales Vs Ireland for the championship, grand slam, tripple crown!
Wales to win!
:)
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