and Mallinder is a revolving door in defense!

Bring back Brad Barrett?

Biggar confirmed broken so with Priestland out its going to be a big opportunity for Anscombe, Patchel or O Williams.

I’d pick something like

1/2p
Whichever of North or Williams are fittest
S Williams
Parkes
Evans or Adams
Patchel
G Davies
Moriarty
Tips
Shingler
B Davies
AWJ
Lee
Owens
Evans

Smith
Dee
Francis
S Davies
Ellis Jenkins/Navidi
Webb
Anscombe
?Watkin

Daly is a huge loss for us, as is Biggar for Wales. Anyone else starting to feel a bit ‘meh’ about the 6n’s now? I know there’s always injuries, but the likes of Warburton, Billy V, Daly, Nel, Biggar etc are some of the world’s best players….feels a bit of a let down not to have them. If you think of some of the battles around the park. The battle of the tens takes a bit for anyone versus Wales, god only knows what happens to Scotland’s scrum? Wales and England’s backrows are diminished (Wales more so) Daly is probably the best broken field player in the 6n’s at the minute and we won’t get to see that.

Add Sinclair to England’s list of broken.

Something is wrong, really wrong when there this many injuries (in all sides, it’s not an England or AP problem). It’s a reduced attraction for sure, but who the hell would want to play knowing you’ll spend 25-50% of your life on the physio table?

How about going back to replacements for injuries only so players have to run around for a full 80 and bring back tucking so the massive driving impacts are lessensed at the breakdown as the only way to try to clear out, maybe remove player ‘fitness aids’ that also have a G meter so players are incentivised to make stupid hits to get the smash score up.
I don’t know what the answer is but I’m actually starting to think I don’t want junior playing rugby. I might even want him to play (whisper it, it feels dirty) football

Apart from the front row I am feeling pretty good. The rest of the team are pretty much first team and a bit of depth left ( thank goodness we have loads of centres tho as a few are broken)

I am really looking forward to seeing what the Scots backs an do to show they should have been on the lions tour. I just hope I don’t end up with egg on my face. ( more than a possibility)

If scotlands pack get anywhere near parity I think the backs will score a lot. Look at the near miss to NZ and the demolition of Aus – and also Glasgows game against Exeter where they didn’t have much ball but scored freely when they had it.

I’ll make a couple of ( non cash) fun bets with you all

Scotlands backs will confuse Farrell and leave him chasing phantoms sitting on his backside having missed tackles and he will get rattled

Russell will be taken out late in every game

Ickle jonny will have the best tackle stats of anyone and will miss less than 2 tackles all championship making more than 40

scotland will knock the ball on with the try line at their mercy more than once

Scotland will kick into the corner from a pen – a beautiful kick from russell then the forwards will bolloix it up completely at least twice

Zander Fagerson will come in for the later games and get into a bit of handbags with someone within 10 mins of getting on the field

Grant Gilcrest will get a yellow card for stupidity at least once.

I don’t know what the answer is but I’m actually starting to think I don’t want junior playing rugby.

Same here, I want to get him into cyclocross!!

You forgot about intercept tries hitting double figures TJ 🙂

I’ll take your Farrell bet TJ….I bet he scores at least 15 points against you and make 10 successful tackles.

I’ll take your Farrell bet TJ….I bet he scores at least 15 points against you and make 10 successful tackles.

OK – forfeit to be…………….?

But we both could be right 😉

The loser has to have a two page debate on any rugby subject with a_a 😆

🙂

“The loser has to have a two page debate on any rugby subject with a_a ”

You’ll lose twice!!

Looks like loopy liam is confirmed broken too

Robshaw and Brown are both touch and go for the Italy game. Both bring a lot of experience to the team, so losing both is an issue. Jones better have something up his sleeve!

Loopy liam is a big loss.

Saracens seem to have waited until the international window to decide he needs surgery

There is a pretty good 2 part interview with Donnacha O’Callaghan on the Sky Sports website if anyone is interested

Rhys Webb out.

Urgh.

Rhys Webb out and uncapped Tomos Williams in. How many decent scrum halves with experience did they bypass to get to Williams?

The way things are going the debate about replacements/finishers will be irrelevant.  Looks like Ireland are the only team confident of finding 23 players without including anyone’s granny.

“Rhys Webb out and uncapped Tomos Williams in. How many decent scrum halves with experience did they bypass to get to Williams?”

Not many. Tomos has passed Brynmoors boy for cardiff I’d have had him ahead of Aled Davies to start with.

My Wales Team with who Gatland will pick in brackets.

Patchel (1/2p)
S Evans (North on one leg)
O Watkin (Scot Williams)
Parkes the Poach
Adams (Fluffbert)
Anscombe
G Davies
Navidi (Moriarty)
Tips
Shingler (Navidi)
S Davies (B Davies or Cory BIL Hill)
Lees ( Fatty Francis)
Owens
R Evans

Six Nations is or should be merely a development tournament for Wales now.

Well I’m happy to report that whomever England win or lose too this year, its with the B team, so it doesn’t matter. 😉

Forgot to add AWJ!!

Forgot to add AWJ!!

Thought it was a bit odd you’d only picked 14.

No room for Gav then?

Gav is being held in reserve for the next world cup. This six nations is about blooding some new players! We all know what gav can do.

Kryton57 –  Well I’m happy to report that whomever England win or lose too this year, its with the B team, so it doesn’t matter.

Eddie Jones is doing his best to make England look as though they are underdogs isn’t he?

They are missing these players, according to the BBC:
<table class=”sp-story-body__table”>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><b>Forwards: </b>Tom Curry, Charlie Ewels, Ellis Genge, Nathan Hughes, Matt Mullan, Beno Obano, Kyle Sinckler, Will Spencer, Chris Robshaw, Billy Vunipola.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Backs:</b> Mike Brown, Elliot Daly, Piers Francis, Jack Nowell, Semesa Rokoduguni, Henry Slade. (Ben Te’o is returning to fitness with England but has not played since October)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
There aren’t so many first choice players in there, other than a missing back-row, that a nation the size of England would struggle..

On The Great Orange One – I reckon that Patchell will get injured early on, Anscombe will look like an amateur and Big Gav will be drafted in at last minute to win the 6N for Wales, having picked Teo up, ripped his arm-guard off with his teeth and carried him 40m down the pitch before scoring…  🙂

I think England should be ok, Ireland injuries not too bad at present Sean O Brien is at least as big a loss to us as Billy V is to England. Robshaw isn’t even the best flanker at Quins. Brown missing is a blessing, I know he made a mistake at the weekend but Alex Goode’s continued omission for England is a mystery.

Also for Ireland it will be interesting to see how many injuries we pick up versus France in our first game, I can’t remember the last time Sexton finished a game against them. If it is anything like the world cup game a few years ago we could be in a very different position for 2nd game.

Away from the 6N and the inury discussions, Tigers appear to be bolstering their pack by Spencer from Worcs and Thomson from Wasps. Spencer has looked good this season and will provide some much needed grunt in the pack.

El Vino – anyone but bloody Goode. I think he’s a very very good club player but a poor international. He’s been shown up whenever he’s been capped. I think Brown has gone backwards (he looked pretty good a few seasons ago) but he is solid.

Not looking forward to the 6N much with Wales injury list 😲

At least get to give some new players a go I suppose

North pulled out of Sinners game just before kick off…sounds like he’s out for next week with no gametime since october.

So
Loopy Liam
North
Amos
J Davies
Tyler Morgan
Biggar
Priestland
Webb
Faletau
Warburton
Lydiate
Ball
All out

Makings of a good team that

Big Ritchie out for Scotland.  Fortunately Gillcrest and Toolis both are in fine form so not the disaster it might have been.  Looking forward to the battle of the back rows.  Watson and Barclay with points to prove.  centres is a bit ” who knows”  My guess is Jones and Horne with Bennet to come on as sub.  Losing Dunbar Taylor and Scott is harsh

Alex Goode’s continued omission for England is a mystery.

He’s never shone internationally, and Watson’s far better and has age on his side.  I too though think Brown omission will allow the team to move on.  WC back three will likely be Watson, Daly and Nowell if he recovers.

I thought Daly was broken?

“Looking forward to the battle of the back rows. ”

I’m not, without Warburton and Faletau and with Moriarty undercooked we are weak there.
Wales team announcement at midday today..I shall be behind the sofa. Expect Patchel on bench at best, 1/2p at fullback, flufbert on one wing with George North hobbling about on the other.

Is there an espn fantasy league so we can test our team picking prowess?

Really hoping to see Josh Adams get a go against Scotland.

If (and it’s a big if!) Wales can tire them out, especially the weakened front five, he could have a lot of fun in the last twenty minutes or so. Serious pace on him!

Agree that the back row for Wales looks light without Hovis and NotToby, but Navidi is still on great form, and Tips is just class. Cubby is having a lot of fun for the Scabs, too.

Daly is out for the whole tournament. Hughes is supposed to be back for the later stages but won’t be match fit.

Convinced it’s not our year and think we’ll be second or third, not so much due to the injuries but more due to a shakey autumn no sweet FA form in Europe this year. Ireland to win it for me.

Tipuric out Adams in, Patch at 10
Cory BIL Hill at lock!!
More to follow

Scarlets vs Scotland it is then, will be… Interesting

Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets); Josh Adams (Worcester), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets), Steff Evans (Scarlets); Rhys Patchell (Scarlets), Gareth Davies (Scarlets); Rob Evans (Scarlets), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Cory Hill (Dragons), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, capt), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester).

Replacements: Elliot Dee (Dragons), Wyn Jones (Scarlets), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Bradley Davies (Ospreys), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Aled Davies (Scarlets), Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues), Owen Watkin (Ospreys).

Surprisingly adventurous for Cement. Not sure Moriarty is ready or will last long and remain to be convinced by Cory Hill but at least he’s young and can improve whilst Bradley Davies is known. Dont think they’ll beat Scotland but quite keen to see how the wings and Davies and Patchel go.

When is the Scotland team announced.

<div class=”bbp-reply-author”>CaptainFlashheart
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<div class=””>Member</div>
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Really hoping to see Josh Adams get a go against Scotland.

If (and it’s a big if!) Wales can tire them out, especially the weakened front five, he could have a lot of fun in the last twenty minutes or so. Serious pace on him!

Not going to happen.  Scotland / Glasgow are as fit as anyone.  Your hope is to shove the scots pack around and build up a lead.