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Rugby 2023-24 World...
 

Rugby 2023-24 World Cup Year!

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Gatland seemed to just be sitting there , has he had his day?


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 5:31 pm
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Italy have played very well, good on em!!

Indeed, if the ball had not fallen off the tee at the end of the France game they'd have almost certainly won three games. Their U20's are strong and they've a large population - surely they'll go from strength to strength from here.
Wales however 😭😭😭
At least Scotland has curling - what do Wales have without rugby 😭😭😭


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 5:34 pm
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Gatland seemed to just be sitting there , has he had his day?

I'm not sure how much blame lies with Gatland - but who would replace him?


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 5:36 pm
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Oh my, ITV again 😡🤬


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 5:39 pm
 igm
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Is this the right time to congratulate Ireland on a great win?

#NotConfident


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 5:43 pm
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Yeah, I'm a little worried about this one.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 5:45 pm
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what do Wales have without rugby

Something else to complain about.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 6:23 pm
 igm
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Coal mining?

I’m not feeling more confident after that first half.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 6:34 pm
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Good first half but....... Scotland had to work hard. Hope they can do a second half 🤞🤞


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 6:36 pm
 zomg
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what do Wales have without rugby

Dych chi ddim yn mwynhau Cymraeg?

Seriously though, against all the odds for these islands, Wales still has its own language.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 6:39 pm
gordimhor, salad_dodger, salad_dodger and 1 people reacted
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Good first half but……. Scotland had to work hard.

It actually reminds me a bit of the France game.  Ireland are showing more creativity than France did but still not getting much change out of the Scottish defense.

Of course, we all remember how that game ended...


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 6:41 pm
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Glad to see Larmour back in an Ireland jersey, really like him as a player.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 6:41 pm
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I hope this is the year that Italy have finally arrived.  They've been showing so much potential for years only to keep throwing it all away.

Once the current generation retire/slow down I see Scotland as being the perinatal whipping boys.  Just not enough people playing rugby to be competitive over a long period of time.

Our only hope is that Wales' woes continue so at least we'll have some competition for the wooden spoon.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 6:45 pm
 igm
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I wondered just for a second when Jones cantered in and we looked good on the restart… then we knocked on.

Good game though. Did you notice how long it was until the first scrum? Ages

Of course, we all remember how that game ended…

Four point loss?


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 7:50 pm
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Another good game for the neutral.  Hell of a defensive effort from Scotland!  Not sure what to expect from England France? Could be a close game, hopefully closer than last year 😳


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 7:51 pm
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Better team won, pleased we played for a lot more of the game this week though.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 7:54 pm
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Sounded like potential end of international career for POM....35.....37 for Lions tour, maybe a step to far, but surely he'd be amongst the leading contenders for captain?


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 8:00 pm
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Looks like I'll have to sneak out for half a Guinness then.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 8:51 pm
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You don’t want to miss the biggest game of the 6N Caher.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 8:53 pm
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Well played Ireland. Valiant defence from Scotland but you can’t do that for 80 mins. If they had nicked it in the end it would have been steal of the century.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 9:02 pm
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France are too fast and too clever for England.   Could be a long night….


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 9:37 pm
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Yep - giving France turnover ball rarely ends well! Marcus Smith at fullback will ve a struggle for 70 minutes. What has Steward done to upset Bortheick?


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 9:49 pm
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That's more like it.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 10:04 pm
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Cracking game for a BestOfTheRest match.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 10:28 pm
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Wow. Four minutes left and I've no idea who'll win.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 10:43 pm
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Harsh!


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 10:47 pm
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Jeez what a match.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 10:47 pm
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England gave that away with two tries conceded from lost lineouts. Great game tho’


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 10:47 pm
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Good game. Really intense. I'd be gutted if that was the tournament decider but happy to see a good performance from England.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 10:49 pm
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Been a really good tournament this year.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 10:50 pm
ElShalimo, AD, ElShalimo and 1 people reacted
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Last matches for Care, Tuilagi and Cole possibly? All have had great international careers.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 10:51 pm
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England gave that away


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 10:58 pm
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Been a really good tournament this year.

I disagree 😄😄😄


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 11:15 pm
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Been a really good tournament this year.

I disagree 😄😄😄

I'm with a_a, miserable 6Nations this year. Some close games, with drama; but the quality of rugby has generally been poor. The points difference gives a good reflection of where the teams are.


 
Posted : 16/03/2024 11:46 pm
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Living half my life in Kerry it's astonishing how much rugby is challenging the football GAA.
There are big, athletic lads down here who now want to play rugby.


 
Posted : 17/03/2024 12:54 am
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Mixed feelings as a Wales supporter not surprised by "winning" the wooden spoon, but can't say the team were robbed, they're just not good enough rather than choking or underperforming.

Obviously jealous of Ireland success but feels a bit like the old English stereotype, team of public school boys, media going on about how opposition players wouldn't get in the team, and arrogant fans assuming they have to just turn up to get WC and slams.

Me, an actual Dragons fan, bitter about success? (or just winning a single game?). Surely not 😉


 
Posted : 17/03/2024 8:29 am
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can’t say the team were robbed, they’re just not good enough rather than choking or underperforming

This is the reason I can't really be annoyed about it. The players are just not good enough. One of the commentators, I think it was Johnson kept banging on about simple errors, well yes they do keep making them. That will happen when a significant number of the team have played less than 15-20 games of pro rugby also these players are not physically up to it. It's not something to be surprised or angry about. The system is broken, I am angry about that but the players are clearly putting the effort in.


 
Posted : 17/03/2024 8:42 am
olddog, salad_dodger, salad_dodger and 1 people reacted
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As a tournament the 6N was dull until halfway through the France/Italy match. Once they started to believe they were away.

Crowley must be fuming back home in NZ; wondering were this spark was for the last few years.

The final table belied the performances of Wales. They kept battling even when so far behind, and it nearly came off. Scotland were the opposite; starting strong and then looking baffled in the 2nd half.

I always prefer to watch a match when you don't know the outcome. That's why I can't be arsed watching the F1.


 
Posted : 17/03/2024 9:04 am
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There's definitely a really interesting story to be written comparing Irish, Welsh, and Scottish rugby and the interactions of culture, politics, class, and general infighting.

Looks like Wales are currently crippled by their own structure rather than a cultural problem (ie, not having a rugby culture like Scotland).  Structures can be changed much more easily than cultures. The danger is that the structure ends up killing the culture.

Ireland seems to have built a structure and are in the process of building on an existing culture.  Momentum has the potential to keep them at the top for some time to come.

Scotland is struggling to build a culture outside of the Borders.  The problem is that there just aren't enough people living in the Borders.

With Italy in the ascendancy and Wales being forced into some soul searching I am actually most pessimistic about Scotland relevancy to the rugby world in the long term.

Given that this was supposed to be the 6N where Scotland would finally deliver and they ended up finishing 4th (should have been 5th but for the bonus points) I don't really see much hope for the future.


 
Posted : 17/03/2024 9:19 am
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I thought Wales were positive until the last game. They were clearly not very good, but they showed commitment and I thought even intelligence trying to unlock opponents.  It doesn't feel that bad to lose like this.  Next year's tournament will be important - we will expect progresss.


 
Posted : 17/03/2024 9:44 am
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England seem to be finding themselves as a strategy and as players.   I can see why Furbank is in now, we have a rapier back line with him and Wabosa in it, Fords flat passing and clever kicking is valued and Smiths unpredictably can be a weapon.    Daleys days are benched/numbered.  If they can stay consistent it could be a good team over the next couple of years.

im not sure I would have picked the ABs for the Summer though, I can’t help thinking that won’t be good for motivation, that’ll be schooling at a whole new level.


 
Posted : 17/03/2024 10:43 am
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should have been 5th but for the bonus points

As much as I like the way bonus points encourages attacking rugby, I thought this year’s tournament shows it can distort the table. For example England get the same number of points losing to France as France & Italy did with a draw. At one point in the England/France game Scotland could’ve ended up 3rd, above England (3 wins) Italy (2wins + draw). It doesn’t sit well with me that accumulating bonus points can put you above teams who are actually getting results.


 
Posted : 17/03/2024 10:45 am
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@BruceWee I agree we simply dont have enough players. We don't even have enough fans. Football is all pervasive in Scotland and the football clubs outside the 2 obvious exceptions are to be congratulated for finding a waye to survive without massive tv money.
If the six nations were ever to introduce relegation we would be favourites for the drop.


 
Posted : 17/03/2024 11:35 am
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Living half my life in Kerry it’s astonishing how much rugby is challenging the football GAA.
There are big, athletic lads down here who now want to play rugby.

Pity David Clifford chose Gaelic Football, would have been a hell of a full back or center. I know what you mean though, Guys like Ben O'Connor and Gleeson in Irish U20 would probably played stayed playing hurling a few years ago.


 
Posted : 18/03/2024 1:07 pm
 piha
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Congratulations to Georgia..!!!

They comprehensively beat Portugal 36 - 10 in the Rugby Europe Championship in France. Richard Cockerill has continued Georgia's dominance in the competition with their 13th win in 14 years. I couldn't watch the match but sports pubs in Tbilisi were completely booked as soon as Georgia won the semi-final. Rugby thrives in Georgia and it would be great for rugby if Georgia could play the tier 1 countries more often. I'd love to see how Georgia would fare against the current Wales team.....


 
Posted : 18/03/2024 1:30 pm
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