Apart from when living in Wales. Or France.
🙂
Wait......WHAT ARE YOU SAYING ABOUT TJ?
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Ooooh a_a....
I know I am hugely biased but any player who can do that on what is pretty much his first game of the season has to be something special. What a shame his head and his body werent up to it. He could have played 150 times for Wales by now.....wistfully stares into the distance and wanders off......
I was going to post about that Henson performance earlier, but thought it must've been done already - amazing that he can just slot in at no.10 in a premiership club, put in a man of the match performance and beat the club that sacked him in the progress. As a_a says.. what coulda been eh?
put in a man of the match performance and beat the club that sacked him in the progress
Did Bath sack him? I thought they just didnt renew his contract... I lose track Blues sacked him and Toulon....wasnt he at Saffercens for a couple of weeks too....
Playing only 5 matches every 2 seasons he could go on forever I imagine.
Maybe they didn't sack him, but you know, a former club! (I guess there's a few of those 😆 )
The stuff I hear about him from some other bristol players is hugely complimentary. If he used to have attitude problems, he doesn't now.
If/when he can't play on, I hope we keep him in a coaching capacity.
Watched the bath Bristol game on skyplayer Henson was head an shoulders the best player in that match.
For all his past demons, he's a glorious player to watch. Ghosting in to gaps, offloading deftly, kicking like some sort of God. Lovely to watch him on song.
What a player he could have been............
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Watched the bath Bristol game on skyplayer Henson was head an shoulders the best player in that match.
Decent sized crowd, what sort average gate are Bristol getting?
Pretty well attended - I think maybe 12-13k for home games. The Bath game would be a blip. Obviously that's going to attract a massive crowd. [EDIT: even the full length wax jackets have a short trip from Bath so I'd imagine the away crowd would have been substantial.] Think that was 15k+? Worth noting that Ashton Gate is a pretty fine stadium these days. It'll need Bristol City to maintain Championship status though - and that's looking shaky at the moment. We're I not doing in-law duties in the W Midlands, I'd have gone. I bet it was rocking there.
Good to see such decent sized crowds.
Reported 16k at the bath game. Attendances usually between 8-12k dependent on the comp and opposition. We pulled in around 8k even in the championship. Cider and ale on tap, get down there!
So on to the calcutta cup!
I think Scotland will need to come out all guns blazing. No settling into the game but attack from the off. I think contestable kicks to the wings(which worked well against Wales) when we have to kick but otherwise move the ball around as much as possible. Attack Ford as well and go for turnovers and counter attacks.
Scotland will create chances but making them count will be hard.
England have to deprive Scotland of possession. I fear for our scrum and lineouts will be a good battle.
The breakdown will be interesting. Speed V Power. Watson is by far the fastest of the lot but I've seen big guys throw him around like a ragdoll. He has a point to prove in this match.
In the end I think the bench is what will do it for England. I expect Scotland to be in touch at the hour but England to win it in the last 20. I hope Scotland make sure England have to play wellto win, but if England do play well they will win
I think it depends to a large extent which England team turns up, and to some extent which Scotland team turns up. I hope it's the Scotland that have finally learned how to finish their fine work with a try. Against the England who have learned to salvage wins despite playing poorly, it could be a fine match.
I think it depends to a large extent which England team turns up
Careful, I'd say they have a point to prove. I don't think Scotland will be a pushover but that's good, I think England need a tough game going into the Ireland match if they are even to dream of a Grand Slam.
The scrum will be a major issue for Scotland against England, pretty much expecting the same as against Ireland.
Given how well the Scots back row performed against Wales it will be a fascinating encounter but I feel Scotland will have the edge.
Second rows will be a tremendous tussle, possibly the best locks in the 6 nations in action. Johnie Gray has been outstanding but so has Launchbury, add in Lawes tackling and it will be a crucial element.
Cracking game, I hope!
Should be a cracker and personally had the game been at Murryfield I would have given Scotland the edge. As it stands I think England will in the end run out clear winners after a few edgy moments and a close first half. It's good to see Scotland back and following up their RWC QF with further progress.
With the scots performing as well as they have, and with england misfiring and looking underwhelming in the back row; I'm not overly optimistic about an england win. If Eddie can get them going as we know they can then it would be an england win, but he hasn't done it so far this tournament.
Last season Scotland could have won Laidlaw missed a couple of penalties and Russell kicked when he had Hogg outside him for a long range try ....All ifs and buts.
I hope it will be close game both sides are hugely reslient, and can score with limited opportunities.
England seem to have forgotten how to lose - which is handy.
Scotland can win if they get far enough ahead that England can't turn them over in the final 20 but I doubt that they will.
England have been poor so far and were only good in patches in the Autumn so maybe they're due a decent 80 minute performance.....
Good show currently on RTE2 called toughest job.
Shane Williams playing GAA in Ireland and a GAA chap over at Clermont
I take it everyone has seen the image google has seen fit to use for st davids day? 😀
A Welsh love spoon you mean?
The wooden one?
It don get in - the love heart one? What is the relevance?
Yeah, it's what Welsh people give instead of engagement rings. A big porridge spoon. Made of wood, naturally 🙂
Scotland - England. Hmmm...
If Scotland can stitch together an Irish first half and a Welsh second half then Eddie will be on the first Qantas flight he can find. I mean cricket score territory. Maybe.
But be honest we've had two good halves out of six - are we feeling lucky?
PS Qantas - good for scrabble seeing as how you don't need a "u"?
The Calcutta Cup game is huge.
Their is pressure on both teams; England could equal the AB's record which is huge really and must be hardy to put out of your mind and the first time in a long tine, there is expectation on Scotland for them to win.
I expect us to dominate the scums, the line outs will be a massive contest with both teams having very good locks but I think we'll get done big time at the breakdown. Jones needs to get on the blower to George Smith and get him to offer some training again (our breakdown work has give backwards since he had a short term role).
The backs are interesting; Scotland will have the better full back for sure. There is promise in our backs but they haven't really clicked this tournament where as the Scottish backs are creating opportunities and finishing them.
I have a nagging feeling that the wheels are about to come off for England because they have not fired since the autumn and Scotland do seem to be firing. Away from the international games, the English clubs haven't been great in Europe whereas Glasgow in particular have been. I'm going for a Scottish win, but a slender one.
have a nagging feeling that the wheels are about to come off for England
Me too. I said in here at beginning of the 6N I thought Ireland will derail us, but so bad has been the English performance and so good Scotland than we could be 2 games down by the end of the thing.
Having said that, JJ is back, Hask is starting, Itoje started to look better in the 2H last week and Daly is a rising star and Nowell is starting so I feel England will be a lot more threatening. The English tactic does seem to be one of "absorb 1H, strike 2H" in the main.
With his admission of lame captaincy this morning and Haskells interference last week i do wonder if Hartleys time is coming to a natural end.
I think the prediction above is correct - England to sneak it at the end with a sigh of relief, making us nervous about the Irish game.
Wales beat the shit out of Scotland for the first half last week, I expect England to do the same for both halves next week and be more accurate and finish chances better.
PS Qantas - good for scrabble seeing as how you don't need a "u"?
Can you use acronyms in scrabble?
Oh and I think England will win, by 10 ish. Although Scotland would also get the triple crown if they win won't they?
Wales beat the shit out of Scotland for the first half last week, I expect England to do the same for both halves next week and be more accurate and finish chances better.
Yep, don't get all the pessimism from the English. You have by far the strongest team that has proved they can still win well, in first gear, without a lot of key players. As individuals some of the players aren't world beaters but as someone already said, as a team they don't really know how to lose. England massive favourites for me
Agree with DanW - England big favourites for me too. What's impressed me a lot about them is that when they've been conceding bigly on territory and possession, as they were for large chunks v France and Wales, they conceded very little on the scoreboard, which is why they're favourites for both Scotland and Ireland games for me.
I predict England will not contest at the ruck. 🙂
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^ Opposite of Wales who seem to need 80% territory and possession to scrag a few points here and there! Anything less and the other team is well and truly in the game
Billy V back for Sarries at the weekend
Yup. Let's hope Billy goes well at the weekend because Hughes has been poo so far.
Hardly
of AA. On top yes but the try came from a reffing error where wales should not have had possession and even so the lead was not muchbeat the shit out
No they did. Wales failed to create or finish chances but they were doing a good job of duffing up scotland in the first half. England will look to do the same. I expect home advantage will enable England to make use of scrim dominance too.
Hughes has been poo so far.
I don't think that's fair.
If you watch Hughes for Wasps, he's a different sort of player. He frequently carries the ball in one hand looking for the spectacular offload when he goes into contact or attacking the outside shoulder of the defender, using his extra pace.
England have asked him to play the BillyV role - being more conservative and making sure he holds on to the ball. He's not the same impact runner as Big Billy (who is?)and it's not his natural game - but he's trying.
News in from the Italy camp - Connor O'Shea has announced that Italy are selecting a XV comprising entirely of dwarves.
Coach Brendan Venter said:
[i]We prefer the term persons of restricted growth but we are picking a team with a maximum height of 1 metre. The thinking is that, with the new high tackle laws, every tackle that the French make will result in a yellow or red card. By the second half we should be playing unopposed and at that point we can bring on our finishers to seal the win.[/i]
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