Eddie Jones off to teach a geography lesson?
knock on - couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke
Bollocks.
England were shit. Ford's 'defence' is a liability in tight games. Youngs passing was also awful. What a balls up.
Well well well.
Well played Ireland. Does that make Scotland the moral victors of the 6N? We beat Ireland who beat England who are the top team. so Scotland must be the best? 😉
Its a pity for Scotland that Ireland and France won 'cos it makes our best 6N for a decade look not so good. Ruddy points difference 🙁
A damn fine championship tho all in all
3 ropey games TBH, was hoping for better. Not too many making a really positive case for t'Lions. O'Mahony excepted.
Stoner plus 1 - Itoje! He's a good player he doesn't need to be that dirty. Billy V a bit dubious a couple of times too.
Not watched it, is it worth it?
Yes if your Irish
What an awful day of Rugby! 3 dire games! Well played Ireland....better in every single aspect of the game today. Shame that we had 3 crap games today, as the championship has been amazing as a whole.
First half score flattered England. Second half flattered Ireland, but fair dues to them to come back into it in the last quarter. They finished the better side.
Congrats to England on the championship - clearly the best side in the competition.
NOt really duckman. England looked toothless, Ireland denied them time and space to do anything. Hardly a festival of flowing rugby.
No TJ it doesn't work like that. Ireland are now the king of 19, you know like conkers!
I thought the Irish youngsters did very well especially Furlong, Henderson, Marmion, Henshaw and Ringrose. Also mention for Like McGrath for the kick to the corner in the 77th minute.
But POM was best player on the park.
Does that make Scotland the moral victors of the 6N? We beat Ireland who beat England who are the top team. so Scotland must be the best?
And Ireland beat NZ. Makes Scotland World Champs surely!!
Is that the first time Maro Itoje has lost an international match?
LOL@ blindmelon and AA
Ireland destroyed our lineout, which was almost 100% in the tournament. We dropped everything, Ireland adapted better to greasy conditions.
What was wrong with Young's 1 handed tackle near the end?
It was Care, slapped the ball out of the 9's hand..classed as intentional knock on.
Has Gordon D'arcy turned into Alvin Stardust?
Gonna make Lions selection interesting. Some front runners have fallen away, some folk really put their hands up
Not many folk with a seat on the plane booked I would say
HOgg, Best, Sexton, Webb about the only ones who stand out above their peers
Soooooo
Hogg
Daley
Joseph
Ringrose
North
Faz
Webb
Stander
Warburton
?POM??
Itoje
Launbury
Furlong
Best
Vunipola
MGrath
Owens
Cole
Lawes
Tipuric
Murray
Sexton
Loopy Liam
Just take the green machine players out and make it the British Lions again. That'll do me.
Hogg
Daley
[s]Joseph[/s]Dunbar
Ringrose
[s]North[/s] Seymour
[s]Faz[/s] Sexton
Webb
Stander
Warburton
?POM??
[s]Itoje[/s] Ickle Jonny/ Lawes / toner / Robshaw / AWJ
Launchbury
Furlong
Best
Vunipola
I'd like to find space for Hamish Watson at 7. The only true 7 playing in the NH. Had a cracking series but up against a lot of good back rows
I wouldn't have Farrell on the plane. He showed today what I always say about him - too slow especially between the ears
I think Dunbar has had a cracking series. IIRC before today he had the most turnovers of any player in the 6N and bar the debacle against England has been good in attack and defence. Could he play with ringrose?
Itoje I thought both a potential penalty magnet and ineffective today another day another ref he could have had 3 yellows and he was blown away. todays performance puts him down the pecking order and so many good locks out there
Ickle jonny has dropped from his usual high standards the last two weeks.
Sexton is the only 10 to look like a lion. I know we need another for the lions but who?
I shall have a good hunt around the stats and see what gems I can find
Swap a fully fit Billy V for POM and swap him and Stander position wise and I think that you've got it a_a.
Dunbar hasn't been great for much of what I've seen TJ. Today's performance doesn't really count....he'll be playing AB's away not Italy at home if he's on the Lions tour (which I can't really see...I'll be amazed if he's in the match day squad!)
Warburton will be captain yeah? If not then I guess Best? He was great today.
Edit just seen the suggestion of Robshaw at lock...I'm his biggest fan, but he's no second row 😯
I think Itoje has just showed up outside the Irish dressing room to tackle Sexton.
Nah, he was just there to congratulate him on finishing as runner up in the six nations this year.
Miaow.
The only true 7 playing in the NH
Wales have at least 4 and at least 2 are better than Watson!!
Swap a fully fit Billy V for POM and swap him and Stander position wise and I think that you've got it a_a.
Fair point but Stander was much better than Vunipola today and that was his first start wasnt it?
Thought Sexton was quite poor today, kicked badly.
Sexton's not going.
Not with you bunch of dirty cheating cheapshot merchants.
Summer off.
Murray too now.
The only Irish you can have are those with a British grandmother or three years residency in Englandshire.
So Ben O'teo and Tommy Bowe then.
Tom - Dunbar has been pretty good and apart from Ringrose and Joseph in patches who has? His defensive work ( apart from against England and it was at least as much Huw JOnes fault) He gets an average of two turnovers a game and is as good a bosher as Roberts with better hands than most around
Didnae mean Robshaw at lock. Mistake
No AA - Wales do not have anyone with his ability to link and his speed. They are all 6.5s really anyway are they not?
And Tommy Bowes injured too.
And Tommy Bowes injured too.
Absolutely. Keep him off the plane.
Agreed it's not been a good showing for the centre's this 6n's! Time to persuade Slammin Sam to change his plans for the summer? Farrell senior is a coach afterall 😆
Agree re Stander a_a.....however I think that Billy V is one of very few players that probably had a guaranteed place prior to this tournament given the form he was in when fit.
Just take the green machine players out and make it the British Lions again. That'll do me.
Does that mean Best can go? 😉
Hovis and Warburton are proper 7's imo. ....and a_a made a great point about the game moving away from 'proper' 7's earlier in the thread too.
Does that mean Best can go?
😀
If the orangemen really want to go, let them. But if they come back injured, their lodge can pay the expenses. 🙂
As I said - I'd like to find a place for him but no way is he written in and probably won't go. Its his pace that makes him effective and we will need pace against NZ. Given two players of similar quality I'd always pick the faster one. Back row is another area like lock that there are plenty of good candidates.
Plenty of money now thanks to RHI scheme.
Hogg
Daly
JJ
Henshaw
North
Sexton
Murray
Stander
Warbs
POM
lawes
Launchbury
Furlong
Best
Vunipola
On a totally different subject, what is the general feeling in Scotland of Cotter going and Townsend coming in?
I know that Townsend is doing really well at Glasgow, but I really think that the job that Cotter has done at Scotland is absolutely astounding. A few years back Scotland were on a par with Italy and couldn't find the try line if you painted a huge white line there to help them find it. Now....should have been a WC semi finalist.....scored 14 tries this year and were unlucky to finish 4th not 2nd.
Very mixed feelings about Cotter. He has been by far the best coach we have had in the pro era and as you say done a great job with Scotland - although this is also the best group of players we have had since 1990 so that did make it easier for him but he ( unlike previous guys) has got selection right, got the tactic right for the player we have and got them playing freely and set up to attack not defend.
So we sorry to see him go. a lot of folk feel the SRU shafted him but we don't know everything that has gone on. Townsend it appears might have said - "make me Scotland coach or I'm going to France" but then Townsend has taken a Glasgow team that were midtable and made them into championship contenders. We were angry that Lineen was shafted at Glasgow but it proved to be a good decision so we are also hopeful this will be. Jury is out.
Personally I'd have kept Cotter till after the next WC and told Townsend to get more experience in France or England
Isn't Townsend cheaper than Vern to employ?
Rankings after the 6N ( according to a geek on a rugby forum)
1 NEW ZEALAND 94.78
2 ENGLAND 89.53
3 AUSTRALIA 86.35
4 IRELAND 84.66
5 SCOTLAND 82.18
6 FRANCE 82.00
7 SOUTH AFRICA 81.79
8 WALES 81.36
9 ARGENTINA 79.91
10 FIJI 76.46
11 JAPAN 74.23
12 GEORGIA 74.14
13 TONGA 71.94
14 SAMOA 71.25
15 ITALY 71.17
These are the rankings the WC draw will be done from I think - So Ireland in the top group of seeds, Scotland in the second and Wales breathe a sigh of relief just keeping in the second tier
I for one am very sad to see Cotter leave. He has completely changed our game, attitude and mentality.
We now look like a team that can win games ....and by scoring tries. we will always have a bad day - like 2 weeks ago as our depth is still not great in some positions.
Townsend is a good coach who likes to play positively as seen at Glasgow but this is a step up. I'd have liked Cotter to stay a couple more years with Townsend as assistant.
We have had a decent 6N and could have won 4 games. Who'd have thought that 2 years ago?
Interesting stuff tj....hopefully Townsend continues to push Scotland on....the championship is a much better thing with you guys back in some form.
As for Italy, last year was their worst ever performance points difference wise....until this year, when they are -151 from 5 games....ie a 30 point loss per game! Look at their ranking too! The case for Georgia is getting stronger.....
