Yes thats right I was.  How have England moved on?  its the same front row.  the same front row we had the beating of last year.

Genge and Sinkler you could argue are better in the loose – certainly than Nel.  But in the scrum?

Farrell injury, 6N in doubt.

🙂 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Bummer for him and for us 🙂

I’m not at all unhappy about that. It brings the RWC champs beating squad back up to par.

I wouldnt wish injury on anyone, but it could be good for England to really see what they’ve got if Farrell can’t play. Seems like EJ needs to have his hand forced so he (rather than Smith) isn’t relient on Farrell.

My 6n prediction = same as Duckman. Scotland will likely win a game that they shouldn’t have and lose one that they should have won. Italy for the wooden spoon. That’s a shame about Tipuric if it’s correct I always dreaded seeing his name on the Wales team v Scotland.

I’ll change my prediction in the light of Farrell being out – I doubt we will beat England if they do not play him

A shame Ryan Wilson is not playing for us.  A world class windup man and I bet he could get Genge carded 🙂

Richard Hibbard has retired at the age of 38!!
Wish we had a hooker like him now 😟

Something strange happening in Edinburgh.  We win 66 -3

An issue for Scotland is that no one in the squad is a regular goal kicker for their clubs.  Both Russell and Kinghorn can kick goals but neither is the man you want to be taking that 82nd minute kick to win the game.  I really hope that does not come back to bite us on the bum.

We win 66 -3

That’s nothing Cardiff have beaten Toulouse 28:0 away from home 😄😄😄

Wales really are screwed going into 6 Nations the entire Welsh squad combined have played about 3 games since November!! Although on the plus side Calamity Cuthbert is banned, the downside is the comission realised it was him and have ended the ban just before the Welsh games start 🤪🤪🤪😂😂😂

Talking of Wales squad I’m surprised Lane didn’t make the squad, yes he got shown up v NZ but he was hardly alone, got to be a better option moving forward than Cuthbert. Also I would have liked to see Shane Lewis Hughes in the squad, he’s the only big 6 we have really other than Moriarty who has hardly played all season and don’t start me off again on how Cherry got away with his assault on Botham…he’s exactly the type of physical 7 we need to offset our midget 6’s and 8’s. I love Ellis Jenkins but not sure he has the pace for 7 anymore and isn’t big enough at 6 at the top level.
I reckon we will see:

Loopy (hopelessly not match fit)
McNicol (not really good enough)
Adams (out of position)
Halaholo
LRZ
Bigger
Williams
Wainwright (a good 6 playing 8)
Bashan (young and raw, is he better than Jac Morgan)
Moriarty/Jenkins
Rowland (because he is big shame he’s not very good)
Beard (underated player imo)
Francis
Elias (couldn’t hit a barn door with a Banjo)
A loose head most likely the unfit and out of form Wyn Jones although Gareth Thomas might get the nod

Last night I looked on flight radar to see why a helicopter was flying laps of our valley and saw a small jet heading our way. Was about to text my pal in Glasgow and say ‘I never knew you could fly Glasgow to La Rochelle, why haven’t we done that’ when I realised it was clearly the La Rochelle team flying in for the game tonight. Luckily my wife didn’t realise how close she was to Victor Vito for a few minutes or she might have come over all funny

Bath v Leinster on Channel 4 this afternoon at 1ish
Bristol Scarlets on S4c at 5ish
Bristol have Ioan Lloyd at 12 which is interesting from a Welsh perspective. Any regular Bristol watchers able to offer an opinion on him this season, I have seen he’s been on the wing mostly has he had any opportunities at 10?

Bath Leinster is the afternoon game after I watch the mighty Harris RFC. There are probably better games but for some reason I have always hated Bath even before I supported Gloucester. Bearing in mind how terrible they are this year, that will be a good one to watch.

6 nations predictions:

Looking at all the games and taking home/away games into count. I have Ireland, Scotland, England and France all on 2 wins, with another 3 possible wins. Lots of games are difficult to call. Wales with a single win against Italy, who will lose all their games.

France and Ireland, both look strong and playing well as a team. England looking like they could be on a path to having a very good, exciting (for the firdt time ever) team, but perhaps need more games together to fully ‘click’.

Scotland. If scotland do not win the championship this year, you have to wonder if they ever will. Numerous Lions in their team, best this, best that, best the other… Townsend has been coach for long enough to do his best. Away games against Wales and Italy, with home games against England and France. The away game against ireland will be tough, but did they not come close last year and could have won it ‘if it wasn’t for this, that or the other…’

I do not foresee a Grand Slam and it could all come down to bonus points and red cards (and possibly Covid-19), but my gut feeling is:
France
England
Ireland
Scotland
Wales
Italy

Scotland. If scotland do not win the championship this year, you have to wonder if they ever will. Numerous Lions in their team, best this, best that, best the other

I don’t agree, becasue if they don’t win does it mean that the so called best players are actually not the best after all? I’m not sure.
Anyway I don’t think Scotland will win this year, but they could at soem point.

Also AA – I feel like a stuck record, but the other 5 nations would write Wales off at their peril. A loose team of has beens and children is all Wales ever are, and yet they put it together.

Just watched highlights of Edi game. Some great tries there, like the basketball style passes.
Pitch looks like astro? Its in great condition of not.

I think its a hybrid pitch so artificial with grass in the gaps.  Not certain tho

I think it’s Desso grassmaster

👍👍 looked fast.

What i can’t get over is building a stadium now with pillars holding the roof up.    Just seems weird in this day and age to have restricted view

Bath getting the expected spanking

Leinster really are awesome.  I think they would give most top international sides a good run for their money.  But somehow I find them unlikable.  Dunno if its Sexton the mouthy so and so ( copyright POM) or what.

But somehow I find them unlikable.

Very robotic aren’t they.
I like Lamour though

No doubt most others are aware, but Scarlets v Bristol is on S4C (BT sport too) today. Kick off at 17:30
Patchell playing for Scarlets – it will be good to see how he gets on. Liam Williams and Jonathan Davies too, to see how ready they are for the 6Nations. As, as A_A says, the Wales players have hardly played any rugby (and that that they have, has not been reassuring).
Piutau and Radradra paying for Bristol who are always good to watch. Sheedy and Ioan Lloyd also playing.
I just wish my Welsh was better

Good game so far. I hope Ioan is okay, he’s having a good game.
Patchell is such a good player!

Cracking first half in Scarlets game…can Patches keep his performance up? Samsung and Williams making a mockery of the fact they are not in the Welsh squad… Loopy looks bang out of form. Cronbeer a handful, shame Lloyd went off for them.

I think it’s fair to say their bench was stronger. Afoa or Sebastian…let’s think about that!! Good game, last 15 a bit horrific though.

Bears! Nice work.

I have a bright idea for sorting out this eligibility issue for once and for all time

You play for the country your name suggests.  So Hamish or Cameron – you play for Scotland.  Rupert or Charles you play for England, Dewi or Alun you play for wales etc etc

Easy, transparent and sensible – don’t you agree?

Yeah, the Welsh get Owen Farrell and we can have Marcus Smith.

Yeah, the Welsh get Owen Farrell

He’s injured so there’s a fair chance he’s Welsh!

I have watched a lot of Rugby this weekend.  A fair few weird results and I think Mike Adamson has take nthe mantle of the worst ref around from Frank Murphy on this weekends displays

Can any England fan tell me why Sam Simmonds is not in the england team?  I thought he was great today

Why oh why all thru the Exeter game did the commentators keep going on about Glasgows chances of going thru?  glasgow do not deserve to go thru with one win and a – 35 pts difference.  It would be a mockery if they did quite honestly

commentators generally were pure pish as well – not understanding the laws and whining about decisions going against the team of the country they are from and why do they talk over the ref whenthe ref is explaining decisions?

Nice to see Barnes carding a player for swearing at him.

I can guess it’s tough reffing at that level and Adamson is doing his best but I’m not sure it’s good enough.
A good example was french side got advantage for a knock on but were under pressure and always going backwards but never got the call. Whereas quins almost same area under less pressure called up within seconds.
Last try was terrible as called by commentary.

Rugby is almost impossible to ref I agree.  too many subjective decisions and too much to see.  all refs make multiple errors every game even the best.

Anyone know why Jonny Gray was not playing for Exeter?  Have the broken him?

“Owen Farrell will undergo surgery today on an ankle injury sustained in training last week.

https://ggrugby.com/eddie-jones-about-owen-farrell-injury-update/

tjagain
Full Member
Anyone know why Jonny Gray was not playing for Exeter? Have the broken him?

Not really over his shoulder surgery/ match fit I suspect. Exeter have said recently that he is on a reduced training schedule because of “issues” He had played a couple a games and had a cracker for them over Xmas.

Ta Duckman – I watched that game where he had a cracker and thus wondered why he didn’t play the weekend.  One thing I really like Baxter for – he doesn’t seem to flog his players into the ground.  I really rate him as a coach

Hopefully nice and ready for the 6N

Real bummer for Farrell.