2010!

Thanks for reminding me of that. That was some last 5 minutes!

Sorry, messed up the YouTube link. Perhaps just as well 😜

Bold call, Falateau has been one of the best forwards in six nations for a decade. Saying that Reffel and Tshinza have been great in the prem so far, they could be about for a while.

Wales effort against Ireland was really quite good.

Bloody hell you are easily pleased. It was shite

Once again, a great video by Squidge.    It kinda confirms TJ’s analysis, shows why Youngs has been dropped, and starts to reveal Englands Traditional vs New play.   What did startle me was how he’s singled out Farrell play and comms*.  Farrell gets a lot of stick but watch this a you start to understand why he needs to be on the pitch with a less experienced team shaping themselves to a new regime.

This match in 12 months time should be awesome to watch if Scotland retain their shape and confidence, a much more experienced and practiced England playing a proven Scots winning team at Murrayfield.  Ooof.

*having played 13 at club level International communication and organisation is so far another level not seen from “crowd view” it amazes me.    It really needs slow analysis like this to be understood (by me anyway).

I didn’t think it was squidges best work.  He glossed over the way that Scotland were able to make huge ground thru the centres and he thinks that scotlands last try was off the cuff play – I don’t think it was.

He is always interesting and funny tho and clearly puts a lot of thought into it

Anyone got predictions for the weekend? I’m still struggling to decide.

I think France will beat Ireland by 5 to 8 points.

Scotland should beat Wales, hopefully by not too much. But, the thought of a Gatland Wales side losing to Scotland is difficult to consider. Fingers crossed for a sneaky Wales win 😃

Again it’s hard not to picture England winning. But, I’m going to go out on a limb: Italy to win by 4 points.

My record with predictions is pretty poor!

Italy will push England hard and could win but unlikely.  6 pt win toEngland

France / Ireland will be close.  3 pt win to Ireland

Scotland / wales.  Scotland should win well – but Wales are our bogey team.  I’m just hiding behind the sofa 🙂

Scotland should be too good for Wales. Gats has pretty much thrown the match in the name of blooding youngsters

Scotland should be too good for Wales.

Their players that concern me are VDM obviously, and their 12/13 pairing of Tuipulotu and Jones.

tjagain: as an early fan of VDM do you think he’s improved a lot since before the Lions tour? I seem to recall thinking he was good back then, but with clear weaknesses. First on your team sheet?

Huw Jones made a great start at international rugby iirc, but then went off the boil. He seems to have redound his mojo. Is that fair?

I’m a fan of North’s, but I don’t think he’s had the impact at 13 that I’d hoped for.

tjagain: as an early fan of VDM do you think he’s improved a lot since before the Lions tour? I seem to recall thinking he was good back then, but with clear weaknesses. First on your team sheet?

He is still a bit too one dimensional.  Defensive positioning is not always great tho he has improved.  I think like many very powerful backs he has all his career used his power rather than technique in defense and at an ternational level you can tell.  compare to wee Darcy who has had to learn good technique and positioning as he is small – and as a result is IMO a better defender.  However as an attacking back he is one of the best in the world.  I cannot think of another player with his pace and strength.  Quickest man in the scotland team.  top in defenders beaten 3 years running in the pro 14.  How often does it take 3 folk to stop him?

3rd on the teamsheet after the maestro Finn and the wee man Darcy.  We are weaker without him for sure

Smith dropped Faz to 10

England Squad.
Good to give some new boys a go. It is by no means settled that England will win this. Hopefully Italy will scare them silly.

15. Freddie Steward

14. Max Malins

13. Henry Slade

12. Ollie Lawrence

11. Ollie Hassell-Collins

10. Owen Farrell (C)

9. Jack van Poortvliet

1. Ellis Genge (VC)

2. Jamie George

3. Kyle Sinckler

4. Maro Itoje

5. Ollie Chessum

6. Lewis Ludlam

7. Jack Willis

8. Alex Dombrandt

Replacements

16. Jack Walker

17. Mako Vunipola

18. Dan Cole

19. Nick Isiekwe

20. Ben Earl

21. Alex Mitchell

22. Marcus Smith

23. Henry Arundell

Smith dropped Faz to 10

What do you think of that AA?
I think Smith could be amazing. Not sure he works with Farrell, he looks much better for his club (don’t they all) . Hmmmm…
Problem is people will read to much in to a positive result, if we get one.

I rate Faz higher than most on here. Smith seems a bit too James Hook for me, always looks to make the break himself rather than put others into space like a Finn Russell type…having said that I have t seen that much of him.

Smith seems a bit too James Hook for me, always looks to make the break himself rather than put others into space like a Finn Russell type…having said that I have t seen that much of him.

I think that is bang on,  his club performances are punctuated by solo efforts.

He works for club because he has Andre outside him who teams are petrified of because he busts gainline continually. He creates space for Smith.
Farrell is a quality player, but teams aren’t worried about him in the 12 channel so less space for smith. Ford / Farrell works because they know each other and Ford is possibly the best attacking fly half in England

Ollie Lawrence is big enough to be a good crash ball 12 for Smith. Farrell will be looking to cement his place and so will aim for big smash and a strip tackle. There’ll be at least one high shot.

There’ll be at least one high shot.

At least. Maybe this is the time he gets red carded.

It could be that I just don’t know the England players as well as I normally might; but that England team does not look daunting. I remember often looking at their squad and thinking ‘oh no, so and so is playing. We’re in trouble here’. Jonathan Joseph, Anthony Watson, George Kruis (I think it was him), amongst others.

I’m not anti England, but I’d love to see Italy win on Sunday.

Give Farrell his due – no cheap shots or high tackles against Scotland.  Maybe he has learned.

I am actually now fairly hopeful we will beat Wales ( remember I’m Scottish) while it is blasphemy I have not been convinced about Gatland for a couple of years and with the exception of Reffell who will be the best back row on the pitch, some of his selections are nuts.

As for the wooden spoon decider 😃

That’s the best team England could put out and they should hammer Italy. Earl is brilliant and Lawrence is vastly underrated because his name isn’t Manu. I was quite pleased when Faz/Smith were starting last week as I knew Russell and Jones had the POTENTIAL to make a mess of the disconnect between them.

Scotland with 15 players on the park by under 10.

Borthwick’s new dawn XV by over 15.

some of his selections are nuts

how so?

some of his selections are nuts.

Not picking Faletau is fairly nuts but it allows him to look at both Reffell and Tshinza not sure what else is nuts? He is not not exactly flush with quality options.

Give Farrell his due – no cheap shots or high tackles against Scotland.

I saw one on Russell which was  late enough for the ball to be in a different postcode

Russell got up and smiled at him after it. It should be pointed out that Farrell and Russell actually like one another off the field.

Gutting his pack like that while replacing them with really inexperienced players, or players who are literally returning from a month injured.

Gutting his pack like that while replacing them with really inexperienced players, or players who are literally returning from a month injured.

And who apart from Faletau who was very poor last game should he pick? The ghost of AWJ past and the artist formally known as Tipuric? Francis was Uber shite and got crocked and all 3 loose heads are much of a muchness. If you could dredge up a Welsh qualified lock with international experience that isn’t 37 you would be doing well the only one I can think of is Seb Davies and despite him having had lots of chances he will never be good enough. Simple fact is that we need at least one of Jenkins or Tshinza to step up and we need to look beyond AWJ and Tipuric as they appear past it. Gatland has less than 10 games to get one of those two up to speed.

Gutting his pack like that while replacing them with really inexperienced players, or players who are literally returning from a month injured.

If I understand it correctly, Scotland attacked England by making them run around a lot. I suspect the experienced Wales players can still do a lot of what they could, however their stamina is unlikely to be what it was. These new, inexperienced players should cope better in that respect I presume. Wales fans won’t be expecting flawless play, but something to give a glimmer of hope for the future and even signs we’ll get out of our group in the World Cup. All the inexperienced players have impressed in training.

In Gatland we trust 😉

Your coach said he needed a “balance” Has he done that?

A balance of what?
You can only pick what you have got, who should he have picked?

Don’t think he’s dropping players, more resting the oldies on the one week turnaround. They put in a shift last week. Will be back next time.

Farrell often does that with the Ireland semi retired bunch. But it’s France so not this time.

Went to see Italy England U20s last night in Gloucester, really entertaining match. A coupe of things stood out, the tacking of the Italians was brilliant, low and effective. Italian scrum really strong. England number 9 had a hell of a pass. The ref was so inconsistent, hate criticising officials but he was poor.  All in all a great game to watch.

Great start to Ireland v France. Some first try by Ireland! Sweet.

Oh, my. This is great 😀

THATS the try of the tournament!

This game is ridiculously open.

oh, card coming – shame for the game.

thought that would be red

How was the kiwi wingers try given, foot was clearly on floor in touch and the ball was put down on the line!

Antonio lucky

Just wow…. What a first 25 mins.

I went downstairs for 25 mins to help my daughter cook, missed three tries!