Rugby – 6 nations.

Roberts could well be the biggest loss to wales.
For the scots you should note that1/2p taking all the kicks is most likely being done at the request of team wales rather than him beinv better than Parks, it says more about Priestland and Hooks kicking than Parks.

I found this quite an interesting read:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tomfordyce/2012/01/why_scotland_are_better_than_e.html

Hopeful that the Ireland team to be announced later today has some bold selections, however I doubt it. Would like to see Ryan or Tuohy in instead of DOC and Sexton over ROG. Will be interesting

Ireland team announced, nothing too surprising. Good to see Sexton start hopefully we will play a good running game and take it to the Welsh. 5 point win to the Irish!

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Wales, RBS 6 Nations Championship 2012, Aviva Stadium, Sunday, February 5th, kick-off 3pm):

15 -Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 – Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 – Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 – Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
9 – Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1 – Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 – Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 – Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 – Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) Captain
6 – Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 – Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
8 – Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:

16 -Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
17 – Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 – Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
19 – Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)*
20 – Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 – Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)

I too hope ireland play a running game but somehow doubt they will be so daft.
Rees the karest injury for wales
So thats:
Rees
gethin
Aw jones
girafferis
lydiate
prirstland
roberts
and my hopes and dreams all currently crocked.

Also very worried by reports that Ashley Beck is set to start!!!!!!!!

Is Henson injured just now then?

No but it would be a massive gamble to play him. I’d pick Hook, Davies and Williams

Welsh Dublin Go-ers advised: “Bring ewer kit”.
Feb 1st, 2012 by Davster

Warren Gatland asked all travelling Welsh supporters heading for the smouldering euro-rubble that used to be Dublin if they wouldn’t mind packing their Wales shorts, socks and boots as well as their 2XL shirts.

Gatland issued the desperate plea as he compared the Welsh training camp to a scene from Platoon. At the rate players were dropping out, the beleaguered coach calculated that he would be through the entire squad, the under 20s, the regional players, the entirety of Welsh-qualified club players, promising school kids and Steve Shingler by 9.30 on Saturday night. Meaning that Gatland was looking solemnly at the travelling army of pie-chomping amateur lager drinkers and their harem of shrieking glittery cow-girls, lurking at the bottom of the barrel. “Four sucks fake”, said Gatland, or something similar.

Far from being downhearted at this turn of events, a significant number of fans were in exuberant mood at the prospect of earning their first cap. “I’d prefer it to be in Cardiff, natch”, said Lee ‘Burger King’ Jones of Tredegar. “At 39 I’d started to think the chance might have gone, but I knew if I just hung around stadiums long enough with my kit underneath my pulling clothes, the door was always open. I’m putting my hand up big time, and in all fairness, I slept in a hedge last Saturday on the way home from the curry house. In these temperatures that’s got to be on a par with anything the boys did in Poland”.

Kate Roberts, 27 of Port Talbot was similarly undaunted: “My Grandkids say I’m the easiest-going girl around, but if you chuck four Smirnoff ices down me on an empty stomach and a sight of Ronan O’Gara I go ‘Nagasaki’ big-style. Stick me at 7 and I’ll have him on toast.”

Others like 54 year old builder ‘Tubs’ Parry of Llanishen, were a little more realistic. “This time of year my arthritis means I take a while to get going, but if it’s holding up a scrum against Cian Healy that’s wanted, I reckon I can give them 60 minutes tops.”

😆

AA I assume that is a Gwlad offering 🙂 brilliant.

but if it’s holding up a scrum against Cian Healy that’s wanted, I reckon I can give them 60 minutes tops.”

Genius!; Methings our Bristolian plastic migh have a wee bit to say mind…

Doh!

England side to face Scotland

Ben Foden; Chris Ashton; Brad Barritt, Owen Farrell, David Strettle; Charlie Hodgson; Ben Youngs; Alex Corbisiero, Dylan Hartley, Dan Cole; Mauritz Botha, Tom Palmer; Tom Croft, Chris Robshaw (captain), Phil Dowson.

Replacements: Rob Webber, Matt Stevens, Geoff Parling, Ben Morgan, Lee Dickson, Jordan Turner-Hall, Mike Brown.

Backs look decent not sure the forwards are anything to worry about

Looking forward to seeing Barritt and Robshaw play. Shame Morgan isn’t starting, hopefully he’ll get a good run out. Always a shame to see catflap on the teamsheet but he has been given another chance.
Can’t see england winning this one. It’s for the scots to lose IMHO.

Can’t see england winning this one. It’s for the scots to lose IMHO.

Please don’t say that. Not many caps in tha England side, I wonder if that will make a difference. I am not sure Barritt is any more an international centre than ours. Negative, but I am looking forward to seeing Hartleys red face trying to con the ref as he pops up for the 20th time in the first half.

Give Ashton 1 game and if he does not perform, sling him. Little recent game time, let alone form last time i looked.

Where is Skinny Armitage? 😆

I agree with Duckman, think the Scottish front 5 may enjoy themselves

A fantasy 6 nations game here

http://espnscrum.fantasyleague.com/

I am not sure Barritt is any more an international centre than ours.

Only one way to find out!
Shame Ansbro is out; I enjoy watching him play.
I don’t think catflap is any more an international FH than Parks!

I wouldn’t be so assumptive of Englands weakness. There’s a fair few form players in there, experience in the front 5, and options for line out. The backs have mixed options with Hodgson/farrell, and form attacking players as well.

IMO, Scotland could well be easily confused about which pattern England will play as they have the capability to mix it up. The questions are Ashton, and our ability to give the Scots a kicking in the first 15 mins. If we do that the games ours as their confidence in England being a weak team erodes/penalty count increases (assuming Hartley can keep his head down and not get rattled).

I think the scotland pack will beast them but that the England back 3 will make hay running kicks back all game.

I think England will win relatively easily as Scotland will dominate possession but do nowt with it. Foden / Ashton / strettle is a combination to strike fear into anyone. No more trundlemuppets

I’m with you TJ – as long as our (England) backs have learned to ofload (safely) and support each other in attack.

No more solo runs into no mans land, giving away 3 points in the process….

I’d like to say its nice to see Strettle getting a game – I have thought he was deserving of far more caps than he has got. Just hope he don’t show it on sat

As ever in Sco vs Eng the weather will play the major part; the Scots seems to prefer ‘proper’ weather as a factor in defeating England

I think England will win relatively easily

The Pre-emptive Embra Defence? 😉

Not sure Ireland would have risked Earls in the centre if Roberts had been playing, would also worry if we had to bring O’Gara on. Darcy, O’Gara and Earls would be a softer centre than a chocolate covered marshmallow.

I like this bit;

TJ – as long as our (England)

Heh Heh…TJ; Agent Provocateur

I think England will give Parks plenty penalty kicking opps. And it would appear teh weather is going to be fairly Northern. What is this about England running kicks back all day? Did Parks run off with your first love or something? Last year you spent most of the 6N thread trying to advance the cause of the jelly that is/was Jackson. Parks has been picked to kick. He is crap…but he is crap because he excludes the rest of the backs from the game…with his kicking game.

My real worry is that a Saracens centre / wing combo that’s managed half the tries of Leicester / Northants / Hairyquims is now the one that’s going to unlock international defences and allow the runners to come in on the ball. Not good. Floody and Manu (the true Englishman) will be sorley missed

My real worry is that a Saracens centre / wing combo that’s managed half the tries of Leicester / Northants / Hairyquims is now the one that’s going to unlock international defences and allow the runners to come in on the ball. Not good. Floody and Manu (the true Englishman) will be sorley missed

Oi – duckman – we are supposed to be on the same side 🙂 Or are you a weegie?

I think England will give Parks plenty penalty kicking opps

Hope so. still not as good a kicker as Weir or laidlaw (grumble moan mutter)

Or are you a weegie?

No, he’s a scot.

Did Parks run off with your first love or something?

Worse than that *sniffs*

wrecker – Member

No, he’s a scot.

Ouch! 🙂

Where are you from this 6N Flashy? *

*copyright DD. 😀

Might be Oirishish for a change! 🙂

think I’ll be argie
*mutters*

Rmours on gwlad the tim cymru is:
1/2p
north
davies
roberts
cuthbert
priestland
phillips
faletau
warburton
ryan jones
ian evans
bradley davies
adam jones
bennet
gill

if that backline gets ball darcy and earls will have sore heads at the end of the game because it makes the smoan backs look small!!

Tidy, AA, thanks. Am liking the look of Cuthbert. He and North have a long future ahead. Could be good….!

Just discovered Scotlands secret training plans to confuse the English

maybe there is a plan

Tidy, AA, thanks. Am liking the look of Cuthbert. He and North have a long future ahead. Could be good….!

THIS 🙂

Gotta agree with the Welsh here, I’m not looking forward to the battle in the centres on Sunday. Bad news for the us that Roberts looks like he will be playing. However it will make for a very close game, I’ll still back the Irish by 5 points! In the other matches England win by 3 and France by 15

Cuthburt looks a right handful, was leaning towards I’d rather another small man in Halfpenny try and fill Shane’s boots but he’s playing too well at Full Back.

Not a bad Welsh team at all, our forwards being injured has still crippled us a little though but it would be awesome if Roberts and Halfpenny come in. I’ll go for Irish win by 5 points rather than them having an easy win now.

I really want Hook to hit form again but where’s he going to play? He can’t realistically budge anyone out of that team, I’d risk him playing him at 13 tbh, too much talent to completely leave him rot. As for Henson I don’t think he deserves his place in the squad, I can’t see him getting any game time anyway, such a waste but that was his fault.