Oooh…I’ve never started one of these before.

Cipriani…jaysus, what’s wrong with him?!

Off we go…

Early predictions anyone?

Leinster to retain…or Munster.

typical half back.  little and yappy. like a jack russel.

Has Dylan Hartley been sent off yet?

typical half back.  little and yappy. like a jack russel.

That’s a bit harsh, Ton. DD’s a decent sort!

That’s a pretty impressive charge sheet for Danny in just one trip to a club. All it was missing was him waking up with a Mike Tyson tattoo.

One thing I am really looking forward to is seeing what happen to Finn Russell playing in France.  No longer the man the team is built around.  No longer will he have license to do what he wants.  Will it add the discipline and consistency he needs in his game or will he be broken by sitting on the bench?  IIRC he will be understudy / playing alongside Lambie and playing with world class players all around him.

Edinburgh?  Some very encouraging signs last season, playing in the euro cup this year, some good additions to the squad.  I hope and almost expect them to do well.  But the life of a scottish rugby fan is never an easy one so we will probably be carp again and I will have to resort to watching from behind the sofa.  We actually have 4 proper standoffs in the squad.  Unheard of – to play a whole season with an actual flyhalf available in every game?

Glasgow? – discontent in the ranks of the fans.  Rennie came under a lot of criticisms for his selection last year – flogging some players and not rotating enough.  Serious misgivings about the strength and depth of the front row.  Who can replace Finn?

I think we may see a role reversal with Glasgow reverting to a tight game and Edinburgh playing an expansive game – if someone can remind Cockers that there are players with double digit numbers on their back 😉

Scotland?  Townsend learnt some harsh lessons last year but we have depth now in many areas like I have never known.  There are more and more youngsters coming thru and financially the SRU are on a sound footing..  Good additions to the coaching staff.  We need to continue the upward trajectory and no more one step forward two steps backward war ina babylon! ( obscure reggae reference – a song by the upsetter!)

Hope even unjustified is normal for a scots rugby fan but expectations?  I don’t know how to cope with that.

Leicester Tigers will get back to winning ways!!

Please……

Oh and Cipriani v Stokes charity boxing match??

Well done DD! Stokes strikes me as a Josh Lewsey type of character, that didn’t end well for Fanny…sorry Danny last time.  Green Slam for 6n and pro who cares? Salaries for prem and French team for EC.

Ospreys have got an infesting addition to the coaching team.

Wales U18’s going well.

I can see Eddie rubbing hs hands with glee and thinking thank **** for that, I dont have to humour anyone about giving Cip another chance. Again.

He’s not the messiah. He’s a dick.

Pigface – lots of strange things infesting welsh rugby 😉

Wales have lost one of their best players…I is sad.

And Scarlets best player has gone to Munster…that doesnt help either

Cipriani may not be the messiah but he’s a hugely talented fly half.   Booted out and overlooked because of his prior arrogance that came with it, he spent a lot of time working his way through club rugby to earn that place back in the England squad.   Having earned that place in SA, his performance thier was pretty remarkable – slotting in without looking like a fish out of water to 10 and playing a solid game without any overbearing “look at me” antics, and then that kick to win the only match. I did actually think he’d matured, learned his lessons and would be a good foil to the currently predicatable Ford/Farrell setup to take into the RWC.

Yesterday though, he shown what a cock he is and the arrogance never went away.  He won’t play for England again, he’s thrown that lifeline away the idiot.

My predictions for this year – tactically tired England to be run close by SA and Argentina at home but be soundly beaten by the AB’s.  No better than 3rd in the 6N, likely not higher than 4th on the RWC.  With Watson gone for the season I think we’ll see some decent scores from Gashton, perhaps unfortunately, England need to find a full-back pdq.   Gashton, May and Watson would have been an interesting back 3.

Wales/Scotland/SA on the ascendancy, I think we’ll see some good games from them, I’d put Wales to win the 6N tbh.   NZ and Aus above the rest for the rest of the year.  RWC contested by NZ and the winners of Aus/SA.

It’ll be an interesting year in the NH for sure.

Speaking of Scarlets, and apologies if this puts you off your breakfast…

Wales/Scotland/SA on the ascendancy, I think we’ll see some good games from them, I’d put Wales to win the 6N tbh.

Could you explain this in more detail please, why are Wales on an upward curve, I dont see it.

Yeah; to be honest Kryton, I am quite worried about home gruesome the revenge of Enger-land might be this year when we come down to Twickenham. I think we have gone a wee bit backwards and despite TJ’s optimism I think our clubs will struggle in the pro whatever.

Duckman – the two faces of a scotland supporter.  Baseless optimism or deep pessimism.  Expectation is something we are not used to – especially as an Edinburgh supporter

I agree with you about twickers tho – could be gruesome.

Glasgow seem to have gone backward a bit but I really don’t think you can say that about Edinburgh.  Best finish in the pro whatever for years.  showing a bit of spine.  The national team now have depth I really don’t remember ever having seen with weaknesses only in a few positions

Always open the rugby threads (once anyway) in the forlorn hope there might be other Leaguers in here… 🙁

And Scarlets best player has gone to Munster…that doesnt help either

I’ve  lost track of who is going where – who is it? Oh, Tadgh Beirne.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_2018–19_Pro14_transfers

Ospreys have moved a big list of players on. 😬 Dragons have chucked out about a whole squad’s worth and then stolen most of the players from the West Country. Leinster have a very stable squad – one transfer, although they claim more with academy transfers. Scarlets have some interesting players coming in.

Rugby Championship starts on Saturday. I should be able to watch the Australian game, then go out for my birthday lunch, then watch the second game in a drunken haze that evening. 😁

Could you explain this in more detail please, why are Wales on an upward curve, I dont see it.

Purely based on the fact I felt they played better and are more adaptable team during the game than England have been.

Not sure I’m seeing the England revenge TBH, but I’d love to be proven wrong.

England are a much better side than Wales at the moment. Played a bit poorly in SA but if Eddie can alter their attacking patterns to get quick ball they should be favs for 6 Nations with Ireland. England Lions like Vunipola the prop and Itoje looked shot last season, should have given them the summer off.

Well, Cips fined after getting fruity with some bouncers, and then refusing to get in the cuff’s, whist giving a WPC a hand-off.  Basically, “pissed rugby player gets shouty”.

Not crime of the century, but with his record you’d have thought he’s be more careful.  We might see him in a white shirt in the 6N whilst Eddie suspends him early season and reviews his contribution at Glaws.

At least Cipriani pleaded guilty and looked contrite.  I doubt we will see him in an england shirt again!

England, Wales, Scotland are all much of a muchness right now I would say.  Having a good day or a bad day, home advantage or not makes the difference between winning and losing between them.

For the 6N

Ireland,

England

.Scotland

Wales

France
Italy

No grand slam, several teams on 3 wins.

Edit – which of course means scotland could end up lower on points differnce.

Monmouth U10s have had some good pre-season training and are looking forward to the year.  No easy games any more though and this year they’re allowed to ruck (only 1 on 1 for now though).  😀

Any other young rugby dads/coaches?

Wales/Scotland/SA on the ascendancy, I think we’ll see some good games from them, I’d put Wales to win the 6N tbh.

Could you explain this in more detail please, why are Wales on an upward curve, I dont see it.

The 6Nations is a way off yet, however: Wales have 3 away games against France, Italy and Scotland; with 2 home games against England and Ireland. The only game I can see being fairly certain is a win against Italy, the other games could go either way. I’m putting my faith in Gatland and am optimistic they’ll win the 6N : )

tjagain:

For the 6N

Ireland,

England

.Scotland

Wales

France
Italy

I do do like having a go at predictions like this, so apologies to all who know far more about this than me –

For the 6N my head says

England

Ireland

Wales

France

Scotland

Italy

My heart says Wales for the Grand Slam.

I feel like the English version of tjagains Scottish fan, my opinion is that AA’s judgment of England is way off, I expect us to be a sorry state in the autumn and probably worse in Feb. Then the Argies will knock us out of the World Cup in the pool  stages just after the UN gives them the Falklands back and the UK economy is going down the tubes cos of Brexit. It’s all black I tell thee (geddit).

I think Danny’s defence will be he was drinking with the forwards. He wanted to take his drink outside, bouncer stopped him, Danny accidentally spilt his drink on the bouncer, and before he knew it he was in handcuffs and very confused. Gloucester seem to be standing by him mentioning other facts to the altercation but surely he will be on kit duty for ever with “loosen the handcuffs these are wrists of gold!”

I suspect Cipriani might be a victim of his own past here. The defence wanted to use the bouncers camera tie, the prosecution argued against that. He plead guilty to two of the 5 charges to get it over with. Not saying he isn’t a bell end, but speaking as an ex bouncer; it wouldn’t be the first one I had seen light the blue torch paper and step back.

Cips is a chopper – he’s been in the wilderness, worked hard at Sale and earned a place in the England squad and pissed it up the wall. He just doesn’t seem to learn from the previous incidents. So he’ll have turned down the money from French clubs to play for England but has most likely blown that all whilst earning the right to have the pee ripped with ‘these wrists are gold’.

Anyway, I can’t say I’m that confident about English rugby at the mo – the RFU are cutting funding at grass root level, the national coach has annoyed the club owners / coaches / not given tired players the summer off. I have little hope that any of the domestic teams are going to do anything about the breakdown so imagine that we’ll continues to struggle at all levels against smarter opposition. Joy.

Thing is, Jones needs a reactive 10 rather than a pattern player. Ford is weak going backwards, Farrell solid but not as intuitive as Cips .  Slade never measured up outside Farrell so Farrell stays at 12.

I think Cips has the experience and ability to surprise a few teams as he did in SA .  So does Eddie need Cips more than Cips needs a beer?

I think he gets a stern talking to, a good hard look at what he does at Gloucester and then maybe he’s back in during the 6N as long as there’s a clean sheet .  Remember Jones likes edgy players.

I’m with mindmap3 here.  I think Jones has got to the end of shock and awe and needs someone to react on the field for him to enthuse that team and take them forward in dark times. He needs a maverick creative 10 – ON the field.

Who do we want to win the Bledisloe clash then.

AB’s for me.

Cant see beyond an All Blacks win in the Championship, all looks a bit one sided at the moment.

English fans on here are sounding a bit Welsh atm. Team getting rinsed at breakdown and lacking go forward up front and everyone wants to bring in a maverick 10 😏

Looks like Maesteg RFC have got serious financial problems. Have asked to be dropped down the divisions. Hope this is a one off because clubs with the heritage of Maesteg are the breeding grounds for Welsh rugby.

Firstly – a real shame to see a season without Sam Warburton. Not just an outstanding player, but a top bloke. Bumped into him having breakfast at Celtic Manor with his missus years ago.

How long is the list of big name injuries this year?

It should be a very interesting 6N this year. The recent resurgence of Scotland has made it a much better tournament the last few years.

Who do we want to win the Bledisloe clash then.

AB’s for me.

It was business as usual against the ABs, wasn’t it.

Opposing team play well, tackle well, stop NZ making much ground and get a couple of scores ahead. Half time approaches, everyone says “Ooh, they’ve got a chance of beating the world champs, I’ll pop out for a pee.” Three milliseconds later NZ score three tries and never look back.

The Australian wings are the best in the world at disappearing when they are really needed, whether in attack or defence. 😂

Ashton possibly in a spot of bother after getting involved in a scrap in pre-season in what sounded like a poor, bad tempered match with six cards issued.

Even if we’re shit again this season, Ashton and Cips should keep us amused!