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[phisheep]

Blimey, this has come around fast! Have your shirts, anthems and beer of choice to hand guys, as we kick off on 6th February with as usual all manner of underlying sulks, truculence, revenge and jiggery-pokery behind the scenes and plenty of blood, thunder, sparkle and slapstick on the pitch. Also probably mud.

Official site is as usual here.

Fixtures

Sat 6th Feb 14:25 - France (23) v (21) Italy - very even match, made uneven by Parisse missing a drop-goal at the end
Sat 6th Feb 16:50 – Scotland (6) v (15) England - bit of a midfield scrap, but yet again Scotland can't score tries
Sun 7th Feb 15:00 – Ireland (16) v (16) Wales - All Ireland to start, all clawed back by 44 mins, then phases and phases and phases in midfield. Fair draw.

Sat 13th Feb 14:25 - France (10) v (9) Ireland - bad scrums, dropped balls and 30 mins of nothingness in the middle.
Sat 13th Feb 16:50 – Wales (27) v (23) Scotland - Woohoo! A proper rugby match, with tries and all.
Sun 14th Feb 14:00 – Italy (9) v (40) England - all very even for 50 mins then someone took the brakes off the chariot

Fri 26th Feb 20:05 – Wales (19) v (10) France - if Carlsberg made rugby matches, this wouldn't be one of them
Sat 27th Feb 14:25 – Italy (20) v (36) Scotland - Could have gone either way until the last 15 minutes
Sat 27th Feb 16:50 – England (21) v (10) Ireland - Absolute England storm in first half, more even in the second, except for, er, the scoring

Sat 12th Mar 13:30 - Ireland (58) v (15) Italy - in which Ireland play as Ireland can. Ditto Italy.
Sat 12th Mar 16:00 - England (25) v (21) Wales - typical second-half comeback from Wales - too late and not enough
Sun 13th Mar 15:00 - Scotland (29) v (18) France - bother, I missed this one - sounds like a good 'un too

Sat 19th Mar 14:30 – Wales v Italy
Sat 19th Mar 17:00 – Ireland v Scotland
Sat 19th Mar 20:00 – France v England

Odds

3rd Feb - England 6/4, Wales 3/1, Ireland 4/1, France 7/1, Scotland 16/1, Italy about 3 gazillion against

The Big Questions

England - will they play like Japan, or like England? What will Hartley's first yellow card be for? Can they count up to four?

Scotland - will they or won't they behave like a side that believes it can win?

France - numbers 1 through 15. And double that for Parra. Also new coach.

Wales - have we seen the end of Warrenball? Have we hell as like! Can the new props stand the heat? Will Anscombe work at 15?

Ireland - had a bit of a confidence-basher against Argentina so - can they bounce back?

Italy - who they going to beat this year?

Completely meaningless comparisons

Last year's table: Ireland, England, Wales (top 3 on points difference), France, Italy, Scotland

World rankings: Wales(4), Ireland(6), France(7), England(8), Scotland(9), Italy(12)

World Cup performance:
- Scotland: Quarter-finals, lost by 1 point to Australia/referee
- Wales: Quarter-finals, lost by 4 to South Africa
- Ireland: Quarter-finals, thumped by Argentina
- France: Quarter-finals, slaughtered and offered as a burnt sacrifice by New Zealand
- England: Lost in group stages, short by 2 points
- Italy: Lost in group stages, short by 2 points

 

[CCS]

Come on Scotland! This is our year!

He says for the 10th year in a row...

 

[affleck1981]

Come on Scotland! This is our year!

He says for the 10th year in a row...

Been hoping this thread would come up soon. Getting that hopeful feeling I get every February that is then dashed about 10 minutes into the first Scottish match...

 

[CCS]

Been hoping this thread would come up soon. Getting that hopeful feeling I get every February that is then dashed about 10 minutes into the first Scottish match...

That emotional progression is an integral part of being Scottish, I'm sure.

On the plus side, watching the Six Nations in the JCR at college is always a great experience. So many Welsh fans to sing with! I even know Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau now

 

[SomedayTheFire]

Thinking we (Ireland) will have a poor tournament

 

[Goodlife]

Come on Scotland! This is our year!

He says for the 10th year in a row...

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/jan/30/scotland-six-nations-rugby-union-2016

Good article by Eddie Butler on that subject

 

[phisheep]

I've got a good feeling about Scotland this year.

They've always had a decent bunch of players. And after so nearly banging Australia at the World Cup but for that rotten refereeing decision they should be coming into this tournament with added belief and added desire. That opening game against England will be a stormer.

Nice to see that the tournament has reverted to the tradition of having the closing match be the third-place playoff between England and France ...

 

[CCS]

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/jan/30/scotland-six-nations-rugby-union-2016

Good article by Eddie Butler on that subject

That is a good article. Big fan of Eddie most of the time.

 

[Heartfyre]

Thinking we (Ireland) will have a poor tournament

Also Irish-GAF here.

We're fucked. I hope the other Nations have a good tournament this year.

 

[Vagabundo]

But what does George Hook say...

 

[CCS]

Scotland team up for England: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35490959

Key points: Barclay alongside Hardie in the back row, Bennett is fit and starts outside Scott in the centres.

Having Bennett available is a great plus point. Come on Scotland!!

 

[EdwardTivrusky]

Cymru Am Byth!
I've been so busy in work that i haven't even had a chance to read anything about each team so i'm going in totally blind. Also glad to be hearing some positivity from Scotland, come on lads! Should be a great tournament

 

[CCS]

England also up: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35490568

Really not the team I'd have picked but hey ho.

 

[operon]

Thinking we (Ireland) will have a poor tournament

Also Irish-GAF here.

We're fucked. I hope the other Nations have a good tournament this year.

Same here have a bad feeling about this year

 

[Oriel]

I'm still on a downer after last years exit at the hands of the Argies. Somehow I don't think it'll be three in a row for Ireland.

 

[Icefire1424]

Oh sweet, completely forgot about this. Need some rugby in my life again.

 

[Macadinho94]

Subbed, good to see you gents back for another few weeks of Union goodness.

 

[kharma45]

Always needs posting

http://youtu.be/NbvbQPq4LXk

 

[CCS]

Always needs posting

http://youtu.be/NbvbQPq4LXk

I love this so much.

 

[kharma45]

I also hope we get something as good again this year as this was last

http://youtu.be/yxHLfYOD3sw

 

[phisheep]

Under-20s results from yesterday:
- Ireland (24) v (35) Wales
- Scotland (24) v (6) England
- France (40) v (3) Italy

This is probably not a harbinger of anything. I watched the Ireland v Wales game - great fun except for unwarranted yellow card given to Ireland.

 

[Clegg]

Ireland are a wee bit fucked. Too many injuries to key players in key positions.

The front five of Ireland's pack is a bit dodgy. Only two players there I'd have complete confidence in.

 

[Symphonia]

Swing low, sweet chariot.

I have a good feeling about England this year.

 

[Succinct Verbosity]

Swing low, sweet chariot.

I have a good feeling about England this year.

After the World Cup can it get much worse?

 

[Symphonia]

After the World Cup can it get much worse?

The World Cup was a shambles. I'd never seen the team play so poor before. But, at least with playing so poorly in the World Cup, things can only look better, right?

Right?

 

[Viremira]

Hoping for a good match on Sunday, Ireland do have a few injuries that could give us an edge, hate it that way, prefer full strength squad matches but can't help injuries.

Got my shirt ready to wear in work, in the middle of bloody England, should be fun!

 

[SomedayTheFire]

Ireland are a wee bit fucked. Too many injuries to key players in key positions.

The front five of Ireland's pack is a bit dodgy. Only two players there I'd have complete confidence in.

Wooden spoon maybe...?

 

[phisheep]

After the World Cup can it get much worse?

Well, there's a spine of players through the England team who may gather a posy of yellow cards if sufficiently wound up by gabby Scotsmen: Hartley, Care, Brown.

 

[CCS]

Well, there's a spine of players through the England team who may gather a posy of yellow cards if sufficiently wound up by gabby Scotsmen: Hartley, Care, Brown.

I like how England's Vice-Captains are Vunipola, Farrell and Brown. Just the lot to help Hartley keep things calm... oh wait.

 

[Heartfyre]

Wooden spoon maybe...?

I'm hoping for fourth place. I expect the first three matches to go very badly, at least.

I'm even considering not wasting my time tomorrow, but I'll probably watch it anyway for the good Welsh performance.

Too many injuries, too many retirements, not enough experience with the new blood (but lots of potential in the future.) Three points indicating that an embarrassing tournament is on the cards.

 

[Bits N Pieces]

Got a good feeling for today.

Let's do this Scotland!

 

[CCS]

That looked very much like a foot in touch there.

 

[CCS]

Also, tune in to France v Italy if you want to see the worst display of goal-kicking you will ever witness.

 

[affleck1981]

Also, tune in to France v Italy if you want to see the worst display of goal-kicking you will ever witness.

Yep - feels like every time they kick I'm watching an under 15 team. Getting nervy ahead of Calcutta cup though.

 

[CCS]

Yep - feels like every time they kick I'm watching an under 15 team. Getting nervy ahead of Calcutta cup though.

Same! I've tried telling myself that we're going to lose but I can't make this optimism go away. "It's the hope that kills you" is pretty much the motto of Scottish rugby at this point.

 

[johancruijff]

Of course Canna makes the hardest one

 

[johancruijff]

You fucking Canna i love you

 

[phisheep]

Loving this controlled display by italy

 

[CCS]

Canna playing great, France being France. I believe the phrase is "Et puis merde."

 

[SomedayTheFire]

I'm hoping for fourth place. I expect the first three matches to go very badly, at least.

I'm even considering not wasting my time tomorrow, but I'll probably watch it anyway for the good Welsh performance.

Too many injuries, too many retirements, not enough experience with the new blood (but lots of potential in the future.) Three points indicating that an embarrassing tournament is on the cards.

Think we could struggle badly against Italy and Scotland which doesn't leave much behind us.


Italy robbed there. That was a high tackle on Parisse.

 

[affleck1981]

Why would you let Parisse kick?

 

[CelticKnight]

Why would you let Parisse kick?

Don't think they had anyone else who wanted to do it...

France squeezing by by the skin of their arses.

 

[CCS]

So close. Why on earth did Parisse go for that?

 

[kharma45]

So close. Why on earth did Parisse go for that?

That was really stretching the definition of hit and hope. Madness to let your no 8 kick that. Absolute madness.

 

[SomedayTheFire]

What the fuck Parisse? Ending was Italy all over wasn't it.

 

[phisheep]

Phew. They don't come much tighter than that.

C'mon Scotland!

 

[johancruijff]

at least we played until the last second

 

[CCS]

That was really stretching the definition of hit and hope. Madness to let your no 8 kick that. Absolute madness.

I mean it was the right time for a drop goal attempt, but has to be the 10 surely. Although I don't know if Haomina would have been any better...

 

[affleck1981]

Come on Scotland!

 

[CCS]

You can do this Scotland!!!