Gimme Hope Jo'anna: Rugby in 2021

[Diable Rouge]

Certainly no evidence in this performance that France are anywhere near being Championship contenders, but Italy increasingly the manufacturers of their own downfall.

[Ray de Galles]

Eh? France are the best team in the world right now and have been for the last year. They've played some lovely rugby today and it's the first forty minutes of the tournament!

[Antepli Ejderha]

Cana with two lovely floated passes to create a try.

I presume it was Varney shouting out to Sperandino to touch it down.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Eh? France are the best team in the world right now and have been for the last year. They've played some lovely rugby today and it's the first forty minutes of the tournament!

This. It's like the France of old.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

"The World", hmm. I think there are two or three sides down below just itching to prove that wrong.

[Ray de Galles]

France were better than NZ last year and way better than Australia, South Africa didn't have a match so were out of the equation.

[ursus arctos]

You are much more bullish on them than their own sporting press, which is interesting.

[Ray de Galles]

I'm not saying they will win the 6N, it's an unpredictable competition in normal circumstances let alone the current ones, but they are certainly "Championship contenders".

Last year they were denied a Grand Slam due to a red card (shown to a player who had just been poked in the eye and lashed out) and were just pipped in the Autumn Nations Cup in extra time because they were forced to field a B/C team in the final match.

In a year of inconsistency from every team they played by far the best rugby, even if we all know that doesn't always win you tournaments.

[ursus arctos]

That's more in keeping with the French consensus

[Ray de Galles]

Fair play, that England commemorative kit is nice. I meant to post about it when it was launched.

[Tony C]

“Cameron Redpath, who grew up wearing a Scotland jersey watching his father play..”

When he wasn’t playing age group rugby for England, presumably.

[Ray de Galles]

Enjoyably ragged harum-scarum stuff from both sides but Scotland should have put more points on the board from it. Price has got the yips due to his kicks being disrupted.

[Tony C]

England giving away a lot of penalties.

[Ray de Galles]

Scotland hitting the self-destruct button. Stupidly casual in their own 22 to give away possession and then Russel's dumb attempt at a trip.

[Tony C]

Scotland have been great in the first half and England have been awful - and there’s two points in it.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

I'm not the Scotland captain but I'd have taken the lineout there not the 3 points.

[Tony C]

15 minutes left and Farrell still at half back.

Robson has been terrible since he came on.

[Diable Rouge]

They're holding out much longer than I expected at HT, at least.

[Levin]

I'm worried they don't have enough of a lead.

[Gangster Octopus]

This is the problem.

[Gangster Octopus]

Yay!

[ad hoc]

I know Scottish rugby union is also a bunch of poshos, but it's still pleasing when they beat England

[Ray de Galles]

Fucking hell! A few thoughts :

What was that drop goal attempt from Russell about at the end?

Has England's replacement scrum half ever played rugby before or is he a reality show winner?

Lovely Mike Brown II moment from Jonny May with the hapless knock on.

Quite how many points are Scotland going to beat us by next week?

[Bill Bones]

Russell has a nightmare. And Scotland win. Strange days.

[Ray de Galles]

I was just saying on another forum that Russell was awful, it was a handicap to Scotland having him on the pitch.

We'll make him look like Barry John, mind.