Six Nations Army

[ooh aah]

Six Nations Army

Rugby fans are cunts. I can't think of any exceptions.

Whereas football fans...

Actually I seem to recall SR starting a thread about all football fans being cunts.

[Ray de Galles]

Six Nations Army

I am actually a bit worried about that England team simply because it seems designed to drag us in to a frustrating bad-tempered dogfight that will distract us from playing our game.

I didn't realise that Tindall missed the Italy game because he injured himself attempting a "clean and jerk" in an extra weights session two days before the game, that's insane. I also didn't realise his injury suffered against us last season was a torn liver, how the fuck do you tear your liver?!

My final shock of this morning's papers was that Worsley wears his full initials on his training gear and they are JPR, hmmmmm.

[Bored Of Education]

Six Nations Army

All you rugby haters can fuck off. I live in Bath. BATH, I tell you.

Not only a rugby stronghold but an English rugby stronghold. Even taking that into account, I like rugby and will even drink with English rugby supporting mates (easier last year , naturally)

That notwithstanding, I am wandering late onto the thread in my usual Six Nations bandwagon jumping style having missed all but one try of the Ireland game.

Could someone give me a Neighbours-style round-up of the story so far. England were hit but scored loads is all I have heard but that was from the aforementioned English rugger buggers so I don't know whether their expectations are too high

[Eggchaser]

Six Nations Army

So far

England vs. Italy

Having selected rotund funster Andy Goode at fly half, England proceeded to rack up a mighty 5 tries against Italy, but four of these were directly due to Italian fuck-ups and two directly due to madcap Saffer Nick Mallett selecting a world class flanker to play at scrum half with hilarious consequences. England's other try came in the 79th minute when they actually managed to get the ball past the 10 channel for the first time in the match, largely due to Geraghty stepping in whilst Goode was elsewhere. Condemnations have flowed towards English legend Johnson for the brainless, turgid crap his Keystone Cops coaching team have shat on the public again and Mallett is being burned in effigy by the Italian rugby media a lot of people think that had he selected a scrum half fromthe start, England might have been turned over.

Ireland vs France

The game of the weekend, two teams committed to a style of rugby utterly alien to certain Leicester fuckwits, where the Irish finally got the French monkey off their back and BOD produced a try out of his pre-injury days, reminiscent of the one he scored against the Aussies for the Lions. Heaslip also showed the world what a modern no 8 should be able to do given space and a chance, and Maxime Medard won "best retro haircut" with his massive sideburns. Ireland are now firmly installed by their press as Grand Slam winners, Lievremont locked France in the changing room to shout at them for an hour after the match.

Scotland vs Wales

Wales posted notice of their intention to retain their Championship with a convincing win at Murrayfield, aided by Hadden's bonkers selection process and stupidity by Scotland's one remaining tighthead, who managed to knock himself out and get yellow carded in one fell swoop. Wales scored some cracking tries but switched off after 60 minutes, which, allied with the Scots suddenly waking up, allowed sub Max Evans to score a fantastic jinking try on the outside. Wales are now going to win the Grand Slam as well.

[Tony C]

Six Nations Army

"..brainless, turgid crap.."

Indeed, and by bringing back both Worsley and Tindall for their bulk appeal I don't suppose things are going to be much brainier or less turgid in Cardiff.

[Fausto]

Six Nations Army

The thing about saturday is that it's only a year since we scrapped a win against England. This isn't the usual Welsh pessimism, but let's not forget England went to sleep and haven't woken up since, whereas we've improved a good deal.
Despite the obvious improvements, as the game against Scotland proved we're a long way from being in a different class, because we do not have that ruthless streak where we run up humiliating scores against obviously inferior teams (ie Scotland). So while we should win, I sense we might be a little brittle psychologically.

The one thing I can't understand is that Martyn Williams isn't in everyone's Lions team. He is the one player who is irreplaceable. There is certainly no better open side flanker in the 6N. At the moment the only 'others' who should be in the Lions team are maybe a hooker, O'Connell to play along-side Alyn-Wyn and maybe a winger to play opposite Shane Williams. Otherwise I can't see anyone better than the current Welsh players.I'd have Henson at inside centre and Roberts outside him and I'd have Ryan Jones at 6 with Powell at 8. Phillips at 9 (he completely outshone Blair) and Jones just scrapping in at 10.

[Brandenburger Toro]

Six Nations Army

So, just typical Welsh pessimism, then, apart from twelve of the Lions XV...

From Ireland, I'd say there's at least as compelling a case for Kearney, Bowe, Horan, O'Callaghan, Leamy, Wallace* and Heaslip as for any Welshman in their respective positions. There are a few more around the fringes, and O'Driscoll would be one of the first names on the teamsheet, regardless of form.

No Scots and probably not a whole load of Sasanaigh, mind.

But this is all kinda silly after one 6N game, isn't it?

* I wouldn't play him openside ahead of Williams, but that's because I don't think he's an openside.

[Eggchaser]

Six Nations Army

The drivel coming out of the England camp is astounding. Johnson says that Worsley has been playing well this season (apparently in a parallel dimension), they'd call Noon back in at the drop of a hat, we did well in the second half againt Italy. Borthwick believes he's playing well but has said that England have been training with 14 men just in case. Now I know all teams do this, but you don't announce it to the press! Fuckwit Wells thinks the team is one gear below the top "sixth gear". Fuck me, if England are in fifth gear then the Welsh are in tenth and God alone knows what gear the All Blacks were in last November. Jesus, we've had this same "one game from it clikcing" crap from various sources ever since...ooooh...John Wells was appointed forwards coach.

I just despair.

[Guest]

Six Nations Army

O'Driscoll would be one of the first names on the teamsheet, regardless of form.

What's the point of picking people because of what their names are? O'Driscoll's done close to fuck all since 2005.

[TMA]

Six Nations Army

Here's the current Lions choices from the BBC's analysts:

[Brandenburger Toro]

Six Nations Army

What's the point of picking people because of what their names are?

When did I say I would do that?

[Guest]

Six Nations Army

I didn't accuse you of doing it. You wrote that O'Driscoll would be picked regardless of how he actually plays, and I opined that this is a fairly fucked-up way of selecting a team, which it is.

[Fausto]

Six Nations Army

Danny Care, Dylan Hartley, Julian White, Delon Armitage, James Haskell, Keith Earls, Nick kennedy and Ronan O'Gara. What the? I don't rate Hines that much either and Sheridan is a shadow of the man he seemed to be a couple of seasons ago. Whereas Adam Jones was one of the best performers last Sunday.
It seems that only Lee Byrne and Paul O'Connell are unanimous choices. What has Martyn Williams got to do?
Toro I wouldn't disagree with too many of your Irish players but O'Driscoll has some ground to make up. He is a great player but he hasn't played well enough for a long time.

[Ray de Galles]

Six Nations Army

Lions selections with one game of the 6N gone are the very definition of futility, no?

[Bored Of Education]

Six Nations Army

By the way, Harri, it was you I was expecting to give me an Idiot's guide to the 6 nations.

I don't know what these Lions selections are about but, at least, they are unanimous on Shane Williams

[Fausto]

Six Nations Army

It's not futile, this is a messageboard where we discuss matters a good deal more futile than a hypothetical Lions selection. Possible test teams were being discussed last Autumn, last year, the year before. McGeechan is unlikely to be swayed by our opinions. Don't worry no one important is paying attention.

[ooh aah]

Six Nations Army

Keith Wood has opted for O'Gara at 10, Bambi on the right wing, and Shanklin at inside centre. Is he feeling ok?

[Ek weet nie]

Six Nations Army

ooh aah wrote:

Rugby fans are cunts. I can't think of any exceptions.

Whereas football fans...

Actually I seem to recall SR starting a thread about all football fans being cunts.

I'm not claiming football fans are any better.

[Eggchaser]

Six Nations Army

The Moral Animal wrote:

Here's the current Lions choices from the BBC's analysts:

Errr...

Right, I'd probably pick, if available and in form

1 Jones
2 Tricky - no standout candidates, so say Rees
3 Euan Murray
4 Paul O'Connell
5 Alun Wyn Jones
6 Haskell
7 Williams M
8 Powell

9 Cusiter
10 Wellies Jones

11 Williams S
12 J Roberts
13 O'Driscoll
14 Bowe
15 Byrne

The pack is pretty big - Haskell's there because a). You have to have an Englishman and b). He can stand up physically to the massive Saffer backrow and allow Nugget to do his job - the 1997 Lions picked 6 Dallaglio, 7 Hill and 8 Rodber precisely to smash the crap out of Kruger, Venter and Teichmann. I picked Cusiter because he actually looked the best scrum half in the competition for the time he was on and Phillips just worries me.

It's a sad state of affairs when the only English player I can justify is because of his promise...

[Ray de Galles]

Six Nations Army

Fausto wrote:

It's not futile, this is a messageboard where we discuss matters a good deal more futile than a hypothetical Lions selection. Possible test teams were being discussed last Autumn, last year, the year before. McGeechan is unlikely to be swayed by our opinions. Don't worry no one important is paying attention.

I meant anywhere, TV, the BBC site, newspapers, not just this board.

I'm all for a bit of irrelavent masturbatory discussion but the five games each nation play over this six week period are the biggest factor in the make-up of the touring party so choosing a side right now when the process is 20% complete seems even more pointless than usual. But, you know, whatevs. Knock yourself out.

[Brandenburger Toro]

Six Nations Army

Beyond that, the 6N will decide who is on the plane, not who is on the team.

[pengedragon]

Six Nations Army

shane out tomorrow

[Tony C]

Six Nations Army

[Fausto]

Six Nations Army

Well said Tony

[Tony C]

Six Nations Army

Sometimes no words can convey my feelings.