Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Wales Online and Guardian have both reported that he's out. I think if it was a bigger match he'd have been on the bench.

I'd not thought about the succession to Gatland but Young ticks a lot of boxes, personally I'd get him in the summer and give him two years to prepare for the RWC, we need some freshness in the camp.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Italy team to take on Wales:

15. Edoardo Padovani (Zebre Rugby, 6 caps)
14. Giulio Bisegni (Zebre Rugby, 5 caps)
13. Tommaso Benvenuti (Benetton Treviso, 37 caps)
12. Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso, 84 caps)
11. Giovanbattista Venditti (Zebre Rugby, 38 caps)
10. Carlo Canna (Zebre Rugby, 15 caps)
9. Edoardo Gori (Benetton Treviso, 56 caps)

1. Andrea Lovotti (Zebre Rugby, 9 caps)
2. Ornel Gega (Benetton Treviso, 8 caps)
3. Lorenzo Cittadini (Aviron Bayonnais, 53 caps)
4. Marco Fuser (Benetton Treviso, 16 caps)
5. George Biagi (Zebre Rugby, 14 caps)
6. Abraham Steyn (Benetton Treviso, 6 caps)
7. Maxime Mata Mbanda' (Zebre Rugby, 3 caps)
8. Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais, 121 caps) - capitano

Replacements:
16. Leonardo Ghiraldini (Stade Toulousain, 82 caps)
17. Sami Panico (Pataṛ Calvisano, 6 caps)
18. Pietro Ceccarelli (Zebre Rugby, 5 caps)
19. Joshua Furno (Zebre Rugby, 36 caps)
20. Francesco Minto (Benetton Treviso, 31 caps)
21. Giorgio Bronzini (Benetton Treviso, 3 caps)
22. Tommaso Allan (Benetton Treviso, 27 caps)
23. Michele Campagnaro (Exeter Chiefs, 25 caps)

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

George Kruis now confirmed as out of the first game.
I presume the other five teams will be named on Thursday.

[Ray de Galles]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Wales' 23, no surprises which is no surprise. James King is the back row cover, can't see the point of Jamie on the bench at all.

Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon); George North (Northampton), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Liam Williams (Scarlets); Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Rhys Webb (Ospreys); Nicky Smith (Ospreys), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, capt), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester).

Replacements: Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Rob Evans (Scarlets), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Cory Hill (Newport Gwent Dragons), James King (Ospreys), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Sam Davies (Ospreys), Jamie Roberts (Harlequins).

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Bizarre. Like you say no need for Roberts, Hewitt would have been a better option. Can't understand James King either, it's a chance to blood a youngster. That's what the All Blacks would have done. Howley is again too conservative in his selection choices.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

England team to face France: M Brown (Harlequins); J May (Gloucester), J Joseph (Bath), O Farrell (Saracens), E Daly (Wasps); G Ford (Bath), B Youngs (Leicester); J Marler (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton, capt), D Cole (Leicester), J Launchbury (Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton), M Itoje (Saracens), T Wood (Northampton), N Hughes (Wasps).

Replacements: J George (Saracens), M Mullan (Wasps), K Sinckler (Harlequins), T Harrison (Northampton), J Haskell (Wasps), D Care (Harlequins), B Te’o (Worcester), J Nowell (Exeter).

[Ray de Galles]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

That's a bloody strong side, whatever the injuries they have. It's rare I know a decent amount about everyone in an England XV as I don't tend to watch their Premiership but they're all horribly known commodities.

It would be hard to create a more cuntish front row than that even if you used genetic engineering.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Murrayfield teams are announced, only France yet to nane.

Scotland: Stuart Hogg, Sean Maitland, Huw Jones, Alex Dunbar, Tommy Seymour, Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt), Allan Dell, Fraser Brown, Zander Fagerson, Richie Gray, Jonny Gray, Ryan Wilson, Hamish Watson, Josh Strauss.

Replacements: Ross Ford, Gordon Reid, Simon Berghan, Tim Swinson, John Barclay, Ali Price, Duncan Weir, Mark Bennett.

Ireland: R Kearney; K Earls, G Ringrose, R Henshaw, S Zebo; P Jackson, C Murray; J McGrath, R Best, T Furlong; I Henderson, D Toner; CJ Stander, S O'Brien, J Heaslip.

Replacements: N Scannell, C Healy, U Dillane, J Ryan, D Ryan, K Marmion, I Keatley, T Bowe.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

I've found the France team, let's see if their autumn performances were against sides at the end of their seasons or a sign of progress.

France Team Line-up
Forwards
1 Cyril Baille
2 Guilhem Guirado (CAPTAIN)
3 Uini Atonio
4 Sebastien Vahaamahina
5 Yoann Maestri
6 Damien Chouly
7 Kevin Gourdon
8 Louis Picamoles
Backs
9 Baptiste Serin
10 Camille Lopez
11 Virimi Vakatawa
12 Gael Fickou
13 Remi Lamerat
14 Noa Nakaitaci
15 Scott Spedding
Replacements
16 Clement Maynadier
17 Rabah Slimani
18 Xavier Chiocci
19 Arthur Iturria
20 Loann Goujon
21 Maxime Machenaud
22 Jean Marc Doussain
23 Yoann Huget

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Scotland are really struggling at the set piece, especially the scrum. Furlong is dominant but he's scrummaging a little crooked which then causes Dell to turn and he gets pingeyd every time.

Scotland lead thanks to a converted Hogg try. 7-0.

Edit: Hogg scores again. 14-0.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Half time
Scotland 21 Ireland 8

An enormous man and ball tackle by Kearney on Hogg at the end of the half stops a certain score. Zebo intercepts close to his line but can't quite get away. The scoreline could have been very different in the last two minutes.

Scotland deserve their lead.

[Diable Rouge]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Ireland now 22-21 ahead in a cracking game, looking likely to see the first Six Nations bonus point.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Five to go and Scotland have somehow got themselves in front.

[longeared]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

So, that Grand Slam showdown in Dublin, then.

[Diable Rouge]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Ah well.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Scotland 27 Ireland 22

Ireland will probably be disappointed they didn't win and should be able to fix the problems.
Scotland have got off to a winning start and look very good in the loose and open play, their scrum needs some work.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Ireland away to Italy next and Scotland in Paris in the next round.

Now it's England versus France, can't see past a comfortable England win.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Level at 9 each at the start of the second half. France look quite good. England must have had a rocket at half time.

[longeared]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Ha ha, ITV's commentator sheepishly apologises for the ref audibly using the term "silly buggers".

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

I thought France were tiring but they've got the first try of the match.

England 12 France 16

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

England 19 France 16

England were poor France looked good at times and are slowly becoming a threat, they've got a decent pack and some threats in the backs but their bench didn't add enough unlike England's who won them the game.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Some perspective now from BBC website:

Former South Africa captain Joost van der Westhuizen is in a "critical condition" in hospital as he continues to fight motor neurone disease.

[Ray de Galles]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

What hope do the rest of us have when the English system continues to produce, nurture and develop talents like today's matchwinner Ben Te'o?

Storming display from Scotland and a promising return to something approaching rugby from France. All good stuff even if it does only increase my trepidation about Wales' chances this year - and that's making no assumptions about tomorrow.

[blameless]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Hang on, Scotland won their opening game of the 6N? You what? This isn't in the script at all.

The way this is supposed to go is this: Scotland win a couple of autumn games against Fiji, Tonga, Romania or Georgia, and then look impressive in losing narrowly at home to one of the southern hemisphere superpowers. Everyone in the rugby world then says "wow, maybe Scotland are finally turning the corner".

Fans' hopes then falsely raised, Scotland then start the 6 nations by shitting the bed at home to Wales, or shipping 40 points to England, or extending their losing streak in Paris, or padding Ireland's points differential, or worst of all handing Italy their sole win of the season and guaranteeing themselves the wooden spoon in the process.

Strange times indeed.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand - Rugby 2017

Italy 7 Wales 3 at half time.

It's so depressingly familiar and predictable for Wales, struggling at the set piece and often laboured in attack and the basic skills weren't there. Italy look solid.

Why did Wales not take the points on offer in the first quarter?

Davies on for Biggar at the very end of the first half, looked like a rib injury. Hopefully this will make a difference.