| Six Nations Thread anyone? 20:03 - Feb 5 with 5668 views | Toast_R |
Predicting France by 10 in the opener tonight. What a game to kick off though.
Dupont back for Les Bleus at last. |  | | |  |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 17:48 - Feb 7 with 1587 views | Rsole |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 17:09 - Feb 7 by E17hoop |
Points betting is 55+ right now. Can see that being England's score alone. |
Has a Cov 7:1 bum gob vibe…. |  |
| Those possessed by devils, try and keep them under control a bit, can't you ?
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| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 17:52 - Feb 7 with 1574 views | Wilkinswatercarrier |
This is tough watching Wales. Bad for rugby having scores like this.
England look a different 4 or 5 levels. |  |
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| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 18:29 - Feb 7 with 1481 views | stowmarketrange |
6 yellow cards so far.4 for wales and just the 2 for England. |  | | |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 19:37 - Feb 7 with 1405 views | PlanetHonneywood |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 18:29 - Feb 7 by stowmarketrange |
6 yellow cards so far.4 for wales and just the 2 for England. |
At least Mbengue took 30 odd games to amass that amount of yellow!! |  |
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| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 21:59 - Feb 7 with 1281 views | BlackCrowe |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 19:37 - Feb 7 by PlanetHonneywood |
At least Mbengue took 30 odd games to amass that amount of yellow!! |
Just back. Rugby needs a strong Welsh side....they are light years from being that. |  |
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| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 23:44 - Feb 7 with 1175 views | MrSheen |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 21:59 - Feb 7 by BlackCrowe |
Just back. Rugby needs a strong Welsh side....they are light years from being that. |
Only going to get worse. It’s not the fault of the Hollywood Two, but it’s a shame to see them pump air up the bum of a small football club to get them to float for a while above their natural station when they could have done something to cheer up the whole nation in a field where they have real tradition. It’s their money, but I don’t welcome the rising sporting monoculture. |  | | |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 23:56 - Feb 7 with 1166 views | numptydumpty |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 21:59 - Feb 7 by BlackCrowe |
Just back. Rugby needs a strong Welsh side....they are light years from being that. |
Glad me old dad not around to see the Wales teams of recent seasons being so far from being competitive.
He was a rugby mad welshman and a massive fan in the glory years of Welsh dominance. This has been an awfully weak period for the Welsh game.
England on the other hand. Brilliant. |  |
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| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 08:49 - Feb 8 with 1057 views | derbyhoop |
France vs England on March 14th could be a bit tasty. |  |
| "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop and now on Bluesky |
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| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 09:30 - Feb 8 with 1006 views | johnhoop |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 08:49 - Feb 8 by derbyhoop |
France vs England on March 14th could be a bit tasty. |
It promises to be but if Ford keeps kicking possession away to the opposing backs the way he did against the Welsh yesterday the outcome is likely to be very different in Paris. | | | |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 09:36 - Feb 8 with 995 views | Paddyhoops |
It’s a three tier championship now. England and France shooting of into the distance.
Ireland, Scotland and Italy scrapping for third and Wales just hoping to get points on the board.
Sad to see how low Wales have fallen. It won’t change any time soon .
Ireland in a downward spiral . Their A team and U 2Os pumped was well this weekend.
Not good for Six nations and will turn of viewers. | | | |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 10:04 - Feb 8 with 958 views | themodfather |
the wales game was ruined by so many cards, not all for punch ups or dangerous play, most were for endless pens stopping play. i lost count 8, 9? itoje sent off for a pen seconds after coming on?
ruined it. we smashed a weak, poor, awful wales side but any spectacle was ruined by endless stops .
france look quick and lively, likely faves but usually their arrogance goes against them, we will see . | | | |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 12:00 - Feb 8 with 872 views | BlackCrowe |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 13:28 - Feb 6 by robith |
Last night had been coming for Ireland.
Farrell's steadfast refusal to rotate or not use "his boys" has now meant when there's an injury crisis he's finally forced to bed in new players, they've had too little exposure to test rugby.
Ever since Catt left as attack coach, we have looked completely blunt. Goodman is absolutely stealing a living. |
Good article in The Times yesterday, essentially whilst Farrell was overloading the Lions team with his regular but ageing go-to Irish players, England were developing their up and coming stars on one of the most difficult tours, Argentina, where they won both matches. | |
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| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 16:15 - Feb 8 with 789 views | Paddyhoops |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 12:00 - Feb 8 by BlackCrowe |
Good article in The Times yesterday, essentially whilst Farrell was overloading the Lions team with his regular but ageing go-to Irish players, England were developing their up and coming stars on one of the most difficult tours, Argentina, where they won both matches. |
Was it Stephen Jones writing it ? If so I’d take it with a pinch of salt .
Gets a great kick out of any Irish failure. And notoriously sniffy of any success .
He probably has a good point on this though . | | | |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 16:34 - Feb 8 with 772 views | Boston |
Not Six Nations, but a wugger enquiry.
I don't like hats, but effing freezing here early this morning so grabbed one from the drawer before setting off with man's best friend for my sunrise stroll in local forestry. After the walk, just about to get into the car when an American bloke asked me for an update on the London Irish Rugby Club. I hadn't twigged I was wearing a hat with their crest on it, so the question caught me on the hop and, to be truthful, I really don't have the s p on them, barring Eddie Jordan is the owner and they expect to resume as a completive entity sometime.
100% sure people here will know the facts from the fiction; much appreciate any info so I can steal your knowledge and drone on endlessly to my new American friend. | |
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| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 10:06 - Feb 9 with 670 views | TheChef |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 23:44 - Feb 7 by MrSheen |
Only going to get worse. It’s not the fault of the Hollywood Two, but it’s a shame to see them pump air up the bum of a small football club to get them to float for a while above their natural station when they could have done something to cheer up the whole nation in a field where they have real tradition. It’s their money, but I don’t welcome the rising sporting monoculture. |
What exactly has happened to Welsh rugby in the last couple of years? Is it just a lack of investment? |  |
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| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 10:38 - Feb 9 with 630 views | MrSheen |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 10:06 - Feb 9 by TheChef |
What exactly has happened to Welsh rugby in the last couple of years? Is it just a lack of investment? |
I think their big mistake is that when professionalism came, they ditched the old clubs for 5 “franchises” in the biggest towns, a bit like cricket creating sides for the Hundred. While Cardiff and Llanelli were essentially successors, the Ospreys weee a merger of Swansea and Neath, that neither fan group wanted, and fans of the old proud valley teams like Maesteg and Pontypool were essentially dumped into non league (very similar to Australia in many sports, but particularly Rugby Union). Ireland also concentrated professionalism in the Provinces, but there was huge identification with them, and the National Union took a tight grip on talent and funding to keep everyone on board with the overall direction, putting the future of the sport above the success of an individual club.
Wales was more like England, the move towards professionalism created a few winners and lots of losers, and the administration has been sunk in bitter civil war as things went from bad to worse on the field as everyone else left them behind. Unlike England, Ireland and even Scotland, there just isn’t the money in Wales for sugar daddies to fund failure until people either come to their senses or they get lucky with new talent. It’s also bad luck that this period coincided with Swansea and Cardiff breaking into the Premier League, Gareth Bale, etc. Five pro teams go to four and soon three or even two. It’s really sad, I used to take kids there fifteen years ago and the enthusiasm and raw talent in tiny village towns was exceptional. I remember a festival we went to where we played one of the best clubs in Bristol, huge lads who ran straight into and over our boys, and a Welsh club from a village I couldn’t pronounce, small kids who just ran around them and were impossible to tackle. I wonder how they are doing now. [Post edited 9 Feb 10:44]
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| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 10:57 - Feb 9 with 609 views | OldPedro |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 10:38 - Feb 9 by MrSheen |
I think their big mistake is that when professionalism came, they ditched the old clubs for 5 “franchises” in the biggest towns, a bit like cricket creating sides for the Hundred. While Cardiff and Llanelli were essentially successors, the Ospreys weee a merger of Swansea and Neath, that neither fan group wanted, and fans of the old proud valley teams like Maesteg and Pontypool were essentially dumped into non league (very similar to Australia in many sports, but particularly Rugby Union). Ireland also concentrated professionalism in the Provinces, but there was huge identification with them, and the National Union took a tight grip on talent and funding to keep everyone on board with the overall direction, putting the future of the sport above the success of an individual club.
Wales was more like England, the move towards professionalism created a few winners and lots of losers, and the administration has been sunk in bitter civil war as things went from bad to worse on the field as everyone else left them behind. Unlike England, Ireland and even Scotland, there just isn’t the money in Wales for sugar daddies to fund failure until people either come to their senses or they get lucky with new talent. It’s also bad luck that this period coincided with Swansea and Cardiff breaking into the Premier League, Gareth Bale, etc. Five pro teams go to four and soon three or even two. It’s really sad, I used to take kids there fifteen years ago and the enthusiasm and raw talent in tiny village towns was exceptional. I remember a festival we went to where we played one of the best clubs in Bristol, huge lads who ran straight into and over our boys, and a Welsh club from a village I couldn’t pronounce, small kids who just ran around them and were impossible to tackle. I wonder how they are doing now. [Post edited 9 Feb 10:44]
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It's all basically lack of money to be able to run competitive professional teams but reducing the number of teams just reduces the pool of players.
At youth level, Wales has always depended on kids playing rugby at school, but as with lots of sports, participation at school has dramatically fallen. You also have private schools in England, such as Hartpury College, identifying some of the best young welsh players, who then end up in the English system and playing for England.
Can't really see a way back in the short term for Wales. Attendances at international games seems to be falling off as people don't want to or can't afford to pay the tickets prices being asked, particularly to watch Wales getting turned over in most games. The knock on effect will be less money going into the coffers of the WRU, which in turn will be less money for the professional teams and players.
I'm dreading the game against France - if they play at the level they played against Ireland and Wales put in another performance like against England, it could be a 70 point defeat. |  |
| Extra mature cheddar......a simple cheese for a simple man |
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| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 11:05 - Feb 9 with 600 views | TheChef |
Thanks both - it seems to have happened very quickly though? I mean Wales had a great team not that long ago? They won the 6N in 2021. | |
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| Six Nations Thread anyone? (n/t) on 11:21 - Feb 9 with 575 views | MrSheen |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 11:05 - Feb 9 by TheChef |
Thanks both - it seems to have happened very quickly though? I mean Wales had a great team not that long ago? They won the 6N in 2021. |
Welsh Union is very similar to English league, hardly any money to go round and everyone hates each other. Struggling to keep kids going into the sport, with the additional awareness of how dangerous it can be. [Post edited 9 Feb 11:24]
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| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 11:45 - Feb 9 with 569 views | robith |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 16:34 - Feb 8 by Boston |
Not Six Nations, but a wugger enquiry.
I don't like hats, but effing freezing here early this morning so grabbed one from the drawer before setting off with man's best friend for my sunrise stroll in local forestry. After the walk, just about to get into the car when an American bloke asked me for an update on the London Irish Rugby Club. I hadn't twigged I was wearing a hat with their crest on it, so the question caught me on the hop and, to be truthful, I really don't have the s p on them, barring Eddie Jordan is the owner and they expect to resume as a completive entity sometime.
100% sure people here will know the facts from the fiction; much appreciate any info so I can steal your knowledge and drone on endlessly to my new American friend. |
They want to relaunch but join the URC so be a London based team in the league of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and SA.
The RFU are currently blocking it |  | | |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 11:51 - Feb 9 with 553 views | robith |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 11:05 - Feb 9 by TheChef |
Thanks both - it seems to have happened very quickly though? I mean Wales had a great team not that long ago? They won the 6N in 2021. |
Combination of
- Historic bad management by the WRU (merging Neath and Swansea, two bitter rivals, to make the Ospreys for eg, keeping the money for their fancy lunches while the grass roots can't afford kits)
- Go back ten years ago. Swansea established Prem team, Cardiff had a few stints in the Prem. Wales got to the semis of the Euros. If you were a 10-15 Welsh lad would you stay in a rugby system where your local club has damp, or would football seem super exciting to you? We're seeing the down stream effect of that | | | |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 11:55 - Feb 9 with 550 views | robith |
Looks like it will come down to England vs France. France very nearly accidentally let Ireland back into the match as their style of play takes a physical toll, but I think England will actually be frustrated in how they played vs Wales; guilty of overplaying vs 13 men. Wales were so bad England really should've hit 70.
A word for Italy. They were absolutely fantastic. Tactically superb. So much more up for it than Scotland, and the discipline to ride those phases at the end and wait for the turnover was incredible. Townend has had a golden generation of Scottish talent and managed two 3rd place finishes. A colossal waste of ability | | | |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 12:23 - Feb 9 with 524 views | Phildo |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 16:34 - Feb 8 by Boston |
Not Six Nations, but a wugger enquiry.
I don't like hats, but effing freezing here early this morning so grabbed one from the drawer before setting off with man's best friend for my sunrise stroll in local forestry. After the walk, just about to get into the car when an American bloke asked me for an update on the London Irish Rugby Club. I hadn't twigged I was wearing a hat with their crest on it, so the question caught me on the hop and, to be truthful, I really don't have the s p on them, barring Eddie Jordan is the owner and they expect to resume as a completive entity sometime.
100% sure people here will know the facts from the fiction; much appreciate any info so I can steal your knowledge and drone on endlessly to my new American friend. |
and the amateur club is still going and trying to secure their historic ground and keep it away from people like the chelsea woman's team. The Jordan lot have no interest in that |  | | |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 12:33 - Feb 9 with 507 views | PlanetHonneywood |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 12:00 - Feb 8 by BlackCrowe |
Good article in The Times yesterday, essentially whilst Farrell was overloading the Lions team with his regular but ageing go-to Irish players, England were developing their up and coming stars on one of the most difficult tours, Argentina, where they won both matches. |
Smart move by England!
Its something I said on a different thread about QPR for the rest of this season. I don't think we're PO material this season, but let's get to 50 points asap, then with the pressure off, play the pups and let's see what they've got. | |
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| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 13:17 - Feb 9 with 449 views | robith |
| Six Nations Thread anyone? on 12:00 - Feb 8 by BlackCrowe |
Good article in The Times yesterday, essentially whilst Farrell was overloading the Lions team with his regular but ageing go-to Irish players, England were developing their up and coming stars on one of the most difficult tours, Argentina, where they won both matches. |
That's a bit of a reach isn't it? England players made up 40% of the Lions squad - they surely had no choice but to play non first choice players.
Also that England team vs Argentina had an average age of 27 and featured 5 players who played on Saturday including 3 with more than 40 caps and one with 100! | | | |
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