2023 Six Nations

[Jim Lahey]

Well this thread has spent the last couple of pages disecting one incident in a game, that had little to no bearing on the overall outcome.

Makes sense that a coach would have stronger feelings over perceived injustices than us fans given they have more skin in the game.

The complex nature of our sport makes officiating mistakes an inherent risk. Provided that there is no blatent bias from refs, purposely shafting one side over another, I think we all need to just suck it up.

[sturginho]

Well this thread has spent the last couple of pages disecting one incident in a game, that had little to no bearing on the overall outcome.

Makes sense that a coach would have stronger feelings over perceived injustices than us fans given they have more skin in the game.

The complex nature of our sport makes officiating mistakes an inherent risk. Provided that there is no blatent bias from refs, purposely shafting one side over another, I think we all need to just suck it up.

Which is easy to say when you're the #1 team in the world

[Ymx]

They were bad decisions alright and I have had a thesis about Wales for years about why they get so many fucked up decisions in their favour. It's to do with the refs being brought up on a diet of Gareth Edwards and other various Blethyn's and Jones's. I think the refs also feel sorry for Walrs the way you would for a bird that had flown into a window pane

you’re a bastard

[Biffer]

Well this thread has spent the last couple of pages disecting one incident in a game, that had little to no bearing on the overall outcome.

Makes sense that a coach would have stronger feelings over perceived injustices than us fans given they have more skin in the game.

The complex nature of our sport makes officiating mistakes an inherent risk. Provided that there is no blatent bias from refs, purposely shafting one side over another, I think we all need to just suck it up.

Which is easy to say when you're the #1 team in the world

Yeah that attitude has changed a lot over the last few years

[Paddington Bear]

I have a lot of sympathy for the idea that Italy get ridden by refs, but they still butchered at least four cast iron opportunities to score and had probably a couple more they cocked up, so I wouldn’t start by blaming the ref

[CM11]

On thing highlighting the 'was he or wasn't offside' incident does is also repeatedly showing how a walk in try was butchered. I'd be slinking away in embarrassment to be honest.

[TartanBear]

Scotland has benefitted from some debatable turnover penalties this campaign. The final one against England was (to my eyes) no different to some of Ireland’s last weekend.

[C69]

The Welsh team
Gats really doesn't give a shit about this 6N.

[Slick]

The Welsh team
Gats really doesn't give a shit about this 6N.

Eh? Is that not your strongest team so far?

Rightfully so, we need you to beat France by about 45 and I have confidence in you.

[sturginho]

Italia
15 Tommaso ALLAN (Harlequins, 70 caps)
14 Pierre BRUNO (Zebre Parma, 11 caps)
13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Benetton Rugby, 22 caps)
12 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 10 caps)
11 Simone GESI (Zebre Parma, esordiente)
10 Paolo GARBISI (Montpellier, 23 caps)
9 Alessandro FUSCO (Zebre Parma, 12 caps)
8 Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 7 caps)
7 Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 25 caps) – capitano
6 Sebastian NEGRI (Benetton Rugby, 45 caps)
5 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 40 caps)
4 Edoardo IACHIZZI (Vannes, 4 caps)
3 Marco RICCIONI (Saracens Rugby, 19 caps)
2 Giacomo NICOTERA (Benetton Rugby, 11 caps)
1 Danilo FISCHETTI (London Irish, 29 caps)

A disposizione
16 Marco MANFREDI (Zebre Parma, esordiente)
17 Federico ZANI (Benetton Rugby, 20 caps)
18 Pietro CECCARELLI (Brive, 25 caps)
19 Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 29 caps)
20 Giovanni PETTINELLI (Benetton Rugby, 11 caps)
21 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps)
22 Alessandro GARBISI (Benetton Rugby, 3 caps)
23 Luca MORISI (London Irish, 43 caps)

Allan at fullback again because it worked so well last week. Gesi finally gets his debut (should have happened last month but ok) Varney and Padovani left out

[Jim Lahey]

The Welsh team
Gats really doesn't give a shit about this 6N.

Short odds on 1/2p pulling out with a tight hammy beforehand?

[weegie01]

[GogLais]

The Welsh team
Gats really doesn't give a shit about this 6N.

If he has to put a winger at FB I’d rather see Adams there. Is Tshiunza injured? Only I don’t think he played against Italy and isn’t in the 23 for this one.

[C69]

The Welsh team
Gats really doesn't give a shit about this 6N.

Short odds on 1/2p pulling out with a tight hammy beforehand?

He is on the bench lol

[Jim Lahey]

The Welsh team
Gats really doesn't give a shit about this 6N.

Short odds on 1/2p pulling out with a tight hammy beforehand?

He is on the bench lol

I know. But he can still pull out.

[lemonhead]

Crowley has done a Rassie....

Probably is Rassie. That account is a fkin shitstain smeared all over social media, bagging ref decisions week after week. Some correct, others hilarious.

Gave it a very small benefit of the doubt at first until one month it pointedly ignored several 'controversial' decisions favouring Saffer provinces in the URC. Not only frequently wrong, but biased fanboi as well.

[JM2K6]

Love the comments. "Carl Dickson is actually really good and consistent". Aww yeah, real expert opinion on display here

[inactionman]

Love the comments. "Carl Dickson is actually really good and consistent". Aww yeah, real expert opinion on display here

To be fair, he is consistent.......

[C69]

Short odds on 1/2p pulling out with a tight hammy beforehand?

He is on the bench lol

I know. But he can still pull out.

Gats has told a few senior players that this is their last game for Wales

As I have said he doesn't give a shit about this 6N

[Jim Lahey]

He is on the bench lol

I know. But he can still pull out.

Gats has told a few senior players that this is their last game for Wales

As I have said he doesn't give a shit about this 6N

Who are we talking?

AWJ
Biggar
Webb
1/2p

Owens to retire after the WC I assume?

Faletau, Tips and North surely have a few more years in them.

[Mahoney]

In a World Cup year, when you don't give a shit about the 6N, why on earth would you be picking people for 6N games who you have already decided to discard before the World Cup? Surely you should be picking someone you _might_ take to the World Cup to have a look at them and give them experience?

[GogLais]

He is on the bench lol

I know. But he can still pull out.

Gats has told a few senior players that this is their last game for Wales

As I have said he doesn't give a shit about this 6N

I think he said their last 6N game.

[sockwithaticket]

I know. But he can still pull out.

Gats has told a few senior players that this is their last game for Wales

As I have said he doesn't give a shit about this 6N

Who are we talking?

AWJ
Biggar
Webb
1/2p

Owens to retire after the WC I assume?

Faletau, Tips and North surely have a few more years in them.

While I think every test matters and you should be trying to win them all, undeniably the Unions in part judge their coaches on World Cup performance. With that in mind, you do have to make a judgement call as to whether some players will make the next world cup and if not whether hanging on to them for 2 or 3 seasons prior will be more beneficial to the team as a whole than blooding their replacements.

Tipuric will be 34 by the time the tournament starts later this year, Faletau 33 by the time it finishes. Personally, I'd be giving anyone in that sort of age bracket a thank you and goodbye after the world cup with some new blood coming in for the 2024 Six Nations.

[JM2K6]

England team announced. Arundell starting on the wing, Manu in at 12, Slade stays, Farrell at 10.

Genge, George, Sinckler
Itoje, Ribbans
Ludlam, Willis, Dombrandt
JVP, Farrell
Tuilagi, Slade
Arundell, Watson, Steward

Bench:
Mako, Walker, Cole, Isiekwe, B Curry, Mitchell, Smith, Marchant

3 backs probably because Farrell isn't fit and Manu is a sicknote

[fishfoodie]

England team announced. Arundell starting on the wing, Manu in at 12, Slade stays, Farrell at 10.

Genge, George, Sinckler
Itoje, Ribbans
Ludlam, Willis, Dombrandt
JVP, Farrell
Tuilagi, Slade
Arundell, Watson, Steward

Bench:
Mako, Walker, Cole, Isiekwe, B Curry, Mitchell, Smith, Marchant

3 backs probably because Farrell isn't fit and Manu is a sicknote

Mitchell must be fuming; WTF did JVP do to deserve keeping the starting place ?

By the time he gets on the field, the fat lady will be practicing her scales on the sideline

[sockwithaticket]

England team announced. Arundell starting on the wing, Manu in at 12, Slade stays, Farrell at 10.

Genge, George, Sinckler
Itoje, Ribbans
Ludlam, Willis, Dombrandt
JVP, Farrell
Tuilagi, Slade
Arundell, Watson, Steward

Bench:
Mako, Walker, Cole, Isiekwe, B Curry, Mitchell, Smith, Marchant

3 backs probably because Farrell isn't fit and Manu is a sicknote

Mitchell must be fuming; WTF did JVP do to deserve keeping the starting place ?

By the time he gets on the field, the fat lady will be practicing her scales on the sideline

Our 9 selection means jack all if the pack don't seriously up their game. Also, we've more than enough experience of watching our bench 9 come on and look amazing, be rewarded with a start or two and look no better in that role than the man he displaced.

[CM11]

JGP v JVP will be an interesting contrast!

[fishfoodie]

JGP v JVP will be an interesting contrast!

Will we keep score by how many times their delivery gets the receiver smashed ?

[Ymx]

Haven’t watched this yet, but about to.

[laurent]

Haven’t watched this yet, but about to.

watching it it's as good as all his production.

[fishfoodie]

Haven’t watched this yet, but about to.

Peaking too early; nailed on QF exit

[JM2K6]

Squidge has been making a bit of an arse of himself recently. He's so obsessed with his "Eddie Jones was going to win the World Cup with England" schtick that everything is viewed in that light. He refuses to believe that Eddie Jones is one of the big reasons WHY England are in such a hole, and it really does describe his 'analysis' to a T that he believed (and continues to believe) that the utter chaos, misery, confusion, and accelerating crapness of England under Eddie was actually all part of a plan. He cannot shut the fuck up about Eddie Jones.

Sometimes what you see is what you get. What we saw under Eddie for the past 2 years was an absolute shitshow. It's not really a surprise that the callow Eddie Jones acolyte and his even less experienced sidekick aren't halting the slide, but it's absolutely batshit insane to be pointing at this and going AHA! EDDIE JONES! I TOLD YOU IT WAS WRONG TO SACK HIM! when Eddie Jones is one of the reasons why we're in this fucking state.


Anyway I'll watch the video and no doubt get very annoyed

[fishfoodie]

Sometimes what you see is what you get. What we saw under Eddie for the past 2 years was an absolute shitshow. It's not really a surprise that the callow Eddie Jones acolyte and his even less experienced sidekick aren't halting the slide, but it's absolutely batshit insane to be pointing at this and going AHA! EDDIE JONES! I TOLD YOU IT WAS WRONG TO SACK HIM! when Eddie Jones is one of the reasons why we're in this fucking state.


Anyway I'll watch the video and no doubt get very annoyed

Well yeah, years 1 & 2 of the RWC are to identify the dead wood, & their replacements, & then years 3 & 4 are to bed them in & develop a system & a style. You can't blame JvP, Smith, Kelly, OHC, & Arundell etc, for not being up to speed with International Rugby, when they were never given the option.

TBF what he shows in this & previous videos is that France & Ireland are both focused on quick ruck ball, & everything, everywhere, all at once attack .... to coin a title

[JM2K6]

Fuck me it's worse than I thought.

Ah yes THE AMAZING CLEVERNESS of France playing an extra phase in order to get an easier clearing kick and then Danty being allowed to go for the ball, put both hands on the floor, and then knock the ball on - genius level shit

"Genge has half assumed that Aldritt is on his team because he's stood in the line" oh fuck off

"Knowing that the kickoff play worked last time because of quick ball, Ludlam goes hell for leather to slow it down this time" fucking lol yes that's right and nothing to do with the kickoff being different, the ball getting to Aldritt much closer to the forwards, or anything like that - and two England forwards ignore Aldritt in order to spread wide to cover the threat but Ludlam does the moronic thing and goes straight in the side to get penalised - all of this is his attempt to show that England adapted under pressure!

then the next time England apparently adjust based on the previous two kickoffs and leave the defensive line light which also apparently has nothing to do with there being a huge gap between the French 9 and 10 meaning there's nothing to actually cover so England were just playing to what was in front of them, or that France didn't get any momentum off the kickoff at all and that they were static/on the back foot, were tackled deep in their 22 for the first time, and that's why England's midfield forwards could pressure Aldritt and not some ~masterful thinking~ about how Ludlam's approach hadn't worked. Also, fucking lol at how all of this leads to the ball ending up going exactly where the first kick did - the big difference isn't the pressure on the kick, it's how the French weren't able to get any go-forward and had a longer chase as a result

And now we're claiming that the shapelessness is actually an evolution of Eddie Jones' AMAZING attacking plans of his final year in charge

And now we're talking about how Farrell gave England a second playmaker allowing both Smith and Farrell to both play better. That's not the bit I'm annoyed about. He's right that Farrell actually played like a proper 12 for a bit! I'm annoyed BECAUSE SLADE IS PICKED BECAUSE HE IS A SECOND PLAYMAKER AND HE'S NOT FUCKING DOING ANYTHING USEFUL EVER AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT

Oh god, peak Squidge - claiming that Fickou coming into a ruck and just pushing Lawrence, who went into two England players, was in fact some sort of masterful game of human billiards, as opposed to a back running into a ruck then realising his target was already backing off and so just giving him a half hearted shove. At no point does Squidge recognise how badly Ludlam shit the bed by not getting into the line properly.

This shit is infuriating.

[Margin__Walker]

Glad it's not just me that finds Squidge insufferable.

[Guy Smiley]

Glad it's not just me that finds Squidge insufferable.

At first I thought he was great with a fresh take and some interesting detail analysis...

now I reckon he's got his head so far up his arse he's become caught up with the tactics of his lower bowel and only thinks he's watching rugby.

[Blackmac]

Squidge has been making a bit of an arse of himself recently. He's so obsessed with his "Eddie Jones was going to win the World Cup with England" schtick that everything is viewed in that light. He refuses to believe that Eddie Jones is one of the big reasons WHY England are in such a hole, and it really does describe his 'analysis' to a T that he believed (and continues to believe) that the utter chaos, misery, confusion, and accelerating crapness of England under Eddie was actually all part of a plan. He cannot shut the fuck up about Eddie Jones.

Sometimes what you see is what you get. What we saw under Eddie for the past 2 years was an absolute shitshow. It's not really a surprise that the callow Eddie Jones acolyte and his even less experienced sidekick aren't halting the slide, but it's absolutely batshit insane to be pointing at this and going AHA! EDDIE JONES! I TOLD YOU IT WAS WRONG TO SACK HIM! when Eddie Jones is one of the reasons why we're in this fucking state.


Anyway I'll watch the video and no doubt get very annoyed

It's one of his rare comments where it's impossible to actually prove him wrong and if the slide continues he will get more and more smug.

[Ymx]

Squidge has been making a bit of an arse of himself recently. He's so obsessed with his "Eddie Jones was going to win the World Cup with England" schtick that everything is viewed in that light. He refuses to believe that Eddie Jones is one of the big reasons WHY England are in such a hole, and it really does describe his 'analysis' to a T that he believed (and continues to believe) that the utter chaos, misery, confusion, and accelerating crapness of England under Eddie was actually all part of a plan. He cannot shut the fuck up about Eddie Jones.

Sometimes what you see is what you get. What we saw under Eddie for the past 2 years was an absolute shitshow. It's not really a surprise that the callow Eddie Jones acolyte and his even less experienced sidekick aren't halting the slide, but it's absolutely batshit insane to be pointing at this and going AHA! EDDIE JONES! I TOLD YOU IT WAS WRONG TO SACK HIM! when Eddie Jones is one of the reasons why we're in this fucking state.


Anyway I'll watch the video and no doubt get very annoyed

quality rant

[Paddington Bear]

Fantastic rant. The man has clearly never played rugby. He starts from the position that everything can be explained like the plot of a very intricate Game of Thrones like story, when in reality rugby is very confused and highly contingent. He’s also absolutely adamant that Eddie was sacked for criticising private schools rather than, you know, the losing all the time.
It’s not that he’s wrong all the time, he does pick out some interesting bits, but he shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Him trying to explain how Wales’ kicking v England was actually genius was one of the more ludicrous things I’ve heard.

[yermum]

I cannot stand squidge.

His squeak makes me want to go in a murderous rampage. He is a jocksniffer of the worst variety.