NPR

fishfoodie wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 8:16 pm

Ymx wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 7:30 pm I’m getting excited.

I’m really looking forward to Sundays match.

I shall be locating my family tartan in support ….

Done. Although I’ve blatted my normal avatar now oops.

I think we'll get three good (Senior) matches this weekend, there's a lot at stake all around.

fishfoodie wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 8:16 pm

Ymx wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 7:30 pm I’m getting excited.

I’m really looking forward to Sundays match.

I shall be locating my family tartan in support ….

Done. Although I’ve blatted my normal avatar now oops.

I think we'll get three good (Senior) matches this weekend, there's a lot at stake all around.

Ymx wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 8:26 pm

fishfoodie wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 8:16 pm

Ymx wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 7:30 pm I’m getting excited.

I’m really looking forward to Sundays match.

I shall be locating my family tartan in support ….

Done. Although I’ve blatted my normal avatar now oops.

I think we'll get three good (Senior) matches this weekend, there's a lot at stake all around.

Sorry to be picking Scotland Fishy. I think the swarm descending over here was too triggering.

Plus, it would crack open the championship.

C69 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 8:27 pm

fishfoodie wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 8:16 pm

Ymx wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 7:30 pm I’m getting excited.

I’m really looking forward to Sundays match.

I shall be locating my family tartan in support ….

Done. Although I’ve blatted my normal avatar now oops.

I think we'll get three good (Senior) matches this weekend, there's a lot at stake all around.

Really?
Tbh the level of publicity and enagement from anyone outside rugby for this 6N is virtually zero.
It's all a bit Meh

Ymx wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 8:55 pm So it’s
5 vs 6
3 vs 4
2 vs 1

That’s a pretty good weekend.

sturginho wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 9:07 am Italia
15 Tommaso ALLAN (Harlequins, 69 caps)
14 Edoardo PADOVANI (Benetton Rugby, 43 caps)
13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Benetton Rugby, 21 caps)
12 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps)
11 Pierre BRUNO (Zebre Parma, 10 caps)
10 Paolo GARBISI (Montpellier, 22 caps)
9 Stephen VARNEY (Gloucester Rugby, 19 caps)
8 Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 6 caps)
7 Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 24 caps) – capitano
6 Sebastian NEGRI (Benetton Rugby, 43 caps)
5 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 39 caps)
4 Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 28 caps)
3 Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 43 caps)
2 Giacomo NICOTERA (Benetton Rugby, 10 caps)
1 Danilo FISCHETTI (London Irish, 28 caps)

A disposizione
16 Luca BIGI (Zebre Parma 45 caps)
17 Federico ZANI (Benetton Rugby, 19 caps)
18 Marco RICCIONI (Saracens Rugby, 19 caps)
19 Edoardo IACHIZZI (Vannes, 3 caps)
20 Giovanni PETTINELLI (Benetton Rugby, 10 caps)
21 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 8 caps)
22 Alessandro FUSCO (Zebre Parma, 8 caps)
23 Luca MORISI (London Irish, 42 caps)

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:06 am Stuart Hogg's 100th cap on Saturday, hope he gets a hugely rousing reception.

IMO, greatest player of this generation of Scotland players and in the top 5 of all time.

SaintK wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:52 am

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:06 am Stuart Hogg's 100th cap on Saturday, hope he gets a hugely rousing reception.

IMO, greatest player of this generation of Scotland players and in the top 5 of all time.

Really? Who are the other four?

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:23 pm

SaintK wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:52 am

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:06 am Stuart Hogg's 100th cap on Saturday, hope he gets a hugely rousing reception.

IMO, greatest player of this generation of Scotland players and in the top 5 of all time.

Really? Who are the other four?

Not even top five from Hawick

That was joke, mind you, Hawick has had a great deal of success, 58 Scotland internationals and 13 Lions, from a town of fewer than fifteen thousand people.

My top players of all time would include (it has to be players I've seen as I don't know about the older ones) Gary Armstrong, Andy Irvine, Jim Renwick (Hawick), Gavin Hastings, Finlay Calder, David Leslie, John Rutherford, Colin Deans (Hawick), Iain Milne.

I think Hoggy will join the list, as will Darcy Graham if we can keep him fit.

edit, oh, Finn too

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:23 pm

SaintK wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:52 am

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:06 am Stuart Hogg's 100th cap on Saturday, hope he gets a hugely rousing reception.

IMO, greatest player of this generation of Scotland players and in the top 5 of all time.

Really? Who are the other four?

Not even top five from Hawick

That was joke, mind you, Hawick has had a great deal of success, 58 Scotland internationals and 13 Lions, from a town of fewer than fifteen thousand people.

My top players of all time would include (it has to be players I've seen as I don't know about the older ones) Gary Armstrong, Andy Irvine, Jim Renwick (Hawick), Gavin Hastings, Finlay Calder, David Leslie, John Rutherford, Colin Deans (Hawick), Iain Milne.

I think Hoggy (Hawick) will join the list, as will Darcy Graham (Hawick) if we can keep him fit.

edit, oh, Finn too

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:37 pm

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:23 pm

SaintK wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:52 am
Really? Who are the other four?

Not even top five from Hawick

That was joke, mind you, Hawick has had a great deal of success, 58 Scotland internationals and 13 Lions, from a town of fewer than fifteen thousand people.

My top players of all time would include (it has to be players I've seen as I don't know about the older ones) Gary Armstrong, Andy Irvine, Jim Renwick (Hawick), Gavin Hastings, Finlay Calder, David Leslie, John Rutherford, Colin Deans (Hawick), Iain Milne.

I think Hoggy will join the list, as will Darcy Graham if we can keep him fit.

edit, oh, Finn too

wee tam being robbed blind here

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:41 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:37 pm

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:23 pm



Not even top five from Hawick

That was joke, mind you, Hawick has had a great deal of success, 58 Scotland internationals and 13 Lions, from a town of fewer than fifteen thousand people.

My top players of all time would include (it has to be players I've seen as I don't know about the older ones) Gary Armstrong, Andy Irvine, Jim Renwick (Hawick), Gavin Hastings, Finlay Calder, David Leslie, John Rutherford, Colin Deans (Hawick), Iain Milne.

I think Hoggy will join the list, as will Darcy Graham if we can keep him fit.

edit, oh, Finn too

wee tam being robbed blind here

Smith?

He's certainly worthy of inclusion.

I played with David Sole at club level, he is the best rugby player I've ever seen that close up, his hand skills were as good as any International back and the only player that used to beat him in the shuttle runs was our international winger Alex Moore

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:45 pm
Anyone who's played with/against proper top class internationals in any capacity always has the same things to say about the sheer gulf between them and mere mortals Must be pretty humbling.

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:23 pm

SaintK wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:52 am

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:06 am Stuart Hogg's 100th cap on Saturday, hope he gets a hugely rousing reception.

IMO, greatest player of this generation of Scotland players and in the top 5 of all time.

Really? Who are the other four?

Not even top five from Hawick

That was joke, mind you, Hawick has had a great deal of success, 58 Scotland internationals and 13 Lions, from a town of fewer than fifteen thousand people.

My top players of all time would include (it has to be players I've seen as I don't know about the older ones) Gary Armstrong, Andy Irvine, Jim Renwick (Hawick), Gavin Hastings, Finlay Calder, David Leslie, John Rutherford, Colin Deans (Hawick), Iain Milne.

I think Hoggy (Hawick) will join the list, as will Darcy Graham (Hawick) if we can keep him fit.

edit, oh, Finn too

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:50 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:45 pm
Anyone who's played with/against proper top class internationals in any capacity always has the same things to say about the sheer gulf between them and mere mortals Must be pretty humbling.

The story goes that Gavin Henson was the one that had a similar impact on top class internationals, in a "How the fuck does he do that?" kind of way.

EnergiseR2 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 3:05 pm

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 2:37 pm

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:50 pm


The story goes that Gavin Henson was the one that had a similar impact on top class internationals, in a "How the fuck does he do that?" kind of way.

I gave up on my international ambitions when I played against Townsend in a trial match, the realisation of the difference between an OK player and a top player hit me like a brick wall!

Actually, that's not true, I only gave up my international ambitions at about 40

Even very good club players are poles apart from most players. The lines they run and ability to read in attack and defence is vastly different to us mere mortals

EnergiseR2 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 3:05 pm

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 2:37 pm

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:50 pm


The story goes that Gavin Henson was the one that had a similar impact on top class internationals, in a "How the fuck does he do that?" kind of way.

I gave up on my international ambitions when I played against Townsend in a trial match, the realisation of the difference between an OK player and a top player hit me like a brick wall!

Actually, that's not true, I only gave up my international ambitions at about 40

Even very good club players are poles apart from most players. The lines they run and ability to read in attack and defence is vastly different to us mere mortals

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:34 pm
Even more pronounced these days I think. I invited a guy who played centre and was in the wider Ealing squad to play for our touch team in London a few years ago as we were short - he was a PT at the gym. I couldn't believe the skills and the speed on the guy, had never seen anything like it up close.

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:45 pm

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:34 pm
Even more pronounced these days I think. I invited a guy who played centre and was in the wider Ealing squad to play for our touch team in London a few years ago as we were short - he was a PT at the gym. I couldn't believe the skills and the speed on the guy, had never seen anything like it up close.

Given that becoming a professional is very selective anyway, and in most cases you are on a pathway from mid teens to get there, once you have spent years on conditioning and skilling up in a professional environment it becomes a whole different kettle of ball games.

Imagine someone like Dupont or Ringrose or Lukhanyo Am rocking up for a social game of touch!

PCPhil wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:44 pm Different sport but I was good all round athlete at school. One guy in the same year was an amazing 400m runner. Like seconds faster than anyone in the county. He ran in his UK age group final and finished only 5th. That’s when you realise that the absolute top one’s in any sport are…. well, just on a different planet.

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:48 pm

PCPhil wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:44 pm Different sport but I was good all round athlete at school. One guy in the same year was an amazing 400m runner. Like seconds faster than anyone in the county. He ran in his UK age group final and finished only 5th. That’s when you realise that the absolute top one’s in any sport are…. well, just on a different planet.

Yup, top sprinters against quick rugby players is no contest. Used to play touch on the Meadows in Edinburgh with Dougy Walker and it was insane seeing him just cruise round people I considered rapid. Also played against Derek Redmond back in the day and seeing him in full flight was special.

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 5:06 pm

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:48 pm

PCPhil wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:44 pm Different sport but I was good all round athlete at school. One guy in the same year was an amazing 400m runner. Like seconds faster than anyone in the county. He ran in his UK age group final and finished only 5th. That’s when you realise that the absolute top one’s in any sport are…. well, just on a different planet.

Yup, top sprinters against quick rugby players is no contest. Used to play touch on the Meadows in Edinburgh with Dougy Walker and it was insane seeing him just cruise round people I considered rapid. Also played against Derek Redmond back in the day and seeing him in full flight was special.

I've just done a very quick calculation in my head based on Bolt's record of 9.54 seconds v Thom Evans' best of 11.2.

Evans was no slouch, but I think he'd be at least 15m behind Bolt in a length of the pitch race.

laurent wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 5:11 pm

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 5:06 pm

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:48 pm

Yup, top sprinters against quick rugby players is no contest. Used to play touch on the Meadows in Edinburgh with Dougy Walker and it was insane seeing him just cruise round people I considered rapid. Also played against Derek Redmond back in the day and seeing him in full flight was special.

I've just done a very quick calculation in my head based on Bolt's record of 9.54 seconds v Thom Evans' best of 11.2.

Evans was no slouch, but I think he'd be at least 15m behind Bolt in a length of the pitch race.

Best French winger was a bit faster at 10 s 34 (Sébastien Carat) still around 8 m behind

PCPhil wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 6:57 pm

laurent wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 5:11 pm

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 5:06 pm


I've just done a very quick calculation in my head based on Bolt's record of 9.54 seconds v Thom Evans' best of 11.2.

Evans was no slouch, but I think he'd be at least 15m behind Bolt in a length of the pitch race.

Best French winger was a bit faster at 10 s 34 (Sébastien Carat) still around 8 m behind

Achieved that record in 1939 on French-German border if I recall (apologies, just bantz)

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 2:37 pm

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:50 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:45 pm
Anyone who's played with/against proper top class internationals in any capacity always has the same things to say about the sheer gulf between them and mere mortals Must be pretty humbling.

The story goes that Gavin Henson was the one that had a similar impact on top class internationals, in a "How the fuck does he do that?" kind of way.

I gave up on my international ambitions when I played against Townsend in a trial match, the realisation of the difference between an OK player and a top player hit me like a brick wall!

Actually, that's not true, I only gave up my international ambitions at about 40

Yr Alban wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 8:16 pm

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 2:37 pm

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:50 pm


The story goes that Gavin Henson was the one that had a similar impact on top class internationals, in a "How the fuck does he do that?" kind of way.

I gave up on my international ambitions when I played against Townsend in a trial match, the realisation of the difference between an OK player and a top player hit me like a brick wall!

Actually, that's not true, I only gave up my international ambitions at about 40

A mate of mine played v Toony at club level and told me he’d never met a more arrogant player, but that he could back it up - nobody could lay a hand on him. (He also used to go out at school with a girl who was in my year at med school. She is Geoff Cross’s sister, which tells you something about how small a world Scottish rugby is).

TheFrog wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:35 pm

Yr Alban wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 8:16 pm

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 2:37 pm

I gave up on my international ambitions when I played against Townsend in a trial match, the realisation of the difference between an OK player and a top player hit me like a brick wall!

Actually, that's not true, I only gave up my international ambitions at about 40

A mate of mine played v Toony at club level and told me he’d never met a more arrogant player, but that he could back it up - nobody could lay a hand on him. (He also used to go out at school with a girl who was in my year at med school. She is Geoff Cross’s sister, which tells you something about how small a world Scottish rugby is).

What you are saying is that this poaching in Scottish rugby in recent years is to fight inbreeding?

Yr Alban wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 12:26 am

TheFrog wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:35 pm

Yr Alban wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 8:16 pm

A mate of mine played v Toony at club level and told me he’d never met a more arrogant player, but that he could back it up - nobody could lay a hand on him. (He also used to go out at school with a girl who was in my year at med school. She is Geoff Cross’s sister, which tells you something about how small a world Scottish rugby is).

What you are saying is that this poaching in Scottish rugby in recent years is to fight inbreeding?

Hey, I'm just saying that the Borders isn't a densely populated area...

fishfoodie wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 3:08 pm

Nice to see Henshaw back after a long timeout

Ymx wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 5:33 pm What are the times for the games tonight?

Assume they will be on iPlayer