2023 Six Nations

[Torquemada 1420]

Only just realised Borthwick has ditched Smith for Farrell. FFS

Italy is getting closer :)

I can only smile at the thought of Farrell wrecking Eng's backline in a repeat of last week too

[Ymx]

Game of the tourney tomorrow.

Top 2 teams in the world going head to head.

Is that a first for the 6N?

[sockwithaticket]

Game of the tourney tomorrow.

Top 2 teams in the world going head to head.

Is that a first for the 6N?

Yep and the Beeb pod people haven't shut up about it all week.

[Ymx]

Game of the tourney tomorrow.

Top 2 teams in the world going head to head.

Is that a first for the 6N?

Yep and the Beeb pod people haven't shut up about it all week.

Sorry

Will take my neutral excitement elsewhere.

[Gav]

I wonder will farrell finally get that red he so richly deserves?

[Frop.E]

Beginning to ease into the weekend now with slightly less trepidation.

Proper old school 6N weekend for me. Welsh mates arriving Friday afternoon, rugby club dinner in the evening, restaurant booked for lunch on Saturday then off to the game.

Obviously not worried about mockers or carrying years of conditioned disappointment vs Wales but I think you will smash them and NGL I will enjoy Gatland getting a well earned commuppence for fucking with the Scottish players in Lions tours.

Still conditioned to think he'll pull something ridiculous off, but the evidence so far is pointing to Gatland being a old past it busted flush.

[Frop.E]

I wonder will farrell finally get that red he so richly deserves?

I kind of admire how much he gets away with tbh.

[sockwithaticket]

Game of the tourney tomorrow.

Top 2 teams in the world going head to head.

Is that a first for the 6N?

Yep and the Beeb pod people haven't shut up about it all week.

Sorry

Will take my neutral excitement elsewhere.

Don't worry, you have to be a particularly sad anorak to have listened to most or all of the daily podcasts like I have and thus heard them repeat it ad nauseam.

It is a genuinely remarkable stat worthy of discussion, I just wish they'd do the latter bit.

Even with the vagaries of Australia and South Africa's fortunes since the 6N inception (and possibly the 5N, but my memory doesn't go back that far) NZ have usually occupied position 1 or 2.

[PCPhil]

Beginning to ease into the weekend now with slightly less trepidation.

Proper old school 6N weekend for me. Welsh mates arriving Friday afternoon, rugby club dinner in the evening, restaurant booked for lunch on Saturday then off to the game.

I'm flying back from San Francisco overnight tonight, get back to Edinburgh 10pm Friday. Going to Murrayfield on Saturday, going out to watch the Superbowl Sunday. I won't know bum from breakfast time on Monday.

Oo. Done that journey before. Trick is to stay awake, drink steadily and accelerating as time goes on with the odd red bull thrown in as match nears.

[sockwithaticket]

Jesus, our baby Orcs are getting a lot of joy out of the maul early days against the Azzurrini

[Ymx]

Is it bbc iPlayer sports?

Yep. IPlayer >> Categories >> Sports >> Eng v Italy and Wales v Scotland.

[sockwithaticket]

Is it bbc iPlayer sports?

I'm watching it via the BBC website, but I think it's supposed to be on the iPlayer as well.

Edit - yep, here it is

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/ ... ions-rugby

[sockwithaticket]

Every time they say 'former Wasps [man/player]' I die a little inside.

England blitzing out of the blocks as they did last week. A few more errors than they'd like, though.

[sockwithaticket]

Italian scrum is marmalizing England even on our own ball.

[Jambanja]

Was that a try, was it really

[sockwithaticket]

Don't see a charged down conversion very often!

Was that a try, was it really

No it was not. And the penalty that gave them field position was a bit suspect too.

[sockwithaticket]

Messy, but that was a fun try.

[sturginho]

Scores pls?

[sockwithaticket]

Scores pls?

Eng 20 - Italy - 8

[tc27]

20-8 to England

[Ymx]

Scores pls?

It’s on iPlayer Phone App and the link sock posted above.

[Torquemada 1420]

Kerrist, this Fre U20 has nothing about it to be optimistic about.

[westport]

Scotland 8 Wales 0 HT

[tc27]

That tackle is likely a red.

ENgland down to 13 then.

[Jambanja]

That tackle is likely a red.

ENgland down to 13 then.

There was no way that was a red, yellow most definitely

[Lobby]

That tackle is likely a red.

ENgland down to 13 then.

Lucky to get away with a yellow there. Stupid tackle.

[iarmhí]

Ireland forwards very good.

8-0 with conversion to come

[tc27]

That tackle is likely a red.

ENgland down to 13 then.

There was no way that was a red, yellow most definitely

Agree on replay he released him before the ground but still a stupid tackle.

[Lobby]

20-8 to England

20 - 15 now

[fishfoodie]

Kerrist, this Fre U20 has nothing about it to be optimistic about.

It's very harsh to judge them this quick.

They're only kids, & if a lot of them are in their 1st year, they can still learn & come good next year.

[iarmhí]

Try France.

10-7

[fishfoodie]

Nice to see a sell out crowd down in Cork too

[sockwithaticket]

Should be a penalty try to England for that maul being brought down so obviously rather than giving us a try in the corner from which the conversion can be missed.

[Torquemada 1420]

Kerrist, this Fre U20 has nothing about it to be optimistic about.

It's very harsh to judge them this quick.

They're only kids, & if a lot of them are in their 1st year, they can still learn & come good next year.

Like I said last week, this is the worst generation I can remember. A couple of the backs have actually played T14 and looked good too:
- Bielle Biarrey at FB (Bordeaux) but he's looked a flake at this level: epitomised by that knock on in goal earlier
- Benmegal has had noises at Racing of being another Teddy Thomas
Anyway, the fwds were marmalised by Italy and look like going the same way here so those 2 won't see much ball.

A fair bit of nepotism going on too: Auradou, Fall, Carbonneau are all names you will recognise.

[sockwithaticket]

Squeaky bum time now for England. Being overpowered at close quarters by the much bigger Italian forwards.

[PornDog]

I know it went in our favour, but I don't like that sort of interference by the tmo - especially when it's not absolutely clear (despite what the tmo said)

[sockwithaticket]

Shanked pen that would've put a bit of breathing room on the scoreboard for England. Both teams' kickers will be doing extra practice this week you'd think.

[Torquemada 1420]

Squeaky bum time now for England. Being overpowered at close quarters by the much bigger Italian forwards.

They outclassed Fra last week: some optimism for the future in the Eyeties' camp?

[fishfoodie]

Kerrist, this Fre U20 has nothing about it to be optimistic about.

It's very harsh to judge them this quick.

They're only kids, & if a lot of them are in their 1st year, they can still learn & come good next year.

Like I said last week, this is the worst generation I can remember. A couple of the backs have actually played T14 and looked good too:
- Bielle Biarrey at FB (Bordeaux) but he's looked a flake at this level: epitomised by that knock on in goal earlier
- Benmegal has had noises at Racing of being another Teddy Thomas
Anyway, the fwds were marmalised by Italy and look like going the same way here so those 2 won't see much ball.

A fair bit of nepotism going on too: Auradou, Fall, Carbonneau are all names you will recognise.

It's the usual problem where the coaches in U20 get a limited amount of time with the players, so it's harder to get some things clicking, & you only ever get a couple of years from them.

It's showing up tonight with the lineout shambles for France.

[sockwithaticket]

England finishing strongly and drawing penalties. Finally a yellow for the Italians for repeaty infringements. A score would put things to bed.

Squeaky bum time now for England. Being overpowered at close quarters by the much bigger Italian forwards.

They outclassed Fra last week: some optimism for the future in the Eyeties' camp?

Certainly looks like they can get their scrum back to being a legitimate threat.