Six Nations Rugby 2005

Oh well, at least we weren't embarrassing as usual. I'm encouraged, for once.

Wales vs England, 5.30pm. Should be good!

I heard France quoted at 100-1 on this morning, I spent some time this afternoon regretting not putting some money on Scotland (though maybe just as well, on reflection)

and well done Leeds in the proper rugby world club championships

blimey, eddie butler could be right, he predicted england, ireland, france, scotland AND wales would all win three games each and it would come down to score difference

I reckon Ireland could win 4.

No Winner 4/6
Ireland 7/2
France 4/1
Wales 8/1
Italy 1000/1

hmm, that must be from earlier today, eh?

Nice to see Scotland not being achingly rubbish. Over the weekend, star turns from a couple of players per country (the Magic Highlighted Mullet passes over the water from O'Driscoll to Shane Williams, bless him), with tottering backup in most cases apart (at a pinch) from Wales. Italy were just walking the Irish pack wherever they wanted yesterday, but didn't seem to know where to go.

Didn't see the Oirish yesterday, but it sounds like they wised up to the increasingly obv idea that the Irish front row are rubbish and if you front up you have a chance. Sounds like B O'D is out next week.

The Dr. C 6-nations man of the weekend award* goes to Welsh tighthead Adam Jones. Despite looking like a pub player who's won a Jim'll fix it contest to play rugby at the millenium stadium, he was immense. Scrummaged like a roadroller stuck in low-gear and hit every ruck like a bison on crack - superb.

*Will be awarded after every 6N weekend. Will always go to a Welsh player.

The Dr. C villian award goes to the moronic Danny Grewcock. Should have had a straight red for kicking Peel in the face at a ruck near the English line. Nasty, nasty man.

I mean Italy, obv.

here comes BO'D

BO'D and GD'A are apparently likely to be fit for Ireland at the wkend.

I didn't see the England game, so perhaps someone else can fill in on that, but it sounds like they totally screwed up the chance to beat a mediocre French team.

But onto the good teams - my boys did it again - yes! From the fisrt few minutes the result wasn't in doubt in Rome. I think the Italian pack was bigged up a little too much after the Scotland game, but they were still pretty solid in the set-piece v Wales. But their backs knocked on every time they had a bit of space. So many turnovers that against a team with backs like Wales, they were certain to be thumped. And they were. All the key performers shone for Wales - Henson, Shane Williams, both second rows, Gareth Thomas, but the Dr. C Man of the Weekend award goes to openside Martin Williams, a player for whom perpetual motion is the norm. He linked the forwards and the backs all afternoon, grabbed every loose ball, didn't miss a tackle and scored a very good try.

Ireland look onimously good. Didn't miss BO'D or GD'A at all at all. The pack, especially when using the rolling maul, is pretty hard to handle and that's where games are won and lost. The be-mulleted Shane Byrne had a stormer, as did O'Connell and O'Kelly. I especially liked O'Connor at openside flanker too. I am already worried about how Wales can handle Ireland - if Colin Charvis is fit again I think Wales might just be able to get enough ball to have a go, but their lineout needs to be better and they need to avoid getting tied up in a forward battle. The poor old Scots are of course still pish, despite yet more heroics from the back row and Cusiter. They have by far the most pedestrian three-quarters in the championship.

I wonder if Gav will choose Platinum boots for the next match? So far he's gone for silver and then gold. Perhaps after the platinum ones, a bejewelled pair?

In contrast, the France v Wales game has been really entertaining to watch.

Not least when you consider some of the incidents down the years they've been involved with, I don't remember anyone calling the referee to task after the Munster Leicester Heineken Cup Final.

'twas ere so

We'll beat Scotland obv, but Ireland will be tough. Two areas of concern : 1) the lineout - we have to get 100% of our ball, because we sure as hell won't get any of theirs. 2) the rolling maul. It killed us last year in Dublin, we know it's coming, but can we stop it? I think we'll bring in Robin McBryde at hooker for this one. Mefin Davies has done nothing wrong, but doesn't have the brute strength or experience.

England - no confidence. I think they'll beat Scotland though.