God I love the tri-nations so much, so much better in every regard than the 6 nations, the best players in the world showing fight and determination that puts every other nation to shame! Richie McCaw, what a man, I salute you sir! What a great game this SA and NZ game is!

I think there's been some awsome matches in the 6 nations Niall, remember England VS France? Wales VS England? (Not great from an English point of view) England VS Wales 06'? That's to name but a few! They are the best players in the world, that's why you was treated to a great game, but don't forget that there's only 3 teams in the tri-nations, and i think that is to the 6 nations advantage!

Ah yes John, I agree with u there, but I still would prefer to watch a tri-nations game above any game involving any other team but Ireland (have to stay patriotic), they are so much more exciting and eventful, the scraps during the game, albeit they make the game a little untidier, emphasise how much the tri-nations means to these players - there is far more pride and tradition associated with tri-nations games than the 6 nations! Theres one thing to be won in the tri-nations, and too many so-called "traditional" games and trophies within the 6 nations (triple crown, calcutta cup etc.). Southern hemisphere sides will continue to dominate rugby, they play the better rugby in terms of skill and excitement, and the teams down there play far more expansively than northern hemisphere nations have, do or ever will play! I hope one day we can talk about a northern hemisphere side being as good as southern hemisphere sides (preferably ireland)!

(plz dont talk about 2003-that was lucky

England 2003? <Confused smiley>

Nothing lucky about it, England taught a new bread of rugby back then, we beat the best and we were the best!

New Zealand play good, they have fast and strong players, they capitalise on the others teams mistakes, unfortuanatly there is no northern hemisphere team at the moment that can challenge NZ and SA, the Aussies ain't that great!

I think if your looking for skill, Ireland have the best backline in world rugby! I believe Strettle who plays on the wing for England is an awsome player, Harry Ellis also! We just need to adapt out game, if you play dirty and tidy against either of the mentioned teams, they won't win! England's 3rd team showed the world that against SA in the 1st half of their game (shame about the 2nd half) Do you watch every 6 nations game? Cause i do, and i see plenty of scraps, plenty of pride and plenty of flair and skill!


Edited at 18:54 Sat 23/06/07 (BST)

Hmm im not convinced, fair enough they beat the best on the way to the final, but there's no way they outplayed australia in the final!

Yep I do watch all the 6 nations games, however I think that the likes of Scotland, Italy and now even Wales again lower the standards of the competition greatly, and there have been so many more poor quality games in the 6 nations than quality games. On the contrary, I can't remember the last bad tri-nations game I saw-they are simply awesome spectacles, and a joy to behold for anybody who has a remote interest in the game.

I'd like to agree that Ireland has the best backline in the world, and perhaps they have the potential to be, but give me Sivivatu, Rockococo, Mauger and Carter ahead of Hickie, Horgan, D'arcy and O'gara. I'd even have Luke McCallister in ahead of Murphy/Dempsey - I don't know how he doesn't start for NZ, he's simply awesome! As for the Aussies, you're right, bar Chris Latham and maybe 1 or 2 forwards, they're average!

England owned Rugby for many years leading upto the world cup, everyone knew we'd have a great chance at winning the World cup, and we did! And we did outplay Australia in the final, it was held in Australia so they had a big advantage over us with the crowd! Enough about the glory years, gets me all nostaligic!



I also think it's very un-fair to call Wales crap, i think they've been very unlucky through injury, and haven't got a second string team!

I understand what you're saying about the tri-nations, they play fast expansive rugby! But don't totally discount Europe yet!

Lol, you might as well hang on to the glory years, may not come around again for a while, a la the football team! Yeah maybe it is unfair to call Wales crap, but they will struggle to even get out of their group in September - so might Ireland, quite frankly! But I certainly will not discount Europe at the World Cup, but when I say Europe, I mean France

France are one of the worse European teams mate! They can't even beat England. They get battered by NZ whenever they play them!

In their own backyard, they will be difficult for any team to beat though John, bar maybe the All Blacks, simply because they are in a different class altogether! I think it's harsh to call the champions of Europe one of the worse European teams...

1_eye you would be one of the biggest fools to not take france serious, they turny up, nobody can stop them!

also just reading thourhg those real long posts lol.

im welsh and we aint crap, we have more talent than most teams, especially with our strongest team, and we have a strong strength in depth, we just have one of the biggest morons as a coach

if we had ruddock you might have seen a very different wales in the 6N but we didnt.

but i must say to only just loose to a strong aussie team with our 2nd team is great, and there is definate skill in that team. if our forwards fron up we can match anyone, and saying we wont get out of our group is ridiculous, the least most of wales expect is a quarter and aslong as we draw england then we have a semi spot for the taking, (enlgish will probably be saying same thing)

so dont rule us out, we just need our forwards to front up and we could give a few of you lot a shock.........as usual

Matty, hate to brake this to you, but you don't have strength in depth. If you don't have your first team, you go to pot, it's not all the coaches fault! Even when Shane Williams ain't playing you miss something.

As for France, they are poop and we'll see that in the world cup, they lack heart, they've both talent and skill, but no passion! NZ hammer them everytime they play them.

lol theres real men in rugby?

Unless they're all really plastic and it's one big conspiracy? Although i shook Martin Johnson's hand once, and it felt real enough, although unreal at the same time, it was more of a paw!



*Starts counting down for the World Cup!*

i think you'll find we have quite abit of stregnth in depth! we dont have it to the scale of new zealand s.afrca but we have it more than enlgand,ireland.scotland.... and shane williams is world class, a top player and does things no other player in world rugby does at the moment.

and i cant believ you saying that about france, you must be new to rugby lol! dont know bout anyone else, but you definatly dont say that abaout france especially when there is a world cup comeing up and it in france!

and they are like australia, they turn up fpr big games, unlike new zealand



just watch the highlights of this match if ya want to... they didnt stand a chance apparantly, look what they done to the best in the world then

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VgWrEWbJeY

lol Matty, that was 8 YEARS ago. Cant be used as proof. France are quite strong at the moment though.

my point is, if they turn it on, not many teams can stop them. that game is just like what this years semi is shaping up to look like.

Matty, please come on mate, get real! 8 years ago, rugby is a quick sport, 1 year can make a whole difference (look at South Africa, nothing last year, struggled to beat England, hammered by Ireland, now one of the best in the world)

Look what happened to France against New Zealand in the tests, they were pounded and made to look like fools, and that was their 'A' side! France lack something, i don't know what, but they're missing something, it's certainly not talent!

Wales have depth? Prove it so!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAMtcvAsjIM

That link tells me they haven't got depth mate!


Also i'm now 25, i've watched rugby all my life, i think i might have a slight inclination of what i'm talking about.

France taking a severe hammering from The All Blacks! Which oocurs all too often for the poor chaps!

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we have depth! not many teams have colin charvis as back up, or gareth thomas or brent cockbain or duncan jones/gethin jenins!

come on, we aint going to struggle to get out of our group and we will either have england or s.africa in quarters, if we have england we are going to make the semi, so that aint bad if ya ask me lol.

another thing is we have a drip as coach, no getting away from it, and the whole of wales thinks that not just me, so there is soemthing wrong with him surely lol.