You still haven't looked at your post John !

Ireland will NOT be beaten by Italy, but yeah, Ireland may just beat Italy, who cares, a win is a win in the 6 Nations. Personally, since Ireland have the so-called "big two" at home this time around (I'll gladly agree that they may not be the big two this time around), I think we have as much a chance as any to win a Grand Slam this time around! Anyway, here goes...


England - Italy = England, comprehensively
Ireland - France = Ireland, just
Scotland - Wales = Wales, relatively easily
France - Scotland = France, relatively easily
Wales - England = Wales, just
Italy - Ireland = Ireland, just
France - Wales = France, just
Scotland - Italy = Scotland, just
Ireland - England = Ireland, just
Italy - Wales = Wales, just
Scotland - Ireland = Ireland, COMPREHENSIVELY
England - France = France, just
Italy - France = France, comfortably
England - Scotland = England, easily enough
Wales - Ireland = OMG IT'S A DRAW

I've looked long and hard at my post and still feel there's nothing wrong with it!


I think Scotland are going to give teams a better run for their money this year, so long as they stay injury free that is!

I just done a dam good post with ages and facts and everything, but logged out!!

Basically, Wales have 5 players over 30. The only retirements looking like Gough and Williams at 35 and 34. So this squad will basically be the Welsh squad come world cup, and when you look at the youngsters like Tovey, Edwards,James and Halfpenny I think it looks great.
England have as many, if not more! They have loads of has been and be never will be players.
Backs will peek between 24-28 forwards 28-32. So it looks much better for Wales and Ireland come world cup time(reserve judgment on the Scots till the end of the tournament).
You have no balance in your squad and looking at it, there aint a threat.
This is your likely backline:
Care
Flood
Sackey
Flutey
Tindall
Cueto
Armatige

Comnpare that to:
Cooper/Phillips
Jones/Hook
Shane Williams
Gavin Henson
Tom Shanklin/Jamie Roberts
Leigh Halfpenny/Mark Jones
Lee Byrne

Your centres are older than ours and one of your wingers is as old as one of ours(Don't know why your wings age matter, they aint gonna see the ball lol). Stuff age your just as bad in backline terms!

Now the Forwards, you likely pack will be:
Sheridan
Mears
Vickery
Kennedy
Borthwick
Haskell
Moody
Easter

Compared to:
Adam Jones
Matthew Rees
Gething Jenkins
Alun Wyn Jones
Jonathan Thomas
Ryan Jones
Martyn Williams
Andy Powell

I've got a funny feeling, that the age of that pack is older than ours!

Forget about age and look at performance and skill and most importantly fitness, I'd back us and so would most of the world. I'd back Italy if It was in Italy.

The potential you have, and the team you're picking makes you a joke. You have lots of never will be players, but you aint gonna find out unless you play them ahead of these 2003 players. I'm just being straight, just like everyone is when the other home nations are as poor.

You being England will probably do well, same old same old, and I hope you do, because that'll mean things will just get worse for you with this guy and your very weird policies.

That's not England's back line!

If your going to be rude and call us a joke, fine, up to you. Although I find it rich for anyone to call England a joke when we're the ones who've kept rugby alive this side of the world for the past 7 years (disregarding last year of course).

We have potential. This time next year you'll see what we're doing!

What policies are you refering to?

Aren't you an Ospreys fan? Do they have a coach yet??

(Psssss, you've also missed out on loads of other English forwards, but beings you know so much I doubt it matters)

Take Moody out of that team and that will be your team against Italy, I promise you.

I'm not calling England joke and not being rude. I'm calling your team a joke. No Simpson-Daniel, no Barkely, no Lewsey(forced to retire)? But you got Tindall, and Cipriani.

Like I said, you have potential, lots of it but it won't be used unless something dramatic changes. I try and break it down as to why your potential won't be used.
Your forwards are very un-fit, and the game you want to play requires foward dominance, you won't get it unless your fitness improves and I'm sure I don't need to explain your set-piece to you, it's nearly as bad as Wales.
Working on potential, of course, call up Julian White, I'm sure he can offer a lot for the future. Will be interesting to see who gets the nod now Moody is out.
Johnson doesn't know what he is doing, read and watch his interviews and it's like Englands Gareth Jenkins.
The English club games is on a decline, the decent performers are foreigners, you'll see on Saturday.

You haven't kept rugby going for the last seven years over here, you've been as successful as Italy! You had a amazing couple of years at the start of the 21st century, but that's it. Oh yea, one lucky World cup run, where you actually played well in the final, but still lost.

NH rugby is a joke compared to the SH, England have done jack crap let alone keep NH rugby alive, and it's amazing to see that comment.
You won a world cup, that's all. English players and coaches single handly ruined the last Lions tour. And you actually believe you've kept it alive bar last year, when last year was your best 6N performance since 2003!!!


I can't believe how kind I was being about English rugby and you call me rude. You gotta face the facts, your bottom of the pile, Wales, Scotland and Ireland have been there, now it's you. It'll make 2020 when you finally reach your potential all the more sweeter

And yes we are looking for the coach, but that is what will make Saturday the day where Europe and the world is proven, that English rugby is on a downward sprial. You never know, it might be what the RFU need.

As for policies, your only aloud 4 changes to your Elite squad every series, (not inlcuding injuries) you don't have a coach, you just have a managing director who has never coached. You have no cap on foreigners in the GP from what I can see, and the RFU have a say on selection, It ridiculous !

In the year 2003 we won a Grand Slam and a World Cup. We challenged every year ( as in top three mostly) in the nations after that bar one. I think your getting opinion mixed with fact, and the fact your Welsh too!
Didn't Wales almost finish with a wooden spoon? I can't recall England doing so. (In fact the year you nearly finished with a wooden spoon I think England done you a favour)

English coaches messed up one Lions tour, which isn't a true reflection on English rugby! This season isn't over yet your banging on about how much greater you lot are.

I predicted a bad year for English rugby, next year will be different. I'll leave it at that.

I'll leave it to the players to do the talking from here on out!

I've had a rethink..Italy will win the Grand Slam

Sorry Niall................................

(Sorry Sporting too)

Wales did win(lol) a woooden spoon in 2003, and we nearly did the 6N before the last world cup, but outplayed England, even though we had an absolute muppet as a coach, he can't even get the Cornish Pirates job !!

England haven't been in with a shout for the 6N crown at the final weekend since 2003, that is a fact!
You finished 3rd in 2004.

You finished fourth with only two wins over Scotland and Italy in 2005.

You finished fourth again in 2006 with only 2 wins

You finished 3rd in 2007

And last year, you most successful since 2003 with a second place finish with only 3 wins.

So I'm dealing with facts!! and in two of those years, you beat the two poorest teams, who were more than just poor, to avoid the wooden spoon. So you've been relatively close, as close as Scotland, really.

As for banging on about how much greater we are, we are, you can't argue that fact. It could be different when it's over, but right now, we are the better team, so i think it's fine to bang on about it. We were crap for 30 years, so I'm making the most of it.

Bring on Staurday, the start of my favorite time of the year

I'm sorry Niall.

No need to apologize 1_eye, I wouldn't expect this thread to go any other way this time of year

Can't argue with fact!

Niall, you should really be throwing mud around too. Ireland are the worse under-acheivers out of all of them! At least England and Wales have won stuff...............

(You'll enjoy it, come on)

No real need to apologise I suppose, in a way it's kinda admirable, in that you're both evidently very passionate about the game and your country's respective prospects!

I know all too well about Irelands under-achievements...but we have won stuff too - three triple crowns in recent years

Okay not the greatest of achievements, but we'll win a 6 nations eventually

I looked at a fascinating table the other day...Ireland have accrued the second highest total points in the 6 nations to date, just 4 fewer than France...that statistic alone emphasizes the under-achievements of my beloved nation

I think there is 4 good nations over here, all of whom can play high class rugby. Unfortunatly only one of them seems to be able to do it when it matters!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Don't worry Ospreys, your through as well, I can feel it!

Massive game for Leinster tomorrow, still think it's 50/50 as to who goes through

I don't know if I can handle being and Ospreys supporter anymore, why are they so naive, the Tigers gave them a lesson in the word 'streetwise'.

To be fair, they got the win, I think they were one try away from winning quite comfortably. You could just see why Leicester have that European pedigree the Ospreys lack right now.

Ospreys vs Blues in the quarters, I don't think we could have got it easier

Oh and you could see why we need a dam coach that has played rugby before, our shape is horrific and we just wait for inidividual brilliance.

I think Leinster will bottle it to be honest, Niall. I really hope they don't, but it's days like this the Scots come into their own and the Irish, especially Leinster, seem to freeze.

Looks like we're going have to go to Munster.......Not good!


Leinster did well, helped by Wasps poor showing, or should I say Castre good showing. Just hope they find their best form for the quarters as they are a joy to watch and maybe away to Toulouse could be a classic like a couple of years back.

Lots can change in the last 40 minutes of this years Heineken cup pool stage, but it looks like some class match ups.

Who do you fancy to win it?

Thought it was a good game yesterday. Tigers showed why they're still a team in contention, great defence, even with a weakened team, just lacking something going forward. Thank the Irish for Jordan Murphy, easily the best player on the pitch yesterday!


I fancy the Ospreys to beat Munster. They showed their worth against Leicester and have a wonderful pack mentality, however they won't get away with as much as they did last night when they play at Munster, so that's something they'll have to bear in mind!

Leicester will make the Smi's or perhaps even the final, but I think to win it they have a big mountain to climb. Our coach is looking after his terminally ill in-laws and we don't know if he's coming back or not, and I don't care what a team says, that will have an effect on a club. Lets just hope it's nott too much of a bad thing. Hopefully Cockerill will take over and build a team from youth, just as Leicester has always done.

Leinster were somewhat lucky today, though they got the win they needed which is all that matters at the end of the day!

Interesting draw for the semis...

Cardiff vs Toulouse
Munster vs Ospreys (gonna be a cracker)
Harlequins vs Leinster
Leicester vs Bath

Niall's verdict...

Toulouse, Munster, Leinster and Leicester to make the semis, Munster to win the lot

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12321_4864830,00.html



Poor chap!

I don't think Leicester will win anything this year.........


Best of luck to Meyer and his family though, what a position to be in.