It wasn't so much even the Scots handling, they just aren't clinical...they had very decent territory, but they just don't have a Shane Williams, Lee Byrne, O' Driscoll etc., and that's what cost them, if anything (having said that, the lad who scored their try looked a right handful, he has got to start next week)!

Wales were good, but by no means brilliant, not by any stretch of the imagination. I think they are always going to be vulnerable in defence against better attacking players, and I think next weeks game will be a classic, and much tighter than some are suggesting! Obviously, in attack they are second to none at times.

Good first week of rugby

i thought wales looked good without breaking a sweat really, murrayfield is no easy place to go and make the scotts look bad.
that hit the scott gave that knocked him out was unreal!!!!!

Typical Scotland lol. We go into the opposition half then fumble/lose/eat the ball. Amazing we actually managed to score a try!

Should definitely start Paterson next game. He's our main source of points, so why not play the best kicker in the world?

Wales did well, but their kicking was very poor today.

Cos Dan Carter is from New Zealand, and is injured for months

true

It was comfortable, and as nervous as I am about next week, I think England are 100 times more so. It wasn't hard, it was a well drilled, professional performance that got a massive confidence boosting win in a palce we hardly ever win, and Scotland in Scotland is not easy for any team. As for defence, the ammount of possession they had, I think we done well It was not difficult for them, the players were talking about Saturday as soon as the whistle went, and I think they want to do some damage agaisnt the old enemy on Saturday

Lol Niall, but statistically Paterson is around the best. Also the only source of points for Scotland these days, excluding the try scorer Evans

You would have to be insane to even compare Paterson to Carter, but yeah I'll accept that his kicking from ground is up there with the best!

Looks like Shane Williams might be out for Saturday against England. Will be a shame as I'd like to see both teams at full strength!
(Although we're still missing a few of our best!)

Apparently they aint going to risk him with France away our next game.



The confidence over here is un-real, it's not normal to be this confident ! The players say they can't wait and to bring on England, and England are saying that they played bad because there was to much noise in Twickenham (LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Have you read that? I'll try and get the link now Good luck coming to Cardiff, the most hostile crowd in the world, I hope they still come out to play

Also, watch interviews with both sets of players, it's un-real the body language an vibes you pick up, it's like England don't want to play. Hopefully you pick the same team, they're are shot of confidence.

Edit:
The link, this makes you wonder about your coaches

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/sixnations/4568374/England-spooked-by-the-Twickenham-crowd-says-Brian-Smith.html

Edited at 19:05 Mon 9/02/09 (GMT)

I wouldn't believe everything you read - I think this might be a little bit of banter, more poker than anything.


To be fair, Twickers would be just as loud as the Millenium Stadium (what a horrible, im-personal name, only just occured to me) if it had a roof on!


I think 'box kick it' Foden is out of the running, although probably not going on past selection...... the only blessing England have is their counter-rucking is awsome again, something which helped Wales last year, and Cueto is back on form. Just hope the backs gain more and more experience.

Looking at it, I can't see England winning, but then again I couldn't see us getting to a World Cup final, we're like that, never know who's going to turn up!

Yea I think that's everyones worry over here, you never know, especially in Wales VS England. A cricket score is expected by most of England and nearly all the other countries, I think Wales are quietly confident, they want revenge for the past I think.

You won't be as poor as you were, I just think if you are, it could be a bit of a blood bath, especially the speed we play, and the players think they were rubbish yesterday, which is great.

I can't wait, the atmosphere will be immense, the game with be a stormer, and hopefully so will the scoreboard in Wales favour.




One thing I would say is that it is not wise to play mind games with Gatland, especially when he has the ammunition of how poor you've been at his disposal

Early prediction for the game is, 27-24 Wales.

Ireland with get brought back to earth with a hard fought win over Italy and I think Scotland are gonna get destroyed in France.

You calling it that close? If it's close it will be England's game, if not I think it will be Wales by a comfty 10-15 points!


Scotland are going to beat France. Lets face it if Scotland had a scrum (lots of key players injured) then they would have had more of a fighting chance against Wales!


Ireland to hammer Italy!

Chances are the new lads will have a good game, only for Alain (am I French or Irish, either way I hate the English) Roland to mess it up.
(I don't even know who the ref is, but the thought made me laugh, am sure you'll go look it up)

i wouldnt take too much from that telegraph article sporting.

also i really dont think it will be that close in the wales game either. id say wales by 7-10 and ireland by 10-13. struggle at first but comfortable in the end

Having seen that English team, my confidence level has just gone through the roof !

I just know something bad will happen to Wales. If the team they named wasn't called England , I would be saying play the youngsters and give them game time!

Richard Best has gone on record saying he aint going to the stadium as an England supporter because it is going to be to embarassing, and will go to support the game of rugby, and watch great teams like Wales as he never misess the chance to watch great teams.

Please, stop building us up so much !

D Armitage (London Irish); Sackey (Wasps), Tindall (Gloucester), Flutey(Wasps), Cueto (Sale); Goode (Brive), Ellis (Leicester); Sheridan (Sale), Mears (Bath), Vickery (Wasps), Borthwick (Saracens, capt), Kennedy (London Irish), Haskell (Wasps), Worsley (Wasps), Easter (Harlequins).
Replacements: Hartley (Northampton), White (Leicester), Croft (Leicester), Narraway (Gloucester), Hodgson (London Irish), Flood (Leicester), Tait (Sale).

I don't think there's much else England can do with the team, all our best forwards are injured so we'll have to settle with a lesser pack. I don't think the backs look that bad, quite a lot of experience there. Just hope Goode isn't going to be kicking balls to Byrne and company all day.......


Bench doesn't look half bad, White will be bought on in the second half to annoy the Welsh and to strengthen a weak scrum!

That team has clearly been picked for the tactic to kick the ball at every given oppurtunity, far into the stands to stop quick line-outs and just target our line-out until you get to our 5 metre line, catch our ball and snatch a try. And just keep trying to get penalties and the odd drop goal. That's clearly your tactics with Goode picked, and a very very slow back-row with not one attacking threat in the backline. It has an air of damage limitation about it.

Your backs have no flair, other than possibly Cueto, Sackey can finish, doesn't create, Tindall is there to try and stop Roberts, he will do a solid job, but gives nothing in attack. Flutey is the most overated bag of rubbish I have ever seen in international rugby.

Ellis is going to look so rubbish with that bac-row as protection, they aint fit or quick enough to stop the Welsh back row.

You need possession, then territory, topped with a poor Wales perfomance to stand a chance with that team

You got some flair on the bench, but it's still week with Flood in rubbish form, no second row, and White passed his best.

It could be a Valentines day Massacre!

One thing I would like to say is that I aint meaning to come across arrogant, I am basquing in the glory, no doubt, but I am far from a bad sport. That team is crap compared to the Welsh team, and is so conservative, it's sad to see. However, your tactics will give you a chance if you get the rub of the green and Wales fail.

If anyone really thinks that English team can threaten top teams, without luck and an absolute astonishing performance from them, you must insane. It's the worst England team I have ever seen, why you are not playing your 'flair' players, who will have no fear and be very hungry I don't know, it's like Johnson is praying for the Welsh bus not to turn up.

Wales' to lose, no doubt, but I know it's more than possible, but deep down, I'm thinking we should aim big, very very big

That is the biggest load of rubbish I've ever read - especially the part about Ellis! When he's fully fit and back from injury he'll be one of the best in the world again - you obviously forget that load of crap (or a proportion of them) got us to a world cup final a little while back........
(I think you know where that post would lead to, my point is not to be too dis-respectful - Wales were in the same position as England a little while back, and they had some of the best players in the world playing for them then apparently!!)

The rugby world has moved on, we don't even have the same damn rules as when England made the RWC final, stop clutching of straws, you have not got anything. I would feel mroe threatened by Namibia.

My post is far from rubbish as will be proven.
Ellis is not even close to the level of potential to be one of the best in the world, I think you got a bit excited there

I didn't say Ellis is crap, he will look crap and so far behind everyone else with that back row. They are big, defensive lumps and probably the slowest back row in the tournament. I don't need to tell you that.

That team is awful ! You are going out to save face it's clear, you will be boring, kick kick kick, pray, kick kick kick, pray. If that aint the case why don't you have some excitment in that team?


I'm not going to try and persuade and English man to accept that English team is the worst I have ever seen, I won't win that one I think it's safe to say, but that's my opinion.

The only thing giving England a chance of victory is there is not one person on this planet expecting them to win, and when that happens, they usually do.

You will see what I mean first hand on Saturday and every other weekend afterwards, it should be a massacre, revenge for the past, the fans and players want this more than a Grand Slam, they aint gonna let up.

for your sake sporting i hope wales win coz u have a lot of words to eat if they dont!