RBS 6 Nations Rugby

[likeitorlumpit]

Cracking 1st round of matches, more to come then Lions in the summer!

 

I think rugby lost all moral high ground after that affair a couple of years back with the guy smuggling a joke shop blood capsule in his sock!

 

I enjoy watching top rugby union but the trouble is it's all too much of a closed shop, too cosy. I really want to see a second tier 6 Nations, with countries like Georgia, Romania, Portugal, etc. and promotion/relegation between. And yes, that means Scotland would most likely end up going down but how refreshing for us to have the chance to win a few games and to get the opportunity to travel to Lisbon, Bucharest, the capital of Georgia(?), etc, and it would surely broaden the sport's appeal internationally.

 

Kind of a good idea but you may end up with a six nations of foreign teams.

I would like to see Scotland thrive as they are under Dean Richards. They were promising on Saturday. Look how Italy have improved over the last 10 years. They didn't give up and with their players benefitting from time in France and England they could become contenders soon.

From the money point- If Scotland were relegated that would mean the end of the Calcutta cup= oldest international game.

[Mycoman]

Kind of a good idea but you may end up with a six nations of foreign teams.

I would like to see Scotland thrive as they are under Dean Richards. They were promising on Saturday. Look how Italy have improved over the last 10 years. They didn't give up and with their players benefitting from time in France and England they could become contenders soon.

From the money point- If Scotland were relegated that would mean the end of the Calcutta cup= oldest international game.

 

It's Dean Ryan in the coaching set-up - would love to see Dean Richards, mind, he'd get the best out of what is, on paper, a decent scrum (though wasn't he the coach involved in the 'bloodgate' scandal I referred to?).

 

If the 6N did become all 'new' countries, wouldn't that be a case of the cream rising to the top? Who benefits from keeping these countries down?

 

And as for the Calcutta Cup - probably 1990 was the last genuinely competitive example of the fixture (OK then, 1994, Rob Andrew's hands in the ruck... ...bitter, me?). When we've won since it's been a stinker of a game. Clinging on to the way things have always been is what, in my opinion, holds rugby back.

[Mycoman]

A bit of an aside, but a mate of mine, a few years back, did his sports science dissertation on the effect of professionalism on Scottosh rugby. He found that Scotland and Ireland chose exactly the same route, ie districts/provinces controlled from above by the SRU/IRFU and all above remaining amateur clubs. The difference being that for Scotland, it was the end of our 'Golden Generation' (Hastingses, Weir, Jeffrey, Townsend, et al) while for Ireland it was just beginning (B'OD, Wood, et al). Up to that point, under amateurism, these things had been cyclical; post-professionalism, Scotland haven't been able to catch up.

[likeitorlumpit]

It's Dean Ryan in the coaching set-up - would love to see Dean Richards, mind, he'd get the best out of what is, on paper, a decent scrum (though wasn't he the coach involved in the 'bloodgate' scandal I referred to?).

 

If the 6N did become all 'new' countries, wouldn't that be a case of the cream rising to the top? Who benefits from keeping these countries down?

 

And as for the Calcutta Cup - probably 1990 was the last genuinely competitive example of the fixture (OK then, 1994, Rob Andrew's hands in the ruck... ...bitter, me?). When we've won since it's been a stinker of a game. Clinging on to the way things have always been is what, in my opinion, holds rugby back.

 

My mistake- must have been the lingering memory

[Paul in France]

Twelvetrees...what a cool name.

 

He's nick-named 36 (Twelve threes)

 

As for the 6 nations generally it doesn't do for England to get too smug. I remember supporting them when we played them at Murrayfield in 2000. Scotland hadn't won a match and we were on for the Slam - England lost 19-13 in the pouring rain if I recall the score correctly. Also we were stood next to a bunch of Taffs who were totally ratted and somehow or other had gone to the wrong ground - they were happy enough though:lol: It seemed a long journey home for us even though we only had to get to Durham from Edinburgh - pure misery made worse by stopping at a Scottish boozer on the way back to have the razz taken mercilessly by several dozen boozed up Jocks - good for them though!

 

We did have the pleasure of seeing England get the Slam in Ireland 3 years later 42- 6 (we celebrated by having a pint of Guinness for every point scored - 48 pints over 3 days - never went to bed just slept for an hour or so and carried on. Nearly killed me but what a weekend and what fantastic hosts the Irish lads were.

 

I reckon we can get the Slam again this year with players and coaches attitude. Good guys.

[PeteB]

Who will be the winners and loosers this weekend? (Apart from me, I got house guests, so ignoring them all aft ain't on,)

[Stubby]

Bring on the frogs !

[Mycoman]

Tell you what, though: who'd have thought Scotland v Italy would be the most entertaining match of the weekend?

[likeitorlumpit]

Tell you what, though: who'd have thought Scotland v Italy would be the most entertaining match of the weekend?

 

Hmmm

England game fascinating.. but you had to be English

[Mycoman]

Hmmm

England game fascinating.. but you had to be English

 

I admit, all those scrums are fascinating but pretty special interest - most people prefer incisive back play and a feast of tries, no?