6 Nations Round 1

[ACT Crusader]

lee - you didn't happen to record these tests for ''personal use'' by any chance?

 

[Lee Grant]

No, but I may get my son to record the Setanta replay later in the week and put it to disc.

 

[Thomond78]

I'm not sure about Earls over Bowe. Earls defense is dodgy and he has been quiet lately. Bowe has been on fire for the O's....Earls is quicker though. I see Bowe becoming a handy 13.

Can't really agree with that on Earls, Spook. Made a try in Montauban, scared the bejesus out of Sale, and played some gorgeous rugby at 13 on both occasions. It's the difference between being a full-back coming into the line, where you can suddenly explode into a gap and go miles, and being a 13, where half the time you're working gaps for other people like Maaad Dougie, Dowling or Warwick to exploit. I do agree with you on Bowe as a 13, mind, and the Ospreys seem to agree with you, as he's playing there quite often for them.

 

[Ash]

I've watched 2/3 of the Ireland / France game so far, and it's a right cracker. Ireland lucky that France couldn't finish some cracking breaks, but geez, the Irish defence scrambled very well and got back fast.

Bit disappointed in the ref at ruck time though - he was letting players lie all over and slow down the ball. The ref really needed to hand out a few penalties. Irish were particularly guily on occasion after some of France's breaks. But they got away with it, and playing to the ref is all you can do. Doesn't mean the ref isn't wrong, though.

 

[Thomond78]

Incidentally, to return to one of my pet causes - the mauls in that game were bloody beautiful. The way that they sucked in the defence showed why they're such a great thing.

And the way that they were pulled down from the legs shows why the current ELV on them is an unenforceable dog's dinner that should be binned.

That said, it was a cracker of a game to watch. Farking fast, too.

 

[PaarlBok]

Bit disappointed in the ref at ruck time though - he was letting players lie all over and slow down the ball. The ref really needed to hand out a few penalties. Irish were particularly guily on occasion after some of France's breaks. But they got away with it, and playing to the ref is all you can do. Doesn't mean the ref isn't wrong, though.

Was Michael Owens? Watch only the first half and still have the rest on tape. As a neutral in this one (maybe not because I wear a Ierland Shirt on saturday) he surely irritate the shite outta me. Wish somebody can just tell him the players aint fucking school kids, compare him to my favourate one , Mark Lawrense that blow the Pom vs Italia test two different poles.

 

[Thomond78]

Bit disappointed in the ref at ruck time though - he was letting players lie all over and slow down the ball. The ref really needed to hand out a few penalties. Irish were particularly guily on occasion after some of France's breaks. But they got away with it, and playing to the ref is all you can do. Doesn't mean the ref isn't wrong, though.

Was Michael Owens? Watch only the first half and still have the rest on tape. As a neutral in this one (maybe not because I wear a Ierland Shirt on saturday) he surely irritate the shite outta me. Wish somebody can just tell him the players aint fucking school kids, compare him to my favourate one , Mark Lawrense that blow the Pom vs Italia test two different poles.

Nigel Owens.

Lawrence was gash. He only reffed one team, the ones in blue, and allowed England to do whatever the hell they liked to stop the Italians getting the ball. I was not impressed with him, to say the least of it.

 

[Pfitzy]

Finally getting around to watching back Jocks v Boyos and fucking hell isn't Jonathan Davies the definition of chippy Welsh git? He never stops polishing anything in a red shirt with the back of his throat while simultaneously taking a shit on everything else. "Magnificent turnover" he says, to the Welsh player flopping all over the ball. Now I have to watch it on mute.

 

[Pfitzy]

And Rolland is poo. One Scottish lineout midway through the first half, a Welsh player lies down on top of the tackler player and gets the penalty because the Jock didn't release. Fuck has he heard of "on your feet"?

 

[Pfitzy]

Rolland also seems to think a Welsh player diving onto a Scottish player near halftime is fine. Last time I checked that was dangerous play...

 

[Thomond78]

Rolland also seems to think a Welsh player diving onto a Scottish player near halftime is fine. Last time I checked that was dangerous play...

It's not. Certainly not mentioned in Law 10 (4), which is dangerous play. What precisely do you mean by "diving on"? :nta:

 

[Pfitzy]

Scottish ball-carrier brought the ground. Leek-boiling sheep-worrier dives on that player.

14.2(c)

So not listed under the dangerous play area of Foul Play, but still penalisable.

 

[Thomond78]

Scottish ball-carrier brought the ground. Leek-boiling sheep-worrier dives on that player.

14.2(c)

So not listed under the dangerous play area of Foul Play, but still penalisable.

No, no problems with that, and agreed; was just wondering about the dangerous bit, was all.

Don't watch Kaplan reffing England against Wales, btw; so farcically one-sided and inconsistent in his application of different standards to the same offence committed by different sides that you'll end up feeling sorry for the English. And that's not a place any of us ever want to be in. :-\

 

[Pfitzy]

I think I'll watch it just to see what feeling sorry for a Pom is like :nta:

 

[Pfitzy]

Jeez Oirish you weren't half wrong. Just before Tindall's card, Shanklin runs out of the line and knocks him out of the way. He should have elbowed the sheep-worrying git just for that!

 

[Pfitzy]

Still, you've got to be impressed with the Boyos - they used to be a bunch of fat, leek-munching softcocks but they play with real intensity and pace across the board. Whether its down to a culture change or just that they've got the right combo of players, coaches, and support in place, we won't find out for a couple of years yet.