Six Nations 2015

[KevinO]

The Welsh have overhauled their team and have named an experimental and wide running team to play against the Scots at Murrayfield.

Just kidding. North gets a "rest", Samson Lee TBC.

I give your Scots a chance at this one, Wales have not been that impressive in the last 12 months and even though Wales got a win over the Boks in November they have not had good back to back test for a while.

 

[the plastic paddy]

Don't understand Madigan ahead of Keatley. Sexton hasn't played for 12 weeks so you pick your next best 10 and kicker who is Keatley. He also regularly plays 12 so has the variety. If you pick Fitzgerald or Earls at 23, probably Luke as he has more game time, you have a rake of options.

 

[Shelts89]

Don't understand Madigan ahead of Keatley. Sexton hasn't played for 12 weeks so you pick your next best 10 and kicker who is Keatley. He also regularly plays 12 so has the variety. If you pick Fitzgerald or Earls at 23, probably Luke as he has more game time, you have a rake of options.

Yeah but Keatley was god awful on the weekend where as Madigan has looked alright when he has played for Ireland at 10 before. I genuinely think the main reason Ireland didn't look convincing against Italy was a lack of direction (especially in the backline), and that really is a key part of the 10's job. Even more so than for a 9.

I think Ireland, with the players they have, should be looking to move beyond suffocating sides. I don't think Keatley is really the 10 to do that. I could be wrong as I don't see him week in week out, just in the ECC and internationals really.

 

[the plastic paddy]

Yeah but Keatley was god awful on the weekend where as Madigan has looked alright when he has played for Ireland at 10 before. I genuinely think the main reason Ireland didn't look convincing against Italy was a lack of direction (especially in the backline), and that really is a key part of the 10's job. Even more so than for a 9.

I think Ireland, with the players they have, should be looking to move beyond suffocating sides. I don't think Keatley is really the 10 to do that. I could be wrong as I don't see him week in week out, just in the ECC and internationals really.

He was far from awful once he got over some early nerves, which are to be expected for a fella making his six nations debut, and he certainly kicked a lot more reliably than Madigan has of late. The team played exactly as Schmidt wished them to, keep it narrow and simple, giving nothing away as to plans for later in the tournament. Schmidt might well stick with Madigan because of his versatility at international level but, if he was picking his second best available out half it would be Keatley and rightly so.

 

[BabyBlueElephant]

Even if I'm in the pro Madigan camp, Keatley nor any other player should be judged on that game. People need to wake up Italy are a good bloody team at home. Teams only pull away at 60+ mins (Boks and ABs included). They're even harder in the 6N and especially the first game. They really draw you into an arm wrestle, it's not a game for complex plays when playing them in Rome.

 

[the plastic paddy]

Even if I'm in the pro Madigan camp, Keatley nor any other player should be judged on that game. People need to wake up Italy are a good bloody team at home. Teams only pull away at 60+ mins (Boks and ABs included). They're even harder in the 6N and especially the first game. They really draw you into an arm wrestle, it's not a game for complex plays when playing them in Rome.

It was a much better performance out of Ireland, and Keatley, than many commentators have given them credit. Ireland might not have run every back move in their repertoire but they had complete control of the game and, I suspect, it took considerably less out of them than many games they have played against Italy in the past. We will see, but I would have a punt that no one has a better PD against Italy, in Rome, than +23 this six nations.

 

[JSRF10]

The Welsh have overhauled their team and have named an experimental and wide running team to play against the Scots at Murrayfield.

Just kidding. North gets a "rest", Samson Lee TBC.

Wales need to get Amscombe and Scott Williams into their back line and Tipuric and Baker into their pack. Still think their front 5 isn't good enough but it would give them a more dynamic pack with more creativity in the backs.

I fancy the Scots to get over Wales this weekend if they can keep their discipline

 

[BabyBlueElephant]

It was a much better performance out of Ireland, and Keatley, than many commentators have given them credit. Ireland might not have run every back move in their repertoire but they had complete control of the game and, I suspect, it took considerably less out of them than many games they have played against Italy in the past. We will see, but I would have a punt that no one has a better PD against Italy, in Rome, than +23 this six nations.

The difference this time was, when we struggled in Italy before it looked like every player was at their max but nothing gelled thanks to the Italian pressure. This time we always looked fully in control and stayed in gear one.

 

[Highlander35]

Various responses to peeps in the thread.

I'll be disappointed if Maitland doesn't continue to rep for Scotland. The closest analogies are Nathan Hines and Dan Parks, who both played after leaving Edinburgh and Glasgow respectively.

Fusaro deserved his opportunity, and he got it last 6 Nations and on tour. However, I still haven't seen anything from him thatJohn Barclay didn't offer in a bigger package. Ross Rennie however was my favourite, despite being a gunners boy, and I wish he hadn't suffered so many injuries. Cowan fits Cotter's mold best, and is a very good player nonetheless, so he has the position.

I will remain unsure for a wee while. There's no obvious win, with the possible exception of Italy, if we can't get over Wales. Dunbar and Cross are under an injury cloud, Scott (injury) and Murray (religion) won't play against Wales already, so tighthead and inside center look a little light. Roberts isn't creative, but I'd have him beating Horne in one-on-ones, and Jenkins isn't great, but he's likely better than a Welsh & Low/Grant tighthead duo.

I just want good performances, regardless of win-loss (no wooden spoon though please), with stronger players hopefully starting to get re-introduced, and as few injuries as possible.

 

[boyo]

How far into the match before Hartley gets carded?

 

[Llew]

How far into the match before Hartley gets carded?

Just after the antipasti

 

[the plastic paddy]

Just after the antipasti

I bet Hartley and Ghiraldini get on like a house on fire.

 

[Shelts89]

England team remains unchanged, starters and bench. So Hartley on for about 15mins before a fight between him and an Italian?

 

[BabyBlueElephant]

Wilson out of the 6N now. Gotta be a sizable blow, pun intended.

 

[BabyBlueElephant]

Best, O'Brien, Heaslip, Sexton in the XV, Healy in the 23 for France.

 

[Shelts89]

Wilson out of the 6N now. Gotta be a sizable blow, pun intended.

Indeed, I rate him as the best scrummaging TH England have available, though Cole hardly did poorly last week and Brookes is quite promising.

Best, O'Brien, Heaslip, Sexton in the XV, Healy in the 23 for France.

That really is quite a list of players to add back into the team, if they can all get up and running quickly into the team then France may be in trouble. The French team just doesn't seem to play to the sum of its parts.

 

[the plastic paddy]

Indeed, I rate him as the best scrummaging TH England have available, though Cole hardly did poorly last week and Brookes is quite promising.



That really is quite a list of players to add back into the team, if they can all get up and running quickly into the team then France may be in trouble. The French team just doesn't seem to play to the sum of its parts.

Apart from against Ireland

 

[Shelts89]

Maybe, but you beat them in Paris last year so maybe the hoo-doo is broken!

 

[the plastic paddy]

Maybe, but you beat them in Paris last year so maybe the hoo-doo is broken!

1798.

 

[Shelts89]

1798.

pardon?