Six Nations 2015

[X]

With less than a week to go before (IMO) the best annual sporting tournament in the world, what are people's hopes, fears and expectations for this year. With the World Cup coming up, the significance of the games is heightened .... Or they become a double bluff!

Scotland had a good autumn and their new manager seems to have revitalised them. Their traditional high paced forward game has now turned pressure into more points and it's good to see them improving after the frankly awful few years they have suffered.

Italy are steadily improving, they won't threaten the leaderboard yet but they are not the pushovers they have been in the past. The winner of the 6N used to be the team that put the most points onto Italy, but no longer. They have famous victories over France and Scotland recently .... And any team containing the great Sergio Parisse can never be discounted.

France. Simply unbelievable that a country with so much passion, talent, strength in depth and money can be so inconsistent. On paper, you can argue that they are easily the superior northern hemisphere team.... And yet, their coaching is muddled, they lack confidence and they seem mentally weak. One day they will just give up, the next they will annihilate the All Blacks. Who on earth knows which French team will ever turn up (certainly not the French team or coaching staff anyway)

England have more registered players than the next 6 countries in the world added together, so I am not buying any of the talk about an injury crisis. Huge strength in depth (if Wales had nine players out injured, we would be picking students!). Lancaster is a decent man, but doesn't seem to have a clear vision on how England should play. They have never succeeded in playing an open, attacking game, and I suspect they will feel they can't without more first choice players available. Ironically, this may help them as I think they will retreat into their forward based kicking game. They do this really well, are always competitive up front, are tough and cussed and will be as hard to beat as usual.

Wales have a settled team, essentially the same squad that did so well in the last World Cup and have won three Grand Slams and a Championship in the last decade. They've been the leading Northern Hemisphere team for a few years, despite their poor record against the Big Three. They have the quality to win the tournament if they play to their ability for the full 80 minutes, but they seldom actually do that and - being the smallest country in the 6N, they are particularly vulnerable to key injuries. I also really respect what Warren Gatland has done got them, but I do wonder whether teams have worked out how to counter 'Warrenball' and I don't see a lot of new tactics and strategies coming through.

Ireland are the team I'm tipping this year. Settled, high morale, coming off an excellent Autumn series. Good players in all positions and few major weaknesses. Sexton is the on form fly half on the world at the moment and they have a decent draw this year too. I think they will be a major threat in the World Cup and, Joe Schmidt their coach is a real tactical innovator.

Thoughts/views?

[ryanman]

My thoughts are you have a dig at England RFU at every opportunity.
So England battling Italy for the wooden spoon you think?

To be fair our attacking game did whoop NZ two autumns ago and has had some other good results. But not consistent. It's a bit unfair to dismiss our injuries. No Tuilagi, Lawes, Launchbury, Morgan, Parling, Farrell (that one is ok by me), Eastmond, Coles, Tom Wood and others I'm forgetting. Anybody would miss them.
Corbisiero back finally is a huge plus. I think England's strongest team is capable of dominating in the pack and attacking with some verve. Johnny May is the quickest strike runner in world rugby.
Tuilagi is a huge loss as he creates space for others, which the likes of May can exploit (as opposed to the horribly out of form Ashton he played with for two years). Our second row of Lawes and Launchbury can really grow together if they can string a few games together but they are out, as well as 3rd choice Parling. So our 2nd row will be 4th and 5th choice.

Morgan out is a big blow too. He was unstoppable in the last Autumn international. Proper rampaging number 8.

I still miss Tom Croft too. Probably our best player IMO. But although he is not currently injured 5 games in two years means a recall is a long way off.

I think England will lost to Wales then win the rest.
Wales will be good. But come the World Cup will lost to the first SH team they play. Whereas this shitty England team that stink the place out constantly will get to the final.

[X]

No, you've got that wrong ....... I said that England have huge strength in depth, a natural forwards based kicking game, who are always competitive and hard to beat. Dismissing their injury list is a huge compliment. Not sure how you think that's having a dig at them.....

It's also a fact that they haven't managed to consistently unleash their backs, nor even to be sure who their first choice centre combination is. That's not digging them out either.

Bearing in mind my usual one-eyed parochialism, I though my post was remarkably fair and nice about everyone.

[ryanman]

No, you've got that wrong ....... I said that England have huge strength in depth, a natural forwards based kicking game, who are always competitive and hard to beat. Dismissing their injury list is a huge compliment. Not sure how you think that's having a dig at them.....

It's also a fact that they haven't managed to consistently unleash their backs, nor even to be sure who their first choice centre combination is. That's not digging them out either.

Bearing in mind my usual one-eyed parochialism, I though my post was remarkably fair and nice about everyone.

Yeah ok, you might be right. I'll let you have that one!

Really looking forward to this year's championship. Wales will be strong, Ireland the form team, Scotland improving.
England have Wales away and Ireland away. That is not helpful. I can see us getting a result in Dublin more than Cardiff though although we will be underdogs in both. I can see England, Ireland and Wales all ending with 1 defeat each.
Looking forward to several beers this Friday evening and some good rugby and banter.

[walrus]

The New England Patriots will win the world cup.

[El Kabong]

Who the what now?