The Six Nations, now with added bonus points!

[dropkick]

The 6 nations refs have been finalised.
Wales vs Ireland to be refereed by Wayne Barnes.... again!

V Scotland, Poite
V Italy, Jackson
V France, Owens
V England, Garces

http://www.the42.ie/six-nations-6-refer ... 5-Dec2016/

[simonokeeffe]

The 6 nations refs have been finalised.
Wales vs Ireland to be refereed by Wayne Barnes.... again!

V Scotland, Poite
V Italy, Jackson
V France, Owens
V England, Garces

http://www.the42.ie/six-nations-6-refer ... 5-Dec2016/

I think I speak for all of us when I say

[FLIP]

The 6 nations refs have been finalised.
Wales vs Ireland to be refereed by Wayne Barnes.... again!

V Scotland, Poite
V Italy, Jackson
V France, Owens
V England, Garces

http://www.the42.ie/six-nations-6-refer ... 5-Dec2016/

I think I speak for all of us when I say

Owens the only one out of that lot that hasn't made a point of screwing over Ireland. At least we don't have to have peyper as a ref.

[ChrisUppy]

The 6 nations refs have been finalised.
Wales vs Ireland to be refereed by Wayne Barnes.... again!

V Scotland, Poite
V Italy, Jackson
V France, Owens
V England, Garces

http://www.the42.ie/six-nations-6-refer ... 5-Dec2016/

I think I speak for all of us when I say

Owens the only one out of that lot that hasn't made a point of screwing over Ireland. At least we don't have to have peyper as a ref.

What have Garces and Poite done? I've been impressed by them recently... they seemed much improved

[fourthirtythree]

Barnes is the only one I have a real problem with. In general he's an okay ref but if he never,ever referees a match with Ireland again it will still be too many.

Despite it not being good for his career he is the kind of person who would vote Brexit shall we say...

[simonokeeffe]

Barnes does have the air of someone who wouldnt drink a non decanted sherry
Plus side is refs for Scotland and Italy games shouldnt come into it

Gethin Jenkins looks to be out of the 6n as he needs surgery on a bicep injury. He played the Boks game with it and then Cardiff let him play against Ulster with it too. Serious blow for Wales

[Peg Leg]

Is it? think Jenkins has been pants for a while now.

[simonokeeffe]

Is it? think Jenkins has been pants for a while now.

Nah engine issue aside hes having an Indian summer. Ive been writing him off on age for 2 years. Problem is Wales have had f all other options so have overplayed him in minutes and games

[offshorerules]

I presume Joe will but one of these and wear it for his team talk before the England match this year.

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/rugby/difficul ... irt/109179

[fourthirtythree]

Just looked at the Grauniad and saw the headline "Jones confident Hartley will be fit to lead England in 6N opener"
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/sport

When you click on that you ge to an article with the heading "Eddie Jones confident Dylan Hartley will lead England in Six Nations opener" which is an entirely different proposition, but certainly answers that question...

[Oldschool]

The 6 nations refs have been finalised.
Wales vs Ireland to be refereed by Wayne Barnes.... again!

V Scotland, Poite
V Italy, Jackson
V France, Owens
V England, Garces

http://www.the42.ie/six-nations-6-refer ... 5-Dec2016/

I think I speak for all of us when I say

Owens the only one out of that lot that hasn't made a point of screwing over Ireland. At least we don't have to have peyper as a ref.

Jackson would be the worry but it's Italy so we should be ok.

[offshorerules]

I think as well this might be the first time some of those guys will have reffed Ireland with a dominant front row.

[simonokeeffe]

For all the ragging on us and wailing from Irish hacks over the Irish ness of our side

Scotland squad has
5 Projects: Dell, Nel, Du Preez, Strauss, Visser
3 Granny qualified: Berghan, Maitland, Hardie
(not sure of Swinsons heritage)
And a couple like Seymour and Toolis who qualify on a parent who left Scotland as children
Thats leaving out the guys qualified by both parents but born and reared elsewhere

France squad has
4 Projects: Antonio, Spedding, Nakaitaci, Virimi Vakatawa
2 players without wikipedia pages so I couldnt check

we'll have 2 projects tops and one granny (Bealham)

[Ruckedtobits]

French Squad named by Coach Noves:

France squad for the Six Nations

Forwards: Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Cyril Baille (Toulouse), Eddy Ben Arous (Racing 92), Mohamed Boughanmi (La Rochelle), Camille Chat (Racing 92), Damien Chouly (Clermont), Loann Goujon (Bordeaux-Bègles), Kevin Gourdon (La Rochelle), Guilhem Guirado (Toulon), Arthur Iturria (Clermont), Raphaël Lakafia (Stade Français), Julien Le Devedec (Brive), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Clément Maynadier (Bordeaux-Bègles), Louis Picamoles (Northampton Saints), Fabien Sanconnie (Brive), Rabah Slimani (Stade Français), Sébastien Vahaamahina (Clermont)

Backs: Djibril Camara (Stade Français), Yann David (Toulouse), Jean-Marc Doussain (Toulouse), Gaël Fickou (Toulouse), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Rémi Lamerat (Clermont), Camille Lopez (Clermont), Maxime Machenaud (Racing 92), Noa Nakaitaci (Clermont), Geoffrey Palis (Castres), Baptiste Serin (Bordeaux-Bègles), Scott Spedding (Clermont), Virimi Vakatawa (FFR)


Not even one forward from Montpellier or Castres. One back (Palis) from Castres, none from Montpellier. But six players in total from Toulouse and b]Clermont[/b] top the log with eight. Why is Vakatawa listed as FFR for Club registration?

Scottish Squad names by Coach Cotter:

Scotland Six Nations squad 2017

Props
Alex Allan (Glasgow Warriors) – 3 caps
Simon Berghan (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncapped
Allan Dell (Edinburgh Rugby) – 3 caps
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 4 caps
Willem Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) – 15 caps
Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors) – 19 caps
Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons) – 11 caps

Hookers
Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 20 caps
Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby) – 102 caps
Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby) – 9 caps

Second rows
Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 28 caps
Richie Gray (Toulouse) – 60 caps
Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) – 15 caps
Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors) – 25 caps
Ben Toolis (Edinburgh Rugby) – 1 cap

Back rows
John Barclay (Scarlets) – 55 caps
Cornell Du Preez (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncapped
John Hardie (Edinburgh Rugby) – 13 caps
Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors) – 19 caps
Josh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors) – 9 caps
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) – 5 caps
Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) – 23 caps

Scrum-halves
Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Gloucester) – 56 caps
Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 1 cap
Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) – 18 caps

Out-halves
Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors) – 22 caps
Duncan Weir (Edinburgh Rugby) – 23 caps

Centres
Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps
Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) – 19 caps
Huw Jones (Stormers) – 3 caps
Matt Scott (Gloucester) – 36 caps
Duncan Taylor (Saracens) – 18 caps

Back threes
Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) – 48 caps
Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby) – 2 caps
Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 26 caps
Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 31 caps
Tim Visser (Harlequins) – 28 caps

Impressive Squad and not to be taken likely in Murrayfield. Sixteen in total from Glasgow which will take an even bigger bite out of their Pro12 competitiveness during 6N than Irish Squad impact on Leinster.

[Peg Leg]

Not even one forward from Montpellier or Castres. One back (Palis) from Castres, none from Montpellier. But six players in total from Toulouse and b]Clermont[/b] top the log with eight. Why is Vakatawa listed as FFR for Club registration?

Wierdness abounds
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... rance.html

Contracted to FFR for union and tag, not a club player.

[offshorerules]

For all the ragging on us and wailing from Irish hacks over the Irish ness of our side

Scotland squad has
5 Projects: Dell, Nel, Du Preez, Strauss, Visser
3 Granny qualified: Berghan, Maitland, Hardie
(not sure of Swinsons heritage)
And a couple like Seymour and Toolis who qualify on a parent who left Scotland as children
Thats leaving out the guys qualified by both parents but born and reared elsewhere

France squad has
4 Projects: Antonio, Spedding, Nakaitaci, Virimi Vakatawa
2 players without wikipedia pages so I couldnt check

we'll have 2 projects tops and one granny (Bealham)

Is it Irish hacks or certain posters on social media sites that have a problem with you if you weren't born here to Irish parents and have 2 grandfathers called Pat and 2 grannies called Maureen?

[cormac]

Good to see that Greig Laidlaw is the Scottish captain. Long may that and his continued selection continue.

[simonokeeffe]

Good to see that Greig Laidlaw is the Scottish captain. Long may that and his continued selection continue.

normally I'd agree but even by the standards of good players he had a good Autumn
Scotland do though continue to have no bench bar the backrow or an outhalf to worry about

we'll have 2 projects tops and one granny (Bealham)

Is it Irish hacks or certain posters on social media sites that have a problem with you if you weren't born here to Irish parents and have 2 grandfathers called Pat and 2 grannies called Maureen?

Both. These hacks be on twitter. Cummiskey, ROC, Cork Con Mafia, theres many

[leinsterfan100]

England's 6N squad announced....Ben Te'o has made the cut again I see...

Forwards: Nathan Catt (Bath), Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Dan Cole (Leicester), Charlie Ewels (Bath), Ellis Genge (Leicester), Jamie George (Saracens), Teimana Harrison (Northampton), Dylan Hartley (Northampton), James Haskell (Wasps), Nathan Hughes (Wasps), Maro Itoje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Tommy Taylor (Wasps), Mike Williams (Leicester), Tom Wood (Northampton)

Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath), Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Alex Lozowski (Saracens), Jonny May (Gloucester), Jack Nowell (Exeter), Henry Slade (Exeter), Ben Te'o (Worcester), Anthony Watson (Bath), Marland Yarde (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester)

[simonokeeffe]

The squad is really going to have to rally around Hartley as skipper and Jones is going to have to do some serious sensei work with him

Even a bad yellow card throws a pike into the chariot spokes

Bad news for Scotland with Nel ruled out of the tournament with a neck injury