6 Nations 2018 - Other teams

[Oldschool]

The most worrying thing for Ireland is that all the other teams are either knackered, in transition, rebuilding or just not up to it and as such none of them are realistic options for the favourite's tag.
This leaves only one team who can be considered as realistic favourites. A tag that all the other teams have very sportingly and generously being willing to acknowledge. Indeed work very hard at bestowing on Ireland.
Ireland are that team and everyone knows that Ireland always struggle in these situations.
JS has been here before and found wanting.
His best antidote has to be to revisit the disappointment of losing to Scotland last season.

[simonokeeffe]

Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks), Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors), Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors), Gordon Reid (London Irish), Stuart McInally (Edinburgh), Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons), Ben Toolis (Edinburgh), Jonny Gray, John Barclay (Scarlets, captain), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh), Cornell du Preez (Edinburgh).

Replacements: Scott Lawson (Newcastle Falcons), Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors), Murray McCallum (Edinburgh), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Clermont Auvergne), Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Maitland (Saracens).

[Oldschool]

Wales v Scotland starting out at a whirlwind pace.
This could be a cracker of a game.

[Fan with smartphone]

Fair old coup for Gatland to have Wales playing like this. Counter argument says he should have done this years ago, and scarlets have forced him into it, but fair dues to him. Beirne and Barclay aren’t Welsh, neither is Kruger I presume. They are missing a lot of players. This is no small change for him and no small achievement either.

[Logorrhea]

Meh. That Scottish pack is absolutely shite. Wouldnt be good enough at Pro14 level, never mind 6 nations.

On top of that, any good ball they produced (only in the first half) was butchered by Price and Russell.

They have made Wales look better than they are.

[Fan with smartphone]

Well yeah Scottish front row is poor, but otherwise they are decent. I’d have felt they have improved from what they were anyway. I’m not a fan of Price and Huw Jones puts down way too much ball for the reputation he has, but still, there’s no denying Wales are playing with a bit more ambition than usual here, surely?

[simonokeeffe]

Give the Scarlets half backs that much space and theyll hurt you

Scottish defence was abject.

Wouldnt be too scared by Wales just yet

[FLIP]

England seem to be picking apart Anscombes positioning at fullback

[MylesNaGapoleen]

thought the welsh were unlucky on saturday.



Anscombes try ruled out by TMO....(wrong call imho)...Underhills superb try saving tackle....and when schingler was through with davies on his shoulder...decides to kick.
Mike Brown should have been yellow carded for patting away the ball in a ruck when the welsh were looking to score from broken play. penalty given, making it 12-6 but no card.


as an aside...the funniest comment I heard this weekend was about Eddie Jones when he lost his rag at BBC 5 LIVE interviewer..( http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05xrtzj ) came from a kiwi pal of mine...
He’s been over there so long he whinges like he grew up in the place.

[neill_m]

Murray Kinsella Retweeted FF Rugby
FFR confirms that some France players are being questioned over events in Edinburgh after the game against Scotland. They are waiting on more information. #Merde

[MylesNaGapoleen]

Murray Kinsella Retweeted FF Rugby
FFR confirms that some France players are being questioned over events in Edinburgh after the game against Scotland. They are waiting on more information. #Merde

https://www.scotsman.com/news/france-pl ... -1-4687534

no players named yet...

am hoping they go after wales & england with a vengance....now they have lost 2 from 2.

[simonokeeffe]

Murray Kinsella Retweeted FF Rugby
FFR confirms that some France players are being questioned over events in Edinburgh after the game against Scotland. They are waiting on more information. #Merde

"It is understood that the French players questioned were spoken to by police as potential witnesses."

Nothing to see here, just another minor headache for them

Think the updated article is a bit different from the original title/link

[kermischocolate]

No crime has been committed according to the BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-e ... e-43034102

[simonokeeffe]

Via Russ Petty on twitter

France squad carnage.
Out: Belleau, Danty, Iturria, Lamerat,Lambey,Lapandry,Macalou,Picamoles, Thomas.
In: Babillot, Bastareaud, Fickou, Galletier, Grosso, Le Roux, R Taofifenua, Trinh Duc.

The players who broke curfew and went out on Sunday have been dropped

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Funny how it opens the door for Basteraud to come back in.

Why on earth would there be a curfew in the first place?

[kermischocolate]

Funny how it opens the door for Basteraud to come back in.

Why on earth would there be a curfew in the first place?

Pretty standard for most teams I'd have thought. But I doubt they'd have got dropped just for breaking a curfew. Going out, ending up getting involved in whatever happened resulting in being hauled off a plane and being interviewed by the police causing much annoyance to everyone never mind the damage to the reputation of French rugby is a bit different.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I wouldn't have, especially not with a weekend off this week. I've seen plenty of Irish internationals out in the early hours the day after an international, agree that it's probably more to do with whatever happened.

[MylesNaGapoleen]

Via Russ Petty on twitter

France squad carnage.
Out: Belleau, Danty, Iturria, Lamerat,Lambey,Lapandry,Macalou,Picamoles, Thomas.
In: Babillot, Bastareaud, Fickou, Galletier, Grosso, Le Roux, R Taofifenua, Trinh Duc.

The players who broke curfew and went out on Sunday have been dropped

Teddy Thomas out! shame..he has been outstanding in the first two games.

[fourthirtythree]

Funny how it opens the door for Basteraud to come back in.

Why on earth would there be a curfew in the first place?

....Bastareaud?

[Ruckedtobits]

The French can afford to discipline the players at this point and it follows on from criticism of their behaviour in S.A. during the Summer Tour, which was cited as central to Noves' removal.