six nations

The posts are getting seriously heavy. Now an IMPORTANT question. What about the rugby six nations? France are favourites across the board, my lot only have Italy lower on bookie's boards. Who is going to win? How? Please give reasons rather than advance hurrahs!

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Permalink Reply by Ben Mongoose on January 24, 2012 at 17:49

I'm wondering why France are favourites. Is it because of the WC-2011 result? It was only by sheer luck that they made it to the finals, the one bonus point in the quarter finals. For the rest it was a humiliating performance. Guess any team with the right fighting spirit and stamina could beat them. So for me it's Wales :-)

Permalink Reply by Brian Milne on January 24, 2012 at 21:47

Because most other teams are not hot at present. England are a mess, Wales brave and aggressive but skills and Ireland may surprise us a bit.


FacilitatorPermalink Reply by Sheila Walshe-Blackmore on January 25, 2012 at 11:49

Why would Ireland "surprise you" Brian?  We have all four Irish teams in the Heineken Cup, three of whom (should that be "which"? :-) ) are also in the top six of the RaboDirect league. Leinster has won the Heineken Cup twice in the last couple of years. We have three teams in the H-Cup quarter finals, compared with 1 Welsh, 1 Scottish, 1 English and 1 French.  All this from a country with a population of 4 million (+ 1.7 million when Northern Ireland is included for rugby purposes).  Granted, some of those players are not eligible to play for Ireland, but there is a broad and excellent selection to draw from when the final team is named shortly. 

So, hopefully, we will be able to produce much more than a surprise!  Hope this doesn't put a "hex" on the Irish team! :-)

Permalink Reply by Brian Milne on January 25, 2012 at 12:36

Because of the heavy betting on France but you are right because it is an opener year than most - makes it all the more interesting. NB as a Scot I am being quite clear about not much happening there. Back to brushing dog hair aff ma kilt fra the evening dae fra yon Burns Necht at yon Irish Pub in the naxt village...


FacilitatorPermalink Reply by Sheila Walshe-Blackmore on January 25, 2012 at 12:41

Burns Night in the Irish pub!  Love it.  Have a great night, and don't forget tae post a wee few piccies of ya in yer wee kiltie!

Permalink Reply by Andrew Hearne on January 25, 2012 at 12:47

Have a good one ;-)

Permalink Reply by Brian Milne on January 25, 2012 at 13:15

Hint, hint. Go to see 'Un Jour mon Père viendra' in which the opening sequences for around 30 seconds include me in kilt including a close up of my bum, well the kilt anyway... I'll get the wifie tae tak a picture ortwa...

Permalink Reply by Nick Aurelius-Haddock on January 25, 2012 at 10:03

I agree Ben, I think is is wide open this year, but I suspect Wales have a chance. I would never rule France or England out though, as they have so much talent to pick from. They just lack organisation on times, but that can change within a few matches.

To be honest I can't wait for it to start, I really enjoyed the world cup.

Permalink Reply by Andrew Hearne on January 24, 2012 at 21:38

Really don't watch enough (read none) rugby outside France as I haven't got the time and it's not on French TV! But based on what I saw in the WC I think England have about as much chance as Italy at the moment, Scotland no can't see it, Ireland possible, Wales probably especially as they've got a score to settle with France but watching Top14 matches from time to time, especially Toulouse, when they get their game together it's a joy to see and difficult to match but I think Wales are hungrier and there's a lot of young blood that's fast and rather like France they play a good fast game.

But hey what do I know, I'm a fan but haven't played for decades and never get the time to watch games! Now ask me who's going to win the Tour...!

Permalink Reply by Brian Milne on January 24, 2012 at 21:46

Hooker myself, right in the middle and the nose to prove it. Played up until I was about 44, limped off and have only watched since. Used to come to your part of the world to see a particular team play great rugby... If I gambled it would be on France and of loyalty the Scots to upset everybody. The key is how many teams the Italians will beat with some of their new players who are normally in clubs out of their country... They may cost a few points where teams think they are a walkover. 125/1 but I would even back them for a place!!!!! :)

Permalink Reply by Andrew Hearne on January 25, 2012 at 9:53

used to alternate between flanker and 3/4s (to add some weight to the line) but had to stop very early on, at just turned 20, as I pretty much wrote my knee off in a motorbike accident - they managed to replace the lateral ligament with cabron fibres etc but I have no anterior cruciate ligament as the op went on too long (3.5 hrs!), all that followed by a car accident 6 months later where I broke the same knee cap! Cycling is about the only sport I can still do full on at a reasonable club level. used to play a lot of squash too but the knee would be so painful for a couple of days after matches that I was forced to stop (surgeons told me never to play squash again too...!)

Permalink Reply by Nick Aurelius-Haddock on January 25, 2012 at 10:16

That sounds painful Andrew. I gave up playing shortly after leaving school, as I used to race motorcycles for my fun. I had a very nasty prang though while racing in Bath, and couldn't walk properly for 18 months. I had a lovely Pirelli tyre mark up my back though, where the idiot who knocked me off then ran me over ;-)

Cycling is also the only thing I do properly now, but with the French countryside, that's not a bad option.

Brian, Italy at 125/1, might be worth a tenner to place, as I agree they could well shock a few sides.

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