6 Nations 2021

[leinsterforever]

Baird kept in squad and Ruddock released is a good pointer that it'll be the following for Scotland imo. It's what I would go for too personally.

Ryan Henderson
Beirne Connors Stander

Baird
Conan

Quite probably but very harsh on Rhys - not really sure what he has to do to force his way in. There are some faces like him, Cooney, McCloskey, Sean Cronin that just don't seem to fit.

For me there's no great mystery to Ruddock being overlooked. His mechanics when accelerating from a standing start just aren't very good. He doesn't get into an effective low driving position with his hips and shoulders in line with the driving power of his legs nearly as well as David Wallace or Scott Penny. If he was a 100m runner he'd be a poor starter. Defenders can get in lower and stop his momentum.

[Flash Gordon]

Baird kept in squad and Ruddock released is a good pointer that it'll be the following for Scotland imo. It's what I would go for too personally.

Ryan Henderson
Beirne Connors Stander

Baird
Conan

Quite probably but very harsh on Rhys - not really sure what he has to do to force his way in. There are some faces like him, Cooney, McCloskey, Sean Cronin that just don't seem to fit.

For me there's no great mystery to Ruddock being overlooked. His mechanics when accelerating from a standing start just aren't very good. He doesn't get into an effective low driving position with his hips and shoulders in line with the driving power of his legs nearly as well as David Wallace or Scott Penny. If he was a 100m runner he'd be a poor starter. Defenders can get in lower and stop his momentum.

There's quite a bit to his game I'd argue beyond carrying (he's top 5 in the league on carries this season too by the way). The on I find really hard to understand over the years has been Cronin. He obviously suffered with having Best in situ as skipper but I believe he's one of Leinster's best and most important ever players. Ulster fans will point to Cooney with some justification too.

Hard to tell on Beirne, Connors and Stander with Baird and Conan on the bench. All outstanding players and they played Italy off the park but Italy aren't a real benchmark. England is the ultimate test, Stander has been fantastic over the last few years but really struggled to make ground as did all our pack!

[JB1973]

Pivac's biggest problem is Gattie.
That's a very high ceiling for comparison.
Wales have to go through a major transition because Gattie's players are at or near the end of their careers.
Add in the fact the WRU invested on clearing the debt on the Millennium Stadium to the detriment of the game itself and it is going to take time, no matter who the coach is, to get Wales back up to trophy winning levels.
On the plus side, you (fans) have higher expectations than Irish fans and that feeds into your team's psyche.
Wales this season have a Triple Crown in sight and even in transition the players will respond.
Wales are nearly always better than the sum of their parts, Ireland are the opposite, rarely do we achieve our potential.
If you know how that last bit works please share your secret.

helps when the opposition get men sent off, I have a uncomfortable feeling when we play a full game vs 15 men the results will alter

Well you might be about to get another bit of luck coming your way.
Scotland could be facing a weakened France this weekend due to COVID or and more likely the following weekend. That situation gives any team that still have to play France a decided advantage.

You weren't wrong about a bit of luck

Napoleon would have loved pivac the luckiest of all generals right now , the way it's going France will forfeit and well get the game as a walk over.

We did play a lot better Saturday and saw the game out well at 24/24 with dee hill botham halohalo and especially sheedy doing really from the bench.

The first try was imo correct, there were 23 seconds from the Farrell being told to talk to his team and biggar taking the kick (did all 15 players need to go into that huddle?) Let's not forget in the 2019 world cup warm up game biggar caught England out with a quickly taken cross kick you'd have thought they'd be v wary of him doing something like that.

The second one looks a blatant knock on and 99 times out of a 100 that is given as a knock on.

I'll take all the luck we can get but surely it has to run out at some stage!

England discipline was shockingly bad, itjoe gave away 5 pens on his own. what hill was thinking off taking out the welsh 9 and then turning his back (daly also did it) lord only knows and genge gave away another soft 3 points with daft play

With the sarrries players looking undercooked and curry not in great form, there is no reason you can't beat England in the next game

Best of luck

[blockhead]

Scotland's postponed Guinness Six Nations match with France is being lined up for March 26 with the Gallagher Premiership clubs open to the release of players for the new date.

The Friday night slot is the only window currently being considered by tournament organisers and the date has been given momentum by the Top 14 clubs coming to arrangement with the French Rugby Federation over making their stars available.

And the English top flight have indicated during discussions that they are also willing to make their Scotland players available to Gregor Townsend even though the date falls outside of the international window.

[riocard911]

F*** the French. BO'D is right. Scotland should be given a 28-0 walkover.

[cormac]

Anyone know if there’s any chat about there being Ireland games this summer?

There must be scope for some kind of tournament alongside the Lions.

A development tournament could be amazing for us considering the number of young guys that could benefit. Kelleher, TOT, Baird, Penny, Casey, Harry Byrne, Baloucoune etc etc

We were supposed to be heading to the Pacific Islands. No idea if that's still going ahead.

[Morf]

Anyone know if there’s any chat about there being Ireland games this summer?

There must be scope for some kind of tournament alongside the Lions.

A development tournament could be amazing for us considering the number of young guys that could benefit. Kelleher, TOT, Baird, Penny, Casey, Harry Byrne, Baloucoune etc etc

We were supposed to be heading to the Pacific Islands. No idea if that's still going ahead.

Heard recently on a podcast that many Pacific Islands had a multi-year period of closed borders during Spanish flu. So they have previous for strong measures taken.

[leinsterforever]

It'd be good to see something like a three-Test series against England if that Pacific tour doesn't go ahead.

[erskinechilders]

Anyone know if there’s any chat about there being Ireland games this summer?

There must be scope for some kind of tournament alongside the Lions.

A development tournament could be amazing for us considering the number of young guys that could benefit. Kelleher, TOT, Baird, Penny, Casey, Harry Byrne, Baloucoune etc etc

We were supposed to be heading to the Pacific Islands. No idea if that's still going ahead.

I heard recently that matches could go ahead but played in Australia or NZ. It would work very well. Hopefully with a Lions tour also going ahead you would see a lot of those players blooded.

[CiaranIrl]

Thornley says:

IRELAND (possible v Scotland): Hugo Keenan; Keith Earls, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (capt), Jamison Gibson-Park; Cian Healy, Rob Herring, Tadhg Furlong; Iain Henderson, James Ryan; Tadhg Beirne, Will Connors, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Billy Burns, Jordan Larmour.

[Jcahill1]

I'd hope Kelleher starts. Don't think he's done particularly badly at the lineout so far, and we have a lot of jumpers in that pack.

[blockhead]

RTE Website:

Ireland: Hugo Keenan, Keith Earls, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe, Jonathan Sexton (Capt), Jamison Gibson Park; Cian Healy, Rob Herring, Tadhg Furlong, Iain Henderson, James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Will Connors, CJ Stander

Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Billy Burns, Keith Earls

Fair play Keith.

15 of the 23 from Leinster. Will there be anyone left for the Final and Heino?

[munster#1]

No massive surprises from that squad.
I personally would have had Aki on the bench in place of Larmour, as I think he would have a better impact, but no real gripe.

Connors will be a busy man, and will probably end up with close to 20 tackles in this game, so hopefully he can stay with the pace of the game.

This will be a massive game for this team. A loss would be devastating, and would line Ireland up for a very unacceptable season.

[Peg Leg]

RTE Website:

Ireland: Hugo Keenan, Keith Earls, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe, Jonathan Sexton (Capt), Jamison Gibson Park; Cian Healy, Rob Herring, Tadhg Furlong, Iain Henderson, James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Will Connors, CJ Stander

Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Billy Burns, Keith Earls

Fair play Keith.

[CiaranIrl]

Doesn't feel like a big six nations weekend really. I wonder is it because there are no games to go to. It seems to be about more than losing the first two games anyways.

[cormac]

This Italian team is so poor that even the Ulster pack could duff them up.

[cormac]

Just imagining the reaction to that yellow card on uafc

[Fan with smartphone]

This looks like another belter

[Fan with smartphone]

England attack showing a bit of everything so far. Big carries, width, kicking game and offfloads. French defence has a serious Sean Edwards energy, but it’s been too much to stop.

[Fan with smartphone]

Also reacted much better to a quick lineout and disciplined too.