6 Nations 2014

[JoeMercer'sWay]

The england side need to an a championship to get that monkey off there backs. Some positive things granted. Next season be hard to win it for England playing Ireland and Wales away is a major ask. Ireland will be a better team unit next season just need to find a center pairing for the World cup that will be hard. Joe Schmith is a top coach Mr Rugby and Ireland are going places under him.

Ha ha England have been awesome this 6 nations and are playing some brilliant, entertaining rugby. If not for the final couple of minutes in France, England would have won it pretty comfortably while Ireland got away with one big time with that forward pass. Basically, two very big moments at roughly the same time in the two games at Paris settled the whole tournament; one went against England and the other for Ireland.

I don't think there will be many in the England dressing room worried about getting the monkey off their backs when they are building just at the right time for next years home WC. Something Ireland, Wales and Scotland don't have a chance of winning.

But well done Ireland, the table never lies as they say.

PS it has been a great decision to replace Martin Johnson with Stuart Lancaster who is doing a great job. They might have totally different aura's and characters about them but Lancaster is doing splendidly.

Jay its rugby mate. A forward pass is a forward pass. England have been building that team under Lancaster what is it now 3 years give or take?? You have been building for that long. You have been runners up 3 years running in the 6 Nations when it really matters England crumble under the pressure. Ireland have a team that have winners in it as do Wales. Look at that Irish team how many Heineken Cup winners was in that team yesterday?? That is why Ireland in that pressure game away to France dug in and got the result. That was the best of the French this season. Joe Schmidt has done some job since he took over. He has had the experience but you look at the bench and it is full of young players coming on into the pack whick makes our rebuilding job going well. Time will tell. You would be silly to write off Ireland or Wales from winning a World Cup I dont think anyone will beat the All Blacks but with rugby teams from here are closing the gap.
Ireland if they can keep the bulk of this squad together and fit could have a very good World Cup. I look at the groups and England have a hard group for the World Cup with Aussies and Welsh so thats going to be a hard group. Ireland have France and Italy in there group with a realistic chance of getting to the knock out stages as can you honestly say England will have it easy against Wales and Aus???
You go on about Aura well this Irish team and players have a winning Aura around them. They go into the games knowing that they have to win each game they play its what it is expected from Ireland and always has been for years under the glory years of BOD and it will continue for years to come.

you only have pretty much 3 club teams, no wonder you do well in the Heineken because you have an unfair advantage.

that wasn't the same England team as last year and there have been a number of changes over time, a little bit of inexperience cost them in France otherwise they were the best team in the tournament. For all Ireland's experience and "legends" and your Best XV full of Irish talent you still lost against us and should have been put away by France as well.

If English rugby wasn't screwed over in the context of European club rugby then the England team would be a country mile clear imo.

 

[jimharri]

Ha ha England have been awesome this 6 nations and are playing some brilliant, entertaining rugby. If not for the final couple of minutes in France, England would have won it pretty comfortably while Ireland got away with one big time with that forward pass. Basically, two very big moments at roughly the same time in the two games at Paris settled the whole tournament; one went against England and the other for Ireland.

I don't think there will be many in the England dressing room worried about getting the monkey off their backs when they are building just at the right time for next years home WC. Something Ireland, Wales and Scotland don't have a chance of winning.

But well done Ireland, the table never lies as they say.

PS it has been a great decision to replace Martin Johnson with Stuart Lancaster who is doing a great job. They might have totally different aura's and characters about them but Lancaster is doing splendidly.

Jay its rugby mate. A forward pass is a forward pass. England have been building that team under Lancaster what is it now 3 years give or take?? You have been building for that long. You have been runners up 3 years running in the 6 Nations when it really matters England crumble under the pressure. Ireland have a team that have winners in it as do Wales. Look at that Irish team how many Heineken Cup winners was in that team yesterday?? That is why Ireland in that pressure game away to France dug in and got the result. That was the best of the French this season. Joe Schmidt has done some job since he took over. He has had the experience but you look at the bench and it is full of young players coming on into the pack whick makes our rebuilding job going well. Time will tell. You would be silly to write off Ireland or Wales from winning a World Cup I dont think anyone will beat the All Blacks but with rugby teams from here are closing the gap.
Ireland if they can keep the bulk of this squad together and fit could have a very good World Cup. I look at the groups and England have a hard group for the World Cup with Aussies and Welsh so thats going to be a hard group. Ireland have France and Italy in there group with a realistic chance of getting to the knock out stages as can you honestly say England will have it easy against Wales and Aus???
You go on about Aura well this Irish team and players have a winning Aura around them. They go into the games knowing that they have to win each game they play its what it is expected from Ireland and always has been for years under the glory years of BOD and it will continue for years to come.

you only have pretty much 3 club teams, no wonder you do well in the Heineken because you have an unfair advantage.

that wasn't the same England team as last year and there have been a number of changes over time, a little bit of inexperience cost them in France otherwise they were the best team in the tournament. For all Ireland's experience and "legends" and your Best XV full of Irish talent you still lost against us and should have been put away by France as well.

If English rugby wasn't screwed over in the context of European club rugby then the England team would be a country mile clear imo.

Plus; they're not even ''clubs'', they're provinces. If they were only allowed to field club sides (it is a club competition, after all), they wouldn't win a Heineken Cup. Being allowed to field provincial sides does give them a big advantage, undoubtedly. It'd be like having a South of England select XV, or a Welsh Select XV.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Jay its rugby mate. A forward pass is a forward pass. England have been building that team under Lancaster what is it now 3 years give or take?? You have been building for that long. You have been runners up 3 years running in the 6 Nations when it really matters England crumble under the pressure. Ireland have a team that have winners in it as do Wales. Look at that Irish team how many Heineken Cup winners was in that team yesterday?? That is why Ireland in that pressure game away to France dug in and got the result. That was the best of the French this season. Joe Schmidt has done some job since he took over. He has had the experience but you look at the bench and it is full of young players coming on into the pack whick makes our rebuilding job going well. Time will tell. You would be silly to write off Ireland or Wales from winning a World Cup I dont think anyone will beat the All Blacks but with rugby teams from here are closing the gap.
Ireland if they can keep the bulk of this squad together and fit could have a very good World Cup. I look at the groups and England have a hard group for the World Cup with Aussies and Welsh so thats going to be a hard group. Ireland have France and Italy in there group with a realistic chance of getting to the knock out stages as can you honestly say England will have it easy against Wales and Aus???
You go on about Aura well this Irish team and players have a winning Aura around them. They go into the games knowing that they have to win each game they play its what it is expected from Ireland and always has been for years under the glory years of BOD and it will continue for years to come.

you only have pretty much 3 club teams, no wonder you do well in the Heineken because you have an unfair advantage.

that wasn't the same England team as last year and there have been a number of changes over time, a little bit of inexperience cost them in France otherwise they were the best team in the tournament. For all Ireland's experience and "legends" and your Best XV full of Irish talent you still lost against us and should have been put away by France as well.

If English rugby wasn't screwed over in the context of European club rugby then the England team would be a country mile clear imo.

Plus; they're not even ''clubs'', they're provinces. If they were only allowed to field club sides (it is a club competition, after all), they wouldn't win a Heineken Cup. Being allowed to field provincial sides does give them a big advantage, undoubtedly. It'd be like having a South of England select XV, or a Welsh Select XV.

yeah the days when Leinster could turn up in the final with half the Ireland team plus Southern hemisphere stars such as Rocky Elsom were just ridiculous, they and the French are ruining club rugby. I like the format but they need to change it up with an across Europe salary cap and HG rules to protect British talent from being poached.

 

[leighton]

I sense sour grapes. It is the way it has been from the start of the Celtic league and so on in the European competitions. So if no one had any problems about it from the start then why now have any problems. There will always be haters not a lot you can do about that. Ireland teams cant compete with the French teams and some English teams when giving out contracts. The Sexton deal shows that. There could well be many more in the future to leave Ireland. Your rugby unions dont help you to be honest. In the 6 Nations you wouldnt see any of the Irish main players playing club rugby so its got to be a area for all those rugby nations to look at. You would rather have a fully fit team playing and raring to go.

 

[mad4city]

I sense sour grapes.

Me too.
The English are a decent, efficient side but they don't half overrate themselves. So, I suppose it must be hard for their supporters to accept that the Irish won the championship, fair and square. Talk of Ireland getting lucky with that forward pass is churlish in the extreme. Ireland went to Paris and deservedly beat a far stronger French side than the one that England bottled it against.

Premiership Rugby is a yawnfest. Dogged, unimaginative attritional rugby. Football at its very worst, played by overrated teams who consistently get found out when they meet teams from the French and Celtic leagues. Their response to having their arse repeatedly handed to them? Wah wah, boo hoo it isn't fair because you've organised the sport properly and we're far too busy trying to squeeze every red cent out of it.
Except they're fucking up there too. Only two Premiership clubs turned a profit last year. One of those had to win the European Cup to just haul themselves into the black. Now, these fuckwits are holding that competition - and by extension, the entire sport - to ransom. That they can keep a straight face whilst telling the Irish (in particular) to get their house in order is post-colonial ignorance at its most bare-faced.
There would be no European competition worth talking about were it not for the Irish (Munster, especially) supporters commitment to it in its formative years.

The sad thing is that there's no greater bunch of supporters for a laugh and a crack than the English club supporters. They're getting rode through the trousers by the game's administration, though. Flat beer will never ferment into champagne and frankly, the English club game is very flat indeed.


And breathe...
:-)

 

[leighton]

I sense sour grapes.

Me too.
The English are a decent, efficient side but they don't half overrate themselves. So, I suppose it must be hard for their supporters to accept that the Irish won the championship, fair and square. Talk of Ireland getting lucky with that forward pass is churlish in the extreme. Ireland went to Paris and deservedly beat a far stronger French side than the one that England bottled it against.

Premiership Rugby is a yawnfest. Dogged, unimaginative attritional rugby. Football at its very worst, played by overrated teams who consistently get found out when they meet teams from the French and Celtic leagues. Their response to having their arse repeatedly handed to them? Wah wah, boo hoo it isn't fair because you've organised the sport properly and we're far too busy trying to squeeze every red cent out of it.
Except they're fucking up there too. Only two Premiership clubs turned a profit last year. One of those had to win the European Cup to just haul themselves into the black. Now, these fuckwits are holding that competition - and by extension, the entire sport - to ransom. That they can keep a straight face whilst telling the Irish (in particular) to get their house in order is post-colonial ignorance at its most bare-faced.
There would be no European competition worth talking about were it not for the Irish (Munster, especially) supporters commitment to it in its formative years.

The sad thing is that there's no greater bunch of supporters for a laugh and a crack than the English club supporters. They're getting rode through the trousers by the game's administration, though. Flat beer will never ferment into champagne and frankly, the English club game is very flat indeed.


And breathe...
:-)

Bravo. A brilliant post that I take my hat off to you sir.

 

[jay_mcfc]

Jay its rugby mate. A forward pass is a forward pass. England have been building that team under Lancaster what is it now 3 years give or take?? You have been building for that long. You have been runners up 3 years running in the 6 Nations when it really matters England crumble under the pressure. Ireland have a team that have winners in it as do Wales. Look at that Irish team how many Heineken Cup winners was in that team yesterday?? That is why Ireland in that pressure game away to France dug in and got the result. That was the best of the French this season. Joe Schmidt has done some job since he took over. He has had the experience but you look at the bench and it is full of young players coming on into the pack whick makes our rebuilding job going well. Time will tell. You would be silly to write off Ireland or Wales from winning a World Cup I dont think anyone will beat the All Blacks but with rugby teams from here are closing the gap.
Ireland if they can keep the bulk of this squad together and fit could have a very good World Cup. I look at the groups and England have a hard group for the World Cup with Aussies and Welsh so thats going to be a hard group. Ireland have France and Italy in there group with a realistic chance of getting to the knock out stages as can you honestly say England will have it easy against Wales and Aus???
You go on about Aura well this Irish team and players have a winning Aura around them. They go into the games knowing that they have to win each game they play its what it is expected from Ireland and always has been for years under the glory years of BOD and it will continue for years to come.

Wowzers. England lost in Paris in the first game in the last minute. Then they beat every other team comfortably and lose on GD and you say they have bottled it, or crumbled. How an Irish fan can talk about bottling it I'll never know with their performances in world cups over the years. You can win the 6nations on GD, England will still be the only contenders for the WC from the home nations next year. Ireland will go out in a blaze of glory in the QF's again, earning a load of plaudits whilst watching the semi's and final in a bar in Dublin.

 

[mad4city]

The pick of England AND Ireland wouldn't win the World Cup if it were held tomorrow. It'd be remarkable if that situation were to change in the next 12 months.
And yes, England bottled it against a poor French side. They had one tricky away game, all year. The French picked an experimental side and England weren't good enough.
That said, I still believe that the title should be awarded on the basis of the head to head result between the tying sides. I was quite glad, last night, that it's not, mind you.

 

[jimharri]

The pick of England AND Ireland wouldn't win the World Cup if it were held tomorrow. It'd be remarkable if that situation were to change in the next 12 months.
And yes, England bottled it against a poor French side. They had one tricky away game, all year. The French picked an experimental side and England weren't good enough.
That said, I still believe that the title should be awarded on the basis of the head to head result between the tying sides. I was quite glad, last night, that it's not, mind you.

Nooo. The system they have, while not perfect, is about the best there is around at the moment. It encourages attacking play. Witness the England game yesterday; do you think we'd have gone for as many tries as we did if we knew that the head to head would win it for us? Of course not. Stevie Wonder can see that. Perhaps a bonus point if a nation scores five tries in a game could be looked at? As it happens, the best side won the championship. As for the HC, my point still stands. How does the IRFU hope to raise the (fairly low) standard of Irish club rugby if they don't compete against the best in Europe? Yes, it will take time. Of course it will. But you have to try, don't you? Italian clubs take part, and they're worse than their Irish counterparts. Agree about the world cup though; I posted on here yesterday (maybe a page back) that no Northern hemisphere side will win the world cup next year, asnd I see no reason to change that view. Anyway; all the best, and well done on yesterday.

 

[mad4city]

Jim, there are more rugby players in England than in the rest of the Northern Hemisphere put together. It's ridiculous to expect every club side in Ireland to rise to the upper echelons of the game when England can barely produce ten.
I agree that the standard of the All Ireland League has slipped since the establishment of the four provinces as club sides. And yes, they are registered as club sides, by the way. Their successes have broadened the appeal of the game far beyond the traditional strongholds of Dublin 4, Protestant Ulster, a tiny bit of Cork and the whole of Limerick.
More new clubs have actually been formed in the last fifteen years than in the previous fifty. And they're being formed in staunch GAA country. It could be reasonably argued that rugby is thriving in Ireland.
I don't see what the problem is with Ireland having four top class sides. It's about right for our population and playing parc. Yes, the AIL needs a shot in the arm and there's probably too many clubs in Limerick (although that'll never change) but overall the game is in rude good health.
One final observation: I hear the English repeatedly bemoaning the Irish set up. Yet, the Welsh and the Scots are running rugby in a similar manner. Ye have no problem with them. In fact, ye tried to court the Welsh into betraying the greater good of the game recently. Is the real problem that the Irish sides are successful? If so, don't sweat it. This is a golden era and like all eras it'll end some day and we'll go back to having our arse handed to us in Paris and Twickenham and all will be right with the world again. Until that glorious day of reckoning, however, ye'll just have to forgive us if we don't feel an urge to apologise for having the temerity to be better than ye.