The Six Nations General Banter Thread. *Read Mod Warning. Post no.5*

Judgement Day

Yeah, have to say that French team looks scary but there are some great odds to be had on Wales winning. By more than 2 points 11/4, more than 5 points 6/1, more than 8 points 8/1 and more than 11 points 14/1 mmmmmmmm!!

BoarHunter

PhatPiggins wrote: »

11 out an yet you can still name a team that strong :eek:

Lievremont giving out caps for fun the past two years seems to be paying dividends

Injured :

Barcella
Marconnet
Ducalcon
Chabal
Millo-chlusky
Ouedraogo
Elissalde
Dupuy
Yachvili
Mermoz
Traille
Clerc
Rougerie

Not picked but in the hidden list :

Maestri
Picamoles
Boyet
Estebanez
Fritz
David
Heymans
Medard

cruiserweight

Scotland team has 4 changes from the last day, 3 of them are enforced

Scotland: H Southwell (Stade Francais); S Danielli (Ulster), M Evans (Glasgow), G Morrison (Glasgow), S Lamont (Scarlets); D Parks (Glasgow), C Cusiter (Glasgow, capt); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (Edinburgh), E Murray (Northampton), J Hamilton (Edinburgh), A Kellock (Glasgow), K Brown (Glasgow), J Barclay (Glasgow), J Beattie (Glasgow).
Replacements: S Lawson (Gloucester), A Dickinson (Gloucester), N Hines (Leinster), A Strokosch (Gloucester), M Blair (Edinburgh), P Godman (Edinburgh), N De Luca (Edinburgh).

toomevara

Hipkiss out, Noon in...good news for us I reckon;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/8529277.stm

myflipflops

toomevara wrote: »

Hipkiss out, Noon in...good news for us I reckon;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/8529277.stm

I remember him giving us a really torrid time in Twichenham 2 years ago though. I wouldn't be a big fan of him as a player generally.

Goose81

myflipflops wrote: »

I remember him giving us a really torrid time in Twichenham 2 years ago though. I wouldn't be a big fan of him as a player generally.

Hipkiss gave Bod and Darcy a hard time in the final,glad hes not playing.

thomond2006

Noon will only make the bench at best, I'd be shocked if MJ dropped Flutey/Tait.

Stev_o

Goose81 wrote: »

Hipkiss gave Bod and Darcy a hard time in the final,glad hes not playing.

What final is this?

He mullered Horgan, Trimble Heaslip in the 2008 6N and mean come on when is the last time you'v seen Heaslip been man handled?

Grimebox

Check this out:

http://content.paddypower.com/sportsbook/bagman/

worth typing in your name at least!

PhatPiggins

Stev_o wrote: »

What final is this?

He mullered Horgan, Trimble Heaslip in the 2008 6N and mean come on when is the last time you'v seen Heaslip been man handled?

Last years HC I presume

Pity he's got hands like feet though.

toomevara

News here is that Wilkinson may be an injury worry (muscle tightness), Sale's Charlie Hodgson's been called into the squad....As for Noon, a solid player for sure, certainly better defensively than Hipkiss, but a little one-dimensional in attack....

thomond2006

From RTE:

Martin Johnson will name the England team to play Ireland at lunchtime despite injury concerns surrounding Jonny Wilkinson.

The Sale fly-half Charlie Hodgson was called into the squad yesterday to provide cover for Wilkinson, who was suffering from 'muscle tightness'.

Hodgson has not played for England since the disastrous 2008 summer tour to New Zealand but the Red Rose management stressed his inclusion was only precautionary.

Wasps flanker Joe Worsley returned to Johnson's 32-man senior squad after recovering from a knee injury while Brive centre Jamie Noon replaced Dan Hipkiss, who damaged his ankle at the weekend.

Wilkinson's fitness adds an extra twist to the debate over whether he should be retained at fly-half following England's one-dimensional performance in their 17-12 victory over Italy.

Matt Dawson claimed England's lack of attacking ambition in Rome highlighted how Wilkinson 'is not comfortable with the responsibility of being the team's playmaker'.

anonymous_joe

toomevara wrote: »

News here is that Wilkinson may be an injury worry (muscle tightness), Sale's Charlie Hodgson's been called into the squad....As for Noon, a solid player for sure, certainly better defensively than Hipkiss, but a little one-dimensional in attack....

Hipkiss isn't exactly a dynamic attacker though either...

I'd rather see Noon playing than Tait is all I'm saying. :pac:

jack01986

Why does kidney keep picking Duffy has he vern contemplated playing him? Is he just doing it so there is some Connacht representatives? If Charlie Hodgson played that would be pretty good for us I think.

youcancallmeal

Anyone know what the story is with the Rala hats, is he starting his own clothing range :pac:

BoarHunter

English XV . Armitage - Cueto, Tait, Flutey, Monye - (o) Wilkinson, (m) Care - Moody, Easter, Haskell - Borthwick, Shaw - Cole, Hartley, Payne

subs : Mears, Wilson, L. Deacon, Worsley, P. Hodgson, Flood, Foden

twinytwo

jack01986 wrote: »

Why does kidney keep picking Duffy has he vern contemplated playing him? Is he just doing it so there is some Connacht representatives? If Charlie Hodgson played that would be pretty good for us I think.

With the way wilko is playing ie refusing to pass the ball to his backs and his kicking being average at best...

death1234567

jack01986 wrote: »

Why does kidney keep picking Duffy has he ever contemplated playing him? Is he just doing it so there is some Connacht representative?

In a word, Yes. Although Duffy is an alright player he's not international standard.

Podge_irl

I think Ireland are better off with Wilko starting tbh.

Beanmachine

Podge_irl wrote: »

I think Ireland are better off with Wilko starting tbh.

Hodgson gets alot of stick in England for his defensive abilites but to be honest when he plays flat on the gainline he is far more of a threat then Wilkinson is at the moment and a better playmaker in my opinion. Wlikinson has been sitting deep and kicking aimlessly for England recently and can't see it changing anytime soon.

Noffles

Since my close rugby friends thought it would be funny for them to cheer for England when they played Wales I'm afraid i'll have to give England the odd cheer if they score and start to get ahead... obviously I'll do it quietly though....

For some reason here I can't see it going your way though and will expect to see an England win....

Otacon

Noffles wrote: »

For some reason here I can't see it going your way though and will expect to see an England win....

Can you elaborate on that at all?

If Ireland play any way competitively, I can see us getting on top of England early. The only weakness we have is the scrum and with England's frontrow, I can't see that being a game-changer.

Any injuries or replacements have not weakened our team either. Sexton and Best are as good as the primary options and Murphy is a fantastic full-back.

England have stuck with Wilkinson, which also helps us. His kicking and playing from deep have cost England a number of points. Here's hoping that continues.

Noffles

Otacon wrote: »

Can you elaborate on that at all?

If Ireland play any way competitively, I can see us getting on top of England early. The only weakness we have is the scrum and with England's frontrow, I can't see that being a game-changer.

Any injuries or replacements have not weakened our team either. Sexton and Best are as good as the primary options and Murphy is a fantastic full-back.

England have stuck with Wilkinson, which also helps us. His kicking and playing from deep have cost England a number of points. Here's hoping that continues.

Not really, as I said "for some reason..." it's just a feeling but I do agree with what you've said about Wilko, they will rely on him (ignoring the Italian mess) he played well against Wales and at home should do again..

I'm not sure about the comment "If Ireland play anyway competititvely" though... I'm sure they did against France, they were beaten by a better team in the end..... and mistakes and "moments of madness" can happen at any time...

Just a gut feeling, try not to tear apart what I answer...

BoarHunter

I am Afraid Home advantage plays a lot in the tournament. Wales can say about it after their win over Scotland... I don't think they would have made such a turn over in Edimburgh.

I see England win in a scrappy game of kicking and rucking. hope i'm wrong though

Otacon

Noffles wrote: »

Not really, as I said "for some reason..." it's just a feeling but I do agree with what you've said about Wilko, they will rely on him (ignoring the Italian mess) he played well against Wales and at home should do again..

I'm not sure about the comment "If Ireland play anyway competititvely" though... I'm sure they did against France, they were beaten by a better team in the end..... and mistakes and "moments of madness" can happen at any time...

Just a gut feeling, try not to tear apart what I answer...

That's fine. I just wanted to know your reasoning. I disagree, but I understand.

twinytwo

BoarHunter wrote: »

I am Afraid Home advantage plays a lot in the tournament. Wales can say about it after their win over Scotland... I don't think they would have made such a turn over in Edimburgh.

I see England win in a scrappy game of kicking and rucking. hope i'm wrong though

wales are only a shadow of their former selves though... Scotland were very hard done by with the loss of evans and paterson. Their backrow man handled wales for most of the game.

I really cant see us losing this... we may not win by much but i cant see us losing... Unless Sexton and Rog both get butchered in the first 10 mins.:eek:. Wilko plays too deep their backs seem afraid of their own shadow. Monye and Armitage shouldnt even be on that team. Apart from TH we outclass them in every position and that only because of hayes' age.

danthefan

twinytwo wrote: »

wales are only a shadow of their former selves though... Scotland were very hard done by with the loss of evans and paterson. Their backrow man handled wales for most of the game.

And Rory Lamont, and the guys who'd been binned. They had 4 of their starting backs off in the last few minutes, it was a bit like the 2nd Lions test I guess. It's just impossible to deal with such a loss.

anonymous_joe

twinytwo wrote: »

wales are only a shadow of their former selves though... Scotland were very hard done by with the loss of evans and paterson. Their backrow man handled wales for most of the game.

I really cant see us losing this... we may not win by much but i cant see us losing... Unless Sexton and Rog both get butchered in the first 10 mins.:eek:. Wilko plays too deep their backs seem afraid of their own shadow. Monye and Armitage shouldnt even be on that team. Apart from TH we outclass them in every position and that only because of hayes' age.

You can't?

I'm currently about 55:45 saying Ireland will win, maybe even 50:50 what with the Twickenham factor.

That English team is nowhere near as bad as people think.

BoarHunter

remember last year ... and the gap was bigger than it is now. This will be a long afternoon in twickenham, with not many balls out running... lot of ping pong and a score closer to 10 than 20 ...

BoarHunter

BoarHunter wrote: »

remember last year ... and the gap was bigger than it is now. This will be a long afternoon in twickenham, with not many balls out running... lot of ping pong and a score closer to 10 than 20 ...

Thats what the French said the last time they were in Twickenham