Six Nations: France v Italy Match Thread

Zzippy · 23-02-2018 9:07pm #1

No preview, no tables. Post your views....

France 5-0 up

Zzippy · 23-02-2018 9:11pm

Try Italy, great maul

Burkie1203 · 23-02-2018 9:11pm

Bizarre try

Clegg · 23-02-2018 9:12pm

Vahaamahina is playing worse than he did against us.

Some achievement.

misslt · 23-02-2018 9:12pm

Not grounded?

Burkie1203 · 23-02-2018 9:14pm

Embarrassing nonsense from barnes

CptMackey · 23-02-2018 9:14pm

Strange call. Not sure it was collapsed

danganabu · 23-02-2018 9:15pm

Shamefull refereeing from Barnes, you would really hope that one of the other officials would have the backbone to tell him he is wrong.

Flincher · 23-02-2018 9:17pm

Bizarre. I thought the 6 had done enough to warrant the penalty try, but once Barnes determined that he wasn't at fault I can see how he could away the penalty try.

prawnsambo · 23-02-2018 9:18pm

Ah, I'd wait until I get a better view of it. Lauret was throwing all his weight on the maul, to the extent he was off his feet. I don't think that's the optimum way of stopping a maul.

Happy4all · 23-02-2018 9:20pm

Barnes is giving Italy a helping hand.

prawnsambo · 23-02-2018 9:21pm

Italians are playing well to be fair.

lawred2 · 23-02-2018 9:22pm

Good fun so far

23-02-2018 9:22pm

The f**ckin hands on the Italians. Fierce entertaining.

Zzippy · 23-02-2018 9:28pm

Bit of niggle in this, crowd getting involved too, sounds like a great atmosphere. Good game to watch so far

lawred2 · 23-02-2018 9:28pm

As an aside, that is one hell of a stadium

lawred2 · 23-02-2018 9:33pm

France had a few lads wildly off their feet going into rucks during that play.

FCIM · 23-02-2018 9:36pm

If Wales v England was decided on who has the better top ref, we'd win with a bonus point every year.

awec · 23-02-2018 9:37pm

Italian forwards just ineffective at ruck time

bloodless_coup · 23-02-2018 9:38pm

How was that not a knock on the half way line

pickarooney · 23-02-2018 9:39pm

How is it possible to fail to score each time they're 1 metre out?

lawred2 · 23-02-2018 9:40pm

There was no review of that touchdown there... It didn't seem so clear cut to me as to not be reviewed even briefly

pickarooney · 23-02-2018 9:44pm

Surely McKinley would be better than the hopeless Allan. He can't get a kick right tonight.

IIGeminiII · 23-02-2018 9:55pm

Matt makes me horni. Williams. Very insightful. Wet.

jammiedodgers · 23-02-2018 10:05pm

Butchered that

Burkie1203 · 23-02-2018 10:05pm

If italy had half backs they would win this

Awful from france

Chiorino · 23-02-2018 10:12pm

Vahaamahina is an absolute penalty machine.

pickarooney · 23-02-2018 10:13pm

Bastareaud is having some game.

Buer · 23-02-2018 10:18pm

IIGeminiII wrote: »

Matt makes me horni. Williams. Very insightful. Wet.

Anyone know how to report that Venjur has multiple accounts?

lawred2 · 23-02-2018 10:23pm

Machenaud is a cracker

Sexy too

Neil3030 · 23-02-2018 10:28pm

IIGeminiII wrote: »

Matt makes me horni. Williams. Very insightful. Wet.

You've made 22 posts since 2013.

That's an average of 4.4 posts per year.

So you allocated nearly 25% of your annual posting allowance to post this.

Outstanding, sir.

Soulsun · 23-02-2018 10:30pm

Neil3030 wrote: »

You've made 22 posts since 2013.

That's an average of 4.4 posts per year.

So you allocated nearly 25% of your annual posting allowance to post this.

Outstanding, sir.

Boom!

pickarooney · 23-02-2018 10:42pm

Italy in the dressing room already.

FCIM · 23-02-2018 10:43pm

Are we getting to the stage where we have to start seriously questioning Italy's continued involvement in this tournament? Can anyone honestly say they've improved in the 18 years they've been in it? An odd surprise win here and there but generally getting hidings on a majority of occasions including here against possibly the worst French team in living memory.

Burkie1203 · 23-02-2018 10:44pm

FCIM wrote: »

Are we getting to the stage where we have to start seriously questioning Italy's continued involvement in this tournament? Can anyone honestly say they've improved in the 18 years they've been in it? An odd surprise win here and there but generally getting hidings on a majority of occasions including here against possibly the worst French team in living memory.

It wont happen so pointless discussing it

Benetton and zebre have been hugely better this year. That will take time to feed into the national side though if they can keep improving

FCIM · 23-02-2018 10:48pm

Burkie1203 wrote: »

It wont happen so pointless discussing it

Benetton and zebre have been hugely better this year. That will take time to feed into the national side though if they can keep improving

In the poorest league in top level European rugby.

I agree it won't happen but they devalue the tournament and I'm saying that as a serious italophile.

robyntmorton · 23-02-2018 10:51pm

The score line flatters the French. They have not been great, and the Italians have shown flashes of great play.

The Italians still have a long way to go though.

lawred2 · 23-02-2018 10:52pm

robyntmorton wrote: »

The score line flatters the French. They have not been great, and the Italians have shown flashes of great play.

The Italians still have a long way to go though.

France butchered about three tries from a couple of yards out.

France played all the rugby in that match really..

Few flashes from Italy but nothing of consequence.

Scythica · 23-02-2018 10:52pm

Assume basta was motm?

Akrasia · 23-02-2018 10:54pm

FCIM wrote: »

Are we getting to the stage where we have to start seriously questioning Italy's continued involvement in this tournament? Can anyone honestly say they've improved in the 18 years they've been in it? An odd surprise win here and there but generally getting hidings on a majority of occasions including here against possibly the worst French team in living memory.

France should be kicked out of the 6 nations, they're not taking it seriously, playing a random team every game for the last 5 years

Or kick out Scotland, their record is almost as bad as Italy since the 6 nations was formed

Chex LeMeneux · 23-02-2018 10:56pm

Jesus whoever tapped and went there should walk home

FCIM · 23-02-2018 10:58pm

Conor O'Shea was just interviewed on Dmax Italia (the Italian Six Nations broadcaster). Good grief, his Italian is rough lol.

Jack Kanoff · 23-02-2018 11:00pm

FCIM wrote: »

Conor O'Shea was just interviewed on Dmax Italia (the Italian Six Nations broadcaster). Good grief, his Italian is rough lol.

Yeah, funny considering his mother is from Bologna and he spent all his summers growing up over there

pickarooney · 23-02-2018 11:04pm

Scythica wrote: »

Assume basta was motm?

Camara

FCIM · 23-02-2018 11:17pm

Jack Kanoff wrote: »

Yeah, funny considering his mother is from Bologna and he spent all his summers growing up over there

Genuinely?

He was using feminine words as if they were masculine and vice versa (even changing the ends of them, not just misusing il and la), his pronunciation was all over the place and the odd English word was thrown in too. Given that what he was saying wasn't that complicated and was about a topic he's working in every day, for a guy who has been in the job two years it surprised me.

I presume he must still live in Ireland and isn't getting the practice.

FCIM · 23-02-2018 11:28pm

Akrasia wrote: »

France should be kicked out of the 6 nations, they're not taking it seriously, playing a random team every game for the last 5 years

Or kick out Scotland, their record is almost as bad as Italy since the 6 nations was formed

Anyway...

I wouldn't kick anyone out. I might look at having a promotion/relegation playoff between the bottom 6N team and the champions of the Rugby Europe Championship. It'd give the tier 2 teams something to aspire to. At the moment, it's a closed shop and I don't see why, as examples, Georgia and Romania who are serious about the sport shouldn't get an opportunity against a team which is about to get it's thirteenth wooden spoon in nineteen tournaments.

thebaz · 23-02-2018 11:33pm

Burkie1203 wrote: »

It wont happen so pointless discussing it

Benetton and zebre have been hugely better this year. That will take time to feed into the national side though if they can keep improving

Italy should at least be forced to challenge the team in division below - Georgia - home and away knockout - its too comfortable for them today as ther continuos losses have no ramifications - I think it would actually benefit Italian rugby if they were to participate in games they might win - Italy got into the 6 Nations on the back of a team that was competive and probably better than Ireland - today ther continuos defeats seam to have no consequnce - sport is about winning and losing -

FCIM · 23-02-2018 11:39pm

thebaz wrote: »

Italy should at least be forced to challenge the team in division below - Georgia - home and away knockout - its too comfortable for them today as ther continuos losses have no ramifications - I think it would actually benefit Italian rugby if they were to participate in games they might win - Italy got into the 6 Nations on the back of a team that was competive and probably better than Ireland - today ther continuos defeats seam to have no consequnce - sport is about winning and losing -

The problem is, I suspect, the powers that be would be petrified of one of the other five having a bad year and getting shocked by Georgia or Romania in a playoff. I agree it should happen, as I said above, but unrealistic as one of the other five losing, particularly across a two legged contest against Georgia or Romania would be I suspect it's the reason a playoff will never happen. That and I have a suspicion the suits wouldn't be too happy having to swap Rome for Bucharest/Tbilisi every two years should it come to pass.

Buer · 23-02-2018 11:46pm

Italy would not lose to Georgia over two legs. It's not going to happen. Georgia play most of their games against tier 3 sides and then treat their games against tier 1/2 nations as cup finals. If they played higher tier nations regularly as Italy do, they simply don't have the set up to be anything close to competitive.

Italy were genuinely competitive when they were approved. They beat Ireland 3 times in the 90s for example. Georgia are not near that level.

Losty Dublin · 24-02-2018 12:26am

Buer wrote: »

Italy would not lose to Georgia over two legs. It's not going to happen. Georgia play most of their games against tier 3 sides and then treat their games against tier 1/2 nations as cup finals. If they played higher tier nations regularly as Italy do, they simply don't have the set up to be anything close to competitive.

Italy were genuinely competitive when they were approved. They beat Ireland 3 times in the 90s for example. Georgia are not near that level.

This is true. Italy are spots over Georgia and they are spots better over their next best. What is needed is a stronger second tier competition that can run complementary to 6N, possibly involving the B+I cup or academy set ups as well but that's another thread for another day. For now Italy need good management and coaching and to be involved where they are today.

AbusesToilets · 24-02-2018 12:58am

FCIM wrote: »

Genuinely?

He was using feminine words as if they were masculine and vice versa (even changing the ends of them, not just misusing il and la), his pronunciation was all over the place and the odd English word was thrown in too. Given that what he was saying wasn't that complicated and was about a topic he's working in every day, for a guy who has been in the job two years it surprised me.

I presume he must still live in Ireland and isn't getting the practice.

Needs to get McKinley in as translator.

Six Nations: France v Italy Match Thread

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