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6 Nations 2019 Build Up thread

Burkie1203

Injuries taking their toll

Underhill a doubt for England

Halfoenny to see specialist over concussion sustained in AI v Aus

https://twitter.com/BBCSportWales/status/1080842775287992320?s=19

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Dog Botherer

Not altogether certain that Wales are any weaker with Liam Williams at 15 instead of Halfpenny.

Anthony Watson is still out for England, though they’re stacked in the back three right now.

Clegg

Losing Underhill is a blow, but with Tom Curry fit I don't think England lose much at openside. Billy Vunipola is starting for Saracens at the weekend though. That's huge for them. A fit and in form Vunipola transforms that team. Plus if they can keep Tuilagi fit they'll be extremely hard to beat.

Podge_irl

Dog Botherer wrote: »

Not altogether certain that Wales are any weaker with Liam Williams at 15 instead of Halfpenny.

Stronger potentially, goal-kicking aside.

irishbucsfan

Surely it’d be Halfpenny + Williams + North?

The Rape of Lucretia

As with the way the Munster-Leinster game was used, this time, the 6N is really just a short series of sophisticated training sessions, player development, and squad deepening exposure. Wal, Eng, and Fra would like to win it, as a positive and moral boosting development validation step in their WC preparations. But for Ireland, been there, done that. Its all about the world cup. I shall watch their 5 training matches with interest.

penybont exile

.... love this time of the year.

stephen_n

Don’t see a grand slam for anyone this year, things are too tight. Could be Wales, England or Ireland for the championship and it’s too close to say anyone is a favorite.

Stheno

I'll say a novena now for the mods

sydthebeat

penybont exile wrote: »

.... love this time of the year.

Worried about gatland leaving??

penybont exile

sydthebeat wrote: »

Worried about gatland leaving??

Short answer .... Yes.

But that's 12 months away so looking forward to the 6N first .... then start the WC build-up.

We should be very competitive in both .... nice match order for the 6N & a very favourable WC draw especially if we can beat Australia .... what's not to look forward too.

sydthebeat

penybont exile wrote: »

Short answer .... Yes.

But that's 12 months away so looking forward to the 6N first .... then start the WC build-up.

We should be very competitive in both .... nice match order for the 6N & a very favourable WC draw especially if we can beat Australia .... what's not to look forward too.

Things will be tasty if both of us go into the last round undefeated.... Which i can see happening. The scheduling is favourable to us too....scotland in round two could be hard to rise for after the opening game v England, but we are well aware at this stage of their threat at home.

At that point a lot will depend on injuries/ suspensions, but my money would always be on you guys in the millennium.

irishbucsfan

penybont exile wrote: »

.... love this time of the year.

March was much better last year

Defaulter1831

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

As with the way the Munster-Leinster game was used, this time, the 6N is really just a short series of sophisticated training sessions, player development, and squad deepening exposure. Wal, Eng, and Fra would like to win it, as a positive and moral boosting development validation step in their WC preparations. But for Ireland, been there, done that. Its all about the world cup. I shall watch their 5 training matches with interest.

Right.. back to back 6N or Grand Slam wins and the confidence it would sustain would be less preferable than a mid table finish..

Countries like Ireland who have never made a WC semi can't afford to be so arrogant. The best teams in most sports just win everything.

Defaulter1831

England 2002-03 is the NH template. Beat the best in the SH summer 2002, win your autumn internationals. Win the GS in 2003. Keep beating teams until they have a hangup about you.

thomond2006

Cardiff is a trap game so I'm happy it's at the end of the tournament when Ireland are less likely to be caught out imo.

Scottish Jodi

I am really looking forward to this year's tournament

.

I am a Scot living in Ireland so Scotland are who I am supporting but my pick this year is Ireland who I tip to win the world cup.

We had a good summer, apart from the USA loss and a good autumn where we ran South Africa very close. The Wales game was our only bad performance but I blame the clubs for not releasing our top players lol.

I expect us to beat Italy and possibly France and am hopeful of regaining the Calcutta Cup by winning at Twickenham for the first time in a very long time. Wales and Ireland away will be tough but we are close to their level.

I predict we will end 3rd,behind Ireland and Wales

sydthebeat

You have Ireland at home this year

razorblunt

If I were Scottish (I live here so I have to listen to alot of their grumblings and man do they grumble), I'd be looking for a lot more consistency from them, they're playing very like Townsend himself, on their day, class, on others ... eh, not so much.

They have a habit of believing their won hype too and I'm still adamant Laidlaw is weighing them down. If Horne can get the 9 jersey then that opens up a lot of doors.
I'm still incredibly nervous about the opening game in Japan though I have to say.

troyzer

Here's a weird question:

Does anyone remember/know how the tournament organisers set it up when there are potential winners on the last week in different cities?

The whole point is the winning team raises the trophy on the day but surely there's only one trophy? What if, for example, both Ireland and England were able to win the title this year on the final day?

How do they decide where to have the trophy? Twickenham or Cardiff?

This has definitely happened before but I can't remember what happened.

irishbucsfan

troyzer wrote: »

Here's a weird question:

Does anyone remember/know how the tournament organisers set it up when there are potential winners on the last week in different cities?

The whole point is the winning team raises the trophy on the day but surely there's only one trophy? What if, for example, both Ireland and England were able to win the title this year on the final day?

How do they decide where to have the trophy? Twickenham or Cardiff?

This has definitely happened before but I can't remember what happened.

Dummy trophies

troyzer

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Dummy trophies

Really? I thought that might be the case.

thomond2006

Poirot (Bordeaux-Begles)
Priso (La Rochelle)

Guirado (Toulon)
Bourgarit (La Rochelle)

Marchand (Toulouse)
Atonio (La Rochelle)

Bamba (Brive)
Aldegheri (Toulouse)

Lambey (Lyon)
Vahaamahina (Clermont)
Iturria (Clermont)
Willemse (Monpellier)

Leroux (Racing 92)
Lauret (Racing 92)
Y. Camara (Montpellier)
Alldritt (La Rochelle)
Picamoles (Montpellier)

Parra (Clermont)
Dupont (Toulouse)
Serin (Bordeaux-Begles)
Lopez (Clermont)
Belleau (Toulon)

Fofana (Clermont)
Bastareaud (Toulon)
Doumayrou (La Rochelle)
Ntamack (Toulouse)
Fickou (Paris)
Huget (Toulouse)
Penaud (Clermont)
Mrd (Toulouse)
Ramos (Toulouse)

Willemse, Alldritt, Ntamack, Ramos and Aldegheri are the new caps if selected.

errlloyd

troyzer wrote: »

Here's a weird question:
This has definitely happened before but I can't remember what happened.

The best example is 2015, where any one of four teams could have won on the final day in either Rome, Edinburgh or Twickenham. It guess it almost certainly has to be dummy trophies.

leakyboots

That was one of the maddest days in my years of watching rugby, brilliantly bonkers fun!

leakyboots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyb7Cn2CF1g

Just to add, one of my favourite bits was current bête-noir Rory Kockott booting the ball out of play and celebrating... after getting absolutely tanked by England by 20 points... but denying them the 6N

errlloyd

leakyboots wrote: »

That was one of the maddest days in my years of watching rugby, brilliantly bonkers fun!

Oh that day was special. May never have anything like it again, insanity.

troyzer

errlloyd wrote: »

leakyboots wrote: »

That was one of the maddest days in my years of watching rugby, brilliantly bonkers fun!

Oh that day was special. May never have anything like it again, insanity.

Something similar happened in baseball in 2011. There were four teams on the final game of the season able to win one of two playoff spots. None of them were playing each other but each had to win and hope a result went for them. One of the games went into extra innings.

And this was at the end of a 162 game season. Unbelievable.

errlloyd

troyzer wrote: »

Something similar happened in baseball in 2011. There were four teams on the final game of the season able to win one of two playoff spots. None of them were playing each other but each had to win and hope a result went for them. One of the games went into extra innings.

And this was at the end of a 162 game season. Unbelievable.

The champions cup group a few years ago where they all finished level was deadly.

SoupyNorman

Love 6N so much, gives purpose to the bitterly cold early Spring and by the end of the tournament the clocks soon go forward heralding in the Summers beginnings.

Seriously, began watching 6N around 2001ish when simply scoring a try was viewed as an achievement. Watching every year where we hoped for a triple crown and also hoped for no wooden spoon to the dizzying heights of 2009….will never forget that night. It’s been an amazing journey to watch the team and the game evolve over the years and now I have a little 5 year old mascot that loves to wave the Ireland flag when I jump out of my seat screaming…it’s a good system we have.

Defaulter1831

leakyboots wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyb7Cn2CF1g

Just to add, one of my favourite bits was current bête-noir Rory Kockott booting the ball out of play and celebrating... after getting absolutely tanked by England by 20 points... but denying them the 6N

That day was so tense! I know it's sacrilegious to say but it goes to show that we had a bit of luck to win the championship in 2015, especially, and 2014. Joe got a bit of luck in 2015 that was cruelly absent under O'Sullivan in 2007. Denied the GS by a last minute French try in Croke Park. Denied the championship by a last minute French try against Scotland on Patrick's Day that year.

Of course Joe is a more complete coach but sometimes a bit of luck comes into it.