This is a thread about the 2020 Six Nations, formerly the Five Nations

lawrencesummers · 29-01-2020 8:51am

ionadnapokot wrote: »

Highly recommend the Squidge preview on France
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMovbEAl3IE

The amount of young talent they have in their squad is frightening.

But in the words of Brennan Jnr - I'm absolutely bloody delighted

The coaching ticket is also a great addition. The welsh lad might sink or swim but they have a clear mandate to prepare for 2023. If they can tie everything together with the youth, talent and coaching ability it’s hard to see them not being at the top of the 6nations table in the coming years. Exciting time for them.

Interested Observer · 29-01-2020 8:00pm

So according to Tom English on Second Captains, Finn Russell:

Started drinking in the bar of the team hotel
Was asked to stop by the senior players, told them to take a hike
Was told by Townsend he wouldn't be considered against Ireland
Left the hotel and went back to Stirling where his family live
Missed training the next day
Came back to the hotel the next evening, had a positive talk with Townsend, accepted his punishment, said he'd help with prep, seems everything is resolved
For inexplicable reasons after this, leaves camp and fecks off to Paris
Who knows from now

His behaviour is absolutely bizarre.

lawrencesummers · 29-01-2020 8:14pm

Interested Observer wrote: »

So according to Tom English on Second Captains, Finn Russell:

Started drinking in the bar of the team hotel
Was asked to stop by the senior players, told them to take a hike
Was told by Townsend he wouldn't be considered against Ireland
Left the hotel and went back to Stirling where his family live
Missed training the next day
Came back to the hotel the next evening, had a positive talk with Townsend, accepted his punishment, said he'd help with prep, seems everything is resolved
For inexplicable reasons after this, leaves camp and fecks off to Parisu
Who knows from now

His behaviour is absolutely bizarre.

Won’t be long before someone comes along to blame his half Caribbean team mate

prawnsambo · 29-01-2020 8:34pm

lawrencesummers wrote: »

Won’t be long before someone comes along to blame his half Caribbean team mate

You should see someone about that. It's a mite unhealthy.

penybont exile · 29-01-2020 10:38pm

Expected Wales team [according to WOL]:

Leigh Halfpenny; George North; Nick Tompkins; Hadleigh Parkes; Josh Adams; Dan Biggar; Tomos Williams; Wyn Jones; Ken Owens; Leon Brown; Jake Ball; Alun Wyn Jones (capt); Aaron Wainwright; Justin Tipuric; Taulupe Faletau.

Zammit benches .... I'd have started him ......

Squidgy Black · 29-01-2020 10:47pm

penybont exile wrote: »

Expected Wales team [according to WOL]:

Leigh Halfpenny; George North; Nick Tompkins; Hadleigh Parkes; Josh Adams; Dan Biggar; Tomos Williams; Wyn Jones; Ken Owens; Leon Brown; Jake Ball; Alun Wyn Jones (capt); Aaron Wainwright; Justin Tipuric; Taulupe Faletau.

Zammit benches .... I'd have started him ......

If I was a Welsh fan I'd be fairly disappointed at North starting over Zammit. North has been off the boil for the past couple of seasons, and Zammit is absolutely tearing it up in Gloucester.

Interesting to hear that he's been training in the centre during camp as well. I wonder how that'd work out if he had to fill in at some stage.

prawnsambo · 29-01-2020 10:54pm

penybont exile wrote: »

Expected Wales team [according to WOL]:

Leigh Halfpenny; George North; Nick Tompkins; Hadleigh Parkes; Josh Adams; Dan Biggar; Tomos Williams; Wyn Jones; Ken Owens; Leon Brown; Jake Ball; Alun Wyn Jones (capt); Aaron Wainwright; Justin Tipuric; Taulupe Faletau.

Zammit benches .... I'd have started him ......

I thought Faletau had picked up an injury?

penybont exile · 29-01-2020 10:55pm

Squidgy Black wrote: »

If I was a Welsh fan I'd be fairly disappointed at North starting over Zammit. North has been off the boil for the past couple of seasons, and Zammit is absolutely tearing it up in Gloucester.

Interesting to hear that he's been training in the centre during camp as well. I wonder how that'd work out if he had to fill in at some stage.

North is not a centre ... I'd have started Zammit .... with O Williams & J McNicholl on the bench. I imagine Jarrod Evans will be named though.

penybont exile · 29-01-2020 10:59pm

prawnsambo wrote: »

I thought Faletau had picked up an injury?

WOL ... so could be wrong of course .....

29-01-2020 11:57pm

lawrencesummers wrote: »

Won’t be long before someone comes along to blame his half Caribbean team mate

That's a very unreasonable implication to make. Zebo hasn't been referenced over this because of his heritage, he's been referenced over this because he also recently criticised a national coach to the point of taunting them for not picking him.

The pair of them sharing a team and the similarity of their attitudes and the fact that they are both on social media over this - is a far more obvious reason for the comparison and you are being needlessly antagonistic suggestion otherwise.

Interested Observer wrote: »

So according to Tom English on Second Captains, Finn Russell:

Started drinking in the bar of the team hotel
Was asked to stop by the senior players, told them to take a hike
Was told by Townsend he wouldn't be considered against Ireland
Left the hotel and went back to Stirling where his family live
Missed training the next day
Came back to the hotel the next evening, had a positive talk with Townsend, accepted his punishment, said he'd help with prep, seems everything is resolved
For inexplicable reasons after this, leaves camp and fecks off to Paris
Who knows from now

His behaviour is absolutely bizarre.

He was too much of a coward to question Townsend to his face, so he waited until he was out of the room and then scarpered.

I thought initially that his attitude hinted at a wider issue within the camp - I didn't think he'd have gone so far if he didn't know that plenty others were unhappy. But if the above is true there is no way any of the team could have much respect for him. I'm sure they are being nice on social media as they would want him to come back for the sake of the team - but they must be absolutely filthy with him.

sydthebeat · 30-01-2020 2:35pm

free pic upload

exciting team to face england

ionadnapokot · 30-01-2020 2:37pm

Six Nations 2020: team-by-team guide
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2020/jan/30/six-nations-2020-team-by-team-guide-rugby-england-wales-scotland-ireland-france-italy

"Andy Farrell is an experienced second-in-command but now has to get used to telling players they are not in the team, such as the in-form scrum-half John Cooney with the established Conor Murray starting against Scotland on Saturday.

If little in his demeanour suggests he will have a problem with that, selection itself is another matter."
....................................
"Ireland were organised under Schmidt, masters at keeping possession, but they largely avoided risk and relied on plays. That should change with Mike Catt, an improviser in his England playing days, masterminding attacking strategy and placing more emphasis on the unstructured".

Nailed the two biggest Q's marks over the new management.

Would give Farrell a C+ for Scotland selection.
Feel he got both half-backs selection wrong & captain.

& what is this unstructured play that Mike Catt is going to impart?
We will get plenty of gain-line against Scotland & i expect Ireland will look very good.
Without gain-line i dont know what Catt is going to impart beyond the initial phases. Probably encourage more offloads.
It will also be interesting to see if Ireland try bash down the door with multi-phase when they get in the 22 - i expect they will.

Interested Observer · 30-01-2020 2:40pm

Good few of that French pack I wouldn't be massively familiar with.

sydthebeat · 30-01-2020 2:41pm

ionadnapokot wrote: »

Six Nations 2020: team-by-team guide
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2020/jan/30/six-nations-2020-team-by-team-guide-rugby-england-wales-scotland-ireland-france-italy

"Andy Farrell is an experienced second-in-command but now has to get used to telling players they are not in the team, such as the in-form scrum-half John Cooney with the established Conor Murray starting against Scotland on Saturday.

If little in his demeanour suggests he will have a problem with that, selection itself is another matter."
....................................
"Ireland were organised under Schmidt, masters at keeping possession, but they largely avoided risk and relied on plays. That should change with Mike Catt, an improviser in his England playing days, masterminding attacking strategy and placing more emphasis on the unstructured".

Nailed the two biggest Q's marks over the new management.

Would give Farrell a C+ for Scotland selection.
Feel he got both half-backs selection wrong & captain.

& what is this unstructured play that Mike Catt is going to impart?
We will get plenty of gain-line against Scotland & i expect Ireland will look very good.
Without gain-line i dont know what Catt is going to impart beyond the initial phases. Probably encourage more offloads.
It will also be interesting to see if Ireland try bash down the door with multi-phase when they get in the 22 - i expect they will.

if you mean "bashing the door down" to be constant one out runners, then no, i dont expect that. that pack is too leinster dominated to do that.

i fully expect the ball to be kept tight in the red zone, but runners will look for soft shoulders, or pop passes rather than running down blind alleys.

Look at the interplay the links of Ryan and Leavy have had in both green and blue... i expect a relaxing of the shackles to allow for this, and allow for mistakes to happen as well.

aloooof · 30-01-2020 2:45pm

ionadnapokot wrote: »

Would give Farrell a C+ for Scotland selection.
Feel he got both half-backs selection wrong & captain.

Each to their own, but that's a pretty harsh assessment, imo. I don't think we were ever going to see an 8, 9, 10 of Doris, Cooney and Ross Byrne, barely a handful of international starts between them.

Clegg · 30-01-2020 2:52pm

Wales have gone with North at 13. That selection was on the cards as he's played there for Ospreys this season. But everything I've read about his performances there isn't good. Struggling for form and positionally naive.

ionadnapokot · 30-01-2020 2:55pm

aloooof wrote: »

Each to their own, but that's a pretty harsh assessment, imo. I don't think we were ever going to see an 8, 9, 10 of Doris, Cooney and Ross Byrne, barely a handful of international starts between them.

Fair point on Cooney & Byrne - i dont think 8 selection should have any relevance on the half-backs.
Worried about Sexton. has played maybe 120mins of rugby all season....and injured (just like last year)

But....Tis Scotland like!

Jump_In_Jack · 30-01-2020 2:57pm

aloooof wrote: »

Each to their own, but that's a pretty harsh assessment, imo. I don't think we were ever going to see an 8, 9, 10 of Doris, Cooney and Ross Byrne, barely a handful of international starts between them.

Burns looks to be a better player than Byrne.
Cooney and Burns might be the best combination at the moment I think.

ionadnapokot · 30-01-2020 3:00pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

if you mean "bashing the door down" to be constant one out runners, then no, i dont expect that. that pack is too leinster dominated to do that.

i fully expect the ball to be kept tight in the red zone, but runners will look for soft shoulders, or pop passes rather than running down blind alleys.

Look at the interplay the links of Ryan and Leavy have had in both green and blue... i expect a relaxing of the shackles to allow for this, and allow for mistakes to happen as well.

& also in Green! See GSlam18! Edit: sorry! i see you mentioned Green
But do you expect more offloads in the 22 AKA "red zone"?

& i do think it will be very similar to how we “bashed down the door” of both Scotland & Wales in 2018
"you cant fire a cannon out of a canoe":pac:

aloooof · 30-01-2020 3:08pm

Jump_In_Jack wrote: »

Burns looks to be a better player than Byrne.
Cooney and Burns might be the best combination at the moment I think.

I think Burns is hampered by the fact he doesn't do the place kicking at Ulster. I suspect it'll be tougher for him to get ahead of Ross Byrne unless Cooney usurps Murray as the starting 9. Then he becomes a much more viable option, as Cooney could take the penalties etc. Even then, Cooney wouldn't be taking them while Sexton is on the pitch, so that adds a further complication.

Not that he couldn't do it but it would be pretty atypical for a player to kick at International level when they don't (or, at least, do less frequently) at provincial level. Tho Murray has also filled too, so might be preferred ahead of him. Plenty of kicking options there anyway.

molloyjh · 30-01-2020 4:46pm

ionadnapokot wrote: »

Fair point on Cooney & Byrne - i dont think 8 selection should have any relevance on the half-backs.
Worried about Sexton. has played maybe 120mins of rugby all season....and injured (just like last year)

But....Tis Scotland like!

Sexton has played 452 mins this season.

Podge_irl · 30-01-2020 4:56pm

This is better suited to the Ireland thread, but I highly doubt either Byrne or Burns will be the future for Ireland and there is no point in starting them while Sexton is still standing.

hahashake · 30-01-2020 5:51pm

All the talk was about LRZ, but provided he has still got his pace, McNicholl will quietly go about being one of the better wings in the 6N. Somehow Parkes went from a weak link to a solid international so if McNicholl can replicate that trend from a stronger starting point then he will be a decent player. Like Payne, he was talked about as a potential AB and was probably a few injuries away from being capped.

swiwi_ · 30-01-2020 6:54pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

free pic upload

exciting team to face england

Except their loosehead prop. Makes me yawn...

ionadnapokot · 30-01-2020 7:18pm

molloyjh wrote: »

Sexton has played 452 mins this season.

Does this include Tag?
.....Or the WC

i cant believe its as recent as the 19th Oct since the other game that never happened. My mind had conveniently parked it in the "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far way......"

He'll still be under-cooked as **** v Scotland. But Tis Scotland!

sydthebeat · 30-01-2020 7:24pm

swiwi_ wrote: »

Except their loosehead prop. Makes me yawn...

leave now and never come back !!!!

stephen_n · 30-01-2020 7:52pm

ionadnapokot wrote: »

& also in Green! See GSlam18! Edit: sorry! i see you mentioned Green
But do you expect more offloads in the 22 AKA "red zone"?

& i do think it will be very similar to how we “bashed down the door” of both Scotland & Wales in 2018
"you cant fire a cannon out of a canoe":pac:

What teams throw offloads in the 22? Leinster sure as hell don’t and they are one of the best teams out there at converting chances in the 22.

ionadnapokot · 30-01-2020 9:40pm

stephen_n wrote: »

What teams throw offloads in the 22? Leinster sure as hell don’t and they are one of the best teams out there at converting chances in the 22.

I agree

And what are we going to see that’s any different than what went before?
That’s my question

Japan were offloading in the 22 with regularity. I’m not expecting Ireland to do the same or Leinster.
Well....excluding James Lowe

stephen_n · 30-01-2020 10:18pm

ionadnapokot wrote: »

I agree

And what are we going to see that’s any different than what went before?
That’s my question

Japan were offloading in the 22 with regularity. I’m not expecting Ireland to do the same or Leinster.
Well....excluding James Lowe

I would imagine we will see a good bit more inventiveness in attack over the course of the 6 nations. Catt is likely to allow a lot more freedom in how we attack, given what we have seen from him before.

bobbyss · 31-01-2020 11:45am

No 10s get a lot of TV time. What with all those penalty kicks and conversions you are on the big screen a lot. Remember that Wales player who seemed to nod his head a lot and lots of hand to face movements. Can't remember his name. He's still playing. Parks? Has Johnny just gone and got himself one of those awful haircuts or did I see an old photo of him? Like in the days when football players got the FA haircut before the FA Cup.

I don't know a lot about rugby but I feel Johnny's time is up really. How long do we have to wait against Scotland until he hobbles off? Out for three weeks or so? That would be end of his international career I feel.

As a matter of interest I wonder what his success rate as a kicker is in the 6 Nations compared to Johnny Wilkinson and O'Gara.

This is a thread about the 2020 Six Nations, formerly the Five Nations

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