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

Richie_Rich89 · 27-07-2020 3:05pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Would have liked another crack at Japan

Second or third are probably the most likely finishing positions for both teams, so there's a good chance they'll meet after the pool stages.

ionadnapokot · 27-07-2020 3:57pm

bilston wrote: »

To be fair I don't think balance comes into it. It will.just be good to get some games back...although the way things are going I'll believe it when the anthems are being played!

Im sceptical myself.
Not sure how they even manged to get through the soccer in England without multiple cases occurring in each team.
I presume the players will all have to be in some kind of bubble between their camps and family?

thomond2006 · 27-07-2020 4:15pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Would have liked another crack at Japan

Why? The last time Ireland played Japan they hockeyed them in two tests.

Cookiemunster · 27-07-2020 4:25pm

ionadnapokot wrote: »

Im sceptical myself.
Not sure how they even manged to get through the soccer in England without multiple cases occurring in each team.
I presume the players will all have to be in some kind of bubble between their camps and family?

Quite simple. Regular testing (twice a week) of every player and member of staff at every club and instant removal from the group of anyone testing positive. And it's not just England. Every league in Europe except for France, Netherlands, Belgium and Scotland has finished or are in the process of finishing their season.

Eod100 · 27-07-2020 5:39pm

RTE reporting on games alright https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2020/0727/1155845-ireland-set-for-eight-team-tournament-at-end-of-year/

bilston · 27-07-2020 6:46pm

6 tests in 7 weeks will be a bit of a challenge.

Almost like a WC...except Ireland have never played more than 5 games at a WC so it will be a new experience...

Eod100 · 27-07-2020 6:53pm

bilston wrote: »

6 tests in 7 weeks will be a bit of a challenge.

Almost like a WC...except Ireland have never played more than 5 games at a WC so it will be a new experience...

Yeah the following season will be fairly full on for players playing international, Champions Cup and Lions matches.

27-07-2020 7:04pm

bilston wrote: »

6 tests in 7 weeks will be a bit of a challenge.

Almost like a WC...except Ireland have never played more than 5 games at a WC so it will be a new experience...

Eod100 wrote: »

Yeah the following season will be fairly full on for players playing international, Champions Cup and Lions matches.

I think they're trying to get as many fixtures into as short a window as possible in the event we're back in lockdown over winter.

Clegg · 27-07-2020 9:09pm

Jaopan and Fiji to join with the other Six Nations side for an 8 Nations event this Autumn. There's going to be two pools. One pool will be England, Wales, Ireland and Fiji. The other will be France, Scotland, Italy and Japan.

Once the pool is complete you play the side from the other look who finished in the same position.

https://twitter.com/guardian_sport/status/1287841293780082690?s=19

salmocab · 27-07-2020 9:40pm

I know it’s not going to work out but with all these matches along with a late start to next season and apparently a Lions tour scheduled is there an actual plan to play out a full season with enough available weekends.

Eod100 · 27-07-2020 9:49pm

salmocab wrote: »

I know it’s not going to work out but with all these matches along with a late start to next season and apparently a Lions tour scheduled is there an actual plan to play out a full season with enough available weekends.

Might make a difference if Pro14 reverts back to Pro12 without SA teams next season but think plan is to go ahead either way. Not too sure about rest weekends but guess players playing internationals, Champions Cup and Lions may not be involved in much of standard Pro14 season.

27-07-2020 10:23pm

Definitely seems like they are trying to flood the next few months with high quality fixtures with the expectation that covid will ultimately claim much of the playing window. Probably not wrong either and you would wonder how much the club game is going to end up featuring this year. The IRFU will be heavily financing the provinces and an autumn expanded six nations is probably the best way to maximise earnings.

27-07-2020 10:41pm

Very surprised this is actually going ahead. I dismissed it as a slow news day when it first came up.

BonnieSituation · 27-07-2020 11:07pm

Clegg wrote: »

Jaopan and Fiji to join with the other Six Nations side for an 8 Nations event this Autumn. There's going to be two pools. One pool will be England, Wales, Ireland and Fiji. The other will be France, Scotland, Italy and Japan.

Once the pool is complete you play the side from the other look who finished in the same position.

https://twitter.com/guardian_sport/status/1287841293780082690?s=19

I saw the pools on RTÉ earlier. When was that drawn or what were the criteria? World ranking seeding?

Which they hardly were... Given:

3 England 88.41
4 Ireland 84.91
5 France 82.73
6 Wales 82.64
8 Scotland 80.68
9 Japan 79.28
11 Fiji 76.21
14 Italy 71.07

Former Former · 27-07-2020 11:25pm

BonnieSituation wrote: »

I saw the pools on RTÉ earlier. When was that drawn or what were the criteria? World ranking seeding?

My personal theory is that Ireland will play France and Italy in October, so were kept apart in November. Likewise England kept apart from Italy and Wales from Scotland.

BonnieSituation · 27-07-2020 11:33pm

Former Former wrote: »

My personal theory is that Ireland will play France and Italy in October, so were kept apart in November. Likewise England kept apart from Italy and Wales from Scotland.

That makes perfect sense.

WeleaseWoderick · 28-07-2020 9:48am

Former Former wrote: »

My personal theory is that Ireland will play France and Italy in October, so were kept apart in November. Likewise England kept apart from Italy and Wales from Scotland.

Was thinking that myself listening to the groups on OTB. They could have achieved the same thing though but switched Wales & Scotland around to even up the groups a bit more.

Muligatawney · 28-07-2020 10:01am

This isn't a tournament though in any real sense. I think we want to play the best teams in this set up rather than finish top and then play the other top team. It's unbalanced in the same way as November internationals always are.

un5byh7sqpd2x0 · 28-07-2020 10:20am

Sounds to me like it will be an Ireland ‘A’ team that will be taking part in this Mickey Mouse tournament.

28-07-2020 10:28am

We really need to turn England over. They've comprehensively beaten us the last two six nations and they embarrassed us in the RWC warm ups.

If we keep giving them scalps they'll turn into a bogey team despite us largely having the upper hand on them since 2004.

If we get the back 5 right and our kicking game is spotless then we can beat them. I don't think Lowe will be eligible for this tournament - instant boost to our chances if he's available.

BonnieSituation · 28-07-2020 10:44am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

We really need to turn England over. They've comprehensively beaten us the last two six nations and they embarrassed us in the RWC warm ups.

If we keep giving them scalps they'll turn into a bogey team despite us largely having the upper hand on them since 2004.

If we get the back 5 right and our kicking game is spotless then we can beat them. I don't think Lowe will be eligible for this tournament - instant boost to our chances if he's available.

Lowe was eligible for the original Autumn internationals as they stood. So he should surely be eligible for these if not at least some of them. They'd hardly restrict his eligibility for "the tournament" given it is a once of structured grouping of autumn internationals essentially.

Anyone know what the original eligibility date was?

He played for Tasman in their loss against Canterbury on 28/10/2017 and then moved to Leinster. So it would have been that week or so after anyway, that he came over.

28-07-2020 10:55am

BonnieSituation wrote: »

Lowe was eligible for the original Autumn internationals as they stood. So he should surely be eligible for these if not at least some of them. They'd hardly restrict his eligibility for "the tournament" given it is a once of structured grouping of autumn internationals essentially.

Anyone know what the original eligibility date was?

He played for Tasman in their loss against Canterbury on 28/10/2017 and then moved to Leinster. So it would have been that week or so after anyway, that he came over.

I've just checked and he's eligible from the start of November.

Clegg · 28-07-2020 11:17am

If James Ryan really is injured we may as well throw in Ryan Baird into the 23. As much as I respect Toner, he's not getting any younger. And Jean Kleyn would be a waste of a spot.

bilston · 28-07-2020 11:46am

Clegg wrote: »

If James Ryan really is injured we may as well throw in Ryan Baird into the 23. As much as I respect Toner, he's not getting any younger. And Jean Kleyn would be a waste of a spot.

I'd say Baird will get a couple of caps over the 6 games. It would be good if the lads in that additional training group named in the original 6Ns squad (Baird, H.Byrne, Balacoune and one other, can't remember who it wss) all got a shot at some stage, but a lot will depend on the Inter Pros and European games in August and September.

Hooker will be interesting, will Kelleher overtake Herring, it seems inevitable at some point. I'm looking forward to seeing Doris getting in at No 8, am I right in saying he was impressive at Twickenham when he came on? I vaguely remember thinking that.

aloooof · 28-07-2020 12:22pm

bilston wrote: »

I'm looking forward to seeing Doris getting in at No 8, am I right in saying he was impressive at Twickenham when he came on? I vaguely remember thinking that.

England scored to make it 24-5 just 2 mins after he came on and took the foot off the pedal so I don't think we can read too much into that. But having said that, I fully expect him to get some starts and impress.

Is Conan back fit now tho? A lot could depend on who gets the nod at Leinster. (Personally think I'd favour Doris).

If all games go ahead as scheduled, there'll be plenty of game time to go around anyways, will be good to see some new caps.

ionadnapokot · 28-07-2020 1:42pm

Deleted User wrote: »

We really need to turn England over. They've comprehensively beaten us the last two six nations and they embarrassed us in the RWC warm ups.

If we keep giving them scalps they'll turn into a bogey team despite us largely having the upper hand on them since 2004.

If we get the back 5 right and our kicking game is spotless then we can beat them. I don't think Lowe will be eligible for this tournament - instant boost to our chances if he's available.

Im afraid I cant see this happening anytime soon. England have Ireland sussed big time.
Got so rugby starved over last few months i watched the game in Twickenham again. Just to cheer me up!
England have more power,
better playmakers (10&12),
https://twitter.com/brettruganalyst/status/1231727057169764358
better kicking game and Ireland cant handle Tuilagi at all.
https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1236712589373079552

Murray, Sexton, Earls and Healy arent going to get any better, lay-off or not.
& that backrow of Curry, Underhill and BillyV is exceptional.

Im expecting England to dominate the Championships over the next 3-4 years with France the coming force.

pickarooney · 28-07-2020 2:42pm

England are close to their peak while we're trying to rebuild a squad with a new coach. I don't see any way we beat them in the near future without a radical change in game plan and the emergence of a solid half-back pairing. For all the back rowers at Ireland's disposal we still don't have a proper balanced trio.

Former Former · 28-07-2020 2:58pm

ionadnapokot wrote: »

Im afraid I cant see this happening anytime soon. England have Ireland sussed big time.
Got so rugby starved over last few months i watched the game in Twickenham again. Just to cheer me up!
England have more power, better playmakers (10&12), better kicking game and Ireland cant handle Tuilagi at all.

Murray, Sexton, Earls and Healy arent going to get any better, lay-off or not.
& that backrow of Curry, Underhill and BillyV is exceptional.

Im expecting England to dominate the Championships over the next 3-4 years with France the coming force.

Why is it impossible that Murray won't improve? He had a bad run of form, why would you think it's permanent? Healy is only 32 and was playing very well prior to lockdown. Sexton, well, he's 35 so it's a big ask of him alright. Earls, I don't know, he might not even be in the team.

As for England, yeah they're very good but they're not so good that we won't have a hope.

It won't take a huge swing for us to be competitive again IMO.

Dog Botherer · 28-07-2020 3:00pm

if Super Rugby is anything to go by, pre-Covid form doesn’t mean very much. i wouldn’t be making any predictions about possible hammerings.

ionadnapokot · 28-07-2020 3:24pm

Former Former wrote: »

Why is it impossible that Murray won't improve? He had a bad run of form, why would you think it's permanent? Healy is only 32 and was playing very well prior to lockdown. Sexton, well, he's 35 so it's a big ask of him alright. Earls, I don't know, he might not even be in the team.

As for England, yeah they're very good but they're not so good that we won't have a hope.

It won't take a huge swing for us to be competitive again IMO.

Oh i think its a very plausible theory when you consider his performances post 2018 6N and take in his injury profile since injury v Wales in 2017.
He has lost power in that pass off his right side and his breaks are almost non-existent.
I would think the question is why do we think Murray is suddenly going to improve? We've been waiting for that for over two seasons.

This is the world class Murray of old.
SA 1st test 2016 - His play here from 74mins is pretty amazing stuff.
https://youtu.be/dJa5y77FaoQ?t=6462

I think their best days are well behind the lads mentioned above. Whereas almost all of England's players are coming into their prime

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

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