Six Nations 2023 General Discussion

OldRio · 18-03-2023 3:21pm

Italy will break your heart. So so close.

mangobob · 18-03-2023 3:23pm

Cruel. So cruel.

sligeach · 18-03-2023 3:23pm

It ended up 26-14 to Scotland, but so easily could have been 19-21 to Italy.

amacca · 18-03-2023 3:25pm

I'd be raging if I was an Italian fan....ffs Scotland are either infringing or not...and fine he can't check it but that's where you need a rule change for something as crucial as that or something like a head coach has three challenges for iffy stuff like that

RAKM · 18-03-2023 3:26pm

Italy in strong pos at end of game and manage to lose by more. Played 5 lost 5 conceded 4 tries in each game.

Former Former Former · 18-03-2023 3:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120372841#Comment_120372841

Whereas constant abuse of refs on social media is exactly what the game needs.

Eoinbmw · 18-03-2023 3:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120372876#Comment_120372876

Do better then!

FrancieBrady · 18-03-2023 3:32pm

Scotland deserved to be beaten but so did Italy at the end of the day. Mad game with some terrible rugby.

Former Former Former · 18-03-2023 3:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120372882#Comment_120372882

Wouldn't matter. The ref was absolutely fine today.

People don't want refs to make the correct decisions. They want the refs to make the decisions that bring about the result they want.

kksaints · 18-03-2023 3:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120372890#Comment_120372890

Don't see how you can call the ref fine today, got some key decisions wrong which had a big impact on the result. I think you've made a judgement earlier and are going to stick to it despite evidence to the contrary.

Water John · 18-03-2023 3:53pm

Only saw the first half. One ref problem I thought was, the pacing of his calls at scrum set up was too slow. It had no rhythm which a huddle of 16 players need.

Ben Bailey · 18-03-2023 3:58pm

France v Wales

Brilliant game so far.

Great to see Nic Berry back

fitz · 18-03-2023 3:58pm

Good start from Wales, but France just like, "Grand, have your try after 10 minutes of effort, we'll just score in seconds..."

amacca · 18-03-2023 3:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120372890#Comment_120372890

But he didn't make the correct decision .... so he wasn't absolutely fine.

Ben Bailey · 18-03-2023 4:24pm

France get their 2nd try & remain on course for the BP win they require. Can Wales stay with them ?.

Garzorico · 18-03-2023 4:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120372864#Comment_120372864

Why couldn’t the ref/TMO check it?

fitz · 18-03-2023 4:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120373010#Comment_120373010

Can't see it happening. France just look like they've got the tries in them, Wales have to do so much work for their opportunities and they're making too many mistakes.

amacca · 18-03-2023 4:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120373022#Comment_120373022

From his own mouth ...I could clearly hear him say to the players I can't check it...

At least that's what I thought I heard him say? I'm assuming the guy refereeing the match has a better grasp of the rules than I do?

If he could check it then it begs the question why didn't he?

Garzorico · 18-03-2023 4:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120373037#Comment_120373037

Yep, I heard him say it too. I’m very interested to know why though. They seem to check everything else.

Beechwoodspark · 18-03-2023 4:45pm

Is it me or is there a huge amount of overconfidence/false sense of security type of vibe “we have it in the bag” type of attitude around today?

Brent Pope threw out an interesting scenario on Newstalk earlier

early English try

sexton off injured soon after

1 or 2 other injuries in the pack

Irish huffing and puffing in a war of attrition and come away empty handed after a number of draining attempts at crossing the whitewash

english ride the psychic energy (chapeau G Thornley) looking to restore some bit of pride to the red rose

very different proposition then....

fitz · 18-03-2023 4:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120373090#Comment_120373090

We'd still have enough to be better than this England side.

stephen_n · 18-03-2023 4:48pm

Wales showing here that even a beaten dog has a bite. Wonder will England be able to follow suit. Though I think the result will still be the same either way.

Ben Bailey · 18-03-2023 4:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120373025#Comment_120373025

Looking that way. Antonio gets the 3rd try. Wales may implode now.

tanko · 18-03-2023 4:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120373090#Comment_120373090

Why would anyone care what Brent Pope says tho.

gameoverdude · 18-03-2023 4:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120372901#Comment_120372901

Starting with the first scrum which changed his mindset afterwards.

Beechwoodspark · 18-03-2023 4:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120373126#Comment_120373126

Harsh. Popey is a good analyst and a very nice man in person.

amacca · 18-03-2023 4:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120373090#Comment_120373090

It's a possibility in fairness ...on balance though ireland should prevail

I definitely don't think they have it in the bag. I hope there isn't an overconfidence in the team or too much trepidation(thats where it really counts imo), just the right amount to play their game and win.

There were moments in that Scotland game where I thought the wheels had come off too but they weathered it...I additionally hope that if we are dragged into a war of attrition via bad luck/circumstances we weather that too!

Former Former Former · 18-03-2023 5:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120373048#Comment_120373048

There's a TMO protocol which details what can and can't be checked.

But it wouldn't have mattered, it was a knock on.

So the call was right and the ref saying he couldn't check it was right.

tanko · 18-03-2023 6:48pm

That’s a red card.

Dubinusa · 19-03-2023 5:25pm

Player of the tournament? For me......Dupont, by a long way. This lad is beyond world class!

randomname2005 · 19-03-2023 5:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120376115#Comment_120376115

So almost as good as ROG was a few years back??

Dubinusa · 19-03-2023 9:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120376132#Comment_120376132

Vastly better! Probably the best player in the last 10 years.

20-03-2023 2:24am

My team of the tournament:

15.Hugo Keenan

14.Damian Penaud

13.Huw Jones

12.Sione Tui’polotu

11.Mack Hansen

10.Jonathan Sexton

9.Antoine Dupont

1.Andrew Porter

2.Dan Sheehan

3.Finlay Bealham

4.Thibaud Flament

5.James Ryan

6.Peter O’Mahony

7.Josh Van der Flier

8.Caelan Doris

Reps: Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille, Kyle Sinckler, Niccolo Cannone, Charles Ollivon, Jamison Gibson Park, Romain Ntamack, James Lowe.

Player of the Tournament: James Ryan

ersatz · 20-03-2023 6:37am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120378080#Comment_120378080

I don’t get the love for Tui’polotu, he is a bosher for sure but against Ireland I saw a player who costs a team as much or more than he earns between penalties, handling errors and brainlessness. He looks the business but just makes a lot of mistakes.

pickarooney · 20-03-2023 8:05am

I think I'd change the complete front row. Genge, Baille and Schoeman would all get in before Porter for me. Marchand would edge out Sheehan with Turner a close third. TH had no standout players but Sinckler and Fagerson went well and played all 5 games (I think).

eagle eye · 20-03-2023 10:56am

I'll go,

Keenan, Penaud, Fickou, Danty, Hansen, Sexton, Dupont, Doris, VDF, Ollivon, Ryan, Flament, Fagerson, Sheehan, Porter.

Player of the tournament was Doris for me.

aloooof · 20-03-2023 11:14am

Atypical way to measure this, but I think a metric that suggests Italy are getting closer to the pack across the board is that it's their first time having a better Points Difference than another team since 2007.

They caused problems for every team they played, and will feel they should've had more than their 1 losing bonus point, but they seem in a good position going forward.

tayto lover · 20-03-2023 11:52am

Hi lads, not into rugby very much but enjoyed watching the U.20's. Is there an U.20 World Cup?

Quin_Dub · 20-03-2023 11:57am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120378633#Comment_120378633

Yes - There hasn't been one for a couple of years due to Covid , but it's back this summer - In South Africa this year.

June/July I think.

Dubinusa · 20-03-2023 12:43pm

For me the team of the tournament

1. Baille

2. Marchand

3. Bealham

4. Flament

5. Ryan

6. Olivon

7. Vdf

8. Aldritt

9. Dupont

10. J10

11. VDM

12. Danty

13. Jones

14. Penaud

15. Keenan

16. Sheehan

17. Genge

18. Fagerson

19. Chessum

20. Conan

21. JGP

22. Russell

23. Ringrose

20-03-2023 12:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120378180#Comment_120378180

Scottish front rowers are about as overrated as you can get. For me, Porter fundamentally outplayed Schoeman and Genge, with maybe a discussion around Baille.

Sheehan had a better tournament than Marchand, and had more big moments imo.

Sinckler had a good tournament. Fagerson looked like the Italian LHP was causing him huge problems on Saturday but some spurious enough refereeing decisions bailed him out. Bealham's performance in the France match alone was worth more than anything Fagerson did in this tournament.

20-03-2023 12:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120378814#Comment_120378814

I don't understand a selection with 8 French players and only 5 Irish, when we were vastly superior to them in this tournament. Their only convincing win was against a ramshackle English side, and we beat that French team by 13. Surely that has to weigh the big decisions in favour of Irish players?

You've selected Aldritt ahead of Doris, presumably down to Doris missing 1 game due to injury? Aldritt was utterly abject in the first two games, and really only performed in the last 2 rounds. He was hauled off early against us as he was nowhere to be seen.

Danty only played the last 2 rounds and yet has done enough for selection.

Equally don't get the Duhan van der Merwe selection - he cost Scotland more tries than he scored in this Championship. James Lowe is a better winger than him every day of the week, and Mack Hansen and Damian Penaud had much better tournaments.

hold my beer · 20-03-2023 2:05pm

I know a few people that can't stop singing France's praise, effectively ignoring Ireland's performances and grand slam. Bizarre stuff.

We're in a great place and I'd take where we're at now over any other team's trajectory.

moycullen14 · 20-03-2023 3:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120379151#Comment_120379151

I think we're scared! It's very difficult to argue that we're not the best in the world at the moment. What brought it home to me - talking of trajectory - was a point made on Virgin about the path of this team being very similar to England 2003 - SH test series win, beating everybody, GS - and we all know what they went on to do. You start to think 'Yeah, we should win this WC' And that's the scary thought. Oh, and I'm never drinking again

Quin_Dub · 20-03-2023 3:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120379151#Comment_120379151

What I will say about France is that after the Ireland game I personally would have been thinking that they looked tired and were perhaps showing signs of an "Ireland 2019" style slump.

They have finished the tournament quite a bit stronger though , although the hype about the England game is a bit over-blown as England were utterly dreadful on the day and Wales gave them more trouble than they should have even if they won comfortably in the end.

Ireland have been very consistent but I continue to have concerns over the mental element around the QF game.

We saw at the week-end a team that were clearly more than a little nervous and were making uncharacteristic errors as a result.

The weight of expectation and desire to close out the Grand-slam obviously got to them and I fear that the same type of worries might creep in in a QF , but we'll be playing a much better team than England were on Saturday.

Oddly enough I think that if we do get past the QF then they'll actually relax quite a bit as that "monkey" will be off their back and anything else will be a bonus to some extent.

fitz · 20-03-2023 3:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120379151#Comment_120379151

I think part of it is the emotional scars of the past for Irish supporters who really thought we were going to do something special at a world cup, only to be bitterly disappointed. I still remember how horrible it felt walking out of the stadium in NZ after losing to Wales. Just the worst.

The other thing is the flair of France when they get on top of teams...little moments of brilliance from Dupont that catch the eye. They can seem more exciting on first glance, I think.

But take Dupont out of that side, and I think they'd suffer more than we would by losing Sexton. We're less about having a few brilliant individuals capable of magic, and more about a seriously cohesive squad who operate as a whole...not saying France don't have some of that cohesion and across the board strength too, but I feel they're more reliant on their "star players" than we currently are.

BoardsMember · 20-03-2023 3:43pm

I think nerves were more to do with expectation....unless we play shite we'll win comfortably. Difficult mindset. New mindset. I think it resulted in us playing conservatively, ponderously, without conviction. JGP looking up, looking left and right, before passing, for example.

If we get to QF we know we'll have to play excellently. It's a different mindset. I don't think this squad will be overly consumed by QF tag or history. Of much more significance will be the team they have to beat. And they may very well lose, but I don't think it'll be because they start the game like they did on Saturday.

irelandrover · 20-03-2023 3:46pm

I think a quarter final is also a different situation. The game on Saturday had one team playing with everything to lose and one played with nothing to lose. In a quarter final both teams have to play with something to lose so there's nerves on both sides.

Quin_Dub · 20-03-2023 4:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120379710#Comment_120379710

I hope you are right because other than the QF in Dublin against Australia every other QF game has featured an Ireland team playing well below their ability at that time.

As disappointing as a QF loss might be , a loss where we played at our peak but were beaten by a better team would at least be somewhat less deflating.

Dubinusa · 20-03-2023 4:07pm

If you look at Porter, you get 10 penalties conceded! The most in the tournament. He played well but, that's a deal breaker for me. Aldritt finished incredibly well. Filament and Ryan were clearly way out on there own. Dupont is well..... otherworldly.

There's not between us and France. Bear in mind, that the team is dominated by ourselves and the French.

Going into the world cup, we will be favorites. Deservedly so. S.A will be the toughest outing for us. They'll be ready to perform and we will be at full pop! People on here will hopefully realize, that the world cup is a tougher ask. Our route is brutal and the squad will be tested. I think we will win it. But, we can't play like we did this weekend.

Six Nations 2023 General Discussion

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