The 6 nations 2014

**Bruce Bayliss** · 04-03-2014, 05:38 AM

Originally Posted by jamiejambos

You are just being silly now mate , if you want to make sensible comments then I will also, but if you want to be a smartarse, well !

Come on then...make a sensible comment about rugby.

**jamiejambos** · 04-03-2014, 06:39 AM

No , because i'll just treat you with the contempt that you deserve but I will leave you with one.

Rugby union was not played by the Romans.

Is that sensible enough for you.

ickhead:

**Bruce Bayliss** · 04-03-2014, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by Bruce Bayliss

make a sensible comment about rugby

Originally Posted by jamiejambos

No , because i'll just treat you with the contempt that you deserve

**jamiejambos** · 04-03-2014, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by jamiejambos

No , because i'll just treat you with the contempt that you deserve but I will leave you with one.

Rugby union was not played by the Romans.

Is that sensible enough for you.

ickhead:

Don't just partly quote me

..............

**chassamui** · 04-03-2014, 11:53 AM

Brian Moore responds to Bob
Though England are at home, it is illogical for Wales to pose as under-dogs. Why don't Warren Gatland and his charges simply accept the favourite tag and deal with it?

Veterans: Wales's back line has vastly more experience than England's Photo: GETTY IMAGES

By Brian Moore

2:02PM GMT 02 Mar 2014

368 Comments

There are many variables which could decide the fate of the England and Wales teams when they meet on Sunday at Twickenham, but what I find puzzling is the determination of the Welsh not to accept they are favourites to win, even if only marginally so.

Wales have won four of the last six games against England (two of three at Twickenham) and in that period won two Grand Slams. They provided 10 of the British and Irish Lions’ starting XV for the decisive third Test against Australia. If history means nothing and only form counts, Wales go into this game on the back of a thumping 27-6 win over France. Though England are at home, it is illogical for Wales to pose as underdogs. Why don’t Warren Gatland and his charges simply accept the favourite tag and deal with it?

Doubts created by George North’s move to centre and the second-row partnership of Luke Charteris and Jake Ball were answered in the France game. Elsewhere the core of the Welsh team remains unchanged, honed over a number of years and now very experienced.

This matters because if Wales want to win the World Cup next year and if they produce a team genuinely capable of doing so, they will not enter Pool A as long shots. Unity and defiance in adversity is easy but it only works if players genuinely believe it. No amount of façade can create an artificial mind-set.

One reason teams do not like to be labelled favourites is that they fear allegations of arrogance. However, supreme confidence is the hallmark of great teams and if others mistake it for arrogance then more fool them.

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Coping consistently with being the better team requires you to be a bully and in its proper sporting context there is nothing wrong with that. It requires you to set your own standards of performance. When your opposite number is incapable of pushing you to your best, you nevertheless refuse to accept that just getting the better of him is enough. You identify and then exploit any weakness and do so repeatedly.
David Wilson, the England tight-head, battled bravely against the Irish but is not test match fit due to recent injury. The Welsh front row cannot settle for partial dominance; they have to accept that they should decisively win the scrums and thereby go a long way to determining the outcome of the match. The Welsh backs, especially their back three, have far more experience than their counterparts. They must accept that they should be able to take advantage of the inevitable and understandable errors that England’s young wingers will make at the start of their international careers.
For England the approach, at least in terms of attitude, is quite simple.
Though players will be advised not to use the word revenge in pre-match interviews, believe me, that is what many of them want. As they stood forlorn, watching Wales take the Six Nations title at the Millennium last year, they should have been vowing they would do anything not to go through that again.
That said, England will not win just because they have the sustaining motive of revenge; they have to match the tactical acumen of the Irish who consistently prevented Wales’ influential players getting into the Dublin game.
The England lineout has been excellent so far and they must focus on disrupting the Welsh throw. Driving good lineout ball will commit one or more of the Welsh back row to the maul and make them less effective at the breakdowns when England go round the corner.
From both first and tertiary phases of play England will not get much by direct running into the powerful Welsh midfield and will face a rush defence dictated by defensive coach Shaun Edwards. Their blindside winger and forward runners have to fix inside defenders and allow Mike Brown and the openside winger to operate in the outside channel.
Their kicking game, always important, has to be absolutely precise. The difference between precision and marginal error in kicking was shown by the recent performances of Ireland’s Jonny Sexton. Imperious against Wales, his kicks ensured Wales were pinned in their own half for long periods.
Fractionally too long at Twickenham meant England regained momentum through counter attacks.
Turning the huge Welsh backs but not allowing full-back Leigh Halfpenny to counter-attack is no easy task. However, steep kicks that pin catchers near the touchline and shorter kicks just behind a rushing defensive line will give chasers chance to contest the ball on at least equal terms.
An England win would be another step towards maturity and another question mark over Wales’s psychological strength. Next time they meet at Twickenham it will be for the greatest prize of all.

**Bobcock** · 04-03-2014, 12:03 PM

Good writer Moore........ but the bookmakers have England as favourites to win, as do I.

Luckily they don't get abused for thinking such a thing.

**chassamui** · 04-03-2014, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by Bobcock

Good writer Moore........ but the bookmakers have England as favourites to win, as do I. Luckily they don't get abused for thinking such a thing.

Who doesn't get abuse? England or the bookies? England were accused of arrogance by just about every other sides supporters, at least until Lancaster got a grip of the team.

**jamiejambos** · 04-03-2014, 01:09 PM

Don't want to hurt your feelings anymore bobcock or want you to think i'm abusing
you when that has never been my intention.
I just pointed out to you that you had England down as favorites last year to the point of calling everybody stupid if they didn't agree with you but Wales proved you wrong quite convincingly and may do so again this year but maybe by less points.
Ireland were only beaten by 3 points in England's own back yard. It is not beyond the realms of possibility. France are favourites against Scotland but I truly believe we can beat them on the day.

**Bruce Bayliss** · 04-03-2014, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by chassamui

England were accused of arrogance by just about every other sides supporters,

Wrong tense Chas...it should be ARE

Originally Posted by chassamui

There are many variables which could decide the fate of the England and Wales teams when they meet on Sunday at Twickenham, but what I find puzzling is the determination of the Welsh not to accept they are favourites to win, even if only marginally so.

That is Gatland working on a siege mentality, the English just don't understand other sides being arrogant...so I agree with it.

**Bobcock** · 04-03-2014, 02:17 PM

KeeWees calling anyone else arrogant on the subject of rugby is truly funny....

Read some of your quotes here Bruce and tell me if you would have accepted them from the English as un-arrogant....

**chassamui** · 04-03-2014, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by Bruce Bayliss

Wrong tense Chas...it should be ARE

IMHO they have been much more honest and workmanlike as a team. and individually, almost self deprecating (as a Kiwi, you might have to google that

). They have been made more self aware regarding the work ethic and putting the team first.
Getting the basics right and improving defence first even had many label them as dull. The improvement of individuals and the selections in the backs have started to erode that view.

**jamiejambos** · 04-03-2014, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by Bruce Bayliss

Originally Posted by chassamui

England were accused of arrogance by just about every other sides supporters,

Wrong tense Chas...it should be ARE

Originally Posted by chassamui

There are many variables which could decide the fate of the England and Wales teams when they meet on Sunday at Twickenham, but what I find puzzling is the determination of the Welsh not to accept they are favourites to win, even if only marginally so.

That is Gatland working on a siege mentality, the English just don't understand other sides being arrogant...so I agree with it.

....Huh...

**flashbang** · 05-03-2014, 04:27 AM

Originally Posted by jamiejambos

Don't want to hurt your feelings anymore bobcock or want you to think i'm abusing
you when that has never been my intention.
I just pointed out to you that you had England down as favorites last year to the point of calling everybody stupid if they didn't agree with you but Wales proved you wrong quite convincingly and may do so again this year but maybe by less points.
Ireland were only beaten by 3 points in England's own back yard. It is not beyond the realms of possibility. France are favourites against Scotland but I truly believe we can beat them on the day.

If Wales were playing Portugal's schoolgirls blind B-team Bob would say that Wales will get mullered and their wing will flatten George North.

**Bobcock** · 05-03-2014, 05:26 AM

Wait for my Scotland prediction and see.....

**jamiejambos** · 05-03-2014, 06:14 AM

Probably be around the same as the idiot marmite's Prediction of France beating us one hundred and something

**Bobcock** · 05-03-2014, 07:14 AM

No, I tend to actually say what I feel will happen.

I actually think you will come close to turning France over.

Over weekend games.....

France by 2
Ireland by 27

**Bruce Bayliss** · 05-03-2014, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by Bobcock

I actually think you will come close to turning France over.

Ireland have a history of going close...sad but true.

**Bettyboo** · 05-03-2014, 03:11 PM

I reckon Scotland will be slaughtered, that the Garlic Munching Surrender Monkeys will turn up and the Bravehearts will be anything but...

France by 15+
Ireland by 7
England v Wales Draw

**jamiejambos** · 05-03-2014, 03:23 PM

Oh how sweet it would be to see Wales lift the championship again this year.

**Bettyboo** · 05-03-2014, 03:27 PM

Scottish bastard...

Nonetheless, I won't be drawn into it, not having the insecurities prevalent among our Northern neighbours...

I would like to see Scotland beat France, but they just don't have the players for the job unless France play badly. France played badly last time out, but this was also due to the Welsh not letting them play; Scotland don't have the aggressive forward defense to stop the French coming forward (Wales had some great offensive tackling and ball attacking by their forwards).

**jamiejambos** · 05-03-2014, 03:40 PM

Is that why France beat England this year? Did England not have the aggressive forward defence to stop the French coming forward? Ya English prick.

**jamiejambos** · 05-03-2014, 03:46 PM

Just you sit on the fence betty and display all your insecurities to the whole of the world....... A draw indeed?

**Bettyboo** · 05-03-2014, 03:52 PM

^Wales v England, this year, as per the Ireland v England game, will be very close and could go either way. In Ireland/Wales, I think we'd have lost close games. At home, against slightly better teams, it's very close. If I have to go one way, then I'd go with an England win, but I could see a draw.

Originally Posted by jamiejambos

Is that why France beat England this year? Did England not have the aggressive forward defence to stop the French coming forward? Ya English prick.

We tired in the last 5 minutes and were unable to maintain our defense when taken across the park on numerous phases. We also made mistakes at the lineout, so lost territory and chances to put an important score on the board. France were decent, without being great (or they would have beaten us comfortably), but we did stop them playing for large periods, as Wales did, but Scotland will not be able to do.

You beat an average to poor Italian team, well done, but don't get too excited, there's a big gap between Scotland/Italy and the other 4 teams...

**Little Chuchok** · 05-03-2014, 04:15 PM

Wales by 20. They will match the pommies in the forwards, but will also throw it around....at pace.......can't see any other result really.

**Bettyboo** · 05-03-2014, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by Little Chuchok

Wales by 20. They will match the pommies in the forwards, but will also throw it around....at pace.......can't see any other result really.

The scrum could be very one-sided for Wales. The lineout should be quite equal, mostly going to the throwing in team. We should get some decent territory and score some points. I'm not sure that Wales will run 3+ tries through us because our defence is pretty solid. Wales won't win by a large margin, they may win by a small margin.

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