6 Nations 2008

[headhunter]

Week 1's action sees:
Sat 2nd Feb 08 14:00 Ireland v Italy Croke Park
Sat 2nd Feb 08 16:30 England v Wales Twickenham
Sun 3rd Feb 08 15:00 Scotland v France Murrayfield
Sat 9th Feb 08 14:00 Wales v Scotland Millennium Stadium

As always going to be a great competition. Who do you reckon will win? Between England and France Id say. We wont make much of an impact ourselves having to go to Paris and Twickenham.

[Samuel_Vimes]

Irrelevant sixth option ftw.

[Piper]

Gonna be either England or France who'll win and I'm going to go for France.

[Neil Pickup]

Originally Posted by Samuel_Vimes

Irrelevant sixth option ftw.

But you didn't vote Wales...?

[Matteh]

England won't win, they're in a state of transition.

[NZTailender]

Originally Posted by Samuel_Vimes

Irrelevant sixth option ftw.

Think we should start up an official "Italian Rugby Appreciation Society".

[BoyBrumby]

If I wasn't English and afraid the mockers gods would take a terrible vengence on me for tipping England, I might just back us. We have more genuinely talented backs available to us now than, well for a long, long time anyway. Aside from Wilkinson, who's fit and playing now, we also have Cipriani who's carving it up for Wasps this year, Toby Flood who looks to be maturing into the kind of attacking and visionary 12 we haven't had since Will Greenwood's legs went, any two from Sackey, Strettle & Vainikolo on the wings and Tait ready to slot into 15.

Scrum-half is still a problem, hopefully Gomarsall can continue his Indian summer for a year or two (or until Harry Ellis is fit again), but there's a real dearth after him.

Ireland are ageing together and coming off a gash world cup, France have bitten the bullet and about a dozen regulars have been omitted for various reasons so are very much in transition, Scotland & Italy are both game but limited & this year has come too soon for Gatland to have turned any Welsh base metals into gold just yet.

That said, I've gone for France 'cos England & Ireland have to go there this year and we haven't won a 6 Nations game frogside since 2000.

[Jamee999]

Romania for the win!

Failing that, Scotland.

[PhoenixFire]

In a fit of blind patriotism, I went for England, and I genuinley think we can win it this year too.

[steds]

Would rather have my legs bitten off by sharks than see a team representing the RFU win anything.

[BoyBrumby]

I'll have a bash at predicting the outcomes:

Ireland to beat Italy by 15-25 - Yer Micks are going to be smarting after a world cup that redefined "dire" and their provinces (especially Munster) have been going well. O'Connell is a big miss, but O'Callaghan has looked immense for Munster & owned Simon Shaw in the line-out in the big clash with Wasps at Thomond Park. Italy have a good, bordering on very good, pack, but Ireland should gain parity at least and in the backs it's men v boys.

England to beat Wales by 10-15 - It's been evolution rather than revolution down at Twickers post-WC and we should make all kinds of mess of Wales's rather ordinary-looking front-row. No Tom Shanklin is a bizarre call from Gatland, but he is at least on the bench. Ashton preferring Balshaw to Tait is a wee bit Quixotic too, given the former's been more-or-less permanently crocked since 2001, but I suppose you never forget your first love.

Scotland to beat France by 4-7 - It won't be pretty, but Scotland aren't as bad as people think and Lievremont has done a complete raise-to-the-ground-and-rebuild-from-scratch on yer French. I guess it speaks well of France's strength-in-depth that they can contemplate such a move and they might yet run Scotland ragged, but Murrayfeild is a banana-skin better French teams than this have slipped on. My big concern for the jocks is no Paterson; or rather no Paterson's place-kicking. It'll be tight & I don't rate Parks's kicking one little bit.

[BoyBrumby]

England really should be out of sight by now. 19-12 ahead but we've had like 70% of the ball.

4 injuries too; Tom Rees has done his medial ligament which, having pulled mine once, I know is no fun.

[BoyBrumby]

**** me gently. 19-19 and Wales look to have scored again. Yep; TMO confirms. Wheels have come off completely.

[steds]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahah ahahahhahahaha @ England




Lesley is a girl's name
Lesley is a girl's name
Na na na na

[Scaly piscine]

Lost to a club side playing complete rubbish, well done England.