Rugby - Six Nations, S14, Lions, Can't Wait

[Havak]

I'm not looking for a great 22 Finbar, just a better one for the moment.

Very enjoyable game this afternoon. Vesty and Mauger look comfortable enough together to suggest the sans appendix Bok is now surplus? Dupuy seems to get the nod due to his kicking, Youngs is a far more exciting player for me.

Now I am off for a lie down, I can't handle the fact somone thinks Sackey is a great finisher and also wants to play Tait in a position he doesn't know well (mainly a 13 at Falcons, now being tried at 15 at Sale, but hasn't played 12 very much that I can recall). I'd prefer an axis of Ellis-Geraghty-Flood-Tait. It lacks bulk perhaps but it carries a decent offensive pedigree (I think 12 is Floods better position but with Mauger at Tigers he was never going to be first choice in that shirt)

As a left field suggestion how about Tom Youngs at 12 - I think he is good enough.

[LDiCesare]

France vs. Wales was an excellent match. Another good match, although not excellent, this week-end was La Rochelle vs. Albi in Pro D2. Given the level of play I saw in Ireland and Scotland, I'd say these matches were below the average second division match.
Scotland and Italy are pitiful. Parise is huge, and quite lonely. The Bergamasco brothers are god, and Zanni wasn't bad yesterday, but overall, it's quite pitiful. They need backs desperately. Scotland needs something too, but I think it's a 9 or 10 with better vision of the game, or someone with some flair and feel of the game. I mean Paterson is still the most dangerous back in Scotland despite his relative lack of pace. Danielli looked good, but still... A better front row wouldn't hurt either.
England made me smile when I saw Croft, Narraway and Tait started on the bench. Then they made me sleep for most of the match. I may have missed something, but I think they attacked a grand total of three times in the whole match, preferring to kick possession away most of the time.

Next interesting match will be Wales-Ireland. The other matches of the Tournament are likely to be quite uninteresting, unless England manages to start playing, Scotland raises their game somehow to beat the English, or Parise is cloned and plays all positions in the Italian side.

Now to comment a bit more about France. Baby was unfortunately hurt but he played quite well, although he had issues distributing the game when trying to pass the ball. Parra is still a bit weak at 9. He must learn to get faster and avoid pressure from the forwards. Harinordoquy, Nallet, Dusautoir, along with Jauzion and Heymans, were huge. Bastareaud has made a nice start, but, with what I've seen of him in the championship, he should get better. As I said, he needs to learn to play with his teammates. When he gets more balls to attack, he'll be really dangerous. Not to say he wasn't good as second center, I just say he can be excellent given time.

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or Parise is cloned and plays all positions in the Italian side.

Well, he kicked a drop goal and also kicked for touch after a penalty on Saturday, so he's gradually working through all the positions on the field himself.

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Good 'eavens. Leicester managed to beat Glos without managing to score a try. Reads like a good win, regardless.

In SH news, the Crusaders lost their third match in a row. Long, long time since that happened. And, worse, they didn't trouble the scorers against the very young, very inexperienced, but not un-talented Highlanders. It was a dreadful, dreadful match full of bumbling, bungling and general ineptitude with a 6-0 scoreline. Just to top things off, the Crusaders lost Richie McCaw with a leg injury of as yet unknown severity.

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There's nothing like starting the week with a giggle:

Former Wales captain Mark Taylor says his successor at centre Gavin Henson is the best in the world in his position.

I think Mr Taylor shares a certain ex-Bath and ex-England prop's taste for mind-altering substances.

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More of the same from J****, even if Croft is a big step in the right direction. And Moyne is better than Sackey, though it's only the injury that has forced J****'s hand in the Sackey department.

Simon Shaw's selection - yet another of the 50-cap cavalry coming over the hill that J**** said didn't exist - I could understand if he were coming in for the useless Borthwick, but, of course, he's not. J****'s stubbornness in the Borthwick department - both in terms of performance and leadership - is burning him and it's his own fault.

I very much look forward to the French #8 With The Unpronounceable Name making Nick Easter look like the static lump he is.

[Havak]

And worse than that Narraway, the only back row as dynamic as Crofty, drops to allow Haskell on the bench. Haskell is playing on a reputation two seasons out of date now.

And the message sent by recalling a 36 year old in a position where we have huge depth amongst youngsters? The same message as rewarding Vickery and Care for their stupidity I guess?

Borthwick rejects the criticism. He is happy with his game. How do you help those in denial?

As for Tigers it was a good win given the visitors took the early lead. We don't play catch up as well as we once could.

I didn't agree with the refs disallowing of Croft or Wentzel's trys. In my totally impartial view.

It's the tightest season I can ever remember with two wins moving us from 6th to 2nd.

Cripes we have a better player in the 12 shirt at Tigers than the Orange ego will ever be. My big fear for the Lions is they will be too Welsh dominated just like last time. Not that I'd tout Flutey over Mr tanning bed particularly. But BOD surely won't want Henson alongside him?

[LDiCesare]

I very much look forward to the French #8 With The Unpronounceable Name making Nick Easter look like the static lump he is.

Actually Harinordoquy will play flanker. Chabal will play 8. I wouldn't call him a static lump either, though, but I think the English back row will have a hard time against the French. However, our scrummy will suffer. Parra's not fast enough and has a bad tendency to let the opponent scrum half put him under pressure, which is exactly what Ellis excels at.

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I thought I read that Chabal was down to play openside but would start on the blindside. Anyway, Harinorderinapizza and the rest of that back row should expose that English back row. Croft will more than keep up with them, but they were brutal against the Welsh. I agree that Parra could easily lose 5 kilos.

Yes, Havak, J**** is sending the same message he's been sending since the autumn Tests. Either he hasn't got a clue, or Rob Andrew is dictating things. Either way, it's very sad for J****'s reputation.

[LDiCesare]

I confess it didn't occur to me they could start Chabal as a flanker. Of course, they can do anything, and he already played flanker (when at Bourgoin). HArinordoquy more often plays flanker, but I don't know who will be where.

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I think I read on the BBC site that Chabal would start as a flanker. Given that the BBC and Lièvremont are as reliable as each other, the fat little half back could well start as a flanker.

[LDiCesare]

Yes, I checked and he'll wear the 7 jersey and play blindside.
Another funny thing with Lièvremont is his talking about the danger posed by the English. He talked about Goode, not Toby. I don't know whether it was before the English selection was announced, however.

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I can't imagine he'd have thought Goode would start this week after Flood started against Ireland. Maybe he's just confused.

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Wales were rubbish and deserved to lose if only for Gatland's extraordinary selection arrogance. Why pick a B-grade front row against one of the strongest packs in the tournament? Heck, the Wallabies would have licked their lips against that Welsh mob. Italy could and should have won on passion and commitment alone. I'm not sure that anyone can play any better than Sergio Parisse did yesterday. Contrast his game with Andy Powell's ridiculous showboating performance. Just a shame, yet again, that Italy couldn't convert possession into points. But they went close. Still, at least Gatland finally proved to himself and the world that Hook isn't an international #10.

Ireland played better the further the match went without ever reaching the heights they did against the French. The fundamental differences yesterday were Peter Stringer and Scotland's inability to break the line. Someone, at some point, has to instill some guile and finesse into those Scots backs. There's no point looking like a million dollars behind the gain line then running straight into the defence. Ireland, on the other hand, always looked likely to break through.

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That's the same French mob that monstered Wales? French rugby schizophrenia has hit new heights. England found some confidence, the French mishandled and couldn't keep possession, and the ref produced one of the more bizarre performances I've seen - pinging players for half a metre offside; overlooking Sheridan's blatant obstruction of at least two French defenders in the lead-up to Flutey's first try; allowing an England player - off his feet - to play the ball in a ruck, picked up by Simon Shaw who had come in from the side, setting up the Armitage try. Things looked very different for about five minutes in the second half when the French finally managed to retain the ball. It showed what could and should have been.

Lièvremont has to sort out his halves. If Freddie Michalak at either #9 or #10 isn't a class above either of those two halves today, I'll go hee for tiggy.