Rugby - 6 Nations, Heineken Cup, You Can't Beat A Northern Hemisphere Winter!

[Havak]

Andante is still a valid tempo?

[finbar]

Well, if you want to get technical in terms of musical tempos, I'd opt for adagio for Leicester. Andante means at a walking pace. Adagio, slow, is at least 10 beats a minute slower than andante.

[Andydog]

The musical terms I would have used to describe Leicester are Sotto, Piano, Rallentando, and Noioso.

In fact, you could apply those terms to pretty much all of the England teams.

[finbar]

Yes, even the cricket team. And you forgot morto.

[Havak]

Oh well - I'll just have to crawl away and console myself with the fact that Tigers have won a Championship and beaten the Boks in 2009 - something the ABs completely failed to do I think?

[Andydog]

Indeed, but the ABs then went on to whip England and complete a NH grand slam. Perhaps bear that in mind during your period of consolation.

[Havak]

I'm just amused you spend all year rubbishing a hemisphere and it sides and then claim a slam (query - since when have Italy been part of a home nations slam?) over it as some kind of consolation prize even when you deliberately avoided the Grand Slam winners.

Beating that England side was no achievement at all by the way. As long as we pick players on the basis J seems to I could beat England myself.

[Andydog]

I agree with you there. Heck, even if you drank 10 pints of bitter, ate 4 pork pies and tied your right arm to your left leg, you'd still be able to go out there an beat England.

[finbar]

(query - since when have Italy been part of a home nations slam?)

Italy wouldn't want to be part of any group that would have it as a member. (Apologies to Groucho Marx)

Shame to see Chris Latham winding up at Worcester. Irreplaceable.

In other news, following extensive research, and in sympathy with the nostalgia-driven campaigns for things like real ale and home-baked bread, I'm henceforth referring to Leicester by its original name, Outer Mercia.

[Andydog]

Looking forward to watching this weekends match - Wasps vs Outer Mercia Tigers.

[kittenOFchaos]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8440912.stm

Leicester 38 Wasps 8

Payne had a nightmare by all accounts. Yellow card for collapsing scrums and dropped the ball when a try was on.

Wasps missing uncontested scrums alot.

[Havak]

Spot on there - and Dewi mentioned in from the Sky box. They used to engineer uncontested scrums and then rely on their 'skill' to win games. Now they can't engineer that sides are stuffing them up front.

Tigers 34 Wasps 8 incidentally though I'll take the extra four points if you insist.

Lote's brace was a good way to open his account - but don't look too closely at the first one as he lost his concentration a bit with the grounding....

Remarkable year thus far - and not just becuase andydog and myself actually agreed on something.

Another debate the sky boys opened up was Jonno's selection this week - does he go for the same turgid defensive game (and therefore pick the same old crumblies) or is it time to pick on form (in which case they were suggesting Cole and Youngs are the best players in their positions on form). It's an interesting intellectual exercise even though we know the answer will be "crumblies".

Youngs should be in really though - more pace than any of the others, his passing at least matches Hodgsons and his spatial awareness is better than any of the others - plus his temperament is good too. Lovely little give, take and break from him for Lote's second.

*edit Croft made huis return from injury for a late cameo - nothing stellar but he came through intact*

[finbar]

Cole butchered Payne. If Payne weren't so ugly I'd've felt sorry for him. Wasps were even sadder up front than they were against Newcastle. The only legitimate tries were Lote's second and the penalty try. Wasp's try involved a forward pass, Murphie's try involved a knock on from Crane, and Lote didn't ground his first properly. Still, good to see him showing some of his class. The ARU would never admit it but the Wallabies are missing that power steaming in off the wing, playing almost as another flanker.

Cole this week and Golding of Newcastle last week were the outstanding prop performances I've seen recently. Of course J**** will pick a couple of fat, over-the-hill, never-weres. Youngs is seriously talented. It's hard, though, to put his Wasps' effort into perspective behind such a dominant pack. It's also hard to put Outer Mercia's overall performance into perspective for the same reason.

[Havak]

I'd describe the effort as 'limited but effective' I think. There is a lot missing in mid-field still but even the expansive sides (Saints and Irish) would need to gain parity against that pack to put Tigers away.

So Tigers will be in the mix come May - which is as much as I can ask for given how things stand. We will be okay once Carter joins us - along with Richie. They all retire up here in the end.

Mauger just cannot put the back and all the associated trouble in his legs behind him - a real shame. I feel for the guy.

[finbar]

Newcastle and Outer Mercia would appear to have the outstanding front rows of the comp. I'm also still to be convinced that Toby Flood is a top class #10.

That aside, you could easily pick a Saxons team that would (a) play more attractive rugby than the England team; and (b) thump them. The Saxons have all the skill and energy. The main squad is loaded with fat old players. It really doesn't matter that Ashton has been added to the squad. Even if he were to start he wouldn't see any of the ball. None of the wingers will. I've seen quite a bit of him. Very quick, good finisher. In club rugby. Why he's in front of Strettle, who's a better all-round player at this stage, I have no idea.

I've also seen a bit of Hape. Slippery type, nice step, nice hands. Whether he's up to Test standard is another matter. By which I mean real Tests, not some of the 6 Nations rubbish that's going to be served up. The same applies to Ashton.

Why the Newcastle prop Golding isn't in the Saxons squad is also beyond me. And that George Chuter is with the Saxons and the Beer Gut with the main squad speaks volumes about the paucity of hooking talent, I'd've thought.