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

[finbar]

Sweden beat Wales!



Oh, hang on. It was girlie ball. Still, I imagine the Welsh coach is saying the Swedes were out on their feet and the Welsh were playing all the s*****.

[Havak]

I'm sure he will be.

And England finally won a game. But that was kissball too.

[finbar]

Good Leicester effort against ropey oppo yesterday. I think I've seen the young lock, Green, before and he looks very promising. The only time they looked in a bit of trouble was when they were taking on Irish at their own broken-field running game. Still, at least there was some adventure as against the usual moribund performance. Lote injects some class into that backline. I haven't seen him accelerate like that for five years. What a crying shame that he's given it away for the other silly game. What a waste. And despite what Stuart Barnes said, he might have played once at OC for the Wallabies. I think it was Eddie Jones who thought he would make an OC. Lote preferred wing.

[Havak]

Barnes is not known for his encyclopedic knowledge of the game.

Calum Green - just 19 years old and a very hot prospect indeed I think. He was one of the stars when Tigers beat the Bok touring side.

Good to see Croft survive twenty mins on his return from the knee problem.

I also think that Stefon Armitage would add something to England right now if allowed to play his natural game - relentless forward momentum at the very least.

And you will have seen Mr Moody is crossing the Rubicon - you simply don't make that move in English rugby. Baaath are getting a good one though and I wish him well.

Tigers are trimming some big wages from the bill - Ellis is rumoured to be next up (and if he can't get into the 22 ahead of Grindal it is probably time to go).

And now Sale are about to kick off against Saints - and if they lose they can go bottom of the table. Difficult times for the bastion of the true code in the northwest!

*edit* Lovely injection of pace from Lote. He has made a big impression on the Welford faithful. Perceived to be arrogant and wayward when he arrived he turned out to be a charming bloke and he in turn loved the spirit of the club. A huge shame he didn't take the extension he was offered.

[finbar]

Sale are playing without confidence and just don't have the class outside the halves. But, cripes, defence aside, Saints were poor. I know they can play better than that but if Irish yesterday and Saints today are in the top bracket of English rugby ... I say no more.

Nice to see Leeds beat Saracens. Saracens are being found out as I always knew they would be.

[kittenOFchaos]

Sale are playing without confidence and just don't have the class outside the halves. But, cripes, defence aside, Saints were poor. I know they can play better than that but if Irish yesterday and Saints today are in the top bracket of English rugby ... I say no more.

Didn't get a chance to watch the game due to a trip to IKEA with my girl.

Sale will be without confidence as they've done nothing but lose.

Alot of our best players are injured and away. I just hope we can scrap through this season and rebuild next year.

TBH I think we will survive, but it is going to be fascinating to see who will be for the drop. Leeds taking down Saracens shows they are likely to survive and that is good to hear and a big well done to their management and players.

[Havak]

I suspect it is between yourselves and Worcester as to who goes down.

And Finbar - you may be right about Exiles and Saints but lets be honest here - the Tigers game was a far better game of rugby than the kicking fest Waratahs and Sharks served up the same day? All competitions have bad rubbers surely? Tahs, Sharks, Exiles and Saints can all play better. So can Tigers.

[finbar]

I think Charlie Hodgson got it pretty right. Sale haven't replaced the serious talent that has departed over the last couple of seasons. They have some very good young talent emerging, but there's an overall shortage of class.

As for Stefon Armitage, he shows too much initiative and mobility to get anywhere near the England team. I was staggered by a couple of his runs on the weekend. He has serious wheels.

EDIT. I didn't see the Tahs match, though I gather it was a kick-a-thon. And obviously all comps have dud games. My point was that Irish have always been flaky and still are. I've seen Saints play much better than that, I've also seen them a lot worse than that - in the HC against Treviso (from memory), for example. There's a lack of top quality in the Premiership even allowing for absences due to the 6 Nations. One of the reasons why England are struggling even allowing for the idiocy of the current management.

[Havak]

I can't argue that extensively. But I can tell you that I think I could pick an English side from Premiership players that I would want to watch. And that would probably beat the current senior XXII.

There are problems in certain positions - but much of our national woe is also about not picking form players, or indeed young players - we don't back young lads to step up the way the Kiwis or Aussies do. And the overall quality of the Premiership probably doesn't help. But you have said before that the large number of journeymen SANZAR players in our top flight doesn't help us - and I tend to agree with that. For every Hayman there are five Goperths?

[finbar]

Quite!

You're also quite right about not backing players. How many seasons did Matty Tait suffer for one tackle he took? He's still the back most likely to split open a defence. Even if he's utterly wasted now smashing into tackles.

I could pick an England team too:

Golding
I don't think there are any great hookers, but I'd stick with Hartley
Cole
Kennedy
Skivington
Croft
S. Armitage
Dowson
Youngs
Geraghty
Ashton
Flood
Tait
Strettle
Foden

That team would thrash the current mob. Cut them to pieces.

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Speak of the devil! Two lumps in the shape of Tindall and Palmer called up the squad!

[finbar]

Worsley in for one of the few players with energy and initiative and Deacon who has done nothing to prove he's up to Test class. And Palmer on the bench. Negative, defensive, conservatism. Still, at least there's youth, energy and talent on the bench.

[Havak]

Your team is a pretty good stab - and even without going for the U20 lads (youngs excepted).

That Jonno has replaced Moody with Worzel sums it all up doesn't it? Totally out of his depth is my old mate Martin. Someone with only a fleeting knowledge of rugby would know that a front foot player has been dropped for a back foot player there. Lack of ambition.

But you know what - Thompson and Wilson aside it is a pretty good bench!

Even with only 20 mins game time behind him I'd have had Croft back for Haskell after the latters disappearance under pressure against the Irish.

[finbar]

Scotland captain Chris Cusiter expects to face a fast and physical England side at Murrayfield in Saturday's RBS Six Nations match.

"First and foremost, it's a huge physical challenge," said the Scottish captain, whose team have suffered three consecutive Six Nations defeats.

"Secondly, there's the pace they have with the guys out wide."

He's obviously of the mistaken belief that it's Scotland -v- France.

[Havak]

Well what he said is true - Monye is fast, runs straight and never takes the blinkers off so doesn't get distracted by passing the ball or any such whimsical nonsense.

Armitage is fast, just back from injury and hasn't played well for two consecutive minutes yet in this campaign.

And Cueto is lightening fast....no, hold on you are right, Cusiter has forgotten who they are actually playing!

It will be a physical challenge though. However Scotland have a loose forward line up that moves ball nice and quickly, something needed in the modern game. England have two stodgy donkeys and a brand name who has a nasty tendency to go totally awol in games (although not back to Paris).

I'm not worried in the slightest....