All about the 2008 RBS SIX NATIONS

[billingham]

Official English Topic!

Let the killin' begin!

[MOCKBA]

Perfect lets get rolling...first and foremost welcome back Pier, in my view justice has been done...enough said lets talk rugby.

I still see the French as favourites and the new generation of players promises to be a decent match to absolute legends of the game that have decided to call it a day. Betsen, Ibañez, Dominici, Pelous will be missed no doubt however I can't wait to see more of players like Dusautoir on the international level.

The English after unexpectedly reaching the final of the RWC feel like they have little to prove, well I am not saying that that was an isolated incident however frankly many do feel this way and the DO have a lot to prove. The mix of young talent (some have been playing at a top international level for a couple of years now somewhat underdelivering so the pressure is on now) and some old heads that will be key to steady the ship in rough waters make the English very strong contenders.

The Welsh...too difficult to express judgement on the dragons...if they get in their zone as they did after the '03 RWC they can blow everyone away if they start to missfire then confidence will dip and it could all end in tears...hence not excluding them as Champs or Chimps (not excluding a whitewash), in my view much will depend on the opening game at Twickenham.

The Scots are probably the team that has the potential to be the real surprise of the tournament, don't know why many are writing them off, they look to me like a very solid bunch of lads. Perhaps not the most exciting team to watch but they will be mighty hard to bring down...and as written before the RWC seems like they've been really working hard on their overall fitness and many players look much bulkier.

Ireland will probably confirm the decent performances at the 6N of the last 5 years not good enough to win but still above the Scots, Italians and probably Welsh very strong all round no obvious weaknesses but not quite the finished product and there is this sense that the best might be behind them.

And now to the Azzurri, Mallet quite rightly so didn't mutate the team too much, he's got time to mould in the space of a couple of years a great outfit adding to the already world class pack a number of youngsters that will make the team competitive all round. Perhaps jumping ahead a bit but in next year's 6N we can win 3 games this time around I would be happy with one win. I have great confidence in the new coach he is probably one of the best in the world and no doubt he's the most qualified of the 6N bosses. Exiting times ahead no doubt but this 6N I fear has come to early for Mallet to make an impression on the team...the lack of real umph needs to be adressed by finding top class backs and we need and deserve to finally have a number 9 and 10 that will allow us to mix it up with the best.

Feb 2 is around the corner, can't wait...let the best spectacle on earth begin!!!

[pier12345]

Nice one...!
and players to Watch for?
i would go for

Masi at centre, .(PEZ cos he will be fun watch!)

Scotland ..Ross Ford, Hooker, and Nick di Luca, centre..aged 21/22 and potentially something special

England...Cipriani at no.10 if picked, The Vulcano Vanikolo

France ..Dusattoir, backrow

Wales..Henson again ( unfortunately..moron..but good player)


Ireland...( depending on Steady Eddie ( too steady for most of us now..)..look for Eoin Reddan at no.9 and Jamie Heaslip at no8.

[Giorgio8]

It's the first step after the RWC and many icon player such as Ibanez, Robinson, Troncon retired from internationals... imho it's gonna be a great spot for youngsters and some "forgotten guy". The only un-revolutioned team seem to be Ireland, which is still keeping many players of the "golden generation" but the others have changed a lot (as you can see many captaincies are brand-new).

Enjoy

[pier12345]

things not looking too god for Ireland right now...

Paul O Connell out
Sane Horgan 85% OUT
Jerry Flannery OUT ..got a very harsh ban 8 weeks for an act that the ERC accepted had no premeditaion

EOS losing the plot totally....he leaves out our best prop this season ..Tony Buckley from Munster, 128kg and goes with a 20 year old Loosehead 108kg that cant start for Leinster

thanks a lot Eddie!

[danci]

and players to Watch for?
Masi at centre

and Picone and Reato (if he will find good minutes)

Scotland ..Ross Ford, Hooker, and Nick di Luca, centre..aged 21/22 and potentially something special

Ben Cairns too, watched him playing very well lately

England...Cipriani at no.10 if picked, The Vulcano Vanikolo

agree

France ..Dusattoir, backrow

keep an eye also on Malzieu, young & strong winger, and on Loic Jaquet

Wales..Henson again ( unfortunately..moron..but good player)

yep, Henson: his last chanche?

Ireland...( depending on Steady Eddie ( too steady for most of us now..)..look for Eoin Reddan at no.9 and Jamie Heaslip at no8.

a pity Sexton is ruled out due to injury, I'd love to see him

[pier12345]

Irish team to face Italy

15 - Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster) 78

14 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 19

13 - Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) 79 (Captain)

12 - Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster) 36

11 - Geordan Murphy (Leicester) 53

10 - Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster) 77

9 - Eoin Reddan (Wasps) 5

1 - Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster) 51

2 - Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 17

3 - John Hayes (Bruff/Munster) 79

4 - Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 40

5 - Malcolm O’Kelly (St.Mary’s College/Leinster) 91

6 - Simon Easterby (Llanelli) 62

7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster) 41

8 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster) 27

NO BUCKLEY, NO BOWE, NO HEASLIP, NO JACKMAN ?????? THIS IS UNREAL!!! BEST HAS BEEN INJURED FOR MONTHS AND HAS PLAYED 60 MINUTES OF TOP LEVEL RUGBY SINCE DECEMBER!
JACKMAN HAS BEEN FANTASTIC ALL SEASON , SO HAS HEASLIP...
F---K OFF EDDIE O SULLIVAN..TIME TO GO!


THEN PAUL OCONNELL OUT, SHANE HORGAN OUT, FLANNERY OUT, HICKIE ( RETIRED)
WE WILL LOSE THIS GAME...PACK IS TOO SMALL ..AND THE BACKS WONT SEE THE BALL AS IT WILL BE RAINING ON SATURDAY

[dinozocc]

That's what Italy needs: good rain! knock on and scrum, knock on and scrum. I'm just a bit worried about our lineout but I guess with Sole and Parisse the boys will have more options and thanks God O' Connell is out.
Cheers

[pier12345]

http://www.munsterfans.com/forum/forum_ ... =9891&PN=1

even a lot of had core Munster Fans want Italy to win , so as to see the end of Eddie O Sullivan

a bit drastic , but gives you an idea of the anger floating about

[pier12345]

1
The Big Bella Blue Bus , stopping for some Tramezzini and Guinness, before the game, Nick Mallet having quick smoke!

[Tanu]

Pier,
are you really convinced that the team selected really risks to lose to Italy as many Irishmen seem to believe?

[pier12345]

Pier,
are you really convinced that the team selected really risks to lose to Italy as many Irishmen seem to believe?

well i am not convinced...but very close to it!

if this was 5 or 6 seasons ago..well then we could say ..ok " very mistaken selction, but5 Italy are still easily beatable"

the problem is now that the margins for error are so small...this is a very good italian team....lots of experience..SICK OF LOSING, big, powerful fowards....excellent athletes in the backs, top quality coach..as good as their is in world rugby..dont forget that..( you can have eddie o sullivan if you want! we' ll take Mallet )

Now..either we live in Fantasy land....and the same irish team that has been RUBBISH for the last 7 months is suddenyl going to change?? or we are going to get beaten on saturday

but the most annoying thing is the way he has selected the team

really DISGRACEFUL the treatment of Tommy Bowe....Dan Casey..Heaslip...Jackman..Keaney...Keith Gleeson ( a splendid flanker) and so on ....
and he just insists on picking the same players!!!

excuse me language but..
HOW THE F---K CAN YOU PICK SIMON EASTERBY....AHEAD OF HEASLIP ? DID YOU SEE THE SCARLETTS THIS SEASON..A JOKE!!

HOW THE F---K CAN YOU PICK TRIMBLE...WHO IS A CENTER...AHEAD OF THE BEST WINGER IN IRELSAND THIS YEAR..EVEN PLAYING ON A LOSING ULSTER TEAM...TOMMY BOWE?

DO YOU KNOW HOW WE WILL GET STUFFED IN THE SCRUM..? WATCH THE LEFT SIDE...WATCH HOW MAY PENALTIES WE WILL GIVE AWAY..ESPECIALLY WITH KAPLAN , SOUTH AFRICAN REF...( IF HE SEES MOVEMENT IN THE SCRUM..HE WILL KNOW IMMEDIATLEY THAT HORAN IS THE WEAKER SCRUMMAGER!) AND YET O SULLIVAN REFUSES TO PICK BUCKELY FROM MUNSTER !!

then he calls up a young leinster prop , Cian Healy, aged 20 !! to go up against seasoned veterans like Casto, Lo Cicero, perugini !!! and then he send the kid home after 1 weeks training! ( a big JOKE!!)

NOW ..THIS IS THE REAL JOKE...! RORY BEST HAS PLAYED 57 MINUTES OF RUGBY FOR ULSTER SINCE DECEMBER 9....BERNARD JACKMAN HAS STARTED EVERY GAME FOR LEINSTER...AND IS THE REASON BEHIND SOME REALLY GREAT FORWARD DISPLAYS BY LEINSTER 9 THEIR TRADITIONAL WEAK AREA)..AND HE DOESNT GET PICKED?

ASK ANYONE WHO SAW THE LEINSTER -LEICESTER GAME AND YOU WILL SEE HOW BIG AND TOUGH HEASLIP AND JACKMAN ARE...!

we have the players....Sexton, Wallace, Casey, Heaslip, Bowe, Jackman, Caldwell, etc but o Sullivan has all the papers and publicv against him now..and he wants to prove we are all wrong and he is right....

To beat Italy now at test match level....you need 2 things
Your Best team , Playing at its best

so..yes...we could get beaten very easily....the first 2O minutes will decide it for me...if the irish dont go out there 110% and smash into the Azzuri at 200KMPH then it means the players are not listening anymore to Eddie o Sullivan....and ......

i hope i am very wrong....( but even if we won..he should have tried a lot of the new players...this was his chance..and he was afraid to do it)

SORRY..HAD TO GET THAT OFF MY CHEST!!
PS..NO DISGRACE TO LOSE TO ITALY...BET IF WE LOSE..LETS DO IT RIGHT!

[MOCKBA]

hope you're right mate would be grand to finally put one over you guys...feel it has been long overdue. I'd love the Irish to lift some silverware especially considering that the golden generation i feel is at its last hurrah and has very little to show for all the early promise. I'd say this you deserve (not on current form but on what I've seen in the last 5 years) to win the 6N however I also feel that for all the near misses we do deserve to come on top...anyways rugby as most sports cares little for the "would have, should have"...the best team on the day is the one that will deservedly win. I fear that it ain't gonna be us even this time around, I share your frustration and I would also want to be beaten by the best Ireland has to offer...and I totally agree with you this definitely ain't it!!! Anyways you still have too much quality and flair we will not be able to match that for 80 minutes. We have to keep it tight make it close and ugly...just checked the weather forecast shame that the game is tomorrow with light rain forecasted on sunday very heavy rain is promised, would have suited us much better! Also Bortolami is a huge blow for us, last time we didn't have il Capitano probably cost us the 1/4 at the RWC bad omens...telling you mate doubt you'll shine (although I still think the game can run away from us and we can be in for a long afternoon) but you'll win! And as we all know a win is a win and I am getting a bit sick of losing ...well time will tell the game is around the corner...will probably stay up all night way 2 exited!

[pier12345]

well, good luck to you all!

[pier12345]

speaking of Silverware..there seems to be something for very one this year..

Calcutta Cup Sco v Eng

Triple Crown 'salver Sco, Ire, Wales, Eng ( 3 times out of four seasons won by Ireland..not sufficient..but not to be laughed at either)

Millennium Trophy England and Ireland,

Guiseppe Garibaldi Trophy, designed by Jean Pierre Rives ,France v Italy

But, still, it is the 15-sided trophy, recently lined with 22-carat gold – that everyone wants. No more, no less.
.
!!