Six Nations 2017
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Ah, Fergus McFadden back for Ireland. Great to see in-form, up and coming players given a chance.
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@profitius said in Six Nations 2017:
Forget the win against NZ. That was truly a one off.
The way they played in the return match in Ireland would suggest it wasn't. THey played really well that day - well enough to beat damn near anyone except a motivated NZ team. Great test to watch.
What's truly remarkable is that the English have this winning streak that started in their last pool match in their home world cup where they couldn't get out of their pool! No suggesting that the team back then was crap. Well done to them, and particularly well done Eddie Jones.
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@nzzp said in Six Nations 2017:
@profitius said in Six Nations 2017:
Forget the win against NZ. That was truly a one off.
The way they played in the return match in Ireland would suggest it wasn't. THey played really well that day - well enough to beat damn near anyone except a motivated NZ team. Great test to watch.
What's truly remarkable is that the English have this winning streak that started in their last pool match in their home world cup where they couldn't get out of their pool! No suggesting that the team back then was crap. Well done to them, and particularly well done Eddie Jones.
Scored 0 tries in that second game. 0 tries against Wales. 1 try against France. That's the problem. The game plan is to use the forwards as battering rams and inch their way up the pitch.
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@profitius said in Six Nations 2017:
@nzzp said in Six Nations 2017:
@profitius said in Six Nations 2017:
Forget the win against NZ. That was truly a one off.
The way they played in the return match in Ireland would suggest it wasn't. THey played really well that day - well enough to beat damn near anyone except a motivated NZ team. Great test to watch.
What's truly remarkable is that the English have this winning streak that started in their last pool match in their home world cup where they couldn't get out of their pool! No suggesting that the team back then was crap. Well done to them, and particularly well done Eddie Jones.
Scored 0 tries in that second game. 0 tries against Wales. 1 try against France. That's the problem. The game plan is to use the forwards as battering rams and inch their way up the pitch.
They got 5 against New Zealand, and 9 against Italy, but I know those ones don't really count.....
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I was just reading that this weekend's games also have a big impact on the seedings for RWC 2019.
If Ireland win they retain the no.4 ranking and would join NZ, England and Australia in Pot 1 (top seeds for the groups) when the draw is made on May 10. But if Ireland lose to England and Wales beat France in Paris then Wales takes that 4th seeding.
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@Bovidae said in Six Nations 2017:
I was just reading that this weekend's games also have a big impact on the seedings for RWC 2019.
If Ireland win they retain the no.4 ranking and would join NZ, England and Australia in Pot 1 (top seeds for the groups) when the draw is made on May 10. But if Ireland lose to England and Wales beat France in Paris then Wales takes that 4th seeding.
France can drop out of the top 8 with a loss too - with Argentina sneaking back in. So you could theoretically get a NZ, RSA, France, Samoa, USA pool if the cookie crumbles that way.
The way Wales, France, Ireland and the Boks fortunes can fluctuate there doesn't really seem too much advantage in being in the 1-4 or 5-8 pots - the luck seems to be more in who you are paired with from the other pot.
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Wales unchanged for the France match. Unsurprisingly considering the performance against Ireland and the WC seeding on the line.
WALES XV
Halfpenny, North, Davies, S Williams, L Williams, Biggar, Webb
Evans, Owens, Francis, Ball, AW Jones (capt), Warburton, Tipuric, MoriartyReplacements:
Baldwin, Smith, Lee, Charteris, Faletau
G Davies, S Davies, Roberts -
Two changes for England in the Dublin game. Watson in for Nowell and Billy Vunipola in for Hughes. A pity for Nowell who has done nothing wrong and has been very busy as well as providing a lot of go forward, but Watson has that extra pace and is a proven finisher. Vunipola for Hughes is less of a surprise as you sort of got the feeling that Hughes was only keeping the bed warm for Vunipola. Billy V is fast becoming one of Eddie's first names on the team sheet together with Farrell (which reminds me of an old football commentary that may be urban myth. Talking about England selection in the 1990s "It's always good to see Seaman on the sheet first thing"), anyway I Lee Grant.
England team to face Ireland in Dublin:
Brown, Watson, Joseph, Farrell, Daly, Ford, Youngs, Marler, Hartley (c), Cole, Launchbury, Lawes, Itoje, Vunipola, Haskell.
Bench: George, Vinipola, Sinckler, Wood, Hughes, Care, Teo, Nowell.
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@Sapetyvi said in Six Nations 2017:
Must be disappointing for Nowell, as he is striking tries at a similar level to Watson (Nowell 11 in 21 games, Watson 13 in 25)
Imo they should both be playing, Watson @15 instead of Brown.Yeah, I think thats a far better back 3, and I think Eddie would have wanted to try that but injury & England not firing haven't helped.
Issue is Brown wont be with the lions either & he'll probably end up captaining that team
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@gollum Hadn't thought of Brown as captaining the touring side. That is a possibility although I'm sure we can all think of better candidates that are unlikely to go to NZ.
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@Catogrande said in Six Nations 2017:
@gollum Hadn't thought of Brown as captaining the touring side. That is a possibility although I'm sure we can all think of better candidates that are unlikely to go to NZ.
Hartley....
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@Bones said in Six Nations 2017:
@Catogrande said in Six Nations 2017:
@gollum Hadn't thought of Brown as captaining the touring side. That is a possibility although I'm sure we can all think of better candidates that are unlikely to go to NZ.
Hartley....
Beat me to it!
