Article: The Original Rugby Championship - Six Nations 2016
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Pot Hale" data-cid="558577" data-time="1455384001">
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<p>I'm not an expert on scrummaging but you have to wonder if the crooked feed is actually causing a lot of resets.<br><br>
Would strict enforcement of straight feeds force both sides to focus on what the scrum is meant to be about?</p>
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<p>It would force a hooker to hook. This is one of the reasons why Tom Youngs got dropped. The only reason a half back puts the ball in crocked is because his hooker is weak in this area and most likely he has never learn how to hook.</p> -
I enjoyed the Wales-Scotland game. The best of the 6 Nations so far by some distance. Enclosed stadiums make sense in Northern Europe in February. Perhaps the other team need to copy the Welsh lead and build roofs over their stadiums?<br><br>
I thought Roberts, Biggar and Chateris for Wales played very well, as did Greg Laidlaw and Duncan Taylor for Scotland. All will be involved in next year's Lions tour to NZ I am sure. Scotland's weakness at set piece was there undoing. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MiketheSnow" data-cid="558581" data-time="1455388942"><p>
Nichol and Guscott can fuck right off.<br><br>
If a game is lost because of something that happened in the first 5 mins, then the game of rugby is broken.<br><br>
It's not. The Scottish defence and tactics are.</p></blockquote>
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Missed that. What up? -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="booboo" data-cid="558691" data-time="1455434093"><p>Missed that. What up?</p></blockquote>
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Gareth Davies was in front of Biggar when he kicked in the build up to Davies' try after 6 minutes. The try went to the TMO who said it was okay, thinking he had been asked about a possible knock on.<br><br>
Guscott, Inverdale and Nichol had lots of fun slagging off the TMO and boasting about how many camera angles they had. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="558703" data-time="1455439452">
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<p>Gareth Davies was in front of Biggar when he kicked in the build up to Davies' try after 6 minutes. The try went to the TMO who said it was okay, thinking he had been asked about a possible knock on.<br><br>
Guscott, Inverdale and Nichol had lots of fun slagging off the TMO and boasting about how many camera angles they had.</p>
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<p> </p>
<p>Wrong decision by the referee, but the TMO hadn't been asked the right question. Stupid I know. But that's the process at the moment.</p>
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<p>Inverdale, Nichol and Guscott discussed it at half time when Scotland were leading.</p>
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<p>Then when Scotland lost it became the reason Scotland lost.</p>
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<p>Not this</p>
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<p>Match stats</p>
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<p>Wales Scotland <br>
9 (0) Scrums won (lost) 4 (1)</p>
<p>13 (0) Line-outs won (lost) 10 (3) <br>
102 (8) Tackles made (missed) 72 (15) <br>
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<p>France-Ireland sent me to sleep. Joe Schmidt's nearly men nearly did it again.</p>
<p>Honestly think that was the most boring game of rugby I've watched since....well since last week when France played Italy.</p>
<p>The honeymoon period is definitely over for Schmidt - already starting to fall out of favour with some fans, wonder how long it will be until IRFU start to lose patience as well.</p>
<p>France have carried on their poor WC form into the 6-Nations - how Blanco must despair! But they still managed to sneak a win over a woeful Ireland (whose attacking flair was even shown up by Scotland!) Weather was dire but not an excuse for either team.</p>
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<p>Scotland-Wales was so much better. Would have given MOTM to Jamie Roberts last week as well. He and Charteris were immense. Defences were on top, but still a relatively exciting game to watch with plenty of ebb and flow. Thought Biggar was at times inspirational - an interesting contest developing between he and Priestland for the 10 shirt</p>
<p>Scotland came to play and Cotter's men weren't going down without a fight. Hardie did well, and replacement wing Tommy Seymour was fearless in the air, but they will be lamenting the loss of Stuart Hogg who made the early running in his brief stint on the field. All in all a good spectacle, with plenty of endeavour shown and tries scored. </p>
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<p>Looking forward to Unsteady Eddie's England today.</p> -
<p>That Dan Biggar's ability to kick and regather is something to behold. He's done it too many times to be flukes</p>
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<p>Similarly Tom Seymour was a gun at it, as is our wee Ben Smith</p>
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<p>A handy skill for a team to have to convert nothing possession from your own half into a momentum providing thrust</p> -
<p>Italy good for the close score at half-time.</p>
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<p>England are like the college graduate at work who looks like he's busy, but is in fact busily doing nothing.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Cookie" data-cid="558720" data-time="1455458953">
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<p>Will Italy ever recover psychologically from the hiding they are receiving...</p>
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<p>hahahaha the scoreboard is reflecting your sarcasm</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="558726" data-time="1455464472"><p>Hat trick for Joseph. England looking clearly the best side in the 6 Nations so far.</p></blockquote>
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In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king -
I admire your optimism Sparky, but this team has been on the receiving end of too many recent loses to the Oirish for me to be anything other than nervous about it. <br><br>
Completely agree that on the back of the French loss, now is probably the best time to play them, but I would never underestimate our ability to royally fuck it up. -
Well by the time that match rolls around in a fortnight, the Sticking Plaster XV should be assembled. <br><br>
No more Dave Kearney for a few months after that "hard but completely fair" tackle from Guirardo. Trimble is being assessed. <br>
O'Brien's hammy probably won't be recovered. McCarthy will be on concussion protocols. And Sexton is carrying some kind of an upper chest injury. <br><br>
The front row looks a real problem and looks like neither Ross, Moore or Healy will be around - wait and see. England should have a field day up front. <br><br>
With the Championship now lost, any chance that Schmidt might throw caution to the winds and reinvent the back line somewhat. <br><br>
Put either Jackson or Madigan to start at 10. McCloskey in at 12, Henshaw move to outside and have Payne, Gilroy and Zebo in a pacy, back three. <br><br>
And put Ringrose on the bench. If any of these newbies are going to SA, they need test time. <br><br>
McGrath and Furlong to start up front. Toner and the newbie Connacht lock Ultan Dillane to get a shot. There's still enough experienced backrowers around to bring some experience/seniority to the team. -
<p>Ire v Fra was pretty disappointing overall. Ireland needed to put points on the board in the 1st half when they controlled the game but they were let down by errors and ultimately it cost them. O'Brien's loss hurt. Ireland got little change from driving mauls, up & unders and cross field kicks which they usually execute well but not so yesterday.</p>
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<p>The Ireland scrum was under pressure the whole game and came unstuck with the subs. That tight 5 wasn't an imposing bunch. Really hope McCarthy is available for the next game as a second row of Toner & Ryan will see the scrum under real pressure.</p>
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<p>I don't have a problem with Schmidt's conservative game plan, they're picking players from 3.5 teams and while he can put together a large panel of players, there aren't many really top drawer players for him to choose, so playing the percentage game is a good strategy. But it depends on execution and it wasn't there yesterday. Leinster & Munster are rebuilding and the Irish teams have not fared well in the European competition this year. Ireland likewise has a rebuilding job to do.</p>
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<p>The fact is Ireland has overachieved over the past decade enabled by the underachieving England & France.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crash" data-cid="558713" data-time="1455447772">
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<p>France-Ireland sent me to sleep. Joe Schmidt's nearly men nearly did it again.</p>
<p>Honestly think that was the most boring game of rugby I've watched since....well since last week when France played Italy.</p>
<p>The honeymoon period is definitely over for Schmidt - already starting to fall out of favour with some fans, wonder how long it will be until IRFU start to lose patience as well.</p>
<p>France have carried on their poor WC form into the 6-Nations - how Blanco must despair! But they still managed to sneak a win over a woeful Ireland (whose attacking flair was even shown up by Scotland!) Weather was dire but not an excuse for either team.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Scotland-Wales was so much better. Would have given MOTM to Jamie Roberts last week as well. He and Charteris were immense. Defences were on top, but still a relatively exciting game to watch with plenty of ebb and flow. Thought Biggar was at times inspirational - an interesting contest developing between he and Priestland for the 10 shirt</p>
<p>Scotland came to play and Cotter's men weren't going down without a fight. Hardie did well, and replacement wing Tommy Seymour was fearless in the air, but they will be lamenting the loss of Stuart Hogg who made the early running in his brief stint on the field. All in all a good spectacle, with plenty of endeavour shown and tries scored. </p>
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<p>Looking forward to Unsteady Eddie's England today.</p>
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<p>Bloody inspirational seeing Sean Lamont running around at approximately 100 years old. I read an interview with him saying he's never going to retire, he will keep going until he is "retired" by the selectors.</p>
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<p>.....he is also the only Scot with victories in double figures in the Six Nations. He debuted in 2004.</p>
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<p>Yeah, its a hard road supporting Scotland.</p>
