|
Post by newby on Feb 1, 2024 19:53:40 GMT
Thought it might, and hope it does, deserve a thread of it's own.
Not Paris, but the Stade Velodrome in Marseille for the first game, and possibly the highlight of the whole thing tomorrow when France entertain Ireland.
Some key players missing through injury and of course the post WC retirements.
Without too much knowledge, and given that the last game is France v England, I hope we can be looking forward to the top two fighting it out for the Championship in Paris (I presume). Final table:
1. France,2 England, 3 Ireland, 4 Wales, 5 Scotland, 6 Italy.
I wanted to put England 1st, but I fear the derision!
|
|
|
Post by davemorton on Feb 1, 2024 23:13:40 GMT
Two best sides meet at the spectacular football stadium, Friday night lights, can't wait.
Meanwhile England have announced their XV. Safe to say it is a conservative selection to the Nth degree. Wherever a choice was able to be made, Borthwick went for the dull option. The ultimate control freak. Of course, we'll win. This one. At least Henry Slade is back, after being so disgracefully left out of the World Cup. They've run out of centres!
1. France, 2. Ireland, 3 & 4 on the result of Wales v Scotland, 5. England, 6. Italy.
|
|
|
Post by davemorton on Feb 1, 2024 23:47:55 GMT
Also the Six Nations U20 competition, running parallel with the main event. Wales v Scotland and Italy v England both on Friday night. Can't see a France v Ireland match on the BBC website, but it is billed as SIX Nations, not 4 or 5.
|
|
|
Post by donnylad on Feb 2, 2024 10:21:27 GMT
The u-20 matches seem to be on BBC I-player and other secondary channels. It all seems to sort itself out after tonight's fixture for the full France/Ireland match. U20s Six Nations
|
|
|
Post by davemorton on Feb 2, 2024 11:57:55 GMT
I went on the IRFU website, and France v Ireland is 8 pm our time on Saturday. Virgin Media coverage? Whatever that means. The Wales v Scotland U20 game from Bangor is live on S4C tonight, a good hour before the main event from Marseille. I love the fact that Wales play at very ordinary Bangor, and have for many years. I managed a touring North Manchester school side on that ground.
The England U20 team features Asher Opoku-Fordjour, who played for Sale FC against Sedgley earlier this season.
England's main team has two debutants in the starting XV, Fraser Dingwall, who sounds (and is) Scottish, and Ethan Roots, who is a Kiwi. Also the exciting Welshman Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who is on the bench, while Elliot Daly plays on the wing, for heaven's sake. The forwards' bench includes Chandler Cunningham-South, so there's no lack of 'diversity'. Born in Sidcup, but grew up in NZ from age 4.
|
|
|
Post by newby on Feb 2, 2024 12:27:18 GMT
ITV have 2 games each round and the BBC just one.
This round ITV have France v Ireland and Italy v England, with the BBC covering Wales v Scotland.
|
|
|
Post by slowleftarmer on Feb 2, 2024 15:10:37 GMT
Its France v Ireland tonight (Friday) on ITV1 in case you are confused by all of the above!
|
|
|
Post by newby on Feb 2, 2024 22:26:00 GMT
Poor from France, error strewn was my overall feeling after watching. I'll let it sink in a bit but not the game I was hoping for.
|
|
|
Post by davemorton on Feb 2, 2024 22:40:53 GMT
Ireland played even above high expectations, and they have unearthed yet another 10. France looked disorganised, disappointing, compared with the excellence of their club sides. Ireland have one hand on the trophy already, with this away win. England is their only other away match.
I watched the first half of Wales U20 v Scotland. High-speed stuff, typical plastic pitch rugby, but good skills on show from both teams. 37-29.
England beat Italy U20s 36-11, away. A good result. Italy have been okay at this level for a few years. BBC iPlayer. I only saw about 10 minutes, live. Hope to watch the whole game at my leisure some time, if it's still available.
|
|
|
Post by hawke on Feb 3, 2024 18:09:56 GMT
I usually only follow this comp by the internet scores but certainly some talking points.
crikey...just spotted the Welsh fightback
|
|
|
Post by donnylad on Feb 3, 2024 19:49:40 GMT
Pretty duff opening weekend.
Ireland - masterclass in game control. France - how can they let the best player in the world (Dupont) take the season off to 'prepare' for the Olympic 7-a-side? Their lock was pinged twice for the same sort of French thuggery practised by Bastiat, Rives, Champ and others in the past - the third man into the tackle sticking his should into the face/head of the tackled player.
Italy - played surprisingly well and might have won but for the points contributed by the much maligned George Ford. Equally we might have lost of the Italians had continued to run through Ford and the centres with ease they did at first - what is the point of centres who can run, side-step and turn on a tanner if they cannot tackle?
Wales - absolutely dross in the first half but came into the game when Scotland ran out of steam in the second.
My prediction is now
1 Ireland 2 France 3 England (providing they beat Wales next week) and then the other 3 can compete for the wooden spoon. I would not be surprised if Wales win or if Italy finish 4th.
|
|
|
Post by newby on Feb 3, 2024 21:10:04 GMT
I was travelling today so only got back in time to see the last quarter of Wales v Scotland. I did listen to the first half in the car and Wales sounded dire. They obviously came back well in the 2nd half but it took it out of them, they looked dead on their feet towards the end. Lots of new boys for Wales so I suppose they have the 're-building' excuse to fall back on. Perhaps they might do better away from the Cardiff cauldron until they find their feet, should have left the roof open.
Heard most of the 2nd half of the Italy v England game. The score line doesn't fill me with confidence, nor did the radio commentary, but I'll watch it in due course.
Let's hope next weekend we can see an improvement.
|
|
|
Post by davemorton on Feb 4, 2024 2:16:29 GMT
Three games, three away wins. The losing sides will struggle to win anything, now.
I can't see past Ireland. I think 2nd place will be the winner of Scotland v France. England 4th, and Wales playing Italy for the Wooden Spoon, in Cardiff in the final match.
I enjoyed all three matches. England - after an abysmal opening 20 - showed a willingness to attack, and also some of the mongrel, which is our heritage, and which went missing under Eddie. I like our new-look, aggressive, 'blitz' defence, though it does have its risks against a team as good as Ireland. We were far more dominant than the final scoreline suggests.
I don't know what to make of the Wales v Scotland thing. Talk about game of two halves! It was very exciting, though.
|
|
|
Post by newby on Feb 4, 2024 12:18:52 GMT
Watching the England game, well most of it, after the event it wasn't as bad as I feared it might be. I think there was a lot of slow play and time wasting on the commentary, which I was able to skip.
Perhaps it's just me but I thought it was very noticeable, especially watching the Italian tries, how low the England defenders were setting themselves when attempting to tackle. Once you set yourself that low you really have nowhere to go when the opposition put in even a little sidestep.
I know the rule changes etc make tackling a bit of a nightmare, or should that be a lottery, but I certainly didn't notice it quite so much in the other games I watched.
We could have done with the bonus point but a wins a win and I would have equally hated to see Italy get beaten by a cricket score in Rome. It's a pity Italy face Ireland next in Dublin, that might set them back a bit and make getting a win this season more difficult.
Scotland hosting France and England at home to Wales next Saturday.
Note to self, remember to stay in.
|
|
|
Post by donnylad on Feb 4, 2024 18:49:59 GMT
A lot of chatter on various pages (not here) about England and the 'new faces'.
The forwards were fine but the new backs looked lost apart from Freeman - who looked dangerous and must be a nightmare to mark since he rarely appears where he is expected to be!! Chris Ashton used to do that and got roundly panned for it.
There is much moaning about Marler and Cole, old, slow, etc. but the thing is they can scrummage and do the dirty work that some of the flash lads don't seem to like. The centres were not very good - Slade looks the part .... then doesn't show up and Dingwall was like a fish out of water.
Back in the day when we had a fly half who couldn't tackle a paper bag there was always one forward from our pack (guess who?) that was told off to get in the number 10 channel and do the needful. Didn't see any signs of that in the first half of the England game at all - hence the route through which the Azzuri scored 2 tries - that needs fixing.
I am looking forward to the Wales game next weekend ....... just as long as the team that Wales put out after half time doesn't turn up. Wonder what Gatland said to them??
|
|