6 Nations , Gateway to the trout season

[diawl bach]

Cheers Del
Scrum V was pretty good too, worth a watch when it's available on BBC I player

Scrum V

All the latest rugby action with scores, updates and news from the teams

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Gdog]

How the French team caught Covid 19, quite unbelievable really;

France coach backed despite bubble exit

France coach Fabien Galthie is backed by his federation despite getting Covid-19 after leaving the squad's bubble.

www.bbc.com

 

[JRT]

How the French team caught Covid 19, quite unbelievable really;

France coach backed despite bubble exit

France coach Fabien Galthie is backed by his federation despite getting Covid-19 after leaving the squad's bubble.

www.bbc.com

Indeed - potentially undoing a milestone year where french rugby has turned a corner. We shall see. They are certainly playing the best rugby.

 

[PaulD]

That's very 'big' of him . . .

Wales v England referee Pascal Gauzere admits he got both tries wrong

The Frenchman has come under severe criticism after Saturday's Six Nations clash, with World Rugby's Head of Match Officials now saying Gauzere has admitted his mistakes

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[ed_t]

That's very 'big' of him . . .

Wales v England referee Pascal Gauzere admits he got both tries wrong

The Frenchman has come under severe criticism after Saturday's Six Nations clash, with World Rugby's Head of Match Officials now saying Gauzere has admitted his mistakes

www.walesonline.co.uk

Wales keep their extra man advantage though:

"Gauzere will not referee a game in the remainder of the championship but will be an assistant to Andrew Brace [Italy vs. Wales] and Mathieu Raynal [Ireland vs. England] in upcoming fixtures."

...if only from the sidelines.

 

[delray]

Cheers Del
Scrum V was pretty good too, worth a watch when it's available on BBC I player

Scrum V

All the latest rugby action with scores, updates and news from the teams

www.bbc.co.uk

Watched half of it, mainly up to and including the analysis of the 2 decisions. Huge errors, all 4 'refs' should be spoken to, and the one time Biggar's opened his gob without screaming and shouting, he got the answer he wanted; "time on". Very smart thinking.
Had the 1st try been chalked off, Wales may have scored 3 tries in the first 20 minutes. They may not. England may have scored 2 tries, they may not. Brian Moore's assertion that removing 14 points from Wales score and they still win is an utter nonsense, but not unexpected.
What we know is, Wales are very very disciplined, are no mugs and have had the rub so far, but averages tell us that 'rub' won't continue. England will not win either of their last 2 if they continue to concede avoidable penalties.

 

[Mr Notherone]

I used to criticise Gatland for being as suborn as a mule and Jones is cast from the same stuff. Will be interesting to see if he sticks with players who are out of form or makes a few changes. My bet is he'll stick not twist.

 

[diawl bach]

What we know is, Wales are very very disciplined, are no mugs and have had the rub so far, but averages tell us that 'rub' won't continue.

Having been told Wales didn't have a hope in hell of winning any of the past three matches which they subsequently won let's hope averages has it as wrong as the previous pundits


Any idea of when France is back in the tournament ?

 

[ohanzee]

Well Wales may as well win now after ruining my dream, I'm done with rugby, its back to things we excel at for me, anyone know the lawn bowls score?

 

[diawl bach]

Well Wales may as well win now after ruining my dream, I'm done with rugby, its back to things we excel at for me, anyone know the lawn bowls score?

Our work is complete

 

[delray]

Gareth Thomas was on the radio this morning chatting about (promoting...) his new book. I've seen him on telly as a rugby pundit and must admit to not having been too much impressed but on Virgin Radio with Chris Evans he came across as a brilliant, lovely bloke. Good for him, can't have been that easy.

 

[diawl bach]

He's a nice guy, I think his courage in coming out and talking about his HIV status has added a much needed facet to rugby culture.
Nigel Owens on desert island discs is worth a listen too

BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Nigel Owens

Kirsty Young talks to international rugby union referee Nigel Owens.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[sewinbasher]

He's a nice guy, I think his courage in coming out and talking about his HIV status has added a much needed facet to rugby culture.
Nigel Owens on desert island discs is worth a listen too

BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Nigel Owens

Kirsty Young talks to international rugby union referee Nigel Owens.

www.bbc.co.uk

Yesterday I watched a YouTube clip by a football ref using a series of Nigel Owens clips to illustrate a) how respectful of the ref rugby players are compared to soccer players and b) good man management by a top class ref.

 

[sewinbasher]

This is worth a look, you can skip the first 2 mins but this guy understands the game more than most.

 

[PaulD]

My son, now 11 years old, plays football for a local team . . . there, I've admitted it . . . I feel better already . . . and even at that age there are times when the response to the referee and the obvious lack of respect from the players is awful. I'd be horrified if my son reacted with such dissent . . . and he knows it! However, this has ever been the case with football. Back in the 80s, I'd walk to my rugby club on a Saturday afternoon and on the way, pass some municipal football pitches where kids would be playing. The language and aggression from parents, the dissent and argument from the kids playing was shocking. At the rugby club, with grown men in full contact and knocking lumps out of each other, the respect for the referee was absolute. You didn't talk to the referee unless you were invited to and then you called him Sir, usually communication with the referee was conducted through the captain.

Today I fear that the plethora of 'camera evidence', the influence of the 'fourth official' is effectively diminishing the role and authority of the rugby referee and you can see that some referees, even at international level, seem to be remarkably timorous about making a decision. The game is being 'slowed', decisions are a committee affair and I do yearn for the days when, if the referee didn't see it - it wasn't given.

 

[PaulD]

This is worth a look, you can skip the first 2 mins but this guy understands the game more than most.

I wonder what his comment would be if one of the two England water carriers had made a 'try' saving tackle?

 

[green man]

Not sour grapes, but I'm not surprised that Wales beat a 14-man Ireland, a 14-man Scotland, and this England team (regardless of Wales having 16 men). Wales fans shouldn't get carried away with how good they think they are... the opposition has made them that way. An in-form France will walk all over them... there, I've said it... jinxed... Wales will probably get the Grand Slam.

I fear that England will no longer improve under Eddie Jones and Farrell; the former's boasting about creating the greatest team of all time, and latter's clueless post-match reflections, are embarrassing.

Don't get me started on why Sam Simmonds (to name but one) is not even in the squad and why he keeps picking Daly... thank god for Monday evenings and Premiership rugby.

 

[ohanzee]

At last, just back from the bookies, another 500 quid up, thank you once again Scotland for being consistent

 

[diawl bach]

Wales fans shouldn't get carried away with how good they think they are... the opposition has made them that way.

In other words we beat the opposition.
56 million of you in England but this modest nation of 3 million can still thrash you at rugby ( occasionally)

 

[ed_t]

In other words we beat the opposition.
56 million of you in England but this modest nation of 3 million can still thrash you at rugby ( occasionally)

That's the beauty of the 6 nations. I still don't see england doing well until the caps/player ratio is over 25, and we get a captain in the back row. Shifty little midgets just don't cut it.