Soldato
- Joined
- 31 May 2009
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- 21,257
Great kick from Johnny Sexton to give Ireland a close victory over France.
Wales dominant against Scotland in the opening match.
Wales dominant against Scotland in the opening match.
Six Nations Rugby 2018
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Man of Honour
I don't really know what happened to Scotland, that team looked more like the Scotland of five years ago than the team that played so well in the Autumn internationals. Wales were the better team but I fear we flattered them by how poorly we actually played.
For Ireland vs Wales - great kick to win it after 40(?) phases of play but I'd struggle to say either side played well.
For Ireland vs Wales - great kick to win it after 40(?) phases of play but I'd struggle to say either side played well.
Soldato
Team of the weekend for me are Italy..hear me out..from where they have come from they are playing outstanding rugby for the level of game their players play in. Having two Italian teams in European rugby is really helping. Some of the Italian backs where excellent in their tenacity.
Im pleased France have some bite and the young guns have something about them.
Scotland had a shocker, built up due to autumnal form but yesterday they where just dire. I was hoping they would have a fantastic 6 Nations this year I fear they will be 5th or 6th after that performance.
France and Ireland cancelled each other out for 90% of the match but Jonny Sexton...get in..that is some calm head on that shoulder.
Im pleased that an almost makeshift England have done well. Im not sure but something isnt quite clicking, Im hoping our defence out wide isnt as glaring against Wales next weekend.
rotters
Im pleased France have some bite and the young guns have something about them.
Scotland had a shocker, built up due to autumnal form but yesterday they where just dire. I was hoping they would have a fantastic 6 Nations this year I fear they will be 5th or 6th after that performance.
France and Ireland cancelled each other out for 90% of the match but Jonny Sexton...get in..that is some calm head on that shoulder.
Im pleased that an almost makeshift England have done well. Im not sure but something isnt quite clicking, Im hoping our defence out wide isnt as glaring against Wales next weekend.
rotters
Associate
Has a Welsh fan I was pleased with the win but was really disappointed with Scotland, started off well but once Gareth Davies scored that intercept try their heads went down. Also they didn't have a plan B when the style they played in the Autumn wasn't working.
I always had a sneaky feeling Wales would win but not by that much.
Associate
- Joined
- 15 Oct 2015
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- 1,480
I did only see the second half in the France-Ireland game due to being on night shifts but that was a pretty good half I think. Didn't really expect that result though, but then, I didn't see France scoring their try so shouldn't think too much ahead 
Unfortunately I will miss most of the Six Nations due to work, but will try catch up with it as much as I can. And if not I'm taking my parents to see Saracens-Harlequins at the Olympic Park in March. That will be my parents first ever rugby match in real life after only seen a few games on tv from the last World Cup.
Unfortunately I will miss most of the Six Nations due to work, but will try catch up with it as much as I can. And if not I'm taking my parents to see Saracens-Harlequins at the Olympic Park in March. That will be my parents first ever rugby match in real life after only seen a few games on tv from the last World Cup.
Caporegime
Looking forward to seeing the stockbrokers hammer the miners this afternoon.
Soldato
really looking forward to this next game.
Ireland played a poor Italian team today (it was pleasing to see them score 3 but Ireland where back in the bar by then).
rotters
Ireland played a poor Italian team today (it was pleasing to see them score 3 but Ireland where back in the bar by then).
rotters
Soldato
well it was a humdinger of a game. Unlucky wales, TMO fluffed that decision. Wales also had a very strong last 20 mins, but other than that they had to be very defensive against a rapid English team, changing up the attacks and some awesome hands/interplay. Im not really a Johnny May fanboy but he's got some wheels and scored two crackers today.
Caporegime
Cracking game at Murrayfield.
England Wales bored me. Very good win in professional terms, but entertainment value was lacking imo.
England Wales bored me. Very good win in professional terms, but entertainment value was lacking imo.
Soldato
I can see what you mean, but the technical play from England in the rucks and the interplay was excellent.
Todays match was electric. Kudos to both teams for being really up for this match.
Now only England or Ireland can still achieve the Grand slam.
Todays match was electric. Kudos to both teams for being really up for this match.
Now only England or Ireland can still achieve the Grand slam.
Man of Honour
Very open first half, yet again Scotland coughing up a try in the first couple of minutes had me a bit worried but the team was very professional in the second half with lots of good decisions made about just taking the points and some very solid kicking from Greig Laidlaw. Finn Russell is a bit frustrating at times, he can make some great passes and when he's on his game his kicking can be excellent but it was a bit off again this week.
I was out and didn't manage to watch either of the matches yesterday but having viewed the replays for the Welsh "try" that Watson stopped - I had thought in those situations you gave the benefit of the doubt to the attacking team or have I just got confused about the rules again?
I was out and didn't manage to watch either of the matches yesterday but having viewed the replays for the Welsh "try" that Watson stopped - I had thought in those situations you gave the benefit of the doubt to the attacking team or have I just got confused about the rules again?
Soldato
- Joined
- 13 May 2003
- Posts
- 8,845
This is the important lesson for me this weekend. Wales could not get over the gain line without a missed tackle in the whole game. England made several 30 to 50 metre drives through traffic routinely crossing the gain line and recycling. They varied the point and style of attack from the rucks and tackles extremely well. Their tackling was uncharacteristically poor and flattered Wales.
George Ford had his best game for England in a long while. His kicking game was in another class to the poor effort from Wales. England can still score tries through excellent execution but did lose attacking fluency in the second half.
Wales were unlucky with the TMO decision I would like to be reminded what the requirement is for grounding as it has been changed numerous times over the last few years. So whilst my gut feeling is Anscombe should have been given a try I want to be clear I understand the current interpretation. Anscombe played well at flyhalf and looked much more the player I remember from the Chiefs than the player we've seen in Wales.
edit: ok checked the law, if you are not holding the ball you require downward pressure to score. I can only assume the TMO didn't think Anscombe applied downward pressure, which isn't such a harsh decision.
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That was a try from Wales, it was a question of who got a hand to it first which the TMO claimed was England and photographs show this is incorrect, the TMO got it wrong.
I doubt Wales would have made the conversion but they had a penalty later in the game which they never took because obviously it wouldn't have made much difference to the result, with the extra 5 points it would so England were very lucky.
No idea what the TMO was watching.
I doubt Wales would have made the conversion but they had a penalty later in the game which they never took because obviously it wouldn't have made much difference to the result, with the extra 5 points it would so England were very lucky.
No idea what the TMO was watching.
Soldato
Its all a rather moot point on the grounding as the TMO missed this just prior meaning that it was knock on anyhow.
https://www.facebook.com/inattheside/videos/1564587733596622/
It came off his knee, not his hand.
I've seen this already and I don't see it coming off his hand at all, his hand was close but I don't see any sign of contact.
Soldato
well I see it clearly coming off his finger. must be a blue/gold dress thing again.
I think you're seeing what you want to see, finger knock on would probably hurt like hell.
Man of Honour
It does look as if it touches his finger so maybe it was the right outcome but for the wrong reasons - in fairness to the TMO it's something that seems to have taken a number of replays and a frame by frame step-through to spot but then again if that's not the reason they didn't award the try then what reason did they give? The TMO is a great system in theory and often also in practice but sometimes it feels like they've given you quite a lot of transparency about how the decisions are made without giving you quite enough to completely satisfy the need for certainty.
I think you're seeing what you want to see, finger knock on would probably hurt like hell.
This shows it more clearly, it's pretty obvious it hits his finger. I thought it was a try before seeing this and I'm English!
https://mobile.twitter.com/mattyjwills/status/962636592656605186/video/1