Rugby Six Nations 2023

England awful but France have been great.

 

England's lungs aren't good enough at all. Legs failed 30mins ago and France have picked them apart

 

Don't think I've seen England demolished like this at Twickenham.

 

Wait until they play (well, attempt to play) Ireland at home…

 

The forwards weren’t exactly helping him though. His mate Alex looks totally knackered.

 

I said to a mate at half time that when the coverage of the 2nd half starts it should come with a warning: the following program may contain scenes that some viewers will find distresing. Viewer caution is advised.

What a shambles. Smith didn't have a chance behind a pack that were being slaughtered. Van Poortvliet has been watching too many "best(??) of Ben Youngs" videos and now spends his time at rucks flapping his arms like a seagull. And generally, the lack of fitness and pace reminds me of my playing days.

On the upside, Mitchell coming on injected pace and we scored. A scrum half who knows what he is going to do before he gets to the ruck. Unfortunately, having two minutes of decent play in an entire match will not get you far.

 

new scrum coach imminent I read, but not in time for this misery. and only the world number 1 team to come. Hoorah!

 

The thing I find unbelievable is that many pundits in the English press were predicting - with their usual self-confidence - that England had a good chance of beating France. Opinions varied by how much, but there was something of a consensus that England still had a chance of winning the 6N is they could just "release the handbrake". It was clear to any neutral that England are one level down from Ireland and France these days, and that the idea that England could win the 6N this year is just bonkers. Confirmation yesterday.

This isn't just the tabloid press. The so-called quality press do it all the time, too. Take an average team, hype it to the rafters, predict inevitable victory. When things go wrong, as they have been for a while now, focus on a couple of short term miracle solutions, usually around individual A or B: just change the coach or No.10 and all will be fine.

The absolute thrashing of England at Twickenham last night could go some way to showing it isn't about a few individual failures, and that fundamental change of the whole system is required to raise the level to world class. Is the RFU even capable of that?

The English press do this with every sport. It happens in every country, but they take it to the nth degree. Now busy hyping Murray and Raducanu in Indian Wells. What is this neediness?

 

Just got back from lunch. Could be an interesting 2nd half!

 

Really great play by both teams. Let’s hope the second half is as good.

 

The best side is pulling away now. England are going to get slayed again next week.

 

England do have a good record at Twickenham, I thought it would be a close game. We needed to play a tighter more pragmatic game; it’s generally how England win games.

 

That was back in the good old day. Hope it rains, stuff the ball up the forwards shirts and plod around in the mud until someone falls over the try line lol.
That approach now means we come 5 out of 6.
Scotland today pushed ireland very very hard for 80 mins.
Let's see what the England team can do with an attack of that speed and ferocity next week.
I'll close my eyes for most of it.

 

By the time the England game comes, I won’t care (probably just as well). All day in the pub with mates on Saturday watching all 3 games. Going to be hard work after Cheltenham this week.

 

We're fatter than the French.

 

And not just sport - see Brexit.

 

Where do we think the world rankings will be at the start of the world cup? Who has a realistic shout? I'm out of touch with what's occurin in the southern hemisphere at the mo.
on the form I've seen I'd put France at the top IF Dupont is fit and firing.

 

On current form, France and Ireland are favorites. South Africa and NZ are close seconds.

 

Yes, let’s hope the northern hemisphere perform.

 

Sorry Italy.
For a few moments it looked like it was too nice a day for Scottish Rugby.