Rugby union 2018/19

[DasNutNock]

Turning up the heat already. Lovely work to go 16-3 up.

[DasNutNock]

Hat trick against les Bleus without 30 on the clock. Johnny May’s on some screaming form.

[wolf359]

England toying with the worst French team of my life. They'll get a couple more and hit 60

[DasNutNock]

England toying with the worst French team of my life. They'll get a couple more and hit 60

Looking like 44-8, TBH - too many replacements to maintain any cohesion.

[DasNutNock]

Leek-nudgers up next, for their Cup Final. Win this and you’d have to assume the Slam’s England’s.

[Slacking student]

Only game of Rugby I care about, beat Wales but lose the rest and I'd be a happy man.

Anyone but Wales

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

That hit on Bastreaud by Courtney Lawes at the hour mark :shock:

[sicknote]

That hit on Bastreaud by Courtney Lawes at the hour mark :shock:

Was a big hit on a huge man , great to see but will need to improve to be this good

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[Puff Daddy]

What has happened to French rugby?. Whatever you think of them they always used to have such a good team and were terrific to watch, but it appears to me, they haven't been a good team now for about 10 years ? Can any of the rugby aficionados enlighten me ?

[Patito]

What has happened to French rugby?. Whatever you think of them they always used to have such a good team and were terrific to watch, but it appears to me, they haven't been a good team now for about 10 years ? Can any of the rugby aficionados enlighten me ?

They actually don't have a terrible pool of talent. They change their team every time they lose though, for example, I think there were 5/6 changes to their line-up this weekend. No rhyme or reason to it at all either.

Their forwards are oafs as well, the modern game is about speed AND power. All-round athleticism.

[Puff Daddy]

... and is it me, or are Italy getting worse ? If so, is it worth re-vamping the 6 Nations tournament in some way as actually I am now beginning to find it a bit of a turn off. Whilst of course, it is great to see pulsating matches between the home nations going full thrust at each other, but seeing them all whoop the Italians arses for an easy win, is getting a bit boring. I know it is up to them to try and improve, but have they the massive funding England rugby gets, which I think is the most in the world

[Patito]

They seem to be, Puff yeah. I think Georgia would make more of a fist of things if they took Italy's place.

[sendô]

Yeah the Italians have gone backwards. A decade or so ago they looked to be getting there, regularly pipping Scotchland to that coveted 5th place, and beating the Welsh and Irish on occasion too. Nowadays though they just get thrashed at a canter every game.

It feels like the French are going the same way. They've not won the 6N since 2010 and don't look about to do so again any time soon. They won the wooden spoon in 2013.

Massive improvement from England so far on last years debacle. The trip to Cardiff in two weeks is the real acid test, as we know they'll play at about 200% of their usual performance because it's England at home. Beat them and we're probably on for the slam, which I'd never have imagined before the tourney. I'd still have Wales as slight favourites to win the whole thing though.

[Tenbury]

Italy have actually improved.Thing is Scotland, Wales,Ireland and ,especially, England have improved more, and so the gap has increased.
l think it's crying out for a 2div Northern hemisphere set up, maybe even a 2 or 3 div Worldwide set up, seeing the number of home fans that travel the world watching cricket, and the availability of discount air travel, that doesn't seem so ridiculous an idea as all that.

[The Old Man of Storr]

What has happened to French rugby?. Whatever you think of them they always used to have such a good team and were terrific to watch,

Going back to 1971 I remember one of our Teachers asking us which team we all wanted Wales to beat during the Rugby 5 Nations - fully expecting us to shout out ' England ! ' , she was surprised to hear us all shout out in unison ' France , Miss ! ' - it was the Golden Age of Welsh Rugby and France were our closest rivals .
France were brilliant during the 1980s - Serge Blanco etc but for a Nation with a bigger rugby following than New Zealand , Wales , Australia , Ireland and Scotland combined they look poor value these past few years .

[The Old Man of Storr]

Only game of Rugby I care about, beat Wales but lose the rest and I'd be a happy man.

Anyone but Wales

You have cut me to the quick , sir .

Now I know what it's like to be English at every World Cup up here in Scotland .

[Puff Daddy]

Italy have actually improved.Thing is Scotland, Wales,Ireland and ,especially, England have improved more, and so the gap has increased.
l think it's crying out for a 2div Northern hemisphere set up, maybe even a 2 or 3 div Worldwide set up, seeing the number of home fans that travel the world watching cricket, and the availability of discount air travel, that doesn't seem so ridiculous an idea as all that.

I'm not so sure, personally. I used to be an avid follower of the 6 Nations, but with two of the participant nation's not offering much resistance to the four home countries dominance, it is now a four home countries party. I think the competition is in need of a bit a re-vamp and it is important not to lose sight of the fact that English rugby receives the highest amount of state funding of any international rugby playing nation. New Zealand's might be higher, but with a population of just over 5 million inhabitants paying into their exchequer, I doubt it

[The Old Man of Storr]

it is important not to lose sight of the fact that English rugby receives the highest amount of state funding of any international rugby playing nation. New Zealand's might be higher, but with a population of just over 5 million inhabitants paying into their exchequer, I doubt it

State funding ? Which state is that then ?
Here was I thinking that the state governed us all , Wales , Scotland , Norther Ireland and England , aren't we suppose to be the British Isles , so why would one of the 4 countries that make up Great Britain receive more than the other three I wonder ?

Shouldn't each country receive the same amount of money ?

[Patito]

Shouldn't each country receive the same amount of money ?

Yeah, if their populations were the same.

[The Old Man of Storr]

Yeah, if their populations were the same.

But if we're all to remain as part of the UK shouldn't the large English population contribute towards Scottish and Welsh Rugby then - or are you happier with English Rugby being given better facilities , more sportsmen to choose from etc - after all you have 53.5m living in England while Wales has a population of 3.1m - how many of that 3.1m are English , I'd bet almost a third if not more , that dilutes the population from which we can pick 15 players even more yet you want to keep all that money to yourselves ?

And yet the only British born man to have won the Tour De France is Welsh and the only British man to have won Wimbledon in recent years is Scottish . Perhaps we don't need your money after all ?