6N Tournament 2018 (non-Irish TT)

MDunne14 · 18-01-2018 5:11pm

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Itoje is a quality player. World class but he is a better lock than blindside. Obviously England has an abundance of good locks and not are weak in the loose forward department so I can the logic.

Robshaw is a very average 7. Stopgap only. I think he would be better as a blindside, similar to Ruddock. There are at least half a dozen players in Ireland who are better 7s than Robshaw.

Simmons I don't know much about as I don't get to watch much of the AP.

Underhill looks promising. How much international experience does he have?

Ya they could go robshaw underhill and simmonds either
Underhill is very good only became eqp at end of last year so only a handful of caps

The Pheasant2 · 18-01-2018 5:29pm

Wouldn't mind if they had Hughes tbh - think he's often found out at test level.

Clegg · 18-01-2018 8:03pm

England has an abundance of quality tight five forwards but a relative dearth of quality in the backrow. Billy V is world class, but can't be relied upon to stay fit. Haskell and Robshaw were good once but I think they're past their best. Underhill is highly rated and Simmonds and Mercer are decent but nothing brilliant.

I've been listening to a lot of rugby podcasts recently and the hosts were crying out for Don Armond to be included in the squad, calling him the best performing English qualified backrow for the last 12 months. No sign of him the squad.

Also worth noting that Jack Nowell is being considered as a centre for the 6N.

penybont exile · 19-01-2018 12:02am

Really looking forward to this ..... bookies have us 4th favourite in a two horse race.

I kinda like that ....

prawnsambo · 19-01-2018 12:06am

penybont exile wrote: »

Really looking forward to this ..... bookies have us 4th favourite in a two horse race.

I kinda like that ....

Welcome back. Been a while...

penybont exile · 19-01-2018 12:13am

prawnsambo wrote: »

Welcome back. Been a while...

Ha HA ..... Thank you ..... Love this time of the year!

Can't say I'm a big regional rugby fan ..... P14/Euro watched only occasionally .... 6N however .........

sydthebeat · 19-01-2018 12:30am

penybont exile wrote: »

Ha HA ..... Thank you ..... Love this time of the year!

Can't say I'm a big regional rugby fan ..... P14/Euro watched only occasionally .... 6N however .........

You mustn't know any of your squad this time then.... Since it's made up of pro 14 dirt trackers

Seriously though, you must be worried about your injury list and the ability of some of the replacements to step up. I hope Gatland gives the likes of Adams and j Davies a fair crack of the whip. I think you need freshness in that team, a freshness a back 3 of North, cuthbert and halfpenny doesn't give you.

Im hoping our home advantage is good enough to get us over the line against you.... We anyways struggle.

penybont exile · 19-01-2018 12:48am

sydthebeat wrote: »

You mustn't know any of your squad this time then.... Since it's made up of pro 14 dirt trackers

Seriously though, you must be worried about your injury list and the ability of some of the replacements to step up. I hope Gatland gives the likes of Adams and j Davies a fair crack of the whip. I think you need freshness in that team, a freshness a back 3 of North, cuthbert and halfpenny doesn't give you.

Im hoping our home advantage is good enough to get us over the line against you.... We anyways struggle.

TBH ... i don't know what to expect from Wales.

IMO the team has become too settled so some enforced changes maybe a good thing ..... throwing inexperienced players into big games has often worked for us in the past.

Cliché I suppose ...... but a good performance (and a win) against Scotland will set us up for a 'nothing to lose' game at Twickenham. We can be dangerous in scenarios like that.

Quite a number of the squad are in good form so hopefully Gatland is not afraid to mix it up with the match day selection .... a backline of Davies, Biggar, Williams, Parkes, Williams, North, Patchell is decent. Our front row & back row options also look good .... 2nd row is where we are light - time for one of the youngsters to really step up!

kuang1 · 19-01-2018 1:42am

Did a quick google there on who'll be doing the commentary for TV3 for the 6n. The only answer I got was Dave McIntyre with Quinlan co-commentating. (That could be worse I suppose)
There will be other commentators needed of course...please, please, please don't anyone tell me Conor McNamara is gonna be anywhere near a commentary booth...

Yeah_Right · 19-01-2018 2:10am

penybont exile wrote: »

Quite a number of the squad are in good form so hopefully Gatland is not afraid to mix it up with the match day selection .... a backline of Davies, Biggar, Williams, Parkes, Williams, North, Patchell is decent. Our front row & back row options also look good .... 2nd row is where we are light - time for one of the youngsters to really step up!

What's your thoughts on Parkes? I never rated him in NZ or SA. I always felt he was a good NPC/Currie Cup level player who was lucky to get a Super Rugby contract. Usually as a stopgap in a weak SR team. Yet he seems to be going well in the NH. Didn't he get MOTM on his debut for Wales?

irishbucsfan · 19-01-2018 10:33am

According to Eddie Jones England have been written off. Noone believes they can win the 6 Nations.

19-01-2018 10:44am

irishbucsfan wrote: »

According to Eddie Jones England have been written off. Noone believes they can win the 6 Nations.

His brand of mind games are annoying to be honest. I hope we give England such a beating in Twikenham that the Monarchy folds.

penybont exile · 19-01-2018 5:13pm

Yeah_Right wrote: »

What's your thoughts on Parkes? I never rated him in NZ or SA. I always felt he was a good NPC/Currie Cup level player who was lucky to get a Super Rugby contract. Usually as a stopgap in a weak SR team. Yet he seems to be going well in the NH. Didn't he get MOTM on his debut for Wales?

He seems to have improved a lot over the last three years he's been in Wales.

He certainly wasn't a stand out international prospect early on.

He's one of those players that seems to take the right option more often than not ..... a really good attribute to have for the international game.

It will be very interesting to see how he goes .....He'll definitely figure in the team given the JD2 injury situation.

Buer · 19-01-2018 5:16pm

penybont exile wrote:

Can't say I'm a big regional rugby fan ..... P14/Euro watched only occasionally .... 6N however .........

You've passed the test. You are 100% Welsh.

Sangre · 19-01-2018 5:20pm

Yeah_Right wrote: »

What's your thoughts on Parkes? I never rated him in NZ or SA. I always felt he was a good NPC/Currie Cup level player who was lucky to get a Super Rugby contract. Usually as a stopgap in a weak SR team. Yet he seems to be going well in the NH. Didn't he get MOTM on his debut for Wales?

Similar to Payne then.

penybont exile · 19-01-2018 5:41pm

Buer wrote: »

You've passed the test. You are 100% Welsh.

if you mean that i'm not a fair weather, jolly euro weekender but someone who has invested time/money into local rugby then your are 100 % correct my friend.

Buer · 19-01-2018 5:44pm

penybont exile wrote: »

Buer wrote: »

You've passed the test. You are 100% Welsh.

if you mean that i'm not a fair weather, jolly euro weekender but someone who has invested time/money into local rugby then your are 100 % correct my friend.

Well, you took the fun out of that.

So Welsh.

penybont exile · 19-01-2018 6:18pm

Buer wrote: »

Well, you took the fun out of that.

So Welsh.

.... yeah sorry ..... first reaction was to bite back when confronted with what was (I have to agree) a witty comment ..... truce .... until the build-up week before we play you guys.

prawnsambo · 19-01-2018 6:57pm

penybont exile wrote: »

.... yeah sorry ..... first reaction was to bite back when confronted with what was (I have to agree) a witty comment ..... truce .... until the build-up week before we play you guys.

Always the gent. :cool:

Hopefully we'll trash the living lard out of ye at Lansdowne. :pac:

Buer · 19-01-2018 7:28pm

penybont exile wrote: »

Buer wrote: »

Well, you took the fun out of that.

So Welsh.

.... yeah sorry ..... first reaction was to bite back when confronted with what was (I have to agree) a witty comment ..... truce .... until the build-up week before we play you guys.

Quite alright. Glad to land a punch just before the 6N! Look forward to your contributions this tournament as always.

Yeah_Right · 19-01-2018 11:16pm

Sangre wrote: »

Similar to Payne then.

No. Payne was a regular starter in a very good SR backline. He was in the conversation for the AB squad in his last year with the Blues. Probably 2 injuries away from a call up. Parkes was would have required at least 2 dozen injuries before he would have good near the ABs.

However Wales seems to suit him. He is playing well and deserving of his spot.

Squidgy Black · 20-01-2018 5:57pm

Priestland ruled out of the Welsh squad, and Biggar just gone off with what looks like possibly a dislocated shoulder/arm injury.

stephen_n · 20-01-2018 6:16pm

At this rate the Welsh will have difficulty fielding 15 capped players.

Dog Botherer · 20-01-2018 6:20pm

Gonna be one of Patchell, Davies, Williams, or Anscombe then. Patchell probably shades it on current form but Davies is more established in the squad. Reckon Gatland might have a look at Williams at 12 anyway.