Are you sick to the stomach, waiting in nervous anticipation for the kick off?

I am sitting here in my office thinking about the impending kick off of the six nations. I am relaxed, looking forward to see whether Wales can overcome their injury woes and despite that still overturn Ireland, I am thinking it is a good thing for Ireland to go into the Six Nations without O'Driscoll, at some point the man must retire and Ireland need to move on, now is as good a time as any to see what the future holds post O'Driscoll.

I am wondering whether Lancaster is going to do an ambulance job with England, or wanting to impress his rugby bosses and convince them to look no further than him for the permanent coaching position. France as always is an oxymoron if there ever was one, good and bad, motivated and couldn't care less, who will rock up?

I am thinking Italy will do what Italy does, with or without Mallet and that Scotland will once again use home conditions and their usual tactics of frustrating teams in the cold of night.

And then there is you lot. A whole host of tense, stressed and uncomfortable guys waiting in nervous anticipation for the kick off. Shame, i do know what it feels like and are savouring the moment. I have no worries, I don't care who wins, but would like to see how this historical and popular event unfolds, and would like to see some proper rugby.

I don't want to see France rock up and just make up numbers, I want to see some French flair, I want to see English forwards gain quick ball and have their back line use tat quick ball. I want to see the massive Irish back row do what they did to Australia, I want to see those Welsh midfielders run riot like they did in the world cup. I would really like to see Scotland finally being able to not only look busy with their back line but actually finish moves.

And well as for Italy, don't emulate Argentina and England's forwards, be creative when the ball is available and run the bloody thing.

Good luck to all you Six Nations fans, oh, and enjoy the nerves, it's what makes you human.

Let the battles commence!

Do you know how far away Sunday is right now???

Made me think how the older you get how time flies by. A week is like an hour when you were a kid.

Well right now two days feels like two years...!

Well I have a theory about that. when you are young you need a lot of sleep.

Babies sleep most of the day and night, they just wake to eat, blow their diapers and cry.

Toddlers go to bed at 8pm, this is after an afternoon nap, a morning nap and then they only want to wake up late the next morning.

When kids go to school they need about 10 hours sleep.

The older you get, the less sleep you need and thus the days drags out longer, and your week becomes a month.

So go to bed.

I am the other way maesteg. 1 week feels like an hour...

Really looking forward to the kick off, especially the Ireland Wales match

France
Scotland
Ireland

eirebilly wrote:I am the other way maesteg. 1 week feels like an hour...

Really looking forward to the kick off, especially the Ireland Wales match

France
Scotland
Ireland

I am the same most of the time apart from when I am waiting for something as exciting as this opening match.

Yeah when you are waiting for something big, like the 6N, time goes slowly but on a whole, time flys by for me now. I am 41 and am amazed how quickly i zoomed through the 30's

The problem is not that one's mind feels 41, just the body starts going slowly but surely.

In my mind I am 47 going on 30, my body unfortuntely is 47.

Hell, i still feel 21 until i run, then i feel 70

Long walks make up for the runs..! Keep fit and active in body and mind.

Too lazy to walk LOL

maestegmafia wrote:Long walks make up for the runs..!

Not going to help when you are too far from a toilet though.

Personally I perfer immodium when I have the runs.

I'm not nervous at all actually. I'm expecting a comfortable win. I won't be nervous the next week either. Because I'm expecting France to kick our arses. Again. It's when I have no idea what's gonna happen I'm a bag of nerves.

Feckless Rogue wrote: I won't be nervous the next week either. Because I'm expecting France to kick our arses. Again. It's when I have no idea what's gonna happen I'm a bag of nerves.

now doesn't that make your name a contradiction in terms.

Rogue - a mischievious person.

They aren't normally people with defeatest attitudes, are they?

I'm actually strangely non plussed about the 6N this year. I'm not expecting a great tournament.

For Ireland, or on the whole?

Feckless Rogue wrote:I'm not nervous at all actually. I'm expecting a comfortable win. I won't be nervous the next week either. Because I'm expecting France to kick our arses. Again. It's when I have no idea what's gonna happen I'm a bag of nerves.

Well a lot points to it. In all honesty you should smash us.

Still not giving up hope of it going against you and you being rather disappointed though

biltongbek wrote:For Ireland, or on the whole?

On the whole Biltong. Its not a great opening weekend.

I think France and Ireland will win comfortably. Scotland or England could go either way but will be a borefest.

If France beat Ireland the following weekend then they will win the competition at a canter.

Its all too predictable. England have thrown the baby out with the bathwater after a poor RWC and I don't think Wales will be able to reproduce their RWC form. Both are weaker than I expected a few months ago.

Ireland are in really good shape but if they can't beat France away then its a one horse race I think.

Can't beleieve you think that rodders. I think it'll be the best one in years. The last 4 have been poor. Each year only one team really performed and strolled to the title. This year I think it could be a two or three horse race. I hope Wales play as well as they did in the RWC. Pity about the injuries. No matter what St.Andre does, I think the absence of Mad Marc will lift French spirits. If only Ireland can bottle their provincial form and attacking excuberance, we'll have a brilliant tournament from just those three. Not sure about the other three but England and Scotland really could surprise us. England are still champions after all.

France to come out on top in the best 6 Nations Championship since its inception

Biltong, my name was just made up on a whim. The French own us. We're their b**ches. That's just the way it is. I'm always filled with hope on the day but the French always crush it into the dirt and then jump up and down on it for good measure.

By the way I saw biltong being sold in a pub in Dublin recently. Looked quite nice.

Feckless Rogue wrote:I'm not nervous at all actually. I'm expecting a comfortable win. I won't be nervous the next week either. Because I'm expecting France to kick our arses. Again. It's when I have no idea what's gonna happen I'm a bag of nerves.

I think you wrote the same for the October game

Feckless England will surprise me if they beat Scotland. They look extremely poor.

If Ireland can play to their provincial form then they should beat France and if so it will be a great tournament but think that will be the defining game. If France win then it will be wrapped up at week 2.

The defining game is Wales v France in Cardiff should be a cracker

RubyGuby wrote:

Feckless Rogue wrote:I'm not nervous at all actually. I'm expecting a comfortable win. I won't be nervous the next week either. Because I'm expecting France to kick our arses. Again. It's when I have no idea what's gonna happen I'm a bag of nerves.

I think you wrote the same for the October game

Probably wrote something similar yeah. That humble pie didn't taste nice either.

Ireland by 17.

I feel pretty calm about it all, Wales have no pressure.
All of Ireland think they will win all the media think Ireland will win and the pundits think Ireland will win.

Wales just need to make sure the lineout functions and the scrum is dominant then Ireland's complete inability to function unless they dominate the set piece will be exposed and will just keep looking at each other for direction.
Pretty much just like the world cup.

RubyGuby wrote:The defining game is Wales v France in Cardiff should be a cracker

Well it will define if Wales finish 3rd or 4th anyways....

Nice one Rodders - I seriously believe we will win the 4 games after the Ireland game - Sunday's game is a wait and see due to injuries but I still believe we have a good chance in Ireland - This is a good welsh side whoever Gatts puts out - This is just like October with both sets of fans feeling optimistic

Feckless Rogue wrote:Biltong, my name was just made up on a whim. The French own us. We're their b**ches. That's just the way it is. I'm always filled with hope on the day but the French always crush it into the dirt and then jump up and down on it for good measure.

By the way I saw biltong being sold in a pub in Dublin recently. Looked quite nice.

Then it is time to b**chslap them.

Have you ever tasted biltong?

I think that this 6N will be incredibly open and i expect it to go down to the last day.

I'll be happy exicted watching the French and Scottish games, and then when the Welsh match is on, the butterflies and nerves will kick in, but I love it.

It's the moooost wonderful tiiiime of the yeeeeeeeeeeear!

I think a great deal will rely on refereeing. Always does in modern rugby.

One teams approach will please the red more than the others.

eirebilly wrote:I think that this 6N will be incredibly open and i expect it to go down to the last day.

You make it sound so 'Top Shelf' there, eire! Risqué!!!!!!!!! A man who uses words sparingly...but they're good'uns

Its going to be Top Shelf Fly, mark my words.... Even Red_stag is interested this year

eirebilly wrote:I think that this 6N will be incredibly open and i expect it to go down to the last day.

Just like Tommy

biltongbek wrote:

Feckless Rogue wrote:Biltong, my name was just made up on a whim. The French own us. We're their b**ches. That's just the way it is. I'm always filled with hope on the day but the French always crush it into the dirt and then jump up and down on it for good measure.

By the way I saw biltong being sold in a pub in Dublin recently. Looked quite nice.

Then it is time to b**chslap them.

Have you ever tasted biltong?

Never tasted it. Didn't even know it was meat until I saw it. On 6 Nations round 2 I think I'll eat some and then take off me high heels and whack a Frenchman over the head with them.

Cari wrote:

eirebilly wrote:I think that this 6N will be incredibly open and i expect it to go down to the last day.

Just like Tommy

Calm down Cari . It must be harder for you to wait than the rest of us

I do like it too that we - the Welsh and Irish - have a day of just relaxing and enjoying two (hopefully) good games. Because Sunday will inevitably be depressing for one of us. And if the game was Saturday I don't really think the other two games could lift the spirits on Sunday.

Still fuming that the match is on Sunday. I have to work Monday so drinking to a victory or drowning my sorrows

Feckless Rogue wrote:

biltongbek wrote:

Feckless Rogue wrote:Biltong, my name was just made up on a whim. The French own us. We're their b**ches. That's just the way it is. I'm always filled with hope on the day but the French always crush it into the dirt and then jump up and down on it for good measure.

By the way I saw biltong being sold in a pub in Dublin recently. Looked quite nice.

Then it is time to b**chslap them.

Have you ever tasted biltong?

Never tasted it. Didn't even know it was meat until I saw it. On 6 Nations round 2 I think I'll eat some and then take off me high heels and whack a Frenchman over the head with them.

well when you do, make sure it is not dry, there must still be some give in it when you press your finger on it, another way to test it is to see if it still have some bend in it, but not too much.

Then get yourself a nice chilli suace, or preferably buy some jalapeno's, then put a slice of jalapeno between two slices of biltong.

Don't let the shop slice it, it dries out too much then, and don't buy these thin biltong sticks, it is a ppor excuse for biltong.

Well, firstly, working on Monday is actually against the law in Ireland, eire. Turning up is required, but working??? That's a no-no.

SecretFly wrote:I do like it too that we - the Welsh and Irish - have a day of just relaxing and enjoying two (hopefully) good games.

So does Euan Murray every Sunday...

Billy - I do get super excited...but moreso once I see the lads trotting out of the tunnel....nom nom nom....

Cari, you're a little love sick there darling

Cari wrote:

SecretFly wrote:I do like it too that we - the Welsh and Irish - have a day of just relaxing and enjoying two (hopefully) good games.

So does Euan Murray every Sunday...

Billy - I do get super excited...but moreso once I see the lads trotting out of the tunnel....nom nom nom....

Trimble had a quite detailed and in ways funny interview about all that - the not-playing on Sunday thing. Trimble is openly quite religious (not that you need to be 'open' about it; if you are you are) but he totally, and only personally, knocked down any assumption people might make about there perhaps being an issue about Sunday playing in his mind, or thinking God would be on his side, or praying for a win (there's guys on the other side also praying for a win, so who is He going to choose? was Trimble's funny response).

He was obviously asked the questions but I think the interviewer was surprised by the answers.