The death of NH international rugby.

First topic message reminder :

Slightly melodramatic I know, but I can't help but feel underwhelmed by the quality of rugby in this season's 6 nations. I do not remember a game that produced any real excitment, interest or sustained attacking play. The constant need to play by a certain 'game plan' meant that any creativity or individuality was stifled, nay choked at birth. International rugby has become a series of set plays, players scared, or unable to light up the game with their undoubted skill. The game as a spectacle has gone; nothing to cheer, nothing to inspire. What did the matches today produce to inspire anyone to take up the 'real' beautiful game? Ireland are scared to do anything, France are deflated, England haven't used their backs all tournament, Wales won by default (producing a dreary brand of rugby based on grunt), Scotland and Italy were true to form.

Nothing to talk about, nothing to inspire, nothing to hope for. Seriously, this was awful.

I thought St Patrick ripped the ball from his hand but Ireland couldn't take advantage

His contribution in the line out also marks him out. I'm looking forward to some spectacular top of the line out fumbles in the coming months.

Would've been a great try as well. First time England went wide all tournament, bar Manu's try. They should do it more often.

His almost tries are fantastic, the best almost tries in the Northern Hemisphere. It's his searing pace and spectacular fumbles .

I couldn't disagree more with the OP - I think the 6N's gets more and more competitive each year and I thought there were some stonking matches this time round....maybe not stand-out in terms of try-fests, but certainly world class in terms of physicality and intensity.

France were WC finalists. Wales should have been. England and Ireland have taken SH scalps in the recent past, and away from home too (as have Scotland if your memory’s long enough!). These are all quality teams, as proven when you look at this Welsh campaign: they ground out a grand slam with absolutely no ‘easy’ matches. Ireland and England tore chunks out of them and could have won, and Scotland, Italy and (to a lesser extent) France all had a bloody good go! Was this the case in 05 or 08, even? Let alone 03 when England last managed it? No – this could well be the hardest-won grand slam in 5/6N’s history, and that is testament to the strength of northern hemisphere rugby. I genuinely think the gap is closing, as was evident at the World Cup and as I think will be evident in the autumn.