The 6N 'Teach Yourself Something' Thread

[George Carlin]

First topic message reminder :



I started a moderately popular thread a while ago and I'd like to resurrect it with the Six Nations looming.

I follow as many leagues as comprehensively as I can but inevitably there are gaps in my knowledge and I'd like to be better informed by the time that the tournament starts. So let's try this again.

A. RULES

1. Posters may post as many questions to the thread as they like.

2. Questions cannot be WUMmery and any attempts will be deleted. They must be genuine queries aimed at answering something you just don't know (but would like to) about another 6 Nations squad or matchday team.

3. All questions should be addressed to a particular set of fans at the beginning.

4. Try very hard not to ask a question without having at least thrown in your six cents worth answering another one first. These threads only work if everyone chips in.

5. When responding to a query, if you can please use the 'reply' function to grab the query you're answering.

6. You don't have to be one of the 'addressed' fans to answer any question. But it's nice if you are.

7. This is intended to be different from the 'build up' thread because (hopefully) it deals with specific questions rather than general banter and paddywhackery.

B. STARTING QUESTIONS

Happy to go first. I'd really like to know the answers to these:

1. Ireland Fans - I have absolutely no idea how the Irish midfield will look. Cave and Marshall look like an excellent, comfortable combination for Ulster but is this any reason to unseat the incumbents of BOD and Darcy? Downey and Earls hardly seem to have mustered any tries between them all season.

Provincial rivalries aside, what should be the combination for Ireland, with one eye to the next world cup?

2. Wales fans - Clearly, there is a genuine injury crisis at lock and also some issues with the front row. What should the tight five be, given the reality of who will recover in time and can this unit realistically compete in the 6N? What are the signs?

3. England fans - another forwards question - the tight five seems to have settled a little, with Launchbury and Parling now seeming to be the incumbents. The loosies, however, are another matter. What do fans think is England's best combination and why? In particular, is Tom Wood really the answer at blind and can England continue to look to Morgan when Easter seems to be in a purple patch?

4. France fans - with great club form, a forward pack all firing (with Dus, Bonnaire and the HairyKnorrDonkey about to resume their partnership yet again), an astonishing variety of quality prop options and with the best inside centre and wings in Europe, what will stop France winning this tournament?

5. Italy fans - now that you have a well settled, quality front row (Lo Cicero, Festuccia and Castro) and Barbieri to give Parisse and Zanni some help in the back row, are there any international quality lock forwards on the horizon? Seems to be the one missing piece in an Italian team with genuine try scorers in Masi, Benvenuti and Canale.

Thanks all.

[neilthom7]

Also on Sean Cronin if he had of stayed out of the way of the backs around him and let them take it we probably would have had a try but I digress lol

[theslosty]

Also on Sean Cronin if he had of stayed out of the way of the backs around him and let them take it we probably would have had a try but I digress lol

That was such a painful defeat. Arghhh.

[neilthom7]

Agreed mate, it is the one thing I detest at International level more than anything is some of the forwards getting in the way ruining a back move. It doesn't happen in teams I am in cos they get told to get out of the way in the most loving of manners off course lol

[theslosty]

Lol that day didn't exactly help my opinion of Connacht improve.

[neilthom7]

Thats harsh it was his days at Munster with prop/wing Marcus Horan that taught him to do that.

[theslosty]

Oh Jesus that is why we should really appreciate Cian Healy lol

[Sin é]

Something else happened that helped us win that GS the coaching change, O'Sullivan had become to used in his position he was out of fresh ideas, when kidney came in he changed that now Kidney has become stale and the style of rugby he plays no longer as effective so it's time for another change, it sounds harsh but it is necessary. He's lucky if it was Ulster he was coaching D. Humphrey's has proven he would be gone already. I think that is something we have a problem with here is too much sentiment like if someone has been great for us in the past it earns them a by now and I'm one for remembering what people have done and praising them as legends but once they start to lose their effectiveness they are gone.

Neil - Ulster isn't a great advertisement for chopping and changing coaches. Since last winning anything (Magners 2006 with Mark McCall?) Ulster have had a rake of coaches and have won nothing yet. Meanwhile, the relatively long-standing coaching teams with Leinster & Munster have won everything they could win. If you look at Leinster for example, it took Cheika 3-4 years to turn the team around.

Ireland isn't a particularly attractive team to coach (small player pool - limited resources unlike the English RU) and we can't really afford to export all our homegrown coaches.

Can't see a foreign head coach replacing Kidney - not with 4 kiwis in the provinces.

[RuggerRadge2611]

Irish fans :

I know BOD's best days are behind him. However is there still a place for him in the Irish test XXIII, likewise Ronan O'Gara who will most likely be banned for the start of the 6N.

On the same note, what is Ireland's Strength and depth long term in the 10 and 13 Jerseys.

[Sin é]

Radge

If BOD is fit, he will start (this could be his swan song season at international level) - but he is coming back from ankle surgery and had a bit of a relapse last weekend.

ROG will likely be suspended and I would fear for Sexton against Wales - he will attract an awful lot of attention from the Welsh giants if Paddy Jackson or Ian Madigan are sitting on the bench!

strength 'n depth: Decent enough at 13 (none of of them are BOD though). Problem is that few are getting the gametime they need at club level.

Depth at 10 looks good (if a little raw just yet): Jackson, Madigan, JJ Hanrahan.

[George Carlin]

England fans: Flood, Farrell or Burns and why in two sentences or less, please.

I just don't understand why Flood is so highly rated. I think that the rest of his Tigers colleagues make him look very good indeed - what is his record (if any) playing with poor or back-foot ball?

[neilthom7]

Sin since McCall resigned we have had 3 full time coaches. We had a temporary coach while we searched for McCalls successor then we had Matt Williams. Matt Williams did poorly and then resigned although we also didn't have the players or the right guys at the top to help him. Then Brian McGlaughlin took over and led the team to the Heineken Final and this year we have Anscombe are top of the league through to the quarters of the Heineken. So your shot at Ulster is hardly that valid. Also back then they had too many very average players and some very abd signing until D Humph came in and changed that a bit. Besides you can't deny kidney has been stagnant for a while mate I know he is a Munster legend and all that and I respect what he did for us but recently he has had plenty of chances to change and adapt to how the game is now played and he hasn't. Also if O'Gara sits on that bench it won't be any better because he has been awful this year.

[red_stag]

As SinE suggests we have got lots of young players for flyhalf. Its raw but not a worrying situation. At 13, Keith Earls and Darren Cave are the only real options. Earls has ended up pushed from pillar to post. Luke Fitzgerald could make a good centre but thats opinion rather than him being a realistic option this year.

My questions is to England fans:

I think with Marler, Cobisiero and Sheridan you have some great loosehead options. Who do you want to start and why?

[neilthom7]

I would love to see Fitzgerald tried there and ironically enough when the likes of D'Arcy and BOD are away for 6 nations is maybe when we will see him there

[George Carlin]

England fans: Flood, Farrell or Burns and why in two sentences or less, please.

I just don't understand why Flood is so highly rated. I think that the rest of his Tigers colleagues make him look very good indeed - what is his record (if any) playing with poor or back-foot ball?

Anyone? What if I promised to be more complementary towards Toby?

[Glas a du]

As a Welshman I'd say Burns, but I would wouldn't I?

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