20 Bold Predictions for the 6 Nations- Bleacher Report

20 Bold Predictions for the 6 Nations- Bleacher Report


#2 - Hardly bold

#3 - It'll be Halfpence kicking for Wales and Biggar will be 10

#7 I would never write off Italy, getting closer and closer to getting a W over the other 5 Nations

#11 I dont see Phillips getting more tries than Cuthbert. Is BOD playing or not ? They article doesn't seem to know or not

#12 Moore getting angry is as certain as Jiffy being squeeky or Inverdale being terminally dull

#15 Don't remeber Phillips ever being yellowed, Bradley Davies is injured (I think), Hartley or Cole are a;ways possible, Brown being carded ? Hes not a dirty player

#16 England will only beat Wales if they score tries. They haven't done so against Wales in some time. BUT their pack is stronger than last time and their 10 may have his kicking boots on. Can't call this one myself

#21 Dont think Sexton will be 10 of the tournament nor Sam the 7

So England is going to get carded the most, beat Wales but come third in the tournament.

Wales will score the most tries but won't win.

France doesn't know who their best team is but will nevertheless win the whole shebang.

Nostradamus could have done this and he knows nothing about rugby.

I'm thinking its American... slightly disjointed

It wouldnt surprise me if England with a real point to prove against an injury hit at Wales at home will do something like what Wales did to England last time out.

But to be honest it wont be much more of an accurate pointer as to their relative positions in the world game than last time.

lostinwales wrote:It wouldnt surprise me if England with a real point to prove against an injury hit at Wales at home will do something like what Wales did to England last time out.

But to be honest it wont be much more of an accurate pointer as to their relative positions in the world game than last time.

It wasn't our centres that kicked the points and scored the tries though. Your pack should do better but you are worse off in the centre and have no established wingers..yet

I am slightly surprised that going through those that I didn't hear of/can't remember the English singer's wardrobe malfunction.

Snap. I do kinda drift off during the first verse of God save the Queen though

Does ,Mike Phillips usualy score a lott of tries during the 6ns? The odd one maybe, but not that many surely.

Who will Wales miss in the 6 nations?

He scored against Ireland 'NFL style' last world cup and a break away try v Pumas in the November internationals.

Apparently he has scored 45 points for Wales so thats 9 tries, is that alot for a 9 with 80 caps ? I dunno.

[quote="beshocked"]Who will Wales miss in the 6 nations?[/quote]

JD2

Danny Care 5 in 42 (0.12 per game)
Ben Youngs 6 in 35 (0.17 per game)
Mike Phillips 9 in 80 (0.11 per game)

So it would be above average for each to score a try if they played every game. So it would be unusual for them to be top try scorer.

(of course a lot of Mike's early games were off the bench to Peel but since then he's been pretty much starter all the time. Same with Care and Youngs, spending some time off the bench).

Personally I see them as taking to poaching try but nothing like top try scorers (and if they were something has gone wrong with the rest of the team).

The article is a little...mad

munkian wrote:

beshocked wrote:Who will Wales miss in the 6 nations?

JD2

So just 1 player? Not sure how anyone can say that Wales are injury ravaged then.

beshocked wrote:

munkian wrote:

beshocked wrote:Who will Wales miss in the 6 nations?

JD2

So just 1 player? Not sure how anyone can say that Wales are injury ravaged then.

I'm pretty sure Ryan Jones and Bradley Davies are injured, as are a few of the centres who were capped during the Autumn. Got a feeling Ken Owens is injured too as is Hallam Amos

HammerofThunor wrote:Danny Care 5 in 42 (0.12 per game)
Ben Youngs 6 in 35 (0.17 per game)
Mike Phillips 9 in 80 (0.11 per game)

So it would be above average for each to score a try if they played every game. So it would be unusual for them to be top try scorer.

(of course a lot of Mike's early games were off the bench to Peel but since then he's been pretty much starter all the time. Same with Care and Youngs, spending some time off the bench).

Personally I see them as taking to poaching try but nothing like top try scorers (and if they were something has gone wrong with the rest of the team).

I'll get in before anyone else does 'Not if they were playing for England'......

HammerofThunor wrote:Danny Care 5 in 42 (0.12 per game)
Ben Youngs 6 in 35 (0.17 per game)
Mike Phillips 9 in 80 (0.11 per game)

So it would be above average for each to score a try if they played every game. So it would be unusual for them to be top try scorer.

(of course a lot of Mike's early games were off the bench to Peel but since then he's been pretty much starter all the time. Same with Care and Youngs, spending some time off the bench).

Personally I see them as taking to poaching try but nothing like top try scorers (and if they were something has gone wrong with the rest of the team).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YyXTwe6eSw

Article is a mess... On one hand they clain Tales will be top scorer an on the other another fly half Jules Plisson is meant to be the one shining!

lostinwales wrote:It wouldnt surprise me if England with a real point to prove against an injury hit at Wales at home will do something like what Wales did to England last time out.

But to be honest it wont be much more of an accurate pointer as to their relative positions in the world game than last time.

Are we (Wales) injury hit? The only first choice player who has been ruled out is JD though that is a big loss.

I think it's very likely that Mike Phillips will be involved in a punch up. He likes getting involved - probably as much as the Baby-faced assassin that is Farrell!!

I hate so sound negative and im not trying to make an argument with any english posters on here but i looked at the English team earlier on today and i would be very worried if i was an English fan right now.
Englands depth at Hooker, Scrum half and 8 is better than any one else in the tournament but bluddy hell if either Dan Cole, Chris Robshaw, Owen Farrell or Wood get injured who are they going to turn to. The same case with France, they have a strong 15 but look like they might struggle
There are a lot of players in that team who have had very little or no experience, i didn't know that they had so many injuries either in key areas. Prop, Outside half, Wing and center looks like a big concern to me. I'm not saying that the players in the set up are not good players but it's a lot t ask for. They might prove me wrong but on the basis of injuries and lack of experience my thoughts on England winning the cup have gone down.
To me Ireland should be the favorites at the moment

We didn't have many Lions and I expect only 2 (Farrell, who has looked in good nick anyway, and Cole) to be in our starting 15. We will beat France in France, as per the recent norm

Can't think of the last time Brown got a card at any level, too

Yes, England deserve to do well because the last few games they have been brilliant. But i din't know the list of people they had missing i knew about Corbs, Parling and Manu but not the others. Tight head is the main concern, if Cole is down injured then Henry Tomas is going to get destroyed against the likes of Jenkins, Domingo and Grant. Cole has to stay fit as does Farrell

Cole has a pretty exemplary fitness record though

Not a single Englishman in the team of the tournament... hmmm

Jenkins would arguably be the weakest scrummager of the possible opponents for Thomas should Cole get injured. Far more difficult against Domingo, Grant, Healy and whoever the Italians put out

This whole Gethin can't scrimmage thing is hilarious.

Anyway, Phillips doesnt get in on field punchups, he winds up the opposition to often great effect.

I didn't think Brown was THAT spikey, its usually Liam Williams for Wales

Brown used to be spikey, but his disciplinary record is very good. It's just because he's powerful, likes to play a bit like a flanker (no Tipuric jokes please), has a thug's haircut and a naturally angry face, so people assume that he will get in fights. If any Quins player does, it's so so so so obviously going to be Marler...

Yeah, he seems a bit of a dick. On a similar note I'm kinda glad Bradley Davies is out.

Liam can be similar too, I hope Dirksen doesn't get capped, bit of a timebomb

My only prediction is that Steve Walsh will not be the ref for the England Wales game, which will make a pleasant change, given the number he has officiated over recent years.

beshocked wrote:Who will Wales miss in the 6 nations?

The way things are going with the regions, it could need the words "Wales miss" reversing.

munkian wrote:Yeah, he seems a bit of a dick. On a similar note I'm kinda glad Bradley Davies is out.

Liam can be similar too, I hope Dirksen doesn't get capped, bit of a timebomb

Has Davies been ruled out? Good chance for Ball if so, agree with Williams. Good gutsy player but very hot headed, if he learns to control it then fair enough.

#6 no way.

Dull article that hedges its bets.

England's pack should not be an issue, even with injuries. Marler and Mako did well in the AIs in Corbs absence. Cole has a good fitness record, and it's worth noting that Collier (who's 3rd in line in Wilson's absence) did ok against Domingo yesterday, with a lighter lock pairing than he or Thomas would have behind them for England. If Robshaw or Wood get injured (which doesn't happen often for Robshaw), there's Johnson and Kvesic as backup - or Lancaster could call up Wallace.

The issue will be if injuries mean we end up playing players out of position - England lost their shape totally without a proper 8 last season. I hope Lancaster has learned that lesson and calls up a specialist rather than putting Wood at 8. Fortunately we have Dickinson and Ewers as options beyond Morgan and Vunipola, and if all of them get injured, there's always Nick Easter.

England's big problem will be getting the back line to work properly. Care is injured and may be out for the start of the tournament, and whatever happens we will have a new 13 and probably 11. Lancaster's coaching style emphasises defence first and only then moves to attack; it's likely that England will hope to control the game through the forwards in France (possibly the best tactic anyway for an evening game in early Feb) and either kick their points or score off turnovers. If they come back with a win, that momentum may give them enough to find a bit of rhythm in the back division.

France should be favourite for the tournament - but you never know how they will perform from moment to moment. Ireland will suffer without SOB, but will raise themselves for at least one superb performance. Wales will probably feel the Lions hangover the most, and I think at least one of England, Ireland or France will bring enough intensity to overcome their power game. Italy will spring a surprise on someone - I hope it's not England but the Azurri will be up for it after last year. I can't see where Scotland's wins will come from, so my guess is that they will need to beat Italy to avoid the Wooden Spoon (but maybe not bottom spot)

ChequeredJersey wrote:Cole has a pretty exemplary fitness record though

Very true, he is vital so the whole English set up, now more than ever when Wilson is injured; For Henry Thomas' is sake I hope hope Coles stays fit, because coming up against such strong scrummaging oppositions isn't going to help his development.

Also Munkian, who ever says Gethin Jenkins can't scrummage clearly has not clear idea on how a scrum works and will rarely back up their statement with a clear explanation (mainly because they can't). Don't listen to them, he is world class in every aspect of his game; he proved that vs Toulon on Saturday when he went off and the Cardiff scrum fell to pieces.