Entertainment Value

So the results of day 1 are known and all recriminations, gloating and crying aside let's look at the entertainment content.

Wales v Italy : 6/10

The result allegedly in doubt for 75 minutes kept me watching,  but the standard of rugby was not great. Wales looked tired or rusty or perhaps unmotivated, perhaps taking the win for granted. Italy as ever are professional spoilers and these factors really stopped the game flowing. A few moments of brilliance from the Italian MOTM lit up proceedings but all in all this was one of those forgettable six nations clashes.

England v France : 8/10

A fire cracker from beginning to end. It had a bit of everything, early score, final minute drama, controversy, disallowed tries and a stunning French come back in the way only the French can. I guess the English know what NZ went through in 1999 now. The quality of the rugby might not have been the highest standard apart from a few flashes of mercurial French brilliance but overall a great watch.

Ireland v Scotland : 4/10

This one stretched the yawn-o-meter. A spirit start by a limited Scotland who capitulated as soon as Maitland was injured. Cian Healy again outstanding, but even he and Heaslip couldn't fire an otherwise lacklustre Ireland.

Not sure the point you are making here:
The quality of the Rugby? ("not great")?
Mediodre quality of the Rugby (not great)?
Equating the France-England to France-NZ when the All Blacks were outscored 33-7? Don't quite get that point.

Just my opinion on the entertainment value, and my reasoning! Obviously everyone will have a different opinion! This is why it's a discussion forum!

As you can see I thought eng v Fra was a more entertaining watch.

GloriousEmpire wrote:Just my opinion on the entertainment value, and my reasoning! Obviously everyone will have a different opinion! This is why it's a discussion forum!

As you can see I thought eng v Fra was a more entertaining watch.

Was a lot of fun. I was actually worried it might get buried in a forward v. forwad battle and was pleasantly surprised. I did expect France to go after England's young wingers and they did as expected. Only added to the drama as Nowell got better as the match go going. Still think England need to develop that killer instinct to put teams away or loosen up the game plan to do so.

GloriousEmpire wrote:Just my opinion on the entertainment value, and my reasoning! Obviously everyone will have a different opinion! This is why it's a discussion forum!

As you can see I thought eng v Fra was a more entertaining watch.

England France was the best match to watch because both teams are genuine title contenders and evenly matched. Scotland and Italy arent really albeit Italy did make it a match while Scotland didnt really challenge Ireland much in the end.

All three matches had moments of very good rugby and lots of bad. the opening weekend usually does have plenty of mistakes but all in all it was a good weekend of rugby.

I was at the Ireland game and it was great fun, the atmosphere was decent and there was a good amount of Scots around. The first half was flat enough though.

There was a Scot a few rows back wearing a Kilt with the legs spread. Everyone in the rows in front of him had a good view of the meat and two veg lying on his seat if they cared to look. Sadly for a few he provided the majority of the entertainment in the first half.

You singled Healy out as outstanding yet he didnt have his best game for Ireland. Our best players were Trimble, POM, Best, Sexton and Heaslip. I agree though ireland didnt really get out of second gear.

The point is Ireland didn\t have to

Scotland were woeful and the worst of the 6N's

Don't agree on sexton. I thought his first half was ropey. Healy wasn't at his best, but he was still outstanding. Id have him for the All Blacks if you don't want him?

Owens the ref of the tournament so far. Telling the players to stop being immature and just get on with the game was enjoyable.

I thought the France-England match was the best by some margin. Ireland and Wales didn't really seem too troubled in their matches. Italy scored two tries but never truly looked like overturning Wales, Scotland weren't really in the game at all - not helped by an appalling lineout effort.

nobbled wrote:Owens the ref of the tournament so far. Telling the players to stop being immature and just get on with the game was enjoyable.

A tragedy that Wales will never have the opportunity to play a match officiated by him, the rest of the IRB refs need to raise their standards.

GloriousEmpire wrote:Don't agree on sexton. I thought his first half was ropey. Healy wasn't at his best, but he was still outstanding. Id have him for the All Blacks if you don't want him?

In what way was Sexton ropey? His goal kicking was useless as usual but he defended well and made a nice break which was probably the catalyst for Ireland stepping up from 1st to 2nd gear. What else did he do wrong? You might be right just dont recall him doing much wrong.

Cant remember GE which thread you commented on the NH pitches. Anyway if you are interested here is an article on why the Landsdowne pitch is always immaculate. Same grass at the green bay packers.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/the-grounds-staff-pitching-for-the-perfect-surface-1.1669728?page=1

Given the amount of storms and flooding we have been having over the last few weeks in Ireland it was fairly pristine again on Sunday:



Interestingly they actually paint the grass in the millennium stadium to make it look good on tv.

nobbled wrote:Owens the ref of the tournament so far. Telling the players to stop being immature and just get on with the game was enjoyable.

"Stop looking for penalties!" was a favourite of mine. He knows the players better than they know themselves... I think that player blushed when told he was acting.

wish joubert had said the same thing. i wanted to smash my TV in frustration at all the appealing going on in the first half of the ire v sco match. really p1sses me off. owens would have dressed them down massively and rightly so.

loved brown/huget's telling off.

also agree with GE's assessment of "entertainment value". saying nothing about quality of teams, but quality of matches combined with genuine excitement and emotional rollercoaster, agree.

GunsGerms wrote:

GloriousEmpire wrote:Don't agree on sexton. I thought his first half was ropey. Healy wasn't at his best, but he was still outstanding. Id have him for the All Blacks if you don't want him?

In what way was Sexton ropey? His goal kicking was useless as usual but he defended well and made a nice break which was probably the catalyst for Ireland stepping up from 1st to 2nd gear. What else did he do wrong? You might be right just dont recall him doing much wrong.

i thought sexton was pretty good. that dummy and beating 4 defenders, led to the try and completely changed the complexion of the game. i think that was the first time he hadnt kicked or passed in 37 minutes so nice brain sexton.

put in some nice positional kicks in the 2nd half, thought he was fairly calm and assured.

owens is the best ref bar none, the only thing he *sometimes* struggles with is at scrum time.

The Cardiff pitch is horrific

one of owens interesting characteristics in a match is letting the contest continue at ruck and breakdown.

lots of other refs are more trigger happy, like joubert (thought he had a good game too), and players start looking for and appealing for offences and the game generally becomes far more negative.

it is ironic that in letting people get away with a bit more at the breakdown, owens keeps the game flowing better.

Have to say not necessarily a great fan of Owens. He's better than a number of other refs. I think to some extent he's benefited from refereeing a number of games where both sides have wanted to run the ball at pace. I'd agree that he's let them both run by not blowing the breakdown excessively. I'm not sure he's consistent and suspect he tends to favor the home side more than some.