And That's Why We Love The 6 Nations

Breaking my own rule here as in that I very rarely use these boards until the day after games as people are usually in the throws of elation or dejection and some of the comments are generally said with more than one pint under the belt.

BUT having spent the day in local (English) rugby club and to see hardened fervent English fans supporting the French yes the French makes me think just how great this tournament is.

We all know that at times the rugby played isn't the best BUT the support, passion, tension, banter, and fun you have at a a game is for me at least 2nd to none.

This year I have been lucky enough to go home for the Italy game and drink with old friends, for the French game and drink with work friends and a lot of the French followers, been to Twickenham and drunk with some great English and Welsh friends and then today to drink and watch English friends squirm hoping for French victory.

We all want our team to win and the other teams to lose but the friendship made over the years and shared with others is what makes this still the best tournament in the World.

There have been some cracking games and some awfully one-sided ones. I do worry for Scotland and Italy.

Brilliant tournament though  

Cyril wrote:There have been some cracking games and some awfully one-sided ones. I do worry for Scotland and Italy.

Brilliant tournament though  

Cyril,

I agree and those games have always been there, I myself worried for Wales through the 90s and to a degree with out Regional game currently in utter turmoil those worries are still there but as I said the banter, passion enjoyment you get out of a weekend males u realise there more to life etc.

there is not better tournament for passion, pride, support and camaraderie...

however I want to go and see teams from this competition go on and compete and win against the SH sides

I've officially left 606v2 but, as I left mid tournament I thought it only fair to comment on the result.

Either Ireland or England would have been more than worthy winners. Both played some cracking rugby combining forward power and running rugby. Your future prospects look really rosy. Well done Ireland on a great win. Commiserations England but I reckon next season could be yours.

Peace. Out.

Scotland looked like a pub team at times today I fear for their future if something isn't done to reverse their decline, I really think they were better off with Robinson in charge, Italy have dipped again but they have their moments they simple just don't have the players but at least they have some sort of game plan that you can see.

GavinDragon wrote:there is not better tournament for passion, pride, support and camaraderie...

however I want to go and see teams from this competition go on and compete and win against the SH sides  

GD,

That's also true but I have no camaraderie with fans from the SH, laste weekend I met up with an old friend who happened to be Engliush who I had not seen for nearly 10 years and while for 80 minutes we 'hated' each other before and after was like we had been in touch forever. You don't get that with the SH.

England on the other hand are developing a gameplan capable of beating all comers, while Ireland are also playing a very good brand of rugby, my only worry is the age of their squad

Wales look tired, mentally jaded and not firing on all cylinders, the game plan needs to evolve some what, yet for how many seasons has it been feast or famine? GS or abjection, im not too despondent with 3rd place with two away losses to the form teams providing we learn from them.

Scotland I feel still have good players and with Cotter in place will come back,

Italy have found a couple of good backs they just need to work on their depth now

Scotland I feel still have good players and with Cotter in place will come back

My take on Scotland - and getting humped by that scoreline is inevitable when your down a player most of the game - is that they should spend more on the grass roots and less on fireworks, guns, flypasts and other marketing tat.

They need to get the Borders and the other parts of Scotland more involved in the top level.

How to do that?

Dunno - but they have limited resources and are not making best use of what little they have got.


Thoroughly enjoyed all of this Six Nations games apart from one - and what a cliff hanger at the end.

Roll on next year.

TrailApe wrote:Roll on next year.

First game up....

England in Cardiff

  

Cyril wrote:

TrailApe wrote:Roll on next year.

First game up....

England in Cardiff

  

Some one should start a thread!

Yeah, snatch the glass of champers out of BOD's hand and tell him it's all about 2015 now

Who?

I dont think there is too much between Wales, England, Ireland and France though if you dont get the right tactics on the day you can get a real beating.

I think Scotland and Italy are miles behind though. Both have been very poor this season.

This was the best six nations for ages... Honestly can't remember one that was so full of excitement and quality play. We've had to sit through some truly dire spectacles in recent years.

From an England perspective, I'm pretty happy. We seem to have the core of a good team developing. I think we're on a par with the Irish at the moment. We have an advantage in the mobility and work rate of our pack, but Ireland's attacking play is more refined. We'll see what happens in the years to come but I feel England have more room for improvement than Ireland.

Wales are a clear third for the time being. They need to find a decent fly-half and scrum-half, and could do with a couple of new faces in the pack as well as something of a tactical rethink. They've got too many classy players to be written off though.

GavinDragon wrote:England on the other hand are developing a gameplan capable of beating all comers, while Ireland are also playing a very good brand of rugby, my only worry is the age of their squad

England were runners up last year with Lancaster already present.  Ireland were 2nd last, with Kidney overseeing a team in total disarray.

Yes, age is a factor and now replacing an iconic player is a clear-cut factor.... but I think Ireland's current form is certainly quicker found than England's and already robust enough to do something we haven't done many times before (win in Paris - against what turned out to be a raging bull French side).

We have a lot to do - A LOT!!!  But this year was all about consolidating a renewed confidence that was totally lost in the latter years of Kidney.  Now, Schmidt and his coaches must hone everything the team does in preparation for next year, to cut out as many errors as possible and find those alternatives to the older guys.  But Schmidt is bedding down his principles.

I agree that it's been a great six nations this year, especially as my wife won two tickets to every Welsh home game this season via some Facebook thing the RBS had posted. A memorable year for us. The atmosphere to all the games was electric! Its been great and has lessened some of the pain of losing the two away games.   

bedfordwelsh wrote:Breaking my own rule here as in that I very rarely use these boards until the day after games as people are usually in the throws of elation or dejection and some of the comments are generally said with more than one pint under the belt.

BUT having spent the day in local (English) rugby club and to see hardened fervent English fans supporting the French yes the French makes me think just how great this tournament is.

We all know that at times the rugby played isn't the best BUT the support, passion, tension, banter, and fun you have at a a game is for me at least 2nd to none.

This year I have been lucky enough to go home for the Italy game and drink with old friends, for the French game and drink with work friends and a lot of the French followers, been to Twickenham and drunk with some great English and Welsh friends and then today to drink and watch English friends squirm hoping for French victory.

We all want our team to win and the other teams to lose but the friendship made over the years and shared with others is what makes this still the best tournament in the World.

Great comments,mate.  Nothing can ever replace the Six nations for all it gives us.  The pub where I watched  on Saturday was full of Americans (of course), but also a lot of English, Irish, and French expats.  Even had a few Welsh, one Scot, and a few Italians.  I don't know how many people for whom I bought a round, nor do I know who bought for me.  All I can say is that standing outside the pub at the start of that last match, it was impossible not to hear Ireland's call and La Marseillaise being sung inside!  Terrific day.  Shows what Rugby can really do.  In an odd way it reminded of another reason me why I am proud to be British and English.

Great tournament this year with several classic matches.

Best for me in terms of quality and tension was the England v Ireland game. May have been low scoring, but so much of that was because of the defences just holding out.

France v England (   ), France v Ireland, Scotland v France and Italy v Scotland all had fantastic tension and competitiveness.