Refs announced for 6 Nations

First topic message reminder :

WEEK 1

Wales v England
Jérôme Garcès (FFR); Romain Poite (FFR) Mathieu Raynal (FFR) Simon McDowell (IRFU)

Italy v Ireland
Pascal Gauzere (FFR); Wayne Barnes (RFU) Stuart Berry (SARU) Graham Hughes (RFU)

France v Scotland
Nigel Owens (WRU); Glen Jackson (NZR) Mike Fraser (NZR) George Ayoub (ARU)

WEEK 2

England v Italy
John Lacey (IRFU); Pascal Gauzere (FFR) Mike Fraser (NZR) George Ayoub (ARU)

Ireland v France
Wayne Barnes (RFU); Nigel Owens (WRU) Stuart Berry (SARU) Graham Hughes (RFU)

Scotland v Wales
Glen Jackson (NZR); George Clancy (IRFU)    Dudley Phillips (IRFU) Simon McDowell (IRFU)


WEEK 3

Scotland v Italy
George Clancy (IRFU); Romain Poite (FFR) Leighton Hodges (WRU) Graham Hughes (RFU)

France v Wales
Jaco Peyper (SARU); JP Doyle (RFU) Marius Mitrea (FIR) Simon McDowell (IRFU)

Ireland v England
Craig Joubert (SARU); Jérôme Garcès (FFR) Mathieu Raynal (FFR) Shaun Veldsman (SARU)

WEEK 4

Wales v Ireland
Steve Walsh (ARU); Chirs Pollock (NZR) Federico Anselmi (UAR) Graham Hughes (RFU)

England v Scotland
Romain Poite (FFR); George Clancy (IRFU) Marius Mitrea (FIR) Ben Skeen (NZR)

Italy v France
JP Doyle (RFU); Wayne Barnes (RFU) Luke Pearce (RFU) Simon McDowell (IRFU)

WEEK 5

Italy v Wales
Chris Pollock (NZR); JP Doyle (RFU) Luke Pearce (RFU) Simon McDowell (IRFU)

Scotland v Ireland
Jérôme Garcès (FFR); Pascal Gauzere (FFR) Federico Anselmi (UAR) Graham Hughes (RFU)

England v France
Steve Walsh (ARU); John Lacey (IRFU) Leighton Hodges (WRU)

Thoughts, does that change anyone's predictions?
Cant say I'm thrilled about getting George Clownshoes Clancy...

LordDowlais wrote:
OK, I will say this, the englsih fans on here, who keep on about Steve Walsh's performance at Cardiff in 2012 are all whingers, and if they tell me otherwise, I will accuse them of accusing me of being an English "hater". Hows that ?

I compared Walsh to Poite because I assumed that was the game that the Saint was referencing with his comments about dominance in the scrum. He'd criticised Poite's handling of the game and claimed that he had no idea what was going on in the scrum, and offered the previous game up by way of comparison (along with the previous Wales game in 2014).

The Saint's view was factually incorrect on several counts. We have no idea whether the Welsh pack was dominant in 2013, because Walsh repeatedly made about the most obvious technical error you can make in refereeing the scrum. He said that Poite did not handle the scrum very well, when it was clear from what Reflink picked up in the commentary that he handled it in textbook fashion (in contrast to Walsh). His technical decision over who was at fault was a judgement call, but also at the very least supportable and - from my perspective and clearly also from TJs, quite supportable - (unlike Walsh's, which was clearly and unambiguously wrong on the basis of the laws).

I think the way I expressed my opinion was materially different from how the Saint did it - I tried to set out a clear argument and reasoning. The Saint just posted some assertions.

By the way, and for the record, if you hunt back through the year's posts, you may be able to find the one in which I predicted before the game how the scrum would go with a ref in charge who knew what to look for.

TJ wrote:What goes on on here with some of the welsh fans is laughable.  We are not allowed to make any comment that could be construed as critical of anything welsh without being labelled anti welsh.

Look - my teams ( scotland and Edinburgh) often are laughing stocks.  I just have to take that.  Some of the welsh fans are fine, some take things far too personally and cry "anti welsh / haterz at the slightest opportunity.  This will get you laughed at.  

I get personal attacks on this continuously and its downright wearing to the point I have had to block some welsh posters because of their continual aggressive personal attacks for no reason at all.  I have challenged these posters to show a single "anti welsh" post I have ever made and of course they were unable to do so because I am not anti welsh.  I am anti posters who make laughable defense of the indefensible.

Jenkins was rightly pinged and then yellow carded for boring in in that game.  Every neutral could see it.  Poorfour outlined it well.  My post was to mock the few posters who cry "anti welsh" all the time.

I like the welsh, I want to see the team do well.

However defend the indefensible and throw around continual accusations of " welsh haters" and you will be mocked.  

Hello 2012 and 2013? You must have been under a rock on here. The welsh hating was at record levels.

Not sure where you've ever been personally attacked. What I have noticed is that you can't handle a different opinion, and tend to whinge a lot when somebody gives it. A lot of your comments on Welsh articles are complete derogative of Welsh players/coaches/teams; furthermore you spend a lot of time on the club thread moaning about ref's yet when someone who is Welsh has an opinion (as LD quite rightly pointed out) we get accused of constantly blaming the ref, sore losers, etc.

I see you have your opinion on Jenkins, that's fine with me. I see poorfour does too, but since I have nothing to add to my original post on the matter I don't have a reply for poorfour (hope you don't take that personally). Of course poorfour, the English are going to say you're correct and also those who follow teams who have a Poopie record against Wales and love nothing more than to run their rugby team down at every opportunity they get, yet others may disagree. TJ I  also remember you blaming the ref/wales cheating at scrum when we last turned you over in Edinburgh. So maybe you just have an issue with losing to Wales and seeing your team go backwards.

Oh and now I'm expecting the usual childish bickering "show me single post where I slag off Wales" and "I'm sticking you on block now boo hoo." You're tedious, and the sentiment in your posts is there for all to see should they wish to see it. So just carry on what you're doing but don't bother replying to me, it's boring (like Gethin in scrums throughout his successful career apparently).

lostinwales wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:TJ, it has unfolded on this very thread, yet you are so blinkered to it you do not notice it, Poorfour has had a bitch about Walsh, but that is ok,  Saint has had a go about Poite and he is winging, then you come on here and make the comment like the one above, what is the difference between Saint having a go about Poite and Poorfour having a go about Walsh ? I will answer for you, one member is Welsh, the other isn't.

What I would say is that pourfour wrote a well reasoned article with solid evidence about what happened last year. Saint didnt.

Probably more like poorfour is English, sticking up for an English team... Oh and of course having negative comments about Steve 'Welsh'... I gave it my way, which was opposite. It was obvious who's post you'd be going down on before you even bothered to comment. BTW, Welsh posters don't really take you seriously on here given your history of keyboard warrior fashion against everything Welsh. Cue TJ, this is your moment.

Poorfour wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:
OK, I will say this, the englsih fans on here, who keep on about Steve Walsh's performance at Cardiff in 2012 are all whingers, and if they tell me otherwise, I will accuse them of accusing me of being an English "hater". Hows that ?

I compared Walsh to Poite because I assumed that was the game that the Saint was referencing with his comments about dominance in the scrum. He'd criticised Poite's handling of the game and claimed that he had no idea what was going on in the scrum, and offered the previous game up by way of comparison (along with the previous Wales game in 2014).

The Saint's view was factually incorrect on several counts. We have no idea whether the Welsh pack was dominant in 2013, because Walsh repeatedly made about the most obvious technical error you can make in refereeing the scrum. He said that Poite did not handle the scrum very well, when it was clear from what Reflink picked up in the commentary that he handled it in textbook fashion (in contrast to Walsh). His technical decision over who was at fault was a judgement call, but also at the very least supportable and - from my perspective and clearly also from TJs, quite supportable - (unlike Walsh's, which was clearly and unambiguously wrong on the basis of the laws).

I think the way I expressed my opinion was materially different from how the Saint did it - I tried to set out a clear argument and reasoning. The Saint just posted some assertions.

By the way, and for the record, if you hunt back through the year's posts, you may be able to find the one in which I predicted before the game how the scrum would go with a ref in charge who knew what to look for.

How was it factually incorrect? Furthermore, I don't see how I am just because you say so. I wasn't specifically referring to any game in 2013, it was basically the 2013 6 Nations, hence why I didn't pinpoint a game in 2013. 2013 we bested Italy, Scotland and then England; also keeping up our 'offside' defence by not letting in a try in those games. Before the Italy game we played France and scrums seemed a bit 50/50, maybe with France having the edge - I don't remember specifics as I was half-cut in Swansea at the time but I remember it slipping a lot. 2014 though, we quite clearly had them. And yes as I pointed out, throughout the game and afterwards we had to put up with the cheat accusations - though that's okay against us right? Or is it not?

I stand by my view of Poite, the guy is a homer, he can never make a decision by himself (and not for the first time). The Twickenham crowd was a big factor in the 2014 match between our teams. I felt for Jenkins as I thought he was ill-treated, as you felt for Marler. I said these comments about Poite straight after the match but never did I say England did not deserve to win. The game was won in 10 minutes IMO, you could tell by the difference in body language.

The Saint wrote:

lostinwales wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:TJ, it has unfolded on this very thread, yet you are so blinkered to it you do not notice it, Poorfour has had a bitch about Walsh, but that is ok,  Saint has had a go about Poite and he is winging, then you come on here and make the comment like the one above, what is the difference between Saint having a go about Poite and Poorfour having a go about Walsh ? I will answer for you, one member is Welsh, the other isn't.

What I would say is that pourfour wrote a well reasoned article with solid evidence about what happened last year. Saint didnt.

Probably more like poorfour is English, sticking up for an English team... Oh and of course having negative comments about Steve 'Welsh'... I gave it my way, which was opposite. It was obvious who's post you'd be going down on before you even bothered to comment. BTW, Welsh posters don't really take you seriously on here given your history of keyboard warrior fashion against everything Welsh. Cue TJ, this is your moment.

Classy. Up to you to read whatever into anything I write or not. All I have made a comment on is that I lived in Wales and didnt enjoy it. For that reason I try not to comment on things to do with rugby and Wales unless its constructive or I am wound up.

My take on the last match at the MS for instance is that Adam Jones deserves every credit for manufacturing the penalties, its up to the referee to judge what is right or wrong. Its also up to the referee to communicate with the teams to tell them what is going wrong and in that match Walsh stopped talking to England. Wales were on fire and fully deserved the win, but the behaviour of Walsh will always leave a sour taste.

Steve Walsh?????? For the England v France game WHY? Why do England all ways seem to get him in the last game of the tournament?

lostinwales wrote:

The Saint wrote:

lostinwales wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:TJ, it has unfolded on this very thread, yet you are so blinkered to it you do not notice it, Poorfour has had a bitch about Walsh, but that is ok,  Saint has had a go about Poite and he is winging, then you come on here and make the comment like the one above, what is the difference between Saint having a go about Poite and Poorfour having a go about Walsh ? I will answer for you, one member is Welsh, the other isn't.

What I would say is that pourfour wrote a well reasoned article with solid evidence about what happened last year. Saint didnt.

Probably more like poorfour is English, sticking up for an English team... Oh and of course having negative comments about Steve 'Welsh'... I gave it my way, which was opposite. It was obvious who's post you'd be going down on before you even bothered to comment. BTW, Welsh posters don't really take you seriously on here given your history of keyboard warrior fashion against everything Welsh. Cue TJ, this is your moment.

Classy. Up to you to read whatever into anything I write or not. All I have made a comment on is that I lived in Wales and didnt enjoy it. For that reason I try not to comment on things to do with rugby and Wales unless its constructive or I am wound up.

My take on the last match at the MS for instance is that Adam Jones deserves every credit for manufacturing the penalties, its up to the referee to judge what is right or wrong. Its also up to the referee to communicate with the teams to tell them what is going wrong and in that match Walsh stopped talking to England. Wales were on fire and fully deserved the win, but the behaviour of Walsh will always leave a sour taste.

Ah, so your comments about Swansea and in particular the women have slipped your mind then? And on more than one occasion. How disrespectful. Wind street in Swansea is my least favourite part of Wales, but it's not like I sit on my ass all day bitching about the place on the internet. My advice is to stay out of Wales if that's how you feel, but to perhaps sample Cardiff on an international match day as that's a big occasion. I heard you guys don't even get abused walking the streets anymore you'll be pleased to know.

fair enough, but I can't remember pinpointing that game in my early comments.

majesticimperialman wrote:Steve Walsh?????? For the England v France game  WHY? Why do England all ways seem to get him in the last game of the tournament?

It could be worse it coukd have been Chris Pollock who thinks we are playing League and thinks the attacking team are entitled to the ball without the bother of winning the breakdown.

I thought Walsh was excellent in the England v France game in the WC 2011.

HammerofThunor wrote:I thought Walsh was excellent in the England v France game in the WC 2011.

Me too. He was also excellent in Wales vs England 2013 and SA vs Wales 2014.

I know thats a wum and I can disagree with any refs decisions on a given day but Walsh allows himself to lose patience and his communication fails him because of it.