BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 04 Jun 11 - 06:48 PM

So Gavin Henson's fake suntan lasted 60 minutes against the Baa-baas. Kicked too much, and Jonathan Davies was the better centre. Be interesting to see what happens in September.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: goatfell
Date: 23 Mar 11 - 01:51 PM

I agree it's only a game except when the nutters watch it

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 23 Mar 11 - 09:17 AM

I didn't spot the Nazi salute during the England Ireland, my old dad would have been very upset to see that. It seems that the atmosphere is getting to be as bad as it has done in the past on a football pitch. Hope it doesn't carry on like that.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: goatfell
Date: 22 Mar 11 - 01:31 PM

Aye good that England won, but come the world cup different story I think?

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 22 Mar 11 - 05:19 AM

A very close series. Even Italy weren't far off winning most of their games. Scotland need to play right from the kick-off and not leak early points. France, Ireland, Wales and England - depends which team turns up on the day. Now for the World Cup.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 22 Mar 11 - 03:54 AM

Italy beat the French !

Dave H

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Leadfingers
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 09:22 PM

No Grand Slam , but the Six Nations is something to win ! And the MAIN thing is , we beat the French !

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 06:12 PM

Did I imagine it, or did some lowlife give Nazi salutes during the national anthem before the England/Ireland match?

it left a bad taste in the mouth for the rest of the game.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 04:09 AM

I am pleased for Ireland's win but dearie, dearie me. England was so disappointing I expected much more.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 20 Mar 11 - 07:14 PM

Wow, that was 100!

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 20 Mar 11 - 07:13 PM

Had a great afternoon at Murrayfield: a win at last, AND some tries! And a spectacular tackle by Chris Paterson stopping what looked like an almost certain Italy try. Lots of empty seats, maybe a reflection on the earlier diappointments in the season.
Watched the Ireland game in a pub fairly near Hearts ground so there were plenty of celebrations going on!

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: skipy
Date: 20 Mar 11 - 05:30 PM

I'm with Dave Hanson on this one. Pity, but they outplayed us.
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: GUEST,Paul Burke
Date: 19 Mar 11 - 08:00 PM

For England it will be the Hollow Crown once again. It's a pity, as they seemed to be adopting running and thinking rugby rather than the cynical rules (laws!!) exploitation that has marked most of the professional period.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Brian May
Date: 19 Mar 11 - 06:45 PM

Thoroughly enjoyed the French/Welsh game. Wales were completely outplayed too.

What a great 6 Nations and as said above, well done England.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: gnu
Date: 19 Mar 11 - 05:50 PM

I enjoyed getting to watch rugby for a change here. Wasn't too pleased with the outcome but the French showed some great hustle and awareness on the field. Well done France.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 19 Mar 11 - 05:14 PM

Looks like England will will the 6 nations. WELL DONE ENGLAND

67 minutes France 28 Wales 9

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 19 Mar 11 - 03:26 PM

If Wales beat France by 27 clear points, then I understand they win the six nations. Might have that slightly wrong but somewhere in that region.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: gnu
Date: 19 Mar 11 - 03:09 PM

Holy Moly! The France-Wales game is actually on the TV here today in about a half hour. A Canuck French channel. I shall be glued to it.

"Wales need to beat France by at least 27 points I beleiev."

So, as we get so little coverage here, if Wales beat the French by 27, does that mean England wins?

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 19 Mar 11 - 02:59 PM

The best team won, England totally outplayed by Ireland, they'll still win the Six Nations though.

Dave H

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 19 Mar 11 - 02:48 PM

A wolloping by the Irish. Well played.

Are England going to win the Six Nations?

Wales need to beat France by at least 27 points I beleiev.

Can they do it? I hope not :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Brian May
Date: 19 Mar 11 - 02:44 PM

Congratulations Ireland - they thoroughly deserved the win, from the first kick out they trounced England by a country mile.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Brian May
Date: 19 Mar 11 - 02:16 PM

I always think 'they doth protest too much'.

All this 'we musn't discuss the Grand Slam' acts against them.

Face it, talk about it, get used to it. Interesting in psychotherapy terms (the wife), the whole England team and management are/have been in denial.

That's not healthy and I think this is the result. Everybody else has been addressing it.

As I said, it's embarrassing.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 19 Mar 11 - 01:53 PM

Be jesus they are getting marmalised.

What is wrong?

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Brian May
Date: 19 Mar 11 - 01:36 PM

I can't believe what I'm watching.

England are playing like a bunch of amateurs. It will be interesting to see if they can recover from 14-0 nil at the 30 minutes point.

As I type Flood managed a penalty, so we'll see.

This is embarrassing.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: paula t
Date: 17 Mar 11 - 02:26 PM

I'm so disappointed that Mike is injured for the final match!If England win, I think I'd probably have shed a proud tear to see him hoist the cup.That's rugby though - a risky game. Come on England, you can do it!

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 17 Mar 11 - 11:04 AM

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18)

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: GUEST,CrazyEddie
Date: 17 Mar 11 - 09:39 AM

"Grand Slam only hours away"

Pride goeth before a fall!

Come on IRELAND!

:o)

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: skipy
Date: 16 Mar 11 - 05:32 PM

Grand Slam only hours away!
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: MikeL2
Date: 16 Mar 11 - 11:17 AM

Hi

This "illegal" move of Wales playing the wrong ball reminds me of one of the most humerous moments in my long rugby career.

We had for some years a prop forward as the Captain of our club. During what he had declared was his last season our statistition uncovered the fact that "Dave" had never scored a try for the first team.

So in his last game as captain the rest of the team hatched up a plan to try to get him on the scorers list.

We were playing a weak team at the time and we were well on top. After several attempts to get "Dave" over one of our forwards tapped a ball over the try line for "Dave" to run on to -all our other players held back.

"Dave" triumphantly ran after the ball and dived ( not quite in Chris Ashton style) on the loose ball. He picked up the ball and raised it high in the air and sprinted joyously back for the kick-off.

Only to find that the referee had disallowed the try. The ball "Dave" had dived on came from a game on an adjoining pitch. !!!!

Alas "Dave" retired tryless.

Now I am anxiously awaiting the Ireland game. Dave any room behing your sofa ???

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: MikeL2
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 10:18 AM

hi guest Ireland Supporter

<"................. And Wales only beat Ireland because they cheated ! ">

Oh come on !!! Every rugby player that I have played with or met cheats or has cheated. !!! It's what players do !!

just watch any scrum or line-out !!!

The players go on the field with the mind set to play to the referee. It is up to the referee to spot foul play and penalise it.

Wales were lucky to get away with a piece of play that was very obvious after the event that the officials didn't spot as it happened.

Ireland cheat as much as any side that I have seen and they are very clever at it.

Put it down to experience and move on.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: GUEST,Guest, Ireland Supporter
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 09:06 AM

................. And Wales only beat Ireland because they cheated !

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: MikeL2
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 07:49 AM

hi Dave

<"As an afterthought do you think it's possible that England could have a half-back called Myler capped at both League and Union? ">

This is very possible - who would have thought that Chris Ashton would be a success at Union ???? I saw him a few times and never really rated him. Shows what I know !!!

Of course since the advent of proffessional Rugby Union there have been many "converts" from the League code to Union. Some have been notable successes and others ....well not quite so.

Before that most of the moves were from Union to League with Martin Offiah and Jonathan Davies probably two of the best known examples.

Up here in the North West of England it is/was not unusual for players to play both League and Union at the same time ( of course not literally ).

Indeed I played several games for assorted League teams under assumed identies. So much so that some of my friends thought that I had changed my name by deed pole to A N Other....lol

Of course I think that the first example of a player playing for England at both codes was Alex Murphy who did it during the War.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 04:54 AM

When I played, they were loose scrums, and mauls were illegal, though they were mentioned in histories of the game. When you were tackled, you had to release the ball, whethere you were horizontal or vertical, and the ball had to be played by the feet before it could be handled. Anybody on the ground at a loose scrum would be penalised (even if unconscious). The term ruck only applied to what New Zealanders did to anybody on the ground. In the late 60s the Laws were changed to speed up the game so that you could now pick up direct from the tackle, and not long after, the maul re-entered the game.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 04:46 AM

Scotland always play their best and hardest against England.


Dave H

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: GUEST,Ref
Date: 14 Mar 11 - 09:49 PM

Uh, Dave? That "loose scrum" is actually either a RUCK (players on their feet over a ball on the ground) or a MAUL (players on their feet around a held ball-carrier.)

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: skipy
Date: 14 Mar 11 - 06:45 PM

Bad gamesmanship Wales! BAD!
Skipy
Not on standy for work next weekend, so up the Rugby club for all 3 matches!

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 14 Mar 11 - 04:41 PM

Substitutions can swing a game either way. Wilkinson this season can bring a bit extra onto the field. I don't think Parks can now. And the Welsh non-try possibly wouldn't have happened with O'Gara on the field. If he'd made that kick he'd have followed it up to prevent a quick line-out.

I also saw the highlights of the Gloucester/Dragons game. If Robinson was any other nationality than Welsh he'd have a lot more caps than he has.

As an afterthought do you think it's possible that England could have a half-back called Myler capped at both League and Union?

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: gnu
Date: 14 Mar 11 - 04:36 PM

Wilkinson... must be in his 30s now?

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: MikeL2
Date: 14 Mar 11 - 03:52 PM

Hi

Today I watched the recordings when Italy beat France. I was pleased for Italy. They have played very strongly in the forwards all season and just have not had the penetration in the backs to score many tries. This and a lack of a consistant goal kicker has meant that they lost some games that they should have won.

I was lucky enough to recive a ticket for the England Scotland game yesterday morning when one of my sons had to work unexpectedly.

It was not a vintage England performance and despite far more possession they were run very colse by a Scottish side that fouhht all the way. They will need to improve on this in Dublin if they are to win the Grand Slam. They made far too many mistakes and gave away possession far to easily.

Dave , England too changed their No 10 but he - Wilkinson won it for them.

Come to think of it, if Wilko were to play for Italy instead of sitting on the bench most of the time, that could be interesting.


Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: gnu
Date: 14 Mar 11 - 03:38 PM

No. Which pisses me off. Rugby is telecast few and far between here.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 14 Mar 11 - 03:24 PM

Great win for Italy! Did anybody else notice in the other two games that things were fairly even until the losing teams substituted their Number 10s?

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 08:53 PM

To Paul Burke, harmony is often used in Scottish Highland bagpiping: just watch any Tattoo videos for that! I heard that "Green Hills of Tyrol" too (Scottish Soldier was the song, and the tne has been slightly amended in the song!)and said to my other half, "must be more than one piper there" as I don't think a single set of Highland pipes can do harmony as can solo Uillean pipes by opening up various regulators!

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Les from Hull
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 08:11 PM

Incidently Bill a scrum used to be called a scrimmage, a term still used in American football. We've both moved on!

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 06:28 PM

Well, I'm glad I asked.... I never would have figured that out from watching! It seems like a very strange way to put a ball in play, and from the remarks, it isn't always simple & clear for those IN the game.

There seems to be a certain amount of 'chaos' involved, which sort of fits with a game where 'almost' anyone can be seen running with the ball or kicking it.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: paula t
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 05:50 PM

Hi Les,

Yes, it was very interesting to see the scrums during the England match. It took the hookers by surprise at first, because the ref was actually refereeing the put- in and the scrum halves couldn't "feed" the ball into the second row as normal.There was actually a hooking contest! Hooray! Fascinating stuff to see the swift re-learning of their trade!

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: GUEST,Paul Burke
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 01:29 PM

I csn proudly proclaim that my father was a hooker!

But cirrhosiously, during the Scotland/ Ireland match, while Ireland failed to lose the game despite trying their hardest, the piping was in a style I haven't heard\before- a pair of GBH pipes playing harmonies - Scottish Soldier sounded almost Breton. Is this a new development, and is it common?

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Les from Hull
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 01:10 PM

The ball is put in by the scrum half (possibly the nearest gridiron equivalent would be quarterback) of the side who have advantage at the scrum. The ball is then in theory hooked back by the foot of the person in the middle of the front row called the hooker (no, really!) and out at the back to be picked up and distributed by the scrum half again, or retained in the scrum for a 'drive' if the side with the ball thinks that they can push the other side towards their own line.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 12:06 PM

"...in an effort to make them comprehensible to referees.

Ahh... so it isn't just me! Is the ball just tossed into a scrum by a referee, like a puck in hockey?

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 12:02 PM

One difference between Rugby Union and Walter Camp's version, is that in rugby play doesn't stop at the tackle, so the pile of bodies is actually a 'loose scrum' with both sides trying to win the ball. Possession is retained until they make a mistake or give it away. You're not likely to see many replays of scrums - the IRB keep fiddling with the laws and interpretations in an effort to make them comprehensible to referees.

Subject: RE: BS: Six Nations 2011 (Rugby Union)
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 11:20 AM

Sheerly by accident, I saw the last half of the England/France game here in the US. (We get one BBC channel, and that seemed to be what they were broadcasting.)
I began watching after all the scoring was done, and only saw the scoring in the after-game replays.
I'll confess that, not seeing Rugby regularly, I miss some of the finer points of the action. It's fairly obvious when one side is running and passing the ball backwards in certain patterns, but once a player is tackled and goes down with the ball in his arms, I'm lost as to exactly how the ball is put into play once more. There 'seems' to be some hidden, arcane way in which the ball suddenly appears at the back of the pile of players, and then a .... pause... until someone grabs it up and they're off again. It's almost as if the attacking team retains possession unless they miss a pass or kick it. Is this the case?
...and I seldom see exactly WHY someone suddenly chooses to kick when it is not really a scoring attempt.
I also wish they'd show a close-up, slow-motion replay of a 'scrum' a few times, as I NEVER can tell exactly what happens inside the circle to move the ball to one side or another. (At least on an out-of-bounds throw in, I can see the action, though the trick of two guys hoisting another high to grab the ball seems rather quaint...so far.)

   The only 'play' that I was able to appreciate was that leaping block of a pass near the end of the game when a score was almost certain...now THAT looked a bit like the American football I am familiar with.

   I suppose I shall never really gain an appreciation of Rugby just from those rare times it is shown here.