The Six Nations Thread.

[General Smuts]

GRAND SLAM BABY!!!!!!!!!!

fook YEA!!!!

My word i drank a lot to celebrate last night. I love the Irish rugby team.

[Finnegan]

I'm just glad England finished the way they did. Two very strong performances and hopefully it's a sign of things to come, still not sure about Martin Johnson though, we were appauling at the start of the tournament. We have the players to win anything in international Rugby, we just need the right man to lead us, simple as.

Not been a very impressive tournament overrall though has it .

Mmmh, it depends what you consider an impressive tournament. It's been open and competitive, yes, but I really can't think of a single team that's played 100%. I was expecting a much better advert for the Northern Hemisphere this year but it sort of flopped a little and fizzled out with an anti-climax (unless you're Irish, I suppose, I don't want to fall into the trap of saying they "only won because it was a poor year" - Grand Slams are earned, they're never given away.)

Ourselves and France were the biggest casualties, I think, it was a harsh reminder that we're both still in transition and that getting carried away with favourites tags is never good. Ireland went into this with the same mentality we had in 05 and 08 and that's just to trundle along game by game and not even think about the last day until you're there.

Disagree with you on Johnno, though. I think any manager needs time to make the team his own and I think he's slowly getting there. I questioned his experience like everyone else but he doesn't seem to have come into this with much naiveity. He's had problems with discipline but has pegged that down in the last couple of games and England have looked a lot, lot better. Shame your best player's a Kiwi but besides that it's looked more solid from England.

GRAND SLAM BABY!!!!!!!!!!

fook YEA!!!!

My word i drank a lot to celebrate last night. I love the Irish rugby team.

Jesus. Between St. Paddies and the Six Nations it's like it's become Plastic Paddy Paradise. Oh dear.

[Guest Bilo]

Ireland fully deserved their 6 Nations win and it's good to see them finally taking advantage of their potential and talent. Had Wales won the tournament given the quality of their performances it would have been a disappointment. They scraped past England, came uncomfortably close to defeat against Italy and deserved to lose against the Irish. As Finnegan says, they look like a team in transition. However, they could go well next year and will not be far away from the title. France were unimpressive throughout and were awful at Twickenham. England performed better than expected, the expected thrashings by Wales and Ireland failed to materialise and the victories against France and Scotland were solid. A team in transition they may be, but there's potential there to be a good side. As France fall away, I expect to see a three horse race in 2010 between Ireland, England and Wales.

[CosbehFox]

I promised Cardiff Fox this would be an open tournament and it has been, truly, it's been exciting and interesting for the neutral. But fans of Wales, France and England will all have been left with as many questions as answers and the Irish fans will have to be slightly delusional if they think they've played some of their best stuff this year. I've always said that if Wales can't win I'd want the Irish too, I think I'll stick to that and once the sting of defeat goes away that'll largely be my stance - but I am annoyed at our indifferent displays.

I think it's been open and competitive, possibly even interesting but I'd disagree on exciting bar yesterday's decider.

Italy have been poor, the French gave up at situations which weren't go their way and Scotland's lack of quality in the back line still there. That said the whole saga of England's certainly been lively and the scalp of the English is always passionate and close stuff. Wales and Ireland's game was sadly one of those games which was exciting in the scoreline but both teams played not to lose. Wales needed to score big for the game to mean anything - they didn't show any attacking prowess which we all know they are capable of.

That said, I was happy to see this bunch of Irishmen finally rewarded with some glory. O'Gara and O'Driscoll have been great players but didn't have anything to their name to prove it now, they do and will go down in Irish rugby history as deserved legends.

[Finnegan]

I'm naturally biased but I don't think a Welsh victory would have been a disappointment for the tournament. Our hiccup against the French was regrettable but I think we'd have beaten them soundly had the game been in Cardiff. The Irish had the home advantage against them and as Sparky's pointed out before it really does make a mammoth difference.

I've no dellusions that Wales are an unbeatable force or that we deserved something we failed to achieve - but I don't think we were staggering less deserving than an Ireland side that barely had to get into gear this year.

I'd also contest the greatness of O'Gara whom crumbles and breaks in any game he's tackled more than once.

[Sparky]

My take on it all , well the top 4 anyway

Ireland - Deserved winners in the end but by no means streets ahead of anyone else. To win in the Millenium stadium to complete a grand slam is no mean feat and a couple of players like Kearney Heaslip and O Driscoll had good tournaments.

England - Would i have taken 2nd spot if offered at the start ? Damn right i would . Johnno has turned the side round from the team humiliated by the southern hemisphere in the autumn . But for disapline issues the reslts in Cardiff and especially Dublin could have been better . Some players have really stepped up to the plate. Harry Ellis has nailed himself in to the 9 jersey while Joe Worsley seems to be in the form of his life . Armitage Croft and in particular Flutey look good international players. Promising end to the tournament for the english

France- Jekell and hyde the french . Excellant against the Itallians and a very good display against Wales but absolute suicidal performance against England . Hardinqoy(sp) looks a quality player at number 8 but they seem to have major problems with half backs

Wales - Expected far more from the Welsh . On paper the strongest 15 but games are not won on paper and Wales didnt seem to live well with the favorites tag . I belive most Wales fans like finners enjoy seeing attractive Rugby and im sure Gatlands approach will go down ever so well . With a talent like Shane Williams in the side you must go through the hands often and get him involved more than what did . Good tournaments for Williams , R Jones, Byrne and a guy im becoming a fan of Alan Wyn Jones.

[Ultra]

Well done Ireland.

I wouldn't have had this team down as a Grand Slam side, but you can only beat what's in front of you and that's what they did.

O'Driscoll must be a contender to captain the Lions again on this summer's South Africa tour.

[Finnegan]

Alun Wyn Jones is a beast. I'll never know what happened to our line out yesterday but his reputation shouldn't be hurt - if he and O'Connell aren't the starting locks for the Lions then there's something very wrong with the world.

My biggest disappointment with Gatland is his complacency really. I think, dispite some of his pre-tournament talk, he bought into the celebrity status of being favourites a little too much. What was all that crap about disliking the Irish or taunting the English? You never want to publically bait Johnson and the Welsh and the Irish have a normally pretty close bond (especially in the stands!) And I'll never forgive the Italy fiasco.

Still, I don't think he surpresses our style of play too much. We still played expansive, attacking rugby last year and even in the Autumn - we've just tightened up a lot thanks to Edwards. Though our inability to score tries in this tournament is something that needs to be addressed. Fortunately I think it's a temporary problem, I think if Hook and Henson return to form I honestly believe we'll grow from strength to strength.

Will be immensely surprised if we're not still one of the favourites for the next tournament.

[Sparky]

Alun Wyn Jones is a beast. I'll never know what happened to our line out yesterday but his reputation shouldn't be hurt - if he and O'Connell aren't the starting locks for the Lions then there's something very wrong with the world.

My biggest disappointment with Gatland is his complacency really. I think, dispite some of his pre-tournament talk, he bought into the celebrity status of being favourites a little too much. What was all that crap about disliking the Irish or taunting the English? You never want to publically bait Johnson and the Welsh and the Irish have a normally pretty close bond (especially in the stands!) And I'll never forgive the Italy fiasco.

Still, I don't think he surpresses our style of play too much. We still played expansive, attacking rugby last year and even in the Autumn - we've just tightened up a lot thanks to Edwards. Though our inability to score tries in this tournament is something that needs to be addressed. Fortunately I think it's a temporary problem, I think if Hook and Henson return to form I honestly believe we'll grow from strength to strength.

Will be immensely surprised if we're not still one of the favourites for the next tournament.

That seems to be a problem in itself at the minute , if you wasnt fancied id expect you to come up with another slam. High expectancy is the downfall of many sides in many sports

[Ultra]

With away ties in England and Ireland, you'll find next season a lot tougher.

But if Henson concentrates more on his fitness and his rugby, and a little less on being a celebrity spouse and d!ckhead, the team may be a little stronger.

[Sparky]

Alun Wyn Jones is a beast. I'll never know what happened to our line out yesterday but his reputation shouldn't be hurt - if he and O'Connell aren't the starting locks for the Lions then there's something very wrong with the world.

My biggest disappointment with Gatland is his complacency really. I think, dispite some of his pre-tournament talk, he bought into the celebrity status of being favourites a little too much. What was all that crap about disliking the Irish or taunting the English? You never want to publically bait Johnson and the Welsh and the Irish have a normally pretty close bond (especially in the stands!) And I'll never forgive the Italy fiasco.

Still, I don't think he surpresses our style of play too much. We still played expansive, attacking rugby last year and even in the Autumn - we've just tightened up a lot thanks to Edwards. Though our inability to score tries in this tournament is something that needs to be addressed. Fortunately I think it's a temporary problem, I think if Hook and Henson return to form I honestly believe we'll grow from strength to strength.

Will be immensely surprised if we're not still one of the favourites for the next tournament.

Nailed on mate , O Callaghan as cover on the bench . Locks sorted

[Finnegan]

That seems to be a problem in itself at the minute , if you wasnt fancied id expect you to come up with another slam. High expectancy is the downfall of many sides in many sports

Maybe but there's a difference between being "one of the favourites" and beng "THE favourites." All anybody wanted to talk about at the start of the Six Nations was how amazing Wales were, how unstoppable Wales were and how they practically had the Grand Slam already.

I said right at the start we wouldn't win the Grand Slam and I knew I was right when when I heard Jerry Guscott say how good we were.

With away ties in England and Ireland, you'll find next season a lot tougher.

But if Henson concentrates more on his fitness and his rugby, and a little less on being a celebrity spouse and d!ckhead, the team may be a little stronger.

Mmh, I think Henson's only real problem is his fitness and the fact he's a little bit injury prone. His off field personality is severely overly exaggerated for the sakes of tabloid inches. His alleged night club antics the other week was another example - everyone wanted to go on about how Henson was being a bad-boy but ultimately there were a number of players caught out being wreckless.

We've ultimately won both ways in recent years but I'd rather play Scotland and France at home than Ireland and England. We'll always raise our game to play England away and Ireland have a fantastic track record at Cardiff anyway where as we typically do awfully in Scotland and France.

Nailed on mate , O Callaghan as cover on the bench . Locks sorted

You'd imagine so, certainly.

[Finnegan]

Hmm.

O'Connell has his brain in the right place, he's spot on about Gatland.

O'Gara needs his head examined, mind. He's one of the worst players in the world for bottling under pressure. I don't think any of the Welsh players were lippy in the build up really - he should be working to make nonsense of Gatland's claims of the Irish being unlikeable not enforce them by being a ****.

I think it's doubly ironic given that he had a crap game yesterday, again, as a result of bottling under pressure given constant targetting in the first half. Missed a few kicks and was absolutely woeful in his touch-finding. If Jones (or Henson) had converted that 80th minute kick then Ronan O'Gara would have been more at fault than anyone for throwing away their Grand Slam.

That's really rilled me, that has.

[Babylon]

It felt rather like Ireland won the grand slam as they were the best of a bad bunch, rather than being an excellent team. If I was a plastic paddy, I'd feel as though we won by default.

[CosbehFox]

I'd also contest the greatness of O'Gara whom crumbles and breaks in any game he's tackled more than once.

I'd rather have him over any of the kickers we've employed since Wilkinson.