Six Nations 2016

[Hope]

Who would have thought that England would head the Six-Nations' table at the end of the first weekend - even if only on points difference 

[jeremyp]

I would have, given the failure of the French to stuff the Italians.

[Outrider]

I would have, given the failure of the French to stuff the Italians.

I was impressed with the Italians - we'll have to see how things pan out, and whether they were having a good day, but the French didn't appear to have a shocker, they were just pushed hard by what looks like a promising Italian side.

Disappointed with Scotland; too many simple handling errors let them down.

O.

[Hope]

I was impressed with the Italians ...

I did wonder whether England's record of being the only 6-Nations/Home Nation not to have been beaten by Italy in the competition is at stake!!

[john]

I predict that this years Wooden Spoon" will go to Scotland.

Shame but they simply have too small a player base.

Good because their fans are horrible, more like soccer fans. Booing opposition kicks, bad mouthing visiting supporters etc.

[ProfessorDavey]

I did wonder whether England's record of being the only 6-Nations/Home Nation not to have been beaten by Italy in the competition is at stake!!

No.

[Hope]

No.

Looks as if you're correct, PD   

Can't say that they impressed in the first half, but after about 15 minutes of the second half it looked as if they had started to play.

Not sure I'd have given the Man of the Match award to Ben Youngs, though.  Billy V, perhaps even Mahler seemed to be far more influential from what I saw.

[ProfessorDavey]

Looks as if you're correct, PD   

As ever

Can't say that they impressed in the first half, but after about 15 minutes of the second half it looked as if they had started to play.

Not sure I'd have given the Man of the Match award to Ben Youngs, though.  Billy V, perhaps even Mahler seemed to be far more influential from what I saw.

Didn't see any of it so can't comment.

Interesting that at the moment it seems like England are the only side able to come away with a comfortable win. Everyone else seems to be struggling to beat anyone else.

[jeremyp]

Not sure I'd have given the Man of the Match award to Ben Youngs, though.  Billy V, perhaps even Mahler seemed to be far more influential from what I saw.

Apparently they started the vote only 60 minutes into the match and that skewed the result

[Hope]

Apparently they started the vote only 60 minutes into the match and that skewed the result

But that was not long before Youngs went off!!

[jeremyp]

But that was not long before Youngs went off!!

And Joseph only had one try at that point.

[Hope]

Can't say that I was very impressed by the Welsh today.  They required a massive non-tip tackle to gain their 7th, 8th and 9th points, some appalling referring to keep the French out in the early part of the 2nd half - Falatau offside on numerous occasions - and how come a scrum is given thirty yards out when Falatau was apparently 10m offside, when about 8m from his own line.

For all that Barnes is English, I'm not sure that he should being asked to referee any more games in this year's tournament.

[ProfessorDavey]

Can't say that I was very impressed by the Welsh today.  They required a massive non-tip tackle to gain their 7th, 8th and 9th points, some appalling referring to keep the French out in the early part of the 2nd half - Falatau offside on numerous occasions - and how come a scrum is given thirty yards out when Falatau was apparently 10m offside, when about 8m from his own line.

For all that Barnes is English, I'm not sure that he should being asked to referee any more games in this year's tournament.

A very uninteresting game.

And not helped by the endless periods with nothing happening - I made that point about the France Ireland game and it happened again last night. Constant resetting of the scrum and the replay official being involved in incidents ages after they happened. If you are going to have TV replay for incidents (and I think it is a good idea) you have to stop the game straight away and go to the reply. Keeping the game going and then effectively reversing the last game play is just nonsense and completely breaks up the flow of the game.

So the most obvious example being an (eventual) penalty for France. It wasn't given at the time, play went on and Wales got a penalty which they took and then the ref asked for the replay and awarded France a penalty for something that must have happened 2-3 minutes earlier in play. That's way too long.

Let's hope the England Ireland game is more interesting and not marred by endless breaking up of the play.

[ProfessorDavey]

some appalling referring to keep the French out in the early part of the 2nd half

The problem is that unless the ref is going to give a penalty try when the opposition know that the attacking side will opt for a scrum to try to score a try from a penalty there is no disadvantage to simply giving away penalty after penalty on scrum infringements. You are just back where you were and a few more minutes less on the clock. Something needs to be done about this.

Here's an option. If you opt for a scrum rather than kick for goal then your option to kick is held - so that if there is another infringement in the scrum, before the ball is in open play you now get not just the new penalty, but the original one. Do it again and you get three penalties. So rather than constantly being back to - sure fire 3 points but can try to get 7, you'd end up at sure fire 6 points, sure fire 9 points. No penalty try threat needed, and straight away the defending side would suddenly find themselves able to prevent all those scrum infringements (which lets face it are deliberate).

[Hope]

Now, perhaps not quite so technically perfect, but that Italy/Scotland match was much more interesting to watch.  I was disappointed for Parisse, in that I think he played an even better game than Laidlaw - but failed to get the Man of the Match (though that award almost always goes to the victors).

I strugge to see why we don't see more teams using the short kick-off as Italy did; its so much more 'in the face' of the receivering team.

[Hope]

England win the 2016 6-Nations Championship; roll on the Grand Slam.

[Gonnagle]

Dear John,

I predict that this years Wooden Spoon" will go to Scotland.

( cough )

Well done Engerland, three lions on a shirt Jules Remit still gleaming, sorry sorry, wrong shaped ball, Swing low sweet chariot.

Gonnagle.

[john]

I bet the Scots fans are over the moon that their (super) win in France has helped to secure The Championship for their best mates south of the border.

Thanks Scotland...... wanna put a smiley here but can't get em to work.

[ProfessorDavey]

I constantly struggle with the inconsistency of action from the refs in rugby. Last Staurday's gouging incident being a good case in point.

So Tomas Francis was guilty of gouging, sufficient to receive an 8 week ban. And everyone, including the ref saw this on Saturday, many times on TV replay. Yet he was let off scot free in the actual match for something serious enough to warrant a long ban.

I can understand it when an incident wasn't seen in the match and subsequently comes to light afterwards, but this wasn't the case here. I don't suppose those involved in imposing the post-match sanction had any more evidence than the ref did on Saturday. How on earth Francis didn't receive a straight red card during the actual match is beyond me.

[jeremyp]

I constantly struggle with the inconsistency of action from the refs in rugby. Last Staurday's gouging incident being a good case in point.

So Tomas Francis was guilty of gouging, sufficient to receive an 8 week ban. And everyone, including the ref saw this on Saturday, many times on TV replay. Yet he was let off scot free in the actual match for something serious enough to warrant a long ban.

I can understand it when an incident wasn't seen in the match and subsequently comes to light afterwards, but this wasn't the case here. I don't suppose those involved in imposing the post-match sanction had any more evidence than the ref did on Saturday. How on earth Francis didn't receive a straight red card during the actual match is beyond me.

On the assumption that he is guilty (I haven't seen the footage), the explanation is simple: the referee's decision in the match was mistaken.

[jeremyp]

What surprises me is that the ban is only eight weeks given that rugby is played by such delicate flowers that calling somebody a naughty name on the pitch could get you a four week ban.

[ProfessorDavey]

On the assumption that he is guilty (I haven't seen the footage), the explanation is simple: the referee's decision in the match was mistaken.

But that is shear incompetence. It wasn't as if the ref had only one angle in real speed. The game was stopped, the incident went to the TMO, who (along with the ref and everyone else) saw exactly what happened, and probably saw exactly the same as the post match panel who decided it was an 8 week ban.

How can the decisions from people looking at exactly the same evidence be so different, from no sanction at all (not even a yellow card) to an 8 week ban.

[jeremyp]

But that is shear incompetence. It wasn't as if the ref had only one angle in real speed.

You seem to be implying that referees are incapable of shear incompetence.

The game was stopped, the incident went to the TMO, who (along with the ref and everyone else) saw exactly what happened

Does the referee and everyone else get to see exactly what happened? I was under the impression that the replays in these incidents were not put on the big screens at the ground.

How can the decisions from people looking at exactly the same evidence be so different, from no sanction at all (not even a yellow card) to an 8 week ban.

Again, you seem to be implying that the match officials were not capable of being incompetent.

[ProfessorDavey]

You seem to be implying that referees are incapable of shear incompetence.

Indeed, my mistake.

Does the referee and everyone else get to see exactly what happened? I was under the impression that the replays in these incidents were not put on the big screens at the ground.

The on filed ref referred it to the TMO, who, of course has access to all the footage, but I'm pretty sure they show it on the screen in the ground - certainly that seems to be the case given the response of the crowd to the replay footage that is being shown as a TV viewer - that the crowd cheers and boos just as you are seeing replay footage on TV suggests they must be seeing it too - and that would of course also involve the ref.

Again, you seem to be implying that the match officials were not capable of being incompetent.

Indeed, my mistake.

[jeremyp]

Indeed, my mistake.

I've had a look at the incident on Youtube now and, to me it looks like Francis pokes Cole in the right eye and then drags his fingers across his left eye. I don't know what the official definition of gouging is, but I can see possible room for making the wrong decision there, although the official obviously saw some offence because a penalty was given.