S this the worst 6N ever.......

[Tony Manx]

Who cares.......!!

 

[Maverick1987]

Not a whole lot. It depends on the year as every year the rights to televise it change, this year we don't have it live for free.. I think England has a lot of potential, they just need to play smarter rugby if they want to compete with the SH teams.

Well that I'd 100% agree with . We are looking like playing a bit smarter in the last few games . Seems a bit more heads up than it has been but still a long way to go

 

[Maverick1987]

It will only be the worst 6 Nations if England win.

Well that depends on who you are doesn't it I'd lambast you for it if hadn't had an anyone but Wales mentality for the last decade .....

 

[valley commando]

Well that depends on who you are doesn't it I'd lambast you for it if hadn't had an anyone but Wales mentality for the last decade .....

Have'nt been lambasted since my Grandad died.
Anyway looking forward to next week, best of luck.

 

[Maverick1987]

Have'nt been lambasted since my Grandad died.
Anyway looking forward to next week, best of luck.

And to you

 

[The Jones Boy]

No northern hemisphere teams in the last 4 of the RWC.
That was a crystal clear statement about the condition of northern hemisphere rugby.

The 6 Nations is hampered by three key elements.
1) Too many teams. One needs to drop off into the 2nd tier and that team needs to be Italy. They would burgeon with more success and beating smaller teams will help them gain support at home rather than getting pulped during the rounds by stronger teams.
2) This old tournament is crying out to be made home and away. By all means have a break in the middle but make it more meaningful. This tourney is over before it gets started.
3) January-Feb is a terrible time for the clubs to give up so many players. Shift it back in the year and make the weather better, the playing surfaces better etc.

I'll catch a few games of the 6 Nations but I would rather watch the Super rugby than the pedestrian northern ploddage.
I must say, this is not the fault of the players, the fans or the coaching staff.
There are plenty of fine players up here in the northern hemisphere.
The structure and placement of the tournament is the killer aspect.
Drop Italy, they are not improving after how long?
Create a 2nd tier and give them tv time as well.
I'd definitely watch Georgia.
Have a 5 nations home and away and a second tier 4 nations home and away.
After the first year have a promo-relegation element added in.
The winning team from tier 2 has to beat the losing team from tier 1 to get in to the top flight.

Otherwise... yes the 6 Nations has been lack lustre.

 

[profitius]

Dropping Italy now wouldn't be the best thing to do. They are showing signs of improvement and producing some decent players. Their problem is they were badly run for too long, so the need to play catch up.


It's worth sticking with them. Look at the crowds they get despite losing most of the time! Once they get their structures right, they'll go from strength to strength.


The biggest problem in NH rugby is attitude. There are excuses such as the weather but the weather should be no barrier to stopping teams play a more expansive style. Proof of this is Connacht. They're top of the Pro 12 at the moment because they're playing a SH style of rugby under a mostly Kiwi coaching team, headed by Pat Lam. They're based in Galway which has probably the worst weather for any rugby team. Also NZ players have better skilled than SA players and as you'd know, NZ can be very wet too.


That's not to say the weather is irrelevant. Muddy pitches are the biggest obstacle. It slows the game down which results in more conservative rugby with bigger players. Thats where artificial pitches come in. They're getting more and more frequent and helping to speed up the game. I've seen them praised a lot recently and I see that games are more entertaining when played on them.

 

[Hulkster]

At the very least, bonus points, please.

Just award an extra bonus point for a grand slam.

 

[LiRFCMatt]

No northern hemisphere teams in the last 4 of the RWC.
That was a crystal clear statement about the condition of northern hemisphere rugby.

The 6 Nations is hampered by three key elements.
1) Too many teams. One needs to drop off into the 2nd tier and that team needs to be Italy. They would burgeon with more success and beating smaller teams will help them gain support at home rather than getting pulped during the rounds by stronger teams.
2) This old tournament is crying out to be made home and away. By all means have a break in the middle but make it more meaningful. This tourney is over before it gets started.
3) January-Feb is a terrible time for the clubs to give up so many players. Shift it back in the year and make the weather better, the playing surfaces better etc.

I'll catch a few games of the 6 Nations but I would rather watch the Super rugby than the pedestrian northern ploddage.
I must say, this is not the fault of the players, the fans or the coaching staff.
There are plenty of fine players up here in the northern hemisphere.
The structure and placement of the tournament is the killer aspect.
Drop Italy, they are not improving after how long?
Create a 2nd tier and give them tv time as well.
I'd definitely watch Georgia.
Have a 5 nations home and away and a second tier 4 nations home and away.
After the first year have a promo-relegation element added in.
The winning team from tier 2 has to beat the losing team from tier 1 to get in to the top flight.

Otherwise... yes the 6 Nations has been lack lustre.

Bit harsh dropping Italy when they have been overcoming Scotland and France in recent years. They're rebuilding now, 10 new players in the squad, they need the 6 Nations now more than ever to ensure they don't drop off the face of the rugby world.

I still like the idea of the bottom team being relegated to a 6 Nations of 2nd tier sides and the top of that one coming up. Or even having a playoff between them. Would increase exposure for the 2nd tier sides as if the likes of Scotland went down, people would still tune in to see how they fare.

 

[Thingimubob]

Still unsure about bonus points in the 6 Nations, but am definitely against Home and Away fixtures. Would take a bit of the meaning out of the big match ups every year.

Even if they would like to put them in, when are they going to be played? International fixtures are already pretty packed between Autumn Internationals, 6 Nations and June Tours. So you're left with cutting out some of those fixtures, or trying to reduce the club fixtures, which is never going to happen!

Anyway, not like Super rugby is impervious to some bloody dull games... Force vs Reds was hardly an action packed affair over weekend (And before anyone says it, yes I know that in general Super Rugby has more tries scored per game and all that, just saying is all)

 

[Tony Manx]

I agree that home and away would not be a good idea! As said somewhere else, 6N rugby is more about the camaraderie and nationalism than the rugby and, in any case, overdoing things takes away a lot of the pleasure!!

The matches against SH countries were something special as they did not happen often yet now they are common place and with that do not hold the same appeal....plus we almost always get beat!!

Am not against one team promotion and relegation if there has to be change but doubt it will happen in my life time!!!

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

As I've said before I think the best format is this:

4 Nations A:
England, France, Ireland, Wales

4 Nations B:
Scotland, Italy, Georgia, Romania

Home and Away games making for a total of 6 games for each team (1 more than current 5). Each weekend there will be 4 games (2A and 2B which will again be just 1 more than currently). At the end the winner of B plays against the loser of A in a promotion/relegation match at neutral ground. All in all 2 weeks extra, hopefully no more whipping boys, extra participation from Georgia and Romania and more rugby to watch!

 

[profitius]

At the very least, bonus points, please.

Just award an extra bonus point for a grand slam.

Careful there. That's a mind blowing concept for some people.

 

[Tony Manx]

As I've said before I think the best format is this:

4 Nations A:
England, France, Ireland, Wales

4 Nations B:
Scotland, Italy, Georgia, Romania

Home and Away games making for a total of 6 games for each team (1 more than current 5). Each weekend there will be 4 games (2A and 2B which will again be just 1 more than currently). At the end the winner of B plays against the loser of A in a promotion/relegation match at neutral ground. All in all 2 weeks extra, hopefully no more whipping boys, extra participation from Georgia and Romania and more rugby to watch!

Not going to happen until the Unions and clubs under same control!!

 

[FrenchFan]

Don't know if it was the worst ever 6N but it was hardly vintage. Italy and France have gone back. The nations smarting about a win over these 2 are kidding themselves.
Les bleus are in meltdown mode. The team that went out v Eng was holding with sticking tape. The club v country has got worse and so will les bleus. Nothing Noves can do about it.
I said he was in for a nightmare and he is. FFR isn't rebuilding anymore than I'm growing ***s.

 

[The Jones Boy]

The 6 Nations needs a serious overhaul IF the northern hemisphere is going to have a competitive springboard to attack the big three in the south

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

The 6 Nations needs a serious overhaul IF the northern hemisphere is going to have a competitive springboard to attack the big three in the south

Ugh, I don't agree with that. There's bigger issues in our club game and the amount of matches we play in a season. If we did change it I'd want a triple crown championship playing home and away and then have France, Italy, Romania and Georgia in one, not a hope the FFR and FIR would agree to that.

 

[FrenchFan]

The 6 Nations needs a serious overhaul IF the northern hemisphere is going to have a competitive springboard to attack the big three in the south

I'd be on for more majorettes.

 

[TheOvalBall]

This wasn't the best Six Nations. Hopefully it will be better next year.