up coming 6n

[Teh Mite]

I expect this season will be between Wales and England - and then they both produce some shockingly bad performances anyway.

France will be considered the outside bets after they have a shocking set of AIs.

Ireland to fall off the radar.

 

[Conal]

ireland toroar back into form when injurys return!

 

[dullonien]

01. ??
02. ??
03. ??
04. ??
05. ??
06. Italy

Seriously, I have no idea how the 6 nations will go, although I'm pretty sure Italy will pick up the wooden spoon after the improvement Scotland have made. Scotland have certainly improved, but not quite as much as DuncTheDoodle suggested. They still lack quality in both the centre, wings and fullback, although have a tidy set of forwards and halfbacks. For this reason, I don't think they'll come above 3rd. I also don't see Ireland winning it either. With the dip in form of a couple of their star players and Sexton's progress halted somewhat with injury. They'll be competative, but again I feel they'll struggle to get above 3rd.

So I feel it will be between England, Wales and France. With Johnsons selections finally making sense, and some real attacking threat to compliment the good forward base, England should be threatening. Flyhalf is their weekspot with no-one nailing down the shirt. France always perform well in the 6 nations, but their summer tour was shocking. Can they pick themselves back up? Who knows. Finally I come to Wales, like France I'm not entirely sure which team will turn up. The Summer tour was encouraging in some regards, with the poor starts seen in last years 6 nations put behind us. I feel we have some real class in many positions, with some top players returning from injury to boot. However, we could just as easily finish in 4th again after not managing to put in 80min performances!

If I had to choose a final order I'd go with:

01. Wales (bias for sure)
02. England
03. France
04. Ireland
05. Scotland (Not enough top players)
06. Italy

 

[eot345]

What did you expect?

Yer I guess your right any way ..

I reckon France will come first but be defeated by England (who will lose to Ireland)

 

[Explosive]

1. France
2. Ireland
3. England
4. Scotland
5. Wales
6. Italy

 

[King_D'Arcy]

My thoughts are:

1.Ireland
2.Wales
3.England
4.Scotland
5.France
6.Italy

Don't know why but somehow I think France will have a shocking 6Nations

I like the way you think.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

1. France
2. Ireland
3. England
4. Scotland
5. Wales
6. Italy

FAIL!

Next ....

 

[cyRil]

I really fancy Scotland to do something this season, finishing 2nd or 3rd.
Don't ask me who's going to win though...

 

[King_D'Arcy]

I really fancy Scotland to do something this season, finishing 2nd or 3rd.
Don't ask me who's going to win though...

I won't. I'll tell you! Ireland

 

[cyRil]

I won't. I'll tell you! Ireland

As they add to their rich history of winning stuff...

 

[King_D'Arcy]

As they add to their rich history of winning stuff...

We're all about the moral victories

 

[TRF_Cymro]

We're all about the moral victories

And we like to bang on about how good we were in the 70s and 80s :lol:

 

[durbutter]

Club form and Autumn internationals will form the odds.

Ireland
I predict (hopefully) for POC, Ferris, Luke Fitz, Leo Cullen and Leamy to have a massive season when all back and fit. All men with a point to prove. If Sex and BOD and Bowe perform also we'll be there or there abouts. Still we'll have to see. Regardless we'll still have a pretty crap Scrum, def our biggest weakness. Relatively strong everywhere else.

Wales
Hmm. Some encouraging performances, and their tight 5 have come on this year with Davis coming in. Class in the backs as always, and have very few injuries to worry about right now. Still poor in the backrow, and in a competition this tight, it could be key.

Scotland
Great pack and good halves. No real depth outside the starting XV, so a few injuries could really damage their progress as a team. Still they have a good coach with a definite plan, and are always tough to play against. Nobody will be taking them lightly.

England
********. Despite Johnsons poor selection policy, they are building a very strong squad, no real areas of weakness. The choice of 10 probably the biggest problem. I predict a big season for them. How do they manage to always peak for world cup years? is is something innate in the English psyche?

France
Pfft! Who knows, won the 6N last year in a canter but had a woeful summer tour. I think if they put their mind to winning it they will. If not i imagine they will lose in Dublin and London. Always hard to beat in Paris.

Italy
Will finish last. Massive pack as always , with Zanni inparticular catching the eye last year. Parisse back now and that 9 they have looks great (Canivosio?). But with average backs, particular out half they will not be up to it. They need a kicking, controlling type of 10 to fully exert the power of the pack. The new rules won't suit them either.


There, verbal Diarrhea

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Slight error with Wales I feel ... have a few injuries ... Geth Jenks, Shane Williams and James Hook (ok despite op, but could miss start of season).

 

[King_D'Arcy]

Club form and Autumn internationals will form the odds.

Ireland
I predict (hopefully) for POC, Ferris, Luke Fitz, Leo Cullen and Leamy to have a massive season when all back and fit. All men with a point to prove. If Sex and BOD and Bowe perform also we'll be there or there abouts. Still we'll have to see. Regardless we'll still have a pretty crap Scrum, def our biggest weakness. Relatively strong everywhere else.

Wales
Hmm. Some encouraging performances, and their tight 5 have come on this year with Davis coming in. Class in the backs as always, and have very few injuries to worry about right now. Still poor in the backrow, and in a competition this tight, it could be key.

Scotland
Great pack and good halves. No real depth outside the starting XV, so a few injuries could really damage their progress as a team. Still they have a good coach with a definite plan, and are always tough to play against. Nobody will be taking them lightly.

England
********. Despite Johnsons poor selection policy, they are building a very strong squad, no real areas of weakness. The choice of 10 probably the biggest problem. I predict a big season for them. How do they manage to always peak for world cup years? is is something innate in the English psyche?

France
Pfft! Who knows, won the 6N last year in a canter but had a woeful summer tour. I think if they put their mind to winning it they will. If not i imagine they will lose in Dublin and London. Always hard to beat in Paris.

Italy
Will finish last. Massive pack as always , with Zanni inparticular catching the eye last year. Parisse back now and that 9 they have looks great (Canivosio?). But with average backs, particular out half they will not be up to it. They need a kicking, controlling type of 10 to fully exert the power of the pack. The new rules won't suit them either.


There, verbal Diarrhea

I agree with you in most areas. I don't think Leamy has much of a future in the Irish squad. He has a BIG point to prove if he wants to be considered anytime soon

 

[Amobokoboko]

I also agree on this, England or France to win it, Ireland / Wales in the top 3 and Scotland and Italy to finish at the bottom.
I really hope Italy can win some games. Their away games in SA 2 months back they actually played very well, scoring tries against the Boks.

 

[Peat]

Really depends on who gets the momentum.

France would be my favourites but still seem a little prone to ******** the bed at random moments.

England still have a massive handicap in the coaching team and a lot of the seemingly key players are still very young and raw. If it clicks, we could end up ******* it, or we could end up watching the same as this year.

Ireland could do it but I think having to change styles won't help and neither will the fact they have about zero international quality props, zero international quality scrum-halves and question marks hang over ROG and Sexton. I hesitate to write off ROG as he's a stubborn git, but his game seems to be going. Sexton has the goods but needs to stay fit long enough to do it consistently.

Wales - not terribly impressed by Gatland, who's made it all very predictable, and there doesn't seem to be much depth when it comes to some injuries. I'm not honestly sure where the improvement from last year is going to come from.

Scotland - Improving quickly, but think they could stall a little as people work them out and they search desperately for a backs line

Italy - Good luck guys! I really hope they can step it up, but realistically thats a way away. Here's hoping the two ML teams improve things.

 

[durbutter]

I agree with you in most areas. I don't think Leamy has much of a future in the Irish squad. He has a BIG point to prove if he wants to be considered anytime soon

Wow, big statement there. I know he won't get the 6 or 8 **** barring injury or major loss in form but he is and always was brilliant to have on the bench. He showed when fit last season ( the game away in perpinan sticks out) he is one of the best back rows in ireland.

On the other hand, it would be wise to give game time to the likes of SOB and McGlaucklin. IMO when fit he's as good as Ferris but he's getting on so i really dont know.

I believe he has a lot to offer ireland if he returns to his best and would be excellent backup to the often injured Ferris, and is more seasoned than McG. Then again i am a massive fan of his and am biased.

 

[Peat]

If not Leamy, who plays 8 should Heaslip get injured? The only other viable alternative is moving Wallace in.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

It feels like Leamy has fallen off the international radar a bit in the last year or so. Obviously this is due to injury. But since his injury players like McLaughlin, O'Brien, Ronan and Henry have popped up and proven themselves to be potentially worthy of the international squad. Leamy could easily come back from injury and blow all those lads out of the water though.