EntropySink
Entertainment & Artistry => Sports/Outdoors & Manpoon => Topic started by: Ken Fitlike on January 31, 2007, 05:17:07 PM
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Six nations are:
Scotland
Wales
Ireland
England
France
Italy
Starts Saturday, 2nd February, opening game is Italy v France followed by England v Scotland.
Fixtures (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/fixtures/4777061.stm)
I know, nobody gives a shit about this except me. :(
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Is it avilable to watch? Is it important? Is it high drama/good competition?
I don't know shit about it but I'm always interested in competitions, and if it's important I might make an effort to follow what happens.
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Of course it's important, silly. :p
It's hugely competitive. The BBC broadcasts the games.
The great thing about the competition is that the bigger teams (England and France) do get beaten and smaller teams can run away with the competition. For example, Scotland beat England (http://cboard.cprogramming.com/showthread.php?t=76249) last year which was not expected because English rugby is traditionally and has in latter years been very strong while Scottish rugby has been weak for a number of years now; Wales won a Grand Slam a couple of years ago (beat everyone else) with a superb exhibition of style and energy not seen from them for years, if not decades. Italy are relatively recent to the competition but, despite being regarded as the whipping-boys, have defeated both Scotland and Wales in previous years so are improving all the time.
It's an aggressive sport - if it's fast and open it can be exciting and very entertaining; mauling style of play can be quite dull, unless it's your team mauling the other guys. Even if your team doesn't win you might still, as a fan, be rewarded with a view of one or more of the opposing team well-rended or even, stretchered off; but I digress.
edit: wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Nations_Championship
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I don't care who wins so long as it's not England.
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Ireland are what, no 3 in the world? I think they'll take it. Pride of Munster and all that.
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I don't care who wins so long as it's not England.
Whereas I will only care if it's England.
It seems we are at odds, stealth. Sleep lightly.
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The only part NZ have played thus far in the tournament was some fairly horrendous refereeing in the Wales-Ireland match which Ireland won despite an incredible game where it really could have (and might have) gone the other way; superb game of rugby.
England thrashed Scotland, inevitably; wonder-boot Wilkinson seems to be back, though he never scored the try he was awarded - not that it made any difference to the comprehensive mauling the English dished out to the Scots, though.
Jonny shows English how to play cricket (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6320339.stm)
Brian's odd-shaped ball (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6321433.stm)
More blood, gore and glory next weekend.
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I really thought Ireland had the French beaten but somehow, inconceivably, they managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Scotland beat Wales; boring game - I think the shitty weather at Murrayfield helped the Scots on the day and put the dampeners on Welsh flair.
I'm not playing and I'm taking my ball with me (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6347567.stm)
French threesome (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6352033.stm)
I'll probably talk to myself some more about this competition next weekend.
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I haven't caught any games yet, stupid timezones....
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Well, that was embarrassing: Scotland playing for Italy for the first ten minutes of the game and essentially handing it to them before the 6th minute was dead. :( Congratulations to Italy, though, for recording their first away win in their history within the competition. But it hurts. Bad. :(
Wales hurled themselves at France and for a good part of the first half looked like they might just get their first win but France are the form team this year and just starved the Welsh of the ball to take the game competently in the second half.
Major congratulations to Ireland who crushed England in a thoroughly deserved victory that went some way towards assuaging my earlier disappointment at the Scotland-Italy game. Superb game - it's not that England played particularly badly, they were just completely outclassed and outplayed by an Irish team that displayed an aggressive desire to win that was equalled only by their skill.
Here, Italy - you take the ball (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/scottish/6389855.stm)
France move closer to Grand Slam (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/6386389.stm)
Record win for Ireland (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6389727.stm)
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Not much to say really - Scotland were beaten by a very poor Ireland and themselves (yes, giving the ball away again for an easy score, but just the once unlike the three times against Italy); lots of unforced errors from both sides but congratualtions to Ireland on winning the Triple Crown. There were allegations that the Scots played nasty but they've been proved unfounded. England seem to have found a new star in their assertive win over France, thereby denying the French the possibility of winning the Grand Slam and opening up the possibility that either they, Ireland or the French will win the competition.
Wales fell victim to some terrible refeering, most notably at the end of their game against Italy when they asked the referee is there was time for a line-out from a penalty. After the ref told them there was, they naturally kicked into touch, only for the ref the blow the final whistle! Steve Jones got his face ripped open in the first half by a deliberate punch (four stitches) when he was defenceless and on the ground but he seemed to be okay in the second half. Congratulations to Italy for recording consecutive wins, I wouldn't say they played the better rugby but they played well enough to deserve their win.
Italian likes to punch defenceless welshmen (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6437563.stm)
Ireland win Triple (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6430077.stm).
France denied Grand Slam (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6429955.stm)
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Well, the game is done and France, it seems, won.
Ireland almost did the business in Rome against Italy but threw away a late try - just as they did against France. Scotland were given another lesson in how to play by a lighter and mobile French pack who flensed what passed for a Scottish defence almost every time the played they ball. But major kudos to Wales who pulled off a tremendous win against England, and deservedly avoided the wooden spoon which the Scots will be supping porridge with for the next year.
St Patrick's day serpentine twist (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6455369.stm)
porridge tastes good with wooden spoon (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/scottish/6455035.stm)
Wales stuff England (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6454287.stm)
Results table (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/4779371.stm)
So that's the six nations championship for another year - just the World Cup to look forward to where I can continue talking to myself.
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France won on points, that's a joke. Ireland for the Cup.