The rugby

[Beebo]

If I was Welsh or Italian I'd be fancying my chances right now.

They can’t possibly lose to either of them.
Can they?

 

[Dogtrousers]

They can’t possibly lose to either of them.
Can they?

Honestly? I doubt it.

But Wales looked really handy today and (Japan aside) this England team haven't won by putting other sides away by a landslide. And last year they won by only 2 vs Wales and 3 vs Italy. So if the opposition hang in there it could be close. And you always have a chance in a close match.

 

[AndyRM]

As an England fan, they were poor and didn’t deserve that.
3 tries to 1.

I don't think England were poor, but I agree didn't deserve to win. Still, that's the game and these things happen.

Two great games and I hope Italy v France can match that tomorrow.

 

[AndyRM]

They can’t possibly lose to either of them.
Can they?

Quite possibly.

Borthwick has England relying on hammering through the forwards and neglecting the exciting talent which is clearly available.

I don't blame him because that's what he knows, but it's a really limited approach.

 

[Time Waster]

As someone who is nowhere near an expert in this. Is there not a potential that back row flair makes a team look better than forward pack grunt and breakdown stuff? Just asking as both forwards and backs make up a side and it is surely not a good thing to rely on mostly one to win??

I thought what I saw of the England forwards they were the better team but the Scots had the back row flying at times and being inventive in a way England back row don't do that often.

On another aside, which of the northern hemisphere teams has the most southern hemisphere origin players in there? I have been reading a lot of rugby headlines on my news feed about plastic Scots being a bad thing for Scottish national side and the whole scottish rugby. I understand there is a certain ex England player who coached at Glasgow and brought a certain then injured SA player into their squad to qualify under the 3 year residency rule who is their highest try scorer right now, but are they really much different to thee other teams? Aki springs to mind for Ireland plus Welsh and England have had a few with maori or polynesian sounding names.

What is your views on this? Good or bad? If a player of NZ parentage but the parents moved to England, Wales or SCotland and the kid grew up there to play for that adopted country, is that OK but perhaps 3 or 5 year residency is not? What about scots parents but born and lived only in England? Or mixed Welsh and English parents? Or English parents but one Welsh grandparent? Where does the line stand for you? I must admit I enjoy Aki, Vunipola and Falatau playing in the 6 nations. DvdM is a good player too that benefits the 6 nations rugby. If they were not able to play for their 6 nations sides would they make the nation of birth or ancestry side? I believe some players from Australia or NZ of polynesian descent have left to play for their polynesian nation after making their "adoptive" national team for years. These are all questions I would ask someone who knows about rugby if I met them. Ignore or answer if you want as it is so off topic.

 

[rualexander]

Hypothetically Bundee Aki might make the All Blacks at his best, but none of the other Kiwis in the Six Nations sides would, well, maybe Jamieson Gibson-Park would have a chance.
Don't think any of the South Africans in the Six Nations would make it any where near the Springboks side.

 

[geocycle]

I’d say Gibson-Park would have a good shout on his current form. Aki probably not. I rate van der Merwe and could see him possibly getting a game for the Boks. But SA are well ahead of the rest at the moment. It’s hard to think of many NH players that would strengthen them except Dupont.

 

[Beebo]

11 tries for France.
They could upset Ireland if they perform like that.

 

[Dogtrousers]

On another aside, which of the northern hemisphere teams has the most southern hemisphere origin players in there?
...
What is your views on this? Good or bad?

I'm not terribly bothered. There are qualification rules so as long as they abide by them it's OK by me. It's a professional game and people move around.

The whole subject tends to be the source of a lot of internet trolling.

 

[AndyRM]

I'm not terribly bothered. There are qualification rules so as long as they abide by them it's OK by me. It's a professional game and people move around.

The whole subject tends to be the source of a lot of internet trolling.

Succinctly put.

And it varies by sport too.

 

[Time Waster]

Hypothetically Bundee Aki might make the All Blacks at his best, but none of the other Kiwis in the Six Nations sides would, well, maybe Jamieson Gibson-Park would have a chance.
Don't think any of the South Africans in the Six Nations would make it any where near the Springboks side.

That's interesting! It kind of leads into the question whether that sayhs something about the quality of NH/ teams? If SH players get into NH teams but would stand no chance in their original national teams does that not say something about NH teams?

Ireland is second in the rankings between SA and NZ. So would that mean the Irish foreign players from NZ could strengthen the NZ squad? Bundi AKi, Gibson-Park and Lowe, G-P IIRC was man of thee match yesterday and Aki is ofteen effective on the pitch. Could they not make the MZ squad if not even the team?

Looking at a website giving the Foreign born players in the 2025 6 nations squads and rule under which they made the squad. Ireland has more parents and grandparents than REsidency but the big threee NZ players were residency. French foreign squad members are all residency with last residency from 2020 (as is Irish residencies). That to me is interesting in light of Irish diaspoora being widely spread in nations big in rugby world, but I do wonder if the French diaspora is as widely spread in rugby nations around the world. If you follow what I mean from the residency vs ancestry.

I will just say that I have no real problem with it all. I would prefer a different system than residency to be applied but recent ancestry applies for citizenship so whynot sport? Either way we get interesting playeers lik G-P and Aki and Vunipola, etc. playing in the 6 nations.

Interesting to note that SH are common sources but England is perhaps a bigger source of foreign players in the other 5 nations.

 

[rualexander]

Bundee Aki and Jamieson Gibson-Park, could probably be competitive for All Blacks selection if they were eligible, as their positions are not currently as strongly occupied as usual in the ABs. Gibson-Park wouldn't get a look in against Aaron Smith at his best.
I don't think James Lowe would get selected against the current AB wingers, but might make a reserves list.

France's Uini Antonio is a Kiwi of Samoan heritage, but although he is a bulldozer I doubt he'd get into the ABs.
None of Scotland's Kiwis would get anywhere near the ABs.

 

[AndyRM]

That's interesting! It kind of leads into the question whether that sayhs something about the quality of NH/ teams? If SH players get into NH teams but would stand no chance in their original national teams does that not say something about NH teams?

Ireland is second in the rankings between SA and NZ. So would that mean the Irish foreign players from NZ could strengthen the NZ squad? Bundi AKi, Gibson-Park and Lowe, G-P IIRC was man of thee match yesterday and Aki is ofteen effective on the pitch. Could they not make the MZ squad if not even the team?

Looking at a website giving the Foreign born players in the 2025 6 nations squads and rule under which they made the squad. Ireland has more parents and grandparents than REsidency but the big threee NZ players were residency. French foreign squad members are all residency with last residency from 2020 (as is Irish residencies). That to me is interesting in light of Irish diaspoora being widely spread in nations big in rugby world, but I do wonder if the French diaspora is as widely spread in rugby nations around the world. If you follow what I mean from the residency vs ancestry.

I will just say that I have no real problem with it all. I would prefer a different system than residency to be applied but recent ancestry applies for citizenship so whynot sport? Either way we get interesting playeers lik G-P and Aki and Vunipola, etc. playing in the 6 nations.

Interesting to note that SH are common sources but England is perhaps a bigger source of foreign players in the other 5 nations.

You're either new to rugby (or indeed professional sport generally) or taking the proverbial.

 

[gavroche]

11 tries for France.
They could upset Ireland if they perform like that.

With all respect to Italy, Ireland will be a different side to play but I was very impressed with the French team today.
It is a shame they didn't play like that against England as it would have been a very different score then.

 

[matticus]

FAI - Find an Irishman

Just saying ... ;-)