O'Connell not the only 2009 Grand Slam winner appointed this month by the IRFU to coach at international level

'We've earned the right': Georgia boss wants Six Nations play-off vs Wales

MT 26 minutes ago

Agreed. Super rugby America is developing nicely though. U20 integrated into the system, basically Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, operating national teams in this club competition excellent development environment for young Argentine players. Then clubs in Europe come looking for them. There is a pathway system there. It becomes a matter of numbers, squad deapth. Portuguese, Georgian and Spanish players littered throughout French rugby, a strong club would equip them with strong squad depth. But i’m all for expansion of the six nations, big rugby followers in these countries.

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

WeeBey 34 minutes ago

England finished second because they scored 2 tries in garbage time after being well beaten by Ireland, they were outplayed and should have lost to France and Scotland, but they beat the worst Welsh team in history so they get an A, Laughable.

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

CC 43 minutes ago

I'd give France and England a B+, the rest seemed pretty accurate

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

CC 44 minutes ago

🤣🤣🤣

Denial is a hilarious thing

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

Tom 56 minutes ago

They did deserve to win those games because they won them. As you say, can't take it away from them. However, we shouldn't think about the game from a result bias point of view. Just because we won doesn't necessarily mean we performed that well or that everything is rosey. It's entirely possible for a worse team to win a rugby match and if you play that game out 100 times they might lose 51 or 99 of them. We won on the day yes, but we won both games with the rub of the green going our way - if we play to that standard in those matches again, we would likely loose. If you simulated the matches dozens of times the EV of that performance wouldn't be a positive one. The bounce of a ball, a ball dropped over the tryline, a missed kick by Russell, these are all factors of variance which went our way. Now if it's a world cup knockout match then results bias is fine, winning is all that matters but right now for England the performance is very important too. The performance against Wales was very impressive however.

Mick Cleary: 'England are back among the heavyweights.'

fl 1 hour ago

“If, and its a big if, Borthwicks plan is to create 30 odd test players”

what do you mean “if”?

are you suggesting it might have literally not occurred to Borthwick that it would be a good idea to have squad depth?

10 Go to comments

FD 1 hour ago

'We've earned the right': Georgia boss wants Six Nations play-off vs Wales

I hear what you’re saying.

But take Argentina, their club system is mostly developmental but the national team is doing great.

Fair enough they did have the Jaguares but that is a distant memory these days.

I am just totally against the notion of relegation. Nobody wins. But with expansion everybody wins.

'I don't see them being that dominant force that they have been'

GM 1 hour ago

Oh, Ben Youngs, please do tell us more of that wise and balanced insight from that astute rugby mind of yours!

Do one Youngs, you were never rated you plonker.

'We've earned the right': Georgia boss wants Six Nations play-off vs Wales

MT 1 hour ago

But there not quite ready. But could be in a short time frame. Wales got hammered by England. France would destroy them at moment, nobody wants to see such a one sided competition. They need professional structure to just compete, they need a very good system in place to win. I want 8 nations for the reasons you said, i’ve commented on sites like this for years, rugby needs to grow, the interest is there in those 3 countries I mentioned. They need a club, at least one playing in a professional league, and a development team operating at a high level. Then they’d hold their own. Italy are only now starting to come good, after lots of structural upheaval. Anglo-Welsh league would be good 👍 open up spaces for those nations to join URC.

Mixed Wales update on availability of Josh Adams, Gareth Anscombe

Eflmiia Rybakova 1 hour ago

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4 Go to comments

SC 1 hour ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Would love to see a starting back row of 6 Sititi, 7 Blackadder, 8 Sititi replaced with Finau, Kirifi, and Lakai against France in July.

57 Go to comments

Ed Pye 1 hour ago

Five Aussie takes: Tahs forwards in firing line, Ikitau reminds everyone

There are some good performances happening but the big issue for Australia is who is their best team? The only players that fall into the world class conversation right now are Wright, Ikitau, Valetini, McReight and Bell…

That’s not a settled spine.

Below them, you have excellent players who should make the starting team but are also in danger of being replaced if they have bad performances - Kellaway, Wilson, Tupou. Slipper and Allaatoa fall into this category, but also have experience on their side.

And then you have a number of positions where no one is really outright stamping their mark on the position as well as overseas players who no one knows about:

Jorgenson vs Daugunu vs Potter vs Pietcsh vs Koribete?

Sualii vs Paisami vs Kerevi?

Lolesio vs Donaldson

White vs McDermott

Wright vs Cale vs Gleeson vs Uru

Swain vs Frost vs Williams vs LSL vs Blyth vs Canham vs skelton?

Pollard vs Faessler vs Nasser vs Porecki vs BPA vs Lonergan

'We've earned the right': Georgia boss wants Six Nations play-off vs Wales

FD 1 hour ago

“I don't think it’s viable to bring Georgia or Spain or Portugal into the six nations until their club structure is operating at a higher level.”

I think the opposite is true.

By including these countries in 6N you’re increasing interest in the game generally. This will have a positive knock-on effect on the club game as more people, knowing they could play for their country on one of the biggest stages in rugby, will boost numbers at existing clubs and potentially boost the number of clubs as new ones are formed.

But hey, i’m no expert.

Brendan Fanning: 'The problem with the good times in this country is we expect them to roll on forever.'

DC000 1 hour ago

It’d a problem Easterby was incompetent. The real problem begins if Farrell and the IRFU were the ones pulling the strings on it.

Peneis a terrible rugby player put in a no win position. It’s not his fault he’s crap. But he should have never been placed in that situation.

How the Six Nations affected the world rankings

SC 1 hour ago

I thought after losing at home by 15 points to France that France would have moved to 3 and Ireland fall to 4.

4 Go to comments

FD 1 hour ago

'We've earned the right': Georgia boss wants Six Nations play-off vs Wales

Expansion not relegation.

The blazers at HQ are holding this sport back.

Yuka Kanematsu: Japan’s accidental coach taking SVNS by storm

sorrel 1 hour ago

Japan have been the story of the women’s side of this sevens series. It’s so exciting watching them improve everytime they show up. Their coach sounds awesome.

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

SC 1 hour ago

PT 2 hours ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

Ireland gets a D? how embarrassing for them