Six Nations Thread. Fuck off Lewis.

[Winston Churchill]

[shaun.lawson]

Some thoughts:

1. As the 'traditional' nation with far and away the least resources, the last thing Scotland can afford are injuries: least of all up front. Yes, Wales had injuries too - but they also have more depth.

2. The thing about playing the way Scotland want to is... it's really hard to do. Really hard. Can't be done without some degree of structure - but structure only comes from the platform provided by the forwards, which is where the injuries proved so important.

3. For many years now, Scotland have been overhyped going into the Championship and Wales written off. Objective analysis? Or wishful thinking? In European terms, Wales have been there, seen it, done it, and have a grizzled old fox of a coach. Whereas...

4. It took an absolute world class coach, the fantastic Vern Cotter, to shovel through 20 tons of shit and put Scotland back on the map. Is Gregor Townsend as good as Cotter? No slight on him if he's not - he'll need a decade more experience to become so IMO.

But coaching Scotland is a hard, hard job. Hardest in the Six Nations I think, given that Italy have zero real expectations. And the thing about Townsend as a player was: he was a romantic. An idealist. Capable of the sort of brilliant off-the-cuff, instinctive play we used to associate with the French - but inconsistent and undisciplined. You never knew what you were going to get with him - so naturally, his team seems the same.

[Ray Winstone]

Wouldn't be a six nations thread without Lawson sounding like a patronising wanker

[shaun.lawson]

Wouldn't be a six nations thread without Lawson sounding like a patronising wanker

Wouldn't be a Six Nations thread without Scotland fans (but not the excellent, knowledgeable Mr Seeger) getting wildly ahead of themselves before a ball is even kicked.

[Del-icious]

Couldn't care less about rugby but I hope we ride England rotten just to shut Lawson up.

[Pete Seeger]

Well that was a sobering experience. Hindsight's a wonderful thing but tinkering with the backline cost us badly as did poor decision making from the half backs. When Russell's good he's great but he was fucking terrible today and needs to learn when it's on and when it isn't and how to be a bit more conservative with it. He wasn't helped by having Huw Jones outside him who wasn't helped by having some diddy from Newcastle outside him. Tried to go wide without earning it and there's absolutely no point innplaying a Du Preeze or a Denton if you're not going to give them the ball around the fringe.

Townsend once again showed wanting when plan A doesn't come off as he was time and again with Glasgow. Gatland schooled him today, sadly.

Bizarrely the only thing that went ok today was the scrum. Who'd have thought it.

Anyway, allez les blues.

[Currahee!]

Who won the shoving contest?

[Currahee!]

Scratch that. Scotland pumped.

I thought they had a chance? Obviously not.

[shaun.lawson]

State of French rugby.

OK, they're only 6 points down, but it makes me sad. Reminds me of West Indies cricket.

[Pete Seeger]

It'd help if they didn't have to contend with Nigel Owens Ireland. Sick of watching him ref Munster, Leinster and the national side.

[Sarkozabal]

That must be Russell's worst game for Scotland by a distance. Never seen him so panicky with the ball.

He was dreadful, but none of our other big players in Hogg, Jones or Barclay turned up either, and he was brilliant in autumn but McInally had a shocker at hooker

As Pete says, bizarrely the one part of the game we were worried about held up well in the scrum, and the areas that we were confident about (backs and the lineout) were a shambles

No doubt that this will hit the squad hard and we tough to come back from. Probably calls for bringing back the experience of Dunbar, Richie Gray, Maitland and maybe even Laidlaw next time round to try to settle things. 10 minutes of naivety early doors cost us the game, and another 5 minutes just after half time cost us any chance of getting back into it.

[Pete Seeger]

[Pete Seeger]

hope sexton has a stroke.

[Big Physical Acey]

He probably will when he watches the replay of that kick.

[shaun.lawson]

[shaun.lawson]

How many phases was that? 40 or something? In difficult conditions? Insane.

[Sarkozabal]

Have France had a single reliable kicker in the last 10 years? Sexton wouldn't have had the chance to go for the drop goal if Belleau hadn't missed a kick that every other team's kicker would make in their sleep.

[shaun.lawson]

Have France had a single reliable kicker in the last 10 years? Sexton wouldn't have had the chance to go for the drop goal if Belleau hadn't missed a kick that every other team's kicker would make in their sleep.

Totally agree - but Sexton missed one he should certainly make too. I can't remember a reliable French kicker since Lamaison, about 20 years ago now. Maybe Beauxis at a push - but he only played for them for about a year, and Laporte comically took him off during the 2007 World Cup semi-final when he'd been doing everything right.

[Winston Churchill]

Jocks are not the same side without the usual 50% plastic jocks

[Groot]

Shaun post deleted, Urgay qualifying for theRugby World Cup has nothing to do with the Six Nations