Six Nations in a Pandemic?
No one loves the game more than I, but is it morally right for the Six Nations to go ahead this year?
The French government have recently forced the postponement of two rounds of European club rugby, but insist the Six Nations are not in doubt. So Toulouse cannot travel to Exeter, for example, because it’s not safe, but France can still travel to Twickenham in March?
I understand there are "tighter bubbles" in professional rugby (indeed all professional sport) but is it right to have a Six Nations competition this year?
Perhaps a 4 nation home tournament should've been called for? Whatever, it's going ahead (at the moment) and for me, whoever wins on 13th March at Twickenham will lift the trophy.
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Hi jonray, perhaps you could call it, er lets say, a Tier 6 or Tier 4 competition?!!
Not sure why a 'home tournament' will be less risky if, as you say, the participants are in a 'bubble?
Would have to say that for people in Cornwall think anywhere in Devon, like Exeter, is inherently unsafe!|
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Like you I do love the 6 nations, but personally think it should not go ahead, for sure somebody is going to break the rules, and then there will be a big out cry and naming and shaming.
France I think are a couple of weeks behind the Uk with regards to the UK variant of covid, so by March they could be suffering badly, as for the game, well, they tried to stop all that hugging in football, in rugby it is part of the game
Will miss it, but look at all the trouble they are having down in Aus to stage a tennis tornament, four nations maybe, give us something to watch whilst in lock down.
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It's not just rugby. Other sports appear to be sacrosanct as well. Going back to the beginning, Think of that Emirates game and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Imagine the difference had we cancelled them.
We've got close to 4 million cases( that we know of), a body count north of 100K and the virus finding new ways to play silly beggars. When are we going to start taking this seriously?
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No one enjoys their rugby more than me, in all its forms, but what baffles me is the gender 'discrimination'. Why defer the women's tournament and not the men's. What is the justification in that? Personally I think the men's really should have been put on hold. However, I will be glued to every game and I hope for excellent and enjoyable yet safe contests. Come on England!
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Bonjour Jonray, Couldn't resist as it’s been a while since I needed to practice my French so;
“bien sûr sa confiture d'abord”!
Our village cafe is called.......”Jam First” and the pub next door shows most international games but don’t think we will be viewing there, pint in hand.
Should they go ahead? I think the only difference with many other ‘workplaces’ is that we see what goes on and find it difficult to see why athletes ‘at work’ should be viewed differently than others.
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Merci!
Yes, we are very, very lucky and I will pass on you comments.
Our Grandson was inadvertently the inspiration for the name and loves to stop there for a hot chocolate.During the last lockdown they gave him a huge bag of marshmallows so he wouldn’t go without!
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Looks rather like our Northern Neighbours are being very generous in the first 30 minutes today !! England giving penalty after penalty but Scotland only 3 points ahead.
I think they could get the blooming game " done away wi' "
T' Jocks just missed a gift of a Try when the ball bounced too high for the runner, cleared him by about six (6) centimetres, no more !!
Does not matter, they have got a try at last
England 0 ~~ 8 Scotland { and deservedly so !! }
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Probably the poorest English performance I've had the displeasure of watching. To a man they were poor.
A team can only play as well as the opposition will let them and Scotland were just brilliant. They were really up for the challenge and thoroughly deserved their victory.
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Oh, 'ecky thump That was a classic !! With Ireland a man light { it's a good job the common taters kept reminding me } and me playing on CT I must have made loads of errors on 'ere today but I hope England have recorded it and insist on it being shewn to the whole England Squad at every opportunity.
I bet Italy and Romania ( amongst others ) will shew it as a First Class demonstration of how to play and get England removed from the European scene for a decade or three
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Very poor performance by England and a very good performance from Ireland this weekend. Wales were mediocre but did get that needed result, Italy are just in a slightly lower league albeit a very young side.
For me the difference between Ireland and England was the mentality of the players. The Irish were talking to each other constantly geeing, commiserating and encouraging each other to play for country and one another. The English just played their method game in a lame and lacklustre fashion in my opinion. Scotland too, seemed to adopt a similar mentality to the Irish and well done to them beating the old enemy!
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Agree Micky, very poor indeed.
After listening to Sam Warburton's comments about Italy not being good enough after fielding a youthful side against the French, I sincerely hope they run rings around the mediocre ancient Welsh side when they meet at round 3 in Rome! How else does he think young talent can be introduced into International rugby? Like the Welsh, by fielding one or two and bringing them into a side riddled with arthritis and off the bench for 10 minutes?!??!! Hats off to the Italians. At least they recognise their inabilities and are trying something different.
I hope, too, that Scotland build on their success at Twickenham and don't flatter to decieve, as they have so often in the past. Looking forward to seeing them against Wales next week.
Oh this wonderful game!
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I always hate to see players sent off. Yes, I understand the need to make rugby safer, particularly when we see injuries like that inflicted upon Jack Willis, (incidentally no card shown) and the call to ban the so called crocodile roll. However, I think that too much is based on the 'immediate' use of the video ref. in slowmo. For deliberate, premeditated and wilfully dangerous play the red is a must but for those other incidents where several video reruns and frame by frame inquests are inflicted on us a better solution may be a yellow card and the incident put immediately on official report by the officials much like in Rugby League. In Union too much is placed on coaches making a citing request after the game if they feel an justice or an incident has been overlooked which can lead to accusations of vindictiveness and witch hunts. In my opinion it would be better for spectators and teams to know that the powers that be will deal with appropriate punishment or acquittal in a more timely manner. Yes, Zander Fagerson's clear out was ill timed, reckless but never premeditated in my opinion, he is not a thug. He needs to modify his play but a yellow card and the knowledge of an official investigation to follow would probably make him think and this would be better for that game and the game in general.
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Yup would give you that, but for me France will be No1 this year, England beat Italy but it was a mediocre performance at best and 2 tries were very suspect, not a rugby player but i always thought it was illegal to jump in the air to avoid a tackle and that is what Jonny May did, and Nigel Owens agrees
Wales-Scotland great game but i think France Ireland today will be a cracker 
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Inflicted on you maybe MSF, I prefer to know the facts than accept a refs non view but decision anyway or a ref bowing to a pack of bullies. Facts is the way for me👍🏻
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I'm pleased for Wales and in particular for Wayne Pivac who had a very hard act to follow in Warren Gatland and has had to put up with a lot of stick.
But hang on, S, don't get carried away - England and France still to come, so a healthy dose of reality needed! 👍
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Not illegal to dive for the line, which is what Jonny May did and as Nigel Owens' a Welshman he would say that wouldn't he. If it been Lliam Williams that had done the same it wouldn't have been questioned, I'm sure.
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Interesting weekend and some interesting points raised. Agree with Micky's comments about the use of yellow card and not slow-mo replays (which like VAR are spoiling the game). I have utter respect for Nigel Owens, but since his retirement, he seems to have forgotten the laws of rugby! May's try was a touch of brilliance in an otherwise lacklustre England performance (exc.Anthony Watson and Maro Itoje) England's problem at the moment is at 12 and I don't think the skipper deserves his place.
Scotland handed a win to Wales like a gift-wrapped Christmas present. The outstanding performance for me over the whole weekend, however, was a young Rees-Zammit. He was absolutely brilliant and one to watch for the future.
Ireland Vs France was another dull Shaun Edwards coached affair, with only fleeting moments to keep one from snoozing following a Sunday roast. Had Ireland been able to field a full strength squad, they may well have edged it.
The French seem to be the team to beat, but that 'lump of lard' at 23 stone will never catch Mr Rees-Zammit!
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Have you booked the same ref? !
Seriously, Wales deserved to win the game or, more accurately, England deserved to lose on account of their total lack of discipline. Can't see Wales beating France though, but I'll be rooting for them all the same!
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WTG and Scoutman, plus any other 'people of the valleys' - if you can honestly 'crow' about that victory, you need to hang your heads in shame! Seriously!!
In over 50 years of playing and watching rugby, I have never seen such a disgraceful display of refereeing. Even your own bretheren, Jonathon Davies, was too embarassed to applaud a Welsh victory. It was a toss-up for him whether to award MOM to Faletau or the Frenchman!! The look of amazement on Rees-Zammit's face after he'd knocked-on tells you enough. Disgraceful. I'm not saying Wales didn't deserve their victory, they did. But a truer reflection of 26-24?
Going back to my OP....Six Nations in a Pandemic....just goes to show if you field 5 players who are not currently playing club rugby because of Covid, they get found out at International level. For me the whole competiton, as well as the re-arranged 'Nations last/this year has lost it's sparkle and continuity.
Wales still have to play France - but would you want to? When/if the game goes ahead, hopefully it'll be officiated by individuals who know what they are doing.
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