6 NATIONS 2021

[Scott1]

This is a team that had to dig Dan Lydiate up dont forget

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

Englands strength in depth in certain positions is hardly amazing either or we don't know as EJ won't/can't select certain players.
Whilst Wales bought back Lydiate at least he was in form & playing for his "Club".
There are 4 Pro teams in Wales & Ireland, 2 in Scotland, so the fact they are able to compete with England suggests they are better at talent development if nothing else.

[sam16111986]

Englands strength in depth in certain positions is hardly amazing either or we don't know as EJ won't/can't select certain players.
Whilst Wales bought back Lydiate at least he was in form & playing for his "Club".
There are 4 Pro teams in Wales & Ireland, 2 in Scotland, so the fact they are able to compete with England suggests they are better at talent development if nothing else.

Apart from the players they've selected that have come through the English system? They also have their pro teams built around supplying players to the national team. The Welsh Regions are a failure almost every year in the Pro 14/16 whatever it is now. WRU don't seem to mind.

The problem for England was that their core players barely played pre the 6N. Not just the Sarries guys either. The rest played a couple of games in about two months. Eddie underestimated the impact of that.

[JP14]

Ah it was his plan all along to lose loads of games in a row

I wonder if they trot out the patriotic speech every time they face England? Is that really what motivates a group of professionals, or is that just a lovely story for the Welsh fans? "It's all about you, Welsh rugby fans..."

He also capped a lot of new players, and tried to bring a more expansive style to Wales. The year after a world cup is the time to lose games.

To be fair, I don't know how many players Eddie Jones has capped since the world cup. But it does seem like England are at least 12 months behind Wales in the WC cycle. There's a lot of time for things to change though.

Since the World Cup, the following England players have had their first caps:

• Beno Obano (1)

• Tom Dunn (3)

• George Furbank (4)

• Jonny Hill (8)

• Ollie Lawrence (4)

• Max Malins (4)

• George Martin (1)

• Jack Willis (3)

Although Jones has blooded new players, number of minutes have been extremely limited, lots of those players came on the pitch for their debut with only a minute left. It's not that England have blooded new players, it's how Eddie Jones misused them that has been his downfall in the 2021 Six Nations.

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

It just seems to me that it was a huge missed opportunity by England, but the fundamental problems with Club v Country in England is down to the RFU being slow off the mark at the dawn of professionalism & being beaten to it by the clubs but specifically Newcastle.

As an aside does anyone know apart from the obvious Rugby ability that Reffell & Costelow ended up at Tigers, was it Education that brought them to the area?

[Dokie]

If you had seen the Scarlets play under Pivac it was obvious that there would be a period of adjustment with the national side.
As for the next World Cup Wales do have a few who will do well to get there, but so do England, Wales are definitely changing how they are playing, whether England are going to is another matter, but you have to think an opportunity was missed by EJ this 6N to try some other players & leave the rusty players out, but for whatever reason he chose not to.

Apart from at full back (where ironically England have endless options), we have depth like we’ve never had before. Biggar brings certain attributes that others don’t but I’ve never thought he fits the Pivac model but our best two tens are still out with long term injuries - Anscombe and Patchell.
Of the older players, AWJ will be 38 but every report you read, people say how he’s defies his age. Shaw was still top class at that age. Just hope Jon Davies can avoid another knee injury. The other aged 30+ players will be fine.

Where’s the depth? Who’s next in line at 1,2,3,4,5,8,12,13 for example. The lock cupboard is bare,after “The Warrior” I wouldnt even take the next in line in the Tigers matchday XV such is the drop off. Who is the next LH after Wyn Jones,hooker after Owens,TH are nothing to write home about either. Massive drop off from Faletau and is North a full time OC? What happens when JD2 retires? Strength in depth is something Wales certainly DONT have,imo of course.

Yawn

[Dokie]

It just seems to me that it was a huge missed opportunity by England, but the fundamental problems with Club v Country in England is down to the RFU being slow off the mark at the dawn of professionalism & being beaten to it by the clubs but specifically Newcastle.

As an aside does anyone know apart from the obvious Rugby ability that Reffell & Costelow ended up at Tigers, was it Education that brought them to the area?

Both were born in Pencoed. Costelow went to Oakham School. Reffell was somehow pinched by Tigers from Ospreys academy when he was 15/16.

[Dokie]

Englands strength in depth in certain positions is hardly amazing either or we don't know as EJ won't/can't select certain players.
Whilst Wales bought back Lydiate at least he was in form & playing for his "Club".
There are 4 Pro teams in Wales & Ireland, 2 in Scotland, so the fact they are able to compete with England suggests they are better at talent development if nothing else.

Apart from the players they've selected that have come through the English system? They also have their pro teams built around supplying players to the national team. The Welsh Regions are a failure almost every year in the Pro 14/16 whatever it is now. WRU don't seem to mind.

The problem for England was that their core players barely played pre the 6N. Not just the Sarries guys either. The rest played a couple of games in about two months. Eddie underestimated the impact of that.

Apart from the players they've selected that have come through the English system? They also have their pro teams built around supplying players to the national team. The Welsh Regions are a failure almost every year in the Pro 14/16 whatever it is now. WRU don't seem to mind.

There isn’t the money in the regional game for them to compete with the top clubs in Europe and with the Irish in the pro 14. With a lower salary cap, they just don’t have the depth when injuries kick in.

[Big Dai]

It just seems to me that it was a huge missed opportunity by England, but the fundamental problems with Club v Country in England is down to the RFU being slow off the mark at the dawn of professionalism & being beaten to it by the clubs but specifically Newcastle.

As an aside does anyone know apart from the obvious Rugby ability that Reffell & Costelow ended up at Tigers, was it Education that brought them to the area?

Both were born in Pencoed. Costelow went to Oakham School. Reffell was somehow pinched by Tigers from Ospreys academy when he was 15/16.

Bloke has some taste then?

[kk20gb30]

The Rugby Paper (4/4/21) lead with the story by Peter Jackson that a joint bid in the region of £100 million from the BBC and ITV could well be enough to keep the tournament on terrestrial television .Apparently the competitive nature of the bid coupled with supposed public opposition to a paywall viewing may well be enough to tip the balance in favour of the free to air channels.The length of the deal is reputedly 2 or 3 seasons.
The feature also speculates that Amazon are favorites to gain broadcast rights for for the Autumn International series.A decision could be revealed as early as this week.

[JP14]

The Rugby Paper (4/4/21) lead with the story by Peter Jackson that a joint bid in the region of £100 million from the BBC and ITV could well be enough to keep the tournament on terrestrial television .Apparently the competitive nature of the bid coupled with supposed public opposition to a paywall viewing may well be enough to tip the balance in favour of the free to air channels.The length of the deal is reputedly 2 or 3 seasons.
The feature also speculates that Amazon are favorites to gain broadcast rights for for the Autumn International series.A decision could be revealed as early as this week.

I'm praying it does stay on terrestrial but it would help if the powers that be moved the Six Nations into 'Category A' of the Crown Jewel sports to prevent this kind of thing from happening in future.

I think Amazon could do a good job with getting the rights for the Autumn Series though, I thought their coverage of the ANC was reasonable.

[Scott1]

Eddie Jones to remain as coach after 6N review

[kk20gb30]

Eddie remains in place though a series of recommendations are to be implemented prior to the July Tests.Without doubt Eddie J still has credit in the bank , nor it must be said , is there an obvious successor and this, together with undoubted effect of Covid was always going to see the status quo remain.
The salient points/details from the RFU:

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/eddie-jo ... ns-review/

[kk20gb30]

Fixtures and dates for the 2022 Tournament just released :

https://www.sixnationsrugby.com/fixtures/

https://www.sixnationsrugby.com/2021/04 ... announced/

Next , I guess, comes news of the TV deal.....

[GETHIN EXILE]

The 6 unions and the organizers are still missing a trick, play the competition over 5 consecutive weekends with fixed squads as in a world cup. This would ensure that the teams were properly prepared for the demands of a world cup campaign and also make it easier for the clubs.
There should also only be 3 Autumn internationals thus enabling a complete cancellation of premiership fixtures during "international windows".
If there is a premiership cup competition then make it an under 23's with 3 games played during AI weeks and the final pool games, semis and final played on weekends 1 ,3 and 5 of the 6nations.