Six Nations starts tomorrow

Italy get good consolation try. 

Congrates to Scotland and France.

Its always hard to rate a team playing against Italy, is the team good or do they just look good  because Italy are bad. Well I think its a bit of both. France scored some exciting tires but the Italian defense was awful and some of the French scores where off Italian mistakes when the Italians where on the front foot. I've never seen Italian's create so much offensively, I've never seen them construct as many phases, break the gain line in collisions as much or just break the opponents defensive line. There discipline was also quite a bit better than usual, but defensively they where often with France scoring some ridiculous easy scores. I know there has been like a million false dawn for the Italians before but this arguably the best base to build from since the joined the 6 nations.

The French are looking like the French of old, exciting running rugby with a touch of flare and not playing an ill suited power game. Still its too early to call.

Scotland-England. Well the Scots simply dominated. No one saw this coming. Its not like the Scots suddenly grew in body size but they simply dominated every facet of the game, from physicality to the tactics employed. Not sure if the English just where not mentally up for it, but they lacked their usual ferocity. They win when the bully teams but they just where lethargic today. Maybe its just a blip from England but these type of results are the reason why the 6 nations is so beloved by the home nations and France, its never really a one horse race. Certainly makes for a very open and exciting tournament. 

Wales Ireland tomorrow. Wales have been pretty poor run of form since they won the Grand Slam so Ireland would be favorites but Ireland have been very mediocre for the last two seasons, unless we say a considerable upturn in form from either of those two teams, I'd say regardless who wins its advantage France at this point .

Well done to the Scots. We were never in the game today, they kept us pinned back and we had no answers.

This has been a long time coming and what we need/deserve, I think. The team and way we play is stale. 

Eddie Jones is what one  would call a tosser, but he's a good coach and he man's up when his team losses.

The fact is that he English team has a problem - they have average forwards nd had the same for a while now.    In the WC final their forwards were demolished and on Saturday it was the Scots who leveled the playing field.

By the way the Van der Merwe try was a masterly performance as well.    Will be totally surprised  if he ii included in the Lions team  of this  year.   Van der Merwe was ignored by Ludeke and  Meyer and even though  wings are reserved for selection of players of color  - he should have been brought on board  years ago,   Erasmus also made a mistake by not bringing him on board - he would have been an excellent replacement for Le Roux.                 

Dave

That does not say much about the NZ forwards were not all that hot in the Tri-Nations games in 2020..   I saw part of the game and was no impressed with their forwards, their defense  and their rather ineffective  backline attacks.   I have no really made a study of what their problems may be  why they do not seem to fire on all cylinders.    Will have to make a careful study of the situation - but will wait and see  what happens in against the red-hot French team.  

I think that many full backs and wings have interchanged positions in the past and I would believe that a player has enough pace and strength tp play at full back.   Irrespective - my comments boils down to criticism of Erasmus for not doing anything to retain Van der Merwe for the Springbok set-up.   

I would rather have had Van der Merwe in the WC squad ahead of  Frans Steyn.