Well done Scotland . . .

Scotland beat France 27-23 . . . and Wales are Six Nations Champions!

Cymru am byth!

Excellent championship, plenty of excitement and drama right to the end. France will be kicking themselves for not kicking that ball out of play at the end when the championship was gone but the game was won.

The next WC is 2 years off, so they might get lucky still...their luck/bad- luck at WC's are epic.

Scotty has been good for a few seasons now, but they lost badly against Japan at the RWC...ho w good was that Japanese side really? They beat a very good Irish team too....yet South Africa dispatched them easily in the quarters, as we did in the warm-up match.

Yeah but that first try really wasn’t a try, was it ?

France had the game won a few times....and made critical mistakes and unbelievably dumb decisions. French fans really have my sympathies.

Duhan scored two tries but enabled two Scottish tries....a mixed bag. I doubt he will get the Lions starting role.

"Duhan scored two tries but enabled two Scottish tries...."

So according to Moffie Duhan van der Merwe scored 2 of Scotland's tries and enabled 2 others. 

Well, quite how he assisted Dave Cherry's try is anyone's guess but Scotland only scored 3 tries in total so you have to wonder what game the drunken old fool was watching!

LMAO!

Time will tell....he also got hopelessly gassed by the young Welshman.

Saffy is very funny, no context to numbers. No evaluation. I trust Moz more because he picks up on details. Saffy is the same person who said that Morne's 80% tackle efficiency wasn't good enough, nor his superior try and attacking stats to the pretenders and other records making him the most successful and highly decorated 10 in Bok history. All emotional bluster, and that's why he is almost always wrong on everything. If &Dugan has the support of Herr Omlett and Saffy, this may be a turning point in his career 

Should we not call them the Scotboks given Ollie Kebble did a brilliant cameo, made some strong carries in the french 22 to suck in defenders and probably help created the space for Duhan to create the 2nd try. 

Dam shame we never capped him for the boks. Would love to have a big speedy winger to compliment our current wings. 

Probably wrong shade

Big certainly....speedy, not so sure. Zamm it and Penaud were the best wings on view on the 6 Nations.

I was enthusiastic about Duhan based on some highlights I saw. But I lost elevation as the 6 Nations tournament went on. Not particularly good under the high ball, slow thinking....apt to go missing if not fed the ball. Certainly he is going to take some stopping 5 metres out, but he is no Lomu.

Then there’s defense....which frankly is not that good. It was a poor miss for the Frog try. Most Team of the Six Nations reporters prefer Watson.

Would I pick him ahead of Mapimpi....probably not.

Nkosi is just a promise....Mapimpi has at least accomplished something.

The ranking among the experts you so admire appears to be Watson, May, Adams, Liam Williams,  Wuhan.

Dave you won’t be satisfied until we have props on the wing, you have learned nothing from Cheslin Kolbe.

Saffex, you must remember, stats are only important to Moffie when they support a player he likes. If the stats favour a Duhan van der Merwe or a Pieter-Steph du Toit then they're a waste of time.

Moffie should rather stick to his weight group when it comes to rugby. Omlett and Baboon-ou are about his level.

Oh shame Rooipeepie has crawled out of his bottle.

Mapimpi is the best and most complete SA wing, and especially the most intelligent. Nkosi was good in 2019, not great. Defence and passivity are problems. 

British Lions first team:

Sky sports:

15 Stuart Hogg (Scotland); 14 Anthony Watson (England), 13 Garry Ringrose (Ireland), 12 Manu Tuilagi (England), 11 Josh Adams (Wales); 10 Finn Russell (Scotland), 9 Tomos Williams; 1 Cian Healy (Ireland), 2 Ronan Kelleher (Ireland), 3 Kyle Sinckler (England), 4 Maro Itoje (England), 5 Alun Wyn Jones (Wales, captain)

Planet Rugby:

Our Lions team: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Liam Williams, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Louis Rees-Zammit, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Justin Tipuric, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 Alun Wyn Jones (c), 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Rory Sutherland
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 James Ryan, 20 Josh Navidi, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Dan Biggar, 23 Henry Slade

amie Roberts' Lions XV to face South Africa

15 Stuart Hogg (Scotland), 14 Anthony Watson (England), 13 George North (Wales), 12 Robbie Henshaw (Ireland), 11 Josh Adams (Wales), 10 Dan Biggar (Wales), 9 Conor Murray (Ireland); 1 Wyn Jones (Wales), 2 Ken Owens (Wales), 3 Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), 4 Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), 5 Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), 6 Hamish Watson (Scotland), 7 Tom Curry (England), 8 Taulupe Faletau (Wales).

Charlie Inglefield:

This is another area of strength for the British and Irish Lions. There are many contenders not least the exciting emergence of Louis Rees-Zammit. This is Stuart Hogg’s time after two previous Lions tours. He is a consistent shining beacon of industry and attacking intent for Scotland. Hogg would work well with the twinkle-toed Anthony Watson, who has been criminally underused by England in recent years. The other wing position is very difficult to call. There are the likes of Jonny May, Josh Adams, Duhan van der Merwe, James Lowe and Keith Earls.

Sport Joe

Current Lions XV pecking order (back-up option in brackets)

15. Stuart Hogg (Liam Williams)
14. Louis Rees-Zammit (Keith Earls)
13. George North (Chris Harris)
12. Robbie Henshaw (Jonathan Davies)
11. Josh Adams (Duhan van der Merwe)
10. Johnny Sexton (Dan Biggar)
9. Conor Murray (Gareth Davies

And then there is Jim Telfer, the legendary coach who makes exactly the same points about Wuhan that I made.....stick with moz:

’

I hesitate to say too much about individual Scots and their aspirations to tour with the Lions but I hope we should get perhaps five or six players in the wider squad including Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell. I wouldn’t select him for his poor defence but Duhan van der Merwe may go given his raw speed and power. Rory Sutherland, Hamish Watson and Jamie Ritchie can all keep their fingers crossed. Ritchie played his best game this season for Scotland against France but only after a relatively quiet Six Nations. Still only 24, he would benefit more than most by touring with the Lions.’

‘poor defence’....spot on Jim.....Cheslin would make a monkey out of the big lump.

Well, I have been fan of Duhan for some time. I have to agree with Dave that you simply don't become the top try scorer. Especially when you have to work your way over the try line rather than just jogging across with no one in-front of you.

I’m just pulling Dave’s leg...Duhan is a powerful wing and will be a menace to defend if he’s in the Lions squad. But like other big wings, Lomu for example, he isn’t that good once turned, nor for a big chap is he authoritative under the high ball. And I don’t think his tackling is reliable.

So it’s  a mixed bag. There will be a lot of pressure on Gatland to choose among Liam Williams, Adams, Watson and May....it’s not clear Wuhan will be picked.

Yeah, not really seen him being tested with balls in behind him or in the air. That has always been a good ploy to get the big wingers to turn around and tire them out. 

The only player that I thought was amazing under the high ball was Isreal Falou

Folau was money under the high ball. Habana was flawless too. 

Aplon and Cheslin is absolutely fearless under the high balls too. I actually thought his diminutive hight would count against Cheslin when competing under the high ball...boy was I wrong!

Aplon was much stronger in contact. Took on Muliaina, Nonu and Rocokoco, knocking them back with ease for the Boks. Their plan to dominate him physically failed spectacularly. Something about the coloureds, tend to be much stronger than the black backs despite often weighing in the 77-85kg bracket. 

Most resilient physique I've seen...hard as nails, string as steel......Kaapse manne is duidelik lekke!

His mom drives a Ford. She must be tough too.

You cannot leave Louis Rees-Zammit out...he is a star in the making. Duhan too .I think the 6 nations (minus 2 being France and Italy) has a great pool of choice. It's lovely to see Scots players that imo oust Englands individually...an unheard of situation but also Wales and Ireland. England 

players seem to got stale in conformity. They seem to have problems of  too much conformity except for a few standouts..

I think the great Lions team under Willie John Mc Bride (ireland) had a good dose of Welsh players also Gordon Brown and "Mighty Mouse" McLaughlin (Scotland) if my memory serves me right.

I surmise this Lions team will test the Boks to the utmost.

!974 Lions team comprised of the following...but what a side

Fullbacks:

• JPR Williams (London Welsh and Wales)
• Andy Irvine (Heriot's FP and Scotland)

Wings:

• Tom Grace (St Mary's College RFC and Ireland)
• J.J. Williams (Llanelli and Wales)
• William Steele (Bedford and R.A.F. and Scotland)
• Clive Rees (London Welsh and Wales)
• Alan Morley (Bristol and England) as replacement

Centres:

• Richard Milliken (Bangor and Ireland)
• Ian McGeechan (Headingley and Scotland)
• Roy Bergiers (Llanelli and Wales)
• Geoff Evans (Coventry and England)

Flyhalves:

• Phil Bennett (Llanelli and Wales)
• Alan Old (Leicester and England)
• Mike Gibson (North of Ireland FC and Ireland) as replacement

Scrumhalves:

• Gareth Edwards (Cardiff and Wales)
• John Moloney (St. Mary's College and Ireland)

Forwards[edit]

Hookers

• Bobby Windsor (Pontypool and Wales)
• Ken Kennedy (London Irish and Ireland)

Props

• Ian McLauchlan (Jordanhill College RFC and Scotland)
• Sandy Carmichael (West of Scotland and Scotland)
• Fran Cotton (Coventry and England)
• Mike Burton (Gloucester and England)

Locks

• Willie John McBride (capt) (Ballymena and Ireland)
• Chris Ralston (Richmond and England)
• Gordon Brown (West of Scotland and Scotland)
• Roger Uttley (Gosforth and England)

Loose Forwards

• Fergus Slattery (Blackrock College and Ireland)
• Stewart McKinney (Dungannon and Ireland)
• Tom David (Llanelli and Wales)
• Tony Neary (Broughton Park and England)
• Andy Ripley (Rosslyn Park and England)
• Mervyn Davies (Swansea and Wales)