okay, not sure mex but probably

Healy has been banned for the next 2 6Nation matches.

Seems fair enough, thought he might miss all 3 maybe.

Hope he learns from this. He's a talented guy who appears to be getting his scrummaging together, could be one of the best in the world if that continues to strengthen.

If you want a game that is biased toward attractive rugby head on over the the Rugby League board
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oooooooooooooooooooo

to be fair though, if someone could have made a ball that was easier to catch and pass 50 years ago, theyd have done it then.

if you want a game where the forwards play a more traditional role, then stop pinging a team whenever a maul is formed which seems to be de rigeur these days. for me when the backs have got the ball, they might as well be given the best chance to do something decent with it.

im not that fussed about it btw - just a thought.

thinking about it though, to me lots of rain used to meant forwards sticking it up their jumpers. if you want a bit of variety that's fine. but what you get with the laws now isnt forwards sticking it up their jumper, it's just backs dropping the ball all the time. to me that's no good for anyone.

Seen the Healy decision and it's the right one in my opinion. That stamp was disgusting and I'm with you Sporty, I thought he'd get banned for the rest of the Six Nations.

Seen your article JPB on Gatland - I was thinking the same. Surely if English players are better than the rest in their respective positions then they should be in ahead of other nations' players? Right?

Ye Healy got the ban we all knew he would. 2 6 nations matches does seem a little lenient and im with youit would have been perfectly acceptable to got for the remainder of the competition. Anyway, with ireland suffering from a bit a crises when it come to front row forwards this will have a very heavy impact on the team and i guess thats the biggest punishment. Knowing that he has let this team mates down.

RKW
To be fair ments this next comment may cause a stir but im gonna call it as i see it. England are very very good at the moment but they are more than the sum of their parts. Like Munster between 2004 and 2008 best club side in Europe but when you looked at the names on the team sheet you would have to agree that only a few of them would have made the starting 15 for Toulouse or Leicester Tigers but munster were better because of the unity.

In my honest opinion England are a little similar,where the whole package results in the best team in the 6n's but not at all the best individuals in each position. If you pick the best players from each of the Lions nations for each position you will find 4 or 5, 6 at a stretch are English.

So in reality can we expect a Lions team to be a mejority of English lads? I doubt it but a healthy mix of the best of the 4 nations is likely

To be honest I probably agree with you but what I was saying was, that if for example 10 English players were better in their individual positions than the rest then they should be ahead of anyone else. I don't think it will be the case but I don't think Gatland should be saying that because to me it seems he won't pick the best players therefore not have the best team available.

Well he did say that if the best 15 players are English then he would have no problem selecting 15 English players. But you know there is another article today about this gaff from Gats and in reality it could run and run and run if its allowed. Gatland is always making crazy statements like this and then ignoring himself. "No welsh player outside of a welsh club will be selected for wales" he also said that a fair few times but half the welsh team are playing in france or the english premiership. LOL he just doesn't let his brain engage when his lips are flapping.

In the end we have to realise that gatland's operates independent from his brain.

Gatland's *mouth* operates... etc etc

RKW here is a worry for me and i said this months and month ago in a conversation with SARS when the news officially broke that Gatland would manage the Lions.

My concern is this. Gatland is a polarizing figure. Down the years he has insulted every other team at some point. I concede he is the best manager but he has been publicly harsh with Ireland and England in the past and my fear is that would cause a tour where regardless of who he chooses the other nations players, Ireland, England and Scotland would be looking at him thinking "What a W-*****" "Remember he said this...." etc etc

and this business with the English players, who regardless of Gatland's personal feeling, are earning places on merit! but he could well end up with a team who bloody hate him and that's just not what the Lions tour is all about.

If that be the case where he has a team full of players who dislike him then the results will go against him. He'll have some serious questions to answer come the end of the tour. I don't think that's the right way to go about things with the way he is, but like you said he's the best manager so we'll have to wait and see.

Liverpool's Joe Allen would be a fantastic rugby player - only ever passes backwards or sideways!

As Ding says Gats has got a gob on him. I'm not so worried about him alienating the English and Irish lads though...those bonding exercises and the nature of rugby as a sport makes teams come together pretty fast.

We all remember the problems Henry had with some of the players feeling alienated, Gats is too good a coach for this but he does still need to be careful.

In other News
Gordan D'Arcy has been ruled out for the remainder of the competition due to a foot injury.

So now we have lost
Sexton, D'Arcy, Zebo, Bowe, Ferris and Healy to the match ban.
Positively! Sexton is perhaps going to be back for the France game as his hamstring injury is being reported as a pull not a tear and should recover quickly.

We are seriously gonna struggle now. On the bright side it forces Declan Kidney to bring in some of the fringe players. Time to forget about the Six Nations as a competition and now focus only on developing the fringe players in the remaining match. There is nothing else positive i can think of doing from this position. BOD's last Six Nations.I feel for him a little.What a bloody anticlimax.

will it definitely be BOD's last 6 nations, he certainly looks fit and good enough to go on for another year

Has BOD actually said he'll finish after this championship?

What are we going to do with no games this weekend?!

Well Mex it a strange situation with BOD the media have been writing him off for the past 3 years. Before the WC he was "definitely" going to retire after the WC but he is still here.

But after this "Total Rugby" interview at Christmas the idea that he will retire has gathered a lot of momentum because he as much as said that this is his last 6 nations. However he has stated repeatedly that he loves rugby and will not retire until he feels he cant do it anymore. No question in my mind he the best ever player in the Outside center position and possibly the most dedicated player i have ever seen and if he retires it will be to plaudits from all corners by everyone, Part of me wants to see him sail off into the sunset but part of me is terrified of the 4 or 5 years it will take us to forget about him. Every game for years after BOD will be followed by... "Ifs and buts and that's wouldn't of happened if BOD was here"

But yes, they way he is talking and the way every game seems to be a final goodbye, it does look like the last time we see him will be the Lions tour (if he makes the tour)

RKW I will be watching the Rabo league i suggest you watch the premiership LOL

if he makes the tour

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if he doesnt it will be one of rugby biggest crimes ever,


even worse than cian healy's

Actually Mex look at the poetic Irony here.
O'Driscoll was chosen to play for Ireland before he had even touch a rugby ball for Leinster! Amazing foresight to see his talent straight out of the academy to the Irish National team.

If he retires after the lions tour he will have been chosen for a very rarr 4th Lions tour (an amazing accomplishment.) Not to mention his various records that he has.

The poetic part now!

Gatland was the manager of Ireland who saw the raw talent of BOD!
And Gatland might just be the last manager to see the talent of BOD!

Rugby poetry gents!

nice

Hey actually In the total rugby interview he was asked about the lions and he said something very interesting. Because most players asked about the lions say the same thing about it being a huge honor etc etc.

BOD said this (not word for word) "I have been to Australia it lovely but if i got back with the Lions i will only go with the purpose of winning. I i want to tour the country i'll do it on my holidays"

For me they are not only the words of a deserving lions player, those are the words of a Lions Captain.

he is a lions captain through and through that guy.

a gent, a leader, and a star player.

Looks like we'll have to discuss the Premiership & Super League on here today then.

I see Leeds won last night - why is it that they always finish 4th/5th in the table yet go on to win the title? Never understood that.

Anyone seen the Top Gear team playing rugby?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/21478732