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P.S
“The Six Nations Council had a constructive meeting today and remains committed to finding a Six Nations solution for European Rugby in the best interests of the game.
“The Council also reaffirmed its commitment to abide by IRB regulations.”


Gentlemen "in the best interests of the GAME"

Clear statement from the 6 Nations council and the IRB that no one league organisation nor Union will be taking over jack $heeit

the six nations. Which i'm really looking forward to
___________________________________________

Savour it Ding, it could be the last that has any meaning.

And, as usual, . You are right on the money. I can only imagine a fair amount of squirming and foot shuffling as people read that.
for that.

You are deluded if you think that the three regions operate within the AP wage cap Ding, simple as that.

Once again to you make assumptions about what I believe based on nothing at all.

Oh and Show, 4k was attendance for Glasgow. Anyway, have fun.

Aristo

Thanks for that info, but that's the thing with stats. They only show part of the picture. 4000 sure beats the hell of the 1500ish average at Firhill a couple of years ago.

Now, any PRL side would kill for that %age increase in their gate, wouldn't you say.

Aristo. I know you want to believe there is a boogeyman under your bed with a wad full of cash. But is just not the case. The Provinces here are operating on a total budget of 6-7mil per year. There is not wage cap here but they have to run a club pay staff maintain a rugby ground etc etc before they can see what they have budgeted for players wages.

For some reason you think that the IRFU are some bottomless pit of money pumping endless €s into the provinces. Mate. We have won 2 six nations in 60 bloody years. Our Union are operation on the clipping of tin.

The fact is you are close to opposing arguments. You think im making assumptions on what you think?

Well quite frankly you are posting assumptions and i'm posting facts.

Frankly i question if you are sending comments from a computer terminal located in narnia.

DING!!!

And you pulled me up for "an epic dig".

Fair play to ye though, fair play to ye.

actually i regret it. Aristo is a good guy. wants the best for his side as we do for ours. This whole this is a pain just brings out the worst in me.

On the 6Nations Show. what's the injury situation with the scottish contingent? England look in good shape. We have lost O'Brian and it's increasingly likely that Earls has done in his knee last weekend. (not that i consider him that big a loss) France lost their captain to a nasty injury... can't spell his name and too lazy to look Dozzytwar? . And well wales have a list the length of my arm of injuries and a few over the hill players. Don't think they will be doing much certainly in the early part of the competition.

Ding

I'm afraid our injuries won't make a row of beans difference at the business end of the table. All Kellock is a big miss up front and with Visser out, whatever cutting edge we might have had will be blunted. Euan Murray was probably going to be out anyway but went and chopped his thumb off while cutting firewood the other day. Mind you he might not have featured even if he was fit.

Here's an interesting question for you. How many Scots do think would be a first pick in any other 6N side. Even I don't think there would be that many. How many would get in the Irish team. Kelly Brown in the back row I would think, but after that................. maybe Ryan Grant in the front row and Richie Gray. Couldn't see any of our backs adding to your back line

Well Visser is highly rated when fit. 3 years running the top pro12 try scorer. Imagine the damage he could do with a better team! Richie Grey... well 2 years ago yes but how is he doing now? Don't forget Hogg at FB a lightning rod. In fact better than visser in my opinion because he's a creator where visser is just an outstanding finisher.

Wait did you say Euan Murray cut his bloody thumb off? A piece or the whole thing? christ on a bike thats a career ending accident is it not?

I know Visser is good, but would you play him ahead of Fitzgerald or Bowe? And would you play Hogg ahead of Rob K? I'd be happy if you did think that.

Take the point about Richie. Hasn't been the same since he left Glasgow and probably wouldn't oust any of your 2nd rows, certainly not POC - God you've been lucky to have such a leader for so long.

I'd be interested in your view of Kelly Brown. To me he's one of the finest blindsides around. Head down, no nonsense kinda guy who cleans up better in the tight than anyone I've seen. But now Saracens are also putting 7 on his back, and he just aint quick enough about the park to be an open side.

Not sure about the details of Euan's injury, but it says it has finished his season. Sounds like a bit more than you could sort with a band aid.

I speak to many Irish fans elsewhere, and every one of the know that the three regions have a larger budget than the AP clubs, just not you. Instead you go down the insults and denial route.

On the subject of who has or has not got the biggest budget, wouldn't a bit of evidence be useful.

Aristo, Ding did at least lay out some financial theory behind his assertion/rant.

Your counter to that is little more than "a bloke down the pub told me, so it must be true"

Im not interested in propaganda Aristo. How about this. The misdirection of turning this into a debate about the irish system was your doing. Im happy to move on. I repeat myself. Stop using our system as a stick to beat us with. Stop using our system as a justification for the attempted destruction of our professional game. Our system is much the same as every other elite international team except yours. Get your own house in order and stop peering through the linen curtains at the neighbors. And quite frankly if you think im not going to defend my country and my team you are very much mistaken. take that as you will.

Concentrate on the issues created by your guys in PRL and the fact that they are pi$$ing about with professional rugby europe wide and indeed with the world cup preparation of your own country. Would you like me to quote Stuart Lancaster in regard to this?. Like i said. If you don't care about the rest of the european teams sobeit. But surely you care about the England team?

Back to the six nations with me. I'll be on the other article by RKW. ANd don't need this nonsense annoying me. SHOW i wouldn't call it a rant thanks mate. But possibly a spirited assertion...... or a rant. Still doesn't make it less true. Tho my tact could use some work.

SHOW
Ye we have been well lucky with PO'C's longevity but much of that is due to a long term injury which sidelined him twice for the better part of 2 years all told. Then you also have to count the importance of Rory Best as a leader. And of course Brian O'Driscoll goes without saying. A lot of talk about Heaslip as a leader, indeed he was given the captaincy by Kidney. STUPID mistake. Heaslip is a to$$er, good player, but a to$$er. and no leader in my opinion.

On Kelly Brown. Outstanding player. He would easily challenge for a spot on the Irish team. If not all the 6ns teams. Ye i worry about the role of a true seven disappearing. I mean with Richie McCaw still showing us what a 7 should do we still see teams playing lads at 7 when they are clearly 6 or 8 Sean O'Brian is another example. He was better playing blindside but we had Ferris on the scene for Ireland and so SO'B was moved to 7. then Leinster did it and now he's a seven but still not a McCaw 7. Still he's a hard running ball carrier and thats the 6 position as far as im concerned. Maybe just me though

Not just you Ding, me as well.

The traditionalist in me harks back to the day when it didn't matter what size or shape you were, there was somewhere on the rugby pitch for you. Nowadays, unless you are 6' 2" + and 17 stones, your options are much more limited. Not impossible, but much more limited.

MacCaw has been an awesome player and it would be very sad if the 7 role was beefed up so that we never again saw his like or even that of a Back or a Robinson, and can I mention Jeffrey.

That of course is at the elite level. At level 10 you still get fat guys, bean poles, midgets and old farts enjoying their runaround. The gap between the top and the bottom has never been greater and I fear that that gap could become a disconnect, what with all the video technology and stuff that I believe serves to undermine the authority of the ref. How long before the 'elite' don't have to call him Sir?

I used to think I was just a traditionalist, but now I'm resigned to the belief that I have become a dinosaur and that the rugby world has moved on without me. All these constant rule changes leave me baffled. I will give up altogether when the leg up for line out jumpers degenerates to them bringing on a springboard or a step ladder just like them plastic cones kickers use. What was so wrong with kicking out a divot to place the ball on?

Ding, if I go on any more I think spontaneous combustion might happen, so I'll leave it there

End of rant

PS Ding. Ranting is good for the soul.

I wouldnt get so het up about it myself, I dont think there will be any effect on international rugby, including teh Six Nations. The RFU are pretty clear that things which effect the international game are their business and those that effect the clubs are for the clubs, which seems very common sense, those doing teh job know how it should best be done.

The Six Nations has seen the addition of Italy, the introduction of Professionalism, the Heineken Cup and if you want to look wider, the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Soviet Union, the worst of times in Northern Ireland and even Status Quo but its still going, what might or might not happen is small beer compared to the past and I've no doubt this will have no effect.

There's teh opportunity for change in the club game that could make all clubs and Nations stronger and I think what willl come out of it will be seen as beneficial in a few years, if not we can always revert to where we are now, a little older and wiser, there are issues escpecially in Wales that need sorting and theres an opportunity to do something about that, like I said, I dont think its worth gettign so worked up about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGYXYyfaygE

Que?

Hey SHOW.Sam Warburton today became the first to sign a contract with the WRU to be centrally contracted. thus kicking in the teeth of the club $$$ hungry gits trying to destroy Welsh club rugby.

Happy days mate. Seems that the side of good and right is beginning to turn the tide against utter greed and callus disregard for the rest of us.

Yeah Ding, but I hope it's more than just a glint of light. Until all (or at least most) players are contracted to the WRU, IRFU and SRU I will believe that the light in the tunnel is hanging on the front of a very big, very fast train.

You will know what I think, and I think I know what you think of the Sarries v Sharks nonsense on Saturday. They even put out a much stronger side for that than they did in the LV= Cup. Shameful.

Yes, the Warburton news is very positive, but I think the Allianz Park game is the thin end of a much bigger wedge than that. Sorry to pi$$ on the chips mate, but I'm feeling very despondent at the moment.

That might change on Sunday.