RKW how are you pal?

Mex good mate and you? Already looking forward to this tournament me!!

Yep, shame Tuilagi will be injured for most, if not all of it, there's probably 4 teams who can win the thing this year, I'd make England and Ireland favourites, but Wales and France are strong aswell

Yeah definitely. Shame about Tuilagi, didn't he miss a game or two last year as well?

Yeah

World Cup should be good too

Should be amazing, can't see past New Zealand though, they're just too good and go deep in so many positions, the second best team in the world is New Zealand's 2nd XV

Live @ http://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewLiveArticle/298562
One match ban enabled

Live article brought to you by HITITBET - Sign up now!

Yeah NZ massive favourites

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Happy New Year guys

After a decent set of autumn international, I'm just looking for continued improvement. The numptie that is Scott Johnson is gone at last, and Cotter seems to have got something more exciting out of the squad.

Best thing about the autumn was seeing a 10 worthy of his shirt. Finn Russell is a very promising young player. Easily the best since Chalmers.

And Geoff Cross' beard will stike fear into any man.

Happy new year show

Yeah Scotland did well in the Autumn, will be up against it this year though with the strength of England, France, Ireland and Wales. Reckon you can finish higher than 5th?

Not sure RKW, hence my caution. Away at Twickers and Paris isn't good, so the home battles with Wales and Ireland will be crucial. Both difficult but doable. Knowing us we'll probably win those and lose to Italy.

Very interesting. Can't wait.

Should be interesting, certainly think you can give Wales and Ireland a tough match at Murrayfield. Pick a champion?

RKW

Through gritted teeth, I would have to say England, but injuries and a general not knowing the best line-up could scupper that.

I was amazed at Irelands autumn. Maybe stepping out from the shadow of BOD wasn't such a bad thing. Several players really put their hands up.

Incidentally, has anyone heard from Ding lately.

I've not seen Ding comment since just after last year's Six Nations. Can't remember exactly but there was a bit if heated debate on whether Ireland deserved the championship and after his last comment he's not been around since. Anyone know any different?

RKW

It would appear that Ding gave up on the forum right there and then. He appears to have had a major spat with Aristodemus and that was that.

I've reread it all and basically Ding was (probably rightly) accusing Demus of looking at the world through red rose tinted specs. Insults were traded and Ding just disappeared.

That's a shame, because I always liked Ding's knowledgeable input to the forum.

Hey all.

I think I just said England deserved the championship or something along those lines, pretty sure I wouldn't have been throwing around insults. He got upset and disappeared. I also think that is a shame.

Anyways, looking forward to this years competition, I actually think Ireland are pretty heavy favourites after the AI performances.
England missing three of our best players in Launchbury, Morgan, Tuilagi. Corbs is back but slowly getting his previous form so I think Marler will keep his spot, similar situation with Cole. Lawes is out too but I think lock is a position of great depth right now so that shouldn't affect us badly. I really hope Lancaster will go with Haskell, Robshaw and Binny in the back row. Haskell and Binny were nothing short of exceptional this weekend in Europe. Youngs & Ford for me are the form pair at half back. Nobody knows what Lancaster will pick in the centres but Eastmond and JJ at Bath have been awesome, tore Toulouse to shreds. Unfortunately I can see him picking something like Barritt and Burrell and while I don't mind Burrell, BB is just a defensive selection with no attacking instinct at all. I don't like May so I would go Yarde, Brown & Watson in the back three but SL will pick May I am fairly sure. I expect something like this to line up for Wales (with my team in brackets).

Marler (Marler)
Hartley (Hartley)
Wilson (Wilson)
Attwood (Attwood)
Parling (Kruis)
Wood (Haskell)
Robshaw (Robshaw)
Binny (Binny)
Care (Youngs)
Ford (Ford)
May (Yarde)
Barritt (Eastmond)
Burrell (Joseph)
Watson (Watson)
Brown (Brown)

Yeah that was it from last year. Ding didn't say he was leaving (if I recall correctly) but he's not been posting since then.

Demus

With your back line - you're 'aving a Bath, aint ya


Actually, I think you were being a bit incendiary last year.

comment by Aristodemus (U3765)
posted on 15/3/14

I won't mask what I think just for you. You seem to genuinely get upset over any opinion you don't agree with on any subject. England deserved to win every game this tournament, simple as that. Most people agree, deal with it.



Actually, I didn't/don't agree with you either, hence my earlier comment about red rose tinted specs.

Anyhow, that's all in the past, we can but look forward to the coming months. Bring it on.

Don't get me started show! <3

Yeah it should be a great tourney and you know Bath are ma boys don't ya^^

Just reread that thread too, thought I was pretty well behaved myself

Can't remember it fully but I can't understand why Ding was so peeved just after his boys won the championship. Obviously fans of England were disappointed but surely after your side has won you'd brush off any comments from others supporters as light hearted banter?

Should be celebrating!

Hi folks

Hope you're all well - things must be pretty good for you Show, Northampton in good shape (despite Foden and Lawes) and Scotland looking much better.

Aristo, I'll not dwell on last weeks football - painful stuff for us but there you go


Anyway, lookign at this years lot

England - a tough summer and autumn series with 4 games against the All Blacks, seemed to have gone backwards a bit, but perhaps its a case of 2 steps forward and 1 back. Lots of injuries of which Tuilagi's will probably hit us hardest, but Joseph was just awesome against Toulouse (and as a Cherry and White fan that is paiful to say). The forwards are great even with both Lawes and Launchbury out and will dominate at the scrum and probably line out, the backs are the key for England - if they fire England will win the tournament and probably take the Slam, but if they don't I couldn't see England beating Ireland away and would be under pressure away at Wales and home to France.

Ireland were fantastic against the Boks and Wallabies, if the centres can continue to deliver and if Sexton can recover quickly they will be tournament favourites. However, the key to Ireland seems to be Conor Murray, if you can stop him the backline breaks down and though tactically savvy the pack will struggle against most others out there

Italy
Whilst they have improved leaps and bounds, the nations around them and especially Scotland have also improved recently. The pack is always immense and there were signs of a kicking out half in Orquera last year, but they will need to sort out the half backs to match the progress as others

France - well France are France as we say year in and out, the game there has gone very physical, and against the traditional back play of the days of Blanco, Sella, Lescarboura etc btu with Camille Lopez coming in at fly half things mith be about to change. Half backs have been Frances headache for years, and tehy're still a long way from the finished article but they will continue to improve and as always be teh classic dark horse

Scotland - after years of false dawns do we have the real thing? Cotter has improved Scotland hugely on the basis of the Autumn Internationals, but can they keep that going? Glasgow have made great strides and with the likes of Jim Hamilton available they should have a savvy powerful pack, if they can use Laidlaw to get teh backs going Scotland might be able to look forward, rather than back to the days of the Hastings'

Wales
With the squad ageing changes are starting to happen but can the likes of Jenkins - Hibbard and Adam Jones be easily replaced. I think Wales have to have a deeper overhaul - probably with the removal of Warren Gatland - in order to go forward, but any side with North, Roberts, Davies and Halfpenny behind a great back row is to be feared on their day

My forecast:
Ireland, England, France, Wales, Scotland, Italy

No grand slam

Camille Lopez as player of the tournament

England to do best in the World Cup

I don't think there'll be a Slam but I think England will win it. They will need to beat either Wales or Ireland away though which is going to be tough.