2025 6Ns
-
I agree, he’s not a tackling machine a la Underhill (who would be my preferred 7 & first name on the team sheet) but his contact work, carrying and ruck work I think is very good. He has both size and athleticism on his side and from what I’ve seen has good hands. An added lineout option too. Above all though it is balance in the back row. Whenever you think of stand out back row units they compliment each other. A big dog of a bloke at 6 that is a complete nuisance, a tough, abrasive no8 and a tackle machine/jackal at 7 is ideal imo. Hill, Willis and Underhill/Curry/Earl would begin to look like that unit.
-
-
Hey! Less of that, he’s a Sidcup boy. He just honed his poor handling in NZ, that’s all.
Oh and Brad Shields says hi.
-
@Catogrande said in 2025 6Ns:
Hey! Less of that, he’s a Sidcup boy. He just honed his poor handling in NZ, that’s all.
Oh and Brad Shields says hi.
So it's just SE London clubs you have a thing against then.
-
Not at all. Just those poaching NZ bastards that lured him away at age 2.
-
@Catogrande said in 2025 6Ns:
Not at all. Just those poaching NZ bastards that lured him away at age 2.
Sure sure, CCS from Sidcup and ED from Beckenham. Who next, Genge from Penge?
-
Scotland squad Inc Burke
Another kilted Kiwi named in Scottish six nations squad
Former Crusasder named in Scottish squad, Dupont back for France, Ireland looking strong for Six Nations.
Edit or not, just some info here
Scotland squad announced for 2025 Guinness Six Nations - Scottish Rugby
Squad update 20/01 | Darge and Russell named co-captains. Squad update 27/01 | Five players called up ahead of opener. There are two uncapped players in the selection: Saracens stand-off Fergus Burke, who qualifies through the lineage of his Glasgow-born grandfather, and Glasgow Warriors No 8 Jack...
-
Ireland
Ireland boosted by Dan Sheehan's miracle recovery as interim boss plays it safe for Six Nations
Interim head coach Simon Easterby has decided against taking the chance to put his own stamp on the Ireland squad with just one uncapped player in the 36.
France
Dupont and Ntamack back in French squad for 2025 Six Nations - Guinness Men's Six Nations
Fabien Galthié has named a squad featuring a star half-back pairing for the 2025 Guinness Men's Six Nations Rugby, as Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack return.
-
Looking forward to this kicking off on Friday - seem to have been starved of Internationals for months and the weather has turned to shite.
This tournament has just got better and better over the last few years and the looming Lions squad selection will add another another layer of interest. My pick: England.
-
@Victor-Meldrew said in 2025 6Ns:
Looking forward to this kicking off on Friday - seem to have been starved of Internationals for months and the weather has turned to shite.
This tournament has just got better and better over the last few years and the looming Lions squad selection will add another another layer of interest. My pick: England.
Na, Scots with the Grand Slam
This is their year.
Lions squad will be interesting. All the nations except for Wales should see a decent representation
-
@Victor-Meldrew said in 2025 6Ns:
Looking forward to this kicking off on Friday - seem to have been starved of Internationals for months and the weather has turned to shite.
This tournament has just got better and better over the last few years and the looming Lions squad selection will add another another layer of interest. My pick: England.
Na, Scots with the Grand Slam
This is their year.
Lions squad will be interesting. All the nations except for Wales should see a decent representation
I just love watching the Jocks and their adventurous play, but nah.
Be interested to see where Wales go this year - they really seem to have lost their way and their belief in themselves big time
-
@Victor-Meldrew said in 2025 6Ns:
@Victor-Meldrew said in 2025 6Ns:
Looking forward to this kicking off on Friday - seem to have been starved of Internationals for months and the weather has turned to shite.
This tournament has just got better and better over the last few years and the looming Lions squad selection will add another another layer of interest. My pick: England.
Na, Scots with the Grand Slam
This is their year.
Lions squad will be interesting. All the nations except for Wales should see a decent representation
I just love watching the Jocks and their adventurous play, but nah.
Be interested to see where Wales go this year - they really seem to have lost their way and their belief in themselves big time
100%.
They’ll shit the bed in at least one game.
Scotland that is, Wales will shit it in all their games.
-
Thank you for your optimism re England. I wish I shared it. I'll have a better view on how close I am to slitting my wrists when Borthwick announces the match day squad. That will give us a better idea of how things are, or are not progressing.
My pick this year is France. Ireland have been very strong in recent years but a few of their stand out players are getting close to their sell by dates and of course, there is no Farrell. So something of an unknown quantity, although I feel they will be in the mix. As will the Jocks who have really progressed over the last couple of seasons but can they keep it up over five games is the question.
Wales are in an awful position. Thin pickings selection wise, chaos in the coaching set up and it would appear some fractures in the player/coach relationships. So cue them pulling out a big surprise win (probably v England) and saving Gatland's job for another year. I'd still pick Italy to finish above them though.
My guess at the final standings?
- France
- Ireland/Scotland
- Ireland/Scotland
- England/Italy
- England/Italy
- Wales
England though with the potential to surprise people and upset the applecart. Of all the teams they are the ones that are currently playing well below their ceiling, so...
-
@Catogrande yeah, secretly hoping England do well. Building a bloody good squad of players and I wouldn't really like to see them with a decent coach...
-
@Catogrande said in 2025 6Ns:
Thank you for your optimism re England. I wish I shared it. I'll have a better view on how close I am to slitting my wrists when Borthwick announces the match day squad. That will give us a better idea of how things are, or are not progressing.
Early days, sure, but I don't think they are that far away. They seem in a good place head-wise and are starting to really look like a team enjoying themselves.
Smith was outstanding in the AI's and has clearly matured. He'll be key if he can kick-on.
-
Going to be a tough 6N but better than last year
1 Ireland
2 France
3 England
4 Scotland
5 Wales
6 Italy
