2024 Rugby Union 6 nations tournament.

[mr.bluesky]

The Rugby Union 6 nations tournament starts on 2nd February with France playing Ireland on the opening fixture but I see that Wales will be missing Louis Rees Zammit who is quiting Rugby with immediate effect to take up American football and join the international player pathway. This will be a big loss to Wales and his club team Gloucester.  Former England and Wasps player Christian Wade also went down this path a couple of years ago and despite having played a pre season game with the Buffalo Bill's failed to break into the sport. It seems a big risk for an established International Rugby player to make but I guess if he makes the grade he will make more money in the NFL than he could ever make playing Rugby union. 

[Ahalfa Carling]

Thing is with Rees-Zammit, it could have been a LOT worse - he could have "Gone North" to play rugby league; that would have been a REAL betrayal!!

[chrishornx]

he is just 22

24 months trying and if it doesn't work out then at worst he can go back to Union in France and pick up £3-400,000 as a fall back position so why not

[mr.bluesky]

Thing is with Rees-Zammit, it could have been a LOT worse - he could have "Gone North" to play rugby league; that would have been a REAL betrayal!!

I think a speedy player like Zammit would be ideally suited to Rugby League but I doubt any club could afford him. Rugby League clubs are run tighter financially than union clubs. Players don't seem to switch from Union to League like they used to and League players seem to find it harder to switch to Union. Like chrishornx says if it doesn't work out for him in America he will likely join the exodus to French Rugby Union after 2 years ( Miss Wolf will be gutted though)

[jackdaw]

Reading his own comments think it’s just as much about following a long held dream as potentially making a lot more money.

Sad to see him go, really exciting player. But obviously hope he succeeds.

[8MillionDollarMan]

Thing is with Rees-Zammit, it could have been a LOT worse - he could have "Gone North" to play rugby league; that would have been a REAL betrayal!!

They couldn't afford him up north.
Good luck to him but NFL is incredibly difficult to pick up if you've not grown up with it.

[chrishornx]

Reading his own comments think it’s just as much about following a long held dream as potentially making a lot more money.

Sad to see him go, really exciting player. But obviously hope he succeeds.

certainly a blow for the Lions

[MissWolf]

They couldn't afford him up north.
Good luck to him but NFL is incredibly difficult to pick up if you've not grown up with it.

If you watch Being Louis RZ which aired on the beeb a few months ago they showed him out in the States training with NFL trainers to increase his speed and fitness, so the foundations were laid quite a while ago.

However he will be sadly missed in a red Jersey, I wish him good luck and a great future,  he's a talented lad and I'm sure he will  arrange that into whatever he chooses to do.

[8MillionDollarMan]

If you watch Being Louis RZ which aired on the beeb a few months ago they showed him out in the States training with NFL trainers to increase his speed and fitness, so the foundations were laid quite a while ago.

However he will be sadly missed in a red Jersey, I wish him good luck and a great future,  he's a talented lad and I'm sure he will  arrange that into whatever he chooses to do.

It's the incredibly difficult play books that are the hard part to learn in NFL,running fast and catching he'll have no problem with those but they didn't get Christian Wade anywhere.
We'll miss him in red but not much at my local club Gloucester where he's been disinterested at times this year(although we are shit).
I guess he had other things on his mind.

[mr.bluesky]

They couldn't afford him up north.
Good luck to him but NFL is incredibly difficult to pick up if you've not grown up with it.

There has been a lot of interest in Rugby players in the past for their kicking ability.  They would be employed just for their goal kicking skills, just bought on during a game to kick the field goal . Surprised not more of them have taken up the offer 

[8MillionDollarMan]

There has been a lot of interest in Rugby players in the past for their kicking ability.  They would be employed just for their goal kicking skills, just bought on during a game to kick the field goal . Surprised not more of them have taken up the offer 

I guess the lack of action puts them off,money is very good though.

[timsussex]

There has been a lot of interest in Rugby players in the past for their kicking ability.  They would be employed just for their goal kicking skills, just bought on during a game to kick the field goal . Surprised not more of them have taken up the offer 

It has been tried IIRC a couple of kickers were made offers but its a different sort of kick,  Farrell would be buried before he got 1/10th of the way through his pre kick routine

[Tomd101a]

Does he have one of the Marquee player spots at Gloucester, and would he lose it with the new rules? It was supposed to level the playing field, but inevitably we'll lose players to France and other sports by leaving the Premiership. Clive Woodward's recent comments were right

[mr.bluesky]

I would imagine he is, I assume Gloucester has just terminated or released him from his contract but what would happen if he returns to Rugby in a couple of years time and somebody wanted to sign him, would they have to pay a fee to Gloucester 

[mr.bluesky]

It now seems that Northampton Saints player Harry Mallinder is also going to  follow Louis Rees Zammit in going to the NFL International Player pathway. English Rugby was afraid of loosing players to French or Japanese Rugby now it's the NFL. 

[mr.bluesky]

It now seems that Northampton Saints player Harry Mallinder is also going to  follow Louis Rees Zammit in going to the NFL International Player pathway. English Rugby was afraid of loosing players to French or Japanese Rugby now it's the NFL. 

Also just learned George Smith of my team Coventry Rugby is also leaving too. Will the last person leaving English Rugby please turn out the lights 

[Tomd101a]

Hope we don't lose Pellegrini!

[mr.bluesky]

Looks like Owen Farrell is off to French club Racing 92 in the summer, this will rule him out of future England Internationals. He's 32 years old now so probably doesn't have many years left in him so you can't blame him for going for one last big payday.  As regards this years 6 nations I think Marcus Smith or George Ford are more than adequate replacements for him. I do think that Marcus Smith has yet to reproduce his Harlequins form for England though.

[mr.bluesky]

So the Six nations starts this Friday ( 2nd Feb) with France taking on Ireland in Paris. The two favourites going head to head in the opening game. Who ever wins this will surely go on to win the tournament. England  start against Italy and after their recent World Cup performance I expect them to have a better Six Nations than recent years, Wales have a lot of rebuilding to do and will be missing the likes of Alun Wyn Jones , Dan Biggar and Louis Rees Zammit .My predicted finishing order is
1. France
2. Ireland
3. England
4. Scotland
5. Wales
6. Italy

France to possibly do the Grand slam if they beat Ireland in the opening game but they are prone to having the odd wobble in big Tournaments.
Will England finally get the Calcutta Cup back from Scotland   

[mr.bluesky]

The full 6 Nations fixtures

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[chrishornx]

So the Six nations starts this Friday ( 2nd Feb) with France taking on Ireland in Paris. The two favourites going head to head in the opening game. Who ever wins this will surely go on to win the tournament. England  start against Italy and after their recent World Cup performance I expect them to have a better Six Nations than recent years, Wales have a lot of rebuilding to do and will be missing the likes of Alun Wyn Jones , Dan Biggar and Louis Rees Zammit .My predicted finishing order is
1. France
2. Ireland
3. England
4. Scotland
5. Wales
6. Italy

France to possibly do the Grand slam if they beat Ireland in the opening game but they are prone to having the odd wobble in big Tournaments.
Will England finally get the Calcutta Cup back from Scotland   

well that prediction looks a bit doubtful now

excellent Irish performance

[MissWolf]

well that prediction looks a bit doubtful now

excellent Irish performance

France had absolutely no reply to Ireland today, the green army were epic and France just looked domestic

Very interesting start to the 6 nations I'm looking forward to tomorrow

[mr.bluesky]

well that prediction looks a bit doubtful now

excellent Irish performance

Yeah, disappointing performance from France, I was expecting a much closer game. Didn't help France playing with 14 men for over half the game. Ireland will take some stopping now. I did say France prone to the odd wobble,  I didn't expect it in the very first game 

[timsussex]

England scrape home in Italy

WTF happened at the end?  30secs to go with a penalty 5 yds from the Italian line England elect to take a scrum then give away a penalty before the ball is put in !  and Italy go down and score a third try in extra time

[mr.bluesky]

England scrape home in Italy

WTF happened at the end?  30secs to go with a penalty 5 yds from the Italian line England elect to take a scrum then give away a penalty before the ball is put in !  and Italy go down and score a third try in extra time

England's defence still looks leaky, they will get punished more when they play the other teams. All credit to Italy who are no longer the whipping boys of the 6 nations. I expected a bigger winning margin for England but like you say sloppy to concede a late penalty and give away a try at the end. 

[mr.bluesky]

Scotland running away with things in Cardiff at the moment. MissWolf will not be a happy bunny unless Wales can turn things around in the 2nd half.

[mr.bluesky]

Wow, that was nearly the comeback of all comebacks
 27 - nil at half time to Scotland Wales score 26 unanswered points to nearly snatch victory.  As a neutral that has to be one of the best games I've seen for a long time. It must have been a hell of a team talk at half time by Warren Gatland.

[ulstersubbie]

Well done Scotland, I was sweating but our Boers got us there in the end 
Commiserations Miss Wolf, but hopefully it's a new dawn for Welsh rugby.   

[mr.bluesky]

Well done Scotland, I was sweating but our Boers got us there in the end 
Commiserations Miss Wolf, but hopefully it's a new dawn for Welsh rugby.   

First win in Cardiff for 22 years, it's been a long wait Ulstersubbie 

[MissWolf]

Well done Scotland, I was sweating but our Boers got us there in the end 
Commiserations Miss Wolf, but hopefully it's a new dawn for Welsh rugby.   

MrBlusky I have far more grey hairs this evening than I woke up with 

Well done to your boys ulstersubbie a first half to be proud of and a win to be proud of too, Wales clearly fielded two two teams ffs, but in all seriousness it was an epic second half, Wales played chaos Rugby and Scotland did well to hang on.

I've said this before now but will say again, Wales are in a phase of transition,  it's a 3 to 5 year period where Warren is going to have to bring through young players as he is doing, as the old guard retire, this year will most likely be a wooden spoon year but it's not the end of the world because as we build a new team we head towards a world Cup which should come as Wales peak or are at the peak period before again dipping, its a classic cycle that to a degree all teams go through,  England are in a similar situation but to a lesser extent as they have a greater pool of up and coming talent to fish in.
However saying that our U21 team took the win against Scotland with room to spare so the talent is there.

The English game was also close and they have some serious issues to resolve,  Italy played with some serious flare at times today and its really good to see them stepping up and becoming the team they have always had the potential to be.

France were taken apart by Ireland, they need to watch their discipline or there will  e a lot of 14 man games, it's going g to be a very unpredictable but interesting tournament this year.

[mr.bluesky]

MrBlusky I have far more grey hairs this evening than I woke up with 

Well done to your boys ulstersubbie a first half to be proud of and a win to be proud of too, Wales clearly fielded two two teams ffs, but in all seriousness it was an epic second half, Wales played chaos Rugby and Scotland did well to hang on.

I've said this before now but will say again, Wales are in a phase of transition,  it's a 3 to 5 year period where Warren is going to have to bring through young players as he is doing, as the old guard retire, this year will most likely be a wooden spoon year but it's not the end of the world because as we build a new team we head towards a world Cup which should come as Wales peak or are at the peak period before again dipping, its a classic cycle that to a degree all teams go through,  England are in a similar situation but to a lesser extent as they have a greater pool of up and coming talent to fish in.
However saying that our U21 team took the win against Scotland with room to spare so the talent is there.

The English game was also close and they have some serious issues to resolve,  Italy played with some serious flare at times today and its really good to see them stepping up and becoming the team they have always had the potential to be.

France were taken apart by Ireland, they need to watch their discipline or there will  e a lot of 14 man games, it's going g to be a very unpredictable but interesting tournament this year.

Like you say MissWolf both Wales and England ( to a lesser extent ) are currently going through a bit of a re building process. Borthwick is not afraid to pick players in form unlike Eddie Jones who stuck with his favourites. It's a shame *Louis Rees-Zammit  wasn't playing for Wales yesterday , with his speed he could have caused Scotland a lot of problems and maybe could have won the game for them. Ireland looked very impressive and will take some stopping. France will need to improve their discipline and stop giving away needless penalties.
It should be a very interesting game at Twickenham Saturday.  I think it will be close. If England race into an early lead they cannot afford to relax after seeing that remarkable fight back by Wales 
Italy are no longer a team that can be taken lightly and could cause an upset or two in this tournament 🤔

*I think Zammit is making a big mistake to try out for the NFL, a few players including former Wasps player Christian Wade who is very much a similar type of player to Zammit tried and failed. If he does make the grade he will no doubt make mega bucks but I think he will return to Rugby eventually then probably sign for a French team.

[timsussex]

Wade seemed tailor made for NFL - great runner but suspect in defence - which is OK for NFL as you come off the field when opposition has the ball. Yet he didnt make it
If I was NFL and lots of money the Arundell would have been my target - quite McAffery like

I suspect more Union players would do OK in NFL  but only if they join a team that will use their skills

[8MillionDollarMan]

*I think Zammit is making a big mistake to try out for the NFL, a few players including former Wasps player Christian Wade who is very much a similar type of player to Zammit tried and failed. If he does make the grade he will no doubt make mega bucks but I think he will return to Rugby eventually then probably sign for a French team.

It's only a year out if he doesn't make it so it's not a big mistake he'll easily pick up where he left off if he does come back,why not follow your dreams?

[mr.bluesky]

It's only a year out if he doesn't make it so it's not a big mistake he'll easily pick up where he left off if he does come back,why not follow your dreams?

Usually a two year programme for players who have never played American football  as they have to learn all the set plays. They can be cut after one season if they look like they are not going to shape up.
Christian Wade actually played a couple of pre season friendlies for the Buffalo Bill's and scored a touchdown but was still not taken on. Wade returned to Rugby and is now playing in France.
Rugby players are usually more in demand as kickers but who just wants to come on and kick a field goal then go off again 

[chrishornx]

let's be honest very, very few rugby players move to the NFL

Gray, Wade, Hastings and a handful of others of which, I think, only one was a kicker. Reading this thread it seems like their is regular flow of players from rugby Union to the NFL which in reality is not the case .

Brian Luckhurst had  a very successful career in the NFL but he went straight into the game and didn't go via rugby. same applies to Rhys Lloyd - aghreat kicker but not via rugby






 

[pilgrim]

All three games were great to watch.
I dont think coaches have said that they are weak or not going to do well due to transition but it is poor management that they are at such a low level.  I can only compare it to a manager of a fleet of vehicles, breaking down and not completing the task as they have reached their peak performance and are slowly being replaced by newer models.

[MissWolf]

It's only a year out if he doesn't make it so it's not a big mistake he'll easily pick up where he left off if he does come back,why not follow your dreams?

I'm with you on this one, as much as I didn't want RZ to go he needs to follow his dreams while he's young enough do so, 1 year, 2 years or 5 years he's still going to be of prime rugby playing age if and when he comes back, with hopefully a lot more dollar in his back pocket.

Good luck to him I say, he's already been training with the coaches out there to improve his speed and so he's a known quantity for them, they would have had their eye on him from then on, if you watch Being Louis Rees Zammit all the pointers were there for this move a year ago.

[MissWolf]

Well the Scotland France game was all a bit odd and I have to say I feel Scotland were robbed, that try was grounded and you should have had that win

Let's see how the next one goes, I expect England to win but I'm never going to bet again my boys in red

[mr.bluesky]

Well the Scotland France game was all a bit odd and I have to say I feel Scotland were robbed, that try was grounded and you should have had that win

Let's see how the next one goes, I expect England to win but I'm never going to bet again my boys in red

Scotland very unlucky, one minute the TMO said the ball was down then he changed his mind and as the referees on field decision was no try they have to go with it. England need to play better than they did against Italy to beat Wales, they will be 110% up for it. I think it will be close 

[Doc Holliday]

Let's see how the next one goes, I expect England to win but I'm never going to bet again my boys in red

It's down to how Wales perform. England are very average and seem incapable of raising their game. Tries are scarce.

[ulstersubbie]

Well the Scotland France game was all a bit odd and I have to say I feel Scotland were robbed, that try was grounded and you should have had that win

Let's see how the next one goes, I expect England to win but I'm never going to bet again my boys in red

Disappointed, but we let the French back into it, same old Scotland I'm afraid. Hope the Welsh do you proud MissWolf. 

[bigden40]

Scotland very unlucky, one minute the TMO said the ball was down then he changed his mind and as the referees on field decision was no try they have to go with it. England need to play better than they did against Italy to beat Wales, they will be 110% up for it. I think it will be close 

Notwithstanding that we weren’t clinical enough throughout the match ….. “Nic, there is the ball on the ground” as the TMO goes through the replay sounds pretty conclusive to me?  Why did TMO interrupt and change his mind right at the point that Berry was going to award it?

Embarrassing from the officials.

[MissWolf]

Disappointed, but we let the French back into it, same old Scotland I'm afraid. Hope the Welsh do you proud MissWolf.

Well my heart is in my mouth and beating out of my chest atm, the boys are not playing the prettiest rugby but god they are playing with heart 14 / 5 up at ht,  I did not expect that tbf

Yes sadly Scotland let them back in at about 60 mins and that next 15 was painful, they tried to play a holding game, imo they needed to play an attacking 9ne to keep the pressure on France and force the mistakes,  they were so scared of making a mistake they almost froze

[mr.bluesky]

Well my heart is in my mouth and beating out of my chest atm, the boys are not playing the prettiest rugby but god they are playing with heart 14 / 5 up at ht,  I did not expect that tbf

Phew 16-14 your not the only one with their heart in their mouth Miss Wolf. A better showing by England in the second half. Good game, credit to both teams 👏

[MissWolf]

Gutted absolutely gutted

That young team did themselves proud or at least didn't shame themselves, but just not enough experience to get themselves out of trouble and hold on, tiredness and frustration and a mess of a scrum led to a few penalties given away sadly.

A bright future awaits I hope

[mr.bluesky]

Gutted absolutely gutted

That young team did themselves proud or at least didn't shame themselves, but just not enough experience to get themselves out of trouble and hold on, tiredness and frustration and a mess of a scrum led to a few penalties given away sadly.

A bright future awaits I hope

Ireland up next for your boys,  England face a tough task to win the Calcutta cup

[8MillionDollarMan]

Gutted absolutely gutted

That young team did themselves proud or at least didn't shame themselves, but just not enough experience to get themselves out of trouble and hold on, tiredness and frustration and a mess of a scrum led to a few penalties given away sadly.

A bright future awaits I hope

Also gutted we should have won,still a great effort by our young lads.
England are way below the sum of their parts.

[MissWolf]

Impressive by Ireland today, however definitely things to improve as always.

They are goingvto be an intimidating opponent for our boys next game

[mr.bluesky]

Impressive by Ireland today, however definitely things to improve as always.

They are goingvto be an intimidating opponent for our boys next game

Comfortable win for Ireland,  I cannot see anyone stopping them to be honest.
Some news for you MissWolf ,your boys are going to Australia  in July for a two match tour. Playing Australia in Sidney 6th July and 13th July in Melbourne so start saving your pennies for the trip over.

[MissWolf]

Comfortable win for Ireland,  I cannot see anyone stopping them to be honest.
Some news for you MissWolf ,your boys are going to Australia  in July for a two match tour. Playing Australia in Sidney 6th July and 13th July in Melbourne so start saving your pennies for the trip over.

Yes I'm aware however I'm never going to be able to afford to follow sadly, unless someone wants to take me on an all expenses paid trip 

There is talk about them stopping off in Japan on the way for a friendly so watch the news.....