Six Nations 2024

[Guest Alex]

It's a long time since I used to live in England, when I had both a Chelsea membership attending maybe 5-8 games a season and a Harlequins season ticket. Those two things really got me through the worst days of January when the thrill of the festive season was over. But the biggest buzz for me in the dark days of winter was the Six Nations. Sunny Rome in early February; being among all the bouncing France supporters singing, 'Dans les yeux d'Amelie', on the Rue Princesse in St Germain in Paris; being in the world's biggest pub at the Millennium...those were the times, win or lose.

Hardest year to call the winner in a long time. I'm going with France even without Dupont 

[Guest Alex]

Just decided to find that song, it's 'Dans les yeux d'Emilie' apparently and wandered into the lift of my building to take the bins out while watching the video on YouTube. It stopped on a lower floor where a neighbour I've never seen before looked at me like I was a dangerous madman and decided not to get in and wait until I was gone.

[jasonb]

I see Owen Farrell has decided to not play for England anymore  and see it is being reported due to social media abuse.

Is this due to the WC where he thought a SA player had racially insulted an ENgland player?

 

[Guest Alex]

Farrell's a bit of marmite player and being England captain he had a very high profile so apparently copped a lot of abuse. A lot of rugby-related online vitriol can come from South Africa yes. I listen to the BBC rugby podcast where the presenters all talkabout the abuse they and other players receive online.

I did write in to them to explain that the police forcing social media companies to hand over the details of the perpetrators isn't a good idea that should be campaigned for. In many repressive regimes around the world, social media is a positive force for exposing wrongdoing and achieving social justice. 

 

[jasonb]

I get the repression angle yet if only they could identify if 95% of bias comes from South Africa and we won't investigate that is fine. 

At least then we know it is bias.

 

[My Blood Is Blue]

Looking forward to this: https://www.netflix.com/title/81647358

[Dwmh]

2 hours ago, Alex said:

Farrell's a bit of marmite player and being England captain he had a very high profile so apparently copped a lot of abuse. A lot of rugby-related online vitriol can come from South Africa yes. I listen to the BBC rugby podcast where the presenters all talkabout the abuse they and other players receive online.

I did write in to them to explain that the police forcing social media companies to hand over the details of the perpetrators isn't a good idea that should be campaigned for. In many repressive regimes around the world, social media is a positive force for exposing wrongdoing and achieving social justice. 

 

I get a lot of that.  But right now SA is emerging as probably the most rational caring country in the world, while everyone else should be hiding their heads in shame (or just heavily editiing coverage)

[Guest Alex]

4 hours ago, jasonb said:

I get the repression angle yet if only they could identify if 95% of bias comes from South Africa and we won't investigate that is fine. 

At least then we know it is bias.

 

Well there's online abuse and bullying in every country on earth, it's just how it's dealt with that's the issue. I'm sure Farrell got plenty of abuse from the UK being so heavily associated with Saracens. They're not a popular team, being extremely successful and then the salary cap cheating that saw them demoted to the Championship and stripped of titles.

[Guest Alex]

1 hour ago, Dwmh said:

I get a lot of that.  But right now SA is emerging as probably the most rational caring country in the world, while everyone else should be hiding their heads in shame (or just heavily editiing coverage)

Lot of banana-skins I'd rather avoid there.

[JaneB]

What a game between Wales and Scotland, and Italy looking a lot better than when I've watched them previously (although I know next to nothing about Rugby Union!!)

[Bob Singleton]

Two cracking games today.  Two unexpected results.

[jasonb]

Nice to see England put a performance together to stop Ireland getting the Grandslam.

[Holymoly]

Watching Welsh rugby is enough to make you slit your wrists. The WRU is run by individuals sponsored by the amateur game. Consequently all the money goes to grass roots and the guts have been ripped out of the professional teams. We're now seeing the last of the blue chip players retiring and having to rely on kids. Sound familiar?

[JaneB]

Well done to Italy though 🤫

[JaneB]

Boo 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿☹️

[Guest Alex]

Champions Cup Final on Saturday! Probably the best competition in any sport.

Pisser not to see Harlequins in it, they had their chances against Toulouse, Northampton ran Leinster close too.

Edited May 23, 2024 by Alex

[Guest Alex]

Well that turned out to be probably the best final ever. 

[jasonb]

Just remembered something from the past, when I lived in NZ, my ex's brothers friend took us fishing and we caught a decent amount.

Roll on a few years and he played for Wales as a Flanker getting 8 turnovers in one game.

He also fell foul of the authorities as his grandparents were not Welsh yet from Oldham, 

This became known as Grannygate

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/what-became-brett-sinkinson-quiet-18037137

 

[Ham]

14 minutes ago, jasonb said:

Just remembered something from the past, when I lived in NZ, my ex's brothers friend took us fishing and we caught a decent amount.

Roll on a few years and he played for Wales as a Flanker getting 8 turnovers in one game.

He also fell foul of the authorities as his grandparents were not Welsh yet from Oldham, 

This became known as Grannygate

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/what-became-brett-sinkinson-quiet-18037137

 

Fascinating story. Shame for him as he's described as a brilliant player. 

[Backbiter]

20 minutes ago, jasonb said:

Just remembered something from the past, when I lived in NZ, my ex's brothers friend took us fishing and we caught a decent amount.

Roll on a few years and he played for Wales as a Flanker getting 8 turnovers in one game.

He also fell foul of the authorities as his grandparents were not Welsh yet from Oldham, 

This became known as Grannygate

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/what-became-brett-sinkinson-quiet-18037137

 

Very good player. I was in Paris to watch his Wales debut, which was Wales' first win there in 24 years. It finished 34-33 and was one of the all-time great games in the 5 Nations. France had destroyed Wales 51-0 at Wembley a year earlier, so to say it was a surprise victory is a bit of an understatement.

As you say, he was not eligible for Wales, just like Shane Howarth, another New Zealander who also played that day, who also claimed to have Welsh ancestry but didn't.

Edited September 11, 2024 by Backbiter

[jasonb]

Another thing Sinkinson's progress shocked some of his previous team mates back in NZ, I know one who came over and went to Wasps playing in their reserves yet got too many concussions and did not get to play much.