International Rugby

[Meanwood Villa]

Correct. They'll get three bonus points if they win the slam.

Games against Italy are boring. It's the equivalent of playing San Marino in qualifiers. Guaranteed win, just by how many. Really thought they might have improved in nearly 20 years but if anything they're further behind.

[Risso]

First visit to Twickenham yesterday. Dull game in a training ground atmosphere. Good bars in the ground but getting back to central London afterwards is horrendous. Much worse than Wembley.

[nigel]

Correct. They'll get three bonus points if they win the slam.

Games against Italy are boring. It's the equivalent of playing San Marino in qualifiers. Guaranteed win, just by how many. Really thought they might have improved in nearly 20 years but if anything they're further behind.

Ahh, didn't realise about the 3 bonus for the slam.
Shame really as me and my mates were have a good giggle at the prospect of them winning the slam with no bonus points and we pip them to the championship on the back of our bonus points and trys scored.

Thanks for ruining that wonderful thought, Meanwood 😂

[Meanwood Villa]

Sorry about that, will need the Irish to do us a favour next week instead!

[UK Redsox]

First visit to Twickenham yesterday. Dull game in a training ground atmosphere. Good bars in the ground but getting back to central London afterwards is horrendous. Much worse than Wembley.

The new Twickenham is a monstrous concrete carbuncle, as Prince Brian might put it.

 

[luke:lamf]

Half-time in the Ireland-France match. So far,  I cannot remember a single more dominant display by one Tier 1 nation over another. A stat flashed up on French TV just before the break - France spent 5 seconds with the ball in the Irish 22 all half.

[paul_e]

Really good first half from the Irish but the first try should never have been allowed, he was clearly tackled, knee to the floor and then stands back up to score.

Sexton's try was superb but awful defence, Ringrose fluffed an absolute sitter, knocking on as you'e sliding over to score is unforgivable.

[UK Redsox]

Correct. They'll get three bonus points if they win the slam.

Games against Italy are boring. It's the equivalent of playing San Marino in qualifiers. Guaranteed win, just by how many. Really thought they might have improved in nearly 20 years but if anything they're further behind.

Italy should have to take part in a two-legged play-off against Georgia for a spot in next season's 6 Nations

[paul_e]

Correct. They'll get three bonus points if they win the slam.

Games against Italy are boring. It's the equivalent of playing San Marino in qualifiers. Guaranteed win, just by how many. Really thought they might have improved in nearly 20 years but if anything they're further behind.

Italy should have to take part in a two-legged play-off against Georgia for a spot in next season's 6 Nations

It's difficult because if you drop them down the impact on their funding would be massive and they'd fall further behind, but, as you say, other nations deserve a chance as well. This is why I think they need to expand on the international league idea to include more teams. The real issue is that no one wants to lose the championship or the 6nations and everyone likes the current setup of the autumn internationals so there's very little scope to add room for the developing nations.

My solution for the next 4 years would be:

Add a 2nd tier to the 6N and championship.
Adjust the 3 years of Autumn internationals to be 2 teams from the championship and 1 each from the 2nd tier competitions, with no duplicated fixtures in the 3 year cycle. That means you'll still get the big England v NZ game but it would be mixed with games against sides like Fiji/Samoa/Tonga and Georgia/Romania/Canada. The July tests could then be 2 more development style fixtures against the t2 sides and a 'playoff' between the 6N (t1 and t2) and championship (t1 and t2) in finishing order (first v first, etc) all the way down both leagues. Again this would cover 3 July windows with the 4th Autumn window being the world cup and the 4th July window being the Lions tour (and I'd look at way to expand this to more nations as, but without changing the main 3 tests).

How you'd handle promotion and relegation between the 2 tiers would need to be discussed (but would be on a 4 year cycle) and there would need to be a big commercial focus on the t2 competitions to bring them up in standard but it would give a lot more teams a chance to play against the big sides (even if it was largely 'b' teams initially) and show that expanding the game is at the heart of the changes.

[UK Redsox]

That's what I'd like to see as well. The problem comes when one of the non-Italy members of the 6N has a bad competition and bad playoff and gets relegated. I can't see anything getting voted thro' that allows for that possibility.

Although I think that jeopardy would be great

[Jon Crofts]

That's what I'd like to see as well. The problem comes when one of the non-Italy members of the 6N has a bad competition and bad playoff and gets relegated. I can't see anything getting voted thro' that allows for that possibility.

Although I think that jeopardy would be great

You mean Scotland.

[UK Redsox]

I was trying to be polite

[taylorsworkrate]

Ireland have been shambolic. Probably made more basic errors in this one half than they have the whole of the last two years. Wales 16-0 up and have had to do nothing for tha scoreline.

[Proposition Joe]

They obviously don't want to ruin St Patrick's weekend by allowing England to win the championship ;-)

[taylorsworkrate]

I think they may have been exposed this 6 nations. Outclassed and overpowered by England, mediocre against Scotland and Italy, and now completely outdisciplined by Wales.

Wales look a solid team with great defensive discipline, and England besides a unfathomable 2nd half in Cardiff appear to bave a lot of potential (if they don't refuse to adapt to changing circumstances again).

Those two will have the most chance of the NH teams in the World Cup