6N 2016 - build-up thread

molloyjh

pickarooney wrote: »

The principality stadium? First I've heard of it.

Just Principality Stadium. No "The" apparently.

molloyjh

former total wrote: »

This is awful news. Bah.

Yeah I personally think that's a total disaster. Even when McQuirk and Hook were at their worst I always watched RTE for the 6 Nations. I'll probably end up watching the BBC now. I cannot stand that guy.

bilston

molloyjh wrote: »

Yeah I personally think that's a total disaster. Even when McQuirk and Hook were at their worst I always watched RTE for the 6 Nations. I'll probably end up watching the BBC now. I cannot stand that guy.

Only one Irish game isnon the BBC, the rest are on ITV.

kuang1

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I'd have given Ken a shot.

He loved that South Africa v Japan match.

No no no no no no.

No.

Soccer is his thing. You can easily see/hear how passionate he is about it.
But when he's talking about ANY other sport he comes across to me as not being comfortable.

kuang1

bilston wrote: »

Only one Irish game isnon the BBC, the rest are on ITV.

Really?

That is very poo.

former total

molloyjh wrote: »

Yeah I personally think that's a total disaster. Even when McQuirk and Hook were at their worst I always watched RTE for the 6 Nations. I'll probably end up watching the BBC now. I cannot stand that guy.

In case anyone, like me, had forgotten

http://www.itv.com/six-nations/itv-announce-plans-for-2016-six-nations-coverage

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

bilston wrote: »

Only one Irish game isnon the BBC, the rest are on ITV.

Ah balls, I didn't think that was starting this year.

Saturday 6 February: Scotland v England, 4:50pm BBC1
Sunday 7 February: Ireland v Wales, 3pm ITV
Saturday 13 February: France v Ireland, 2:25pm BBC1
Saturday 13 February: Wales v Scotland, 4:50pm BBC1
Sunday 14 February: Italy v England, 2pm ITV
Friday 26 February: Wales v France, 8:05pm BBC1
Saturday 27 February: Italy v Scotland, 2:25pm ITV
Saturday 27 February: England v Ireland, 4:50pm ITV
Saturday 12 March: Ireland v Italy, 1:30pm ITV
Saturday 12 March: England v Wales, 4pm ITV
Sunday 13 March: Scotland v France, 3pm BBC1
Saturday 19 March, Wales v Italy, 2:30pm BBC1
Saturday 19 March, Ireland v Scotland, 5pm ITV
Saturday 19 March, France v England, 8pm BBC1

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

kuang1 wrote: »

No no no no no no.

No.

Soccer is his thing. You can easily see/hear how passionate he is about it.
But when he's talking about ANY other sport he comes across to me as not being comfortable.

Thought it would be obvious I was joking there.

I don't mind Daira O'Brien hosting. I'm not a fan but at the end of the day, the panel is the entertainment. The host is just meant to keep the ball rolling and bring conversations to a point or move them on from it.

Is George Hook gone this year?

kuang1

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Thought it would be obvious I was joking there.

My bad.

kuang1

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I don't mind Daira O'Brien hosting. I'm not a fan but at the end of the day, the panel is the entertainment. The host is just meant to keep the ball rolling and bring conversations to a point or move them on from it.

Is George Hook gone this year?

I heard him say he's retiring in September this year...but not sure if that implies he's doing all of his jobs up until then or if he was referring specifically to his radio gig.

Edit: looks like he did his last stint last year (from March '15) :

Rugby pundit George Hook says he will never watch the RTE rugby panel after he retires from television punditry this weekend.
The journalist and broadcaster also says that he may not even watch rugby itself after becoming disillusioned with the way the modern game.
This weekend will be his final time on our television screens for a Six Nations match, with presenter Tom McGurk also bowing out, but Hook says he has no intentions of watching the panel discussion from the comforts of his home post-retirement.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't mind Daira O'Brien hosting. I'm not a fan but at the end of the day, the panel is the entertainment. The host is just meant to keep the ball rolling and bring conversations to a point or move them on from it.

True, I just always found him really annoying on Against The Head. This will sound weird, I know, but to me he always gave off the impression of being a younger kid trying to impress the older kids (the panelists) and it was all very awkward and a bit pathetic. Harsh, maybe, but that's the vibe I always got.

Do we know who the panel will be this year? I assume Popey is still there.

kuang1

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Do we know who the panel will be this year? I assume Popey is still there.

Can't find that anywhere. They've surely finalised it by now though right?

icdg

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

True, I just always found him really annoying on Against The Head. This will sound weird, I know, but to me he always gave off the impression of being a younger kid trying to impress the older kids (the panelists) and it was all very awkward and a bit pathetic. Harsh, maybe, but that's the vibe I always got.

Do we know who the panel will be this year? I assume Popey is still there.

I understand that he still is, but I'd imagine they'll use a greater variety of panellists. The advance listings don't say other than Hugh Cahill and Bernard Jackman will commentate on France v Italy and George Hamilton and Ralph Keyes call Scotland v England.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

kuang1 wrote: »

Can't find that anywhere. They've surely finalised it by now though right?

There was an ad on the other night for the 6 Nations and it showed O'Brien and then ROG and someone else in a studio but I think maybe it was just little soundbites from Against The Head.

kuang1

kuang1 wrote: »

Can't find that anywhere. They've surely finalised it by now though right?

As far as I know it's Pope, Conor George and Neil Francis.

jacothelad

Deleted User wrote: »

As far as I know it's Pope, Conor George and Neil Francis.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

vienne86

[Deleted User] wrote: »

As far as I know it's Pope, Conor George and Neil Francis.

Conor George? No thanks.

Quint2010

Deleted User wrote: »

As far as I know it's Pope, Conor George and Neil Francis.

That's a joke right?

Quint2010

Quint2010 wrote: »

That's a joke right?

Maybe I should have phrased it "Brent Pope, Conor George and Neil Francis walk onto a set..."

Sanjuro

Deleted User wrote: »

As far as I know it's Pope, Conor George and Neil Francis.

If that's the case, I welcome our new TV3 rugby overlords.

Wait.... its not on RTE at all?

former total

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Wait.... its not on RTE at all?

I'm not sure if this is a gag?

Tv3 take over in 2018

former total

former total wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is a gag?

Tv3 take over in 2018

I tend to ignore all the politics of Rugby. So 2016-2017 is still on RTE?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Fofana out for France, for their first game anyway.

stadedublinois

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Fofana out for France, for their first game anyway.

Replaced by Teddy Thomas. He has only played 60 minutes of rugby this season.

Makes it more likely that Vakatawa (from the 7s team) will play. I would be surprised if Thomas is in the 23 and Fofana might be back for the second game.

irishbucsfan

stadedublinois wrote: »

Replaced by Teddy Thomas. He has only played 60 minutes of rugby this season.

Makes it more likely that Vakatawa (from the 7s team) will play. I would be surprised if Thomas is in the 23 and Fofana might be back for the second game.

I'm sure you won't mind if we're all hoping that he won't be...

icdg

Deleted User wrote: »

I tend to ignore all the politics of Rugby. So 2016-2017 is still on RTE?

Two more seasons on RTE - it's the UK deal that changes this season, because the BBC wanted out of the old deal early.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

icdg wrote: »

Two more seasons on RTE - it's the UK deal that changes this season, because the BBC wanted out of the old deal early.

It wasn't that they wanted out early as such. The deal was supposed to be up in 2018 and Sky were going to outbid them. The only way they could keep it was to do a deal with ITV to share the rights and part of that deal was that ITV wouldn't have to wait until 2018 to start showing it.

Rightwing

I'm expecting another tight championship, most likely won on points again.

The only good thing about the WC was we won't have to be listening to 'best rugby competition in the world' type of nonsense.

Rightwing

Rightwing wrote: »

I'm expecting another tight championship, most likely won on points again.

The only good thing about the WC was we won't have to be listening to 'best rugby competition in the world' type of nonsense.

Well it may not be the best quality of rugby, but it's the most watched and most supported annual rugby competition so I guess it depends on your definition of "best".

I love it anyway!

MJohnston

Whoever says it's the best rugby competition in the world anyway? That sounds like soccer talk. I'd call it the most entertaining, but that's because of impartial allegiances compared to other competitions.

Rightwing

Deleted User wrote: »

Well it may not be the best quality of rugby, but it's the most watched and most supported so I guess it depends on your definition of "best".

I love it anyway!

And if the Scots can get back up a bit, it will certainly add to it. Very hard to predict it again this year.

awec

MJohnston wrote: »

Whoever says it's the best rugby competition in the world anyway? That sounds like soccer talk. I'd call it the most entertaining, but that's because of impartial allegiances compared to other competitions.

Think the media / marketing of it is "rugby's greatest championship" or something like that.

icdg

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

It wasn't that they wanted out early as such. The deal was supposed to be up in 2018 and Sky were going to outbid them. The only way they could keep it was to do a deal with ITV to share the rights and part of that deal was that ITV wouldn't have to wait until 2018 to start showing it.

You have to see it as part of a whole pattern of the BBC giving up rights early. They have done the same with the Open Championship (golf) and Formula One. They are under real budgetary pressure and giving up sports rights early has been part of the cuts they are making.

MJohnston

All part of the Cameron-Murdoch kissy-kissy krew's grand plan.

The Black Stags

awec wrote: »

Think the media / marketing of it is "rugby's greatest championship" or something like that.

Tommy Bowe also said it after the Ulster match. Just doing his media bit though to hype it.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

It depends on how you look at it, I suppose.

The Rugby Championship has the "better" teams in it but the geographical nature of it makes it a bit hard to cover in the same way as the 6 Nations. They can't have matches every weekend, there's big time differences between locations so it's hard to even do a double bill of matches on the one day.

The 6 Nations is much easier to sell as an event.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

God damn double posts !

sydthebeat

http://www.balls.ie/rugby/5-six-nations-cliches-that-are-just-plain-wrong/323043

a lot of truth here

MJohnston

I'd love to see the Scots do well this year

molloyjh

sydthebeat wrote: »

http://www.balls.ie/rugby/5-six-nations-cliches-that-are-just-plain-wrong/323043

a lot of truth here

I nearly stopped reading after the first one. With a new coach who is talking about a complete change to how they play the game there might well be a return to type for the French this year. Or at least an attempt to. I wouldn't be expecting them to win the Championship or anything but to claim that we should beat them easily in Paris is a bit much. And is really tempting the Mocker Gods in a big way.

former total

molloyjh wrote: »

I nearly stopped reading after the first one.

Or what about this beauty:

Don't get me wrong, Wales are very very good at that game plan. But it's easy for intelligent coaches to counter the Welsh strengths and we've seen Joe Schmidt and Stuart Lancaster do just that in recent years.

Somewhat ignores the Irish defeat in last year's Six Nations and the recent World Cup?

Podge_irl

Some decent points in it, but frankly I have zero time for anyone who uses the below line of thinking

An second-string Ireland team

Particularly when they follow it up with comments upon Ireland's new found great depth.

Podge_irl

Some decent points in it, but frankly I have zero time for anyone who uses the below line of thinking

An second-string Ireland team

Particularly when they follow it up with comments upon Ireland's new found great depth.

molloyjh

former total wrote: »

Or what about this beauty:



Somewhat ignores the Irish defeat in last year's Six Nations and the recent World Cup?

It all completely ignores the issues we have ourselves in the tight 5 especially. I get point 4 in that we aren't as badly off as some would have us believe but this could be a very challenging 6 Nations for us if we get any more injuries. Especially if the English and/or the French start to get their act together.

Podge_irl

molloyjh wrote: »

It all completely ignores the issues we have ourselves in the tight 5 especially. I get point 4 in that we aren't as badly off as some would have us believe but this could be a very challenging 6 Nations for us if we get any more injuries. Especially if the English and/or the French start to get their act together.

Any more injuries in the second row and we are in serious dog doo. It's a pretty glaring weakness just as things stand.

Teferi

Reading 6N coverage over the weekend and today - another year of the 6N and another year of Scotland being tipped as dark horses. I mean, it's been said every year for the past 15+ years so eventually the commentators will have to be right but I don't think it will be this year.

molloyjh

Teferi wrote: »

Reading 6N coverage over the weekend and today - another year of the 6N and another year of Scotland being tipped as dark horses. I mean, it's been said every year for the past 15+ years so eventually the commentators will have to be right but I don't think it will be this year.

They have undoubtedly improved but I can't help but feel that if Cotter couldn't turn that Clermont side into winners he's not going to do it with that Scotland side.

leakyboots

Balls.ie is a woeful clickbait website that reads/looks like a bunch of 16 year old lads are running it