It's Six Nations Time!

[DTCwordfan]

Best time of the year, sports-wise.

Predictions?

Odds on Hartley getting red-carded?

Odds on Eddie Jones keeping his job?

Scotland for the wooden spoon?

Views on a second division - personally I would love it - who should be in? Six nations of course..... Romania/Iberia/Benelux/Scandinavia/Germany/Georgia? Independent for 3 years and then top of the division plays the wooden-spoon of the main division....maybe home and away?

[brainiac]

Scots, wha hae wi Wallace bled
Scots, wham Bruce has aften led
Welcome tae yer gory bed -
Or Victory!

[Quizmonster]

I wouldn't be surprised if Scotland got the wooden spoon, but let's not forget that, but for a grotesque refereeing error in the dying moments of their match against Australia last year, they would have been in one of the semi-finals! England, the hosts, didn’t even make it out of the pool stages!

[ichkeria]

I'm looking forward to the Hartley red card

Italy probably for the wooden spoon with France an outside bet

Yes they should find some way to integrate the European eugby championship into the Six Natuons though the argument against is that the fear of relegation would lead to even more cautious rugby
But Georgia, the 7th nation, at least, deserve more of a look in

[Haggisdj]

Oh Lord, it means the pubs will be full of strange people quoting rules, 'quaffing ale' and wondering where their free helping of chilli is taking so long to appear...

[Ken4155]

Don't know about your first 2, DTC, but i can tell you that Scotland are currently around the 9/2 mark to finish bottom.
Wales are getting their injured players back just in time, have a decent record in Dublin, and performed very well in the World Cup. Also, this may come down to points and they play Italy at home in their last match. They are my idea of 2016 Six Nation Champs @ 11/4 - just missed the 3s that were on offer.
Though it pains me to say it, England, imho, are false favs.

[DTCwordfan]

I'm not sure about England as favs, I have to admit - surprisingly Eddie hasn't made too many changes....our problem is really finding forwards that can play like the southern nations - if he has instilled some semblance of that, then possibly but I think it has to come from the next generation of forwards.

[Togo]

Revved up and ready to go. Wales as usual looks like the big game for England, providing we can avoid the booby trap that is Murrayfield tomorrow. This house will be like a war zone on Mar. 12th. 'She who must be obeyed' is staunch Cymraeg and the middle room becomes no mans land. I watch in the kitchen 'she' in the lounge. We have only ever once 'had words' and that was after England beat Wales. Furious she was.

[Ken4155]

ichkeria; you won't get rich backing Italy for the wooden spoon @ 1/5 but Frnce are 90/1 with PP:-)

[jno]

I back England to beat Scotland on the basis that they always do. The Scots have managed it five times in 30 years. I don't know why; they usually look good enough and they were indeed robbed at the World Cup. But they've got a long record of underachievement.

The whole 6N is a provincial league compared to the southern hemisphere championship, which provided all four of the world cup semifinalists last year. Still, England have now equipped themselves with an Aussie coach and a Kiwi captain, so that has to be a start.

[Old_Geezer]

I think RU is a greater priority in the south.
Here we try (and usually fail) to compete successfully in most international sports. Still we give it a good try.

[toalisi]

My prediction-

1) Ireland
2) England
3) Wales
4) France
5) Italy
6) Scotland

[Togo]

Prediction.
1 England
2 Wales
3 Ireland
4 Scotland
5 France
6 Italy
Hartley for player of the tournament. Eddie Jones to have a row before every game with every opposing manager, none more so than Gatland.

[DTCwordfan]

Not a bad order, Togo...wonder if one can bet on it....

Yes agree, Gaitland/Jones may be tasty....

[Togo]

2nd tier competition based on rankings. Georgia, Romania, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Belgium.

[ChillDoubt]

As ever, it gets harder year on year to make predictions, as all are achieving parity.
Italy grow stronger with each campaign and a trip here is never a given, as recent results have shown. Scotland for the spoon is a harsh call, given their showing in the RWC and that heartbreaking decision will still rankle.
Hartley will forever be the short-fused loose cannon and an opponent with a bit of nouse could easily goad him into stupidity, though he has a propensity for that without anyone else's input!
My heart (as ever) says Wales but Ireland away first up is a toughy, but then there are no easy ones any more.
Since always it is impossible to know which French team will turn up, be it the potential world beaters or band de funistes, who knows?
In short, too close to call! Apologies for being a fence sitter until after the first round of games!

[DTCwordfan]

so scores then, Chilli, bear in mind the weather?

France 22, Italy 16
Scotland 9 England 16
Ireland 15 Wales 20

[ichkeria]

"2nd tier competition based on rankings. Georgia, Romania, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Belgium. "

Swap Russia for Belgium;
There already is a second tier competition, it just doesn't link up with the Six Nations: Georgia currently comfortably top, with Belgium leading the way in the division below
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Nations_Cup_%28rugby_union%29

[Ken4155]

DTC @ 13.03; i dare say that if you were willing to stake enough, some bookmakers may be prepared to give you odds on the 1-6 finishing order, though none are doing so on line. However, if Togo's prediction is spot on, for England to beat Wales in the final you'd get 6/1, for Wales to beat England is 9/1 and, if you weren't sure which side of the fence to be, the England/Wales dual forecast is best priced @ 11/4.

[Ken4155]

A red card to be shown to anyone in England's opener v Scotland is 17/2 with PP. Will be a passionate encounter to put it mildly and that might prove to be a tasty price come the final whistle on aturday.

[Ken4155]

That "aturday" is the day after riday:-)