Who cares about an Irish Grand Slam 2014

First topic message reminder :

Having beaten the Champions 2 years in a row, and this year in a manner that sets Wales back further than they have been since 2009, I am quietly confident Ireland will win a Grand Slam this year and certain they will win the tournament. While most of the chat has been about Wales defense, England being on target for yet another Grand Slam, Scotland dissembling and France being, well, French, Ireland have been quietly going about their business, almost beating NZ and now dismantling Wales. This defeat is proof perfect that Gatland's Lions ambitions have directly affected Wales progress.

In Schmidt Ireland have found a tactician as much as a coach who clearly has his players full support and belief, and his game plan was so beautifully executed by a side that looks more cohesive and hungry than any other side in the competition. Unlike Wales, who have no game plan but a style, Ireland prove they can be versatile and i don't think i have ever seen a side play to their strengths and expose the opposition's weaknesses as much as they did last week.

The key to victory is POC and Sexton. The former is the foundation of a dogged tight five and Sexton is fast becoming a world class 10. I expect Ireland and England to be a humdinger of a forward battle, if Ireland try and maul England they may well come up 2nd best, but i expect Schmidt to try and expose the English wings as he did against Wales and the Irish set piece will more than manage the English. It will be close but as long as Sexton functions and marshals the game as he has done so far, i just don't think the English will live with them Twixenham or not.

As for France, if Ireland beat England their momentum and confidence will be unstoppable. In Fofana France have the standout back in Europe but i think Ireland's intelligence and leadership is so strong that they will again edge it in a tight game. The French pack is prone to being snuffed out if they do not get their way and Ireland - who have the most cohesive back division - will clearly not make the same mistakes England did.

So it's a huge call in a year when nobody believed a Slam was on but for me Ireland are now the team to beat. Some farewell for BOD.

Well done Ireland.

I'm not one of the hang Healy brigade, he thought the ball was out and went for it ('it' being any viable target)

Good game for a neutral, usually the French only turn up for us, but Ireland handled them well.

One last comment about BOD - the cameras focussed on him trotting down the tunnel back to the dressing rooms - despite all of the 'stuff' he must have had going on through his head, a female 'civilian' (a cleaner or summit?) still got recognition from him.


Says a lot for him that.

So good to see The Saint so chirpy again, I was really hoping his internet problems weren't as bad as they appeared to be after the 9th of March

I must have missed the post where he congratulates England on their well earned win..

Anyway, congrats to Ireland - Best team always wins the championship and that's the case again this year

England will have to work harder to win it next year

The Saint wrote:TBH I prefer 1st or nothing and most recently we've been mostly tasting 1st place . Guess it was nice for us both to end the weekend with a big win, albeit against poor teams. I wouldn't say you destroyed Wales either, morally you may have but in reality it was a decent enough win. Something like 30-3 is more of a 'destroyer' victory.

We had noticed at RWCs when the later is the norm. Probably why the 6N important as it is, is the only competition mentioned by a certain few.

What is it about the national insecurity of some posters on here. There is freedom of expression and there are the ramblings of lunatics. Do both have to be published?

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:

The Saint wrote:TBH I prefer 1st or nothing and most recently we've been mostly tasting 1st place . Guess it was nice for us both to end the weekend with a big win, albeit against poor teams. I wouldn't say you destroyed Wales either, morally you may have but in reality it was a decent enough win. Something like 30-3 is more of a 'destroyer' victory.

We had noticed at RWCs when the later is the norm. Probably why the 6N important as it is, is the only competition mentioned by a certain few.

What is it about the national insecurity of some posters on here. There is freedom of expression and there are the ramblings of lunatics. Do both have to be published?

Self evidently they do!

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:

The Saint wrote:TBH I prefer 1st or nothing and most recently we've been mostly tasting 1st place . Guess it was nice for us both to end the weekend with a big win, albeit against poor teams. I wouldn't say you destroyed Wales either, morally you may have but in reality it was a decent enough win. Something like 30-3 is more of a 'destroyer' victory.

We had noticed at RWCs when the later is the norm. Probably why the 6N important as it is, is the only competition mentioned by a certain few.

What is it about the national insecurity of some posters on here. There is freedom of expression and there are the ramblings of lunatics. Do both have to be published?

This rubbish post doesn't make sense. And if you dislike the 6 Nations so much then feel free to leave. I understand England wanted to leave a few years ago, is that still the case?

This rubbish post doesn't make sense. And if you dislike the 6 Nations so much then feel free to leave. I understand England wanted to leave a few years ago, is that still the case?

It made perfect sense me.

Basically what was offered as an observation is that 'certain' posters only treasure the 6N competitions as they have a past record of winning it and anything else (ie beating a SH side or winning a RWC) are not considered, possibly as being seen as out of reach.

However if a 'certain' team went and won the RWC or possed the three big SH teams in the same season then the same people who currently go on about the 6N being the pinnacle of NH rugby would quickly drop the 6N as secondary and focus on the bigger accomplishments.

Nothing unusual there, totally natural, but to deny the worth of anything just because it's unlikely to be achieved it is a bit short-sighted.

I notice the Irish lads are very pleased with their win (and rightly so) however their focus is now on 'What's Next'?

I don't think that's the case for anyone, certainly not me. Isn't it funny though how Wales actually never win the 6 Nations in spite of officially winning it? I guess that's why the tournament wins get brought up to you graceless England fans.

I agree with you on the Irish though. I wonder if the English will go and tell them that they're arrogant and delusional for discussing what could be next?

Goodness Gracious Saint, how many hands tall is that horse you are on?

I cannot see anywhere on these boards where the English posters have done anything other than congratulate the Irish on their Championship win.

And I don’t think anybody English would label the Irish as ‘arrogant’. They seem to me to be a bunch of solidly grounded rugby fans who want the best for their team and are gracious in victory and defeat.

As for the certain fans of a certain nation putting the 6N as the pinnacle of NH rugby, just look at some of the utterances of a multi-coloured combatant who posts from the antipodes.

The 6 Nations is the oldest and best competition in the world and should be treated as such

The 6 Nations means everything to me, winning it is bigger than trying to beat any of the SH

Possibly it was these – and other similar – posts that were being referred to?

But then surely it goes both ways ?

Wales win the 6 Nations more than they beat SH sides so the fans would see this as a  bigger thing

England beat SH sides more regularly than Wales but then haven't won the 6 Nations that often in the last decade so hold beat Aus/NZ etc in higher regard


I'm sure if the achievements were reversed then the fans will be saying different things.

However, I have noticed now that England have finally won the triple crown some of their fans seem to hold the trophy in higher regard

I suggest you open the other eye then, there's been plenty of it. The focus now seems to be back on being anti-welsh now.

Fair. But what sort of person judges a whole nation on the comments of one? Only an imbecile would do that.

17 hand gelding ?   

17 hand gelding ?

Standing on a plinth