Rugby TTL - Series 2 - Episode 26 - 6 Nations Fantasy Week 1

Rugby TTL - Six Nations First Round Review and Fantasy Picks Analysis

Welcome back to Rugby TTL! In this episode, join us as we dive into the first round results of the Six Nations tournament. Featuring Kent and Polly, we discuss unchanged fantasy picks, team performances, and key moments from last week's games. From Italy's surprising victory over Scotland to England's dominant display against Wales, we cover all the action. We also preview the upcoming matches, focusing on England vs. Scotland, Ireland vs. Italy, and France vs. Wales. Tune in for all things rugby, strategy insights, and fantasy league tips!

00:00 Introduction and First Round Recap
00:15 Fantasy Rugby Picks and Strategies
02:56 Italy vs Scotland: A Surprising Outcome
03:53 Scotland's Performance and Future Prospects
10:11 Wales' Struggles and England's Dominance
32:15 Ireland vs France: A Tough Battle
47:29 Debating the 50/22 Rule and Player Skills
48:00 Ramos: The Underrated Star
49:30 Referee Decisions and Match Scrutiny
52:24 Fantasy Rugby: Top Point Scorers
54:32 League Standings and Team Strategies
59:21 Match Previews: England vs Scotland
01:02:39 Match Previews: Ireland vs Italy
01:05:57 Match Previews: Wales vs France
01:15:18 Lineout Techniques and Player Safety
01:17:52 Conclusion and Social Media Plugs

Transcript

Speaker: [00:00:00] Welcome back to another episode of Rugby Trued Leagues, where today I am joined by Kenton Polly. And, no, don't rub your eyes. You are seeing it. Carl has trimmed his beard and used just for men. So, so this week we're going to be talking about the first round of the six nations results, and most importantly, the unchanged fantasy picks that we picked ahead of time.

Speaker: So I'll start off and just say, gentlemen, are you happy with how your week went ly? 

Speaker 2: Yes, I am actually, I am seeing some of the plight that you guys rule in with a couple of you guys who had half the team almost not starting. I was lucky and had all my players start apart from one, which was, um, as I said, Mr.

Speaker 2: England Mariot, oj, but, um. 

Speaker 3: It's a, it's a real true understanding of how little we know about rugby, uh, and how little we [00:01:00] know about the international coaching and the setup that is international rugby. Um, it's a bit humbling really, if I'm honest. It 

Speaker: really is because we've got to be so strategic with the pix ahead of time.

Speaker: You know, we, we didn't have any of the team announcements. We just went off players who were on form, who we taught. Like I said, Wie going into, uh, the internationals was an unbelievable form. I thought he would've been in contention for the position wasn't even in the squad. Uh, same with o Jmo wasn't even in squad.

Speaker: And then Hugo Keenan picks up a broken thumb the week before, and I, I'm now basically three players shy. How am I starting 15 every week? Um, unless things change along the way. But, uh, it really does go to show the, uh, you know, they had a schedule. Picking who you think's going to be in the teams compared to, like, we've got the other couple of leagues where we can make the changes every [00:02:00] week.

Speaker: Uh, you can see how you're getting on there, but when you've gone and you've gone ahead of schedule and go, right, this FO's gonna play, ends up injured, going have a great tournament, not in squad. It's, um, it, it makes for some trilling review every week. 

Speaker 3: Yeah. Uh, and you know, I, I think it, I, it's been good fun.

Speaker 3: I've been getting neat, I got neat shit at the rugby club when I was watching the game on Thursday night. I was like, I can't believe you haven't got him his squad. Why did you not choose him? I'm like, no, he's in my, and it was specifically A-B-L-B-R-E. And I was like, no, he's in my, he's in my unchanged squad, but I didn't have in my week to week squad.

Speaker 3: And I thought I'd just mix it up. I wish I'd put him in my, in my changeable team now as well. But, you know, um, I, I think we were, you know, we can talk about those games and, uh, uh, and go in. 'cause I think, you know, um, let's maybe not talk about the France Island game first. I think that would probably be the worst.

Speaker: Well, look, look as the, as the host of today, uh, I, [00:03:00] I think it's only proper that we talk about the most, talked about Game of the week, and that is obviously Italy versus Scotland. Where Italy, Italy did the Scots. Uh, yeah. Best game of the weekend. What best results, unbelievable weather conditions you couldn't ask for better, honestly.

Speaker: Uh, yeah. Scotland, we, we said lads, uh, just like a, a month or two ago when we did our review of the Ottum Internationals, we went through all the teams and we said, where do we see Scotland? And we were kind of saying they've. Kinda just weathered away a bit. But they do have the great players, like you've picked King Horn in your, uh, teams, Polly, and, um, you know, he scored a, a hat trick versus Ireland last year, and they have their moments, but then they're liable to do what they did at the weekend.

Speaker 3: Yeah, I th I think, I, I don't, I, I'm finding it really difficult 'cause I think we, we all believe that the Scotland, [00:04:00] you know, the possibility, their ability and, uh, you know, when you've got Finn Russell, you can do anything really. You know, we all understand what a great player he is. But you know, when you haven't got good go forward ball and you, you're not playing behind maybe a solid pack.

Speaker 3: And yes, the weather conditions on Saturday were a massive, massive, you know, uh, contribution to how the game played. But both teams had to play in the same condition. So you can't may is it to the point where you have to go. Finn, I don't want you to be magical. I just want you to be good. I just want you to play simple standard, go forward rugby, and then sort of see what happens.

Speaker 3: But that Scottish strength in depth is maybe, maybe sort of highly being highlighted, you know, or the lack of strength in depth is being highlighted in terms of some injuries and, and, and sort of making decisions. And, you know, I, I think Gregor Townsend's, you know, he's already announced that he's leaving after the World Cup anyway, uh, uh, to go off to new, uh, [00:05:00] to Red Bull, Newcastle Red Bull.

Speaker 3: So, I don't know, it's, could that have been a, could that been a factor in the team? Is it, is it a, you know, mentally is a premiership play as a international rugby play, are your coach is, you know, how much is he in it for? I, I dunno. I just think, you know, are saying, 

Speaker: think when you, at the, I think it was a combination of.

Speaker: You know, Scotland were poor, but Italy over the last couple of years we've said are very, you know, very exciting team. Uh, they have some quality players both on boat, in the fronts and in the backs. And uh, look, I'm always gonna be a bit biased 'cause I think that from the time that Connor Ore went over into the Italian setup, he kinda changed the mentality of the national team, uh, and downwards.

Speaker: And, um, they, they, over the last couple of years have started to play rugby while in years gone it was give the ball to Parise and hopefully he'll do something. But [00:06:00] the Italians from like the Tristate scored, they sucked in the Scottish defense went out wide. Um, and like Scotland up points, like we both have like Dempsey in our team, got a great try drop of the shoulder.

Speaker: Get a little, little side step, but five meters out. Great try. Um, but like you say, the quality of the depth of that squad just isn't there. Like I had picked Doy as my super sub because he's one of the top Troy scores this year in the URC and he, I knew he wasn't going to start Scrum half, but because I I I, it actually shocked me to see that he was going to be playing out on the wing.

Speaker: Starting out in the wing. 'cause I thought I'd be issuing to come in after like 55, 60 minutes and uh, get some points, but they're having to rely on him out in the wing 

Speaker 2: on my, for Scotland, two of my shot [00:07:00] picks. I picked obviously Dempsey in and that got questioned by, uh, Carl on the first one going, oh, I dunno how well he'd do at Amazing Game.

Speaker 2: Yeah. And I picked, I put Dobby and my team because I knew, I saw you starting on the Wing. And him being a scrum half allowed me to drop, uh, DuPont allowed me to get, um, I basically ha uh, Aaron do in, and I brought in, uh, Kevin Doris as well. 

Speaker: Yeah. 

Speaker 2: So, but the ability to him being on the wing at, is he seven and a half stars?

Speaker: Yeah, he's, he's very, very cheap. Uh, I, I think he might be like top eight and a half. Um, 

Speaker 2: yeah. 

Speaker: But that, that was one of the reasons why I, I was keeping it for the, the super sub as well. 'cause I just thought, unbelievable player, definitely gonna come on. But he's starting at the minute, so it was, he was the least amount of points that I had because he obviously started and didn't get, uh, any [00:08:00] real contributions.

Speaker: His points total got half. Yeah. He only got 11 points. So because he was my super sub bio, I got 5.5. 

Speaker 3: Yeah, I, I think. I think it's really clever that you, how you go around, how people go around, you know? Because like I already said, I hate fantasy rugby. It's like one of the worst things in the world because I'm absolutely awful at it.

Speaker 3: But I'm gonna keep doing it. 'cause Carl said let's do the po. And I think it's, and I like, that's why I think that the different formats week and week out, I've just got a, if I've got, if I've gotta think about it too much, then my brain just goes off on a tangent. But, you know, I think that, um, to me that it questions then why have you put, you know, your, your scrum half starting on the wing.

Speaker 3: Are you, where's the rest of your wingers? Where's, you know, where's the rest of the squad? Is the injury really? Was it, 

Speaker: well, do you want, you would say that given that you had King for him. 

Speaker 3: Yeah. 

Speaker 2: You're start, you're starting Darcy on the [00:09:00] bench behind a scrum half. Darcy was actually called into the British large Lions last year until he got injured, unfortunately.

Speaker 2: But you're starting a scrum. Half our position replacing probably one of the Scotland's most deadliest finishes. You just, just have to question the whole 

Speaker: well 

Speaker 2: thought. This 

Speaker: is why we're always saying like, this is why these lads are international managers and we just jumping on a PO having a chat about it.

Speaker: You know, like it, it goes beyond our talk process of it. 

Speaker 3: But we are just saying the same stuff that everybody else is saying week in, week out. You know, it is like, I can guarantee you there were a few people in, you know, uh, north of the border in Scotland that sitting there going, what on earth is he doing?

Speaker 3: What's this going on? But then there will have been a few other people going, oh, that was a, that was a right decision. That was a good decision. That was a, you know, what else has he got, you know, what else has his choices? What else has he got? You know? And, uh, I, I dunno, I, I think it's, um, you know, where, where does, [00:10:00] where does Scotland stand now?

Speaker 3: I mean, bearing in mind where, where do they go to this week? Uh, so it's Scotland Art, is it Scotland? England this weekend? Scotland. It's, you know, 

Speaker 2: yeah. 

Speaker 3: I mean, I don't even want to be the one to call it, but you know, I think if the same Scottish team plays on sa uh, you know, this weekend or that same level of performance, I think England will, will be, you know, licking their lips to, to really get stuck into them because, you know, um.

Speaker 3: That they are, that England team from Saturday. You know, I think, I think after 50 minutes, I think they definitely, they need to learn how to put their, my personal opinion, they need to really know how to put their, you know, foot to the throat and really kill off a game. And I think they let whales not come back into it.

Speaker 3: 'cause I don't think, I think they, the game was gone and they, they kind of just stopped playing to a degree. Um, um, with the same intensity. The ball speed slowed down, everything just changed. And, you know, uh, it was good [00:11:00] to see that they picked it up at the end when Spencer came on as well. And, um, you know, when you bring in a, your, your captain off the bench, you know, if you think that you've got.

Speaker 3: Um, Curry and Ji coming off the bench and there were two of the standout players in the Autumn Internationals last year. Um, both the Yellow card 

Speaker: don't. Oh yeah, I did see that. Someone had curry in and he had a minus one on the, the score because of the yellow card. I had. 

Speaker 3: He, he had, he was my super sub on Saturday.

Speaker 3: That's what you were Oh, for 

Speaker: holy hard ba 

Speaker 3: Yeah. 

Speaker 2: But being a, being, being an England fan, I'm glad there's no, um, Vander mva. 'cause normally Vander MVA has a absolute wan six Nations who plays England and score the hat trick. So. My goodness. He's not back in the, 

Speaker: yeah. Uh, just before it, it seems like we're wanting to transition to the, you know, England's performance against Wales.

Speaker: Uh, we don't wanna How good 

Speaker 3: were Italy though. 

Speaker: Yeah. The, we'll, we'll just say, say a couple of [00:12:00] words on like the, the Italian players. Like which Italian players did you guys have on your team? I know everyone basically had Menon. He got a try. Um, I know Carl last week when he wouldn't let me into the room was ripping my choice of a Ferrari at the Yeah.

Speaker: Prop. And he ended up coming out with like 33 points. Um, but Carl himself did have a couple of Italians. He canone, uh, Lange, uh, ano, uh, both got em 44 and 30 points respectfully. So the Italians last week racked up a good amount of points, uh, on the fantasy side of things. Uh, how do we think going forward, like the match against Ireland?

Speaker: Rest of the tournament. Do we see them continuing and finishing above that second bottom now? Kind of leapfrog in Scotland? Yeah, maybe into court place. 

Speaker 3: Both. I dunno. Yeah, I think it's a long way. I, I, I think it's a long way for 'em [00:13:00] to go, but I definitely think that, you know, that would be, to me, we were talking, if you go back three years, people were once again talking about how Italy and Georgia should be playing for a playoff to go, you know, into, there should be Georgia coming up and Italy going down and it.

Speaker 3: It doesn't take long for a group or, um, that the, the culture that of is Italian rugby. We talked about this last year when we talked about the fact that the Italian under the twenties were, you know, absolutely storming through the under 26 nations. And you go, well, it's, so they're coming. And, and that's what you were saying, like con OSHA went over there what it must have been what, 7, 7, 8 years ago?

Speaker 3: Yeah, eight years ago. Yeah. And he didn't just just do the, the international team. You had to cha where does it change? And it had to change from grassroots had to change in the age groups and everything else like that. And I think it's definitely changed and I think that it, you know, we. It's good for international rugby, it's superb for the six nations, [00:14:00] you know, because something ha had to change.

Speaker 3: You know, we we're in a position now with a a a a, a weak Welsh team, which nobody likes to see. By the way. Wales being stronger makes the Northern hemisphere so much stronger. Support everything else that comes with it. So, you know, for Italy to get better is just so good. Not, I wanna see him compete and, you know, I, I'd love to see him go, you know, um, go to Wales and beat them as well and um, you know, and, and then really push England and, and, and, and Ireland and, and France as well.

Speaker 3: So, you know, let's see what happens. There's no write off, you know, England have gotta go to the We England themselves and I know talk about them being English, but we've gotta go to Italy at some point and, and try and get a result. And I don't think it's gonna be as easy of everybody sort of assumes it's gonna be, if that makes sense.

Speaker: Yeah. Can Kent 

Speaker 2: Paul, you were saying about, um. Italy had started the grassroots and build themselves up. Do you think that same thing of whales have gone the other way, [00:15:00] that their grassroots club rugby's literally fallen off a cliff where you got some of the, the Italian teams now coming through, playing great rugby, getting the talent through where whales are now potentially losing another province, go down to two.

Speaker 2: Do you reckon that's gonna stu their kind of grassroots coming through? Do you reckon that's where their problem is, that they're not getting the athletes through? 

Speaker 3: No, I'd say I don't think that there is a problem with Welsh grassroots rugby. I think if you look at grassroots in, in, you know, in Wales, it.

Speaker 3: There's some superb rugby going on. Uh, maybe it's to do with the management of the, um, the leagues. The fact that, uh, you know, they're trying to, you know, they've got a thin down player pool and they're still trying to play three teams and actually maybe, or four teams, maybe dropping it down to three or two will strengthen them.

Speaker 3: But, you know, at the same time, they're losing some of those, you know, massive stars to, to other clubs and [00:16:00] they have to, you know, how do you entice people to play rugby in Wales? I don't know, you know, solution is, how do you entice people to play rugby in England? You know, we've lost, they've lost them. How do the Ireland team, they don't have a, an Ireland, they don't have a problem enticing people to play an Ireland.

Speaker 3: 'cause guess what? It's the best league that they can play in and they've got the best clubs and they, they pay 'em the, well, they compensate 'em well. All of those central contracts, everything. You know, that's why Ireland have been at top of the game for the last 10 years because they've really managed to sort out.

Speaker 3: Their league structure to make sure that the Irish team every, every, um, winter and every six nations, and for the last, you know, two world cups have been competitive. So, you know, I, I don't know. You say then, 

Speaker: I think it's just across the board where it's, it's going to be difficult to keep players within the leagues say, you know?

Speaker: Yeah. When I went over to Gary's the other week, uh, I, I was told that they had lost 18 players over the last couple of [00:17:00] seasons. So the team was basically a fresh team. They had, I was told that they had a brilliant, uh. Maori prop only 19, 20 years old. And then he got called up for like New Zealand a and immediately just went back home.

Speaker: So while you're trying to integrate, uh, these players into the league and bring the standards so up, um, in those cases, you just can't keep ahold of players for whatever reasons, personal reasons, uh, professional reasons. It's just difficult to keep them in the leagues. Um, but we'll, we'll move on, on to the, the England Wales match.

Speaker: Uh, we were talking about Welsh rugby there. Um, I fully agree that a competitive Welsh team is best for, uh, the Northern Hemisphere. They have one of the best stadiums in the Piccadilly stadium. I was over there with two of my friends for the Ireland Wales game, last six Nations. Uh, they had the roof closed.

Speaker: The, an anthem was actually like spine. [00:18:00] Chilling, uh, to hear those Welsh fans belt that out. They are a passionate group of rugby fans and unfortunately the, the level that their national team is at at the minute is just nowhere near what we're used to seeing from Welsh rugby over the last decade. And once again, it kind of showed at the weekend and they did themselves no favors with shooting themselves in the fort with two yellow cards in the first 30 minutes, gave themselves a, a mountain to climb against one of the favorites of the tournament in yourselves in England.

Speaker: How did you guys perceive the match? 

Speaker 2: Pretty much that is saying, I think you shot themselves in the foot in the first like 13 minutes with two yellow cards. And I said I think that hill was too far for the climb and then they were trying to chase the game and I think England just managed that first 40 minutes of rugby.

Speaker 2: So well, doesn't help that. Three times Aaron do touched the ball. [00:19:00] He said he strolled over in the corner. I think that's all he did in the game and he kind of come out smelling roses and that. But I think Wales losing their captain in Jack Morgan, that kind of talisman in the for Woods, um, having Reese Lambic come back playing at 15 to try and get 'em the much of the ball.

Speaker 2: I just, I think, I think they just don't know who they are. Man. I think Wells have lost our identity and they've lost a few key players. They just haven't been able to replace them yet. 

Speaker 3: What 

Speaker 2: I think at the moment, 

Speaker 3: how Wales 

Speaker 2: are Yeah, 

Speaker 3: I agree. I, I think, I think. Um, England did really well to, to control that Welsh team and, you know, we all know how dangerous re summit can be, and, and there were glimpses of that in the second half of him at fallback.

Speaker 3: And, you know, if you kick loosely to him and you give him the opportunity, he will break tackles and he will get past the first or second offender, which means you're getting into your backfield, which is, is gonna create difficult for, you know, defenses, [00:20:00] you know. Um. I was, I was still an, I guess, annoyed. I think that's it.

Speaker 3: Where, you know, I was still watching that first 10 minutes and it was the structure they were playing and I was just like, no, we've gotta just trust that this England team is eventually gonna get the ball. You know, they're gonna look for the opportunities when it's on. They're gonna get it out and then they'll played the ball, you know, you know, uh, and actually I, I think, you know, I put George Ford in my weekly team because, um, actually he's superb and I think, I think George Ford is playing some of the best rugby he's ever played.

Speaker 3: And, you know, he's definitely put England on the front foot at, you know, he's taking some big smashes. He's, he's holding that ball so late. It's like, um, it's like watching Johnny Sexton when he was in, you know, two, four years ago for watching him winning the Lions and, and an island at, at the World Cup, where he's just carrying it to the line knowing full well.

Speaker 3: He's gonna be offloaded and the the defender knows he's gonna offload it as well. He knows the offloads [00:21:00] coming, but you can't just go, he's definitely gonna pass it. 'cause there were a couple of times he made some breaks and I just think he was, he, he's been the big difference. And you know, answering the question of, oh, you know, was Marcus Smith or Fin Sis Smith's England next, next 10.

Speaker 3: And it's like, should we go back to the 10 that we already had? You know, where, you know, it was almost like Eddie Jones had something with George Ford at 10 and Farrell at 12 and you know, it. Um, he was questioned for his selection choices at times, but George Ford has just been absolutely superb and, and I genuinely believe that him controlling that game in the middle of the park, I think his game management is brilliant.

Speaker 3: And I think that is one of the reasons why England are also playing so well, because they're not struggling to make the decisions. He just seems to make the right decisions at the right time. It was like, you know, watching Finn Russell on a good day where he just, he does, does amazing things. Or watching J Bear just, you know, just sitting there going, oh right, we'll just do this now.

Speaker 3: And it's like, oh shit. Yeah, that's on. Um, [00:22:00] uh, and you know, I think, I think sometimes we talk down his, his, um, skillset, uh, and his contribution to that team on Saturday, but I think when it came up when they were voting for Man of the Match, it was, you know, the four players that were man of the match were Aaron Dore, George Ford, um.

Speaker 3: Who else? Bennel. Bennel and I can't remember who else was the fourth foot. Oh, um, who's the second row? Um, who? Ash 

Speaker: Chem. 

Speaker 3: Ch o Ollie Chem. 

Speaker: Yeah. 

Speaker 3: Was was superb on Saturday as well. You know, so I, I just, I I think that 

Speaker: once they, uh, teams were released, and I knew, I told you it was out on the weekly one. I put Chessman instead of him.

Speaker: I, yeah. It can't go wrong. 

Speaker 2: One, one England player I think has kind of gone on the radar from all of us. Guy Pepper for, for the back, for the back row choices. England have, he played 80 minutes, I think he's played 80 minutes in. [00:23:00] I think the majority of the last games England have played. For someone being he's 2022, is he?

Speaker 3: Yeah, but I think, I think for him, he, he got 80 minutes on Saturday. 'cause they opted for the Benner in the center option, didn't they? So, you know, I think I, I don't necessarily would think, just help me that, I don't necessarily think that would've been the, that that. Right option. Don't get me wrong. I think Guy Pepper, he's keeping Tom Curry out the team, but then I think also Steve B's looking at it and turn around and go, you know, if you go back to uh, uh, and this is really silly, you know, um, England go back five years, England couldn't finish a game.

Speaker 3: They were in the game to 60 minutes and then the last 20 minutes they'd take, um, Jamie George off and they'd take all their leaders off and you'd change your team. And they were left with no leadership on the pitch and, and they couldn't see a game out. Whereas if you looked on Saturday, the moment ATO you came on, Jamie George could go off.

Speaker 3: You know, I told you starting at the weekend, so Jamie George can come off the bench. You know, you can, you know, did, is [00:24:00] Jamie George a better hooker than, and playing better than Lu Lewis? Uh, Luke Ka Dickey, maybe not. But guess what he's given us? He gave a you options on Saturday to start in that captain role because that's what was needed with Marrow being on the bench.

Speaker 3: So you, you have to have that ability to be able to change it up and, you know, it's great to see that England team with those opportunities and, you know, um. I, I think it will only get better. I'm not saying it's perfect and I'm not saying that they, you know, it, it's right the World Cup on it now. But definitely other teams have gotta look at how, how different teams are playing it and the strategy, you know, look at the South African team, how they set their team up and how they, you know, how Razzy plans it for a Saturday.

Speaker 3: You've got to think about, you know, actually the last 30 minutes are really important, whether, I agree with the fact that you can unload seven or eight players off the benches by the, by, uh, 'cause I think it's ruining rugby, but that's, that's a whole different conversation for a different day. 

Speaker 2: Yeah. Back in the day when a front row had to play 80 minutes, you [00:25:00] couldn't get 60 minutes out of one 40 minutes out of, or four minutes out of another one.

Speaker 2: And then just have a little of a blast around and props actually had to be fit line out. Scrummage Rock Mall. Now you get the South Africans who could just be absolute monsters. Scrum line out, hit a few, hit a few crash balls. Let's bring the other 20 stone muted on to do the, exactly the same as, 

Speaker 3: but then we, we discussed the other players that England had at their disposal.

Speaker 3: You know, fa OBO is out now for the whole of the tournament by the looks of it. Um, but Aaron do came. Aaron do was absolutely super. I, you know, he was brilliant. Like you said, he only got the ball three times, but I, I think he did so much more than that as well. And, you know, considering the fact that that got he scarce, you know, he went to France, he missed his opportunity to play England for England because he went to France.

Speaker 3: And it just goes to show there's the opportunity to come back, you know, and, and, and sort of perform at our highest level. If only we could select foreign players like Jack Willis, maybe that England team would even be stronger. So 

Speaker: [00:26:00] there, there, there's even talk about Willis being him playing for, come on.

Speaker: Yeah. Not being nbb for us. Yeah. It's um, it's interesting hearing you just go through the, the list of players there and like how highly you regard them. I taught someone that, uh. You wanna mention in the combination with Ford is how well Mitchell compliments him. I think Mitchell on his day is just absolutely fabulous as a scrum half and just can control the tempo of a match.

Speaker: And his, uh, his speed of getting the ball out at the back of a, a mall of a ruck is just, it reminds me of Stringer, uh, sometimes watching them. 

Speaker 2: Yeah, I, I second that. I think Mitchell is a massive key part of how England play that quick fast ball. Um, I think when he comes off, I think, um, I was just, who's the scrum half came on from Spencer's one?

Speaker 2: I'm not, say [00:27:00] Stewart Spencer. Great sniper, great thing, but I just don't think his delivery from the base is as good as Mitchell's and saying. Mitchell Ford and then Ford with the runners, England got off him. The, the, the back row who are like Benell plays center. You've got potential Pollock who trains in the wing, then you've got ding wool and you had, uh, Freeman, even robot running off him.

Speaker 2: It's just paced power everywhere. I think he just makes the right decision 

Speaker: now after the, the weekend, everyone going, uh, you know, Freeman second center could be a revelation. You know, it's, uh, saying that he is got all the utensils there to be a really key player in that England spot, in that position. 

Speaker 3: I think I, I, I liked him when he was at Northampton.

Speaker 3: Northampton have played him there and I think they played, they played for him in there last year when they had an injury and they moved him into the centers and I, I, he's got the right size and he is got the right pace. And I think England have struggled for that third natural [00:28:00] 13 since, you know, uh, Manu really they, that those, if you look at the center partnerships across England for the last five, six years, it's just been, you know, it's been a handful or a spattering, but we all know that good teams come from, you know, uh, consistency in the middle of the pitch, whether it's the 10, 12, 13 combination.

Speaker 3: 'cause it is massively key. And, you know, because. Did it for years and with Darcy and Risco and yeah, Darcy 

Speaker: Risco and then 

Speaker 3: recent time 

Speaker: Bundy, Yaki and 

Speaker 3: Ring 

Speaker: Rose. You know, it's, 

Speaker 3: you know, 

uh, 

Speaker: you know, they're two of the first names on the team sheet, 

Speaker 3: and I think if you go back England never, you know, Farrell and to Langi were massively complimenting themselves.

Speaker 3: And if you go back to those times where you've got that thing is, I, I, I think England is still experiment. I mean, we still got, um, a joke, um. Uh, a Jomo to come back. And I, when we watched him earlier last year at some, he should be so good, good that he put him in the, like, he's such a good player. You know, he's in, he, he would be in my [00:29:00] team every week.

Speaker 3: You know, he would, uh, you know, heaven forbid that we, oh, he 

Speaker: is in my team every week and I've got no choice about it. 

Speaker 3: But that, you know, but that just goes to prove that, you know, I did, how, how was Ding Wall Did Ding Wall do? It's the combination of those two centers. It's a really, really key. And, um, I, I think moving forward, like we talked about the Italians and we, I don't think we've given enough Brex and men and cell enough, you know, credit, we go back to them.

Speaker 3: But, you know, Menella getting a try. But him and Brex, those two, I said if we, I, I think if I was, if they were English, they'd be playing just Scottish and Irish or you know, wherever. Yeah. Whichever nation. Maybe not France. 'cause I've just seen that the French can just rest their centers and they've still got four class centers just coming through and, you know.

Speaker 3: And even then we, we looked at that French team and gone, Hmm. Probably missing a few players in that team. Oh no. Didn't matter. Um, but I just, I think, yeah, uh, it's nice to see though, and I think England have always been, you know, [00:30:00] lucky at Scrum half. I think, uh, you know, they had the, the Ben Young's Danny scenario.

Speaker 3: You've got the different styles and I think currently, you know, they're lucky in that set, in, in that retrospect. So, but 

Speaker 2: one, one, even player, one playing player, I, I thought let himself down a bit was against on that game. He went in. Yeah. I, yeah. In such good, such good form for Bristol and the whole getting that in the welshman's face and the, the kind of, the headbutt that was, that wasn't sort of situation.

Speaker 2: It, you just sit there and go, there's time and moment for Brava and when you're 30, 40 points up. He just said a prop, we just need to knuckle down, screw your bloke in the scru and then just be games around the park. And I think he, him getting taken over half time, I think said, said quite a lot to how either he was mentally in that game or how other people perceived how he played as well.

Speaker 3: Yeah. Um, yeah, you know, he, he, he, [00:31:00] when he is good, he's superb. Um, but when he is bad, he's, he's really bad. And, and you know, I think it's, um, he's kind of got that shot shirt nailed down and I think that's probably where Englander, you know, probably weakest at the moment, his front row. In terms of prop wise, you know, we're still missing Will Stewart, who's, you know, arguably one of the best loosehead in the, in the, in the Northern hemisphere.

Speaker 3: Um, you know, so there, there's things going on. I, I just genuinely, it's, it's exciting to, to see such strength in depth where, you know, you've gotta bring marrow to you back in this week. 'cause he's captain in the side, but you know, it's. A bit a, a shit to, to um, I think Cole's has lost out, hasn't he? Uh, I'm just trying to find a team shit.

Speaker 3: Yeah. So 

Speaker 2: Chi Chm and uh, I Tojo, 

Speaker 3: I told you, but, 

Speaker 2: uh, so you go back to the whole in depth thing. You look at Italy now who have got starting to have that depth for players Scotland, you [00:32:00] think they lose a few of the key players who they got to come in Wales lose a few. One or two players could be in trouble.

Speaker 2: And I'm saying I Irelands are getting situation, like we said, not getting out there, but let's say Ireland 10 situation. 

Speaker 3: But we're gonna get on. And that's the whole point. And it leads us really nicely, Ken, into Ireland. And actually, if we talk about the strength and depth, if you look how well Ireland played in that second half, hold back, Keith.

Speaker 3: Hold back Keith. You know, but Keith's gonna agree with me. When I, when Ireland made those changes and those experienced players came on and they actually started to knuckle down France, France was playing right till the end. But that second half, yeah. Like if you turned on at halftime and ignored the score, you would, that game was a whole load of closer than everyone thought it was.

Speaker 3: You know, it wasn't, France didn't run away with it. I think, you know, James, Ryan, uh, Ryan coming on really put a bit of an emphasis into the whole of that team and sort of really sparked it. Uh, Ty by, in that second half was just the tide burn that we've seen. It was amazing for the last Yeah. The unbelievable player.

Speaker 3: And [00:33:00] it's just like, so someone's, you know, and then you look and you think, well, okay, so you've got Ty by James. Ryan's coming on ca and Doris is eight. Uh, Vander fl well played the year, three years ago. You know, she, and you know, and then, and then went, right, okay, so what happened to Ireland? And then they go, uh, and I know Keith could probably list all of them, but, uh, yeah, the 10 players that weren't available or, or, or didn't play for, they weren't selected, you know, um, but know, yeah, 

Speaker: I, I, I don't want to blame it on obviously coming into this tournament, it, a lot has been focused on all the injuries that we've been picking up.

Speaker: And obviously my fancy team got hit with one of 'em with Hugo Kean break his thumb just the week before. But, uh, I know what you're saying, uh, to an extent there probably about, like, if you watch from the, the second half onwards, was that as much. Who we brought on, or was it the fact that France in the 49th minute made wholesale changes to [00:34:00] their pack?

Speaker: And next thing you know, there's a shift in momentum because I would attribute it more to the fo fact that like Goler, who was mad at match only played 50 minutes, was unbelievable. And it was like they're, they brought off so much quality. That it brought the, like the performance down on the French side.

Speaker: We did pick it up with the legs that came on. Nick Timney got himself on, uh, you know, there was a couple of lads, James Ryan, as you said, like he always throws himself. I taught the boys. I, I actually, there's another, um, there's another Irish, uh, rugby, um, content creator that was at like the six Nations press and he was, he did a review and was saying that, oh, the French forwards were miles better.

Speaker: And I was like. No, I don't agree with this. Uh, our scrum constantly had the French scrum collapsing, which the ref didn't, uh, [00:35:00] call, uh, as much. Should have been a couple of yellows for the, the French on that. Um, I actually believe that in the structure of the set piece, it was one of the best times that we've, uh, in matches that we've had for a good while.

Speaker: Paul o Connell has gotten a lot of scrutiny for being the, uh, the set piece coach for a number of years, and I, I thought that the set piece last Thursday was the best I've seen from on our side for a good while, but we just kept shooting ourself in the foot because of our inexperience, number 10, and who, uh, constantly put us into positions that allowed France to score.

Speaker: And then obviously the whole team missed tackles for like the third, third or fourth try. Um. But the, a lot of it boiled down to, uh, the first try that came from er gas deciding to do a Hail Mary [00:36:00] kick, uh, up the field instead of just running to touch, take, take the, the line out as it comes. Um, and then the, their second try, when he try, he gave us the worst, the hospital passes in the own, uh, in the own like goal Scoring's own.

Speaker: It was, uh, it was unbelievable. I couldn't believe he passed inside. Just touching it down. Um, I, I don't think he's anywhere near international level for many years. Uh, and I was having, I really roiled up a lot of supporters because you would not believe in Ireland. The fan, like the fan base that blindly support Sam Ergas at 10 for Ireland, they are actually just so blindsided by.

Speaker: The potential and not the performance. And I just don't understand when, uh, when Harry [00:37:00] Byrne is playing for Lancer over the last number of weeks that, uh, Fazi can then just go and pick PGA at 10. And it came back to bite us in the A. Yes, we had injuries. Uh, but I think on the, the whole of it, the performance and the scoreline really doesn't showcase really how, how the match went.

Speaker 3: So, question Keith, I've, sorry, Ken, do you think. That, you know, 'cause everyone's written island off now after that French game. Everyone says that they're not at the right level, they're not at the right. Uh, you know, I, I definitely, I watch a game and I don't think that they're written off in any, I think, you know, I think England have gotta go to Dublin.

Speaker 3: We've gotta go, um, you know, we've gotta go and play over there. You know, I still think it, the tournament is massively wide open and I think nobody wants to play Ireland anyway because, you know, on their day they can absolutely beat everyone. I think that they, they, they're still a great team. Do you think it's ju do you think if you solved that 10 problem, let's say for example, on, you know, you change a 10 [00:38:00] last Thursday, does that game change or is it a case of there's an underlying thing, you know, um, in terms of.

Speaker 3: We just keep choosing the same people. Um, because that's what I've done for the last seven or eight years as the head. 

Speaker 2: What Paul was saying, the fact that you say they've picked the same players. Yeah. I've mentioned this to you before. The fact that FAZ has kind of hung his hat on Sam's, Sam's head and gone, you are my 10.

Speaker 2: Has he put himself now into a bed where he can't get outta, or do you reckon he's trying to do it so he gives Sam the confidence to go, right, I can make mistakes. I my spot is now safe, or is that now a detriment to the way Ireland are playing? 

Speaker: It's a detriment. I, I'll answer the, your question here firsthand.

Speaker: It's a detriment to the Irish team to keep putting a player that is not up to this level of rugby, uh, [00:39:00] in my opinion. Uh. I, I'm was one of his, and I don't wanna be too hard on him. He is only 22. Uh, and over the last number of years in the underage scene, he has been the shining light of those, uh, underage six nation winning squads where you, we saw him coming up and we're like, right, this fella is going to be the fella to take over from Sexton.

Speaker: Now there's a couple of critiques. He's obviously, as I said in group chat, he's been highlighted now, and myself and my father have been saying it for the last like year and a bit. He, his inability to tackle and his more, so his mindset that he doesn't want to tackle is helping, uh, is helping other teams because they know they can just run through 'em.

Speaker: If you take a look at that third French try, he holds off putting in a tackle in until like the offload has already gone. And then he is like, oh, ball's gone. You [00:40:00] know, I watched the, the URC final in the stadium, and I, he did one kick down field and I, I said, he's gonna run that down, but he won't put a tackle in.

Speaker: And he did exactly that. Ran down. But he won't charge it down. He has to improve his defensive side of the game before anything else. Everyone goes, oh, Sam Ergas. He can have a moment of magic. Oh, he's just got that. Something that, you know, Bob had, he can create a moment. That is no use. When a moment is only like one second of an 80 minute match, you know, you need to be able to have someone in there that can cover all bases for the rest of the game.

Speaker: And when Lenzer got torn apart by Montserrat the start of the season, just to show you, I know we're on about the three tens between Burn Crowley and Ergas. They put the highlight of Crowley versus Ergas and Crowley had like a 90% tactile succession and Ergas only had [00:41:00] a 40%. His defensive side of the game is too much of a liability at this level.

Speaker: Uh, and I think it's not good for him because he's just going to continue getting sized and, uh, ated. You need to take him out of the the limelight for a while he, and just go back to the club Rugby. Go back to Lan, sir. Get your minutes, you know, continue improving and then get put back there because at the minute it's just not working for him or the team.

Speaker 3: Do you know who else I thought was Paul on Thursday? Gibson Park. 

Speaker: He was, yeah, Gibo. Uh, and we were putting our, we were literally going, what are you doing? What is this? Game management, uh, anytime, uh, we had a bit of the ball, instead of trying to go through phases, uh, he'd kick it straight back to the French and invite pressure it.

Speaker: Over the last number of years, I've constantly [00:42:00] said Gibel has been up there with DuPont as one of the best players. Uh, one of the best drum halves in the world. But Thursday we were all like, no, this is not it. Um, he was, he did have a good game. Uh, there, there was people that did have good games, like, uh, Lockman came in.

Speaker: I thought he played very well. Uh, Clarkson did all right. Uh, like other SGA star aside, his brother, he had a good game. There were a lot of. Decent performances. Uh, some that I, I was kind of hoping Jacob Stockdale would perform. Uh, he's been having a great season with Allstar, um, but didn't get enough of the ball.

Speaker: Like Ireland themselves did not start playing until the French made those substitutions in the second half. It was only about the 57 minute when we got our first couple of actual phases together. So, yeah, it, it was the, the first time. 

Speaker 3: It was, it was noticeable. We, I, [00:43:00] I, 'cause I was at a club we were watching and, uh, I was talking to a mate, Tim, and I said, so I think that's the first time I learned to put four phases together.

Speaker 3: It was, I think they were playing three phases and then they hadn't gone anywhere. So they kicked the ball and it's like, it was all of a sudden they started get, getting the ball on the front foot and they were carrying and they were breaking the game line. And the first up carries were good. And you know, we all know that teams is completely different when they're playing on the front foot.

Speaker 3: And, um, you know, if you can get on the front foot, that's part of the game of rugby isn't, it? Doesn't, does it matter what it looks like? You know, you can go back to, you know, South Africa, go there for the high ball kick and chase and, and they put you under pressure, you know, by making you catch that ball.

Speaker 3: But that's them on the front foot. Their, their front foot is their defense and their defense pushing hard. Whereas Ireland's front foot should definitely be. Let's carry hard, let's move hard, let's work hard. You know, let's, let's get the ball moving through the hands. And you're like, you know, I think it wasn't, I think it was about the 60th minutes.

Speaker 3: I, I heard that Stockdale was even on the team, you know, or even playing. And I, I can't recall, and this is [00:44:00] maybe 'cause I, I can't recall who was on the other wing and who was at Fallback. So, you know, um, 

Speaker: uh, Tommy O'Brien was on the other wing, and Jamie Osborne had a good game at fullback. I think he got a, Osborn did a good great, uh, 50 22.

Speaker: Um, yeah. Oh, that was 

Speaker 3: a superb 50 

Speaker: 22, by the way. Oh, it was, it was, it was brilliant. But, but yeah, like that. Yeah. Can't you want to, 

Speaker 2: so in, in that situation that for the Ireland, France game. The start of it was that basically down to Ireland being that poor, or France being that good. 

Speaker: Well, FRA France were unbelievable.

Speaker: Uh, like, don't, don't take away, I'm, I'm not taking away IT from the way the the French played and what we would say. Well, I know, I know. I'm trying to give you guys hope here. Look, I, I've got a bet on you guys winning the tournament. So here look, here's hoping, but uh, the French were playing very. Fluid, quick rugby [00:45:00] through, through the hands.

Speaker: And it was brilliant to watch from a neutral fan point. Wasn't great for a green fan point to see them tear, tear through us. And it was almost like, uh, our lads have become too, uh, conditioned to that type of rugby that you were saying there, Polly, where it's like pick and drive, pick and drive. And, uh, while the French went back to like the stuff you'd see back in the day where it was quick fluid, uh, liquid rugby where it was just everything was coming off offloads here, just everything through the hands quick out from the, from the malls and the rucks, uh, the French played brilliantly.

Speaker: I'm not taken away from the way that they played and unfortunately we were on show for the world to see how good they are at the minute. 

Speaker 2: How good is Burberry? 

Speaker: Oh, just you give that kid, right? You give that kid a little snip of the space and he's like a [00:46:00] shark in blood and fasted waters and he's just gone.

Speaker: Like, his pace is just unbelievable. LBB puts to the sword. 

Speaker 3: He was, he, he was absolutely superb. 

Speaker: Yeah. 

Speaker 2: Super. I would like to see a race between him, Aaron and Luis. Uh, Reza. I'd like to see who's the quickest one out of those three. That'd be interesting race, wouldn't it? 

Speaker: Yeah, I definitely would. Um. 

Speaker 3: Yeah, so I think I, I, I don't think Jelly Bear got enough praise.

Speaker 3: I think DuPont was just going through the gears on, sat on on Thursday, jelly Jelly Bear was superb at 10 and, and then Ramos at 15 and, and we go back to the, the point scoring, I had him as my captain in my weekly team, not my unchanged one. I had him as my captain on my weekly team and he nearly scored as many as Bal.

Speaker 3: So, you know, he was scoring up there in the 90 odd points because. You know, you kick poorly to him, you know, he's gonna run the ball. And, um, I've decided, I think fantasy rugby should add, add a new rule to meet his gained, you know, if a [00:47:00] player kicks the ball, if he's received the ball and he kicks it back, and then they kick it back.

Speaker 3: It's the distance between his initial caption of the ball and you know, 'cause Yeah, well there you go. 

Speaker: Six nations fantasy. Get that into the stats. 

Speaker 3: Yes. You know, when they kick. 'cause otherwise it's just like when they play a little bit of kick tennis is actually one of them who loses? Well actually, the person who, who initiates that first kick, well actually I received it in my own 22, but eventually we've moved up and we've got the ball on the halfway line.

Speaker 3: So meat is made is 25 meters. Not from kicking it straight out. That's not what I'm looking at. Is that, you know, 'cause otherwise it'd be like, yeah, we just put stack team full of fifteens and you just go, 

Speaker 2: yeah. 

Speaker 3: You know, that's, that's not how the game works. But it should be talking about meat is carried and meat is, you know, and meat is made because it, it's the right decisions.

Speaker 3: Like we're talking about the 50 22. Yeah. They're gonna reward points for the 50 22. 'cause we've seen the space in the open backfield. But you know, it, it's those fifteens that are clever enough where they're in enough space where they've got the option. That's why. [00:48:00] You know, uh, Ramos is so good 'cause he, he just sees some stuff as well.

Speaker 3: You know, I mean, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't, I, I'm be quite happy to run at him defensively and him trying to tackle me. Um, he would still tackle me, but, you know, he might be a guy. Initially, 

Speaker: what, this is what Carl was saying last week, uh, I, on the, the first episode of Fancy was like saying like, Ramos is good, you know, he is gonna get your points, but he's also defensively, you know, a bit light and a bit of a right.

Speaker: You can target him, you know that you can get through him if you, you go at him. Um, but he, he is for such a world class player. I still think he's unbelievably underrated. Uh, I was at the Lanster to lose, uh. Champions Cup final in London the other year where to lose Beatles. And everyone was singing DuPont's praises that day, but it was Ramos that won that much for them.

Speaker: He was absolutely next level that day. And I was [00:49:00] like, look, you can talk about DuPont all you want, but Ramos is your guy. Like he is a brilliant kicker. He is a brilliant, he is just got a phenomenal head on him. You take that, uh, that try in the second half when he kicks over the top or he runs onto the ball over the top and he just throws his boot at it and it, it leads to a try.

Speaker: You know, 

Speaker 3: he definitely did. That was just, but I also think that the rub of every single bounce when Oh, it did, yeah, yeah. His way it also doesn't help that they've got my least favorite referee, but, you know, yeah. 

Speaker: We won't, we won't talk about him. 

Speaker 3: You know, I, I, but I don't, you know, everyone looks back and goes, in my personal opinion, I think that there were two forward passes.

Speaker 3: I called him on the day. I didn't, I, you know, at no point did we go back and have a look at 'em. At no point, you know, for some unknown reason, the game wasn't scrutinized. Like the way almost every single game that I've seen played, you know, a thousand times before at international level was [00:50:00] scrutinized.

Speaker 3: It's like, well, when's the TMO gonna jump in? Are they gonna say anything? I don't get me wrong. I think that was, that's better. You don't want the TMO to jump in every five minutes or two minutes, but you should at least look at some stuff. 

Speaker: Well, that's what we were saying, like there was so many clear, uh, what we believe yellow card offense offenses from the, the Welsh, uh.

Speaker: Down on the floor, uh, even leading up to the try that the TMO brought back and we were like, well, if the TMO was bringing it back for like a PO possible, like knock on, why isn't he then going back literally like one tackle before to be like, right. There was no rap there. You know, it's, it's Well he 

Speaker 3: declared that as a wrap though.

Speaker 3: He, he did, didn't he? And he said, oh, his other arm was there. And I was like, yeah, but that wasn't the arm that he made contact with. No. You know, it's like, oh, it long, as long as you got your other arm up and you run in as long as you smash. Yeah. Have it out. Doesn't 

Speaker 2: it's, see when the referee, at one [00:51:00] point, in one point, referee actually heard the radio anyway on the TV went strike.

Speaker 2: If there's an issue, the TMO will bring it back. But he hasn't asked the TMO to get involved. The TMO iss not gonna go, oh yeah, by the way they have done. But if we want it to, referee has to go, hang on a minute. Is there something there? He's just bottled it and. No, no, it's this because if if the French t o's gonna give a try against the French, he's gonna keep it that way, isn't it?

Speaker 3: It's not a French TMO though, you know that, don't you? 

Speaker 2: I know I, yeah, I know. I was joking as well. So they may as well seem, seem to be French. Yeah. 

Speaker 3: So they go, they seem to be French, 

Speaker 2: isn't they? Have 

Speaker 3: they go in a group, don't they? It's the same, it's the same group of people that are, are, are watching it. So they, they go as an international team and mean he.

Speaker 3: Personally, my personal opinion is he shouldn't be international. He's not an international referee. But hey, what do I know? I just, oh, you get away with pulling, you can get away with pulling, you know, the, a guy from the back of a mall in a premiership game and go, look, if you run now you can score like pulling his [00:52:00] shirt.

Speaker 3: It's like, what? You know, hang on a minute. I put that in the group chat on a minute. How has, how has that even been not even discussed? It didn't even, like, do you know what I mean? You know, I, I just, I think it's absolutely crazy. Um, you know, I think there's some really good referees out there as well at the moment as well.

Speaker 3: And I think, um, you know, there are also some really poor ones. Yeah. So, hey, 

Speaker 2: so, so guys on the fancy for your, um, weekly team, who was your top point score, not doubling for captain obviously. So who, who are happy you? I can't even 

Speaker 3: view my team. I mean, it's on my phone. That's to log on on my 

Speaker: phone, so my top point score.

Speaker: Was bored. He had 55 points. Um, 

Speaker 2: Jesus Gross. Was he the top point score of the week then? He must have been. 'cause re and he got 

Speaker: one One 

Speaker 2: points. 

Speaker: Yeah. Um, 

Speaker 2: 3 46. Yeah. He had to score three tries didn't [00:53:00] do 

Speaker: anything other had 50, so he'd be like a close second. Uh, I don't know what. Ramos Ramos must, uh, ended up with a 

Speaker 2: Ram 

Speaker 3: g Gian got 50 as well.

Speaker 3: I think 

Speaker 2: he got 42. 

Speaker 3: Yeah, 

Speaker 2: he's in my team. 

Speaker 3: No. So he got 42. He got 42 plus man of the match. I, I think there's some, some good. Who was the top point? Who was the top point scorer for the whole weekend though? Ken, if you got the app open, which player? 

Speaker 2: Top point scorer was George Ford 55. Oh, right Second was J Bear with 52.

Speaker 2: So two fly offs. Uh, then it went BRE 51 Earl 50. Freeman 50 and then it went, oh, Ramos 46. Aaronel 46, and, um, Kenni. L Koni. 

Speaker: Yeah. Ly, yeah. Uh, Carl had him in 

Speaker 2: Definitely. 

Speaker: Uh, Ken, Ken, just for the viewers at home, if they want to check who got the most points, what did they do on the app? 

Speaker 2: On the [00:54:00] app, next to it says active round, there's a calendar, two arrows and there's little graph.

Speaker 2: Click on the little chart and it should bring up all the players. You can then do it by nation, by round, by position to work out who the Top Points scores were. 

Speaker 3: Yeah. So I'm confusing, I dunno how poor, how badly I did this week because I had George Ford Benno, um, um, Ramos. 

Speaker 2: Is this the, uh, 

Speaker 3: in my team, the changeable 

Speaker 2: one 

Speaker 3: team in my changeable team?

Speaker 3: Yeah, I think, 

Speaker 2: right. So top, top of the league is cylinders, Rudy, whoever that is, must be one of the other people. 502 points for the week. 

Speaker 3: That's class. 

Speaker 2: Second place would be, uh, myself, uh, look at that tackle with 500 points. Exactly. 

Speaker 3: Good stuff. 

Speaker 2: Uh, game Day Bites, RFC 498. Biscuit Knees is that, [00:55:00] that's one of our, that's the, that's bus serve.

Speaker 2: 475 comes in fifth place. The Irishman himself, Keith Shenanigans 471.5. The 0.5. Thanks to, um, I Joby. 

Speaker: Yeah, it was, 

Speaker 2: yeah. Steve Borthwick, which Bewick, which I believe is Adams, is 471 Points. Exactly. Oh, a whole point behind that is poll's unchanged. 470. Um, and the lead of our group, Carl Dawson, in 10th place at 441.

Speaker 2: So he can pick a great podcast team, but he can't be a good rugby team. Can he now? 

Speaker 3: But then have a look at our unchanged, have a look at the un at the unchanged league. And, uh, the points difference is ridiculous, isn't it? [00:56:00] Uh, we should be able to put this in screenshot across. 

Speaker: Yeah, we'll get, 

Speaker 3: I refer to stato.

Speaker: It, it, it's funny because like I have a quick look and see if. Yeah, because we, we essentially have three leagues, obviously. We have that one there, which is the proper public league. That, uh, was the second one that Carl sent out. We have the first one that he sent out, which, uh, didn't have the, like, unchanged and you could pick everyone.

Speaker: And I thought I was doing great in that because I was 280 stars. You could pick everyone you wanted. Yeah. So I was in second in that one and I was like, oh, great. Realize I was looking at the wrong one. Let me see if 

Speaker 2: I can share my screen. Let's, 

Speaker: I Oh, no worries. We, we can get the, we can get the screenshots up afterwards, but yeah.

Speaker: Uh, I've got the, uh, the unchanged one here. Oh yeah. There, there you go. Happy these. 

Speaker 2: So this is the unchanged. 

Speaker: Yeah. 

Speaker 2: Now this [00:57:00] is the unchanged league one. This is the right one we're doing. 'cause the public one is the one we've just. I'm not showing my team. No. There we go. This is the 

Speaker: Well, I'll, 

Speaker 2: I'll tell you 

Speaker: my substitutions for this week if you show Oh, go on.

Speaker 2: Yeah, I've, uh, I've, um, I've picked all the in injured Irish players. It's all good. Oh, 

Speaker: so have I actually, yeah. 

Speaker 3: So is this 

Speaker 2: the unchanged 

Speaker 3: team? Yeah. So I'm down the 

Speaker 2: bottom 

Speaker 3: in seven. No, 

Speaker 2: this is the, this is the public one. Yeah. The unchanged. So unchanged firm. So implications, dunno who they are. 501 points.

Speaker 2: Keith, you are second. 

Speaker: Like a gentleman 

Speaker 2: and a second. Yeah, always comes second. Um, then there's Busta Biscuit Knee in third March of Navy. I'm guessing. That's one of the other lads, uh, myself sitting in fifth place. [00:58:00] Yeah. Carl. Then there's your poem seventh. 

Speaker 3: But there's a big jump in points though, isn't there?

Speaker 3: So you're talking, you know, 

Speaker 2: oh yeah, there's 2017 points for myself and Kyle in one week. Then there's 37 or 35 points. Okay. Four points. Yeah. Massive jump. 

Speaker 3: The thing is though, we, there's nothing we can do about it. We've just gotta let it run now, aren't we? So, uh, it's like, uh, there's no admin associated with it, so we just sort of see where it goes and, uh, yeah, and see what happens.

Speaker 3: Um, you know, 

Speaker: what, what, you, you say that, but I just wanna give you a heads up 'cause I don't want you being done. I think as each week changes, I think you have to pick your captain again. Um, 

Speaker 3: ah, right. Okay. 

Speaker: Yeah. So just, just look out for that. 

Speaker 2: The thing is though, are we allowed to change captain or do we have to keep with the same 

Speaker: captain?

Speaker: I, I think it has to be the same captain I was, I was mulling over that earlier on. Yeah, that, that's what I'm [00:59:00] saying, like it will refresh every week. It'll take your captain pick out, you just go back in and pick who you had from the first week. Yeah. So it's, uh, it's definitely, you know, heating up now, it's, uh, it's, yeah, again, interesting.

Speaker: First week's in the bag. Uh, we'll do a little preview for the matches this weekend. Uh, no better place to start than the England Scotland match. Where, where do you think that's going to go? Lads, obviously in England win. 

Speaker 2: Yeah, I think, as I said, we said earlier, if Scotland's come out of same intensity of the same game plan as they had last week, um, I think it could be a bit of a cricket score.

Speaker 2: I think if England carry on, even play half, whether they did against that Scottish team, I think they will. Um. Rack up 50 odd points again, I reckon, 

Speaker 3: uh, I think it's gonna be a lot tougher than, you know, I You can never, 

Speaker 2: no, no, Paul, you're talking, you're talking shit mate. 

Speaker 3: Scott, 

Speaker: you tell him, Ken, come on, lads.

Speaker: Get outta [01:00:00] 

Speaker 3: you can't, you can't write. Unfortunately. You know, I think it's one of those games that someone said to me, oh, Polly, where you watching the game on Saturday night? England, Scotland, I've gotta watch at home. I can't watch it in public. I can't, I I just, I, I get so frustrated and so angry and, and, um, because they always, you know, the last five years, they just turn it on and Finn Russell is gonna have a game on Saturday and they're gonna come out.

Speaker 3: 'cause they've got their tails between their legs. They're gonna come up with their fucking bravado, their chest out, and they're gonna play some fucking superb rugby on Saturday, which is gonna be great for the six nations. I still think England are gonna get a win. I just don't think it'll be as uh um, I hope it's a dominant win, but I don't think it'll be as dominant as everyone else, as everyone else is predicting.

Speaker 3: I think that Scotland team this week will have readjusted and re. You know, um, go to their plan and I think they'll go back to their basics in terms of, they'll go back to set peace, they'll go back to the solid stuff and they'll go work it hard, [01:01:00] you know, and then it, it'll be tougher England to break 'em down.

Speaker 3: Um, you know, uh, maybe a bit of brilliance out wide again from Aaron or maybe a bit of brilliance from Freeman in the centers. And George Ford through the middle will create some Sky tri scoring opportunities for England. But I see it being a bit closer than everybody, you know, everybody's already written Scotland off, but I, I think we doing that is giving discredit to Italy and I think Italy we're a lot better than they have been.

Speaker 3: So I'm not writing Scotland off, but I do think England are gonna get a result this weekend. But I'm also scared, 

Speaker 2: to be honest, I don't be honest, I don't think Hugh Jones and Pu can be as bad as they were against Italy again this week. I think both class players, I think they just had a bit of an off, off day, be honest actually.

Speaker 2: Ello and Brex were just different gravy against them as well. So Freeman Dean Ball gonna have to step up and. That sort of game thing for us to be as dominant as, as I think we are gonna be, 

Speaker: as Buster likes to say, those boys are absolute mustards. You know? 

Speaker 3: Is it, was it the overuse of [01:02:00] the word mustard, wasn't it?

Speaker 3: That was, 

Speaker: uh, it was like e every, every time he was talking about it, one of his selections is like, ah, he's absolutely awesome. Yeah, it's great. Uh, 

Speaker 2: yeah. It's better than, better than Polly still. Oh, he's awar. He's awar. He's a, 

Speaker 3: yeah. Okay. Well, we all, we all report, we all repeat words. We all have our all, we 

Speaker: all have our 

Speaker 3: phrases, idiosyncrasies.

Speaker 3: That's what it is. Little idiosyncrasies that we've all got. I find out what yours is, Kent, but you're never there enough. Are you? You go. 

Speaker 2: Hang on. So who's dis who's disappeared twice already? Three times. I knew. 

Speaker 3: Wanna say that? Shush. I knew he was gonna say something stupid. Oh. So then Keith, I'm gonna move on to the, uh, the, the early kickoff on Saturday, uh, island v Italy.

Speaker 3: How do you think that's gonna go for you? Uh, 

Speaker: well here, look, if it, if, if you take the, the performances from last weekend, I think, you know, if Italy play at that level that they did, and if we play as you know, [01:03:00] poorly as we did in the first like 50, 60 minutes, I think it's gonna be close. I know the bookies have Ireland's favorites by 17 points.

Speaker: I don't think it's going to be that. Yeah, they're kind of like, when you were saying that the bookie or, you know, the England Scotland match is gonna be tight. The Buckys have England only by like eight points, like minimum, like you have to, they have to win by nine points or more. It says like, Ireland have to win by like 16.

Speaker: They believe that Ireland should be beating this Italian team like that. I don't think it's going to be. Anywhere near that. I think it's going to be a, a tough contest for our lads officially played rugby that they did last weekend. It's going to be like, you know, France's b back line essentially. You know, they're, they're that good.

Speaker: Uh, they could tear us apart if our defensive setup isn't better this weekend. I, I still have the back us like, there's no time I'm gonna come on here really? Bar [01:04:00] like last week, I, I thought we'd lose by 10 points. Um, I, I think Ireland will win. I think it'll be a tough contest and they'll probably make me my words and win by 40 or something.

Speaker: But, uh, based off what we've seen so far, I'm gonna go like a 12 point victory for Ireland. 

Speaker 2: Can we, can we please clip, clip this up? So next week when it's England versus Ireland and Keith said he'll never come on here and, uh, doubt his team are gonna win. That just, we have that clipped up ready for the 

Speaker: Yeah, look here.

Speaker: Look, I, I, I know in my heart what the real result would be, Kent, but I'm not gonna 

Speaker 2: emphasize that. 

Speaker 3: It's about being, you know, you gotta put, you got, you put your, your neck on the line. And, and, and I think sometimes we can sit on a, and I, I, that's why I don't like, you know, when it comes to England, Scotland or when specifically that game or when it comes to England.

Speaker 3: I hate putting it that they're out there. So I get it. I appreciate it. Um, Keith, you know, I, I agree with you. I think if Italy play the way they did last week, [01:05:00] uh, and I think if Ireland played the way they did last week, it'll be closer than, you know, than people imagine. Um, I also think it would be really good if it, the game was close.

Speaker 3: I think if in Italy can stay within 10 points and you know, or have an opportunity to win that game in some, or, or take the lead in the, in the second half, I think it will make it more interesting for the game of rugby and as a neutral and as a fan, um, you know, 'cause I wanna see both teams play really, really well.

Speaker 3: 'cause, you know. It just makes us, you know, how do we prepare for the World Cup next year? And the only way you can prepare for the World Cup is by playing the best teams in the world. So, you know, I think it's definitely 

Speaker 2: great if Penas, if Penas is playing, I think they're gonna have a lot of, um, re turf the center of that pitch with bricks and Monticello running right up the middle at, so I think that could be a lot of work for the Vander flair on the open side, trying to make sure they, that close those tackles down.

Speaker 2: So it could be a bit of, a bit of gamesmanship around that as well. I believe. 

Speaker 3: So what do we think at the Millennium Stadium as [01:06:00] well then? Corn? Because I think if we, we, I, I do think that. You know, Brenda will play on Sunday, Saturday. What do you think, Keith? 

Speaker 2: He, he, he's, he is, um, sorry to drop. I think he is.

Speaker: Yeah. Pass as 

Speaker 2: big post boy. He's like, yeah, first, first. Sure. There you go, Sam. 

Speaker: Yeah. Kind of like when you were tr bringing the up the question, it almost felt like the IRFU were cutting off your electricity. Probably is. Like, I, I definitely think that, um, he is the poster child and unfortunately he's going to have the reins again on Saturday.

Speaker: But look, I, I wish him the best. I hope he performs great. I hope he improves tremendously because like the. Players, I proven is the best for the, the nation. And I don't like coming on here and bashing the young fella, but at the same time, I'm honest and I'm just saying what I see with my own two eyes. So yeah, PGA will probably play, uh, probably a tight match.

Speaker: Ireland, Italy is probably the [01:07:00] international game that I've gone to the most over the last number of years. Um, big fan of pre se when he was captain of Italy, but always great when we'd be trancing them, but he'd get over for a try the whole a Viva stadium, be giving him a clap because they knew what a warrior he was.

Speaker: Um, yeah, I think he'd be a close game, probably, you know, eight points probably difference. And, and 

Speaker 2: I say, 

Speaker: oh, uh, triple figures. 

Speaker 2: Yeah. 

Speaker: Yeah. 

Speaker 2: Could we, can we give Wales, can we give Wales minus score because they score? I don't, I don't, I don't try and just take points off 

Speaker 3: because wa Well Wales, were 34 Wales to win at the weekend get had to give England a 34 per point head start.

Speaker 3: So, uh, I think going into this game, that's what the odds had were the game, I think, I don't know. I haven't got a bookies page open. Yeah. But I would imagine it's somewhere, don't worry that 

Speaker: Keith probably has. Oh, well yeah. Imagine if you gimme like 30 seconds, like we got you [01:08:00] the, the odds now. Um, but I, I definitely think it, it's going to be, uh, another tough day for Wesh International Rugby.

Speaker: Um, look, I, I just don't see any, any other but the, like bottom of the table for this team, this tournament, unfortunately. And, um, it's. Yeah, it's, it's gonna be a long old stint on, they're playing on Sunday, aren't they? 

Speaker 3: Yeah. It's, um, that's, uh, yeah, that's a tough ask for Wales, you know? But guess what?

Speaker 3: There's one thing I can guarantee you. Uh, yeah. When you watch that game on Sunday is the Millennium Stadium, the Prince Palette, whatever you want to call it. What is it called now? The Piccadilly, you called it the Piccadilly Stadium earlier. Um, I think they've got a new, I think there's a new, um, 

Speaker: sponsor, 

Speaker 3: naming sponsor for it.

Speaker 3: But yeah, we'll call it the Millennium Stadium because the Millennium Stadium. Yeah. Is the, the noise in there will be immense, you know, regardless of what will happen. [01:09:00] And, um, I think the French will be, I think the French will be amazing. The roof will be closed. It'll be dry. It'll probably be the only dry game.

Speaker 3: Maybe the only dry game of the weekend. 'cause it hasn't stopped fucking raining for a month and two months now. Uh, I'm bored of the rain. Um, 

Speaker: oh, here, even today, Polly, like two o'clock in the office. The sun was blind and coming through the glass and at the same time it was pissing down rain. And I was like, this is the most Irish thing ever.

Speaker: But yeah, a hundred percent sick of this weather. I need some winter sun. Seriously. Sound like. 

Speaker 3: Yeah, 

Speaker 2: Keith, don't worry, don't worry about it. When me and Polar fall, we've still got a hose pipe band there, so it's still five grand. 

Speaker 3: To be fair, the only reason why I'm, I can complain about the weather is 'cause Carl's not on here.

Speaker 3: So therefore I don't mind complaining. 'cause otherwise he'll be like, oh yeah, it 40 degrees, degrees outside earlier today. 

Speaker: I know 

Speaker 2: he sat at his fucking Speedos next to his swimming pool. Oh yeah. It's it's, it's only a mild [01:10:00] 31 degrees here. Yeah. I got a jump on at 

Speaker: night. At night too, lads. Come on. Like 

Speaker 3: yeah.

Speaker 3: Oh yeah. Oh. Just had to put my slippers on and it touched 18, like, fuck off anyway. Um, yeah, 

Speaker 2: he's the worst person of, of Ginger, A ginger bloke. Enjoying the sunshine. It's not quite right, is it? 

Speaker 3: No, it makes me even worse. So the next question I'm gonna ask is, who do you think is gonna be the pick for the weekend?

Speaker 3: Then don't tell me who you picked, but who do you think? Well, I'll, I'll, I'll happily. 

Speaker: Do you think? I'll happily tell you. I'll happily tell you if you tell me firsthand.

Speaker 2: Be honest. I rec, I reckon again, I think Fort George Ford's gonna have a massive points hall again for England as say with, um, Mitchell putting on the, on the, on the front foot with the options he's got and the way he's playing the moment is just different class. I think he's, he's finally put to bed that issue of who is [01:11:00] England's 10.

Speaker 2: He's been, unfortunately he's had to fight for Farrell. He is, had to fight with, uh, both Smiths now and I think his, his old head is now coming through and I think he's playing, just said Paul earlier, playing some, playing some of the best rugby's played in his lifetime. 

Speaker 3: And 

Speaker 2: it's coincided with England coming back in the form.

Speaker 3: I think for this weekend. Points wise, I think you can't go far away from any of the French backs. You, I think you can sort of safely say that the, um, the French in some way, shape or form will, will be scoring some points at the weekend. So, uh, uh, it'll be nice to see them. 

Speaker: Yeah. I've, the 

Speaker 2: Welsh is it, 

Speaker: go ahead.

Speaker: Cant. 

Speaker 2: So the Welsh, the Welsh Center, the Thomas, the one who's been playing 10th of a little while, I thought he, defensively he was outstanding against England's. I thought he made every tackle he had to make. It's just unfortunate that he had to make 472 tackles in that game. The fact that he just got override a little bit.

Speaker: Yeah, that, that's the issue. They're, they, they have individuals who clearly [01:12:00] have quality, but when you're trying to cover the space of two, two or three lads around you that aren't up to the same level that you are, and you've got a world class team coming at you, it's just going to be a cricket score and a rugby match.

Speaker: Um, kind of like, I, I fully agree with Polly. It's going to be hard to look away from any of the French backs this weekend. I will tell you that in my changeable team, the only one that I had points available because of our strict restrictions on the points. Thanks, Carl. Uh, it's, I've put in Golar for Ham, uh, just because of his performance last weekend.

Speaker: I, obviously, Chesham did really well last weekend, but, uh. That's the only one I could really make a, a switch to. I would've put Freeman in, but I just don't have the stars to do do it. Um, 

Speaker 3: I had Gillard, I had Gillard in my team, like the, my week team of the week this week, so 

Speaker: Totally. 

Speaker 3: You know, my [01:13:00] changeable team, I did well.

Speaker 3: He was, he was superb and he was brilliant. Um, yeah. Uh, 

Speaker 2: who's so, who's the French, the flank? Is it He scored 31 points for them. I thought he, he played the whole 80 minutes, I believe as well. He 

Speaker 3: was seven. Yeah, I just, I I think that that French team itself was just, um, w were, they were brilliant everywhere.

Speaker 3: And then they even had, um, the, the bat row in the second row who played Olive on would played in the second row with Gillard as well. So, um, you know, and then they bring Moana off of, off the bench at just, you know, they, you're right though. The French team changed at half, you know, 50 minutes. You take the man on the match off who was, he was superb in the second row.

Speaker 3: And I think sometimes second rows don't get enough credit. Um, I'm not saying that 'cause I was a second row, but second rows don't get enough credit. Uh, they just do some of the donkey stuff a 

Speaker: hundred percent. And that's what, that's why we've ended up picking, like for the majority of the, the lads pick and burn and I told you, because, you know, [01:14:00] there are absolute workhorses out there and they're, anytime that there's a breakdown, they're gonna have their hands on the ball trying to turn it over.

Speaker: Um, look, the second rows get, get a big thumbs up for me. Um, I, I. I think that's, uh, does it mean you'd 

Speaker 3: have to push as an eight? Is that what it is? 

Speaker: What's that exactly? 

Speaker 3: Yeah. 

Speaker: You'd have to push 

Speaker 3: as an eight. That's what it's, yeah, 

Speaker: it, it's great. We get the ball at the feet and be able to like, kick it up, you know, and go over and take all the plotts.

Speaker 2: Paul, I, I played in front of you as a second row mate. You never pushed in second row, mate. That's why the scrums turned in the circle. The fact that they think you were going backwards. You were an Italian. 

Speaker 3: I'm not even 

Speaker 2: second row going backwards. I'm, 

Speaker 3: I'm not even biting to this, Ken. This is just, this isn't, this is, you know, I can add that to things that never happened.

Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, yeah, you pushed it again, never happened or jumping either. Either. 

Speaker 3: Matter of, I've listed you now still, I think you'll find it was assisted, assisted jumping. That's what I [01:15:00] call it. Yeah, I was just gonna say it was a back, it wasn't, it wasn't a line out jump. It was a lift, it was a transition. Oh.

Speaker 3: But I'm guarantee you, I caught everything in the air so in air, don't worry about it. 

Speaker: Yeah, his reflexes are too good. Nothing gets over his head

Speaker 2: pa part of technology. 

Speaker: Oh yeah. Well that, that's, 

Speaker 2: um, I have to say, I saw some of the footage of the Italian line outs and I mentioned our group chat. I don't think they should be called lifters and jumpers anymore. Basically called throwers and cap. Literally launchers. They're literally throwing him. The blokes actually let go and he's, the hands in the end is about, as about as calfs.

Speaker 2: I'm like, that's just insane these days. 

Speaker 3: I watched that first. At first it did it in, uh, the ch. I'm sure it was the Chi, was it the Chileans in the World Cup where they were lifting? It was the Argentinians. They were let go in the people Argentinians. But I think you'll find that there's a, um, there's a fine line because the rule, the, I just double check the laws.

Speaker 3: You have to bring him down [01:16:00] safely as well, you know? 

Yeah. 

Speaker 2: If you look at the video, the bat, the bat lifter is like kind of turning before he's even let the floor, so he literally throwing out there and just off. So 

Speaker 3: if, if, and I know we have to look after the player in the air. I mean, we're getting into the technicalities of it.

Speaker 3: But if I'm a, if I'm a, a lifter or a supporter, just moving across the line out and just take, touch him in any way, shape or form in the air and the guy's going on his ass. Yeah. And, and whose fault is it? It's not, it's to lifter's fault. 'cause when you lift that player in the air, that, that's like jumping out of a tackle, isn't it?

Speaker 3: You're not allowed to jump out the tackle, you know? So it, I don't know. I, is it dangerous? Is it, I don't know. I, I think I do, I do think it's dangerous. I guarantee at some point, I think at some point someone's gonna look at that and go, it'll only take one person to just get knocked in the air and all of a sudden they're coming right down.

Speaker 3: You know, because we're not talking about, yeah. You know, we talk about competing for the ball in the air, you know, from that high ball, from a box kick and you're [01:17:00] competing in the air. I mean, 'cause who was it at the weekend? There was a big one, there was a big collision and, um. You know, I thought, uh, Freddy Stewart was gonna go out after he did that big one and 'cause the guy was looking at the ball, but he's jumped so far ahead.

Speaker 3: At no point has he jumped up. Yeah, he's jumped forwards, you know, and you're talking about those, oh, it's competition in the air. And it's like, yeah, but he's only maybe a foot and a half off the ground. This guy is nearly seven foot, six foot off the ground, any nudged, any knock, and he's going on his ass.

Speaker 3: But you've put him in that position, you've created that environment. It's like a ruck, isn't it? Or a, you know, if you've put that person in the way and then they've slowed the ball down, it's on you, you know? Um, I don't know. I. It, it will only, they will only change a law or they will only go, Hmm, that's not right.

Speaker 3: When, uh, somebody sees it as too much of an advantage. 

Speaker: Well, well, lads, I think it's, uh, a good time to wrap it up. It's just got, it's just gone. 80 minutes. We've done a full match here going [01:18:00] through last weekends and previewing next week's gone through the fantasy. Everything's, stuff like that. Uh, look, thanks very much, uh, for your time this evening.

Speaker: Uh, thanks to everyone who's listened up to this point of the podcast, rugby through the league on all socials. If you made this far, make sure to drop a, a, like, subscribe, share with your friends, and, uh, we'll be back next week going through all the results of this weekend. Until then, have a good rest of your week.