Six Nations Round 2 looks set to be a cracker – with England having everything to prove and needing a big win sadly at Italy’s continuing expense, while Wales will want to build on their defeat of Ireland but Scotland may have something to say about it!

Despite the lack of crowds that give the Six Nations its essential festival atmosphere, the rugby on display lacked for nothing in intensity and excitement. Italy and France got us started and while the result was never in doubt, France laid down a marker in full technicolor that they are the team to beat thisContinue reading “Six Nations Round 2 looks set to be a cracker – with England having everything to prove and needing a big win sadly at Italy’s continuing expense, while Wales will want to build on their defeat of Ireland but Scotland may have something to say about it!”

As we look towards a Six Nations that may or may not happen – we reflect on last year’s much maligned Autumn Nations Cup and what it told us about the state of Northern Hemisphere rugby

Before we bash it too much – let’s all be brutally honest. While it may have struggled to fire our imaginations for the most part, in a year where we were starved of Test Rugby, the cobbled together Autumn Nations Cup did give us some worthwhile reasons to gather around our televisions, provide some heatedContinue reading “As we look towards a Six Nations that may or may not happen – we reflect on last year’s much maligned Autumn Nations Cup and what it told us about the state of Northern Hemisphere rugby”

Is this finally the weekend to get excited about the Autumn Nations Cup?

“A made up tournament, in a desperate attempt to inject some financial lifeblood into the Northern Hemisphere’s cash starved Unions” – we sincerely hope that this weekend will enable us to write a different epitaph on the Autumn Nations Cup Tombstone. The tournament just hasn’t fired plain and simple. One of the biggest entertainment cardsContinue reading “Is this finally the weekend to get excited about the Autumn Nations Cup?”

It’s unlikely to be champagne rugby this weekend in the Autumn Nations Cup!

We rather regard this round of fixtures, before next Saturday’s finals as the contractual obligation weekend. We doubt it’s going to be particularly enthralling as a competition, especially with all three results being essentially foregone conclusions. England’s bruising pack and confident seasoned veterans are likely to put a squad of Welsh new kids on theContinue reading “It’s unlikely to be champagne rugby this weekend in the Autumn Nations Cup!”

Scotland and France return to Murrayfield in what should be a fast and furious affair

France get their first taste of Autumn Nations Cup action, after their opening fixture with Fiji was cancelled due to COVID-19 running amok amongst the Island visitors. Scotland meanwhile dispatched Italy with relative ease last weekend, but even though both sides are lacking their first choice fly halves, Scotland know they will need to stepContinue reading “Scotland and France return to Murrayfield in what should be a fast and furious affair”

Autumn Nations Cup – a resurgent Scotland take on Italy who hope Georgia get a baptism of fire from England!

In many ways there are unlikely to be too many surprises tomorrow in Florence or Twickenham, but the subplot running through tomorrow’s fixtures is enormous. What subplot you may ask? Italy and Georgia will both be on show tomorrow, and the Autumn Nations Cup is probably the biggest opportunity to date to lay to restContinue reading “Autumn Nations Cup – a resurgent Scotland take on Italy who hope Georgia get a baptism of fire from England!”

A match where whether you win or lose, a rather daunting quarter final awaits you

It is widely assumed that Ireland and Scotland will be the teams that progress from Pool A to the quarter finals. There is the wild card that is Japan and how home advantage could cause them to create two upsets this tournament as opposed to their one historic victory in the last World Cup, butContinue reading “A match where whether you win or lose, a rather daunting quarter final awaits you”

England and Ireland resume their age old rivalry while Scotland host France and hope to get their World Cup preparations onto some solid ground!

Ireland travel to Twickenham this weekend in their first of a gruelling round of three back to back World Cup warmup games which sees them up against England and then two encounters against the Welsh. England have one more match after this before Japan, so after coming unstuck against Wales last weekend will clearly wantContinue reading “England and Ireland resume their age old rivalry while Scotland host France and hope to get their World Cup preparations onto some solid ground!”

In a teaser for their opening match in the World Cup in September, Scotland and Ireland’s finest do battle in the PRO14 final!

Although we don’t necessarily cover the PRO14 in any detail, this year’s final has a real international flavor to it. With a good proportion of their respective World Cup squads involved in Saturday’s club final, Irish and Scottish eyes will be keenly focused on events in Glasgow. In their last big game before the WorldContinue reading “In a teaser for their opening match in the World Cup in September, Scotland and Ireland’s finest do battle in the PRO14 final!”

A look at the Six Nations and what it could mean for the competitors as the World Cup looms

As the last major competition faced by the Six Nations competitors before they head to Japan in September, we take a look at each of the countries and how their performances over the last two months may or may not have a bearing on their fortunes at the forthcoming World Cup. As always the SixContinue reading “A look at the Six Nations and what it could mean for the competitors as the World Cup looms”