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Post by smudger on Feb 2, 2007 17:38:28 GMT 10
Well Rugby Fans the first games are being played tomorrow , with Bonnie Scotland playing against the Auld Enemy ..england . I thought i would put the official web link in here , where there is not only info to players etc but a couple of games . I wish the Boys all the best for tomorrow . www.rbs6nations.com/games/games.htm
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Elly
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Post by Elly on Feb 2, 2007 22:04:25 GMT 10
Thanks for the link Hamish hope they do well.
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Post by neil6147 on Feb 4, 2007 3:49:16 GMT 10
Sorry to say I am the bearer of bad news England 42 Scotland 20.
Good effort from Scotland in the closing minutes of the game.
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Post by neil6147 on Feb 4, 2007 7:09:19 GMT 10
England: (17) 42 Tries: Robinson 2, Wilkinson, Lund Cons: Wilkinson 2 Pens: Wilkinson 5 Drop-goal: Wilkinson
Scotland: (10) 20 Tries: Taylor, Dewey Cons: Paterson 2 Pens: Paterson 2
Jonny Wilkinson and Jason Robinson made fairytale returns as England returned to winning ways in the opening RBS Six Nations match against Scotland.
Wilkinson scored 27 points, including a controversial second-half try, while Robinson grabbed two tries as England put Scotland to the sword.
England shrugged off Simon Taylor's try for a 17-10 lead at the break, and they cut loose in the second half.
Magnus Lund crossed on 73 minutes and Rob Dewey grabbed a late consolation.
Wilkinson's tally beat Rob Andrew's previous highest haul for England against Scotland and he was awarded the man-of-the-match award.
Every camera lens was trained on him from the moment he came out for his pre-match kicking practice - and Twickenham's favourite son did not disappoint after shaking off some early rust.
A loose pass and an overhit up-and-under that let Hugo Southwell call a mark suggested Wilkinson was not at his best, but they proved mere teething trouble.
Scotland withstood intense early pressure early on, and England saw the outstanding Harry Ellis denied by the video referee after Chris Paterson somehow got his hands under the ball.
But it was a temporary reprieve as Wilkinson's famous goalkicking routine - not seen in an England shirt since the 2003 World Cup final - returned, and he made no mistake with a straightforward penalty.
England did not build on that platform initially though, as needless penalties were conceded by Louis Deacon and Martin Corry, and Paterson levelled the scores.
Straight from the kick-off though, England regained the lead after an outstanding tackle from Joe Worsley turned over possession for Wilkinson to slot a drop-goal.
Scotland fly-half Dan Parks kicked away much of the possession that came his way, but the tactic paid dividends when Taylor capitalised on a missed England line-out to burst over for his try.
Wilkinson cut the gap with another penalty after Taylor offended at the line-out, and a scorching Ellis break set up the chance for another successful kick at goal.
England then scored their first try under new coach Brian Ashton, and it had the former Bath man's imprint all over it.
Andy Farrell, Mike Tindall and Wilkinson all ran straight and drew their man to give Robinson, making his comeback from international retirement, space to score in the corner.
Wilkinson had stitches to repair a cut to his lip during the break, but it made no difference to his performance whatsoever.
An early Paterson penalty brought the gap down to four points, but two Wilkinson kicks soon put England in the clear again.
England's second try effectively sealed the match, and it came courtesy of a bad Sean Lamont error as the winger failed to deal with Ellis' kick through and allowed Robinson to pounce.
Yet another searing Ellis break then set up Wilkinson for a try which truly delighted the Twickenham crowd.
The fly-half took the ball from Ellis and dived in the corner, dotting the ball down one-handed although replays suggested he had a foot in touch.
But it was Wilkinson's day, and he swept in the touchline conversion with ease.
Scotland did not let their heads drop though, with Chris Cuister a dogged presence behind a struggling pack.
Flanker Magnus Lund scored in the corner after a long England drive tied in Scotland's defenders to give him a free run to the line.
Wilkinson came off on 73 minutes to a standing ovation as Scotland continued to look to get their own game going.
Scotland substitute Rob Dewey grabbed a deserved consolation late on, but England regained the Calcutta Cup in style to mark the beginning of the Ashton era.
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England: Morgan; Lewsey, Tindall, Farrell, Robinson; Wilkinson, Ellis; Freshwater, Chuter, Vickery (capt), Deacon, Grewcock, Worsley, Lund, Corry. Replacements: Mears, White, Palmer, Rees, Richards, Flood, Tait.
Scotland: Southwell; S Lamont, Di Rollo, Henderson, Paterson (capt), Parks, Cusiter; Kerr, Hall, Murray, Kellock, Hamilton, Taylor, Callam, Brown. Replacements: Ford, Jacobsen, Murray, Hogg, Lawson, Dewey, R Lamont.
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Post by neil6147 on Feb 4, 2007 7:37:03 GMT 10
And it just got worse
England and Wales Women win
The Women's Six Nations kicked off in fine style on Saturday, with Wales continuing their impressive unbeaten run with a narrow win over Ireland and England making light work of Scotland in a one sided encounter. Italy hosy France on Sunday but for now England and Wales are setting the early pace.
Wales Women 10 Ireland Women 5
Louise Rickard, Wales' most capped player, picked up a double first as she earned her first yellow and red cards as Wales made it eight wins in a row their Six Nations opener at Taffs Well beating Ireland 10-5.
The Saracens wing, who was winning her 90th cap, was yellow carded for the first time in her illustrious career after 63 minutes and had to sit and watch as the Irish scored their only try to cut the deficit to five points.
Then, two minutes after returning to the field, she fell foul of referee Greg Garner for the second time and was given another yellow for persistent offside. That turned into a red card and now Rickard will face a disciplinary committee which could ban her from playing against the Scots at Boroughmuir on Saturday.
The home side led all the way and it took a mere six minutes for the Welsh team to open their account when a break by Claire Flowers was carried on by Naomi Thomas who ran 50 metres to score at the posts. Thomas added the conversion and Wales were in command.
It took a further 40 minutes before the next score came in injury time at the end of the first half. Irish wing Lynne Cantwell was yellow carded for a technical offence and Thomas added a penalty to the home tally to send them into the break 10 points clear.
But if Wales had commanded most of the territory and possession in the first half, it was a different story after that. With their skipper Sarahjane Belton leading the way from full back the Irish grew in stature as the game wore on and hit back strongly.
Belton, who was named in the Rugby World Cup All Star side last summer, kicked superbly and was always a threat with the ball in hand.
She played a part in creating the overlap that allowed left wing Grave Davitt to take advantage of Rickard's absence to score a try after 73 minutes.
That put the game back in the melting pot and when Rickard was given a red card shortly after her return it meant an agonising last five minutes for the Welsh fans.
"We could, and possibly should, have won by a bigger margin, but we made some silly mistakes," said Wales coach Fielies Coetsee.
"But this team has a strong resolve and has developed a strong passion for winning. That's what helped them through in the last 20 minutes when they were down to 14 women.
"This win makes it eight in a row and it is good to have beaten a team that is ranked eighth in the world. Now we need to build on this and go to Scotland and try to improve on this performance.
"We finished second in the Six Nations last season and we are looking to match or improve on that this campaign. To do that we must take our chances."
The Scorers:
For Wales: Try: N.Thomas Con: N.Thomas Pen: N.Thomas
For Ireland: Try: G.Davitt
Wales Women: 15 Elen Evans, 14 Louise Rickard, 13 Rachel Poolman, 12 Clare Flowers, 11 Rhian Williams, 10 Naomi Thomas, 9 Mellissa Berry (c), 8 Kylie Wilson, 7 Jamie Kift, 6 Catrina Nicholas, 5 Claire Donovan, 4 Liza Burgess, 3 Jennifer Davies, 2 Rhian Bowden, 1 Louise Horgan. Replacements: 16 Amy Broadstock, 17 Hannah Roberts, 18 Nicola Evans, 19 Gemma Hallett, 20 Becky Davies, 21 Stacey Saunders, 22 Hayley Baxter.
Ireland Women: 15 Sarahjane Belton (c), 14 Jeannette Feighery, 13 Lynne Cantwell, 12 Shannon Houston, 11 Grave Davitt, 10 Joanne O'Sullivan, 9 Tania Rosser, 8 Orla Brennan, 7 Rachel Boyd, 6 Eimear O'Sullivan, 5 Germaine Healy, 4 Caroline Mahon, 3 Marie Barrett, 2 Jess Limbert, 1 Fiona Coghlan. Replacements: 16 Yvonne Nolan, 17 Laura Guest, 18 Debbie Clarke, 19 Sinead Ryan, 20 Louise Beamish, 21 Mairead Kelly, 22 Amanda Greensmith.
England Women 60 Scotland Women 0
Defending Six Nations Grand Slam champions England kicked-off their campaign in fine style on Saturday, running in 10 tries as they saw off Scotland 60-0 at Old Albanians RFC.
Charlotte Barras of Saracens led the way with a superb performance including a hat-trick of tries while club and teammate Claire Allan marked her England debut with a touchdown. Skipper Sue Day led by example with a brace of tries while Karen Andrew, Danielle Waterman, Catherine Spencer and Maggie Alphonsi all claimed scores.
Wasps wing Day, captaining her country for her first Six Nations tournament, put England on a firm footing just minutes into the game with a fifth minute try. The 34-year-old made the most of some good handling from the backline to charge 30 metres up-field and then see off a one-on-one tackle to break the Scot's try-line.
Allen's first ever touchdown for England came just seven minutes later. The Saracens centre was set-up by her fellow backs and, after fending off a tackle, she drove through Scotland's defence and under the posts. With Saracen fly-half Karen Andrew stroking the conversion over England led 12-0 after as many minutes.
Alphonsi was a key figure in helping England bank their next try, executing a crunching tackle in the mid-field to create a turn-over. The ball was recycled out to the right wing and then Clifton back Waterman pounced on the ball to beat three defenders before cruising over for an impressive score.
The one way traffic continued after the break with Day claiming her second try thanks to some more impressive forward continuity and England's backs safe hands. Andrew missed the conversion, but it did not matter as she soon touched down for her own converted try.
On the stroke of 60 minutes a great break from Rachel Burford saw the Saracens centre cut through Scotland's defence. She was tackled 20 metres out, but the forwards recycled the ball out to the right wing and, after some great handling from the backs, Barras bounded over the line for try number two.
The 25-year-old didn't have to wait long to claim her hat-trick with Scotland's defence crumbling after England swarmed all over them. Finally their line broke again and Barras piled over on 65 minutes.
Worcester no. 8 Catherine Spencer claimed a deserved try for the forwards in the last ten minutes, with flanker Alphonsi also grabbing a late score. With substitute Katy McLean adding the conversion England took the 60-0 victory in style.
The Scorers:
For England: Tries: Day 2, Allen, Waterman, Barras 3, Andrew, Spencer, Alphonsi Cons: Andrew (4), McLean.
England Women: 15 Charlotte Barras, 14 Sue Day (c), 13 Claire Allan, 12 Rachel Burford, 11 Danielle Waterman, 10 Karen Andrew, 9 Susie Appleby, 8 Catherine Spencer, 7 Maggie Alphonsi, 6 Georgia Stevens, 5 Jo McGilchrist, 4 Tamara Taylor, 3 Katy Storie, 2 Amy Garnett, 1 Sophie Hemming. Replacements: 16 Emma Layland, 17 Vanessa Gray, 18 Sarah Beale, 19 Sarah Hunter, 20 Katy McLean, 21 Michaela Staniford, 22 Amber Penrith.
Scotland Women: 15 Lucy Millard, 14 Cara D'Silva, 13 Donna McGrellis, 12 Suzi Newton, 11 Tanya Griffith, 10 Erin Kerr, 9 Louise Dalgliesh, 8 Donna Kennedy (c), 7 Susie Brown, 6 Heather Lockhart, 5 Louise Moffat, 4 Lindsay Wheeler, 3 Jilly McCord, 2 Gail Russell, 1 Lynne Reid. Replacements: 16 Sarah-Louise Walker, 17 Beth Dickens, 18 Lana Blyth, 19 Sonia Cull, 20 Rachel Nicolson, 21 Anna Panaytopoulos, 22 Hazel Bielinski.
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Post by andi on Feb 4, 2007 7:54:00 GMT 10
#cry# #cry# #cry# #cry# #cry# #cry# #cry# #cry# #cry# #cry#
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Elly
Administrator
Posts: 29,887
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Post by Elly on Feb 4, 2007 8:53:12 GMT 10
#argh#
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Post by smudger on Feb 6, 2007 21:25:40 GMT 10
It was not meant to be a victory for the Scottish team , they played and fought so well in the game . As Neil mentioned the closing minutes saw a great surge from our players , pushing the english back . Oh well , heads up lads go for it in the next games
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Post by neil6147 on Feb 9, 2007 3:45:36 GMT 10
This weekend will see the real Rugby start with the Scotland V Wales Game. With this match there is no losers as both teams have respect for each other. It shall whoever be a great game with an even better feel to it spectator wise. We have the Welsh fans in Edinburgh already for the match. And doors are being thrown open for the Welsh fans. I know the Lasswade Rugby Club and the Dalkeith Rugby Club halls are fully booked this weekend and they have been booked by the Welsh Fans. This is the match we look forward to as there is no fighting what so ever. Plus their is only a handfull of arrests by the Police. And most ot these are free to go with a warning and a good breakfast in them when they sobered up in the morning. I have also heard that there is approx 200 buses travelling from the Scottish Borders Area. This Area is better known as the heart of Scottish Rugby and the Melrose Rugby Sevens. So it should be a good match.
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Post by smudger on Feb 9, 2007 19:09:57 GMT 10
As a school boy i was often at Murrayfield to watch the Rugby , i saw great games and great team performances . The atmosphere everytime the Welsh were there was so peacefull and friendly , plus they could sing their hearts out .
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Post by neil6147 on Feb 9, 2007 20:10:08 GMT 10
There is a line in the Scottish anthem that talks of the flower of Scotland and asks when we will see its likes again. This too will be the question on the lips of Scotsman near and far.
After a November series that suggested Scottish fortunes were on the up there was a crushing defeat at the hands of England last weekend that sent them homeward to think again. For Scotland they will be hoping that day is past now as the entertain Wales on Saturday.
Wales too were victims of an opening day Six Nations defeat, albeit in a contrasting manner to the way Scotland fell from grace, and will arrive in Edinburgh as marginal favourites.
Wales' last visit to Murrayfield was in their Grand Slam year and saw a first half performance worthy of the then champions to be. Last years Cardiff encounter will be remembered for the sending off of Scott Murray, a factor that swung the game in favour of the Welsh, so what then can we expect from this years battle?
Frank Hadden has turned to the Edinburgh trio of Phil Godman, Rob Dewey and Scott Murray to change the fading Scottish fortunes. In fact such is Hadden's faith in young Godman that he believes he has the ability to alter the course of this crucial game.
"We have picked a team to win this match and by changing the stand-off we will change the way in which we approach this game and play this game," commented Hadden.
"We believe firmly that Phil Godman is the right man for this occasion."
Godman would therefore be excused if he admitted he was feeling a wee bit under pressure, with just seven caps and only one start in a Scotland jersey to date, a lot is expected of him. He will however be surrounded by players he knows only too well, with a further eight of the Scotland team being provided by Edinburgh.
The selection of Godman in the fly-half role would suggest Scotland will be looking to play a more expansive game, as where as Dan Parks' game is very much a kicking one, Godman is more adept to playing an open game.
Welsh coach Gareth Jenkins has also made several changes to his side, most notable is the return of the "Hair Bears" Adam and Duncan Jones. The Ospreys duo will look to add a fresh impetus to the Welsh scrum, as well as both being more than able dynamic ball carriers.
Wales will need to carry hard into the heart of the Scottish defence if they are to open up the game and play their favoured running rugby. With Mark Jones returning on the wing in the place of Hal Luscombe, who picked up a knee injury against Ireland, Wales will have an extra edge out wide this week.
Scrum-half Dwayne Peel will be the latest Welshman to join the fifty cap club on Saturday, and he is in fact the youngest Welshman to achieve the milestone. Peel is back to his best and playing with Stephen Jones at regional level gives the half-back pairing a complete understanding of one anothers games. Wales will look to this partnership to maintain the fluidity in their game.
Realistically it is hard to see either of these sides competing for the championship this season, although one would have to think Wales have a better chance than their Celtic rivals. That said neither side will hold back on Saturday and so it is with great anticipation we look forward to kick off.
Previous Results:
2006: Wales won 28-18, Millennium Stadium 2005: Wales won 46-22, Murrayfield 2004: Wales won 23-10, Millennium Stadium 2003: Wales won 23-9, Millennium Stadium 2003: Scotland won 30-22, Murrayfield 2002: Scotland won 27-22, Millennium Stadium 2001: Draw 28-28, Murrayfield 2000: Wales won 26-18, Millennium Stadium 1999: Scotland won 33-20, Murrayfield 1998: Wales won 19-13, Wembley 1997: Wales won 34-19, Murrayfield 1996: Scotland won 16-14, Cardiff Arms Park
Prediction: Both sides come into this game on the back of opening day defeats and will be eager to kick start their Six Nations campaigns. Wales will start as slight favourites and justifiably so. However Scotland have wrung the changes in what seems to be an attempt to play a more expansive running game. This should suit Wales who have adopted a similar approach over the past few years. One feels Wales are better exponents of such a game and thus will snaffle a win in Edinburgh. Wales by ten points.
One to watch:
For Scotland: Having come to prominence in the November test series Scotland number eight David Callam has taken his chance with both hands and will need another stellar performance on Saturday at the base of the scrum. Against England Callam was a shining light on a bleak day and has started to forge a reputation as an industrious back-row player. He is ever willing to offer himself as a ball carrier and couples this with a solid and busy defence. He will need to be at the top of his game to outfox the balanced Welsh back-row.
For Wales: Returning from one knee reconstruction is a big ask, but to do it twice shows tremendous determination, something Mark Jones is not short of. The Scarlets wing is back in the Welsh side after recovering from an ankle injury. Jones is an exciting runner with ball in hand and with Wales playing such an expansive game at present he should find himself with plenty of opportunity to do so on Saturday. His battle with Scotland captain Chris Patterson will be one of intrigue and if Jones can get the upper hand Wales may just have a match winner in the Builth man.
Head to Head: If you are looking for where this game will be won and lost for both sides you have to look no further than the battle of the fly-halves, Phil Godman and Stephen Jones. Godman comes into the Scotland side for only his second start, and a Six Nations debut, where as Jones, the Welsh captain, is a veteran of sixty tests to date. Jones will concede a yard of pace to the young Godman but has a far superior kicking game and will look to utilise this in giving Wales field position to attack from. Whoever comes out on top will surely guide their side to victory.
The Teams:
Scotland: 15 Hugo Southwell, 14 Sean Lamont, 13 Marcus Di Rollo, 12 Rob Dewey, 11 Chris Paterson (c), 10 Phil Godman, 9 Chris Cusiter, 8 David Callam, 7 Kelly Brown, 6 Simon Taylor, 5 Scott Murray, 4 Jim Hamilton, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Dougie Hall, 1 Gavin Kerr. Replacements: 16 Ross Ford, 17 Allan Jacobsen, 18 Nathan Hines, 19 Allister Hogg, 20 Rory Lawson, 21 Simon Webster, 22 Nikki Walker.
Wales: 15 Kevin Morgan, 14 Mark Jones, 13 Jamie Robinson, 12 James Hook, 11 Chris Czekaj, 10 Stephen Jones (c), 9 Dwayne Peel, 8 Ryan Jones, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Alix Popham, 5 Alun-Wyn Jones, 4 Robert Sidoli, 3 Adam Jones, 2 T Rhys Thomas, 1 Duncan Jones. Replacements: 16 Matthew Rees, 17 Gethin Jenkins, 18 Ian Gough, 19 Jonathan Thomas, 20 Michael Phillips, 21 Ceri Sweeney, 22 Tom Shanklin.
Date: Saturday 10th February 2007 Kick-off: 15:30 GMT Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland) Touch judges: Chris White (England), Federico Cuesta (Argentina) Television match official: Rob Debney (England) Assessor: Douglas Kerr (Scotland)
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Elly
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Post by Elly on Feb 9, 2007 21:23:55 GMT 10
It must be our turn to win, hopefully. #saltire#
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