RBS Six Nations 2010

[Pie-chucker]

France v England (prelim look)

The last of the 3 Saturday games and probably the best.

Twickenham - England v France 2009. England's backs that day behind Ellis at No.9

Armitage, Cueto, Tindall, Flutey, Monye, Flood

Look familiar! HT England 29-0! Flood off at HT (injured) and Goode came on. Final score 34-10. So it seems we should be piling on England with a 9 point start. Well, not quite. This is 2010!

England have scored as many tries in this 6N - five - as Riki Flutey scored on his own last year, when Johnson's men finished as the leading try-scorers in the Six Nations.

France last week ran 5 tries past Italy. Well it was only Italy. But. In the 3 games before that they only shipped 3 (2 against Ireland in the opener).

Back to England, who are on course for their lowest number of points scored since the inception of the Six Nations in 2000 and they have been smashed in the key breakdown area, winning just 5 turnovers in 4 matches compared to a total of 33 in 2009.

It all points up how England have gone so far off the rails in the past year, as France has vastly improved. France by 18!

[traeth]

the odds and the cap for this weekend games

Wales 1/12 Italy 13/2 Tie 33/1

Ireland 1/9 Scotland 11/2 Tie 33/1

France 1/7 England 9/2 Tie 33/1

Wales -15.0 1/1 Italy +15.0 1/1 Tie 16/1

Ireland -14.0 1/1 Scotland +14.0 1/1 Tie 16/1

France -10.0 1/1 England +10.0 1/1 Tie 16/1

my picks based on what I've seen in the six nations
Wales -15 ,if we can eliminate the mistakes Wales should win by 20+ points . Wales have started poorly in each game so Italy with the cap at half time is worth considering.

Ireland -14.0 ,will go all out from the start hoping for a miracle in the last match ,Scotland have ben below par away from home

France -10.0 , France at home have looked very impressive , England have not shown anything yet , I agree with pie on this one that the margin will be near to 20

[Pie-chucker]

+ 32pts approaching the last...


Wales v Italy

Wales have had a very ordinary campaign, not least down to points shipped thru yellow cards. Would have thought a coach as savvy as Sean Edwards might have come up with a 14-man holding plan for 10 minutes. But the blame has been on silly player indiscipline. France, parenthetically, have not been carded all tounie. Yellows have made nailing handicap bets a bit of a nightmare - includes Ireland in Paris. Anyway. Gatland and staff will want a disciplined performance and convincing win here, as will Welsh crowd. Any stuttering 5 point win v Italy in Cardiff will make Gatland's job very uncertain. I'm taking Wales to deliver, especially with the return of their 3 Lions players. And no yellows and better lineout and crossed-fingers.

11pts Wales -14 @ 10/11
1pt Hook 2 tries or more @ 14/1 (Lads)


Ireland v Scotland

Last game at Croke Park. Returning to Landsdowne Road next season despite that taking 25,000 off the crowd. Ireland have looked efficient and Scotland mainly miserly. The 'cap may be too high, but can't get involved. The 'try anytime' on the home fly-half to score his first international try throws up odds ranging from 9/4 to 6/1.

2pts Jonathan Sexton 'try anytime' @ 6/1
5.5pts Ireland HT -7 @ 10/11


France v England

Johnson shuffling deckchairs? Or has he at last picked a team that can play rugby?
France can come unstuck against England -- lost last 2 in Paris, one being World Cup. RugbyHeaven says France by 10, Bettingzone by just 7. Frogs will pounce on any England weaknesses, and with England's reconstituted backs, the visitors don't look to have that close a sniff to me. Unless France go into cruise mode with 15 minutes left (eg v Wales; v Italy). I'll take it on the spreads.

2pts BUY Fra/Eng shirts at 16.

And as a final 6N shout.......... France by 4 tries to 1

[Pie-chucker]

Midnight 30 here as Wales (and Hook - good lad) do the biz in Cardiff. Fridge stocked for the rugby slog through the night. Swilling beer as practice for the HK Rugby Sevens, next weekend.

[Swooperman]

Nice one Pie good to see you mate

[Pie-chucker]

G'day Swoops! How did you go Cheltenham?

[Swooperman]

Finished up in the end with a couple of decent places. As per usual after betting on horses for a few days I carried on at Wolverhampton Luckily talkedmyself out of betting @ Uttox today

I'm off out for a few whilst contemplating whether backing Bangladesh is a good idea, at least for a possible trade out I kid you not

[Beaks]

Originally Posted by Pie-chucker

+ 32pts approaching the last...

1pt Hook 2 tries or more @ 14/1 (Lads)

Absolutely quality tipping again!