The Six Nations Rugby Thread (+ Prediction Contest)

[D-Lyrium]

After the unmitigated disaster of the World Cup prediction contest, I decided to hedge my bets with this year's thread title. In my defence, last years six nations contest went well. Fewer, more spaced out games = better contest, I reckon.

 

Firstly: http://espnscrum.fantasyleague.com/Index.aspx

ESPN fantasy league. Looks quite interesting, although bear in mind you're only allowed 4 players from each squad, and you have to choose a kicker. Only your chosen kicker will earn points from kicks (except drop goals). So... don't do what I did. Parra and Trinh-Duc are amazing, but this year they actually have competition for places. To the extent where Parra might not start every single game. #firstworldproblems.

Since you're basically forced to pick some players from each team, I went with the Kiwi and the Samoan from England. ¬_¬ Private League pin is: 12588

 

Right then, with that out of the way onto our own. Keeping it simple and doing away with the 'odds' malarky, you get:

 

Overall Winner:

8pts: Italy

6pts: Scotland

4pts: Ireland, England

3pts: Wales, France

 

Bit kind to Wales there, but didn't want to be accused of bias. ¬_¬ Plus, I'm kind rooting for them after the horrible way we treated them in the World Cup.

You'll also get five points each for picking the overall top try-scorer, and top points scorer.

 

Individual Matches

Three points for correctly backing the non-favourites[*1].

Two points for correctly backing the favourites[*1].

Five bonus points for correctly predicting the exact score.

Five bonus points for correctly predicting the number of tries[*2].

 

[*1] As given by William Hill

[*2] For both teams. If you predict Wales scoring four tries and Italy scoring one, and Wales score five and Italy none, nil points for you. However, if your prediction for number of tries is correct, you get the bonus points even if your prediction for the winner turns out to be wrong (for example, if O'Gara happens).

 

As a general rule, results and the new fixtures will go up on the Monday of each week. Deadline for predictions is the kickoff time of the first match of the weekend,

 

Form - Week One

Overall Winner:

Overall Top Points Scorer:

Overall Top Try Scorer:

 

France(f) vs. Italy

Winner:

Score:

# Tries:

 

England (f) vs. Scotland

Winner:

Score:

# Tries:

 

Ireland (f??!!!1!) vs. Wales

Winner:

Score:

# Tries:

 

Deadline: 14:30 GMT, Saturday 04 February

[D-Lyrium]

Better get off to my customary terrible start...

 

Overall Winner: France. Obviously.

Overall Top Points Scorer: Jonathan Sexton (as much as I want to say Yachvilli to give myself a chance, I can't because that means admitting he's better than Parra).

Overall Top Try Scorer: George North

 

France(f) vs. Italy

Winner: France.

Score: 34-9

# Tries: 4-0

 

England (f) vs. Scotland

Winner: England

Score: 17-14

# Tries: 2-2

 

Ireland (f??!!!1!) vs. Wales

Winner: Wales

Score: 11-29

# Tries: 1-2

 

 

 

So yeah, this year I'm entirely expecting a two-horse race between France and Wales, with the Grand Slam hinging on the St. Patrick's day showdown in Cardiff between the two. Wales are away at both England and Ireland, which could be an issue for them. But I think they can pull it off against the Irish. France have an almost perfect draw - they'd probably swap Italy at home for Wales, but Ireland, England and Italy all have to go to the Stade de France this year.

 

The English are largely unknown. Loads of debuts, a brand new coaching staff... this could be an amazing tournament for them, or a humiliating one. Ireland, for me, aren't as good as they were at the World Cup. Which is an ill omen indeed, because they were shite. They've lost O'Driscoll, which the media are bound to make a bigger deal of than it probably is. But even so, I have them battling England and Scotland for third.

 

Italy are still Italy. Might beat Ireland, that'd be fun. I can't see them embarrassing France again, though, and even Scotland will probably beat them this year (especially if they manage to win the Calcutta Cup on Saturday, which is a lot less impossible than some may have you believe). One Sergio Parisse doesn't make a team.

[D-Lyrium]

Not a lot of interest this year, huh? ¬_¬ Ah well. My thoughts on the first weekend.

 

France: Good, solid performance. Nothing worrying, but nothing groundbreaking. Just... France. Will need more to beat better teams, but they've showed glimpses that they have it.

 

Italy: Meh. Italy. Castrogiovanni and Parisse were good, the rest of them were largely crap. Once again had to rely on the South Africans, Aussies and Kiwis to get their points. Their 'new breed' of home-grown players needs to happen soon, because they have the right idea. Ten man rugby, keep it simple, grind out yardage. They're just not very good at it at the moment. ¬_¬

 

Scotland: Lost the game. They had SO MANY chances that they just couldn't convert. One try was just inches away, but others were down to stupid errors. If they can get rid of those from their game, they'll be a force to be reckoned with. One of the best tight fives in the tournament. It's ridiculous to think that they can take off Hamilton or Grey and bring on such a beast as Alistair Kellock. Equally ridiculous that Kellock, former captain, can't get in the team.

 

England: Not bad, but they didn't win that game, Scotland lost it. Their only try (and the only time they even got close to a try) came from a glaring error by the Scots. Don't get me wrong, it was well taken, but they never even threatened the tryline once other than that. Some promise, and a win is a win I guess, but nothing to write home about yet. Still, it's good to get the players bedded in.

 

Wales: Lucky, lucky Wales. Didn't deserve that. Ireland defended very well indeed for the most part (their yellow card was never a yellow, barely even a foul, but having just given a yellow for what at first glance might've appeared to be a similar incident, he kinda had to. The Welsh yellow should've been an instant red. However, in their defence, the try that wasn't given in the first half looked fine to me (though I don't blame the referee for not giving it in Ireland).

 

Ireland: Looked much improved from the World Cup. I still don't get the logic behind D'Arcy at 12. Surely you'd play him in his favoured 13, and make the replacement come in at inside centre. Still, it worked out ok for them.

 

 

Oh, and in case anyone is late to the party but wants to participate, anyone joining the prediction contest can start on four points (as if predicting all three favourites to win but no bonuses (so no points for Wales as they weren't favourites)). You can still have overall winner/points/tries picks too.

I have say, I did rather damn well. No correct scores, but 100% on the winners, and the number of tries bang on in the France game. 12 points. Pretty good for me.