With one round down I am going to (arrogantly) call it and say it will all come down to the last game where the winners will be decided by the outcome of the Wales v Ireland match.
But what a brilliant start to the tournament last weekend; Ireland's victory over the French, arguably with a little help from the referee, was particularly sweet after their last meet on Irish turf when I watched from 'the hill' and thought we had it in the bag ... until the French scored in the very last minute of the game.
Unfortunately, a potentially sweeter moment of the rugby weekend was lost because the English Saxons stayed in their changing room and refused to play Ireland A, resulting in the match being cancelled just seconds before kick-off. The Saxons cited a frozen pitch as the reason, with Danny Cipriani (the current English rugby 'pretty boy') apparently being the main protagonist. However, the pitch had twice been passed as fit earlier in the day ... let the argument on that one begin.
Unfortunately, a potentially sweeter moment of the rugby weekend was lost because the English Saxons stayed in their changing room and refused to play Ireland A, resulting in the match being cancelled just seconds before kick-off. The Saxons cited a frozen pitch as the reason, with Danny Cipriani (the current English rugby 'pretty boy') apparently being the main protagonist. However, the pitch had twice been passed as fit earlier in the day ... let the argument on that one begin.
And speaking of arguments, when Scottish player Simon Webster knocked himself unconscious in the game against the Welsh, surely he should have been immediately substituted, instead of being allowed to play on until he started vomiting on the pitch and the referee insisted he was taken off.
Of course, he wasn't the only one - I think there were a total of three KOs in that game. It's true what they say: football's for girls :-p
Then there was poor Mauro Bergamasco, (the right Bergamasco!) who was led like a lamb to the English slaughterhouse. Briefly, for those who are vaguely interested, for some unknown reason Italy didn't have a fit scrumhalf and Mauro was required to play in that position, rather than his normal place on the field, in what is actually a very pivotal role. Basically it was an unmitigated disaster. And yet of all the English, who should have had a cricket score on the Italians, didn't capitalise.
Then there was poor Mauro Bergamasco, (the right Bergamasco!) who was led like a lamb to the English slaughterhouse. Briefly, for those who are vaguely interested, for some unknown reason Italy didn't have a fit scrumhalf and Mauro was required to play in that position, rather than his normal place on the field, in what is actually a very pivotal role. Basically it was an unmitigated disaster. And yet of all the English, who should have had a cricket score on the Italians, didn't capitalise.
:-)
So, round two and we have the Italians this weekend, and with three Stade Francais players in their squad, there's always going to be something interesting to watch.
Onwards and upwards to Irish domination - in BO'D we trust!
(Brian O'Driscoll)
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