Early reports are that Schmidt is going to retain the coaching team. Don't know how long any of them have left on their contracts. Will watch the press conference at four and report back.
Why? Sure he can kick but he spends the whole game so deep that you wonder whether the pitch will be long enough at times. Your fella Giteau is the creative spark for that dreadful shower of soulless mercenaries at Toulon, on the rare occasions they don't just hoof the ball upfield and look to pass/ run Giteau is first receiver, while Wilkinson plods up to be missed out in the move. He is effectively a gridiron punter/ field goal kicker. I will be delighted if he is in the squad as the clamour for him to start, ahead of Sexton, from the half wits in the British media will further undermine morale and make the Lions implosion that I am hoping for more likely. Rumours of 9 to 12 Irish tourists are not amusing me, but hopefully only one from Munster.
I am not sure Jenkins will be picked myself, he was shite when he came on against the saffas on sunday. Healy, Grant and Vunipola (even though he can't scrummage). Phillips will be free to tour as Bayonne are not in the T14 play offs.
Agree about dominant defences but don't underestimate how terrible the weather was during the tournament. On the first week end when the weather was good for the three games there were a rake of tries.
Cmon WP and the Tjarkies played a Currie Cup final in a Durban piss storm and the handling was superb. This is from players that can say summer is a couple of months and not its your favorite day of the year like over there in the UK. Apart from first game the Welsh went back to old tactics that worked last year and won another 6 nations with it. French ending with a wooden spoon. What is the coaches doing with the French players. They have coached the so called French flair out of them and its bash and slash with a 9 that is slower than a 90 year old granny who's in a wheelchair with no wheels on it.
I don't think you are comparing like with like there Rassie, the six nations is an international competition, Currie cup a club/ franchise one. Plus it was not just the wet, it was the combination of the wet and freezing cold. And the fact that it has not really stooped raining up here for a year so the pitches are all fecked as well.
If you look back in the 70's and 80's a English rolling mauls in the mud was the 5/6 Nations!
