Six Nations
Racing Matro flank Wenceslas Lauret returns to the French lineup for the Six Nations match against Wales in the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Friday night.
Wales scrumhalf Mike Phillips has been demoted to the bench for Friday’s crunch Six Nations international against unbeaten France in Cardiff.
Kick-off is at 22:00 SA Time (20:00 GMT).
Scotland have made three changes to their forward pack for Saturday’s Six Nations match against Italy in Rome.
Injured Wales centre Jonathan Davies has been ruled out of the Six Nations Championship match against France in Cardiff on Friday.
Edinburgh utility back Jack Cuthbert was called up on Monday into the Scotland squad ahead of this weekend’s potential Six Nations wooden spoon decider against Italy in Rome.
England were dealt a big blow with the news that seasoned prop Dan Cole has been ruled out the rest of the Six Nations tournament.
The England team management said in a statement that Cole will have “a period of rest” to relieve a bulging disc in his neck – which is trapping a nerve.
Italy prop Michele Rizzo and France front row forward Rabah Slimani have both been banned for two weeks for foul play.
The duo were found guilty of head-butting each other during France’s 30-10 victory over Italy on Sunday at a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday.
Wales centre Scott Williams is set to miss the rest of the Six Nations Championship because of a shoulder injury, the Welsh Rugby Union have announced on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old Scarlets back is set to undergo an operation on Thursday and could be out of action for as long as three months.
The Welsh Rugby Union is pleased at the progress made at today’s Six Nations meeting in Paris towards agreement for the European competition structure from next season.
England head coach Stuart Lancaster has chosen to keep the players in his starting line up for last weekend’s Calcutta Cup clash against Scotland in camp this week rather than releasing them.
While Lancaster has retained his starting side he has released the replacements back to their Premiership clubs.
Italy coach Jacques Brunel was as good as his word on Tuesday and named the same squad for the forthcoming Six Nations games with Scotland and Ireland as were involved in the opening two defeats against Wales and France.
Brunel – whose side lost 23-15 to two-time defending champions Wales and then 30-10 to France – will name a 30th player on Wednesday once he knows whether replacement prop Michele Rizzo will be banned after being sent off in the French game.
Ireland lock Dan Tuohy suffered a fractured arm during his side’s 26 / 3 win over Wales in the Six Nations Championship in Dublin on Saturday, the Irish Rugby Football Union said on Monday.
No date has been set for his return but he is likely to miss the rest of the tournament.
Castres flyhalf Remy Tales has been recalled into the 30-strong French squad to prepare for the Six Nations match against Wales in Cardiff on 21 February.
The 29-year-old Tales held the number 10 shirt for the November Test matches before picking up a neck injury while playing for his club in the European Cup in mid January.
France (9) 30 / 10 (3) Italy (Final Score)
France and Italy did battle in the Six Nations tournament at
Stade de France, Paris at 17:00 SA Time (15:00 GMT, 16:00 France Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Scotland Women head coach, Jules Maxton, has shown faith in the same 23 person squad, who lost to Ireland in the opening Six Nations tie, to take on England today, Sunday February 9th in Aberdeen.
The match is due to kick off at 16:00 SA Time (14:00 GMT) and will be broadcast live on Scottish Rugby Unions YouTube channel.
Our resident Scot, Bullscot, is at the game.
Scotland (0) 0 / 20 (13) England (Final Score)
Scotland and England did battle in the Six Nations tournament at
Murrayfield, Edinburgh at 19:00 SA Time (17:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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The Six Nations rugby tournament is worth about £52m a year to Scotland, economists have estimated.
Edinburgh’s bars, restaurants, hotels and shops benefit when rugby fans head for matches at Murrayfield stadium.
Ireland (13) 26 / 3 (0) Wales (Final Score)
Ireland and Wales did battle in the Six Nations tournament at
Aviva Stadium, Dublin at 16:30 SA Time (14:30 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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It is the 2nd week of RBS Six Nations rugby this weekend.
As usual, there will be 3 Six Nation games on the weekend, between these 6 participationg countries, 2 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday.
Ireland host Wales on Saturday, 16:30 SA Time (14:30 GMT).
Scotland host England on Saturday, 19:00 SA Time (17:00 GMT).
France host Italy on Sunday, 17:00 SA Time (16:00 France Time, 15:00 GMT).
Rugby-Talk will feature LIVE GAME ARTICLES for all 3 games.
Ireland captain Paul O’Connell was passed fit on Thursday to lead the team against Wales in the Six Nations on Saturday following his dramatic withdrawal last weekend.
The veteran lock pulled out of last week’s 28 / 6 win at home to Scotland just hours before kick-off with a chest infection.
Edinburgh Rugby’s next home match against Ospreys on Friday 28 February (kick-off 7.35pm) will be played at Meggetland, the club confirmed on Wednesday
Concerns over the current Murrayfield Stadium playing surface – caused by a parasitic infection that damaged the roots – mean the club will relocate the RaboDirect PRO12 clash to ensure the international pitch is in robust health for Scotland’s home fixtures in the 2014 RBS 6 Nations, against England and France.
Scotland have made three changes to their starting XV and three more changes to their bench for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship match against England at Murrayfield.
There’s a new cap at openside flanker where Chris Fusaro, the 24-year-old Glasgow Warrior, a product of Bell Baxter High School and the Howe of Fife club, who has graduated from Scotland 7’s and Scotland A, replaces Kelly Brown. Fusaro will be Scotland’s 1052nd cap.
Scotland wing Sean Maitland is to miss the remainder of the Six Nations Championship, officials have announced on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old New Zealand-born back limped off midway through the first half of Scotland’s tournament opening 28 / 6 defeat by Ireland in Dublin on Sunday, suffering both concussion and leg injuries.
England head coach Stuart Lancaster has on Tuesday announced an unchanged 23-man squad for his side’s second Six Nations fixture against Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Lancaster has kept faith with the same players who were narrowly beaten 26 / 24 by France in their opening match in Paris last weekend.
Sam Warburton will lead Wales against Ireland in Saturday’s Six Nations match in Dublin. The Cardiff Blues flanker is named at open-side, with Ospreys’ Justin Tipuric dropping to the bench.
Round 2 of the RBS Six Nations tournament follows this weekend, after an eventfull Round 1 this past weekend.
Out of the England camp, it appears that winger Jonny May, who broke his nose against France hs been passed fit to play on the weekend.
France news is that Antoine Burban will miss Sunday’s Test against Italy with a hamstring injury and is replaced in the squad by Ibrahim Diarra.
Scotland’s Sean Maitland will miss the clash against England, suffering from concussion and a right leg injury.
Ireland’s inspirational captain, Paul O’Connell, is set to return against Wales after he withdrew from the team last weekend due to a chest infection.
Ireland (11) 28 / 6 (3) Scotland (Final Score)
Ireland and Scotland did battle in the Six Nations tournament at
Aviva Stadium, Dublin at 17:00 SA Time (15:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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France (16) 26 / 24 (8) England (Final Score)
France and England did battle in the Six Nations tournamnt at
Stade de France, Paris at 19:00 SA Time (18:00 France Time, 17:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Wales (17) 23 / 15 (3) Italy (Final Score)
Wales and Italy did battle in the Six Nations tournament at
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff at 16:30 SA Time (14:30 GMT, 15:30 Italian Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Three games are played on the weekend of 1 & 2 February 2014 in the start of the 2014 RBS Six Nations tournament.
On Saturday it’s Wales vs Italy at 16:30 SA Time (14:30 GMT) at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and thereafter it’s France vs England at 19:00 SA Time (18:00 Fr Time, 17:00 GMT) at Stade de France, Paris.
On Sunday it’s Ireland vs Scotland at 17:00 SA Time (15:00 GMT) at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin.
ALL THREE MATCHES are broadcast on TV in South Africa and ALL THREE matches will have their LIVE GAME ARTICLES here on Rugby-Talk.
The Six Nations is the prime International Test tournament in the Northern Hemisphere and is a short and powerful competition where each team plays the other 5 sides only once. The winner of the tournament is decided on Log Points at the end of the tournament.
Wales are defending champions, in fact they are double defending champions and will try to make 2014 their hat trick season.
In 2013 France had a nighmare season, ending with the wooden spoon.
It is 2 weeks prior to the kick off of 2 brand new Rugby Tournaments and just less than a month away from kick off of the 3rd Tournament – Super Rugby.
We will have SuperBru Widgets up in the Righthand sidebar for these 3 Pools, for easy access to make your PICKS, go to the POOLS and see an abbreviated version of the LOG in each pool (Top 10).
Rugby-Talk SuperBru pools are open to all REGISTERED RUGBY-TALK SUBSCRIBERS, so if you are not yet registered, get clicking man!
As is the custom and the excitement, Rugby-Talk will be taking part in rugby competitions on SuperBru in 2014 again, but at the end of last year we took it a step further, we also formed our own SuperBru Club, the Rugby-Talk.com Club. The Club gives us an added and combined interface, where messages are posted in the “Social Room”, where the current Rugby-Talk Bru Pools are detailed in the “Games Room”, where members are tabled in the “Members Wall” and where medal standings and tables are displayed in the “Trophy Room”.
So, firstly, join up to the 3 NEW POOLS and also join up at the Rugby-Talk.com Club!
The details are as follows:
Treviso winger Angelo Esposito will make his international debut when Italy begins their Six Nations campaign with a daunting trip to Cardiff to take on holders Wales on Saturday.
Mention of the fact France have won the Five or Six Nations every year after a British and Irish Lions tour in the professional era can elicit deep consideration, confusion or shrugs, depending on who you mention it to.
That’s the thing about history, it can be interpreted in different ways. Or ignored. Or forgotten. Or remembered and its significance disregarded.
England will take on France in Paris on Saturday with a backline featuring two debutants and a one-cap winger after coach Stuart Lancaster named his starting line-up for the Six Nations opener.
As expected, 20-year-old Jack Nowell has been rewarded for his promising displays for Exeter with the starting berth on the right wing – with regular No 14 Chris Ashton dropped from the squad – with Jonny May winning his second cap on the left.
Luther Burrell is the latest in a long line of centres and will link up with Billy Twelvetrees outside Owen Farrell and recalled scrumhalf Danny Care.
Flyhalf Jules Plisson was named to start against England in France’s Six Nations opening game on Saturday as manager Philippe Saint-Andre continues his experiment with the Les Bleus’ halfback pairing.
The 22-year-old Stade Francais player will be alongside scrumhalf Jean-Marc Doussain as Saint-Andre will try out his 10th different halfback pairing since he took over from Marc Lievremont after the 2011 World Cup.