2013 Six Nations slanging match thread.

I wish football had the same comradeship and sportsmanship involved. I was out picking up my daughter's bf from the airport earlier and we stopped for eats on the way back from Aberdeen. He happened to be sporting a Celtic shirt, and we were hassled by a bunch of Ranger's fans.

Explaining I was a Man U fan didn't seem to help.

Never encountered that kind of pish in all my years of rugby playing and attending matches.

Ho hum!

I agree with you highlandsflyer, football has a lot to learn from football.
Rugby is a game we all enjoy, me still playing occasionally now, and watching, which unites us all.
Football has real hatred at the forefront in many cases which only gives cause to divide.

Can sympathise as well about being hassled by Rangers supporters. I used to work on building sites with quite a few of them.
Expressed my liking for U2 one day when they were on the radio, I instantly became a fenian, a tim and a taig to the more knuckle-dragging of them, the rest went with the herd mentality by not disagreeing. Because the band is Irish "liking" their music was unacceptable to them. Back then if I'd actually been a Celtic supporter I would have been subjected to "real" hostility that I saw happening to others who were Celtic supporters or Catholic.

Well I spent a couple of hours before a cup final today in a pub with about 200 people in it split roughly 50/50 between supporters of both clubs. Not a sniff of bother and some good humoured banter going on.

I know it isn't the norm with football but it can happen on occasion.

Tazio":qap1ymdc said:

Well I spent a couple of hours before a cup final today in a pub with about 200 people in it split roughly 50/50 between supporters of both clubs. Not a sniff of bother and some good humoured banter going on.

I know it isn't the norm with football but it can happen on occasion.

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That's exactly how it should be. Perhaps they've been taking lessons from the rugby crowds

250,000+ people in Cardiff on Saturday night and not one "serious" incident. Just occasional drunken scuffles and very drunk, very happy Welsh people which are par for the course on any night..! Chippy lane was a sight - literally mountains of empty chip cartons with people wading through them :shock:

Considering most of the rugby fans had been in the pubs since they opened on Saturday morning, that's testament to how well behaved they are in comparison to some of the lawn fairy mob.

I'd actually like football if it weren't for the primadonnas on the pitch and the clusters of f**kwits who call themselves 'fans' and who spoil it for everyone else. Some of my best friends are footballs fans through and through, so I know that it's a minority of pathetic idiots who ruin it for the rest..

I am not painting all football fans with the same brush. It is just a general observation over the last thirty years. Football has certainly improved massively on that time, in terms of hooliganism, racism and sectarianism. In line with society in general on the last two at least.

Rugby just seems to attract less of the negative aspects. I couldn't blame it on the indiscipline on the pitch, it must be something else. Football is perhaps more tribal.

What I truly love about rugby is that your team can get a trouncing yet it is all back to the pub for a pint to mull it over together.

Same thing does happen with football, but on the flip side you can be attacked in the street just for wearing a scarf.

Cricket is a another sport where drinking heavily is favoured, but I have rarely seen a brawl in the crowd at Lords, or in the bar.

One final thing:

4 tournament titles (3 Grand Slams) in 9 years.

I'll take that

Here's looking forward to 2014.

Thread resurrection time!

It's upon us again. Predictions for the first week and the championship overall then gents?

Wales and Ireland have home games first against Italy and Scotland respectively. England have a tough call as they go to France. I'd go for a Wales/Ireland victory and a mouthwatering game in France which could go either way (depending on the old cliche of "which French team will turn up"), but I fancy England to edge it. They certainly have the squad to be able to.

The 2013 tournament was fantastic and I'm just hoping for more of the same.

Pob lwc i pawb / Good luck to everyone


























Particularly Wales

And here's an interesting stat. Apparently France have won every 6 nations tournament the year after a Lions tour. So could tiredness/residual injuries be a factor?

England should have won it last year but choked.
This year only a Gand slam will do, its now or never
I have already put a not inconsiderable amount of money where my mouth is

Grannygrinder":1sn2k2xq said:

England should have won it last year but choked.
This year only a Gand slam will do, its now or never
I have already put a not inconsiderable amount of money where my mouth is

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Fair play to you

If England beat France first up then their momentum will build.

Just don't lose to Wales at Twickers like you did in 2012.... And 2008