Is this the decider?

It's only 4 weeks until we make the trip to Edinburgh, and at this point I can't help wondering what Scotland v Wales on that day will decide. Not the Grand Slam for sure, they're both out of that, and with the poor start last week by both teams, add to the mix Italy beating France, then we could be talking 'avoiding the wooden spoon'!

Scotland v Italy this Saturday 2.30 at Murrayfield, will probably be the most difficult result to predict in the tournament. 

I'm going for Scotland (what do I know?), and even though Italy beat France in Rome last week, Scotland finally showed enough  against England to convince me they can do it in front of home support.

At 5pm on the same day, the France v Wales game is a chance for one of those teams to show that last week was just a bad start.

Sorry Wales, but I forecast tears in the valleys after this one. If I were in Paris, I'd be cheering on the Welsh, but the French were so embarrassed in Rome, only the destruction of their next opponents will satisfy their supporters.

Sunday at 3pm is the BIG game of the weekend, and what I'd give to be in Dublin with a Guinness or two, or three….. 

Ireland v England, and I'm hoping that Ireland play like they did in the first half against the Welsh last week. England, I think, are the strongest team this year, but the Irish, driven on by history, (and Brian O'Driscoll) can nick a win here. Come on Ireland!

4 weeks before you travel, you'll have your tickets by now which are posted out around 6 weeks before. If not, I've given you some idea as to how to get hold of some before the game. If you need train tickets book now, they're still cheap. You've more chance of finding a horse free burger than a hotel in Edinburgh now, and accommodation is filling up fast in Glasgow, but still available if you're willing to go a mile or two outside the city. Pick a hotel on the underground ring; yes, Glasgow has a tube! It's just a circle but very effective. Just the one platform and trains arrive on either side, often at the same time. There's no limit to the amount of people pouring into the station at any given time. At peak times everyone seems to breath in, wanting to become thinner as the train rattles in. I love Glasgow, knee deep in character.

I have to add that Beverley is going for a completely opposite prediction, with wins for Italy, Wales and England! 

That's the beauty of it!

Yes I was wrong! Italy beat France, and who in the world could have predicted that? The joy on the face of the Italian team was a site to behold as they unceremoniously dragged the French player gripping the ball, into touch to end the game. The French were embarrassed and I was embarrassed for them, but what a game.

On Saturday, the Irish galloped away so fast in the first half that the Welsh could hardly see them at the start of the second. Battle as they may, the Irish absorbed everything that was thrown at them, with O'Driscoll returning as the conquering chief.

Then England showed why they are the favourites for the Grand Slam and in the only prediction that I was right on, they slowly ground out a lead until the Scots could find no way back.

So this is where they stand…

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	Pts
	England	1	1	0	0	38	18	20	4	2	2
	Ireland	2	1	0	0	30	22	8	3	2	2
	Italy	3	1	0	0	23	18	5	2	2	2
	France	4	1	0	1	18	23	-5	2	0	0
	Wales	5	1	0	1	22	30	-8	3	0	0
	Scotland	6	1	0	1	18	38	-20	2	0	0

First day…BIG day!

Predicting who's going to win and wanting your team to win, are very different beasts. Looking at today's first game Wales v Ireland at 1.30, will be a very close. Of course I want Ireland to win but last years 6 Nations winners are not going to want anything but a win at home in front of their 'red army'. I expect Wales to win (just!) but I'll be bellowing out, "you'll never beat the Irish" until the last kick. If Ireland are good enough to win at The Millennium Stadium, then they can go all the way. 

4.00 sees England v Scotland kick off at Twickenham, and as an outsider you'd more than likely say that England would win. They have a new fresh and very disciplined team now, who are on the up and the Scots are still struggling to find the form of past years. However, when the Scots play the English they have a determination that seems to give them an extra man on the field, and this fanatical approach to the 'auld enemy' will help the Scots early on in today's game. As the clock moves on I do expect England to grind ahead and I'll be the first to raise my hand if this is anything but a great start for the English.

Then tomorrow it's Italy v France and oh so easy to say... "a French win". If Italy can lift themselves with the first try, then this could go anywhere. The French losing this would be unthinkable, but in recent years Italy have pulled off some very big surprises. I'm staying safe and going with the French victory, but if the Italians could do it I'd jump for joy!

One thing's for sure, after this weekend we'll have a much better idea of what the final table will look like. 

This was last year's…

Will your team do better?

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	Pts
	Wales	1	5	0	0	109	58	51	10	10
	England	2	4	0	0	98	71	27	7	8
	Ireland	3	2	1	2	121	94	27	13	5
	France	4	2	1	2	101	86	15	8	5
	Italy	5	1	0	4	53	121	-68	4	2
	Scotland	6	0	0	6	56	108	-52	4	0

Please send photos to dansencier@yahoo.co.uk