Six of the best

Six of the best

3 Feb 2006

Wales begin the defence of their Six Nations title with a mouth-watering fixture at the stadium formerly known as Fortress Twickenham.

Here are all the teams, times and channels for the first round:

England v Wales | 17:30 – SS2

England: 15 Josh Lewsey (London Wasps), 14 Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks), 13 Jamie Noon (Newcastle Falcons), 12 Mike Tindall (Gloucester), 11 Ben Cohen (Northampton Saints), 10 Charlie Hodgson (Sale Sharks), 9 Harry Ellis (Leicester Tigers), 8 Martin Corry (Leicester Tigers), 7 Lewis Moody (Leicester Tigers), 6 Joe Worsley (London Wasps), 5 Danny Grewcock (Bath), 4 Steve Borthwick (Bath), 3 Matt Stevens (Bath), 2 Steve Thompson (Northampton Saints), 1 Andy Sheridan (Sale Sharks).
Replacements: 16 Lee Mears (Bath), 17 Julian White (Leicester Tigers), 18 Simon Shaw (London Wasps), 19 Lawrence Dallaglio (London Wasps), 20 Matt Dawson (London Wasps), 21 Andy Goode (Leicester Tigers), 22 Tom Voyce (London Wasps).

Wales: 15 Gareth Thomas, 14 Mark Jones, 13 Hal Luscombe, 12 Matthew Watkins, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Dwayne Peel, 8 Michael Owen, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Colin Charvis, 5 Robert Sidoli, 4 Ian Gough, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Rhys Thomas, 1 Duncan Jones.
Replacements: 16 Mefin Davies, 17 Gethin Jenkins, 18 Gareth Delve, 19 Alix Popham, 20 Gareth Cooper, 21 Ceri Sweeney, 22 Lee Byrne.

Date: Saturday, February 4
Venue: Twickenham, London
Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Christophe Berdos (France)
Television match official: Donal Courtney (Ireland)

Scotland v France | 16:45 – SS6

Scotland: 15 Hugo Southwell (Edinburgh Gunners), 14 Chris Paterson (Edinburgh Gunners), 13 Marcus Di Rollo (Edinburgh Gunners), 12 Andrew Henderson (Glasgow Warriors), 11 Sean Lamont (Northampton Saints), 10 Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors), 9 Mike Blair (Edinburgh Gunners), 8 Simon Taylor (Edinburgh Gunners), 7 Allister Hogg (Edinburgh Gunners), 6 Jason White (Sale Sharks, captain), 5 Scott Murray (Edinburgh Gunners), 4 Alastair Kellock (Edinburgh Gunners), 3 Bruce Douglas (Border Reivers), 2 Dougie Hall (Edinburgh Gunners), 1 Gavin Kerr (Leeds Tykes).
Replacements: 16 Scott Lawson (Glasgow Warriors), 17 Craig Smith (Edinburgh Gunners), 18 Scott MacLeod (Border Reivers), 19 Jon Petrie (Glasgow Warriors), 20 Chris Cusiter (Border Reivers), 21 Gordon Ross (Leeds Tykes), 22 Simon Webster (Edinburgh Gunners).

France: 15 Nicolas Brusque (Biarritz), 14 Christophe Dominici (Stade Français), 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Yannick Jauzion, 11 Cedric Heymans, 10 Frédéric Michalak, 9 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (all Toulouse), 8 Julien Bonnaire (Bourgoin), 7 Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), 6 Rémy Martin (Stade Français), 5 Jérôme Thion (Biarritz), 4 Fabien Pelous (captain, Toulouse), 3 Pieter De Villiers, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski, 1 Sylvain Marconnet (all Stade Français)
Replacements: 16 Sebastian Bruno (Sale Sharks), 17 Olivier Milloud (Bourgoin), 18 Lionel Nallet (Castres), 19 Thomas Lièvremont (Biarritz), 20 Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz), 21 Benjamin Boyet (Bourgoin), 22 Ludovic Valbon (Brive).

Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Touch judges: Kelvin Deaker, Steve Walsh (both New Zealand)
Television match official: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)

Ireland v Italy | 15:15 – SS2

Ireland: 15 Geordan Murphy (Leicester), 14 Shane Horgan (Leinster), 13 Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster, captain), 12 Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster), 11 Tommy Bowe (Ulster), 10 Ronan O’Gara (Munster), 9 Peter Stringer (Munster), 8 Denis Leamy (Munster), 7 David Wallace (Munster), 6 Simon Easterby (Llanelli), 5 Paul O’Connell (Munster), 4 Malcolm O’Kelly (Leinster), 3 John Hayes (Munster), 2 Jerry Flannery (Munster), 1 Marcus Horan (Munster).
Replacements: 16 Rory Best (Ulster), 17 Simon Best (Ulster), 18 Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster), 19 Johnny O’Connor (Wasps), 20 Eoin Reddan (Wasps), 21 David Humphreys (Ulster), 22 Andrew Trimble (Ulster).

Italy: 15 Cristian Stoica (Montpellier), 14 Pablo Canavosio (Ghial Calvisano), 13 Gonzalo Canale (Clermont-Auvergne), 12 Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais), 11 Ludovico Nitoglia (Ghial Calvisano), 10 Ramiro Pez (Perpignan), 9 Paul Griffen (Ghial Calvisano), 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Mauro Bergamasco (both Stade Francais), 6 Josh Sole (Arix Viadana), 5 Marco Bortolami (Narbonne, captain), 4 Santiago Dellape (Agen), 3 Carlos Nieto (Arix Viadana), 2 Fabio Ongaro (Benetton Treviso), 1 Salvatore Perugini (both Ghial Calvisano).
Replacements: 16 Carlo Antonio Festuccia (SKG Gran Parma), 17 Andrea Lo Cicero (Conad L’Aquila), 18 Martin Castrogiovanni (Ghial Calvisano), 19 Carlos Del Fava (Bourgoin), 20 Aaron Persico (Agen), 21 Simon Picone (Benetton Treviso), 22 Rima Wakarua (SKG Gran Parma).

Venue: Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Referee: Dave Pearson (England)
Touch judges: Joël Jutge (France), Nigel Owens (Wales)
Television match official: Malcolm Changleng (Scotland)


19 Comments

  • 1.wpw: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 14:13 pm

    Who gives a damn? As long as the Poms get shafted i dont care!!!

  • 2.pierre: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 14:14 pm

    Poms to crush the Coal-miners by 20

    Micks to landslide the Dagoes by 35

    And the Gigolos to beat the Jocks by 8 in a hard-fought battle.

  • 3.Genl. Joubert: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 14:27 pm

    Anyone but the Poms to win the 6N.

    I think France will take it this year as England have to play them in Paris.

  • 4.Knersboy: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 14:35 pm

    there is no way the poms will lose to wales, i wish it were otherwise, but there is no way.

  • 5.munkiboi: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 14:47 pm

    When the 6n comes round I find myself taking on a number of guises.

    One week I am Irish, the next French, I have a bit of Italian in me, and I do cheer the Scotts. On Saturday, I will be Welsh.

    Seriosuly though – the competition is France’s to lose. Now thats a sneaky pun – not intended.

    Anyways, this competition has become a bit dreary since professionalism. It has history, and thats about it really. I cant say its too entertaining. Wales did their best to liven it up last year though. I was quite pleased for them.

  • 6.pierre: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 14:55 pm

    I support the Poms. The Micks are bloody cheats and the Frogs are a bunch of prancing temperamental male whores.

  • 7.pierre: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 14:56 pm

    Oh ja, I like the Taffs as well, but let’s be realistic – 6 Nations champs or not, they suck.

  • 8.all_stormers: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 14:57 pm

    Wales for me !!

    The game is played different in the North due to the ground being always ‘wet’ so yuo don’t get the running we are user to in SA. Even Newlands dry’s out and you get bounce on the ball. Thin the comment on Cheetahs gettign a few surprise wins will be due to there hard ground. So it’s no surprise that the rugby is ‘dull’ when played in the north but then the WC there next year

  • 9.parisian: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 15:09 pm

    French are favourites, pressures on them. Easy one against the Scots though. Eng should beat Wales at home, but not by much. And the Irish could always be an outsider in a few weeks…

  • 10.Ig: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 15:16 pm

    France or Ireland…the Poms don’t deserve it, Wales might suprise – but i suspect they were one season wonders and Italy – i hope they knock over the poms !

  • 11.cab: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 15:28 pm

    Come on Ireland, murph’s team gets my support.

  • 12.hobo: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 15:50 pm

    Is any of this on supersport this weekend?

  • 13.CoffeeshopBok;-): Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 15:56 pm

    This is the year that the I talians are going to stick it to all and sundry in the 6 nations ;-0
    They are looking very dangerous and have a formidiable forward pack.

  • 14.Mackie: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 16:12 pm

    Italians dont have a hope my friend. They might shaft the Scots but thats about it. Its between those two to battle it out so as not to get the woodend spoon.

  • 15.CoffeeshopBok;-): Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 16:18 pm

    I know Mackie but it would be nice to see them scalp more than Scotland though.
    Anyway my money is on France given that I have some French blood in me.

  • 16.Knersboy: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 16:31 pm

    eh coffee
    so, next friday night at the roo? are they showing the game?

    after there is quite a cool party at paard, wanna join?

  • 17.CoffeeshopBok;-): Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 16:45 pm

    Kners man you have been scarce my china :-)

    I will find out whether it is being shown on Sky and if the roo will show it, I can’t see why not.

    Party at the Paard sounds good as long as it’s not one of those teeny bobber parties they have there occasionally.

    Otherwise you well, howz the studies coming along?

  • 18.pierre: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 19:32 pm

    CSB, Kners, get a room. This is a rugby site, not the Brokeback Mountain fan site.

  • 19.Knersboy: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2006, 20:17 pm

    jealous pierre? dont worry, i like the jealous type, will ask coffee is he likes to share.

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

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