All Blacks beware - the French are back

It's an actual channel.

You actually have a rugby channel, or is that just a show?

Here in Nz the 6N matches are all shown on The Rugby Channel(Sky) and ESPN so are easily accessible Ben.(FYI)

Agree Dunc. i'm glad we're playing them in the pool this rwc.

Richie Gray is I think the lock you are thinking of. Should be a great Lions team in 2013 with the youngsters from all countries like Lawes, Gray, Youngs etc. Watch out for the new welsh flyhalf drafted into the wales Vegas sevens squad.

Bring on the French - I hope they continue to improve and turn on the jazz - this is great for world rugby, and this is coming from a Kiwi...

Ah the French! At their best, simply wonderful to watch. So when did we last see a try scored in a Test where the ball was thrown between the legs? They're a tonic. And well done the bonnie Scots who have a real find in their new lock Hughes (I think). England will have a really good pack come the RWC & Youngs is excellent.I'll be interested to see whether they use any of the talent they have in their 7's team for the RWC. Wales are more & more disappointing - my view remains that they'll struggle to get out of their group in the RWC.

A lot of England fans think Toby Flood is useless and that Sheridan is the greatest prop ever. Aside from that I'm not sure what qualifies you to suggest what 'a lot' of England fans want. Easter is still yet to be found out... Spies has only had a handful of good games in what is nearly a 40 game Test career, whereas Easter has only had a handful of bad games. Just because he doesn't score a try per Test the average rugby 'fan' thinks he is just a chubby lad. He's a very solid lineout forward, has excellent hands, is defensively sound, has a great understanding of the game and is a good carrier. He's a very good linking forward too, so I'm not sure what a fast 8 has to do with anything, especially when you have support players the calibre of Lawes, Croft and the back three. If Johnson loved 'bash ahead' forwards then he wouldn't have selected the packs he has selected during his tenure.

Come the RWC, when you'll have 8s on display like Read, Spies, Harinordoquy, Parisse, I think Nick will be shown to be lacking in most departments except the 10-yard rumble. A lot of England fans would much prefer to have a fast 8 to link with the new-found backline play, but Jonno loves the bash ahead forwards.

I don't know what to make of the Wales back row conundrum: Powell promises so much and offers so little interspersed with great moments, the same with Ryan Jones. Jon Thomas is probably not an 8, and Dan Lydiate, despite a good work ethic, isn't physical enough IMO. Too many square shapes to fit round holes. I think Easter is quite dynamic, or at least deceptively so for a player considered more of a mauler. Incidentally, I think Parisse looks like he's lost a yard or two of pace. He's got good feet, but I wouldn't back him to win many sprints nowadays.

Some good No. 8s there! Agree that powell should not start against scotland even if he is recovered. Easter is very very solid these days and has really improved the last couple of years. He is not quite as 'dynamic' as some 8s and needs either a dominant pack or good 6 and 7 support to shine IMO. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYCZz3kJeVc&feature=related

'Finally, did parisse just reclaim the Best No. 8 in the world spot….' I thought Nick Easter was very good on Friday... again, as was was Kelly Brown, Ryan Jones, Imanol Harinordoquy and Sean O'Brien. The only number 8 who didn't impress IMO was Andy Powell.

Any game where a try is scored from a between the legs pass has got to be a joy to watch! the french played well on attack, but that is always easier to do when you are not under a lot of pressure from the defence. the england v france game looks like being the key game of the tournament. certainly the other early contender, ireland, won't have worried any RWC opponents after their near loss to italy. Finally, did parisse just reclaim the Best No. 8 in the world spot....

I'm not being intentionally disrespectful, Tortion, but how much of the game did you watch? I'm presuming that you'e from the SH where 6N rugby isn't readily available on the TV. Scotland were atrocious: their scrum was pulverised; their lineout fell to pieces; Parks and Southwell kicked incessantly and pointlessly; Parks kept throwing out wasteful miss passes and no other backs presented as a decoy or bothered to straighten... They basically offered nothing.

Scotland actually played very well. A much improved side. The French were a joy to watch.

France played well and it would be foolish of the AB selectors to simply write them off, we all know that when the French are off their game they are poor and when they are on they are World beaters. No matter what the result is in the pool game both teams will be better placed for the knock out rounds than the other contenders, who won't have the same intensity in their pool. I believe the intensity and speed in the 1st round of the 6 nations tournament was still some way short of what we saw in the Tri Nations, remember the ABs V SA at soccer stadium that was ferocious or Wallabies V SA in the high veldt the speed that game was played in was unbelievable, the ABs need to reinvent themselves to keep ahead of the chasing pack....everyones catching up. There is still a lot of rugby to come between now a Sept 24 and a lot of factors coould come into play yet...key injuries, momentum etc.

Well three months ago the AB's put 49 points on this Scottish outfit. In saying that it was Scotland's first game of the season. You never know which French team turns up on the day, one week hot and the next cold. You can nearly always guarantee that the AB's will play 80mins of rugby.

Given that Scotland average about 1 try per game under Andy Robinson, I thought conceding three was a pretty poor effort by France. They still look very badly coached to my eye.

Oh and Henrys calendar will read black day for Frogs, another Ashes for England

Yep cause they spanked everyone else