Wales hammer England to retain Six Nations

I believe Dooley's father was either ill or had passed away. Dooley returned to England, and thereafter the New Zealand rugby authorities granted him permission to rejoin the tour party, however, the Lions committee (committee?) decided it wasn't appropriate and so Johnson was called up. The rest is history. It would have been very early in Galway's career too, no? That said, I'm sure I read his selection was also influenced by the fact he could cover the back row. Gatland has made a lot of noises about players having Lions experience, and Bowe was up there with Roberts and Shaw in 2009. I can't see Mike Brown touring, and Ashton's star has waned so dramatically that unless Gatland plucks an Aviva Premiership starlet like Jonny May or Wade from obscurity the wing berths will likely be contested by the Celtic players. It's a given that North and Cuthbert will tour, maybe with Visser, but I'm not sure Maitland has done enough to convince he's a Test player, let alone a Lion candidate.

Hindsight is a useful thing. It was quite early in Johnson's career, in fact I think it might have been his first season and he only played a few games for England because Dooley was injured, if I recall. More than one informed source has told me that that tour was not Gaillimh's finest hour, although he went on to become a deserved legend. I would love to see Bowe and Zebo tour but both are crocked at the moment. They might take a punt on Bowe if he returns in time but he'll be a season short of match practice.

I was thinking more of the Scots tbf, Dave, although in hindsight Mick Galwey getting called up ahead of Martin Johnson seems a bit of an error. I fancy the same Irish players to tour too, although Zebo is worth a punt. I'd also like to see Bowe on the plane.

Anytime hightackle feels the need to jabber on like this you know you've got the better of him. Over 100 years of rugby hightackle, around a 75% winning record Winning record against ALL other international sides, the only team to hold that record. Thank you and good night.

Have you ever watched rugby before? All teams fans are glorious gloaters and poor losers.

You say he would ping England for one thing and let Wales get away with the same thing but early on Warburton got penalized for the exact same England infringement a minute earlier and decided to have a long conversation about what he did wrong and what Walsh wanted to see. Then Warburton fed this information back and the rest is history... all I saw from the English players was moans towards the ref not dialogue. Perhaps if they had inquired as to what Walsh wanted from their play the penalty count would have been different.

I remember that 1993 thumping very well. Why wouldn't I? :) And the following Monday when the Lions team was announced and only three Irishmen made the squad I thought to myself. "Well, at least they can't blame us if it all goes to Hell." But I was wrong. They did! Don't think there'll be too many Irish on this Lions team. Maybe Kearney, Sexton, O'Driscoll, O'Brien, Ryan and Healy. With possibly Best given a chance to redeem himself, out of a squad of about 40. The others have either played themselves off the plane (Heaslip, Earls) or will still be in recovery.

Yes the same one Mike, I'm amazed the moderators allow him to write in such a condescending and confrontational manner post after post all whilst others have been taken to task for much less.

I think here there's an issue of one game going to people's heads. In 1993 England got wiped out by the Irish in the final 5N game, and subsequently players who simply were not good enough to tour NZ ended up touring ahead of people like Jeff Probyn. This was a one-off game, and the Welsh performances prior to that Test weren't overly special. However, the same applies to England. Neither side really strung a hugely cohesive performance together, and apart from England's game against Scotland neither side really clicked in attack. I wouldn't change my pre- 6N Lions squad based on this game, although I suspect this will give Gatland justification to flood the squad with Welsh players.

Test

Just to clarify for Hightackle when I said at the top I was meaning in the top three or four teams. Maybe I should have been a little clearer for you. Then again you are the only roarer to take issue with my comment. Now please launch into another hysterical rant and refute my comment.

I now remember where I'd seen this same drivell. You used to cause a ton of trouble on ALlBlacks.com. Geez there goes theroar. Ruined by teenagers.

Jeznez, I agree they're certainly very strong at the moment and have constantly improved throughout the tournament. The number of penalties gained from scrums in the last few games must be very high. Jenkins was awful against Ireland probably due to a lack of match fitness. He has been mainly riding the pine for Toulon as they've favoured Andrew Sheridan but since he's been back in the Welsh set-up he's got rapidly better. Paul James has also improved markedly this year so Wales have 2 decent loose-heads. Hibbard has finally started living up to his potential at hooker and is a very big unit. Thought he was outstanding against England. Owens has also been an able deputy throughout the 6N. Adam Jones is the key though and there is no depth whatsoever in that position. Wales really struggled with his absence last year. There is a young guy called Samson Lee who has had some favourable press but he's very raw from what I've seen

Agree with you about the English back row, the balance is all wrong. Watching the game on Saturday, Robshaw seems to cover kicks etc like a number 8.....not sure if thats because Wood isn't comfortable there or what but they don't seem to work as a unit Been impressed with the locks for most of the 6 Nations but they were outplayed at the weekend. Launchbury is still very young and will learn a great deal from that I reckon.

I honestly thought England were gonna wipe the floor with those Welsh try-hards.

tell me about. Hightackle goes on the offensive one comment after the other every time someone tries to refute him even if you are being sarcastic. Step outside and take a deep breath Hightackle.

Absolutely delighted that someone spanked the living daylights out of those English. Aston was busy eating the mud trail left by the Welsh back. They thought it was their given right to win the 6N. I hope they buy the item below as a painful reminder of what happen to them. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Canterbury-England-2013-Grand-Slam-Winners-Ltd-S-S-/360615438411?pt=UK_Rugby_Shirts&var=&hash=item53f65ae84b

High tackle get a hold of yourself pal. You argue with yourself half the time in go into massive tirades against anyone who disagrees with. Generally filled with abuse and sarcasm. I stand by what I said I feel he means on the top teams of World Rugby. You have interpreted it one way I another however you on the other hand as per usual believe only your interpretation and view is right.

Wales v England was a super match and one this Six Nations Championship needed. it has not been a vintage year. Some of the worst weather, even by European winter standards, has played its part in that but so too has the fact that no team in the Six Nations is close to a peak in its cycle of development, with the possible exception of Italy. Injuries too have taken a major toll on teams, Ireland especially. England are developing dangerously and this new coach seems to have his head screwed on. That said, I don't think this English team was good enough to win a Grand Slam and so it was fitting that they were denied at the last minute. The fact that by doing so, WAles were able to claim the championship for themselves insted of having the admittedly deliciious reward of just another "Slam Busting" tweaking of England's nose is evidence of how close the championship was this year: 8 points for the winners, three for the wooden spoonists. That almost never happens. England will be better next season. Ireland, picked by Will Greenwod as his tip for this year's championship, had a dreadful season which peaked about five minutes into the second half of their first match in CArdiff. At that stage they had scored three tries and were cruising to victory. They would only add a further two tries in their next four games and fail to win any of them. While it is true that they have suffered a catastrophic injury crisis, which disproportionately affects a country of relatively small elite playing numbers, they have not helped themselves with selection or decision making. Having nailed-on first team starters such as O'Connell, Ferris, Bowe, Sexton and D'Arcy missing from the roster for their last match, as well as contenders/main backup players such as Zebo, Reddan, and McFadden to which can now be added Earls and FitzGerald is not helpful. But none of that explains the cack handed throwing in to the lineout by Rory Best in the first half. He might have started the season as the Lions test hooker; now he'll be lucky to get on the plane. O'Driscoll is almost certainly gone from next season. As too is D'Arcy. And even if O'Connell makes a full recovery he will be 34 before the next 6N. Ireland is in rebuilding mode and some of the building blocks look awfully green. And not in a good way. Scotland were impressive against Italy and took full advantage of Irish dithering in their two victorious matches. They also showed great spirit in Paris where they rarely win. Signs of a resurgence? Nothing gives this neutral more pleasure than the sight of Italy growing into opposition feared by all sides. Earlier in the week, while browsing the internet, I saw the news that white smoke over the Sistine Chapel had announced the election of a new Pope. i called my technophobic but devout father to alert him to the fact. "Yeah, we're watching it on TV," he said. "And the crowd is singing the Italian national anthem. I reckon it's an Italian pope." "No," I said. "They're just anticipating their first 6N win over Ireland this Saturday." I was right. The Italian populace had been anticipating this for some time; tickets for the Olympic Stadium (how small the old Stadio Flaminio seems in comparison to that!) had been sold out weeks ago. Now only England remains for Italy to beat in the Six Nations and they came close enough to achieving that this year. Next year, they'll be playing them in Rome. Book your seat early! Roll on the Lions tour. It will be dominated by Welsh and English. And look out for the flying Dutchman, Scotland's Tim Visser.

Again Hightackle- Im referring to your comment above stating "So to say NZ has been top for even 10 years is wrong. You do know NZ hasnt been the worlds best for even 5 years right?" If I was making a point against another comment I would state the person I'm referring to. In this case its you. I've just given you a link to refute this. Count the grand slams, tri nations, 4 nations, WC, Bledisloe cups under Graham Henry since 2004. Im sure you don't become no. 1 without winning the above. Wales-they weren't dominate in the 50s. Any Welshman would know they reached their prime (aka Golden Era) in the late 60s, 70s. If you're pointing out the 50s then obviously you are the one that needs to be educated in Rugby History 101. Your method of calculating dominance over periods is flawed. I don't know how dominance would come about when Wales rarely played NZ and SA over along period of time. The same can be applied to the head to head clasesh between NZ and SA prior to 1994. Between 1921 and 1960, the Boks played NZ on average once every 7 years. This includes an 11 year gap. Between 1960 and 1981 it was on overage once every 5 years. Obviously that make the SA record against NZ look more substantial due to the gap periods as oppose to playing NZ every year since 1994. Wales- they could even notch their first win against the Boks till 99. They only play the Bok once in 51 and lost that. Their next game against the Boks was almost 10 years later. They last time Wales beat NZ was in 51, their next game against NZ was 10 years later. 1931? Since when did SA play NZ that year? nor did they in 1953. Perhaps you should be the one putting more effort into getting the 'facts'. Dominance should be determined by the most consecutive wins against the opposition. In this case prior to 1995 South Africa dominated NZ by Defeating the ABs 6 in a row between 1937-1949. Defeating the ABs 3 in a row in the 70s NZ so called period of dominance would come from Defeating SA 4 in a row between 81-94 In all other years its been tit for tat results between the 2 which reflects the 20-18 head to head count. If you had to count the number of periods of dominance after 1995 NZ defeats SA 4 in a row 1996 8 in a row 2001-2003 3 in a row 2005-06 4 in a row 2010-11 SA dominance over NZ in the pro era coming in 2009 3-0. I'm sure you can do the math of the number of 'periods of dominance' each country obtained and connect the dots which states the overall head to head count between NZ and SA.