- Sean Davies
- 2 Feb 07, 02:28 PM
Cardiff - Altitude training and an escape from the all-consuming Six Nations build-up with a stay in Tenerife was the meticulously planned schedule for this year’s Championship.
I’m not sure whether this would have worked for any of the squads, but my pre-tournament jolly didn’t quite maximise my effectiveness for the mighty tasks to come.
The Wales team announcement should have been done and dusted by the time I plunged back into work, with time to build up the battles before heading down to the Millennium Stadium for the Ireland game on Sunday. But nothing is ever that straightforward in Welsh rugby – certainly not when Gareth Thomas is involved.
Continue reading "From the volcano to the cauldron"
- Martin Conaghan - BBC Scotland Sport journalist
- 2 Feb 07, 01:30 PM
Three main things strike me about rugby, and the Six Nations in particular.
The first is the general level of interest in the tournament in recent years. With BBC coverage on television, interactive and radio - and billboards across the country promoting the tournament - it's difficult to avoid mention of the forthcoming matches, or fail to be even mildly hyped by the thrilling prospect of an event like the Calcutta Cup.
The second is the general organisation of the tournament. Speaking as an outsider, the Six Nations presents as a well-organised, well-attended and generally popular event. Crowd trouble is almost non-existent and the over-enthusiastic horse-play from players which characterised the game in the past is being gradually phased out of the game by the introduction of sensible rules and strict sanctions.
Continue reading "Can football learn from the Six Nations?"
- James Standley
- 2 Feb 07, 09:28 AM
London - The northern hemisphere’s annual rugby-fest is upon us and the debate about just who the best players on show are has begun once again.
Our team of rugby union journalists sat down in BBC Sport’s glistening digital media centre and came up with our XV to start the tournament.
Injuries have cost the likes of Shane Horgan and Dan Ward-Smith a place in the team - they'll be gutted, we're sure.
No doubt we could have done better, so, who’ve we missed and who should not have got anywhere near our selection?
Continue reading "The 2007 Six Nations all-star XV"
- Hugh Watkins - Professional rugby union referee
- 2 Feb 07, 09:07 AM
My colleague Nigel Owens and I will be on hand throughout the tournament to answer your questions about the laws of game - starting this weekend.
So if you see something during the three matches that you don't fully understand, just ask it here.
As I am sure you will appreciate, we won't be able to comment on the rights and wrongs of individual decisions, so please ensure your question is about a general point of law rather than a personal comment.
That way you'll have a better chance of getting your question answered! We look forward to hearing from you.
Wales 27-18 England
