Blood & Mud

SHIT/GOOD™ Ratings: RBS 6 Nations, round 1

The first weekend of the championship has passed by with games that were, in the main, of questionable quality, but what did the SHIT/GOOD™ computer make of it all?  Don't forget, you can get full highlights of all the games in our Omnisport player over in the sidebar.

SHIT

Gareth Cooper - Questions were raised before the weekend as to just why he was getting a national start ahead of Richie Rees who is starting in front of him at Cardiff.  The answer is no clearer after a day on which he made very poor decisions and that Wales improved considerably when he was substituted.  Surely will not start against Scotland.

Delon Armitage - So often a wonderful counter-attacking full-back, and even spoke before the game about "taking the attack to Wales".  Didn't really see much of it though, did we?  Unless of course "taking the attack" is his way of saying, "aimlessy, pointlessly, and frustratingly hoofing the ball".

Italian rucks - Firstly it takes them a while to get the ball to the back of the ruck, then secondly they have a scrum-half who is about as keen to get things moving as truckers on a fuel protest.  This heady cocktail of SHIT creates a viewing experience so slow and lacking in entertainment it is almost as bad as watching Eyes Wide Shut. 

Simon Shaw - Unrecognisable from the player in the summer.  Not that surprising that at 36 he looks a little slow, more surprising is that he was very stupid at times.

Dishonourable mentions - Alain Rolland, the woman in the gospel choir who sang sharp all the way through God Save The Queen, Scotland's scrum in the absence of Reverend Murray, Alun Wyn Jones (obviously), Jamie Roberts, England's front row, Gareth Williams

GOOD

Mathew Tait - While not exactly being ground shaking in its wonder, this was a performance which finally put to bed that horror show in 2005.  Showed great composure and poise to do exactly the right thing for Haskell's second and game clinching try

Mathieu Bastareaud - He may be a liar and borderline clinically insane, but man this boy can play!

James Hook - Another position, another great performance.  If only the rest of the backline could have matched him.

Honourable mentions - James Haskell, Brian O'Driscoll, Kelly Brown, Steve Borthwick, Martyn Williams.

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SHIT/GOOD™ Ratings: RBS 6 Nations, round 1

The first weekend of the championship has passed by with games that were, in the main, of questionable quality, but what did the SHIT/GOOD™ computer make of it all?  Don't forget, you can get full highlights of all the games in our Omnisport player over in the sidebar.

SHIT

Gareth Cooper - Questions were raised before the weekend as to just why he was getting a national start ahead of Richie Rees who is starting in front of him at Cardiff.  The answer is no clearer after a day on which he made very poor decisions and that Wales improved considerably when he was substituted.  Surely will not start against Scotland.

Delon Armitage - So often a wonderful counter-attacking full-back, and even spoke before the game about "taking the attack to Wales".  Didn't really see much of it though, did we?  Unless of course "taking the attack" is his way of saying, "aimlessy, pointlessly, and frustratingly hoofing the ball".

Italian rucks - Firstly it takes them a while to get the ball to the back of the ruck, then secondly they have a scrum-half who is about as keen to get things moving as truckers on a fuel protest.  This heady cocktail of SHIT creates a viewing experience so slow and lacking in entertainment it is almost as bad as watching Eyes Wide Shut. 

Simon Shaw - Unrecognisable from the player in the summer.  Not that surprising that at 36 he looks a little slow, more surprising is that he was very stupid at times.

Dishonourable mentions - Alain Rolland, the woman in the gospel choir who sang sharp all the way through God Save The Queen, Scotland's scrum in the absence of Reverend Murray, Alun Wyn Jones (obviously), Jamie Roberts, England's front row, Gareth Williams

GOOD

Mathew Tait - While not exactly being ground shaking in its wonder, this was a performance which finally put to bed that horror show in 2005.  Showed great composure and poise to do exactly the right thing for Haskell's second and game clinching try

Mathieu Bastareaud - He may be a liar and borderline clinically insane, but man this boy can play!

James Hook - Another position, another great performance.  If only the rest of the backline could have matched him.

Honourable mentions - James Haskell, Brian O'Driscoll, Kelly Brown, Steve Borthwick, Martyn Williams.