Our numerical advantage allows us to deal with injuries and maintain consistency, it doesn't guarantee better top end performance, that is what coaching and good systems achieve.

If your systems are right then i think your numerical advantages make it more likely that you uncover real gems.

I have toured a few times with kids to English clubs, even adapting to the certain rule changes and even playing up a season the Welsh sides have been stronger (from this small sample ) via my investigative nature, i came to a conclusion The community clubs we played had large numbers of players, far in excess of our teams to chose from, but they had a equal amount of coaches often even less. Their circumstances that these teams found themselves in drastically slowed development and skills IMO. I could not coach thirty 8 year old kids with two coaches, one of who couldnt always make it because of work.

On the flip side, i have often seen schools advertising for specialist rugby coaches to come in and do targeted coaching, i assume this is in the private sector more than the public. I have never seen such an advert in Wales. We have spent millions putting, young twenty year olds into school to coach kids not much younger than themselves. Im not sure about the strategy, i hope it works.

There are differences in Wales which are unique but we dont play our own cards, we follow instead of lead.

38 year old kids! Surely the beards are a guve away, ni wonder you won your matches!

I bet they still have the attitude of 8 year olds

Yes, England will always maintain a certain level and at times failure of coaching and preparation have prevented English rugby from reaching full potential. Wales need to have all these things, or most of them, to be competitive and it is our fault that sometimes / often we do not.

I said elsewhere that Wales could win a Grand Slam mostly because we have England and Ireland at home and Italy first up in Rome. I still think we could do it but it is fanciful. I have a feeling that Scotland could do something this year, they won't win it but I wouldn't be surprised if there was no Grand Slam winner and all of the competing sides won roughly the same number of matches except Italy as per normal. This could be the closest 6 Nations in many years. Lets hope the weather isn't too bad.

My own opinion is England for the Slam, they already have the T-Shirts so its a done deal

England Grand Slam T-shirts go on sale three weeks before the start of the Six Nations
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/ ... x-nations/

Just to point out that's an American company making it completely independently of the official England shirts, that's why the rose isn't the English rugby rose. Nice that the yanks have that much confidence in us but it isn't related to anything done by England.

Looks like the Tudor Rose to me.

Sean

It probably is, they wouldn't be allowed to use the one the rugby team use so that's the closest they can get. The red rose of Lancaster and the red rose used by the English rugby team are not the same.

But England used Lancaster. Eh!

Italy first up out there is going to be tough, and a lot will depend on how we start, dont respect them and let them build momentum and we will come unstuck. England at home after that and I can bet that is what most will be concentrating on.......a big mistake if that happens.
England start as faourites for that one not only because of their recent improved form and our apparent regression, but as pointed out elsewhere, they already have the T shirts I fear for our chances at Murrayfield this year, and think that we could well end up getting beat, they are playing a more expansive game and have genuine pace in their backline, but we'll get an indication of their improvement at nome when Ireland call. As stated above it could be a close tournament this year with Eng and favourites followed by Ireland.

Ireland GS this year.
England second after losing in Dublin.
Wales and France battle for third and fourth place.
Scotland fifth.
Italy sixth.

I think Wales no better than 4th.

I fear we will struggle in Scotland.

Form would suggest England and Ireland. I don't think there is any reason to suspect that any other team has done anything to deserve the title.

I feel Scotland may finish above Wales and possibly above France.