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Any of the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ guys going to Paris next weekend Tom because if so, they're welcome to join us.

Born with a fork in your pocket?

Tom - I'm likely to be in the Cambridge Bar on Thistle Street (next door to the Oxford bar, famous haunt of Inspector Rebus) - it has a big screen, great rugby atmosphere, relatively cheap booze and the best burgers in Edinburgh. Come along there on Saturday afternoon and join me and the lads for the evening. (PS, just in case you were wondering, I have no connection to the Cambridge Bar other than as an occasional patron!)

I'm not likely to be in Edinburgh but I can heartily recommend you pay a visit to the Oxford bar for a quick half...

Well Tom I'm very pleased to see you've decided to attend the Wales games! :)

If you need advice for where to go in Cardiff it has to be St. Mary's Street. It's a stone's throw from the stadium itself and in the main drinking area. Anywhere around Walkabout (though walkbout itself is best) is usually pretty good. Just follow the noise...

Hello Tom,

I will be traveling to the ..... and England Game in Cardiff. Myself and and several of my dearest ferrets will be making the journey, leaving on the Wednesday, we hope to return within the week as I do have some cataloging of small reptiles to complete by the following Monday. I thought a trip to Wales would help me in the work.

I thought we'd make the trip on Penny Farthing Bicycles, which my furry friends love and when coupled with a bowler hat and briefcase, are ideal for letting the locals know the English have arrived.
You are welcome to join us on this epic venture and we will be happy to share our vintage Port with you which goes very well with Jelly Babies.

License fee not extending to train tickets or beer money this time round?

Enjoy Edin - but choose your pub wisely!!

I'm an Englishman who has lived in Scotland since I was a small boy but when I popped into The Abbey on South Clark Street to watch England Vs Scotland I was just happy to make it out alive!!

Took my jacket off (to reveal red colours obviously!) and was greeted with a selection of looks that would normally be reserved for a cross dresser at a Miss World competition.

But, as has already been suggested, the Cambridge bar is v.popular - don't know what they put in those burgers but everyone loves em'!!

The cambridge bar as suggested is very good, but for something bit out of town how bout the balmoral on dalry road? good atmosphere, 6 large tvs and most importantly old soaks playing dominos!

I have been to to a Scotland V England game, England lost and we derserved to lose. However, back in town we bumped into 2 groups of "Scotland" supporters. They were not true rugby fans (who are generally good natured) but just anti-English, chip-on-shoulder rude, trying to start a fight t*ats.

Edinburgh was class though, but I agree about choosing your pub wisely...its also teh coldest place on earth!

Tom
You would be more than welcome to join possibly the most sociable club in Scotland, Edinburgh Northern at our clubhouse "The Bunker" in Inverleith Park. We are hosting the Lanelli Warriors, so it will be a "balanced" view of the games on TV! As the pitches are unplayable, the bar is the place to be and we aim to watch both Saturday matches whilst sipping reasonably priced beverages and with some hearty food (at some point) thrown in.
We are a cosmopolitan crowd with all four home Nations represented as well as the Southern hemisphere.
Hagrid

Don't try and pretend you won't be one of the hopeful loverboys who will have given his seat number to the millennium stadium announcer so he can propose on your behalf to the girl next to you on big screen at half time? It's a 6 nations valentine tradition. Hazel Irvine won't know what's hit her. Or else this is a cheap way to find a valentines date. Either way, good luck.

Tom, I can't help with Scotland vs England, but am heading over to Dublin for the Ireland vs England game if you care to try that one instead?

I'd even let you bring Ben Dirs along too!


Talking of whom, will you (boys) be producing a video diary of the Six Nations? You could either create a new vidoe for each day of play, or a video per 'round' of fixtures.

Following the 2007 World Cup video diary success, I think this should happen.

Thoughts of Ben Dirs racing Lewis Moody (who would be on crutches and probably would still win) instead of Bryan Habana and cheetah recreations; further rounds of the internationally acclaimed game of 'Ubogu', or insightful trips to other gravestones of previous 6 Nations heroes warm the heart at the mere thought of them.

Your thoughts please Mr Fordyce...

I'll be in Bert's Bar-the William Street one-in Edinburgh on Sat afternoon/evening there's 20% 0ff and the pies,steak,Scotch,and haggis ones are ones to die for.Everyone welcome but is Edinburgh the coldest place around now.Methinks not

Take in some local rugby action, Fordyce. Boroughmuir vs. Selkirk in Scotland's top amateur league, 15:00 kick off at Meggetland. The ground is within walking distance of Murrayfield (and a 15 minute bus ride from the city centre) and then there'll be plenty of drunk punters to entertain you in the clubhouse afterward, whilst watching the Ireland vs. France match.

English ex-pats in Edinburgh who will be happy to host you when the Scots will be offering little more than tears into their pints. Who knows, maybe some Tiger Woods drinking game to see in the morning.

Tom,
You are more than welcome to join us on the way to Cardiff. I'm driving down early on Saturday morning ( leaving from the Berkhamsted area but happy to pick you up (within reason!)) with Mad Jon. We'll be meeting up with a few of the boys (English and Welsh) in the Gatekeeper just by the ground (99p a pint of IPA).

Ha! You don't need a host for a rugby night in Edinburgh, have you never been before???? Just pick a busy pub and start chatting to the crowd - you'll end up on a big night out with the whole population :)

Fame at last! I'm now the poster girl I always knew I would be, and I can think of no worthier cause than being the face of Tom Fordyce's Six Nations blog!

Obviously I was not the one celebrating last year, but it will be a different story this time. Unfortunaley we'll have to watch this one from the pub as we missed the boat on the tickets.

Having just watched the game against Italy however, my husband is convinced they'll have possession of the Calcutta Cup for another 12 months!

Rugby Union: What's the point? After the last Rugby Union World Cup I stopped watching games on TV as they were becoming farcical with the number of forward passes that were being "allowed" per match.

Having played the game from school until my mid-twenties and followed England home and away for several years before they won the World Cup, I feel fully qualified to say that the game I used to play and watch doesn't exist anymore.

This afternoon I thought OK, I'll give it a go again as being English; watching France v Scotland, I'm neutral. However, when the officials gave the French try I couldn't believe it. The try scorer was standing in front of the man who passed to him as he was tackled and neither of the officials noticed this. It wasn't as if it was played at high speed either.

The commentator said the referee was unsighted, so surely he should have referred it to the 4th (TV) official. Afterwards one of the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ commentators started to make excuses for the officials saying they hadn't an angle to be sure, and later saying it was marginal, but I saw it once and was without doubt the pass was forward. Decisions like these make the game of Rugby Union a farce and we might as well go the whole hog and turn it into NFL!

The full member countries of the IRB have collectively destroyed the game I used to play, watch and love. The only way it can be saved, in my view, if for the TV coverage to repeatedly show these blatent errors by officials and cheating by the players, because that's what it is. Take that farce of a try off the score and Scotland might have won the match.

Anybody just see the Scotland v France game on the box? Did you notice those stupid coloured lines that repeatedly wizzed across the screen? Very distracting - spoiled the game for me.

no wonder martin johnson looked in a bad mood.....every england player shown in close up after being penalised was mouthing off and showing shock as if they did not know the rules of modern rugby! Are they on something ???

Am I alone in wondering whether there is some check on the quality of refereeing? One frequently is bemused by the penalties awarded for what look like minor infringements but this was particularly noticeable during the French/English match in Saturday.

Is the ref ever told that he has been overzealous in applying the rules? I ask because it can make all the difference to the game.