Not for the first time, England’s coach has targeted an opposition No 10 before a big Six Nations match, adding further spice to what is set to be a fiery occasionWhen Wales head for Twickenham the odds on a passive, entirely silent pre-match buildup usually range between slim and none. This year has proved no exception and calculated references by Eddie Jones to the “cocky” Welsh and the torrid welcome awaiting the visiting fly-half Rhys Patchell have added further kerosene to the already combustible Six Nations contest on Saturday.If Jones’s pointed analysis is any indicator, a red-hot encounter is all but guaranteed with Patchell a particular target for attention. The Scarlets’ fly-half has been wonderfully influential for both region and...
Warren Gatland’s side suddenly look inventive and dangerous from broken play and the tactical battle with Eddie Jones has never seemed more intriguingTwo minds and a few dozen bodies will collide at Twickenham on Saturday when Warren Gatland aims to inflict a first home defeat on Eddie Jones. A fixture that at the start of the month looked a probable home win has become more intriguing after the manner of Wales’s victory against Scotland.It was against a side with a poor away record in the tournament and Wales were under pressure for most of the first half after taking a 14-point lead but it was the manner of their performance last Saturday that demanded attention. Wales showed composure in possession...
The A teams used to provide supporting roles to the main event but also offered valuable international experience to fringe players looking to make the step upAll the best Six Nations championships start with a bang and, encouragingly, this one has been no exception. Duck beneath the headlines, though, and something we all used to take for granted each season is missing. Nobody has made a fuss – the majority have not even noticed – but the longer-term ramifications may yet prove significant.The absent friend? The traditional ’A’ team fixtures which once played supporting roles to the main events on international weekends. It was commonplace, for example, for the Irish Wolfhounds to play on a Friday night in Donnybrook or...
Italy need a pack to complement their impressive youngsters, Scarlets and Wales combine and Johnny Sexton finds a wayOne of the most striking elements of England’s seven-try victory in Rome was the wraparound tactic that set the visitors on the way to their 46-15 success. It has been Johnny Sexton’s signature move for years and George Ford and Owen Farrell have now taken a leaf out of the Irish playbook. Both England’s opening two tries by Anthony Watson involved Ford looping round and helping to create a midfield mismatch with Jonny May also coming at pace off his wing to confuse the defending side still further. Ford may find teams will now be lying in wait for him in future...
Eddie Jones will surely build his back row around his new No 8 but coach may regret not having tried a couple more rolls of the diceThe theory went that this was a conservative England team selected by Eddie Jones. That the number of matches before the World Cup is dwindling and this was the time to give fringe players a taste of the white heat of Six Nations battle. Jones was having none of it, but it cannot be denied that the most eye-catching performance of this ultimately predictable victory – England’s self-styled hunters eventually feasting on their Italian prey – was that of Sam Simmonds, the newest member of this side.Granted Simmonds’s selection was hardly a surprise, given...