They begin the Six Nations as favourites after some scintillating performances but winning silverware can be the hardest stepThere is an old story about Fabien Galthié that is worth telling again now, a week out from the start of the Six Nations. It is from 2003, when France’s head coach was captaining the team in the World Cup. It was his fourth, he had been in teams that lost in the quarters in 1991, semis in ’95, and final in ’99. Understandably, he was hell-bent on finishing his career by winning the thing.But France were beaten in the semi-finals again, 24-7 by England. That left them one game to play, the third-place play-off against New Zealand four days later. By...
With Ireland strong, Scotland inconsistent and Wales hit by injuries, it feels as if the top five teams can all beat each otherTwickenham Stadium has a particular smell on a game day. It’s the fug of sweat and condensed breath when you’re pressed up close, sizzling sausages and onions, spilled beer, mud, waxed jackets and, when it’s raining, of wet wool. You used to catch gusts of cigar smoke, too, until they banned smoking. I never thought I would miss it particularly, but round about now anything that offers a hint of spring is welcome. After the past two years, when the Six Nations lost so much of its colour and fun while it was being played in empty stadiums,...
This manic and beguiling tournament gave little clue about what will happen next, least of all about Eddie Jones’ futureAutumn austerity turned into a spring splurge. It was as if players felt liberated outside their Covid bubble, prisoners of the pandemic running free. The disappointment was that there were no spectators to witness a Six Nations tournament where every team except Italy had its day and, for once, defences did not dominate.Wales went from fifth to first, confirmed as champions after France failed to beat Scotland on Friday night, swapping places with England who just 17 months ago looked rugby’s coming force. Now a panel is being convened by Twickenham to sift through the flotsam of a campaign which started...
France could have snatched the Six Nations title in the final match but only once – and then briefly – did they look likely toParis in the springtime became like a rainy March day in Cardiff. They were perfect conditions for Wales and as Scotland played to them, kicking and harrying, France set out for the four tries and 21-point winning margin they needed to clinch the title, watching it slip from their grasp like the ball they struggled to hold on to.England’s defence of their title ended in Cardiff when a French referee awarded Wales two disputed tries and France found themselves 10-3 down after 14 minutes when an English official, Wayne Barnes, awarded Duhan van der Merwe a...
England had to be at their best to win a tense Six Nations match but this is just the start of a potentially glorious rivalryEngland have not played this well for 17 months and still it took them until the closing minutes to apply the coup de grâce. What does that say about the visitors who, despite having their grand slam dream extinguished, look destined to be serious contenders by the time the 2023 World Cup arrives? The English may have won on this occasion but this is just the start of a potentially glorious rivalry.What a spectacle it was, full of champagne moments and lacking only a mesmerised live audience to witness it. While France have still not won...