The England captain will not care about his critics but his performance against France was a reminder of his qualitiesHard as everyone else has been on Owen Farrell these past few weeks, you had best believe that they weren’t nearly as tough as he was on himself. Not that it makes much difference to him what anyone else says about how he is playing. There are not many sportspeople who hold such obvious disdain for other people’s views, and beyond a small circle of his coaches and a handful of trusted teammates, the only opinion Farrell really seems to value is his own. His teammates talk with awe about the standards he sets in training, the demands he makes on...
Wayne Pivac’s side made the most of mistakes made by the French referee while England paid for their indisciplineWales’s head coach, Wayne Pivac, admitted his side had enjoyed moments of fortune in their opening three victories, but a year ago they were on the wrong side of the (English) referee when they lost at home against France, two decisions in particular costing them. A feature of their campaign is that they have been quick to react, coming from behind against Ireland and Scotland, admittedly with a man advantage, and responding after England closed a 10-point lead. When they won the grand slam in 2019, they looked to dominate opponents and wear them down but this year they have been more...
France are only ever an offload away from top gear, Wales’s work ethic has revived them, but England have improvements to make with two out of five Six Nations rounds completedSo far, so good. We know about their strength in depth and their skill levels but we’re seeing a team who look fit, hungry and who believe they can win wherever they are playing. That is an incredible asset. Against Ireland they showed a great maturity for a young team and were able to wrestle back momentum whenever it threatened to slip away. In attack, they can be clinical - even if they left a couple of chances out there against Ireland - and they have an ability to go...
Confident France, led by the ebullient Antoine Dupont, pose a daunting challenge for Andy Farrell’s injury-hit side Ireland have never started a Six Nations campaign with back-to-back defeats and if they could choose a side to play after last weekend’s reverse in Wales and the loss of a core of experienced players, a resurgent France would be last on the list.Les Bleus are the favourites for the title following England’s defeat to Scotland, but France are still on a voyage of discovery. “You have to be prepared for any challenge, anywhere and against anyone,” says Fabien Galthié, who spoke about Ireland’s settled style of play before noting that the presence of Billy Burns and Jamison Gibson-Park at half-back – the...
England must improvise, France and Scotland can thrill, Ireland need drive, Wales will focus on results and Italy look to youthThe champions are the favourites despite being without five leading forwards for part or all of the tournament, but the last time England won in Cardiff and Dublin in the same campaign was in 2003, when Eddie Jones was coaching that year’s World Cup hosts, Australia. Continue reading...