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...
A concerning 32-18 defeat to an inspired Ireland was the nadir of a dismal 18 months for England’s stubborn coachFifth place for England. We have said that before, and quite recently, but this time the words will be spat out by those faithful clad in white with just a touch more vitriol. Familiarity breeds contempt, and familiarity with fifth place all the more so. Eddie Jones will be lying low for a while. Unless, of course, he is hauled up before the beak to explain himself – and possibly to pay the ultimate price.That feels unlikely, despite the vitriol that will no doubt come his way. For all the ups and downs of his reign, the ups have been more...
Having ended their Twickenham hoodoo, Gregor Townsend’s side seek to end a dismal run against another familiar foeIt is a measure of their popularity that the previous round of the Six Nations felt so empty without Scotland and France. Curse this virus. Difficult to tell which country’s absence was felt the keenest, but if Scotland wanted the perfect opportunity to remind us why we love them so much these days, while also fulfilling the tiresome directive to win, they could not have chosen much more appropriate opponents than Ireland.If exhilarating rugby is your thing, Ireland have not been such darlings of late. Probably not coincidentally, they also hold something of a hex over the Scots, having won nine of the...
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...