The spread of the coronavirus may mean the tournament’s end may be delayed until the autumnThe Six Nations organisers meet in Paris on Monday to discuss contingency plans after fears over the cross-border spread of the coronavirus forced the postponement of next Saturday’s match between Ireland and Italy in Dublin and put in doubt England’s trip to Rome on the final weekend. Ireland’s head coach, Andy Farrell, has an extra week to prepare for his side’s final match against the leaders, France, in Paris, but he is not sure if it will go ahead. “We don’t know,” he said. “All we can do is prepare properly for it.”Ireland’s match against Italy is unlikely to be rescheduled before October. The Aviva...
Home side consistently doubled up on Ireland’s attackers and when it comes to executing a territorial game Eddie Jones’s side are the best in the worldThere was plenty to admire in England’s performance against Ireland but the most impressive aspect was that they looked back to their destructive and dominant best in defence. Manu Tuilagi gives them such a launchpad in attack and he gets them over the gain-line, but it was a victory based on their outstanding effort in defence.First, their decision-making at the breakdown was excellent. Very rarely were they competing at the wrong times and as a result they always seemed to have numbers on their feet. Related: Six Nations: talking points from a thrilling third round...
Coach needs his old instincts to regain sharpness as he pits Curry against Ireland’s outstanding CJ Stander at TwickenhamEddie Jones used his experience to full advantage in his first four years in charge of England but since the World Cup final he has veered from grumpy to irascible, no longer sure of touch. On the day that the former Ireland second-row Dan Tuohy marked his retirement by declaring that rugby union was starting to look rotten from the core, Jones embroiled himself in more controversy, with an offensive throwaway remark to a reporter that was swiftly followed by an apology and a clarifying statement from the Rugby Football Union.Defeat to Ireland at Twickenham on Sunday would all but end their...
Eddie Jones under scrutiny, Wales and Ireland settling into new management regimes, and a fragile French renaissance?After Ciara and Dennis comes storm Eddie? After England overwhelmed New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final the Six Nations seemed a breeze for them, with four teams under new management and Gregor Townsend’s Scotland looking inwards. But it is England’s head coach who is under the most scrutiny after two rounds.Jones’s contract ends in 2021, at the midway point between World Cups, and the sight of Rassie Erasmus, South Africa’s Japan 2019-winning coach, at Murrayfield last Saturday was another cause for speculation. Jones’s side’s meek opening in Paris after the Australian’s bellicose buildup was followed by a narrow win in appropriately stormy conditions...
Ireland will head to Twickenham in two weeks full of confidence after defeating Wales 24-14 in DublinThree games into the new era, and Andy Farrell’s Ireland are playing for a Triple Crown. They will travel to Twickenham in a fortnight, where Farrell will send out his boys in search of the prize against his homeland, his former employers – against his son. The narrative is delicious.In the end, Storm Ciara did the right thing, holding off for just long enough to allow the home team to whip up enough turbulence themselves. In so doing, they saw off a Wales team embarking on new journeys of their own. Ciara’s stiffening winds could only assail the high south walls of the Aviva....