Squad strength in depth and open-minded coaches have led to the grand slam and now the biggest prize awaitsLet’s start with Ange Capuozzo’s break, one step, two steps, a swerve, a curve, a burst, 10, 20, 30, 40m and more past one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine flailing Welsh defenders. You knew Capuozzo must be good just from the look of him when he came off the bench to make his debut against Scotland the previous week –a man that small and pretty must have something about him to get ahead in Test rugby – but it’s been startling to watch him this past fortnight, when he has scored two tries and set up one of the...
The RFU keeping the head coach is allowing France and Ireland to kick on past ‘new England’, as the Six Nations showedJust occasionally in sport the scoreboard becomes a side issue. For everyone in Paris on Saturday night, particularly those from across the Channel, what will really stick in the mind is the overriding post-match mood of genuine Gallic excitement. As France’s euphoric supporters celebrated their team’s deserved grand slam it was hard not to envisage many more champagne moments ahead.It was also a tantalising amuse bouche for what awaits when France host next year’s World Cup. Gazing into the future is never an exact science but Les Bleus appear to have an impressive number of bases covered. A young...
The defeat by the Six Nations outsiders ended campaign on a dismal note and increased the pressure on coach Wayne PivacMaybe this is exactly what Welsh rugby needed. Until Ange Capuozzo produced one of the most scintillating runs in Six Nations history to set up a 79th-minute try for Edoardo Padovani, Wales were winning a game they deserved to lose. In front of their fans in Cardiff, and celebrating personal milestones of Alun Wyn Jones and Dan Biggar, the team were sloppy, unimaginative and disjointed. But they were winning.Wayne Pivac would no doubt have lamented his side’s performance but would have taken solace in the result. Good teams win ugly, or so the adage goes. And though few who have...
Ireland are building momentum for next year’s tournament and their form over the last six months suggests they will be a factorCohesion became a buzzword recently after a certain opposition coach used it while talking up Ireland. For all that Scotland exploded out of the traps on Saturday, it was the inner workings of Ireland’s system that proved more durable. Ultimately, a third straight bonus-point win could not prevent France from claiming the title.“There’s so much more left in us,” said the Ireland captain Johnny Sexton, looking forward to next year’s World Cup. “We’re going to have be a lot better over the next year and a half.” Continue reading...
Fabien Galthié’s Six Nations grand slam winners have escaped the burdens of predecessors and won the hearts of the publicA little after 11pm at a euphoric sweat-sodden Stade de France, the lights finally went out on this remarkable French side. The stadium was plunged into darkness, fireworks danced across the Paris sky and in the stands 75,000 fans danced with them. Through the pitch-black night, Antoine Dupont and his teammates peered upwards to enjoy the spectacle. The song playing over the speakers was Freed From Desire, and after 12 long years France have finally been freed from theirs.It was brutal and it was draining and perhaps we should have expected nothing less. France’s grand slam was not just a victory...