Very different mindsets are found in club and international rugby and readjusting is often hardThe hardest thing about going from a Six Nations campaign back to your club is mindset. When you are in camp with England, every member of the squad is trying to become a better player, to make incremental improvements every day. For a number of reasons that is not the case at a club and that can be really frustrating as a returning international.At any given Premiership club, at this stage of the season contract negotiations have been finalised. You have some players retiring, some still looking for clubs, some who are angry or disillusioned because they are not being retained and inevitably there are those...
England may have lost the plot at Twickenham but grand slam winners could write another happy endingHow quickly modern rugby’s wheel of fortune spins. A few weeks ago Ireland were an irresistible force, enjoying such critical acclaim that back-to-back Six Nations grand slams seemed possible. Early last month it was England who were basking in the light, to borrow Billy Bragg’s classic line, of the 15 fame-filled minutes of the fanzine writer. And now? The 2019 Six Nations music is stopping with Wales gloriously on top. Related: No doubting that Warren Gatland’s Wales deserve their grand slam | Robert Kitson Related: Eddie Jones puts pressure on ‘tired’ Wales in push for Six Nations title Related: Alun Wyn Jones the pain-defying...
Alun Wyn Jones was arguably the pick of the bunch as grand slam winners Wales and England dominate our columnist’s listA big part of what Saracens do well and exactly the same with Wales, Williams has been brilliant throughout and his ability to play on the wing has been key, as seen against Ireland. In the England game he had an answer for everything and, while Elliot Daly may be a more dangerous runner in open spaces, Williams has not put a foot wrong. Related: No doubting that Warren Gatland’s Wales deserve their grand slam | Robert Kitson Related: Alun Wyn Jones battles through pain to lead Wales to Six Nations glory | Andy Bull Related: I will miss Six...
High-class defence and rare stamina make Wales second in the world and leave their Six Nations rivals struggling in their wakeThere is no such thing as an accidental grand slam. Winning five games on the trot in testing conditions against reliably motivated opposition does not merely require skill and nerve but, crucially, rare stamina. Anyone questioning Wales’s status as true five-star champions underestimates the uniquely treacherous climb they have just completed.Yes, Six Nations slam dunks are more frequent than they used to be but this was widely predicted in advance to be the most dog-eat-dog championship of all time. A supposedly impregnable Ireland had just beaten the All Blacks, England began like a bullet train in Dublin and by half-time...
The lock forward injured his left knee early on against Ireland but soldiered on, showing how formidable a captain he isAt least all that rain will wash the streets clean. By the time everyone is done in Cardiff, they will surely need it. The fans there had two good reasons for drinking on Saturday evening, which is two more than they really needed. The Irish were at it because they had a day they wanted to forget, the Welsh because they had one they never will.It was as if the city was hosting a wake in one room and a wedding in another. In the end 25-7 was not quite a record score. Wales had won by more four times...