Rejoice, for January is over, February has begun and with it brings a new Six Nations tournament. Coupled with this triumphant return also comes the return of the blog no one asked for – Off the Presses. Welcome back and I hope you enjoy the content.
As the Six Nations has returned, it only makes sense to run through six of the key talking points from the weekend, and look ahead to the next set of games in this rollercoaster of a competition.
Ireland look the real deal
Pre-tournament, I predicted Ireland to win the title. I realise now that I should have put this in writing, especially if they do eventually win the thing. Judging by their performance against Wales, my (unproven) prediction may come true. Ireland came with the bite we saw in their fixture against England last Six Nations and against New Zealand in the Autumn. The difference between Andy Farrell’s Ireland and Joe Schmidt’s Ireland is like night and day. Schmidt’s Ireland were calculated and almost mathematic in how they would break opposition; whereas Farrell’s boys in green are far more dynamic. We saw signs of this earlier in Farrell’s tenure, but the blueprint truly came to life in the Autumn and was used to devastating effect against Wales on Saturday.
Ireland moved the point of contact perfectly, with brilliant lines cut by their backs and quick ball coming from Jamison Gibson-Park. They moved the ball wide fast, causing Wales to scramble their defence. Their offloading game echoed that of Southern Hemisphere ballers. The back three scythed through the Wales backline, with Andrew Conway and debutant Mack Hansen dotting down. This was not an Ireland side trucking it up the middle and forcing a team into errors – they were dynamic and dangerous.
Wales need to sort themselves out – quickly
Wales are always great underdogs. Dan Biggar made the point before the Ireland fixture that when Wales have won the tournament in recent years, they have rarely been hot favourites. Last year for instance, no one expected Wayne Pivac’s side to finish as champions, but they did. On this occasion, Wales seemed to fit the billing that has been levelled at them in the build up to this tournament – they are not in a good place. They have suffered big injuries to key players, but even with a raft of unavailable players, they looked very poor in Dublin.
Discipline played a large role in Wales’s chastising loss. Wales gave away 14 penalties, in comparison to Ireland’s six. Josh Adams’ desperate high hit on Sexton summed up this indiscipline, with the tackle reckless at best, cynical at worst. Adams certainly suffered from the injury crisis, as he was blatantly played out of position. His defensive reads whilst featuring at outside centre were poor. He missed two tackles, making seven, whilst his midfield partner Nick Tompkins made 21. Adams also conceded three penalties and received a yellow card. Once he moved to the wing later in the game, Adams was far more comfortable in both attack and defence. Wales need to work hard to resolve these basic issues. They were far too passive with ball in hand, beating less than half the number of defenders than Ireland did and making much less metreage.
Despite Wales’s issues, I do not think it would shock many fans if they beat Scotland at the Principality Stadium this week. They are good at being underdogs, they just need to find their bite again.
England still suffer from poor decision making and game management
Where oh where to start with England? As an England fan, it is important that I do not go on a long rant. However, avoiding such a rant will be virtually impossible. If you do not want to read me moaning, please skip to the section about France.
There were encouraging signs in the first half, and indeed much of the second, for England. Sam Simmonds carried with dynamism, making a strong point to Eddie Jones after years in the wilderness. Marcus Smith diligently carried out his job and Freddie Steward continued his solid form (except one unfortunate drop, but better and worse players than him will suffer from aerial bombs at a windy Murrayfield). Smith’s try was a lovely finish, his mop bouncing beautifully as he raced to the try line with Scottish defenders in his wake. However, England always looked slightly unbalanced and as though they were not fully gelled. The build-up to this tournament has been rocky with Covid diagnoses and injuries, and I believe it showed at times.
The decision to substitute Smith from the field of play with the game so finely poised will be one Eddie Jones presumably rues for some time. I can understand the logic for wanting George Ford to see out the game. He has extensive experience at both club and international level in seeing out games which hang in the balance. He was often brought on late to partner Owen Farrell as England saw out victories or chased down deficits. While I do not think Ford is to blame for the game’s collapse, the groove of the side seemed to breakdown slightly with his arrival. No one could have predicted Luke Cowan-Dickie’s moment of madness so soon after Ford entered the arena. England’s response to the situation which unfolded from being a man down is truly concerning. Why Jamie George was not immediately brought on is a question only Jones and his merry band of intense coaches can answer. Joe Marler’s brainless lineout, which was more crooked than Richard Nixon, put so much undue pressure on England before George entered the fray. Ford’s two late free kicks, in which he barely made any territory, were much more suited to a left footer – such as Henry Slade or Elliot Daly, who were both still on the pitch. Even going for the ‘corner’ when the points were on offer was another baffling decision by England’s leadership group. With Daly’s cannon of a left boot, long range penalties are always an option for England. While this reaction may seem kneejerk, discussions around England’s decision making seem to follow them at all tournaments. 2015 was a long time ago, and yet we are still discussing England decision making like we did back then. Tom Curry was impressive as captain, but the decisions taken in Farrell’s absence was concerning. This might be a young team, but Curry, Maro Itoje, Marler, Ford, Slade, George and Daly are all experienced players now. The senior players need to step up in these situations.
A shift for England is required
Whilst Jones’ plans for this tournament were scuppered by Farrell’s ankle injury, it is important that England take this opportunity to try something new. Smith has flourished for Harlequins over the last couple of seasons as he is a brilliant player, but he has not done it alone. I believe Smith will flourish for England even more with a strong, ball carrying 12 outside him. This is the setup at Quins – Andre Esterhuizen is a monster of a human and provides vital support and space for Smith by punching gaping holes in defences. With Italy up next, England have an opportunity to experiment. Mark Atkinson offers the closest thing to an English Esterhuizen. His power and size make him a gain line monster, being able to provide vital power in attack. England only beat eight defenders at Murrayfield, while Scotland beat 17. Atkinson’s inclusion at 12 will therefore not only help Smith, but also provide another ball-carrying option for England. The midfield of Daly and Slade possesses flair and creativity, but little guile and power. England spend so much time waiting for Manu Tuilagi to be fit, but with Atkinson, there could be a genuine option for a powerful 12 in his absence. As England struggled to turn 62% territory and 54% possession into points, Atkinson could become a real point of difference. Or, just do the classic England thing and chuck Tuilagi straight back in after his 30 minute return for Sale. I think I know which Jones would love to do.
Scotland need to build on this win
Scotland were good value for their victory. The electric Darcy Graham made two clean breaks and beat nearly as many defenders as the entire England team, with six. Ali Price provided quick ball, whilst Stuart Hogg was back to his best. This Scotland squad possesses a depth rarely seen over the years, with high quality players on their bench and throughout their starting XV. Their back row is balanced, with tenacious runners and hard tacklers. For Scotland to be taken seriously, they will need to beat Wales next week. If Scotland can pull off such a win, which is fairly likely given Wales’s poor form, then they will be in the conversation for the title despite it being so early in the tournament. The key difference that was palpable from this Scotland side was their mentality. When Smith scored, there was no panic from the Scotland side. They dusted themselves off, and were not drawn into England’s implosion. They maintained their maturity and saw out a solid win.
France looked solid – but Italy performed
A French bonus point victory was expected. In fact, it was inevitable. Cameron Woki, Gregory Aldritt and Damian Penaud shone as France got themselves back up to speed ahead of the true tests. With three home games in this tournament, France are understandably many people’s favourites for a first title since 2010. It was a little messy, with France conceding 14 penalties, but they were deserved bonus point winners. Gabin Villiere’s hattrick was the highlight, with him making 88 metres from 13 carries. His electric pace and fast footwork will send shivers down the spine of opposition defenders, fans and coaches.
Italy were not their normal selves. They defended hard, making 167 tackles and only giving away ten penalties. They scored a sumptuous try early on, with 19-year-old Tommaso Menoncello dotting down from Paolo Garbisi’s cross-field kick. Garbisi is a brilliant player – he covers so much grass, popping up all over the pitch like an Italian Ngolo Kante. He ran with power and made the most metres of any fly half in this tournament this weekend. His running game is vital to Italy’s approach, and they are lucky to have a leader like him.
The main point of difference displayed by Italy was their fitness. Usually, Italy would flag around 50-60 minutes, allowing the opposition to pile on the points. However, Italy clung on for longer than usual and did not look out on their feet. These are encouraging signs for the most criticised team in the tournament. Furthermore, with Georgia suffering an embarrassing draw to Portugal in the Rugby Europe Championship, the debates regarding Italy’s place in the tournament may be stayed with more encouraging performances from themselves, and poor showings from Georgia.
Predictions
Next week should be exciting. Wales need a result against a buoyant Scotland at home, while France and Ireland meet in a clash between the two favourites at the Stade de France. England need to use the Italy game to fully gel. My predictions, which mean nothing, are as follows:
· Scotland to scrape a tight win over Wales.
· France to edge a tight contest in Paris. Expect fireworks.
· England to beat Italy comfortably, with an eye-watering display from Smith.
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to having to justify my terrible takes again next week.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own nor claim to own any of the photographs featured in this blog.