Five things we learned from the opening round of the Six Nations
England ruined Ireland’s designs on consecutive Grand Slams with a brutal 32-20 victory over Joe Schmidt’s men in Dublin, while Wales conjured a stirring comeback to sink France in Paris.
Here, Press Association Sport runs the rule over the opening weekend of the 2019 Guinness Six Nations.
England’s triumvirate of power bullies the stunned Irish
Manu Tuilagi’s first Six Nations start since 2013 transformed England. The Leicester juggernaut bludgeoned through Ireland’s midfield right from the off, with the undercooked hosts finding no answer whatsoever. Throw in fit-again Vunipola brothers Mako and Billy, and England had three dump truck power mongers that Ireland simply could not stop. Keep all three fit, and England can seriously start to plot the route to glory at World Cup 2019.
Slade comes of Test-match age
2 – @ExeterChiefs' @Sladey_10 is the first @EnglandRugby player to score a brace of tries against Ireland in Dublin since @WillGreenwood in 2003. Throwback. pic.twitter.com/8OmUMRNwHV
— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) February 2, 2019
Exeter Chiefs centre Henry Slade has long since boasted all the raw materials for Test-match success. A physical edge to add to plenty of finesse, the rangy midfielder knows how to unlock defences. And England boss Eddie Jones admitted in the wake of this two-try showing that the 25-year-old has finally realised just how good he can be. England may well have stumbled upon their World Cup midfield, thanks to an injury to Ben Te’o, because Slade’s partnership with Tuilagi and his links with Jonny May caused Ireland untold troubles.
Record comeback win puts Wales on title tilt
COMEBACK CYMRU ??????? It's a mighty, 24-19 Welsh win in Paris to open our #GuinnessSixNations account. Buddugoliaeth felys ym Mharis, a dechreuad disglair i'r gystadleuaeth. #HWFN pic.twitter.com/dprzwE353K
— Welsh Rugby Union ??????? (@WelshRugbyUnion) February 1, 2019
Warren Gatland’s last Six Nations as Wales boss so nearly started with a whimper. But then France imploded. Wales trailed 16-0 at one stage, but edged home 24-19 as Les Bleus slipped woefully off the pace. Wales will not care how they won, simply that they did. Gatland’s teams tend to grow into every Test window too. If they really find their rhythm, they could easily contest the title now.
Ireland hit with World Cup “reality check”
Full Time score from the @AVIVAStadium: IRELAND 20-32 ENGLAND#TeamOfUs #ShoulderToShoulder #IrevEng pic.twitter.com/6pbOetDjCe
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 2, 2019
England’s potency left Ireland’s hopes of becoming the world’s top Test team in tatters. Anyone with any sense of nuance knew full well that New Zealand boss Steve Hansen was cranking up the mind games when he installed Ireland as the best team in the world in November. Ireland’s stunning 16-9 victory over the back-to-back world champion All Blacks in Dublin still merits huge respect, even in the wake of their Six Nations thumping by England. But New Zealand are still the team to beat. England are right up on the rails though, leaving Joe Schmidt with precious little to say except that the manner of Ireland’s Dublin loss carries worrying World Cup portent.
Italy no closer to bridging the gap
? #SCOvITA: Il CT #Itlarugby Conor O'Shea e il Capitano @sergioparisse nella conferenza stampa post partita #insieme #rugbypassioneitaliana @SeiNazioniRugby pic.twitter.com/14ELhm7A6Y
— Italrugby (@Federugby) February 3, 2019
Former Harlequins coach Conor O’Shea has done a sterling job in building Italian rugby’s infrastructure behind the scenes. But the ex-Ireland full-back is also head coach of the Test team, and despite three late tries to gloss the score against Scotland, this was another below-par start from the tournament’s regular strugglers. Scotland’s 33-20 victory reads far better on paper than in the flesh. The Azzurri have plenty of work still ahead to catch the Six Nations’ main pack.
Press Association Sport
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments