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Six Nations title hype: 'It's a young team, the average age is 24, the players have ten caps on average'
Charles Ollivon has insisted France do not consider themselves favourites for the Guinness Six Nations, the skipper dismissing the suggestion as media hype. Les Bleus laid down a marker by beating eventual champions England in the opening match of the 2020 tournament before finishing second on match points difference following a surprise loss to Scotland.
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A youthful France completed an impressive first year under head coach Fabien Galthie by claiming the runner-up spot in the inaugural Autumn Nations Cup, having been forced to field a much-changed line-up for the final against Eddie Jones’ men.
According to the latest bookmaker odds, England are tipped to retain their crown with France favourites to wrestle it away. Toulon flanker Ollivon has stressed his side are currently only thinking about their opening match, which is away to perennial wooden spoon winners Italy on February 6.
“No, not particularly, we don’t feel like we are the favourites. It’s all being played by the media,” the 27-year-old said. “It doesn’t change our approach.
“We’re gathered together in Nice to prepare the first match against Italy in Rome, that’s what we are focusing on now. Each match will be difficult and complicated, we’re aware of it, so that’s the state of mind we’re in right now.”
Bristol have given update on how Sinckler is responding to suspension that hit his England plans#GallagherPrem #GuinnessSixNations
https://t.co/2Ce3ZYe7VC— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 27, 2021
England head coach Jones, whose side bounced back from their loss in Paris last February to grab both pieces of silverware on offer last year, talked up the dangers of France earlier in the day. However, Les Bleus boss Galthie insisted that pre-tournament comments will have little bearing on the outcome of the competition.
The 51-year-old is confident his relatively inexperienced team, who have a home World Cup on the horizon in 2023, are going in the right direction. “We hope to do better than we did in 2020 by continuing to try to develop our rugby, our game, to grow the team,” Galthie said.
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“It’s a young team, the average age is 24, the players have ten caps on average. It’s a team that is going to be one year older than the team of last year. There’s no reason that this team does not continue to grow and to move towards the goals that we have set for ourselves.”
Italy, meanwhile, have finished last in 15 of the 21 previous Six Nations campaigns, including each of the last five seasons. Head coach Franco Smith’s 32-man squad is short on experience, with only fly-half Tommaso Allan having won more than 50 caps.
South African Smith declared the forthcoming Championship a fresh start for the Italians as they seek to become a consistent force. “It is clear to us that there is a big expectation in the first game,” Smith said. “We want to win consistently, we want to be sustainable. We don’t want to have one-off games – this is a new start for Italian rugby.
“It is not a one-game process, it is not a one-year process. We want to really set the standard and encourage the young guys. We have got specific physical objectives we want to maintain and we have now got to get that consistency. The competition we are creating between players to get that jersey on the back is slowly growing.”
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No exemptions yet for the Paris-bound Scots at the end of February #GuinnessSixNations
https://t.co/dU3r2XxKBi— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 27, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments