Six Nations 2024: England aren't back, Ireland's title should be cherished
The 2024 Six Nations is over with Ireland crowned champions once again after success in 2023.
France came in with high expectations but missing Dupont and Ntamack they were a shell of their previous side. There is optimism for Borthwick’s England after a strong finish, while Wales were underwhelming.
Scotland were Scotland, but change is in the wind with Italy delivering a stellar campaign which is great news for the championship.
Here are five takeaways from this year’s tournament.
Don’t take Ireland’s success for granted
Ireland’s back-to-back titles in the Six Nations feels like it is surrounded in disappointment after grandiose expectations of a walkthrough Grand Slam. If it seems crazy that’s because it is. Every title should be taken with two hands as a campaign can go perilously wrong in a heartbeat.
Peter O’Mahony has been an international player since 2012 and this is his fifth title in 12 years. Only two of them have been Slams. His red card against Wales in the opening round of the 2021 Six Nations derailed their campaign and a two-point loss to France the next week ended it.
Ireland have set themselves up for a chance at a Six Nations three-peat in 2025, something not achieved since the expanded tournament started in 2000. France won four consecutive titles from 1986-89 but two of them were shared. There have been many repeat champions but three outright titles consecutively has never been done since 1883.
And no, Ireland do not need to win a Rugby World Cup to be considered great on the international stage. The All Blacks team for most of the 2000s were feared, respected and considered great but did not win either the 2003 or 2007 World Cups. They won the Tri-Nations in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, churned out multiple World Players of the Year and beat everyone in between.
Conversely this current Springboks group achieved a singular great feat going back-to-back but had next-to-no substance in between. They were good, but went title-less in the Rugby Championship, couldn’t win rivalry trophies, lost too much at home, and produced a shocking win-loss record against other top Test nations. Greatness is not just measured in World Cups.
When Ireland meet the Springboks, one win on South African soil will prove they are the better side. Two wins by South Africa is expected while losing at home would be a shock and embarrassing for the world champions.
Italy’s rise is great for the championship
Italy could have finished with a 4-1 record this year which is remarkable. They beat Wales and Scotland, had a last-gasp chance against France fatefully taken away with the ball falling off the tee, and were in with a chance to beat England eventually only losing by three. Their match against Ireland was the only uncompetitive fixture.
The U20 side has been building for years and the top side is now bearing the fruits of that hard work. Inside centre Tommaso Menoncello is a freakish prospect. The defence led by openside Michele Lamaro and Sebastian Negri has a real edge to it that has been missing. Ange Capuozzo was the golden boy last year and this year was largely irrelevant, which shows that actually have some depth. Capturing Louis Lynagh was just a bonus.
A stronger Italy is great news for all in the tournament. Hopefully it is sustained and the results at U20 level continue.
France’s bad World Cup hangover
France were this year’s disappointment after failing to rebound from the Rugby World Cup quarter-final exit. Their balloon was popped in round one by Ireland highlighting just how much they have been impacted. The question being circulated now is, have they wasted one of the best French teams ever? And the answer is yes.
Aside from the pain of the Rugby World Cup, they have won just one Six Nations title in 2022. They should have had the spoils in 2020 and 2021 with Dupont playing at a level unrivalled in the game. They had dominant Toulouse and La Rochelle teams to build from. This should have been a dominant era for French rugby with multiple Six Nations championships even before the Rugby World Cup.
But they blew those opportunities with losses to Scotland in 2020 and 2021, despite beating the winners in those years (England and Wales).
With all the talent they’ve had in the 2020s under Fabian Galthie, they haven’t even come close to the French teams of the 2000s. Serious underachievers.
England aren’t back
While England are a ‘proper’ rugby nation, their former reputation has not been restored. It takes sustained success, of which England don’t have any currently, to earn that right. And what’s more is England’s own players should be thinking the same way, down the same line of thought that Jamie George is.
They showed they are improving with two proud performances to finish their campaign against Ireland and France. The backs started to click and show some exciting play. They can say they prevented Ireland getting a Grand Slam. That is the highest achievement of their Six Nations campaign, which for England, is a failure. Wales were awful, they nearly lost to Italy, they were dismal against Scotland and they got pipped by France.
But “we stopped Ireland from getting a Slam” is miles away from collecting the trophy on the podium, something Ireland actually did.
They travel to New Zealand in July to face the first All Blacks side of the Scott Robertson era. If Borthwick can bottle the Twickenham magic from a fortnight ago and bring it with him, they will be competitive.
If they are a tired bunch of souls mentally not ready, they will be put away like the side Borthwick captained himself in 2008. Having lived it, he is the right man to prepare the side for what is coming.
A win on New Zealand soil will truly indicate the mettle of this team and whether they are capable of winning the Six Nations anytime soon.
Wales will get kicked Down Under
Wales may have won 40-6 less than six months ago against the hopeless World Cup Wallabies, but Australia will turn the ship around very quickly.
Their Super Rugby sides have been extremely competitive against New Zealand sides meaning Joe Schmidt can pick a strong homegrown Wallabies team.
Openside flanker Fraser McReight isn’t just the form player in Australia, but the entire competition. He’s a future 100-cap Test player just coming into the peak of his powers. Harry Wilson has to play No 8 alongside him. Josh Flook isn’t the flashiest centre but he is the best one available. Schmidt can pick a side based on form and chemistry out of his top Super clubs, the Reds, Brumbies and the Waratahs and mould them with his game plan.
The Wallabies don’t need the overhyped stars and Schmidt isn’t likely to give them selection preference anyway. Wales aren’t the same team from six months ago either, and that’s why the two will collide for a World Cup reversal.
Comments on RugbyPass
One significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
53 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
53 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
53 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
53 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
1 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
53 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
53 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
53 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
53 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
53 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
53 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to commentsSo Ireland will be tired, despite having the most rested test squad in the world. They only play tests, champions cup and urc play off games ffs! Case in point; Leinster sent a B squad to SA for their last two games while their first xv rested up and trained at their leisure for the sf vs Saints at the so called ‘neutral venue’ of Croke Park. So tired? Do me a favour… And as for “people’s champions”? Seriously??? Outside of Ireland they are respected for their ability to win 6N. And of course plenty of inconsequential test friendlies without any real pressure. WC ko games when the pressure is white hot? Not so much…
53 Go to commentsSurprising how standing down or benching a player can do wonders for their motivation. Several players this week in that category.
2 Go to comments