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The odds-on favourites for an unprecedented Six Nations
The 2021 Guinness Six Nations Championship will be a tournament like no other in its history. Before a ball is passed or kicked, it is quite simply not going to be the Six Nations as anyone knows it.
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The coronavirus pandemic has put paid to that, with games taking place behind closed doors as a result.
Titanic battles and age-old rivalries that would normally be settled in front of capacity crowds, will now be accompanied by eerie silences punctuated only by players’ verbal offerings and coaches shouting instructions.
Six Nations squads will be in their own protective bubbles, preparing in isolation away from the media pack familiar with thronging training bases from Dublin to Rome.
And all against a back-drop of hope that Covid-19 will not disrupt northern hemisphere rugby’s biggest event, as it has done the Heineken Champions Cup, Gallagher Premiership and Guinness PRO14 in recent weeks and months.
Rugby had a glimpse of its new environment during November and December when the Autumn Nations Cup took centre-stage.
England won it, as they did the 2020 Six Nations, which started in February and had a delayed conclusion in late October.
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And it was perhaps not a coincidence that the best game – a gripping final between England and France – had the tournament’s only permitted crowd, albeit just 2,000 cheering on the teams at Twickenham.
English rugby headquarters will again be the venue for what could be the pivotal encounter of this season’s Six Nations.
England meet France on March 13, with bookmakers’ odds suggesting the title’s destiny effectively comes down to which team emerges victorious that early Saturday evening in south-west London.
It is difficult to envisage Eddie Jones’ England not putting together another full-scale assault on silverware.
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Since the Australian was appointed in late 2015, England have won the Six Nations three times from five attempts, and they again look well-set.
If consistency counts for anything, then England appear a good furlong clear of the field, yet the Six Nations is rarely a one-horse race and a photo-finish cannot be discounted.
Current form guides suggest that France, enjoying a renaissance under head coach Fabien Galthie, could push England to the wire.
Galthie, whose coaching lieutenants are headed by imperious defence specialist Shaun Edwards, has steered Les Bleus out of the doldrums, with talent like Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack headlining the revival.
'I don’t think he’s proved himself good enough to play for Scotland whereas I think Duncy Weir has.'
Peter Wright has offered a withering assessment of Scotland's back-up flyhalf. #sixnations https://t.co/54m4XYxHnF
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 28, 2021
France beat England in their opening Six Nations game last year and took them to extra-time before seeing Nations Cup final hopes dashed just under eight weeks ago.
Everything points to an Anglo-French title tussle, although Ireland could have something to say about that, given the playing personnel at head coach Andy Farrell’s disposal.
Scotland continue to progress under Gregor Townsend’s direction, but Wales and their new head coach Wayne Pivac have got it all to do following a dismal 12-month period when they won just three Tests from 10 starts.
The wooden spoon again beckons for Italy, whose opening two games are against France and England, and it will be fascinating to see what odds might be offered on a repeat of last year’s Six Nations finishing positions – England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy.
Comments on RugbyPass
Results probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
1 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to comments