'There is a point to it - and that is progress, we can all contribute to this'
Ding ding! Final round!
Can France stop the blazing run of the Red Roses? Can Wales finally record their first win in the championship? Can Scotland stick to their current form without the mighty Chloe Rollie? Can Ireland bounce back from one of their biggest losses in the competition’s history? Who will take third spot? Who will be starting their Rugby World Cup preparations by Monday?
All questions to which we will know the answer by the end of Six Nations’ super Saturday when Italy head to Cardiff, Scotland head to Belfast and England finish off the tournament with a trip to Bordeaux.
We might have thought answers to these questions were predictable before the beginning of the competition, but eyebrows have certainly been raised as the weeks have progressed. Most notably for Wales’s poor form, Scotland’s dominance in the lower tier of the table, and how England have been able to reach an even higher pedigree of performance despite being reigning champions for the last five tournaments.
As an Irish supporter, this tournament has been mostly enjoyable for a few reasons. For example the performances from some of the young players who are working hard to make the green jersey their own.
The return of Cliodhna Moloney after a long unjustified absence from the squad. The return of Enya Breen from injury. The refreshing approach to the inclusion of the extended squad in match days and away trips by Ireland’s new management. A new style of play. A new style of leadership.
For me, however, the highlight has been that in this year’s tournament we have spoken more about rugby than anything else.
In the last number of seasons, especially in 2023’s tournament where Ireland won nothing but the Wooden Spoon, there had been so much focus on the state of the women’s game in Ireland, the rights and wrongs in the governance of the game and a spotlight on all the things around the rugby without shining it on the rugby itself.
Don’t get me wrong, this focus was necessary and bubbling for a long time in the periphery before becoming the centre of the attention.
However, how enjoyable it had been to finally have previews and reviews about scrums, lineouts, attack, defence, selection, player contributions, coach contributions, ratings, stats and just plain old rugby.
That was, until Ireland turned up to Twickenham to face a terrifyingly good English side and went down 88 points to 10 in what was just 2 points shy of the biggest loss ever to England for Irish women’s rugby.
Enya Breen admitted in a post-bloodbath press conference that some of the players were “overwhelmed by the occasion.” Head coach Scott Bemand reiterated this by saying that Ireland seemed “shell-shocked” by the English performance.
Reviewing the game is difficult in this instance as it is like comparing Gladiators with Gladiators. One from the telly, one from the Roman Empire.
One set of warriors armed with swords, body armour, shields, horses and helmets with the training and ability to violently crush opposing threats to their power. While the other set of warriors turns up with a plastic bazooka and a hard sponge crossbow.
There’s only so much rugby detail you can delve into before it dries up and you’re wondering how on earth anyone let these two into the same arena.
The gulf between England and other teams might seem unfair and render the tournament pointless. How will England continue to strive to fill their 82,000-capacity home stadium when a win is as good as guaranteed? How will other nations grow participation and fanbase when their chance of winning the tournament is virtually non-existent?
However, there is a point to it – and the point is progress. We can all contribute to this. As players – you put your head down and work hard. As supporters – you continue to turn up to support throughout this difficult stage of the game, so that when it comes right it will be all the sweeter for having stayed on the bandwagon. As unions and governing bodies – you continue to ask yourself “Are we doing enough?”
An interesting caveat to this whole debate of catching up on England has been that despite the WRU’s urgency to get professional contracts in place for the Welsh players a few seasons ago, they are in contention for the Wooden Spoon this weekend.
A team that looked to have made all the right moves (admittedly more reactionary than progressively but we’ll let that slide for now) to professionalise their programme before Italy, Scotland or Ireland did is cold hard proof that throwing money at a problem doesn’t conjure up a solution.
What the RFU has achieved by designing their domestic league around their professional programme is fantastic. A competition designed to breed the next generation of players while allowing the current players to pip themselves competitively against each other week-in, week-out and put player progress at the centre by building in a cup competition to run for players who are not called for international duty, as well as a Centre of Excellence in each club for young hopefuls.
On Sunday, the day after the Women’s Six Nations comes to a close for 2024, the All-Ireland League finals will take place in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin with both men’s and women’s winners being decided. I am delighted for the players who get the opportunity to run out on the hallowed ground of Irish rugby on Lansdowne Road to represent their club.
This fixture used to look a lot different for the women’s game – with the best players in Irish rugby returning to their clubs and bringing all the energy and drive that only international rugby experience can buy you. There’s no better feeling for a club supporter than seeing your international players return to their club colours.
While trying to be the patient supporter that the game needs I’m tinged with sadness when I think of how we are squandering the opportunity to have our own domestic league here in Ireland that can be run similarly to the PWR in England.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Think it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
5 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
5 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
5 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
5 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
3 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
3 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
237 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
20 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
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