IS THIS THE WORST SIX NATIONS EVER?
Andy Farrell’s Ireland are a class apart and would be worthy champions... but the chasing pack are all in dire straits
THERE has been plenty of chat about the state of the modern game at the moment. In these pages for quite a while now, we’ve stated our belief that rugby has become far too predictable, prescriptive and a bit dull in recent times.
In this era of data, exhaustive analysis, negative tactics and mind-numbing kick tennis, Ireland — along with a few other clubs and rival nations — deserve credit for their enterprising, high-tempo approach.
Andy Farrell’s side aren’t just winning, they’re doing it with style, too.
The Irish provinces have also been following a similar all-court blueprint for quite some time.
Munster were a bit late to the party on that front but the arrival of Graham Rowntree as head coach and Mike Prendergast as attack guru has seen a tactical revolution at Thomond Park.
Ireland’s endeavour was evident again on Sunday at the Aviva. They crossed for six tries against a limited Italy side who had no answer to the pace, punch and power of their opponents.
If anything, the hosts looked slightly miffed that they had botched a few more gilt-edged opportunities.
Another Grand Slam is now in their sights. Wales are next up in Dublin on Saturday week before a trip to Twickenham, with Scotland paying a visit to the capital in the final round on St Patrick’s weekend.
If the recent evidence is anything to go by, Farrell’s troops should cruise to back-to-back clean sweeps.
It would be quite the achievement, given that no team has achieved such a feat since the Five Nations became Six in 2000. The last side to clinch back-to-back Grand Slams in this competition was France in 1998.
For a bit of context, Joe McCarthy, Craig Casey and Jack Crowley weren’t even born the last time a team did this.
And it’s not like Ireland have a lot of Slams to boast about either. In the long, hallowed history of this championship, the national team have claimed just four: in 1948, 2009, 2018 and 2023. It’s a big deal and if Ireland manage to do the clean sweep in successive tournaments, they should be rightly lauded for it. Saying that, we can’t escape the feeling that this Grand Slam will be served up on a plate for the class of 2024 because, clearly, the chasing pack are not up to much.
Have all the competing nations ever been at such a low ebb?
France were meant to be Ireland’s main rivals, but something is clearly rotten in their ranks. There is obviously some scar tissue from the World Cup failure on home soil while the spark and genius of Antoine Dupont is sorely missed. Romain Ntamack, too. In truth, Les Bleus have looked rudderless at half-back in recent weeks.
Is there more to it? Have the squad grown tired of Fabien Galthié’s uber-intense training camps? Shaun Edwards is hardly a laidback character either. Whatever it is, a French team which looked destined for greatness looks like a bit of a rabble at the moment.
They nabbed a win in Murrayfield thanks to a fortuitous try and some fairly abject bungling by the match officials.
Scotland, however, still suffer with the same problems. Consistency and managing expectations are the regular bugbears.
There are holes all over their squad and Gregor Townsend’s group never strike you a tight-knit unit. The Scots still rely on castoffs and granny-rule recruits to fill gaps across their team. When you see how poor their U20s teams have been, you can understand why.
Scotland have the ability to pull out some brilliant performances but rarely do they back them up.
Then there’s Wales. The plight of their long-suffering regions has finally caught up with them and Gatland’s loaves and fishes act can no longer paper over the cracks. They have also lost a generation of
top players in a short space of time.
The Welsh are currently in transition and should pose little threat to Ireland in a fortnight.
As for the Italians, their limitations were laid bare on Sunday.
And England? Well, where do you start? Yes, they should provide more than a stern test for Farrell’s crew when the pitch up at Twickenham in round four. Indeed, they could still be unbeaten by then. It’s worth remembering that they also finished third at the World Cup.
However, their turgid, onedimensional tactics are hardly winning hearts and minds across the country. People enjoy winning, apparently. That theory is being severely tested by Steve Borthwick’s England at the moment.
Anyone who has ever sat through one of the England head coach’s press conferences notices the same thing.
Whenever a question arrives from the floor, Borthwick always takes some time to ponder the answer, scanning his brain for a stock reply. And a banal answer soon arrives. England are very much built in the image of their head coach.
Their game is focus group, spreadsheet rugby. It is devoid of any flair or inspiration. How far is it going to get them in the long run?
So that’s Ireland’s competition at the moment. Hardly box office.
It really is difficult to recall another year in the Six Nations when all the rival sides were so poor.
There have always been dips in form, of course.
Yet there has always been at least one nation at the top of the game. We’re thinking Clive Woodward’s England or various incarnations under Eddie Jones.
Or Bernard Laporte’s stellar French teams. Gatland oversaw some brilliant Welsh sides. The Scots have had their moments as well. Remember the Killer Bs at Croke Park, or Busgate?
But this is a dire field of opponents. These post-World Cup Six Nations are always a bit peculiar on the front with so much turnover of coaches and players.
It’s not Ireland’s problem anyway. All they can do is beat what’s in front of them.
And on recent evidence, they should have little trouble in the final three rounds.
Farrell’s Ireland have won 10 Six Nations games on the bounce, a run going all the way back to a 3024 defeat in Paris in 2022.
They are undoubtedly the form team in this tournament and, if they maintain the current levels of performance, they should cruise to another Grand Slam.
As for the level of opposition? You could argue that this is the worst Six Nations of all time.
Anyone who sat through Scotland v France and/or England v Wales on Saturday will struggle to argue with that point.