I hate to say it but I can’t see past Wales
WE’RE heading into another big weekend of Six Nations action and it’s set to be a thrilling climax to what’s already been a fantastic tournament.
All the pre-tournament talk was about Ireland and England, but it’s Wales that go into the final set of fixtures in top spot with a shot at the Grand Slam.
It’s definitely all to play for though, with all three teams still in with a chance of winning the championship title.
The unbeaten Welsh have got the Grand Slam firmly in their sights and they take on Ireland in Cardiff today looking for their 13th consecutive win.
Victory would see Warren Gatland become the first coach to win three Grand Slams and I’ve been really impressed with their performances again this year.
Scotland put up a great fight on the weekend, but the Welsh came through that test and game after game they’ve been grinding out results.
I read that Ireland haven’t won in Wales in the Six Nations since 2013, so it’s hard to see Wales slipping up. But you can never write off the Irish and I think it will be a great game to watch straight after Italy and France go head-to-head in the lunchtime kick off.
Of course, Ireland are still in with a chance of winning the Six Nations themselves so it’s definitely all to play for, but they also need England to lose at home to Scotland.
Bonus points may have an important role to play but the different winner scenarios are far too complicated to for me to write about!
England are still in with a very real chance of taking the title and as they kick off last (5pm) today, they’ll go into the game at Twickenham knowing exactly what they’re playing for.
A Welsh defeat or a draw leaves it wide open for Eddie Jones’s men, so they need to be at their best to overcome a Scotland side that are very capable of causing an upset.
After the opening game in Ireland, England were red-hot favourites for the tournament, and I think they’ve been brilliant to watch throughout.
The Wales game stopped them in their tracks a little bit, but they bounced back really well against Italy at the weekend with a strong 57-14 victory.
They’ll be full of confidence going into the game and with the home advantage, I think England will be too much for Scotland.
Our very own Tom Curry has been one of the stand-out players of the Six Nations and we’re really proud to see him take his excellent club form and replicate it in an England shirt.
It’s crazy to think that he’s still only 20 years old. Director of rugby Steve Diamond described him as a ‘machine’ recently and I think when you look at some of his stats, it just highlights what an important player he is and how hard he works for the team.
He deserves all of the headlines he’s been getting, and I think he definitely looks the part at No. 7 for England.
Chris Ashton had a real impact in the France game, and I know he would have been delighted to be back playing for England.
He was really unlucky with a calf injury that forced him to miss the Wales game with Jack Nowell taking his place, but he’ll be keen to get back and stake his claim for a World Cup place.
We’ve also had Josh Strauss putting in some great performances for Scotland and although I know he’s been frustrated that results haven’t gone their way, I think he can be pleased with the effort and work-rate his side have shown.
It was also brilliant to see Byron McGuigan get some game time for Scotland on the weekend.
He’s a top lad and I’m sure both he and Josh will be relishing the game against England.
As much as I’d love it to be England lifting the trophy today, I just can’t see Wales throwing it away in-front of the home crowd in Cardiff.
I’d love to be proved wrong though, so I’ll be sat firmly in-front of the TV to watch it all unfold.
Once the tournament is all said and done, we’ve got Tom, Ashy, Josh and Byron all joining us for a special Six Nations review event on Wednesday, March 20, at the AJ Bell headquarters in Salford Quays.
I’ll be asking the lads for their thoughts on this year’s competition so we’re really looking forward to hearing what they’ve got to say.
It’s a free to event for Sale Sharks Business Club members to attend, and non-members can purchase tickets for £30 by emailing Georgina. Ragan@salesharks.com
If you want to know more about joining the Sharks family and all the different ways you can get involved with the club, feel free to drop me an email at mark.cueto@salesharks. com.