Clash of styles will light up the Six Nations
Worthy England and fast-improving Scots whet the appetite for championship
development. We have not found out what Jones’s plan for the back three is if Mike Brown is unavailable, what his favoured back-row balance is, or which centre partnership is likely to feature in Japan.
That England are developing into a top-class side is undoubted. Whether that rate of progression has maintained its course is more difficult to discern.
What we can be surer about is the progress Scotland have made under Gregor Townsend as head coach. Their improvement was well on its way under Vern Cotter, and Townsend has added extra dimensions in attack. The crucial mental element to performing and winning is something that has eluded the Scots in a succession of glorious close defeats. If this could be forgiven against the best team in the world last week, it would not have been against an Australia side who went down to 14 men after Sekope Kepu was sent off.
What was most impressive about Scotland’s win was the way they set about dismantling the Aussies, to the point where the southernhemisphere side all but threw in the towel. Not so long ago, Scotland would have huffed and puffed and maybe got over the line – or not. On Saturday, there was no doubt Scotland would take full advantage of their superior numbers.
The breakdown accuracy shown by the back five of the pack gave them much quicker ball than England had managed the week before against the same opponents. What classified the performance was a certainty about what they were doing and when. After wasting earlier chances, they knew how to make the most of a game that became increasingly loose. All this was achieved against the backdrop of the last-minute withdrawal of Stuart Hogg. His replacement, Byron Mcguigan, looked comfortable throughout, a testament to the quality Scotland now have in depth.
For England, this last issue is one which never really troubles them, but for a country with Scotland’s limited resources, it is the difference between being able to mount a proper title challenge and contesting the minor places.
For Wales, there was honest endeavour and no little physical courage against the All Blacks, but never near the creativity needed to unlock the Kiwi defences. Wales controlled all but about seven minutes of the first half but were two tries down because of brilliant finishing they could not match.
The game was effectively taken out of sight in the third quarter when New Zealand shifted up a couple of gears and had the precision to finish the several try-scoring chances they created.
For Warren Gatland’s side to be challenging, they have to find a more effective way of taking the ball forward. So many one-out, one-on-one charges made the Kiwis tackle, but did not make anything like the ground needed before moving the ball wide. You can keep forcing the number of tackles to increase, but without creating quick ball, defences will always have the time to readjust.
The impression that comes from watching Wales is that they have the talent and components to be a far more effective team than they are. It is the subtlety and artifice that are wanting, not the effort or commitment.
A fascinating clash of styles and players awaits northernhemisphere rugby fans next year. Add Ireland to the mix and you have several teams who look to have their World Cup challenges on track – and that includes a significantly improved France side.
For its many troubles, the
Six Nations is never less than interesting.