End date in sight for Six Nations
IT has been confirmed that Scotland’s final men’s Six Nations match – which was supposed to be played on 14th March but was postponed at late notice in response to the Covid-19 pandemic – will finally go ahead on 31st October at a venue still to be confirmed. Italy will also host England that day, while Ireland will visit France, to belatedly bring the curtain down on this year’s championship.
However, there will not be as speedy a conclusion to the women’s tournament, which will now run on until the start of December. Scotland have three games left to play in this competition, against France at home on the weekend of 24th October, Wales away on the weekend of 31st October and then Italy away on the weekend of 5th December.
It has been decided that no attempt will be made to play the remaining games in the Under-20 Championship, and that there will be no winner of it.
The Six Nations tournament organisers have also confirmed that an eight-team men’s tournament will take place in November and early December “involving the Six Nations unions and two other international teams”. They have yet to confirm, however, that those teams will be Japan and Fiji, and that the tournament will have a two-pool format in which the Japanese and Scotland will be joined in one pool by France and Italy.
“We are absolutely thrilled to make this announcement today,” said Six Nations chief executive Ben Morel. “Whilst the past few months have been extremely challenging, we have always remained hopeful of concluding this year’s tournament and we are really looking forward to the final games in the Men’s and Women’s Championships. There is still so much to play for, and we are hugely excited for what lies ahead.
“Public health remains the number one priority and while we must continue to be vigilant and cognisant of the dynamic and fast changing external environment, we are nonetheless extremely pleased to be moving in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, Glasgow Warriors’ veteran flanker Chris Fusaro has vowed that he and his fellow ‘old dogs’ will return to action in just over two weeks’ time feeling like fresh pups, having had the longest period of their professional careers to recharge batteries and rest weary muscles.
Warriors face a doubleheader against Edinburgh at Murrayfield on 22nd and
29th August in a condensed conclusion to the PRO14 season, and it will take an incredible series of results for them to book a play-off place from Conference A, while their opponents have everything to play for as the pacesetters on Conference B.
However, Fusaro insists that the men from the west will not be lacking in motivation when they take on their nearest and dearest rivals.
“For us older guys, the fact we have not taken contact for over six months can only benefit us,” said the 31-yearold. “I feel physically really, really good and speaking to other older guys, like Ryan Wilson, Peter Horne, both good friends, they are feeling really good, too. We are raring to go.
“Fingers crossed when we come up against Edinburgh, we will hit the ground running.”