Storms, sausages and snarls
Guides you through the latest round of the Six Nations
Ellis Genge steals the show
As Storm Ciara battered the United Kingdom, bringing widespread flooding, gale-force winds, power cuts, closing train stations, grounding flights and killing one man after a tree fell on his car, rugby was not exempt.
England regained the Calcutta Cup with their 13-6 victory over Scotland, but if you missed this dour match in the driving rain, don’t bother watching the replay.
Before the match, Neil Craig, the Rugby Football Union’s head of high performance, was seen to be struck on the head with a bottle as he entered the stadium.
On the pitch, replacement England prop Ellis Genge crashed over for the 70th minute match-winning try but it was his post-match interview with the BBC that provided the highlight of an otherwise grim Edinburgh evening.
Here’s an excerpt:
“We had a bump in the road last week and everyone was writing us off, saying we weren’t good enough, that our coach should be sacked and the boys were a different team from the World Cup,” Genge said, swigging a beer on live television while waiting for the next question.
Asked if the criticism following England’s opening defeat in Paris stung the team, Genge plucked one of the best one-liners in recent memory.
“It’s classic innit? You’ve got a lot of sausages saying things that just come to their head. What are they on about? We go out and beat Scotland away in the rain and now everyone is singing our praises. I’m sure we’ll have more critics but it’s on to the next job.”
Yes, sausages. The Mad Butcher would be proud.
Those uber conservative folk who want their rugby players confined to square boxes have since questioned Genge’s demeanour.
Personally, I believe the more character the better. Personality drives audiences just as popularity wins elections.
This was Genge in his own skin. Rugby could do with embracing and encouraging more players to be themselves rather than attempting to cultivate robots.
The Finn Russell power play
Me or him. That’s the core message Finn Russell delivered the Scottish Rugby Union.
In an alarming interview with the Sunday Times, Russell spoke out about his axing from the Scotland squad and explained he had “no personal relationship’’ with head coach Gregor Townsend.
Townsend dropped Russell from Scotland’s squad before their opening Six Nations loss to Ireland in Dublin for breaching team protocol in what equates to drinking one or two more beers than had been agreed.
Clearly, though, the fractured standoff runs much deeper than this latest incident.
“Eight years I’ve had him as a coach, and I don’t really know him at all,” Russell, who also worked with Townsend at Glasgow, said. “I want the best for Scotland and so I’ve questioned the environment to try and make it better. We have clashed quite a lot, him saying one thing and me saying another. It’s come to a point where I’m saying, ‘you can be you and I’m going to be me. That’s how this relationship is going to be.’ Well, it’s not really a relationship.”
Scotland are 0-2, yet to score a try in those outings and seemingly destined to again contest the Six Nations wooden spoon after failing to make it out of their World Cup pool in Japan last year.
Russell, for all his attempts to dictate team culture, is one of few world-class players Scotland can call upon. Until this spat is resolved, it seems his talent will be lost to the national team.
“I’m going to back myself to play for Scotland again at some point,” Russell said. “It’s definitely going to happen. The way it is going to happen is for me to go back to my club, play really well and be me and be happy.
“The current set-up and environment, I don’t think I want to play in that, I don’t think it’s good for me as a person or a player. I’ve felt like this for more than a year. I’d love to play for Scotland again because I love playing for my country. But until I see or feel the big changes that I need to get back playing my best, it’s going to be very hard for me to do it.”
Townsend has since issued a statement maintaining his stance and reaffirming agreed team protocols, leaving the pair at loggerheads and Russell on the outer.
Anton Dupont the world’s best?
France were far from as polished in their 35-22 win over Italy in Paris as the previous week in their upset of England. The lauded Shaun Edwards defence cracked to concede three tries as the Italians displayed rare attacking spark.
Still, Les Bleus will travel to Cardiff, where they have not won for 10 years, unbeaten this season and with hopes of a grand slam intact.
Anton Dupont is a primary reason for the long-term French rugby hopes. On form, he must be the world’s best halfback.
Conor Murray returned to form against Wales with snippets of his passing game coming to the fore but the Irish mainstay has been under serious pressure from Ulster’s John Cooney of late.
Aaron Smith shone in his first game for the Highlanders, too.
But at present, Dupont’s influence is irresistible. The 23-year-old’s array of passing, kicking, support lines, sniping bursts and general vision has been at the heart of France’s revival.
Welsh reality check
Wayne Pivac’s honeymoon period is over. Wales were well beaten in Dublin, their try in added time with Ireland one man short skewing the nature of their 24-14 defeat.
After starting with an easy introduction to the test scene, with wins over the Barbarians and Italy at home, Pivac will now feel the weight of Welsh expectations as title claims threaten to quickly slip away from the defending champions.
Ireland’s RFU apologise
Scotland’s women and England had their match in Glasgow postponed due to extreme weather and conditions for Ireland’s women against Wales were so bad their match had to be halted in the second half. Ireland eventually won 31-12 but their RFU were then forced to issue an apology for the lack of hot water in the Welsh changing rooms at Donnybrook. “We’re all cold,” Wales first fiveeighths Robyn Wilkins said postmatch. “It doesn’t help we have got cold showers unfortunately. But we’re a tight-knit bunch, this will make us stronger.”
Talk about kicking a team while they’re down.
Northern powers target breakdown gains
Look no further than the man of the match awards for evidence of the attritional nature and strength of the Northern Hemisphere game.
With six matches completed, all accolades have been handed to loose forwards. Ireland’s CJ Stander and France’s Gregory Alldritt have two each, while Wales’ Justin Tipuric and England’s Sam Underhill both claimed one.