Scots may give England a wee problem
FRANCE will make it two from two in the Six Nations and don’t be surprised if Scotland roll England at Murrayfield.
A week ago I wrote that France would beat England in Paris and it would be the day the French national team confirmed fight had replaced flight. France finally have the right coach in place, in Fabian Galthie, and they have an inspiring captain who leads with deeds more than words. Most crucially, they have one of the most influential defensive specialists on board in Shaun Edwards, the former Rugby League legend turned Rugby Union defensive master.
Don’t discount the contribution of South Africa’s kicking coach Vlok Cilliers. The French line-kicking game had a decidedly different look to it and the goal-kicking was accurate.
France have the luxury of hosting the hapless Italy. Pity poor Franco Smith, who is the interim coach of the Italians. It will only get worse for the former Cheetahs coach and Springbok flyhalf and it doesn’t matter who is coaching Italy; they won’t win a game in the Six Nations.
Italy’s away record over the past 20 years is two wins in 51, with an overall record of 12 wins in 103 Six Nations matches. Nick Mallett, who enjoyed a 70 percent winning success with the Springboks, could only win five from 53 when in charge of Italy. He did get a famous win against the French, but there is no chance of these Italians going to Paris tomorrow and coming close to victory.
Wales got a great draw with a first-up home game against the Italians. New Zealander Wayne Pivac’s tenure started with a 42-0 shut out of the Italians and Pivac and the Welsh players were more satisfied with the nil Italy got than the 42 points the Welsh scored.
It will be a very different match in Dublin, but I have the result favouring the Welsh. I believe they offer more on attack than the Irish, who were fortunate to escape with a 19-12 home win against Scotland. Ireland coach Andy Farrell’s tenure started with an uninspiring collective and it took the individual capabilities of former World Player of the Year Jonny Sexton to get Ireland home. He scored all 19 points.
Eddie Jones’s England travel to Murrayfield for the ‘Grudge’ match against the old enemy Scotland. England’s disaster in Paris was dubbed ‘Le Crunch’ in the build-up and afterwards it was described as ‘Le Crunched’.
France destroyed England in the opening hour with intensity in the tackle and pace with ball in hand and for Scotland to repeat their last home victory against England, it will require a similar mental and physical attitude.
Jones, a few days before the Six Nations started, declared his England team wanted to be the greatest to ever play the game and that he wanted people to remember England as the best rugby team in the world. Jones was speaking a few months after the Springboks had humiliated England 32-12 in the World Cup final.
England’s 2003 World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward publicly encouraged Jones to stop talking in the media and for his team to start playing on the field. Woodward mocked Jones’s ambition of England being the greatest rugby team in history and suggested Jones’s team simply tried to be the best team for 80 minutes at Murrayfield.
Win or lose today, Jones’s best days as coach of England are in the past.