It is already 140 years of the six nations and the tournament is more alive than ever. Both in the popular (full stadiums are recurring), as in the commercial (the teams have already fallen to the power of ‘maketing’ to wear names on shirts) or sports. Every year the physical and technical level is greater and the sextet of participants (the four insular ‘Home Nations’ plus the continental France and Italy) prepare thoroughly; Even the weakest of them all, Italy, dreams of success every year. For these, it consists of avoiding the embarrassing wooden spoon that ‘rewards’ the last classified in the table, while for the others there are several options: there are those who seek to raise a level that can lead them to complete their eternal renovation (Wales and Scotland). or those who seek to fight for the title (France, England and Ireland).
This edition of the best oval tournament on the planet is configured as a repetition of the success of champagne rugby that was experienced last season. In it the Frenchmen achieved the ‘Grand Slam’ and demonstrated their absolute dominance by winning their four rivals consecutively. Likewise, they confirmed that in the hands of Antonie Dupont they were as creative as they were effective. Now the XV del Gallo aspires to prolong that magnificent state of grace in 2023 in which it will also be the protagonist of the World championship which will host next September. This appointment will be painful for Spain, which after seeing itself in it on its own merits was brought down by the sad episode of the improper alignment of Van Der Berg.
Facing this first act of selections (in which today they make their debut in Rome against a reinforced Italy) the French will bring out all their artillery once again under the command of Fabien Galthié. The ‘bleu’ coach presents eight new faces to face a tournament in which he astonished last year after twelve years of drought. Among the novelties, two players who are not yet twenty years old stand out, such as Emilien Gailleton – Pau’s center and second highest scorer in the Top14 – and Bordeaux-Bègles’ wing-back, Louis Bielle-Biarrey. The rookies Léo Coly and Nolann Le Garrec will try to make people forget the absences of Locu and Couilloud in the scrum-half position and the rest of the rookies Paul Boudehent, Julien Delbouis, Romain Buros and Ethan Dumortier (top scorer of trials in the French league) will they incorporate the tricolors to try to repeat the title.
a steamroller
Yesterday Ireland opened this edition with a visit to a Principality Stadium packed with 74,000 seats. However, the enthusiastic followers of the XV del Dragón soon saw their desire for victory frustrated by the exhibition of the greens from the first moment. Specifically, from minute 2, when in a demonstration of offensive play they achieved the first of their three trials in the first period. The greens premiered their status as number one in the world ranking and the reds did not know where the blows were coming from. The direction of Johnattan Sexton and Conor Murray (who started as a starter due to Gibson-Park’s last-minute loss) was impeccable, as was the game at hand for his team, and the locals found themselves with a (0-14 ) at nine minutes that left them ironed. Although they tried to react, they reached the break with an eloquent (3-27) that made clear the state of form of each one.
The Welsh re-launched coach with Walter Garland, the man who took them to their highest levels a decade ago, but this time it was not enough to work the miracle. Not even the presence of the very veteran Alun Wyin Jones, with his growing record of 156 caps behind him, was going to be able to inspire his teammates enough. They came out strong at the restart (10-27) six minutes later, but as soon as those from Trébol resettled on the pitch, they showed that they were not going to be surprised. They controlled the stakes of their rivals well and sentenced the clash with seven to go (10-34), when a conversion test by Josh van der Flier (the best player in the world in 2022, according to World Rugby) already left everything seen for sentencing . The first warning from the Irish was sent to the French (who will visit Dublin next Saturday) and the English (on March 18).
England DJ at home
Shortly after, the de la Rosa men appeared before their audience with a new coach at the controls (Steve Borthwick), a more than technically debatable novelty as it had occurred only nine months before the World Cup. But in the English Union they were tired of the personalism of the Australian Eddie Jones and the lack of good results achieved in recent times and they chose to claim a revulsive with the idea of spurring their players. And the new 43-year-old coach met that requirement for a long time, being considered the country’s fashionable coach: the previous year he led Leicester from the bottom of the table to the top of the Premiership.
But there is a long way from wishes to results. With Scotland as their rocky rival, the fans packed into Twickenham Cathedral realized early on that the change in attitude was going to be long in coming. Those of the Cardo were more than motivated to retain the Calcutta Cup (the individual trophy that is disputed between the two teams in parallel to the Six Nations) and in 28 minutes they had already scored two trials. Only a reaction in extremis allowed the whites to take the lead at half time (13-12). Then, the constant give and take favored unleashed Scots (23-29).
