SAS UK Rugby Blog - Official data & competitive intelligence partner of the RBS 6 Nations Championship

France have their hands on the trophy and the players are probably nursing monumental hangovers as I type but the tournament is over and now it’s time for the end of term report; time to look beyond the 6 Nations title and final table and assess who now is in a stronger or weaker position as minds focus on France 2007.

To be perfectly honest each Nation can probably derive some satisfaction from the past few weeks; each team has had its moments to a greater or lesser degree. The big winners for me have to be the Italians. Yes, they secured their first “double win” of a 6 Nations so the stats look good, but what is more important is the Berbizier’s men will have raised the profile of the game in Italy to its highest level. They will have taken a huge step into football territory and, whilst I am not suggesting that the oval ball is anywhere near to punting the round ball out of the ground, but with football portraying such a negative image at the moment Rugby has got a few more Italians thinking and that has to be good for the growth of the game.

They also had for me the player of the tournament in Sergio Parisse; he was outstanding and is at the head of a clutch of players of truly world class standing and if you are to make any impression at a world cup you have to have a few stars in your ranks.

France have the trophy so must be happy and the big plus for them had to be their ability to grab the crucial results when needed; against Ireland and Scotland, but there are still some nagging worries about this team. Laporte had a good look at several players and has found a solid half back pairing in Mignoni and Skrela but Les Bleues won the tournament without ever really impressing. However, as with all the northern hemisphere teams, they can now go away and do the fine tuning needed for the World Cup; the 6 Nations was a tournament there to be won and the French managed that whilst clearly using it as a testing ground so there must be more to come.

Ireland will be the most disappointed of the bunch; they had the tournament in their hands and blew it. Sounds a bit harsh but, whilst they played the better rugby what the French had over the Irish was the ability to win the big points when they mattered. Croke Park was the low point for O’Sullivan’s men; that try at the death killing their Grand Slam and championship hopes. Ireland can win the World Cup; they have the players and they have the game for the big occasion but, and here’s the point, you need to string those games together and this is where they struggle.

So what of the rest? England, like the French, got a good look at some new faces and they all performed well. I can’t feel excited or depressed about Ashton’s new era, not yet anyway. It was alarming to see how the forward folded against the Welsh but when you look at the age and makeup of the team that was always a danger. Those rookie players will now have gained vital experience and must build on that but with South Africa, Samoa and Tonga in their group they have a tough assignment in the pool games.

Wales and Scotland have problems but saw enough in their games to suggest a brighter future. The Scots had several helpings of bad luck to stomach and were crippled by injuries so will hope that, with a full complement of players they will raise their game.

Wales saved their best for last and have to start believing in themselves. Beating England makes a season for any country but it’s no use being the plucky underdog picking up the occasional big scalp if you then lose the closer match ups. James Hook is their hope for the future and, with Ryan Jones and Alun Wynn-Jones up front they have a youthful core with great potential

So, not a 6 Nations to have the All Blacks too concerned but what this old tournament has over the Tri Nations is the weight of history and an environment that encourages teams to dog it out in the tough matches, and that is precisely what the World Cup demands and precisely what the Blacks have failed to deliver since 1987.

Technically not the best but certainly a riveting ride; so a big thanks for logging on and sticking with me through the past few weeks, next stop Paris 2007. All the best!

Well, that’s that then; the RBS 6 Nations all over and done with, next stop summer tours, selection agonies and the World Cup. What a way to wrap up the final tournament before the Big One in France later in the year. Ok, the quality might not have been the best we could have hoped for but what an exciting finish.

For me as a commentator in the Stade de France it was an absolute nightmare mind you. Trying to keep up with the battle for points’ difference between the French team, in a position to do something about it, and the Irish, capable only of sitting back with a pint and praying the Scots did them a favour, tested my poor little brain to its absolute limit.

Ultimately though congratulations have to go to the French. They certainly frustrated throughout the campaign but, when they had to turn on the style and come good, they delivered. Focus will be on that final match; indeed, the fact that they pushed hard for a try in the dying minutes of the game and got it is quite an accolade, but their remarkable escape from Croke Park is probably more impressive.

Bernard Laporte tinkered with his team throughout the championship and one hopes, for his own sanity at least, that he has a clearer picture in his mind as to the make up of his World Cup squad. France were not breathtaking in victory, certainly not in the way England were when they wrapped up a 6 Nations Grand Slam before the last World Cup, but they won and that was the short term goal.

Laporte will have had a good look at a good number of his players which was his aim from the outset but, almost by chance, a few of his rival coaches have also seen a high turnover rate through their respective teams allowing them to cast an eye over a few new faces; more on that later.

As France cheered though, Ireland mourned; a championship title cruelly ripped from their grasp by a man called Elvis. I’m sure the players will try to be pretty philosophical about the whole thing but inside they must be kicking themselves that at two crucial moments in two crucial games their application and execution let them down. At Croke Park against the French it was a sloppy re start, in Rome it was hot headedness. To be fair to Dennis Leamy though, we can sit in judgement from a privileged position; we can assess his actions knowing what the points’ differential was when France took to the field in Paris. Poor old Leamy of course had no such luxury. He just knew that Ireland had to keep on scoring; that’s what he tried to do and Italy pinched a try and in that moment the championship was lost.

And what of the third and final match, the clash in Cardiff? Well, not a huge surprise really. Not that I was expecting a Welsh victory, it’s just that I really did feel that, with England’s confidence being rather fragile, any improvement in the Welsh performance would prove a problem to a very inexperienced English team.

James Hook at fly half was a revelation and, with England struggling to cope with a revitalised Welsh team, Alfie Thomas’ men hit the accelerator and secured a famous win. Am I depressed about it? Not at all to be honest. We all knew England’s limitations; we just hoped they could work through them, that the young guns would cope with the hostile atmosphere of the Millennium Stadium. They had their moments but ultimately the pack got bullied and the backs were given the run-around. If that had happened to the old guard I’d be very depressed; that it happened to this new look team leaves me disappointed but still mildly optimistic. It’s just a pity the rebuilding didn’t start 3 years ago.

So, well done France; for a team that was supposed not to care too much about the outcome of this years’ 6 Nations you looked pretty chuffed to me. I’ll look into the nuts and bolts of the tournament in another blog, don’t want to addle your minds with a great block of journalistic nonsense, so it really just comes down to this; not the most technically enthralling tournament but who cares when you have a final day like that. Allez les Bleues!

It’s been quite a while since we’ve had such chaotic dash for the finish line in the 6 Nations. I say chaotic because I can’t remember a year when there have been so many twists and turns during the competition. Ireland and France have jousted for top spot; England have enthralled and frustrated in equal measure, employing a staggering number of players along the way; Scotland have disappointed, Wales have bewildered whilst the Italians have employed wit and violence to catapult themselves to a best ever season.

Of course, there can only be one winner, probably France, but the final chapter this Saturday could see Wales and Scotland regain some lost ground with Italy playing like drains against the Irish. Unlikely though on the Italian front and I see Wales putting up more of a fight than Scotland.

The Scots have disappointed me this season; I really was expecting a great deal more from them. I have huge admiration for Frank Hadden as a coach and his campaign started with considerable misfortune against England, (remember Jonny’s try that never was?), but since then it’s not been great. True, Wales were dispatched but they were very poor that day, but the big blow for the Scots was that shock result against Italy. It showed a weakness in the team’s psyche and, whilst Hadden took the blame, the onus for the defeat has to rest on the players’ shoulders and their inability to perform basic skills. Do that against France this weekend and life could be very uncomfortable.

The French will be bursting for revenge following the destruction of their Grand Slam dreams at Twickenham last weekend. Springtime in Paris is not the best time to face a wounded French outfit so if the Scots play below par, they will have a rough ride.

Ireland will also have a difficult time of it when they face an Italian side on an absolute high. If the Azzuri can secure a third win in the Championship then the roofs really will be blown high into the Roman sky. It’s unlikely against an Irish side still keen to win the big prize but Italy should do enough to restrict Ireland’s scoring chances, making it difficult for O’Sullivan’s men to rattle up enough points to wrench the trophy away from the French.

In Cardiff the Welsh will be desperate to avoid a whitewash and the legendary wooden spoon when they face the much changed English. Gareth Jenkins knows that his job is on the line; it has to be at the moment as Wales are playing a very poor brand of rugby and, more importantly, seem devoid of any direction or purpose. Stephen Jones has been forced to step aside through injury, so the captain’s armband passes to Gareth Thomas whilst the No.10 shirt is placed in the hands of James Hook. He deputised well in this slot when Jones was off the field in Rome last week and I actually feel Jones’ absence is a blessing to the Welsh.

They need some snap in the backs and a sense of adventure if they are to worry an English side which, despite the usual public proclamations that this is a world cup winning side, is still in a very fragile mental state. It all went swimmingly against France but the Millennium Stadium is a very different environment from Twickenham; how Toby Flood et al cope will determine who wins this lively contest.

I feel that Ireland, France and England will win their respective matches with the French scoring too many points against Scotland for the Irish to overhaul them. England, despite fielding a new cap in James Haskell (we wish him well), and having to rejig their midfield and fullback position, will have just a bit too much firepower for Wales and should end the campaign in much ruder health than when they started but, given my previous history in predicting results it could be happy days for Italy, Scotland and Wales. Watch this space.

Just a quick thought on the refereeing debate at the end of the Italy-Wales match. Surely the most obvious way to prevent this from happening again is for referees, when asked by players how much time is left at the end of a half or match, only to give the official time left on the clock and let the captain decide what he is going to do with that time.

As soon as referees start suggesting that there is time to have a lineout etc. then there will always be the danger of a repeat of the controversy in Rome.

The sun shone on Twickenham on Sunday and Ashton’s new model army provided the smiles to complete the feel good factor. It was a cracking performance from a side that really had no right to perform so well.

Eleven changes, inexperience in key positions and a change of captain, up against a side chasing a Grand Slam; it couldn’t happen. Or could it? These are the ingredients that sometimes bring about an almighty downfall. Indeed, it’s happened to England often enough in recent years, so it was nice to see the tables turned.

What was also refreshing was that, unlike after the Scotland victory, very few people I spoke to were viewing this game as evidence that we are world beaters again. The mood was far more pragmatic but still quietly confident; not that we were back on the glory trail but that a new crop of players had been discovered who might provide the spark and drive needed to take England through to 2011 in New Zealand whilst still doing the business now.

I mentioned in my preview blog that I was undecided as to whether Brian Ashton was a genius or candidate for “Emperor’s New Clothes”. Well, genius may be pushing it a bit at this stage but he’s certainly not strutting his stuff with his butt on display. This was a team built by Ashton and based on his acute rugby knowledge and sent out to face the French with his blessing and absolute faith.

The players delivered in some style, none more so in my mind than Mike Catt. Ok, Toby Flood, Dave Strettle and Shane Gerraghty caught the eye and Tom Rees was a worthy Man of the Match, but this was Catty’s day.

I have never seen him looking so emotional before a game, and when I interviewed him afterwards it was as much as he could do to get the words out as he slumped exhausted to the floor of the interview area. He put his heart and soul into that performance and managed to recover from a shaky start to play a key part in Flood’s try and inspire his men to victory.

Flood had a super game and with Gerraghty throwing a bright little cameo appearance into the mix the No.10 cupboard which previously seemed so bare now contains four exciting players in the fit Toby Flood and Shane Gerraghty and the not so fit Johnny Wilkinson and Charlie Hodgson. Get all four of these guys together and it’s quite a selection problem.

And what of France? Very disappointing but very French. They couldn’t cope with the pressure and eventually just gave up. Yachivili failed to perform at scrum half and the pack looked ponderous around the park, unable to cope with England’s pace. In many ways I’m glad they cocked up their Grand Slam chances, they haven’t really played that well, in fact no side has. They appeared under prepared and thoroughly demotivated for this game and the “Brat Pack” in the England team, all floppy hair and youthful confidence, enjoyed their playtime under the gaze of a very proud head teacher.

There are various aspects of life that I have yet to get to grips with; shuffling a deck of cards properly, understanding the fascination of oysters and, of course, Einstein’s theory of relativity. To be perfectly honest I can get by quite happily despite these gaps in my education. After all, my only regular opponents at cards are my young daughters whose own shuffling skills extend to shifting the cards around on the floor, so anything I can do places me, in their eyes, alongside the slickest Vegas croupier! I can quite happily ignore the oysters, if I want that particular culinary experience I’ll wait till I have a heavy cold: all the sensation none of the time spent on the loo. As for Einstein’s best known gift to us? Never thought I’d see it in action in an environment that would interest me.

Until Saturday that is; in the sublime surroundings of the Stadio Flaminio in Rome Einstein’s little gem played its part in a remarkable game of rugby. The way I see it is this; grab the handle of a hot pan on the oven and the split second your palm is seared to the scalding metal will seem like an eternity. Try to kick to touch and take a lineout in ten seconds and time just flies by!

The Welsh team discovered this to their cost and it became the big talking point over the weekend; that and Ronan O’Gara’s throttling at the end of the Scotland – Ireland game. The Welsh were fuming long into the Roman night over Chris White’s handling of the dying seconds of their match but to be honest the real story should be the continued rise of this remarkable Italian side.

Two wins on the bounce has catapulted this team into virgin territory and they thoroughly deserve all the plaudits, but for me the telling aspect of this game was not that they won but the manner of the victory. Two years ago Italy would not have recovered from a six point deficit so late in the game. They would have lost their shape and folded. On Saturday they played a very canny game and, inspired by the remarkable Sergio Parisse (surely the best number eight in the world at the moment), they constructed an attack that brought the match winning try. True, the try scorer Mauro Bergamasco was lucky to be on the field but, that apart, the Italians thoroughly deserved their win.

And what of Wales? They are a disjointed lot with many of the skills required to do well but little direction or fire. Does that come down to coaching? Certainly; but it also requires leadership on the field and a rock solid state of mind. Gareth Jenkins is a fine coach but there is no excuse for his side squandering that second half lead. Wales built a healthy second half performance and should have closed out the game, the fact that they didn’t coupled with the fact that there appeared to be no stand in captain on the pitch after Stephen Jones departed the scene is a damning indictment on the team.

The jubilant scenes in Italy followed muted celebrations in Scotland as Ireland secured a third Triple Crown in four years. Ireland have probably now reached the stage where they will begin to view this prize with less enthusiasm than they have on previous occasions as they focus more and more on the big prize; the Grand Slam. As with Wales, a moment of madness at the end of a match, the gifting of a try to France in the dying moments at Croke Park, will haunt their season. Having said that, Ronan O’Gara is probably just happy to have left the field of play alive. The poor old chap certainly attracts the personal assaults. First he is mugged by Duncan McRae in Australia for the Lions in 2001 and now, in the dark surroundings of a ruck, some anonymous Scot tries to squeeze the life out of the fella. If it wasn’t so serious it would be funny. If it did happen then the player involved should be ashamed of himself but, as they say, all’s well that ends well and O’Gara lives, just, to fight another day!

This really is becoming quite a bizarre season, certainly from an English point of view. You can’t take your eyes off the action; off the field that is. On the field it’s pretty average stuff, but off it? My goodness me!

With Brian Ashton at the moment it’s a case of either coaching genius or Emperor’s new clothes. He has a seemingly endless list of solutions to problems of the kind that would make any other rookie national coach throw his clipboard in the air and look for the nearest “You’ve Been Framed” camera. He is quite happy to front up to the media, assess the mistakes honestly and candidly; frequently accepting the blame himself (which is not a trait I wholly approve of as stated in previous Blogs), and produce the unexpected solution, not to howls of derision, but to general acclaim.

How much longer can this continue? We shall have to wait and see; the results this Sunday when the French roll into town will test Ashton’s latest incarnation. At the heart of this latest team is Mike Catt; a remarkable man in so many ways both on and off the pitch. I have said on many occasions that I believe the problem at the heart of English rugby and possibly the professional game is that the modern crop of players coming through the academies are not receiving a full rugby education. By that I mean that they live their life in the gym and on the pitch and haven’t experienced everything else the game has to offer as players did in the amateur era.

Catty is one of those players who has sucked the marrow from the game. He has travelled the rugby world; he has backed himself to succeed in every situation and has been surrounded by such a kaleidoscope of players both in his club and international career, he has absorbed a huge amount of experience.

Just look at the way he saved England against Wales in the quarter finals of 2003; that came from a deep understanding of the game but more importantly from being relaxed and utterly comfortable with his game and himself.

I am sure it’s because of this that Ashton has handed him the captain’s armband. Yes, it’s a gamble but I do believe it’s the right one to take. England are struggling to find an effective midfield capable of performing at the World Cup. The players for the future are there, Anthony Allen, Tait, Noon, Barkley (is that how you spell it?), but their inclusion in the squad has either been too sporadic or come too late for them to impress so Ashton has gone for the wise head of Catt. True, he might be a bit slow but his understanding of the game should make up for that. He will also provide invaluable assistance for young Toby Flood making his first start at fly half. I watched Flood play for the Falcons against Catt’s London Irish at the weekend and he looked very impressive; it will be interesting to see how he gets on.

Elsewhere the changes have been predictable and logical. I’m glad to see Tom Palmer get his chance at lock. He impressed in the autumn and may well provide that extra ball carrying option Ashton is looking for in the tight five. Martin Corry will be absolutely delighted to be playing alongside him. We’re used to seeing Cozza with a permanently blemished nose; he can now add lacerated cheekbones and knackered ears to the collection: nice!

Blimey, so much to say, so little room. Ultimately if England can find the pace missing in Dublin then they can cause the French problems and secure a much needed big scalp but I do still see the French as favourites for this game.

Elsewhere Ireland can secure a third Triple Crown in four years against Scotland and really should do but they will be aware that Scotland will be smarting big time from the defeat to Italy. That victory for the Italians should make them an even more dangerous proposition for a very fragile Welsh team. Unfortunately for the Italians they have lost some key men up front which will weaken their challenge but they will still fancy their chances.

There, just about done! Apologies for the heavy English bias but I’m sure you’ll agree it’s been a remarkable week for the Red Rose. Have a great weekend.

And finally, just to update you on the four lads from SA Brains who were travelling to Paris from Cardiff passing a ball between them the whole way for charity.

They made over 10,500 passes and raised approximately £6,000 for Wooden Spoon. Congratulations to them and to SA Brains for supporting four very committed employees.

So, end of round one and a cracking start to the day! All of the assembled English fans, acclimatising to the new surroundings of Croke Park would have been chortling away at the Scots’ expense and loving every minute. A few hours later and the sounds of laughter are now heading south from behind Hadrian’s Wall.

England weren’t just beaten; they were thumped by a mightily impressive Irish side. All the talk before the game had been of Jonny Wilkinson and the mind games surrounding his supposed injury. Well, Ronan O’Gara made damn sure that come the end of play in Dublin he was the one firmly in the spotlight.

He put in a masterly performance; he kicked beautifully and controlled his backline skilfully in appalling conditions at times. He was helped in no small measure by several key men putting in big games themselves.

Paul O’Connell has been quiet of late and was in danger of living off past performances. Today he was immense, dominating the lineout, blasting great holes in the English defence and clobbering any white shirt that moved. Alongside him was O’Callaghan; doing much the same job if the truth be told whilst behind them Leamy, Easterby and Wallace had a field day.

The return of Stringer was also a major plus and whilst Isaac Boss (stupidly called him Hugo in my commentary for the French game) is a talented player, he has yet to gain the experience of Stringer. O’Driscoll and D’Arcy proved that you need inventiveness, speed and guile in the midfield, not just bulk and power. They dominated Farrell and Tindall and Brian Ashton will need to look closely at that combination.

The pressure is on Ashton now even though he is new to the job. History is in danger of repeating itself as England run the risk of collapsing after two wins. There was little pace and no real drive in England’s play and if there is one positive to take from this defeat it’s this. Surely the time has come to realise and accept that the English players play too many games and are coming into matches poorly prepared both tactically and physically?

The Irish system works wonderfully well and the results are there to be seen. England have slipped from leading the way four years ago to playing catch up; that has to stop!

And finally, on to Wales and a match that promised to round off the day with another freak result. Wales pushed France hard but simply made too many mistakes and handed the French too many points. France are now the only team that can win the Grand Slam and they’re not really playing great rugby. New Zealand will not be too concerned over what they are seeing in the north but even they will have to concede that today was something special.

What an amazing weekend of Rugby! Astonishing! Where on earth do you start? Well, as Julie Andrews would say, or sing, let’s start at the very beginning; Scotland versus Italy and a significant day up at Murrayfield.

Now, I know that if your heart pumps tartan blood you will be spitting tacks at the moment but try and find room in your tormented lives to offer the Italians a brief acknowledgement and grudging “ Good on yous!” They have been battling away for seven years to reach this point; a first away win in the championship, and they deserve their moment.

Rugby fights for exposure in Italy but this win, coupled with some pretty poor feelings towards the beautiful game at the moment, could propel the fifteen man game deeper into Italian Man’s psyche. It is astonishing that Italian rugby continues to grow when the club game is seemingly so weak. Players scattered around Europe are clearly picking up the necessary experience and in Pierre Berbizier they have a coach of immense talent and skill. Add to that a fierce desire to prove all detractors wrong and you have a pretty potent package.

Of course, it does help when the opposition gifts you 21 points through thinking that they have now become masters of the running game. I can only imagine that Frank Hadden and his coaching team identified the Italian pack as a major threat and wanted to keep play well away from this big old unit. Good thinking; unfortunately, whilst the Italian backline might not be the most inventive, the players can spot a gaping hole and know how to run; bloody fast in fact.

Scotland tried to be too expansive too soon and Italy just picked off the little morsels the Scots left for them. Trying to recover from that deficit might have worked against an Italian team of three to four years ago but not this bunch. They pushed England mighty hard and they were never going to let the opportunity to secure that elusive first away win slip out of their hands. It was heartening to watch and it will do Italian rugby the world of good.

What of Scotland though? Well, it was a disastrous performance. The Welsh victory promised much but this result will hurt for a long time. Frank Hadden has fronted up to say that he takes full responsibility and whilst that might seem a laudable thing to do, I’m not a fan of such tactics.

Utterances like that are, in my opinion, best made behind closed doors; keep it within the squad. Hadden may choose the tactics but it was the players who decided to throw wild passes in pressure situations. Let them front up and put it right next time round and they will have to if Scotland’s season is not to slide away from them.

Ultimately though, a satisfying start and for the Scotland fans enduring some gentle leg pulling from your English mates, revenge was just around the corner…..

And we’re off….. again! A brief pause for the domestic game and it’s on with round three; for me the most significant of the rounds. You get the feeling that this is where the various teams’ strengths and weaknesses will be exposed. The results of the first two rounds have established certain possible routes for the countries to follow, after the weekend we shall see how far along them they travel.

France and England still have the Grand Slam at the end of their road and for France only a monumental foul up (perfectly attainable given the French psyche) will see them slip from the path at this stage. Wales, their opponents in Paris, are in a poor state of mind. Wholesale changes after losing matches are never a good sign and the confidence the team brought into the competition is rapidly evaporating. France will be on an absolute high after victory in Croke Park and after two matches on the road will want to put on a show in front of a home crowd yet to be convinced by Bernard Laporte’s tinkering. “Rotation, yes. Revolution, No!” was how one newspaper described the French coach’s team changes; and the French know a thing or to about Revolution!

England face a far tougher challenge to stay on the glory trail, Ireland in Croke Park. There is a feeling that the Irish team was affected by the “Croker” atmosphere more than the French; possibly, but if that match seemed special just wait for the English. How the crowd will react to the Red Rose when it marches out into the middle of one of the most socially, politically and religiously significant stadiums in the world we shall have to wait and see. Let us hope that no one does anything stupid on such an important day. Without delving too deep into the significance of the day, it does strike me that this could be a staggeringly significant event in the history of sport, for all the right reasons.

On the pitch, Ireland will of course be looking for a fourth straight victory over England, a victory which would keep hopes of a Championship title alive. England have to view this match as the single most important game since the World Cup. Redevelopment of the team was left far too late but it has now started and we have had glimpses of a bright new era but this is the big test. How will Farrell and Tindle cope with O’Driscoll and D’Arcy? If ever their was a centre pairing to find fault with the new England midfield it’s these two stars; but of course there are match ups all through the sides, what England need to discover is do they have a team that can dog it out in the really big games, and this is a really big one?

Scotland will have been buoyed by their win over Wales but will be aware of the threat Italy brings to Murrayfield. Get the game plan slightly wrong and the Azzuri could be in for that elusive first away victory, they showed enough against England to suggest they're not that far off the pace.

It’s going to be a big day this Saturday; plenty to enjoy and many thousands of you will be travelling far and wide to support your teams. A few words of encouragement and best wishes then to Mark Ley, Karl Whitty, Stuart Durrant and Gareth Johns, Welsh fans (really?) who have come up with a novel way of raising money for charity whilst on their way to the game in Paris. The four employees of SA Brain will be embarking on “The Longest Pass”, keeping a ball passing between them on their journey from Cardiff to Paris. They have already secured support for this great idea but will, I’m sure, be grateful of further support as they look to raise a healthy sum for Wooden Spoon, the charity of British and Irish rugby. Give them your support and enjoy the weekend.

What a disappointing end to a pretty dreadful weekend of rugby! I was hoping that the Irish would provide a final flourish and banish the mediocrity of Saturday’s performances, allowing us all to troop away from the magnificent Croke Park savouring the romance of the day.

Sadly not, the French went and ruined the party aided by an Irish team that stopped playing two minutes too soon. It’s a well worn cliché that the most dangerous time in a game is just after you have scored; you tend to lower your guard and the opposition come hurtling back at you. You can see why it’s trotted out so frequently now can’t you? Mind you, the French hardly roared back, they didn’t have to. They seemed to have given up the fight, the message from Laporte that this season’s 6 Nations plays second fiddle to the World Cup clearly being adhered to by his troops.

They chased the restart following O’Gara’s penalty and the ball just seemed to pop out on their side. Still no major cause for alarm within the Irish ranks. Tackle hard, force a turnover as they’d been doing all half and it’s job done. Unfortunately the same tackling techniques employed when Raphael Ibanez scuttled over for his first half try were brought into play again. The result? Try to France and heartbreak to Ireland; very sad!

As an occasion though, the day was superb. Hats off to the GAA for opening its doors to a “foreign” sport. I’m not sure if this couldn’t have been done years ago, but it’s been done now and the result was quite special. I have never heard anthems sung with such passion but as I scanned the vast stands and the historic open terrace of Hill 16 to my left I had to wonder, “How on earth, after experiencing a crowd in excess of 82,000 can the IRFU ever contemplate going back to a stadium of around 50,000?” That of course is the very real possibility. When the proposed new Lansdowne Road is completed for the 2009 6 Nations, its capacity will be around that number, 60,000 at a push.

It’s a big shortfall and I know they have to pay rent to the GAA but it still seems a crying shame. Still, if they sold Lansdowne Road, pocketed a huge fee and built their own 82,000 seater stadium out of town, they wouldn’t need to pay rent. I’m sure there’s a reason why they won’t though.

Back to the rugby; just England and France now remain undefeated and whilst I realise Ireland and Scotland are still in with a shout of the championship, I still believe that the ultimate aim is always to win this historic old tournament by a Grand Slam. That’s what provides the excitement during the dreariest of games (and we had a couple of those this weekend). The match might disappoint but win it and the dream of the Slam is still there. Grabbing one of those links you forever with the great teams and names of the past and it’s for this reason the Irish players will be hurting so much tonight. Yes they can still top the table but doing it as Grand Slammers is the ultimate goal and today that prize was ripped away from them, and all within 2 minutes; sickening!

Well that very nearly wiped the smug smiles off our faces didn’t it? A win is a win and England are the proud owners of maximum points after two games but that was a pretty uncomfortable afternoon’s viewing.

Gone was the spark and pace of last week; the dominance of the forwards was severely muted by a game Italian pack and hesitancy stalked every England move! Not the recipe for a dominant performance and a stark reminder to the players and management that there is still a lot of work to be done.

England’s game was on the dull side and it certainly didn’t look as though the Murrayfield clash was anything to shout about either; as with Twickenham, if you supported the winning side you ended the game satisfied with the win but little else.

Scotland will be happier with their day’s efforts. No tries in a thirty point game shouldn’t quicken the heart, but after last week’s poor efforts Frank Hadden’s men responded well and made the Welsh, my favourites for the game, look decidedly average at best! They dismantled the Welsh set piece and had the better of the scoring chances; Gareth Jenkins has real problems on his hands!

You always know that there’s been little to excite the gentlemen of the press when the snappers’ lenses are focussed on Prince William and his lovely lady up in the stands and away from the action.

Of course, to focus on England’s shortcomings is to do the Italians a disservice. They pounded away at the England forwards up front and ended the game with the man of the match on their side; no mean achievement and a just reward for Troncon’s efforts.

Watching the sides troop off the field there was a definite look in the Italian players’ eyes that they did themselves proud but let a golden opportunity slip. That might be pushing things a bit as I don’t think England were ever in danger of losing the match but they had an uncomfortable day. On the plus side I thought Nick Easter had a solid debut in the white shirt and justified Ashton’s belief that players should be selected in their specialist position.

The other observation I made down in the depths of HQ was that Ashton is looking to tweak the atmosphere surrounding the England team and establish a new balance. Sir Clive loved his motivational touches, the England changing room and tunnel became a pin board for his deft little slogans and imagery; but Ashton is a different man and clearly feels that this new team needs to create its own history and cannot live in the past, fair enough. So gone are the brass plaques from the tunnel walls listing England’s great triumphs.

Also gone is the banner that stretched the length of the English side of the tunnel which read in bold letters “Think of all those who stood here before you!” Great sentiment indeed and when acted upon I’m sure it provoked great emotion as the players’ readied themselves for the fight! However, having spoken to Jason Leonard after one game a few years ago he provided a different slant on this.

“The sad thing is Bayfs,” he intoned, “when I do think of the other players who stood here, I start laughing!” Typical Leonard and probably a major reason why all that stands in its place now is a whitewashed wall bearing the cross of St. George.

Even after on an afternoon of moderate entertainment there is always something to make you smile at Twickenham; either the supporters, the great characters wandering the grounds looking for a freebie or the history that radiates from the great stadium. Add to that the ultimate maxim following a dubious performance, “A win is a win”, and the day suddenly doesn’t look so bad, let’s be grateful for that!

First of all, sorry for being just a bit on the late side getting this week’s blog up and running. Unfortunately the delicate dusting of snow that brought so much chaos to our lives and bulk buying to the supermarkets also meant that I was left shivering in London whilst my laptop remained warm and cosy in Northampton.

Of course, I could have used the computer in the Business Centre of the Landmark Hotel; but sadly couldn’t arrange the medium sized overdraft necessary to access the internet from their one computer. More than that, I would have needed to cough up a small fortune just to use the damn thing, regardless of whether I needed to communicate with the outside world or not. At £3 for the first three minutes and the 75p for every subsequent minute, JUST to use MS Word, it will come as no surprise to you that I passed on their kind offer.

So here I am, slightly late but able to put warm food on the table, contemplating this week’s round of matches and, quite appropriately, it’s all about the "whether" again. Whether or not the teams that won last week can maintain that momentum and whether or not the defeated parties can learn from their mistakes.

Let’s start with England. I’m sure that, like me, the bulk of you started to add a sense of bitter realism to your mood as we moved further away from the jubilant scenes at Twickenham and closer , if not to the clash with Italy this weekend then certainly the journey to Croke Park in two week’s time.

We would have all suddenly remembered, “Hang on, didn’t we rattle up 40 odd points against Wales in our tournament opener last season, only to end with three straight defeats?” Yes we did my friends and that is why we’re all probably a little jittery at the moment.

The whole team performed superbly last Saturday but those performances need to become the norm. Harry Ellis has set the benchmark for his own personal goals and will need to turn in displays like that again and again if he is to be England’s linchpin. Likewise Danny Grewcock, Magnus Lund et al. The squad is well on its way to developing its own identity and feel but to become a genuinely threatening outfit the level of achievement they registered against a poor Scotland side will almost certainly have to be the lowest they settle for.

Ireland had an almighty scare in Cardiff but experience and strength saw them through but the French loom large this weekend and Eddie O’Sullivan will be monitoring his Cardiff casualties very closely. He needs his top men out on the Croke Park pitch against a French team which, whilst heavily rejigged by Bernard Laporte is still a major threat.

Wales and Scotland have much to do. Wales need to find some gas and incisive running in their backline and the return of Tom Shanklin should provide the guile needed to capitalise on the opportunities that littered the Millennium Stadium last weekend.

Scotland have to beef up their performance and smooth up the link between forwards and backs. If they do this then they can up the pace around the field and create more options to test the opposition.

As for Italy, well they’ll be disappointed with their showing against France. They froze on the day and lost the battle up front, the one area where they should be competitive. Out wide they just don’t have enough pace which is fatal at this level; ask Wales.

So, looking at the match ups this weekend the pick of the games has to be the Ireland/France clash in Dublin. I’ll be there for BBC 5 Live and can’t wait to sample the Croke Park atmosphere. Injuries permitting I do see a narrow victory for Ireland, with England and Wales winning the other two matches.

Week two promises to surpass week one, which is the way it should be.

If you need luck to win rugby matches then Ireland may just about have used up their season’s allowance in one game. Ok, they scored three tries but the plaudits for entertaining rugby have to go to Wales.

Deprived of their key strike runners, Gareth Jenkins’ men still managed to make life incredibly difficult for the Irish. Unfortunately, until they award bonus points for style it will still follow that the team that scores the most points will win the match (we like to keep things nice and simple in rugby).

Wales did everything but the one thing that mattered; score a try. They ripped the Irish defence apart time and time again but when it mattered, poor handling and more importantly, poor decision making let them down.

Ryan Jones had an immense game for Wales but he will sit in shame when the video of the game is scrutinised and he sees the glaring overlap he missed; choosing instead to drive on himself.

Chris Czekaj will feel he had a clear penalty try decision go against him when Simon Easterby dragged him down as he chased a kick ahead. From my position in the commentary gantry it did look like a penalty try but, and here is the important part, the referee can only award a penalty try if he feels that a try would have been scored but for an act of foul play. I thought it would, however a rugby ball is an odd shape and can bounce in any direction so Kelvin Deaker, the referee, may well have thought the ball was not under control and could have bounced away from Czekaj’s grasping hands. Fair enough but then surely a penalty was the next best option; instead he awarded a scrum to Ireland for a knock on; very harsh!

Martyn Williams was another who shone for Wales, in fact the whole pack was impressive and they will still feel that a championship title is within their grasp!

But what of Ireland? A win is a win, but today they escaped a tricky assignment. There was none of the fluency of handling and confidence of purpose that underlined their autumn campaign; yet they still rattled up three tries. Rory Best took his one well, pouncing while Wales were still half asleep.

O’Driscoll and O’Gara took theirs well but must realise that another performance like that against England or France and they can say “cheerio” to any Grand Slam ambitions.

So, one week gone and it’s been quite a start. France seem to have found a decent half back combination, England have welcomed back the prodigal son and Ireland are keeping us all guessing as to how good they really are.

One comment on the hot story of the weekend; the remarkable return of Jonny Wilkinson. I interviewed him after the game for BBC Radio 5 Live. Now, I know he is painfully modest and fiercely focussed but when he stated that he hoped to play well again next week “if selected!” I wanted to hit him on the head with my microphone!

Still, it’s good to see him back and it was great to enjoy a cracking first week of the RBS 6 Nations; I’m sure you’ll all agree! Well, on the last comment at least!