We are now less than 2 weeks away from the 2022 edition of the Six Nations. 5 rounds of rugby spread over 7 weeks as the Home Nations, the French and the Italians battle to be regarded the best team in the Northern Hemisphere.
And so with the initial squads announced—and a number of replacements already made due to injuries, bans and COVID—it’s time for my annual look at each squad and selection of a player to keep your eyeson. So who makes the list this season?
England
You can certainly argue that his performances should have seen him earn more that just 1 cap off the bench against Tonga by now, but this could be Mark Atkinson‘s chance to show what he can do on the international stage. Atkinson is the only specialist 12 in the squad, and with Owen Farrell injured he would be the obvious option to join Marcus Smith and Henry Slade in midfield. Atkinson would provide the physical presence at 12 that Marcus Smith is used to from playing with André Esterhuizen at Harlequins, but also has a wonderful offload and a range of passes and kicks to exploit any situation.
France
Another player who only made his Test debut in late 2021, Thibaud Flament is my pick for Les Bleus. With experienced players like Paul Willemse, Bernard Le Roux and Romain Taofifénua in the squad, the Toulouse lock is far from guaranteed gametime, but is one of the latest in the new generation of French talent coming through. While many of the French locks are powerhouses, Flament is a highly dynamic player, which makes him a weapon in the team’s already exciting attack and has already earned him a Test try in just 3 caps.
Ireland
Another player who may finally get a chance due to injuries ahead of him is Ulster’s Robert Baloucoune. The wing has been a regular for Ulster for years and even spent a little time on the 7s circuit, but at 24 is just now reaching his prime. With James Lowe and Jacob Stockdale both currently injured, this could be his chance to push for minutes during the tournament, though there’s still no guarantee given the quality of options available in the back 3 and his own recent return from injury. If he get his chance though, just watch him tear up the pitch with his impressive blend of pace and power.
Italy
It’s not often the national team captain comes up on this list, but at just 23 years old and with 10 caps to his name, Michele Lamaro is anything but widely known to international audiences. A regular starter in the last campaign, Lamaro seemed to struggle at 8, but looked much more impressive when moved to flanker in the Autumn. Jake Polledri is still a long-term injury and cannot be replaced, but Lamaro brings a lot around the breakdown and a level of leadership that belies his youth. With his club Benetton now becoming successful, could he help lead a similar turnaround for the Azzurri?
Scotland
I’ve said for a while that what Scotland have missed is that physicality to help them regularly get over the gain line on early phases to create the space to exploit. Well Glasgow centre Sione Tuipulotu is a powerhouse who provides just that. More commonly used as an outside centre, he may struggle to feature in the 13 shirt too often due to the form of British & Irish Lion Chris Harris, who I would consider one of the very best 13s in the world at the moment, but if Gregor Townsend can get him working at 12, or utilise him off the bench, he’s going to be a real handful.
Wales
While there are questions over how much the first 5 names on this list will be playing, it will be he ultimate shock if Adam Beard is not a regular in the Welsh XV. Though he has struggled to hold down a spot in the Welsh second row over recent seasons, he showed his quality during the British & Irish Lions Tour to South Africa. Now with Alun Wyn Jones and Ken Owens both missing, Beard has to step up and not just become a leader in the pack, but sort out a lineout that has been an issue in recent seasons.
Who would your picks be?
Throughout the tournament, I will be running a predictions pool on Superbru, and you are invited to join! For each match, you pick who you think will be the winner and the margin of victory and get points depending on how close your prediction was. It’s purely for fun, so no entry fee and no prize… except bragging rights!
You can find my pool here or by downloading the Superbru app and searching for the pool with the code densgird
Eyes on the Ball 