Top 5: Fullbacks

Welcome back to my “Top 5” rugby series. This 13-article series has been inspired by countless conversations among friends or other fans over the years and will see me selecting my top 5 men’s rugby players who are currently playing at each position.

With all of these lists, I am picking who I feel are the best 5 at each position, so there may be some surprises in there as I select the players who I feel are most appropriate to the position despite there being multiple ways to play many positions. I try to watch rugby from a broad range of leagues as well as plenty (or too much, depending how you ask) of Test matches, but I appreciate that I still have some blind spots, while a list like this is subjective; so while the majority of each article will be my list, I also set my good friend and occasional collaborator Phil the challenge to select his top 5, which I will include below. I’d also love to hear your picks, so go ahead and post them in the comments!

And so, we reach the end today and conclude this series with a look at fullback.

Top 5

Santiago Carreras

Currently the starting 10 for the Pumas and has spent much of the latter half of the season playing their for Gloucester too, but to me, Santi Carreras is so much better at 15. Has the intangibles to play across the back line, with a great range of passes and kicks (though he may overhit the odd kick), incredible footwork and enough pace to hold his own on the wing, while from a defensive standpoint, he is one of the best around under the high ball and a solid and reliable tackler.

Will Jordan

One of the silver linings from the dark cloud on All Blacks history that is the Ian Foster era, Jordan is one of the most exciting attacking fullbacks in the game. With the pace to also cover on the wing, he is solid under the high ball, an has great footwork to beat his man, while always appearing to pick the right line to break through the defense, or constantly on the shoulder to finish off the break.

Cheslin Kolbe

Gets the nod over Willie Le Roux, but Kolbe’s ability to also cover wing means I would look to get both of them in my team if possible. Kolbe is almost impossible to put down, with a great blend of pace and footwork making it near-impossible to get hold of him and then an incredible strength and leg drive making it hard to get him down if you do grab him. And with all that focus on how hard it is to tackle him, what then gets overlooked is his range of distribution that makes him capable of playing fly half.

Freddie Steward

One of the new young stars of English rugby. Steward is a big-bodied 15 who excels under the high ball, combining his height with an impressive vertical leap. Meanwhile, he picks his time and spots to come forward in attack, having great success in and around the 13 channel, using his pace and size to create a good momentum to put the team on the front foot or even go over for the try himself.

Hugo Keenan

And last but not least, a player who makes the list simply from reliably doing the basics right 99.9% of the time. Has good al-round attributes in attack and knows how to pick his moment to hit a deadly line, but it is hs defensive game that really sets him apart, as he always seems to be in just the right place to deal with whatever kick the opposition send into the backfield, including being super reliable in the air, while this reliability also continues to being in the right place to make a crucial tackle too.

Phil’s top 5: Will Jordan, Hugo Keenan, Liam Williams, Kotaro Matsushima, Santiago Carreras

Who makes your top 5?

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Top 5: Wings

And so, let’s continue down the back line and look at the wings.

Top 5

Damian Penaud

The son of former France stand-off Alain Penaud, the Bordeaux-bound wing has already done enough by the age of 26 to have become a French rugby legend in his own right. With a great blend of pace and power, the wing is able to make or finish a break, and make it look oh so simple. Already sits joint-5ᵗʰ alongside Philippe Bernat-Salles and Émile Ntamack in France’s all-time try scoring charts with 26, and it is highly possible that by this time next year he will have surpassed Serge Blanco’s record of 3 tries in just over half as many Tests.

Makazole Mapimpi

Perhaps one of the more underrated wings in Test rugby. A regular try scorer in open, attacking teams, playing for a much more defensive South African team has highlighted his full quality. While he still utilises his pace and power to take the chances he is given to score, he also uses these same attributes to shut down attacks down his wing. But more than that, he has an engine and selflessness, being willing to spend matches constantly chasing up box kicks and taking the catcher as soon as they have the ball, allowing his team to dominate the territory game, while he is also more than capable to compete in the air when he gets there in time.

Duhan van der Merwe

A player who jus seems to be getting better and better, van der Merwe may not be the best defensively, but more than makes up for this with his attacking prowess. A giant on the pitch, he utilises his size and strength to dominate most of his fellow wings (while also coming inside as a crash ball option to help put the team on the front foot), but he also has an eye for a gap and the pace to take advantage of any space he is given. A key part of Scotland’s World Cup hopes.

Marika Koroibete

While the performances of the Australia national team have been consistently inconsistent over recent years, Koroibete is one of a handful of players whose performances always seem to reach at least an 8/10. Combines pace, power and incredible footwork to consistently beat defences, while he frequently makes key interventions in defence to turn the tide of matches in his team’s favour.

Rieko Ioane

A player who has spent much of this cycle playing outside centre, Ioane still reaches another level on the wing. His pace is a nightmare for defenders to deal with, and he backs this up with surprising strength, which makes him a matchup nightmare for opposition wings. Scoring tries at a rate of just over 1 every 2 games, which has slowed down a little in recent years as Ian Foster did his best to ruin the All Blacks, but at 26 years old, he still has plenty of time to climb the try scoring charts.

Phil’s top 5: Makazole Mapimpi, Duhan van der Merwe, Cheslin Kolbe, Keith Earls, Santiago Cordero

Who makes your top 5?

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Top 5: Outside Centres

And so, let’s continue down the back line and look at the outside centres.

Top 5

Lukhanyo Am

A few years ago he was regarded as one of the best defensive 13s in the world… then the best defensive 13 in the world… then the best 13 in the world…now he is probably competing with Antoine Dupont to be called the best in the world. Always appears to make the right decision at just the right time, so solid in defence and able to truck the ball up, pass or kick as required.

Chris Harris

I remember being disappointed when it was announced that my team Gloucester were signing Chris Harris, as beck then he just seemed to be a very good defensive 13. Well roll the clock forward and he is now arguably one of the best defensive 3s in the game. Always appears to make the correct read in defence and knows when to hold back and when to blitz forward and make a big hit, while also covering the spaces that his teammates need. And the growth of a decent attacking game too certainly doesn’t hurt things either!

Jack Goodhue

That Goodhue’s last cap came in 2023 shows just how badly his career has been hit by injuries, but he remains a star and still has time to prove it on the internationals stage. A solid all-rounder in attack, Goodhue is another who excels with his reading of the game in defence, which result in him always being in the right place to stop an attack.

Len Ikitau

A player who has really snuck up on me to make his way onto this list. Took his chance when injuries opened up a spot in the 13 shirt for the Wallabies and quickly cemented his place in the team. Super reliable in attack, he’s also so reliable in his defence that he was able to shine defensively and succeed with the personnel around him changing each week during recent Australia matches. And at just 24 years old with 2 years of Test rugby behind him, he will just continue to improve over the coming years.

Garry Ringrose

A player who came onto the Test scene and was immediately hailed as the successor to Brian O’Driscoll, such was the hype about him in the early years that top quality performances are just expected from him these days. And yet somehow he never does appear to have a good game. A great dynamic attacker to balance outside Ireland’s more physical 12s, Ringrose is yet another player whose defensive reading of the game is spot on, and who you can always rely on to make the right decision between holding back in the line or flying out to make the man-and-ball tackle.

Phil’s top 5: Chris Harris, Lukhanyo Am, Henry Slade, Jonathan Danty, Anton Lienert-Brown

Who makes your top 5?

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Top 5: Inside Centres

And so, having made it through the halves, let’s continue down the back line and look at the inside centres.

Top 5

Manu Tuilagi

One of the stars of English rugby over the past dozen years, and yet it feels like injuries have stopped the youngest of the Tuilagi brothers from reaching the heights that he should have. The name Tuilagi speaks for itself, as he is an absolute wrecking ball in midfield, and still appears to have a positive impact whenever he enters the Test arena. Unfortunately recent years have seen injuries really hamper his attempts to earn more Test caps, but England have never really managed to find someone who can replace him in his absence.

Samu Kerevi

Another player whose Test career has been limited in recent years (due to a move abroad affecting his eligibility in this case), Kerevi is another whose presence on the pitch seems to immediately make the national team look so much stronger. Has followed the Ma’a Nonu route of rugby by starting of as an incredible crash ball 12 and then expanding his game in his late 20s to also include an impressive passing and kicking game. Let’s hope that playing outside of Australia doesn’t see him being left out of the World Cup squad.

Damian de Allende

A player who seems to get a lot of stick from fans, de Allende is a highly impressive player. He may not have the wider game that some on this list do and sometimes makes the wrong decision with ball in hand, but what he does well, he does very well. A highly impressive crash ball runner, de Allende is also an impressive defensive 12, solid and reliable, but also a threat at the breakdown if and when the opportunity arises.

Jonathan Danty

What a few years it has been for Danty. Got a chance to continue his Test career as France tested their depth and forced his way into the squad, before becoming the clear replacement in midfield when Virimi Vakatawa was forced to retire and is now a key part of the XV. Runs hard but smart in attack, while in defence he is able to use his physicality to halt the opposition and is a constant threat at the breakdown.

Jordie Barrett

The youngest of New Zealand’s trio of Barrett brothers, if I could only have one on my team it would likely be him. A utility back who appeared to have found his home at fullback, injuries in the All Blacks midfield saw him tried at secnd five-eighth and he hasn’t looked back. Has the strength to hit the line as a crash ball or defend at such a key position, but is also a natural playmaker in a way that nobody else on this list is, with a range of passes and kicks that any fly half or fullback would be happy with, while he is also super accurate off the tee and able to nail a kick from his own half.

Phil’s top 5: Damian de Allende, André Esterhuizen, Manu Tuilagi, Samu Kerevi, Levani Botia

Who makes your top 5?

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Top 5: Fly Halves

And so, having made it to the halves, let’s look at the fly halves.

Top 5

Owen Farrell

This may be a controversial place to start, but it feels like Owen Farrell is one of those players who will only really get the recognition he deserves once he retires. Memed for a few no-arms tackles, Farrell is in fact probably one of the best defensive 10s in the game, so much so that he is a legitimate option at centre too. Meanwhile in attack, he calmly controls the game with a range of passes and kicks, generally relying on doing the basics well and then just occasionally adding a moment of flair when the situation is right.

Beauden Barrett

The man many would probably consider the best player in the world, and the kind of player many England fans are hoping Marcus Smith can become. His range of passes and kicks is incredible (though his goal kicking is not always the most consistent) and his eye for an opportunity has undone many defences. Controversially, while I agree that he is a top 5 flyhalf, I actually think that he is better used at fullback (though he just misses out on the top 5 at that position!), where he can work as a second playmaker but also read the game from slightly further away from the defence.

Richie Mo’unga

As great as Barrett may be, Mo’unga would be my pick at 10 were I selecting the All Blacks XV. He’s never really been given the full control of a decent All Blacks XV, so we have rarely seen the best of him at Test level, but for the Crusaders he is clearly the key man, solid in defence and with incredible footwork in attack to match his range of passes and kicks. This guy almost wins games on his own! Could the 2023 Rugby World Cup finally be the stage on which he manages to shine for the All Blacks?

Finn Russell

An absolute magician with ball in hand. Has been called a maverick for much of his career due to the mesmeric attacking variation that very few playmakers would even dream of, but he has in fact matured to control a game first and foremost, while he is also super reliable off the tee. But what is truly impressive is his self-belief. Some attempts at something special may not pay off, but he just smirks them off and carries on with the game. With this guy on the pitch, Scotland are a much more dangerous animal.

Romain Ntamack

Perhaps goes unnoticed at times with the quality of players around him in the current French team, but Romain has quality enough to be much more than just the son of French legend Émile. Controls the game well and generally seems to pick the right pass or kick for the situation, but also has the pace and footwork to go himself. He has that French rugby flair in his blood that leave him calm and confident enough to start an attack in his own in-goal (just remember that break against New Zealand) but balances this well with the restraint and knowledge of when to pick his moments.

Phil’s top 5: Richie Mo’unga, Dan Biggar, Finn Russell, Beauden Barrett, Romain Ntamack

Who makes your top 5?

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A Global Rugby Calendar: My Plan

With the news that Joe Hawkins had signed for Exeter Chiefs for next season, I found myself lamenting the loss of another talented player from Test rugby for the foreseeable future—and let’s be honest, Wales need him right now—as he has not earned enough caps to allow him to be eligible to play for the national team while playing or a club outside Wales. As a result, one of the biggest silver linings to a difficult last year for Wales is now highly unlikely to feature at the Rugby World Cup later this year. Meanwhile, England may have eligibility questions of their own as Jack Willis (a regular starter for England so far under Steve Borthwick) has signed for Toulouse after having initially moved there on a short-term contract following the collapse of Wasps.

You can understand both sides of the argument. Players’ careers are short and dangerous, so they need to make whatever money they can, which can’t be provided in Wales, where the WRU are failing to support the regions, or in England, where almost 100 Premiership players found themselves cut after last season due to reductions in the salary cap, while the Premiership is now 2 clubs down following the loss of Worcester and Wasps. Meanwhile from the union’s point of view, they want players playing at home to guarantee access to players whenever the national team wants them, rather than just during World Rugby’s Test windows.

Now I’m not going to consider myself even close to an expert, but I can’t help feel that both situations would be helped by something that has been suggested for a long time now: a global rugby calendar. There have been so many suggestions over the years but none have ever got the backing needed to be trialled. But as rugby finds itself coming to a vital point in its existence, where some of the established countries are struggling financially but the game also grows in other lower-tier countries, I have a suggestion for how the global season could look for professional rugby.

So my idea is loosely based on the format of New Zealand Rugby, where players are contracted to a Super Rugby franchise, but also a club in the NPC (National Provincial Championship, formerly the Mitre 10 Cup/ITM Cup). The NPC runs from July/August through to October, while Super Rugby runs from February to June. As a result, Test windows generally coincide with the NPC, but as each club will usually only have a couple of internationals contracted, they can work around this.

So my idea would be to split the season into 3 parts:

A “domestic” window, for competitions like the NPC, Premiership, MLR. I would also include the URC in this, though it may be that unions would prefer to replace this with individual domestic competitions. Due to this directly following the “Test” window (more on that in a moment), internationals would likely miss the opening month or so of the competition and find their minutes limited in order to avoid burnout.
This would be followed by a “continental” window, for competitions like Super Rugby, the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup. Each continent would have their own competitions, though the Americas could be considered as 1 continent rather than 2. While the current Super Rugby format probably wouldn’t need much change, European competition would need a complete rebuild, to likely create a number of levels of a round-robin tournament with semis and a final in the final weeks of the season. I may get some grief for this, but I would have the South African franchises heading an African continental tournament, as I feel that Europe needs to focus on the growth of emerging nations like Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Romania, while it could also allow for teams from Italy’s domestic competition should the URC remain, while similarly African rugby needs a boost.
Finally a “Test” window, which is itself in 2 parts:
- - The first half of the window would be a series of matches similar to the current Summer/Autumn Tests. To allow a fair balance, fixtures played one season will be reversed in the next (eg England v Fiji in Year 1 leads to Fiji v England in Year 2). Personally, I would argue a balance between other Tier 1 opponents and Tier 2/3 opponents to continue growth of the game
  - The second half of the window would be the usual regional Test Tournament, or if there isn’t one, then one would be created. Obvious examples here would be the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship. Every 4 years, these regional tournaments would be replaced by the World Cup
- Every 4 years (2 after the World Cup), the 2 halves would be swapped so that the regional tournaments happen first, then the British & Irish Lions tour would take place alongside the other Test matches to complete the season.

Do I think it’s perfect? Definitely not, especially as I’m sure that there would be questions over the financial implicaions. But I think that it would allow players greater freedom of movement by having all Test rugby played at the same time, while this would also see a gradual increase in intensity as the season goes on. Similarly with no overlap (the only potential overlap being between the Test and Domestic windows, which would allow Academy and fringe players a chance to gain experience and state their case to have a larger role as the season goes on.

What do you think of my suggestion for a global season? Do you have any recommendations of your own?

Thanks for reading. Until next time!.

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2023 Six Nations: Team of the Tournament

We’re 1 week on from Super Saturday and the conclusion of the 2023 Six Nations. And what an edition it was! We saw Jonathan Sexton overtake his predecessor Ronan O’Gara to become the new leading points scorer in tournament history in what is expected to be his last ever match in the competition. We saw Ireland win only their third Grand Slam in the Six Nations era (their fourth in the entire history of the tournament), despite playing the majority of a half of rugby with no recognised hooker. We saw France let loose against England in a timely reminder of how dangerous the are offensively, while England began life under Steve Borthwick and Wales began the second Warren Gatland era. Scotland gave fans hope by winning their opening 2 matches for the first time in the Six Nations, only to fall away against the Irish and French, while Italy looked better than they have in years, only to end with the Wooden Spoon. And over it all loomed the spectre of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France this Autumn…

And so it is time to bid farewell to the tournament by picking the 15 men who make my Team of the tournament. Let me know how my picks compare to yours!

So without further ado, my Team of the 2022 Six Nations is:

1) Pierre Schoeman: You can always tell when the Edinburgh loosehead has ball in hand from the entire Scottish crowd yelling “Schoe!” And they were doing it plenty this year, as the big man carried 60 times throughout the tournament, behind only Freddie Steward (62) and 11 more than the nearest front row (Ellis Genge). With 244 metres made and broken tackles, Schoeman played a huge role in getting the Scottish attack on the front foot.

2) Dan Sheehan: George Turner’s lineout issues cost him in the fight for this spot, and while Giacomo Nicotera did very well in this area, he did not have the same impact in the rest of the game as Sheehan. Sheehan is one of the new generation of hookers coming through: big and physical but with the pace and footwork to be a threat anywhere over the pitch and a poacher’s eye for the line. His second try against England highlighted exactly why he makes this list, and don’t be shocked to see him regularly competing for this spot.

3) Finlay Bealham: Was given a chance to start with Tadhg Furlong injured and Andrew Porter now considered a loosehead, and took the opportunity with both hands. Scrummaged well, carried hard and generally did such a great job that Furlong’s absence was barely felt. His role in assisting Hugo Keenan’s try against France put the shine on a fine highlights reel. A pity that he was ruled out of the later stages of the tournament through injury.

4 & 5) Thibaud Flament & Federico Ruzza: Honourable mentions here for Richie Gray, who played a key role in the Scottish lineout before injury, and Ollie Chessum, who thoroughly outplayed teammate Maro Itoje and was one of the few to emerge from the hammering against France with any credit. Thibaud Flament not just secured his spot in the French XV with his performances this year but added an extra dimension to their attack with his strong but dynamic running that allowed him to carry in wider channels, and his ability to keep the attack going with a deft offload, while his tries were also the joint-most among forwards, level with teammate Charles Ollivon. Meanwhile, Ruzza was at the centre of the Italian lineout—the most successful in the competition this season—with 39 lineouts won (more than double the tally of the next player) and a further 2 lineout steals (joint second, behind James Ryan – 5). But he was so much more than just a set piece specialist, with 28 carries for 139 metres with 6 broken tackles and 4 offloads helping to create a platform for the attack, and 55 tackles made leaving him joint-third among the Azzurri.

6) Sebastian Negri: He may not do the flashy work, but the Zimbabwe-born flanker will happily do the grunt work to allow the Italian flair players to flourish. You can always rely on him to go into contact hard, whether on offence (58 carries, 277 metres, 11 broken tackles) and defence (45 tackles, 4 dominant tackles). Does the hard work to create the platform for the backs, while also got a try for his efforts

7) Charles Ollivon: The former captain is looking back to his best. Made the third-most tackles of any French player (65 – joint-seventh most among all players) alongside 4 turnovers (2 of them in the tackle). In attack, he continued to show his quality in space, with 45 carries for 219 metres with 5 broken tackles and 5 offloads. His 3 tries were the joint-most among forwards, level with Thibaud Flament.

8) Caelan Doris: Was unlucky to miss out on a spot in my “Top 5 number 8s” article as he split his time in the national team between 6 and , but has now firmly established himself as the starting number for Ireland and a top 5 in the world at the position. Doris is at the heart of almost everything good for Ireland, carrying hard (54 carries for 275 metres, third most metres made among forwards) nd is able to keep play going with well-timed passes either during or just before contact, while also putting in a shift in defence (50 tackles, 5 turnovers won).

Quel 👏 plaquage 👏de folie!

Antoine Dupont déploie une force incroyable pour éloigner Mack Hansen de la ligne d'essai 🤯#SixNations #ChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/lyt3TqWvWX
— Champions Cup France (@ChampionsCup_FR) February 13, 2023

9) Antoine Dupont: Honourable mention to Ben White, who took on the starting role for Scotland and was consistently reliable, but Dupont is on another level. While Ireland did well to nullify him, he showed in the rest of the games why he is regarded as one of the best players in the world. Controlled games with his ability to kick off both feet, while remaining both elusive and incredibly strong. May not have scored as many tries as we are used to seeing him score, but still finished with 4 assists and one of his own. His try-saving tackle when Mack Hansen looked certain to score will live long in the memory.

10) Finn Russell: The easy selection here would have been Sexton after leading his team to the Grand Slam, but that feels like giving into the fairytale story. Finn Russell is a magician. While not everything works out, he just smirks off the mistakes and goes again. But when it works, boy does it work, and with the team frequently putting him on the front foot, it was working this tournament, to the tune of 4 assists and key roles in many other tries. Scotland’s hopes lie in Russell and Gregor Townsend remaining on at least professional terms.

11) Mack Hansen: So I generally prefer to pick a left wing and a right wing, but while Ethan Dumortier impressed in his first Six Nations and Duhan van der Merwe continued to show his quality for Scotland, there were 2 clear standouts on the right wing who could not be ignored, so Mack Hansen gets the nod here. A great all-rounder, Hansen has the pace and ability in the air to excel at Test level, but his experience of having played 10 before moving to Ireland shows in his play, as he is frequently found coming off his wing and acting as another playmaker in wider areas to help Ireland expand their attack, while he also holds his own in defence and contributed 4 turnovers.

12) Sione Tuipulotu: Jonathan Danty’s impact on the final 2 rounds after returning from injury were almost enough to secure this spot, but he misses out to Scotland’s Sione Tuipulotu. Secured his spot in the Scottish midfield and now we are starting to really see the best of him. Can carry and hit hard, but also has incredible subtlety, highlighted by a lovely grubber kick assist for centre partner Huw Jones against England—1 of 3 assists in the tournament this season.

13) Huw Jones: Could I really split up “Huwipulotu”? Not on this tournament’s performances! I was surprised to see Jones given the 13 shirt over Chris Harris, but his chemistry with Glasgow teammate Tuipulotu and (perhaps more importantly, Finn Russell) saw the Scot with the Welshest name ever excel. Made ground not just when in space but also through contact, finishing with 441 metres (sixth-most among all players) off just 39 carries, less than anyone above him, and with 15 tackles broken. His 4 tries left him joint-second in the tournament, level with Blair Kinghorn and behind just…

14) Damian Penaud: It’s crazy; Penaud is just 26, but needs just 12 more tries to equal Serge Blanco’s all-time record for France. The wing added 5 to his tally this tournament (the top try scorer) to highlight how clinical he is, while amassing 399 metres (seventh-most among all players), 25 broken tackles and an assist off just 28 carries. Don’t be shocked to see him pushing to be the top try scorer at RWC2023. Oh and for those wondering, Julian Savea’s 8 tries in RWC2015 are the most in a tournament (6 or 7 is the most common tally for a top scorer), so Penaud breaking the French try-scoring record by the end of the 2024 Six Nations is a distinct possibility.

15) Hugo Keenan: The model of consistency retains his place from the 2022 Team of the Tournament. Always seems to be exactly where he is needed in both attack and defence, continually dealing with the opposition kicking game, while his 54 carries this year saw him top the charts for metres made (564) along with 11 broken tackles, 2 tries and an assist.

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2023 Six Nations: Ireland v England

The 2023 Six Nations came to an end on St Patrick’s weekend in Dublin as Ireland looked to complete just a third Six Nations Grand Slam (their fourth in any version of the tournament) against an England team who would be hoping for a reaction after being embarrassed at home by France last weekend.

Jonathan Sexton was playing in his last Six Nations match and would surely be looking to go out on a high, but it was his opposite number Owen Farrell who opened the scoring with a penalty, as Ireland struggled to deal with England’s early defensive pressure. However Ireland soon grew into the game, and Sexton almost had the Six Nations points record to himself with a 5m quick tap penalty, only to be held up over the line. The missed opportunity proved costly, as England’s next possession around the Irish 22 saw Farrell kick another penalty. Sexton finally made the Six Nations points record his own with a penalty as the first quarter came to an end, getting a standing ovation from the crowd at the Aviva Stadium. As the game reached the half hour, Ireland were beginning to find half-gaps, and when Josh van der Flier peeled off the back of a maul just inside the English 22, his pass back inside sent Dan Sheehan through the gap his run had created for the opening try of the game, Sexton adding the extras. And then came the body blow for England with the clock in the red, as Freddie Steward collided with Hugo Keenan following a knock-on by Mack Hansen, and Jaco Peyper sent him off for turning in and making contact with Keenan’s head—leading to the irish fullback failing a HIA. England however managed to hold out the resultant Irish attack and make it into the break just 10-6 down.

A man down, England looked to rely on territory and the set piece to keep in the game, and cut the Irish lead to just a point with half hour remaining after Ellis Genge got the better of Tadhg Furlong at the scrum. Ireland continued to put the pressure on, though, bringing on Tom O’Toole to secure the scrum and Jack Conan in place of Peter O’Mahony to add an extra carrier, and after Anthony Watson was forced to take the ball back over his own line on the hour after collecting Sexton’s cross-kick, Ireland stretched the defence with a couple of phases to the posts before hitting back to the blind side to send Robbie Henshaw over. And the win looked likely with 12 minutes remaining as Dan Sheehan’s carry out wide brought Ireland into the 22, and after resetting, Mack Hansen released Jack Conan to make the yards up to the 5m line before offloading to Sheehan for the finish in the corner. England hit back quickly with a try for Jamie George from a driving maul after Jack Conan was pinged for offside at the breakdown, while Sexton left the pitch in some pain but under his own steam to a hero’s applause after getting caught at the bottom of the maul. But any hopes of a late comeback victory for England were brought to an end as Jack Willis was sent to the bin for taking Ross Byrne beyond the horizontal, while Rob Herrin peeled off the resultant lineout maul to go over in the corner for a 29-16 victory and an historic Grand Slam.

Ireland

While I’m sure Ireland would have preferred a much simpler match, this was probably the perfect situation for them. This is a team who are notoriously famous for having peaked too soon, and I’m sure that after their recent victories over New Zealand, South Africa and France, and with their ranking as #1 in the world, people are just waiting for them to collapse at another World Cup.

So while some may see this as the first sign, I think that Andy Farrell will use this as a timely wake-up call. But more than that, it is a reminder that they cannot let the occasion get the better of them and must remain focused for every game, while also a timely reminder not to underestimate a team, no matter how bad their recent performances have been, and a reminder of just how hard a team can fight when they lose a man to a red card. But further to that, Keenan’s failed HIA gave Jimmy O’Brien some crucial experience in a major match, while Ryan Baird was also forced to step up after being given the number 4 shirt with both Tadhg Beirne and Iain Henderson missing through injury.

But at the end of the day, a win is a win, and a Grand Slam just months out from a World Cup will give them so much belief that 202 could finally be the year that they break their World Cup curse.

England

Whether it was the return of Owen Farrell at 10 and Manu Tuilagi at 12, or just a number of players realising that last week had left them 1 poor performance away from the end of their Test careers, but this English performance was unrecognisable from last week.

Players were getting up in the Irish faces, and at the breakdown they weren’t just making it a contest, they were actually winning on the balance of play. Meanwhile in attack, there appeared more intent in the carries, and there was much more structure.

To me, part of this is likely a boot up the proverbial buttocks after last week forcing a response, but I also think that the 10 and 12 selections have an impact. Owen Farrell is a leader, and leads by example, controlling the attack and being physical in defence. Seeing your captain and leader doing this will push you to do the same, while Ellis Genge—removed from the burden of captaincy—was able to focus on his own game and looked much more dangerous, while with extra support from his his pack, Jack Willis was able to have one of his best performances in an England shirt.

But I can’t help think that Tuilagi has an impact too. While Ollie Lawrence has done a fie job at 12 for England, he is not as big as Manu, in the same way that Yoram Moefana was not able to completely replace Jonathan Danty in the early rounds of the tournament, and I would argue that Lawrence’s long-term England future may be at rather than 12, especially as a new generation of physical 12s arrives in Dan Kelly and Seb Atkinson. Tuilagi remains an incredible talent and the only real question marks are around his durability. for a team rebuilding like England are right now, a player of his ability and experience still has a crucial part to play. Will it be enough to see him on the plane to France…?

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2023 Six Nations: France v Wales

Second up on Super Saturday came the match that all of Wales had been dreading for the past week. Despite their first win in Warren Gatland’s second spell last week, Wales were still so far off the pace of the top teams in the competition and found themselves ending the tournament in Paris against a French team who had ran riot against England last weekend.

Wales came in having made a number of changes, with a focus on experience over form, and in fact earned the first chance of the game as a breakdown penalty allowed them to kick to the corner, but after Ken Owens spilled the ball at the back of the maul, Wyn Jones found himself held up over the line. Wales were making ground surprisingly well in their early attack and causing the French issues, and third penalty to the corner saw the maul stopped just short of the line, only for George North to pick a beautiful line to hit Rhys Webb’s wide pass for the opening try underneath the posts. If they had been shocked by the start, it didn’t take long for France to recover, and after Romain Ntamack broke down the left wing in their first attack, he offloaded to Antoine Dupont, whose wide pass found Damian Penaud in acres of space on the right for a quick answer. Wales were playing with a tempo and intent that had rarely been seen in recent years, but the French defence were finding answers, and then began growing into the game and winning some vital penalties at the breakdown, which eventually allowed Thomas Ramos to kick a penalty to put the hosts ahead for the first time after 26 minutes and another on the half hour to open up a gap on the visitors. The French attack was growing into the game too, and after Dupont was stopped just short in the left corner, the ball was spread down the hands to Jonathan Danty, who went over on the right wing. Wales perhaps got a little lucky soon after the restart as George North’s intervention to break up a French counterattack with Rio Dyer out of position was not considered a deliberate knock on, and the two teams were able to see out the half for a 20-7 score at the break.

The second half saw a much more impressive start from Les Bleus, who were immediately on the attack, and it took just a few minutes of concerted pressure in the 22 before the created an overlap just short of the try line, allowing Uini Atonio to power through the tackle of Louis Rees-Zammit for his first French try on his 50ᵗʰ cap. And their next attack was even more clinical, sending Gaël Fickou over on a beautiful line on the first phase after a lineout maul went nowhere, securing the bonus point in under 50 minutes. France were playing with confidence, but after being turned over in their own 22 after trying to play out from behind their own line, replacement hooker Bradley Roberts managed to force his way over for the try. Wales appeared to be going through a spell of momentum, and after Aaron Wainwright was stopped just short by Grégory Alldritt, Tomos Williams took the opportunity to snipe over from close range. But France put the pressure on in the final minutes to send Penaud over in the corner with just minutes left, which meant that a last gasp try for Rio Dyer was just a consolation bonus point, as the game ended 41-28.

France

They may not have faced the toughest of opponents in the last few weeks of the tournament, but after a disappointing loss to Ireland, France have made a statement.

Having arguably overplayed against Ireland, Les Bleus have been much more clinical in their matches against England and Wales, with a few exceptions like the decision to play out from their own in-goal which led to Bradley Roberts’ try. With Danty back providing his extra physicality in midfield, it feels like it has freed up carriers in the French pack like Cyril Baille, Sipili Falatea, Charles Ollivon and Grégory Alldritt to effect the game in better areas of the pitch. But you also get the feeling that they are holding something back with the World Cup so close.

Meanwhile in defence, Danty’s return has also been felt as it has not just solidified the midfield but also brought back an extra jackal threat to the back line, which one again allows the team to spread their jackals through the defensive line for maximum impact.

While France will be disappointed not to be celebrating a Grand Slam today, they can look back at this campaign as a success. The questions the may have been asked after losing to Ireland have been largely answered, while this tournament may have cost them Anthony Jelonch, it has seen the rise of Falatea, Thibaud Flament and Ethan Dumortier among others, along with the return of Thomas Ramos to add extra depth at 15 (while also being an emergency 10, which will surely see him make the World Cup squad) and a test of the depth at tighthead prop.

While they may not have won the Six Nations (assuming no shock victory in the finale from England), it’s another stepping stone as they build towards the Autumn and a World Cup which they must be one of the favourites to win.

Wales

I’m sure that I can’t have been the only one surprised when Warren Gatland announced his matchday squad, which sa a number of the youngsters who had been impressing given the weekend off, while a number of Gatland’s old favourites—who had frankly looked past it in may of their recent appearances—returned tot he starting lineup. Was Gatland just going back to his old favourites? Had he lost his mind? Or did he look at what happened to England last weekend and decide to remove as many of the kids as he could from the firing line so that their early Test careers did not involve the pain of taking an absolute hammering?

Well the old guard certainly caught myself—and perhaps even France—by surprise, with many of them putting in performances that ran back the clock. Rhys Webb continued where he left off against Italy, benefitting as well from the return of Dan Biggar outside him. Nick Tompkins looked comfortable in his first start of the tournament, George North was carrying and defending with a strength that we have not seen enough, while Alun Wyn Jones—who had looked years off the pace in recent appearances—was at the heart of everything, though it may be a little worrying that he only lasted to a few minutes into the second half.

Meanwhile, there suddenly seemed an intent in attack that has so often been missing. Instead of hitting a one-up runner or playing it down the line, Wales were targeting the fringes of the breakdown with pick and go carries, and taking every opportunity they could to keep the ball alive and the tempo high by offloading out of contact. The attack was drawing in the tacklers and creating gaps in the defence, while also forcing them to give away penalties as they attempted to slow the game down.

And in possibly one of the smartest moves, Gatland chose to use Gloucester superstar Louis Rees-Zammit at fullback, which saw him get more touches in the opening half than he had probably had all tournament, as he was given the freedom to find the gaps and hit them. Such is the talent that Rees-ammit has, the more Wales can get the ball in his hands the better, while with players like Josh Adams, Rio Dyer and Alex Cuthbert, Wales have enough other options to cover the wings.

With this being Wales’ last competitive match before the World Cup, some veterans may have just secured their spot in the squad, while a couple of others may have helped put themselves back in contention.

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2023 Six Nations: Scotland v Italy

It feels like the 2023 Six Nations only started a couple of weeks ago, and yet here we are kicking off Super Sunday at Murrayfield. Scotland began this tournament with 2 wins for the first time in Six Nations history, but fell off against France and Ireland, but had the chance to finish on a high against an Italian team who were without a win despite vastly improved performances this season.

The Scots came in with Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg both missing through injury, and soon found themselves behind as a series of Italian penalties allowed them to put the Scots under pressure before settling for 3 points from the boot of Tommaso Allan. A penalty against Seb Negri from playing the nine at a breakdown gave Scotland possession their own shot at possession in the 22, which they eventually converted by sending Duhan van der Merwe over in the corner despite the best efforts of Paolo Garbisi, though Blair Kinghorn was unable to add the extras from the touchline with his first kick. Italy hit back immediately with another Allan penalty as Italy continued to target the Scottish breakdown, but after an error playing out from the back ended in the Azzurri giving away a penalty in their own 22, the Scots found their inability to convert hurt them again. However Angus Gardner and his officials were doing their job with the classic imbalance that we have come to expect from Italy’s matches, and after a series of scrum penalties against Italy, Angus Gardner sent Marco Riccioni to the bin and the hosts took immediate advantage of the extra man to send Blair Kinghorn over for the try. Italy’s defence allowed them to see out the rest of the sin bin period without any further score, but as they returned to a full complement, Scotland had one more chance to attack with the final play of the half, only for debutant wing Simone Gesi to get in the way of Kyle Steyn’s offload to Ollie Smith when the fullback would have had the line at his mercy, resulting in a 12-6 halftime score.

As the second half began, more questionable officiating allowed Scotland to kick a penalty deep into the Italian 22, and after an -phase siege of the line, Kinghorn managed to fight his way through a double tackle to stretch over the line. Italy had a chance to hi back almost immediately as Alessandro Fusco slipped through a gap on the fringe of the ruck, but his pass to the supporting Gesi was woefully off-target, prompting an awful 5 minutes for the scrum half that ended with him being replaced by Alessandro Garbisi. Italy refused to give up however, and just after the hour they got the try they deserved as Allan got on the end of Paolo Garbisi’s blind side grubber to go over in the corner, and though his touchline conversion sailed wide, Paolo Garbisi kicked a penalty just minutes later to bring the game within 5 points with 15 minutes remaining. And with just 4 minutes remaining, a penalty allowed them to kick up to the corner, and after the initial maul was stopped, Alessandro Garbis knocked on in contact with van der Merwe while stretching for the line, and Scotland attacked off the resulting scrum with the clock in the red, going the length through van der Merwe and Kinghorn, who completed his hattrick (securing the bonus point) and added the conversion for a personal tally of 21 points and a 26-14 victory that consigned Italy to the most undeserving of Wooden Spoons.

Scotland

Scotland have a big call to make regarding Blair Kinghorn. While he will surely be on the plane to France (injury permitting), the question over his role in the team surely persists. Non-selection and then injuries have severely limited Adam Hastings’ gametime at Test level in recent years, and the inexperience of the next options (Ross Thompson, who is also currently unavailable, and Edinburgh-bound Ben Healy) has really left Kinghorn as the de facto back-up to Finn Russell.

And yet the questions over his ability to be a Test-level fly half remain. While he has all the attributes to play the position, he does not have a wealth of experience playing the position at the top levels of the game, and as a result the team appears much more formulaic and easy to defend against compared to when Finn Russell is in charge of things. And then in a tight match, his lack of reliability as a goal kicker could also prove crucial as when he is at 10 there is no other regular goal kicker in the XV.

Assuming everyone is available when the World Cup comes around, Gregor Townsend has a big call to make. Does he trust Kinghorn as a 10 on the biggest stage of all? Or does he look to take another specialist at the position and utilise Kinghorn as a fullback (where I would argue he could actually improve the team by starting instead of centurion Stuart Hogg) and emergency cover at 10?

Italy

Italy have learned from this tournament. They have seen how playing out from deep has hurt them, but also seen how reliable their defence has been for much of the tournament. And today, with Scotland’s chief creative talent Finn Russell absent, the Azzurri have brought it all together.

Though there were some moments where they tried playing from deep (which generally cost them), there was much more focus on playing the game in the right area of the pitch, kicking deep when in their own half and challenging Scotland to run it back. And then they were meeting the Scottish attack with a sturdy defence and, even more importantly, having success at the breakdown. While they earned a couple of crucial turnover penalties, what they also managed to do was slow down the Scottish ball, which meant that by the time Ben White was getting the ball away, the hosts were generally looking at a set defensive line, which Blair Kinghorn struggled to break down.

This is a timely reminder that we’re only a year on from the first real flashes of Italy being truly competitive. This is a young team that is still growing and finding itself. And as they learn to manage the game and cut out the errors in attack, this will become a very hard team to play against.

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Thoughts from the world of sport and the Schmoedown

Santiago Carreras

Will Jordan

Cheslin Kolbe

Freddie Steward

Hugo Keenan

Damian Penaud

Makazole Mapimpi

Duhan van der Merwe

Marika Koroibete

Rieko Ioane

Lukhanyo Am

Chris Harris

Jack Goodhue

Len Ikitau

Garry Ringrose

Manu Tuilagi

Samu Kerevi

Damian de Allende

Jonathan Danty

Jordie Barrett

Owen Farrell

Beauden Barrett

Richie Mo’unga

Finn Russell

Romain Ntamack

Ireland

England

France

Wales

Scotland

Italy