YOU CAN TURN off that ominous looking green countdown clock, the Six Nations is finally here.
Now, once you’ve stopped dancing for joy, we must hasten to add that there is still one more sleep to go before Ireland kick off their tournament.
However, the good side of that is that we can spend all afternoon sitting back – feet up, arms folded – smugly watching as four other teams spill their guts and gameplans on the opening day.
Before that wonderful moment occurs, we rounded up some of our favourite TheScore.ie contributors (and me) to answer some of the big questions going into the tournament.
1. Can Ireland pick up where they left off against New Zealand or will it be too tough to mentally hit that high again?
Simon Hick (the brains behind Second Captains’ rugby coverage): We almost never hit a mental high against Scotland, as several former players have told us this week. Players will be leaving something in reserve for the following week.
Rory Baldwin of Scottish Rugby Blog: It was a big test, but after they came close before down there in New Zealand and were hammered the next week, that performance in front of a home crowd will have given them great confidence that they can get back up to the level required. Ireland are a difficult team to beat if the likes of O’Connell and Sexton are high on confidence.
Whiff of Cordite (Irish rugby blog): I don’t think it’s possible to play at that sort of intensity again, but the hope would be that we can manage a decent base performance level, at something like 75% of what we produced that day without having to draw on a well of emotion. Too often recently Ireland sleepwalk into the first game and get jolted into a big performance by wounded pride. That has to end.
Adam D’Arcy (former Ulster fullback): I hope they will continue to play the attacking style they showed against NZ, which I think they will. It’s been two months since that game so It will be hard to be at the same level, but they are capable of reaching it at some stage through the tournament.
Jeremy of French blog, Bajadita Rugby: It’s difficult because Ireland was so inconstant in the recent past. But I believe in Joe Schmidt, he’s a great coach. Ireland wants to offer a fantastic exit for BOD and that’s an excellent reason to believe in Irish boys.
Welsh blog, The Coal Face: I have to say that it seems unlikely. Not to take anything away from Ireland but to me that seemed like one of those days where everything falls into the right place. In the same way I don’t expect us to beat England 30-3 again this tournament, I’m not expecting Ireland to put in that level of performance in the Six Nations. I hope I’m right.
English rugby blog, Blood and Mud: What, losing you mean?
Seriously though; performances like that one tend to be one in a thousand affairs, usually when a team feel they have nothing to lose and no expectation of winning. Once the expectation of winning kicks in again, as it will in the 6N, then the performance will drop as well. Which doesn’t make the performance bad, but it won’t be as humdinging as that AB’s game.
Sean Farrell: I think we’ll see Ireland fly out of the traps on Sunday, but only Wales, England or maybe (in the event of a championship being on the line) France could spur us anywhere near those heights again.
2. Pick one non-Irish player who will be the breakthrough talent in the Six Nations
SH: Gael Fickou if he gets picked, otherwise Billy Vunipola.
SRB: I’d like to see Alex Dunbar break through this year to provide a long-term answer for who to partner Matt Scott in our midfield. The rest of our backline is an unknown quantity but this is his first tournament. He runs great lines, offloads well and is a big lump in defence.
SF: Gael Fickou has the ability to be a breath of fresh air in that French side. Only problem is that Mathieu Bastareaud is hard man to budge in any number of ways.
It’s a big day for Jack Nowell (right) and Jonny May. Adam Davy/PA Wire/Press Association Images
AD: Jack Nowell. If he comes through an extremely tough debut in France, he has the raw attacking ability to be a key player for England.
WOC: I like the look of the England wing Jack Nowell, who looks like he has a good all-round game. They’ve gone for wingers who are in good form and ditched Chris Ashton and it looks like a smart move.
BR: Gaël Fickou. He’s so talentous. He’s exactly the definition of the ‘French Flair’.
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TCF: France have struggled for a number 10 for some time, and I guess Philippe Saint-Andre is hoping that Jules Plisson is the answer to that particular problem. From what I’ve seen of him, he perhaps has that pragmatism that has been lacking in the French 10 shirt in recent years. This all depends on whether France are suddenly good again or not.
BAM: Jack Nowell. Very, very talented young wing. Catastrophic hair, though.
3. Which game are you looking forward to most?
WOC: Ireland v Wales. I think every Irish rugby fan has dreams of BOD and Heaslip combining to score the winning try and seeing the camera pan to Warren Gatland’s face.
SH: Ireland V Wales
AD: Ireland Vs Wales, a pivotal game so early in the competition, and historically a tight affair.
BR: As usual: France v England, Scotland v England, Wales v France. But the two last games between Wales and Ireland were fabulous.
Adam Davy/PA Wire/Press Association Images
SF: Wales will be a massive game for a number of reasons but if I’m allowed to be sentimental: Ireland’s stand-out fixture is Italy – the end of an era as Brian O’Driscoll plays his last game (for Ireland at least) at Lansdowne Road.
TCF: England v Wales. No disrespect to the other teams, but I think they’re the two best sides in the competition and it should be a good one. Honourable mention for the Ireland/Wales game which is likely to be pretty feisty.
BAM: England vs Wales. Isn’t it always the way?
SRB: As always, the first one. It often tends to go downhill after that.
4. Which player do you think will have the biggest impact on the tournament.
WOC: Mike Phillips, for good or ill. He’s a Test match animal and when he plays well, Wales usually win. Other times he can be sluggish and ponderous and seems to weigh the whole team down. He’ll go a long way to determining what sort of championship Wales are going to have. He was useless on the Lions tour but may just be coming back into some form.
SH: J Sexton.
AD: Dylan Hartley. Backs score the tries but forwards lay the platform, and Hartley has shown when he plays well, England win. Same can be said for Paul O’Connell for Ireland.
SF: If Ireland are going to challenge, we’ll need Cian Healy, Paul O’Connell and Chris Henry at the peak of their powers. So, yeah, hopefully those three.
SRB: From a Scottish point of view I’m looking at Tim Swinson and Stuart Hogg, but I think the usual suspects (North, Halfpenny, Sexton, Fofana) will be there or thereabouts. Maybe even Brian O’Driscoll?
BR: A year after a Lions Tour and a year when France is playing England and Ireland in Paris, I think France will have a good tournament. So I think Fofana can be this star if he plays for the team, not for himself.
David Jones/PA Archive/Press Association Images
TCF: Wales have picked Tipuric at number seven for the first game, and if he gets to keep the shirt I think he has the ability to dominate at the breakdown. None of the other teams have got a poacher in the same mould as Tips and I think he could cause havoc if he’s given the chances.
BAM: Toby Faletau. Everything he does is excellent.
5. Who’ll take the wooden spoon?
BR: Italy or Scotland surely, but I believe in Brunel so I say Scotland.
SH: Italy.
SF: Scotland – Italy will beat them in Rome.
SRB: Italy, I hope! I’d like to think we get another exciting tournament with an unexpected team picking up the wooden spoon. Sadly (save for last year) history suggests Scotland or Italy.
WOC: Italy this year. Their game against Scotland will be the deathmatch, but their club sides have been awful this year and they might just come out the wrong side of that game.
AD: Italy, haven’t shown the consistency in the past year to give me any confidence.
TCF: Scotland.
BAM: Italy.
6. Aside from Scott Johnson, which coach is least likely to be at the World Cup?
SH: Phillipe Saint Andre.
SRB: I can’t see anyone getting the boot this close to a World Cup. Brunel might move on if he gets a better offer I suppose.
TCF: Phillipe Saint Andre.
SF: If France are anything like they were last year, I don’t see PSA making it to Paddy’s Day, never mind the World Cup.
WOC: I think they’ll all make it but Philippe Saint Andre must be under pressure. French rugby has structural issues, but the public demand better performances and results. They have looked rubbish under his tenure so far, another series of mush and there will be calls for him to resign.
BR: For me all the coaches present now will be at the World Cup. But clearly the coach the most in danger is St André. Only 38% of victory since he’s at the head of France. Just three victories (2 vs Scotland, 1 vs Italy) in two 6 Nations. It’s poor, very poor.
BAM: Brunel
7. If you had a tenner, who would you back to win the Six Nations?
AD: Ireland. Under Joe Schimdt, they pose a very severe threat to opposition. If they can win their first 2 games at home, it will give them confidence to go to England and France and win.
BR: France.
TCF: Wales.
SRB:: I was sure I was going to say England as that was the inkling I had a few weeks ago, but now every team has injuries to cope with and wacky selection choices. I think this year there are so many evenly matched teams you’d be better spending your tenner on beer.
SH: Best value for money would be France, most likely would be England.
WOC: It’s a tight series so it’s hard to call, but probably Wales. As usual, Welsh rugby is in crisis but they have a habit of putting those sort of things behind them when it comes to the Six Nations. They’ve put out a strong team to face Italy, and the tactics will be same again: trucking the ball around the corner and using the big three quarter-line to smash their way over the gainline. They’ll be hard to beat.
BAM: Wales.
SF: History says France after a Lions tour. My head says Wales, my hopeful heart says Joe Schmidt replicates Declan Kidney’s Grand Slam at the first attempt.
Champions, wooden spoons and 5 more snap Six Nations predictions
YOU CAN TURN off that ominous looking green countdown clock, the Six Nations is finally here.
Now, once you’ve stopped dancing for joy, we must hasten to add that there is still one more sleep to go before Ireland kick off their tournament.
However, the good side of that is that we can spend all afternoon sitting back – feet up, arms folded – smugly watching as four other teams spill their guts and gameplans on the opening day.
Looks like great (not painful at all) craic at Carton House ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Before that wonderful moment occurs, we rounded up some of our favourite TheScore.ie contributors (and me) to answer some of the big questions going into the tournament.
1. Can Ireland pick up where they left off against New Zealand or will it be too tough to mentally hit that high again?
Simon Hick (the brains behind Second Captains’ rugby coverage): We almost never hit a mental high against Scotland, as several former players have told us this week. Players will be leaving something in reserve for the following week.
Rory Baldwin of Scottish Rugby Blog: It was a big test, but after they came close before down there in New Zealand and were hammered the next week, that performance in front of a home crowd will have given them great confidence that they can get back up to the level required. Ireland are a difficult team to beat if the likes of O’Connell and Sexton are high on confidence.
Whiff of Cordite (Irish rugby blog): I don’t think it’s possible to play at that sort of intensity again, but the hope would be that we can manage a decent base performance level, at something like 75% of what we produced that day without having to draw on a well of emotion. Too often recently Ireland sleepwalk into the first game and get jolted into a big performance by wounded pride. That has to end.
Adam D’Arcy (former Ulster fullback): I hope they will continue to play the attacking style they showed against NZ, which I think they will. It’s been two months since that game so It will be hard to be at the same level, but they are capable of reaching it at some stage through the tournament.
Jeremy of French blog, Bajadita Rugby: It’s difficult because Ireland was so inconstant in the recent past. But I believe in Joe Schmidt, he’s a great coach. Ireland wants to offer a fantastic exit for BOD and that’s an excellent reason to believe in Irish boys.
Welsh blog, The Coal Face: I have to say that it seems unlikely. Not to take anything away from Ireland but to me that seemed like one of those days where everything falls into the right place. In the same way I don’t expect us to beat England 30-3 again this tournament, I’m not expecting Ireland to put in that level of performance in the Six Nations. I hope I’m right.
Sean Farrell: I think we’ll see Ireland fly out of the traps on Sunday, but only Wales, England or maybe (in the event of a championship being on the line) France could spur us anywhere near those heights again.
2. Pick one non-Irish player who will be the breakthrough talent in the Six Nations
SH: Gael Fickou if he gets picked, otherwise Billy Vunipola.
SRB: I’d like to see Alex Dunbar break through this year to provide a long-term answer for who to partner Matt Scott in our midfield. The rest of our backline is an unknown quantity but this is his first tournament. He runs great lines, offloads well and is a big lump in defence.
SF: Gael Fickou has the ability to be a breath of fresh air in that French side. Only problem is that Mathieu Bastareaud is hard man to budge in any number of ways.
AD: Jack Nowell. If he comes through an extremely tough debut in France, he has the raw attacking ability to be a key player for England.
WOC: I like the look of the England wing Jack Nowell, who looks like he has a good all-round game. They’ve gone for wingers who are in good form and ditched Chris Ashton and it looks like a smart move.
TCF: France have struggled for a number 10 for some time, and I guess Philippe Saint-Andre is hoping that Jules Plisson is the answer to that particular problem. From what I’ve seen of him, he perhaps has that pragmatism that has been lacking in the French 10 shirt in recent years. This all depends on whether France are suddenly good again or not.
BAM: Jack Nowell. Very, very talented young wing. Catastrophic hair, though.
3. Which game are you looking forward to most?
WOC: Ireland v Wales. I think every Irish rugby fan has dreams of BOD and Heaslip combining to score the winning try and seeing the camera pan to Warren Gatland’s face.
SH: Ireland V Wales
AD: Ireland Vs Wales, a pivotal game so early in the competition, and historically a tight affair.
BR: As usual: France v England, Scotland v England, Wales v France. But the two last games between Wales and Ireland were fabulous.
Adam Davy/PA Wire/Press Association Images
SF: Wales will be a massive game for a number of reasons but if I’m allowed to be sentimental: Ireland’s stand-out fixture is Italy – the end of an era as Brian O’Driscoll plays his last game (for Ireland at least) at Lansdowne Road.
BAM: England vs Wales. Isn’t it always the way?
SRB: As always, the first one. It often tends to go downhill after that.
4. Which player do you think will have the biggest impact on the tournament.
WOC: Mike Phillips, for good or ill. He’s a Test match animal and when he plays well, Wales usually win. Other times he can be sluggish and ponderous and seems to weigh the whole team down. He’ll go a long way to determining what sort of championship Wales are going to have. He was useless on the Lions tour but may just be coming back into some form.
SH: J Sexton.
SF: If Ireland are going to challenge, we’ll need Cian Healy, Paul O’Connell and Chris Henry at the peak of their powers. So, yeah, hopefully those three.
SRB: From a Scottish point of view I’m looking at Tim Swinson and Stuart Hogg, but I think the usual suspects (North, Halfpenny, Sexton, Fofana) will be there or thereabouts. Maybe even Brian O’Driscoll?
BR: A year after a Lions Tour and a year when France is playing England and Ireland in Paris, I think France will have a good tournament. So I think Fofana can be this star if he plays for the team, not for himself.
David Jones/PA Archive/Press Association Images
TCF: Wales have picked Tipuric at number seven for the first game, and if he gets to keep the shirt I think he has the ability to dominate at the breakdown. None of the other teams have got a poacher in the same mould as Tips and I think he could cause havoc if he’s given the chances.
BAM: Toby Faletau. Everything he does is excellent.
5. Who’ll take the wooden spoon?
BR: Italy or Scotland surely, but I believe in Brunel so I say Scotland.
SH: Italy.
SF: Scotland – Italy will beat them in Rome.
SRB: Italy, I hope! I’d like to think we get another exciting tournament with an unexpected team picking up the wooden spoon. Sadly (save for last year) history suggests Scotland or Italy.
AD: Italy, haven’t shown the consistency in the past year to give me any confidence.
TCF: Scotland.
BAM: Italy.
6. Aside from Scott Johnson, which coach is least likely to be at the World Cup?
SH: Phillipe Saint Andre.
SRB: I can’t see anyone getting the boot this close to a World Cup. Brunel might move on if he gets a better offer I suppose.
TCF: Phillipe Saint Andre.
SF: If France are anything like they were last year, I don’t see PSA making it to Paddy’s Day, never mind the World Cup.
©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
WOC: I think they’ll all make it but Philippe Saint Andre must be under pressure. French rugby has structural issues, but the public demand better performances and results. They have looked rubbish under his tenure so far, another series of mush and there will be calls for him to resign.
BAM: Brunel
7. If you had a tenner, who would you back to win the Six Nations?
AD: Ireland. Under Joe Schimdt, they pose a very severe threat to opposition. If they can win their first 2 games at home, it will give them confidence to go to England and France and win.
BR: France.
TCF: Wales.
SH: Best value for money would be France, most likely would be England.
WOC: It’s a tight series so it’s hard to call, but probably Wales. As usual, Welsh rugby is in crisis but they have a habit of putting those sort of things behind them when it comes to the Six Nations. They’ve put out a strong team to face Italy, and the tactics will be same again: trucking the ball around the corner and using the big three quarter-line to smash their way over the gainline. They’ll be hard to beat.
BAM: Wales.
SF: History says France after a Lions tour. My head says Wales, my hopeful heart says Joe Schmidt replicates Declan Kidney’s Grand Slam at the first attempt.
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