Competition is intense but quality lacking

WITH just two rounds remaining, this years Six Nations championship has been chronically short on quality but infinitely more competitive than anything in recent years.

Incredibly, only Italy remain out of the championship race with points difference separating the top four sides.

The gulf between the teams has narrowed significantly. Unfortunately it would appear that both France and England have taken one step backwards rather than a seismic improvement from the other nations. If a Lions squad were being selected at the end of this campaign, with the exception of the obvious handful of standout performers, it would be short on real quality.

The team of the championship so far has been Scotland. Beating France and England in the one tournament is a fantastic achievement. Had Scott Murray not been sent off early in the game against Wales, who knows what might have happened? With both Ireland and Italy to play in their remaining games, the Scots will fancy their chances.

The biggest losers so far have been reigning champions Wales. While it was generally accepted that the Grand Slam holders would struggle due to a catastrophic injury list, the well-documented problems off the field have proved too big a burden to carry. I met many Welsh rugby supporters last weekend still in shock over the treatment of Mike Ruddock and what they perceived as serious mismanagement by the Welsh Rugby Union.

Watching Gavin Henson perform on Sunday highlighted once again the vagaries of sport at this level. While it is sad to see any player subjected to ridicule from the terraces, the lack of support from his teammates told its own story. That appears to be the price he has to pay for his recent book when he openly criticised many of his fellow teammates.

It also didn’t help that he was elevated to the pivotal No 10 position, despite being absent from the Welsh camp for so long. The more the game progressed, the more isolated a figure he became.

While Italy performed heroics again in the opening hour against France, an inability to sustain their efforts in the last quarter continues to cost them dearly. New coach Pierre Berbizier has plenty to be positive about and it would be fantastic to see them rewarded with at least one victory before the end of the tournament. They badly need a victory to keep their spirits up.

England’s defeat in Edinburgh not only brought Murrayfield alive for the first time in ages but it also blew the tournament wide open. The one-dimensional facet of their play finally came back to haunt the visitors. England dominated the opening exchanges and should have been in a comfortable position by half time. However, the lack of a creative midfield player is their biggest concern - players like Josh Lewsey and Mark Cueto must be extremely frustrated.

NEW Scotland coach Frank Hadden has reverted to basics and has elicited a tremendous response from his players. The traditional rucking game that one has associated with the Scots since Jim Telfer’s reign has returned, and their defensive organisation has also improved immeasurably.

Eddie O’Sullivan will be well aware that this Scotland team will provide a challenge of a different proportion to anything Ireland has faced.

However, from an attacking prospective, the Scottish three-quarters are still limited, and as a consequence tries have been hard to come by. They have only scored four in the championship, the second lowest return of any team. Ireland are far better served in this department.

The remaining sequence of games provides Ireland with a slight advantage, given that they will have an additional day’s recovery over England for what could prove a massive game in Twickenham. Andy Robinson’s men will only have a six-day turnaround for a bruising encounter against the French in Paris.

Ireland is also in the unenviable position of having a full squad to pick from, based on the positive medical reports on Marcus Horan and Paul O’Connell. It is indeed a tribute to those entrusted with the physical and medical preparation of the Irish squad that the players are in such rude health at this stage of the season.

Brian O’Driscoll’s recovery from a serious shoulder injury is a major boost to Ireland’s prospects. Despite limited opportunities in attack, O’Driscoll made a massive contribution to Sunday’s victory. When Ireland were under severe pressure in the opening quarter, the captain contributed two vital turnovers, one from the quality of his defence and the second by his unselfish scavenging on the ground.

The other key factor in Ireland’s performance was the significant improvement in their game appreciation. The lineout maul was used frequently to suck in more Welsh forwards, the pick-and-drive game was used to good effect and balance between the boot and ball in hand was excellent.

Inevitably, as a result of Sunday’s victory, the public’s expectation levels will rise once again. The Irish management will know that despite a 26-point margin of victory there is still major scope for improvement in Ireland’s overall performance. What is clear is that there is a championship there to be won.

Domestically, Munster face a tough trip to Ravenhill on Friday night in a potentially pivotal game to determine the outcome of the Celtic League. Unfortunately, they will be forced to line out without eight of Ireland’s starting XV. With the exception of Andrew Trimble, Ulster will be at full strength. In this respect, Munster are victims of their own success.

With the Celtic League now the definitive means of deciding seeding for the Irish teams in the Heineken Cup, this hardly seems the most equitable system.

And it could ultimately cost Declan Kidney’s side deserved silverware.