Six Nations heats up — as we wait in the wings

WITH Ireland reduced to the role of spectator thanks to the Six Nations committee’s decision to postpone our fixtures until the autumn, the championship comes to a conclusion of sorts, with the final round of matches this weekend.

Of course, the remaining fixtures involving Ireland will have to be completed, to close the book on what has been a frustrating season. But it remains to be seen what appetite there will be for championship deciders in the autumn, particularly following what is bound to be a tough Lions tour Down Under.

Meanwhile, England go in search of their fourth consecutive win in this tournament when they entertain a struggling French team today.

You will get long odds on them failing. England have, without doubt, been the team to beat all year, growing in confidence with every outing. Back in November, following the French dismantling of the All Black machine in Marseilles, you would have thought France had an even chance of re-establishing themselves as northern hemisphere champions.

Nobody could have predicted the events that have transpired since.

France are just a pale shadow of the side that turned over such illustrious opposition — and they’re getting worse. Defeats against Ireland and Wales, along with unconvincing outings against the Italians and the Scots, have the country in a rugby crisis.

Yes, their players are playing too many games each season and in the professional era that may take its toll, but this has always been the case with the French. More to the point is that these guys are not happy with the restrictions imposed by Bernard Laporte’s strict mistake free gameplan.

Trying to reproduce the success he had with club side Stade Francais, he first of all transported most of them into the national side on his appointment as coach.

Following that, he imposed the gameplan blueprint that had worked at club level.

Apart from introducing a meaner defence, it has been an outright failure, as natural flair and attacking skills have been sacrificed in the process.

Why they have waited until the England game to ring the changes is a mystery, and flies in the face of precedence when France have found themselves in similar situations in the past.

Historically, French back rows make the difference when it counts. Not so this year. Juillet at No 8 was hardly in the classic French mode, having extreme difficulty distributing through his number nine from the base of the scrum throughout this championship.

Monie at No 6, while physically imposing, struggled badly in the finer art of broken play.

While the changes have been made, France are unlikely to trouble England too much and, while having to introduce new blood, are likely to struggle against the English machine.

Of course, English French encounters are always passionate affairs but after the initial tight contests, expect England to pull away, as they display a mental toughness which has so often been missing in their past.

However, should they fail at this hurdle, the validity of their claim to be up with the best in the world will come under scrutiny again.

In Rome, Wales will be anxious to capitalise on their performance in Paris. The added incentive of some undecided Lions places will be the spur to ensure they succeed.

Their win against France was certainly impressive, but in total contrast to their previous performances. They will need a repeat to avoid their smallest ever Lions representation.

Italy have improved with each outing and while they will always make it difficult for the opposition at home, there is too much at stake for Wales to be caught out.

A repeat performance from Neil Jenkins will see Wales winning comfortably, setting up an enthralling contest against Ireland in — wait for it, folks — the autumn.