The Six Nations so far

Joshua Hughes, Editor, reviews the opening rounds of Six Nations action

ro is not a name that many would have thought would be at the forefront of my mind when writing this article, but his passion, dedication and raw emotion has defined Italy’s start to the 2023 Six Nations. While they haven’t won anything, neither have Wales so that is negated. With the way Italy are playing right now, Wales are set for a nasty surprise in Rome in round four. The team that was once the cannon fodder for the home nations and France to test young blood against are now fierce in defence and dangerous in attack. A feisty display against France, a tight encounter at Twickenham and a spirited performance against Ireland will make Wales and Scotland wary of the threat the Azzurri pose.

England are currently a bit of an enigma. A team that was generally pretty flat footed in 2022 have now emerged as a physical yet attacking side. We saw flashes of this against Wales in Cardiff. The 20-10 score line was flattering to Wales but also tells of England’s current progress. Despite a strong scrum and maul, England have by no means been repaired by Steve Borthwick and the red rose rebuild will be a long-term project which will continue beyond the World Cup later this year. Ireland and France are truly at the top of the table (not literally at the moment) but each have settled team sheets, clear attacking mindsets and well organised defences. France are at times their own worst enemy, over 80 minutes Ireland brought them right back down to reality as they were fully outplayed (despite strong individual performances). The red card against Scotland at home was similarly a potential championship defining moment. Although France went on to win that game, attempting to dismantle the English scrum with your first and second choice props banned for acts of foul play will not be an easy task. If France are at their attacking best against England at Twickenham, it is likely that they will be set for their first win in the English capital since 2007. Ireland similarly will look to close out the championship with wins over Scotland and England. Despite being on track for a grand slam, the prospect of beating Scotland at home is no longer the sure thing it was in the past. Scotland have only been beaten at home in two of their last five fixtures. Ireland’s hopes of a slam ultimately depend on how Scotland will respond to their chaotic loss against France.

For Scotland, they need to work out what they want to be. Yes, they are an attacking machine — launching daring moves from deep inside their own 22. However, when teams dismantle them, they are made to look extremely average. Facing Ireland at home is a good test of where they are and a good indicator of whether Gregor Townsend’s long term plan will bear fruit in time for the World Cup.

Wales have been pretty awful. It’s not fun talking about a Welsh side who have faced so many issues off the pitch because it’s clear that if they don’t change course from the direction they are heading, they could be leaving France later this year earlier than expected. The return of Warren Gatland promised to be a call-back to the early 2010s where Wales went about their work without fear and worry. The reality is, however, that for Wales to succeed in the long-term, they are going to have to make key changes to the structure of their regional and national system, neither of which will happen before the end of the 2023 Six Nations.