Ireland and England must avoid Six Nations trap to set up thrilling finale

Independent

14-03-2025

Spare a thought for the logistics team at the Six Nations, for which this has not been an easy week. In their pre-tournament plotting and planning, this would surely have been both a dream and nightmare scenario: a 'Super Saturday' where each and every game contains a title contender, the 2025 men's champions not known until the Bells of Notre-Dame chime 11 times.
The smart money would be of a straightforward Stade de France lifting of the trophy after France dispatch Scotland in Paris, but things are seldom that simple in this championship. Take care of business themselves and Ireland and England could face an anxious wait, the Principality Stadium on hold to host a hoisting if required, while an Irish three-peat would see an 'opulent palazzo' employed to give a sense of ceremony to the medal presentation.
With simultaneous kick-offs commercially unpalatable given the television revenue that would be missed out on, this is about as good as it gets. It will take some going to match the denouement of a decade ago, when points difference played a significant part in generating an average tally of 73 points per game, but with Ireland and England in all likelihood needing bonus points, a day of thrills could well be in store.
One dare not get ahead of oneself but the pressure will most certainly be piled on France if England, Ireland or both nudge ahead earlier in the day. Already, a side that has not won as much as they should have over the last half-a-decade will be feeling a weight of expectation. One title and a desperately disappointing – for many reasons – last-eight exit from their home tournament are scant reward for their ability.
But Fabien Galthie's side have dealt with the burden before. In a pumping Paris in 2022, they stayed with a frisky and fighting England's flurry and then landed a couple of heavy blows to land a grand slam; even in their quarter-final defeat to South Africa a year-and-a-half later, one could not accuse the hosts of failing to produce their best.
'Basically, nothing has changed since the win in Ireland. We've had the same dynamic for the last six years, we've had great successes and losses that hurt," Galthie said on Thursday.
"We're still committed to developing our players and being ambitious. We have great ambition and high standards to take the French team to the top no matter what happens. Last weekend's result made that a reality but our challenge this weekend calls that achievement into question."
The champions-elect will take the field without their star and skipper, with the recriminations of the Antoine Dupont incident likely only to add extra edge to future meetings between the competition's heavyweight pair. One hopes that the table toppers will be able to cope with his absence given the rich talent and tactical ingenuity with which they are able to play. The French have made a habit of slipping up against Scotland – remember Brice Dulin and that kick in 2021 – but if they again flex their physical prowess and flash their fancy feet as they did so devastatingly in Dublin, one fears that the visiting side will be unable to match them.
Perhaps the task for the remaining pretenders to the throne is made simpler given they have plenty to play for otherwise. For Ireland, the intoxicating thought of a history-making triumph may now appear distant but nobody would want this era to end with a whimper as they begin to look more seriously towards the future. This has not been a week without anger and attention on the squad, a smooth mask of serenity peeled back by defeat to France to show developing, familiar pockmarks of provincial squabbles.
A start for Jack Crowley feels deserved given what he did last year but neither he nor Sam Prendergast should feel diminished by their treatment of late; a tricky situation has generally been handled reasonably with both surely live options in British and Irish Lions red or, if let out, green shirts if touring together come the summer. "Regardless of the result last week we were looking at making changes,' Simon Easterby explained with rumours rife about the future of this week's No 10. 'Jack's been brilliant, working away, supporting Sam in his first experiences of the Six Nations. Jack had that last year and we just felt like it was the right thing to do for Jack, to get in to lead the week. 'Jack knows how important he is to us.'
Inflicting more pain on Italy – who really have been dealt a rough landing having taken off smoothly enough in this tournament – could yet force the Azzurri back into familiar position as competition bottom feeders.
That relies, however, on a Welsh resurrection in Cardiff of the kind that all but the most ardent of English supporters would surely love to see. Whatever one's national allegiances nobody really wants to see any side dwelling in the doldrums for as long as Wales have. Striding about in Cardiff over the last couple of days, though, the excitement and energy has been palpable.
This wonderful old spring construct may throw up a great many special fixtures but there are plenty who feel that an English trip across the border creates a spike of atmosphere and attention that no other encounter can match; the roof will be closed on Saturday but if Wales end their 16-match wallow in woe against their favourite enemy and, in the process, deny England a title, it will be bits of the canopy that they are fishing out of the Taff on Sunday along with the drunken detritus and debris.
By then, we will have our 2025 champion and a clearer picture of so much which is to become. Lions selection looms large, both for those eyeing a trip Down Under and those spying opportunity in the absence of those selected. The television rights situation, too, is still to be sorted – Six Nations bosses were said to be operating in top gear last week on a number of fronts. Potential suitors do not need another reminder of this competition's considerable charm but this could yet be a spectacular grand finale.