What we learned about Japan, the USA and Canada in their recent tours of the British Isles

Sadly much of what we learnt about Canada and the USA this summer doesn’t make for overly positive reading, but Japan gave us plenty to cheer about. All three sides emerged winless from their two Test visits to the UK and Ireland, but in Japan’s case it was no cause for long faces. The USA did give us a heroic and spirited second half performance in their first Test against England, but somehow failed to carry that momentum across the Irish sea a week later where they received a genuine thrashing at the hands of the Men in Green. Canada sadly left both the Principality Stadium and Twickenham with very little to cheer about. In short, Japan’s Top League domestic competition seems to be building on Japan’s recent World Cup success, while North America’s Major League Rugby has a painfully long way to go before it can rise to Japan’s lofty heights and allow the national sides to reap the benefits. Japan is a Tier One competitor and improving at a rate of knots, the USA has realistic ambitions to get there, while Canada glumly wonders if the golden years of the late eighties and early nineties will ever return.

Japan is the Northern Hemisphere’s most entertaining team to watch allied to a skill set that beggars belief at times

This was an absolutely cracking game of rugby and the best of the summer series by a country mile – Japan once again showed their truly remarkable offloading game

Like we say this was the highlight of the summer series for us – it was simply that good. We thoroughly enjoyed Japan’s first game against the Lions, but this was even better. It was just end to end stuff for the full eighty minutes and a real treat to watch. Ireland packed a powerhouse squad as a show of respect to their Japanese opponents, and Japan made sure that such respect was fully justified. Their offloading skills have to be seen to be believed at times, such is the skill level. Allied to that though is a physical game that is becoming increasingly more confident and difficult for the top teams to handle.

Japan has come so far in the last ten years, that we here in North America can only look on in envy. All the momentum of the last World Cup for Japan shows no signs of abating and they will be a threat that will need to be taken very seriously in France in two years time. Their game against Ireland was a full blown proper Test match, that simply did not let up in terms of intensity for the full eighty minutes, and in many ways Japan were unlucky to lose. However, in the process they showed that they are knocking hard at the doors of the Top Nations and thoroughly deserve their 10th place on the World Rankings table. Fly half Yu Tamura was every inch as good as he was in the World Cup and don’t be surprised to see him plying his trade this fall in Europe, like fellow teammate winger and fullback Kotaro Matsushima. His footwork in setting up Siosaia Fifita’s try was simply sublime.

Our only hope is that between now and the World Cup, Japan gets to play a consistent number of Tests against the top Tier one nations. They have earned the right and then some and the landscape of World Rugby will be better and infinitely more entertaining if they are allowed to do so. We doubt there is any team among the Top Ten teams who would deny the box office draw of a Test against the Japanese, and the resulting revenue it would create.

The USA are in it for the long haul, but will wish that there had been more to cheer about

US Coach Gary Gold knows that the much hoped for benefits of the advent of a professional league in North America in the shape of the MLR are still a long way off

After three years of professional rugby in North America and predominantly the USA (given that all the teams bar one are American), hopes were high that this tour would showcase some positive benefits at the Test Level for the Americans. There were some make no mistake. The USA’s second half dominance of England’s young guns at Twickenham in their first Test was impressive to say the least, especially considering the squad had only been together for four days prior to the match. However, that heroic effort seemed to vanish into obscurity a week later as they were ripped to shreds by an Irish side full of emerging talent for the Men in Green. The gulf between rugby on the two sides of the Atlantic could not have been more evident. The Americans failed to capitalize on the positives against England, and given that they had now been together longer as a unit, it seemed hard to fathom how poor they had become in the space of seven days against Ireland. While Gary Gold was rightly proud of his charges’ efforts against England, there is no way he can be happy with their implosion against Ireland.

While commendable, the USA’s steadfast refusal to take points on offer through penalty kicks, by kicking to the corner in futile attempts to break through a resolute Irish defence, beggared belief at times in terms of decision making. The execution and ball handling skills simply weren’t there for the Americans to justify that kind of thinking. As the match wore on their lack of any kind of structured defence allowed Ireland to run amok, and the Americans’ increasing frustration led to a complete breakdown in discipline and technique. This was perhaps summed up by flanker Riekert Hattingh seeing a red card on the 52nd minute, leaving his already stretched teammates with even more work to do as a 14 man Eagles side had to cope with an Irish team that was having a field day with the possession they were enjoying.

The statistics make for eye watering reading. 796 run metres for Ireland compared to a paltry 151 for the Americans. 11 defenders beaten by the USA compared to 31 by Ireland. 29 clean breaks by Ireland but none by the USA. 31 missed tackles for the US compared to 11 for Ireland. That’s not pretty and needs addressing fast. They made a better fist of it overall than Canada who they face in September for their first go at World Cup qualifying, so should feel the more confident of the two sides, but there is no denying that so far Major League Rugby has only scratched the surface of what needs to be done in terms of bringing rugby in the States to the level at which it can compete on a level playing field with Tier One nations.

We hate to say it but after a tour to forget for Canada, it’s time to acknowledge that the ship is heading for the rocks unless drastic action is taken immediately

Fullback Cooper Coats was the only real positive to come out of Canada’s tour

You can’t imagine how much it pains us to feel so negative about Canada’s recent tour of Wales and England. But no matter what spin we put on it, we simply can’t find reasons to be cheerful, and we get the feeling that the players likely feel much the same. Canada got hammered by Wales and then were dispatched by an English side that had struggled at times to contain our greatest rivals the United States.

As Canada heads into its first two World Cup qualifying matches with the United States in September it’s hard to find grounds for optimism. If we’re frustrated we can only imagine how the players must be feeling. We’re tired of the endless sound bites about “positives” and “lessons learnt” when we can see very little of either on the pitch. Canada’s dismal decline down the World Rankings since 2010 is simply unacceptable.

Meanwhile Rugby Canada seems oblivious to the plight of the national side, the Coaching staff appear nonplussed by a seemingly endless string of defeats and the team itself just don’t look like they enjoy what they do anymore. In 54 games since 2016 Canada have managed to win only 15, and the last time they beat a country ranked in the top 20 was 2017 when they beat Spain. The US is ranked 16 and we can only manage a ranking of 23, with countries like the Netherlands hard on our heels. In short, it’s a pretty miserable picture and someone, somewhere has to start taking responsibility for it all, and stop hoping that the problems will simply go away if we don’t talk about them.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing of all is that we are not without talent, and our players deserve a better deal than they are getting now. Captain and flanker Lucas Rumball and centre Ben LeSage are world class. Our revelation of the tour however was fullback Cooper Coats. We simply can’t say enough good things about the man, and neither could the commentators during the match with England. He was outstanding plain and simple and one of the few things that gave us cause for celebration. It seems remarkable that he is without a club contract. Admittedly he made a few mistakes in the game against Wales that can be put down to lack of experience but he more than made amends for them against England. In both games, however we kept wondering why we hadn’t seen more of the 25 year old prior to this summer. We also really liked the look of scrum half Ross Braude, and hope to see him get plenty of game time for the Toronto Arrows next season.

Apparently Coats has been lighting up the pitches on the 7s circuit, and here perhaps lies the problem. We were led to believe that Rugby Canada was shifting away from the practice of swopping players between the 7s and fifteen a side game. We’ve been advocating it for years and hence were delighted when it appeared our recommendations were no longer falling on deaf ears. Well it would appear it was just lip service. A genuine talent like Coats needs to be nurtured into the 15 a side game and kept there. This constant flipping between codes disrupts any kind of continuity Canada is trying to create, and must be a nightmare for the Coaching staff. In short, enough is enough – pick which direction you want your players to go in and stick to it. We hear the argument that we have a limited player base, but with the advent of MLR and the fact that at least 40% of players in the league’s 12 teams are Canadian, we think that’s rather a weak excuse these days. As Rugby Canada flips players from one version of the game to the other in a vain attempt to snatch fleeting moments of glory for the national side and silence their critics, the quality of the game at both levels suffers.

The Coaching staff, after this tour and in preparation for the World Cup qualifiers with the USA now have a ton of work to do, as the statistics don’t make for happy reading. Canada’s tackle success rate is a disturbing 71% across both matches, which is just not Test level standard, with lineouts not faring much better at 79%. We do seem able to hold our own when it comes to winning our own scrums and rucks. However, we appear to have no offloading skills (perhaps some time in Japan is in order), and getting the ball across the gain line is depressingly weak in comparison with our opponents along with metres made. A lot of the basic ball handling skills were just not there at times against Wales and England, and ball security rarely seemed to be a priority. All too often overly ambitious plays were attempted without the core skills needed to execute them. We often felt fly half Peter Nelson was making life far more complicated for his teammates than it needed to be.

Canada has the potential to get itself back on track, but it requires discipline and a genuine commitment from those in charge to address the issues the national side is facing. The upcoming two World Cup qualifiers against the USA are looking set to be far more of a challenge for Canada than they should be. However, six weeks can be a long time in Test Rugby and here’s hoping that we finally have something to cheer about come September. The commitment and hard work of Canada’s current squad is and has never been in question, and we continue to stand firmly behind them – but it’s time to see those efforts rewarded!

In a weekend that had just as much relevance as the Lions trials and tribulations in South Africa – Ireland, Wales and England gave us plenty to think about while the USA and Japan gave their supporters plenty of reasons to be cheerful and Canada reached for some Advil!

In this post we take a whip round last weekend’s Test action which although not as dramatic as the high stakes Lions tour in South Africa, taught us a great deal about what might be available come the much bigger prize of the World Cup in two years time. Canada and the USA got to play their first games since the World Cup. Japan continued to hold us spellbound, and as we suspected looked even better than in their spirited duel with the Lions a week earlier. England finally unearthed its young guns, while Wales and Ireland took a more tried and trusted route, but still had a healthy sprinkling of the next generation of talent, especially Wales.

Ireland get their revenge against Japan – but only just!!!

Ireland weren’t as generous with handing out new caps as Wales and particularly England, but it was a mark of respect to a Japanese side who are clearly just as potent as they were at the World Cup

Thrill of the weekend by a country mile that one and a genuinely proper Test match. Japan had shown us last week that they meant business at Murrayfield against the Lions, despite an almost two year absence from the Test arena. Consequently they arrived in Dublin hungry to show that their defeat of Ireland at the last World Cup was no mere stroke of luck. Ireland knew they needed to pay their visitors the utmost respect and as a result named their strongest possible side barring their Lions absentees. Our respects to both sides as in the process they provided us with an absolute humdinger of a Test match, with Ireland narrowly taking the spoils 39-31 as revenge for their World Cup exit courtesy of the Japanese almost two years ago.

In a game where the scoreline bounced back and forth between the two sides in an eighty minute 9 try extravaganza, Ireland emerged the victors knowing they had been made to work for every second of it. Japan’s offloading game is still as extraordinary as it was in the last World Cup, making them one of the most exciting teams on the planet to watch regardless of their position in the World rankings. There is some genuine skill in this squad and their offloading game is just as good amongst their forwards as it is in their backs. In short Japan are a joy to watch and we loved every minute of an exceptionally hard fought contest in Dublin. What struck us the most though was how good the Japanese are now at the physical aspect of the game. For long periods of the game they were matching Ireland’s ferocity in the set piece battles and at the breakdowns. Japan is working and come the next World Cup expect them to be a potent force that England and Argentina must take very seriously indeed.

As for Ireland, they clearly missed some of their big guns on tour with the Lions in South Africa, but there is so much depth in Ireland these days that it’s not the cause for alarm it once was. It was great to see fly half Joey Carberry return to international duty and he had a good shift in the green jersey. Fullback Hugo Keenan was once more a player we simply cannot say enough good things about, along with Hooker Ronan Kelleher in the front row who also rather handy in the loose. Flanker Peter O’Mahony had one of those games where he simply silences all his critics within the first five minutes, while colleague Josh van der Flier more than earned his Man of the Match award.

But it was the newer players that really caught the eye. Second rower Ryan Baird came on for the final quarter and immediately made his presence known. Utility back Shane Daly came on for the injured Jordan Larmour on the wing after 30 minutes and had a very impressive debut for the Men in Green, despite some defensive lapses which can be put down to lack of experience, especially when up against the quality of Japan’s Siosaia Fifita who was on fire.

Ireland have chosen to give all their young bucks a starting crack this weekend against an American outfit that put on an impressive and rather heroic show versus an English side touting its supposed stars of the future. Ireland should expect a stern challenge from the Americans on Saturday, and we have a hunch that it could well be another edge of your seat ride for these slightly greener Irish shoots.

Wales teach the Canadians a painful lesson in how it’s done which seems to indicate that Canada hasn’t been able to reap the benefits of the MLR in the same way the Americans have.

Wales had Canada well and truly wrapped up last Saturday, and if Canada learnt anything it was that they need a defensive Coach

There was all the usual vim and vigor and fighting to the end from Canada last Saturday which is always commendable, but sadly it led to very few points on the board. Let’s be brutally honest they got put to the sword by Wales in the 68-12 defeat. There were some big Canadian performances in there make no mistake, and for us flanker and Captain Lucas Rumball continues to merit the Order of Canada, for his never say die attitude and willingness to put his body on the line for the full eighty minutes. Centre Ben LeSage impressed yet again in the way he has at the Toronto Arrows this season, and any time Canada looked like getting some points on the board he was invariably the spark behind it. We also felt fullback Cooper Coats has for the most part an outstanding game, despite some defensive frailties, but his counterattacking and ability under the high ball caught the eye on more than one occasion.

However, the rest of it simply wasn’t pretty viewing even though Canada looked like things were starting to click better for them in the second half. Nevertheless defensively we were a shambles and somebody or someone in the management team needs to stand up and take responsibility for it and quickly, if we are to avoid another slaughter at the hands of England’s young guns this Saturday. Wales missed 10 tackles compared to Canada’s 33. Wales made 723 metres compared to a paltry 189 for Canada. In short the Welsh were having a field day chucking the ball around unopposed, while Canada had few if any answers to counter it.

For the Welsh it was a stroll in the park, and like Ireland they were able to show how much strength they have in depth given that the vast majority of their first string side is on tour with the Lions in South Africa. Their front row bossed Canada in the set pieces, their second and back rows made life a misery for Canada in the lineouts and at the breakdowns, and in loose play exposed a myriad of Canadian defensive weaknesses. Wales showed that their halfback partnerships are oozing with confidence as scrum halves Tomos Williams and Kieran Hardy dominated proceedings while Callum Sheedy provided his Canadian opposite Peter Nelson with a rather harsh lesson in game management. The only real downer for the Welsh was the loss of fullback Leigh Halfpenny to a nasty looking injury in the game’s opening minute and which could put paid to his career.

While Canada may take some solace from being the first to score through winger Kainoa Lloyd’s opening try, they will be cringing at his complete lack of defensive skills in the video review and be wondering why the advent of the MLR seems to have had such a positive effect on American fortunes in the Test arena, but little to none for Canada on the evidence of Saturday’s performance. Apart from the standout performances of Rumball and LeSage who impress week in week out with the Toronto Arrows, there wasn’t too much to get excited about. For the rest of the squad, who all ply their trade in the MLR many with US franchises, it was a day to forget for the most part. Interestingly of our three standout performers, one of them fullback Cooper Coats doesn’t even play in the MLR and is without a professional contract – probably not for much longer.

At a national level rugby in Canada has been managed very poorly for years now, and there seems little evidence that anything is being done to reverse the rot and get rid of a club of incompetent old boy amateurs. Until that’s done our brave lads will continue to fight the valiant fight but without the support they so desperately need to reverse Canada’s seemingly inevitable slide to the very bottom rungs of Tier Two status.

England’s young bucks are put to the test by an impressive and solid USA effort

England supporters will have been delighted to finally see Eddie Jones embrace the wealth of young talent at his disposal – while the USA clearly came intent on spoiling the party and made a very good fist of it!

If you were an England supporter you must have popped the champagne corks when you saw Eddie Jones’ selections for this match. He did something he should have done ages ago – embrace the future. Sure some of his young guns found their introduction to Test rugby at the hands of an exceptionally feisty and determined American outfit a bit of an eye opener. But as experience, hopefully with a view to the November Internationals and the next Six Nations, the quality of the opposition provided by a spirited American side was invaluable. While the Americans didn’t win, they made life exceptionally difficult for England and can be proud of their efforts. The 43-29 scoreline in favor of the English is more than respectable, especially when you consider that the bulk of the American squad had only been together for four days prior to the match.

England’s front row was ably led by Ellis Genge, who seemed to relish the leadership role in the tight five. Sam Underhill was his usual immense self in the back row, while Callum Chick had a solid debut at number eight and his replacement Lewis Ludlam continued to impess us, with the USA’s Cam Dolan providing some solid opposition for both of them. We thought barring one or two schooboy errors Harry Randall was outstanding at scrum half and if Coach Eddie Jones has any sense he will fast track the youngster into England’s squad come November. Although much was made of him prior to the match we thought fly half Marcus Smith didn’t quite live up to the hype surrounding him. While he may shine at Club level at the Test level we feel he’s not quite there yet. Max Malins continued to impress on the wing before being taken off early through injury, and Joe Cokanasiga is just a try scoring machine. We also thought that Freddie Steward had an exceptionally promising debut at fullback, and while he may be green, he’s absolutely fearless. He is definitely another possibility that Jones will want to consider given his troubles with finding the right fit for the 15 jersey.

As for the Americans, they must surely feel genuinely pleased with their efforts as they were competitive throughout and arguably won the second half. As the game wore on their confidence grew and had they played with the same kind of assertiveness and belief they showed in the second half for the full eighty minutes, we might have been writing a very different story. Much like the Japanese in Ireland they gave us a proper Test match and must surely feel confident about their future. MLR has clearly had a positive effect on US rugby with players being well coached and managed into the national team.

Canada must be looking on with envy especially as they will have to face this pumped up American squad twice in September for two World Cup qualifiers. If the Americans bring the same kind of commitment and intensity to their match with Ireland this weekend and can manage a similar result, then it will be Canada with all the homework to do this summer, especially if things don’t go well for them against England this Saturday. America may not be on the same upward trajectory as say Japan, but the future certainly looks bright enough to be wearing shades!

We’ll have more to say on this weekend’s upcoming festivities in the British Isles as well as France’s eagerly anticipated second Test with the Wallabies this coming Tuesday. Till then take care everyone and continue to stay safe.

The Lions tour continues its roller coaster ride – and despite the setbacks the show must go on!

First up sorry for the silence but I’ve been away on a training course and apart from catching up on all the rugby of the past ten days in the limited time available to me, there was precious little for sitting down and writing. As a result it’s a bit of a whip round this week. In this piece we look at the continuing ups and down of a Lions tour that for the most part seems to be defying logic and somehow manages to keep going. We’ll also be following this up with another piece looking at all the non-Lions action that took place this past weekend.

Despite some tragic setbacks at the outset and continuing doubts as to whether the Series will be allowed to play to its conclusion – the Lions soldier on in adversity

Despite the loss of perhaps one of the greatest Lions talismans of all time – Gatland remains positive that this tour will ultimately be a success

If you were like us there was a deathly silence in your TV room as you watched a genuine Lions legend walk off the pitch after only seven minutes of a Lions tour that was likely to further cement his place in the history books as perhaps the greatest Lions Captain of all time. After that there was probably anguish, depression, rage, despair – and a recourse to the nearest libation available to numb the shock. How could the Lions go on without their Mufasa, their Aslan?

Well it seems they can, and despite the setback it has hardened the resolve of the 37 men donning the red jersey to do the great man proud and make this Tour one that will stick in our memories as being done in his honor. He may not be there in person but in spirit he is clearly looming large over the current squad, and rumor has it that he may be out to join the coaching team for the actual three Tests against the Springboks, as well as an even more surreal fantasy of him actually returning to the pitch for those matches.

In his absence, Gatland raised everyone’s eyebrows by appointing Ireland’s Conor Murray as Captain in Jones’ absence. This is a player who has only captained his own club side Munster once, but never his country, let alone wear a Lions armband. However, once our brows unfurled and we stopped our head scratching, the decision, even if it is a bit out in left field does make sense. He’s the perfect link between the backs and the forwards and understands the trials and tribulations of both, he’s perhaps one of the most popular guys in the squad and most important of all has two Lions tours under his belt, making this his third. In short he’s got the street cred.

As for the tour itself. The current COVID complications have once more thrown the whole thing into crisis, with the Springboks now reeling from the virus and South Africa itself in crisis as the third wave sinks its ugly teeth into the country, still playing catchup from the first two waves. Questions linger around whether or not it is appropriate in such times to even be playing rugby in the first place when your host country has rather more pressing problems. Can the Springboks emerge fit, healthy and more importantly match ready in the space of just over two weeks before the first Test? Their first Test since the World Cup against Georgia seemed to indicate that they were fairly capable of blowing off the cobwebs quickly, but a squad of some of the combined Northern Hemisphere’s finest is a slightly different proposition.

In short, while Gatland’s unbounded optimism around the tour’s ultimate success may seem to some to lacking any grounding in reality or even empathy with what his hosts are going through, we have to grudgingly admire it. The Tour has become in many ways a direct challenge to the cloud of gloom and doom we’ve all had to live under for the last 18 months, and in a country like South Africa where good news is often hard to find even in the best of times these days, the Tour has become like a beacon for better times ahead.

So therefore, we side with Gatland and the Springboks in wanting the Tour to continue despite the minefields it’s had to cross already and the ones still lying in wait. In a land where Nelson Mandela once famously said that “sport has the power to inspire and unite people in a way that little else does”, the Lions and the Springboks recognize that this Tour is bigger than just rugby at a time when South Africa desperately needs to find a way to smile and cheer.

And so it begins – The Lions take on Japan as a preface to what could be one of the most important tours in International Rugby since the last World Cup!

The long wait is over, strap yourselves in and get set. Despite the controversy, the restrictions of COVID-19, the lack of crowds and so much more – this Lions tour surely must be one of the most eagerly anticipated in years. The excitement is building and this Saturday sees the slow start of a return to normal service in terms of International Rugby. Crowds will be at the Rugby Championship which immediately follows the Lions tour, as well as at France’s tour of Australia, and Canada and the USA’s tour of the UK. In short, rugby is back and we have a vintage summer to look forward to!

Despite the primary focus of the Lions tour being on the three Tests with South Africa next month, this warmup game against Japan is one that holds a great deal of interest for fans of International Test rugby. While the Lions will be the first Test opponents that South Africa will face since their World Cup triumph, they will also be the first Test Japan will have played since the World Cup. Like South Africa, Japan have also been in international isolation since the global showdown as a result of COVID. They took the world by storm at the World Cup, by proving that Japanese rugby has improved by leaps and bounds in the last twenty years. Their quarter-final effort against South Africa was impressive, and this is clearly a side that has arrived with strong Tier 1 aspirations.

Consequently Saturday’s match holds plenty of interest, as Lions Coach Warren Gatland puts together a strong side that should be able to handle a very quick and nimble Japanese offering. Here’s a couple of points that got us talking about what to look for this weekend.

So where are the Brave Blossoms after the most successful World Cup in their history?

Japan stunned the world at the last Cup by winning every one of their pool matches, including victories over Ireland and Scotland

Japan had a fairytale World Cup that sadly ended at the knockout stages as they were summarily dismissed by the ultimate Champions and the Lions opponents this summer – South Africa. However, they played some absolutely exquisite rugby in the process and captured the world’s imagination. It put Japanese players on the map, and got the talent scouts in the top leagues in Europe genuinely interested. The big question is now after almost two years, has that incredible momentum of the World Cup come to a grinding halt? They can ask for no better examination than by a side representing some of the best players in the Northern Hemisphere. Club rugby has flourished in Japan since the World Cup and with some key Japanese players now plying their trade in Europe, there is every reason to believe that we are in for a competitive showing at Murrayfield by the Brave Blossoms. It may be too stern an initial Test for Japan, but will set them up admirably for their encounter with Ireland a week later. Either way it will be great to see one of the most inspirational sides of the last World Cup welcomed back to the fold of International Test Rugby.

Gatland picks a Northern Hemisphere fantasy XV of note!

Wow is all we can say. We’d fancy this lot against the best in the world and have a hunch that the starting lineup for the three Springbok Tests isn’t going to look too different, with possible tweaks in the second and back rows and possibly at fullback. In short, expect to see these 23 individuals dominate the latter stages of the Lions Tour. Throw in Itoje and the Exeter pair of Stuart Hogg and Sam Simmonds, who will be doing duty in the English Premiership final this weekend, and you have a truly fearsome unit – powerful, fast and full of creativity. Gatland has picked a physical but highly mobile squad to counteract the kind of silky opportunistic running much favored by the Japanese. There’s been much speculation about the possibility of “Warrenball” this tour, given that its chief proponent is running the show. However, Gatland hates the term and to give one of the most successful Coaches in this era of Test Rugby credit, one that hasn’t really reflected the play style of his charges in the last couple of years. It may have given Wales an initial platform when he first took charge but the Gatland style has evolved dramatically in the last five years. His ability to enable his teams to adapt quickly to their opponents is becoming legendary, and we’d hardly say that it’s a boring brand. Barring coaching his native All Blacks, a clean sweep of South Africa would be the crowning achievement on a career that is rapidly elevating him to a position where he will be able to sit with the Coaching gods.

Two feisty but very mobile opponents

Conan will be wary of Mafi after it all went so horribly wrong for Ireland against Japan at the World Cup

While Amanaki Mafi may be a slightly colorful character at times who can get on the wrong side of the referee and even his teammates, there is no denying the bruising Japanese back rower has an eye for the kind of opportunities that make headlines for number 8s. Ireland and the Lions Jack Conan is outstanding at seizing such moments with both hands and has done so time and again for the Men in Green to devastating effect. Both are bruising ball carriers, solid defensively but blindingly quick off loose ball, and with a head of steam behind them hard to bring down. Talupe Faletau may be Lions Coach Warren Gatland’s first choice at number 8, but Conan will relish the opportunity to put his talents on display in front of his new boss.

Superman meets Captain Fantastic

Welsh Lion Justin Tipuric meets a truly inspirational Captain in Japan’s Michael Leitch

It was supposed to be Scotland’s Hamish Watson, out with a minor injury, but Justin Tipuric or “Superman” has we call him here at the Lineout will rise admirably to the occasion on Saturday as he meets one of Test Rugby’s most talismanic leaders Japan’s back rower and Captain Michael Leitch. A national hero in Japan Leitch has been at the forefront of really putting Japan on the map in the last ten years. A veteran of three World Cups, he shows no sign of slowing down at the tender age of 33. He may not be the most gifted player on the planet but his workrate is very much in the same vein as the mighty Tipuric who we’d have to argue is amongst the five best International Test sevens in the world. Tipuric may be the fitter and more inventive player but Leitch will endeavour to stifle all of those qualities and probably do a fairly admirable job of it, while creating some opportunities of his own. In short there is going to be a lot of grit on display here, and while that Lions back row may simply prove too much for Leitch and his colleagues it won’t be for the want of trying.

He may be fast but can he get past the Lions Duhan van der Merwe?

Japan’s Kotaro Matsushima is a master of invention and speed but the Lions van der Merwe can match him at pace, and when it comes to the physical side of things the Scottish Springbok is likely to have the edge

Japan’s Kotaro Matsushima has been one of the stars of the last two World Cups. The winger’s dancing feet have been so impressive that he has been snapped up by French Top 14 side Clermont and is clearly making his presence felt in Europe. His weaving runs are a trademark of the exciting free flowing rugby that caused all of us neutrals to embrace Japan as our favourite underdog team in the last World Cup. He’ll need those dancing feet though to get past the hulking menace of the Lions Duhan van der Merwe. Despite some brave efforts Matsushima is unlikely to be able to match up to the Scottish Springbok import’s physicality and once the Lion is up to speed with ball in hand the Japanese winger will need to call in support to try and bring him down. If his colleagues can keep the ball away from van der Merwe and Matsushima can keep away from the Lion prowling the touchlines then we could see a very exciting clash of playing styles. It may be a mismatch on paper but one that could provide some of the most exciting moments of the match.

It’s hard to see anything other than an outright win for the Lions despite a solid challenge from Japan at Murrayfield. The pedigree of the Lions matchday 23 is so high and Japan’s game time since the last World Cup so low, that we have trouble seeing an upset here. The Lions may be going through that initial bonding process and figuring out how to play the kind of game that the Coaching staff have devised for them, but the star studded calibre of Saturday’s lineup and experience it brings leaves the end result in little doubt. Japan are a good side and they could well cause Ireland some grief a week later if they have a strong showing on Saturday, but facing up against a collection of the Northern Hemisphere’s very best as your first taste of International Rugby in almost two years is a tall order. Gatland will be keen to lay down a marker to the Springboks of their intent, without showing his hand too much at this early stage. Either way it’s a contest we won’t want to miss and a glorious foretaste of a summer that could well be one for the ages.

In case you’ve forgotten just how magical Japan were at the last World Cup feast your eyes on this. Enjoy!

Erasmus and Nienaber appear reluctant to change the status quo, but include some exciting new prospects to face the Lions

With Director of South African Rugby Rassie Erasmus and new Springbok Coach Jacques Nienaber naming their sqaud to face the Lions next month there were relatively few surprises. It’s a side that is, for all intents and purposes, a mirror image of the one that won South Africa the World Cup under Erasmus’ tutelage almost two years ago. There are some exciting new names in it though who could really add some spice to a squad that already looks more than capable of the task at hand.

While most of you will be no stranger to the majority of names on the team sheet, we thought it’s worth having a look at the uncapped players, who given South Africa’s isolation from the rugby world due to the complications of COVID for the last eighteen months, are relative unknowns to the world at large. So we’ve picked out five of the players four of whom are uncapped, who you may not know too much about, but are likely to come the end of the Lions tour. While many of them may not make it past the South Africa A match against the Lions which will see the squad trimmed down from 46 to 32 for the three full Tests, the injury card may well see them do longer service than currently planned.

Jasper Wiese – Leicester Tigers

You may not know him all that well, but cast your memory back to the Cheetahs in Super Rugby and all of a sudden it might not be so hazy. English Premiership side Leicester Tigers clearly liked what they saw and snapped up the number eight, and haven’t looked back since. A supercharged ball carrier who is likely to give the Lions Jack Conan a serious run for his money, Wiese is just as stellar in defence as he is in attack. A player who loves to seize opportunities when they come his way, Wiese is likely to be a defensive nightmare for the Lions, especially as in the English Premiership statistics he sits third in most defenders beaten. He also featured top of the charts in the recently concluded European Challenge Cup for defenders beaten, number of carries, metres made and offloads, so international competition clearly suits him. In short, someone the Lions will need to take very seriously indeed. If you need any more convincing we think the video below might sway the argument in Wiese’s favor.

Rynhardt Elstadt – Toulouse

Although Elstadt does have two caps for the Springboks it has always amazed us that he hasn’t donned the green jersey more often. Despite six years as a Stormers regular and the last three years as part of Toulouse’s backbone, Elstadt has not really featured till very recently in the Springboks planning. If you want a tackling machine you don’t get much better than the powerhouse Toulouse flanker. Sitting 3rd in the TOP 14’s tackle statistics this season, he is also a truly bruising ball carrier. Elstadt is definitely in the mold of large and frightening South African loose forwards who are EXCEPTIONALLY difficult to bring down. We wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Elstadt along with Wiese make the cut all the way to the final Test. We think you’ll agree after watching this video clip that encounters with Elstadt are going to keep the Lions medics busy!

Sanele Nohamba – Sharks

An absolute star for the Springbok under 20s side, Nohamba will provide a superb backup for the Springboks in case either of their first choice 9s, Faf de Klerk or Herschel Jantjies fail to last the full campaign due to injury. The under 20s speedster is making a solid transition to the senior game with the Sharks. He’s quick and possesses a keen eye for opportunity. A very capable scrum half in the making and don’t be surprised to see him ultimately turn out for the Springboks in this year’s Rugby Championship and ultimately form part of their World Cup squad should he fare well in this Lions series.

Wandisile Simelane – Lions

If you want excitement and a player who clearly loves what he does, then look no further than Lions centre Wandisile Simelane. His athletics background before he picked up a rugby ball is plain to see. Blindingly fast and possessing some insane footwork, Simelane must surely be one of the most exciting Springbok future prospects. Add to the fact that he would not be out of place in a top European soccer club given his ability with the boot, Simelane brings a full package to his game. Simelane’s grinning face could well end up being one of the lasting images of this series if the Springboks can find a way to create space for him. While he may not make the cut for the three Tests once the Springbok squad gets trimmed down to 32, we secretly hope that “Mr. Happy” as we call Simelane here at the Lineout gets to go the distance in a green jersey next month.

Aphelele Fassi – Sharks

Fast forward the video below to the 45 second mark and you’ll understand why we are so excited about the Sharks fullback who is getting his first Springbok call-up. Once you’ve done that enjoy the rest of video in its entirety highlighting the youngster’s sublime try scoring ability. But for us it that’s blinding turn of pace to catch Aphiwe Dyantyi who was one of the fastest men alive in the sport until recently, which really makes us sit up and take notice as we’re sure it did the Springbok coaching staff. Pitting him against the Lions own Concorde in the shape of Louis Rees-Zammit could well be one of the highlights of the tournament.

We’re doing a brief run through of the Springbok squad in its entirety over on the podcast tonight. But for now we thought you’d appreciate us trying to shed some light for you on those players who have yet to really make a name for themselves in the Green and Gold jersey. We have a feeling that these five players are likely to be getting a lot of space in the media next month and for all the right reasons. Enjoy this foretaste of the Springboks secret weapons ahead of a tour that we can’t wait to see get underway!

Here’s the squad in full over on the podcast if you’re interested.

The Arrows story so far – our Exiles put up a brave fight!

The Arrows 2021 season has so far been a bit of a rollercoaster. Arguably facing more than their fair share of hurdles to be even playing in the tournament at all as the only Canadian franchise, the Arrows have had a promising campaign at times but a glaring lack of consistency is clearly holding them back. With seven games left before the playoffs, they essentially have it all to do if they fancy their chances at post season glory. They are playing some quality rugby and if they can manage to do that week in week out for the next seven weeks, then a shot at the title is not beyond the realms of possibility. However, it will take some pretty steely resolve and just a little bit of luck. Still we’d argue that on paper they are a better team than their mid season results would indicate.

As we’ve said before, this season was never going to be easy for the lads. To be able to play in the tournament at all has meant the entire squad living in a bubble in their temporary new home of Georgia, away from their family and friends for the duration of the tournament. Four months is a long time, and a hardship their colleagues in the rest of the league are not having to contend with. Consequently, we take our hats off to them for ensuring that Canada has a presence this year in a tournament that is already starting to put rugby more on the mainstream sporting landscape in North America. The team has made a huge sacrifice to play this year and give us a Canadian team to cheer for, so celebrate their successes and sympathise when things don’t quite go their way. While this year may not bring the results the Arrows would like there is no denying that it will lay the foundations for an outstanding 2022 season, giving their fans something to really look forward to. This will be made even sweeter by the fact they will have the opportunity to cheer them on in person as the team will once more be able to make Toronto’s Lamport Stadium their home ground.

So let’s have a quick summary of the Arrows nine games to date and what worked and what didn’t.

Game 1 – Rugby Atlanta 21 – Toronto Arrows 14

As season openers go, it wasn’t a bad effort from Toronto. They were unlucky not to get the draw in the dying minutes, after a brilliant run down the right wing from Uruguayan Leandro Leivas who looked just as dangerous as he was in Toronto’s first season in MLR. Unfortunately the winger’s excellent run was brought to a halt just short of the 5 metre line and some gritty defence from Atlanta ground Toronto out of the proceedings. The first half was a feisty physical affair with Atlanta just having the edge in the forward battles which accounted for all five tries scored by both sides. The second half was very much a war of attrition between the two teams until a spark of life from Toronto as the clock ran down, but to be honest the second half was a rather lethargic affair from both sides. Toronto acquitted themselves well for the most part but not having played together for over a year was definitely noticeable.

Game 2 – Utah Warriors 39 – Toronto Arrows 24

The rust that had hampered Toronto getting their game face on against Atlanta, became glaringly apparent in Toronto’s second encounter of the season. The first half was a shambles from Toronto, who looked disjointed and clearly out of sorts with whatever kind of game plan they were trying to implement. They were bossed around up front by Utah and their execution was generally poor. Utah took full advantage and found themselves with a comfortable 20-3 lead at half time. Defensively Toronto had more holes than a block of Swiss cheese and the whole performance made for depressing viewing. After a shaky start to the second half with Utah scoring their third try, someone clearly hit the on switch in the Arrows camp. Captain Lucas Rumball led the charge as he always does and Toronto hit back scoring two well constructed tries in the space of 4 minutes. All of a sudden it was game on with a ten point difference. However, once again Toronto’s defence became hopelessly porous and Utah pulled away. The game got scrappy and to be fair to Toronto, Utah’s discipline was sketchy at the best of times resulting in a red and yellow card for the men from the Rockies. Toronto would use the two man advantage to score a consolation try at the end, but it was hard to overlook their defensive frailties which had allowed Utah to wreak so much havoc for much of the match.

Game 3 – Old Glory 19 – Toronto Arrows 40

Joaquin Tuculet – Definitely a case of money well spent by Toronto

Toronto finally found the mojo that served them so well in the 2019 season in this match and produced a blistering display of return to form as they ran in five tries to Old Glory’s two. They put Old Glory under pressure right from the get go. The defence was tight, the execution was crisp and their forwards dominant allied to some silky running from their backs- in short it looked like the Arrows team that gave us so much to cheer about two years ago. The Arrows South American back line contingent, showed off their pace and their big money signing of Puma fullback Joaquin Tuculet looked to be a very sound investment. With the job well done, the Arrows could be forgiven for taking their foot off Old Glory’s jugular for a few minutes allowing the Washington men to score a consolation try in the dying minutes. Nevertheless it was a sound and heartwarming performance that gave us plenty of grounds for optimism.

Game 4 – Toronto Arrows 16 – LA Giltinis 43

This was a game the Arrows will probably want to forget in a hurry, and is probably the worst performance we’ve seen from them so far this season. In short it wasn’t an attractive game from either side, and hardly a glowing advertisement for the sport. However, Toronto simply failed to show up for this one and what we saw was an intensely scrappy and disjointed performance. One in which we lost count of the handling errors from both sides but particularly from Toronto. The Arrows looked exhausted and frustrated and for the most part like they just didn’t want to be there. Maybe this was a factor of the hardship of a life in exile for four months, but this was one where perhaps the Coaching staff needed to look into the psychological welfare of their charges. Toronto simply didn’t look happy and it was reflected in their performance. We didn’t think the table topping Giltinis played all that well but then sadly they didn’t need to. It was a messy poorly disciplined game not helped by some sloppy officiating at times. In short, not one for the photo album despite a moment of second quarter razzle dazzle from another of Toronto’s Puma imports, winger Manuel Montero. Montero’s try made it onto the number two spot for the MLR’s top five tries of the round, so at least Toronto could find something to put in their 2021 season highlights reel from this match.

Game 5 – Toronto Arrows 52 – Seattle Seawolves 7

Lucas Rumball has embraced the Captaincy and is such a key component of the Arrows core

After the horror show in New Orleans the Arrows came storming back into contention with a 7 try demolition of reigning Champions the Seattle Seawolves. Tuculet was once more back to his best, but it was a complete team performance from Toronto. They just looked sharp from start to finish. Their defence which had been so questionable in the opening four rounds was tight as a drum for this one. The offloading by Toronto’s backs was simply exquisite at times and would not have looked out of place in a top flight match in France. As always Captain and flanker Lucas Rumball led from the front and is such a talisman for his team. If Toronto can put in a string of performances like this then all of a sudden a playoff spot does not look out of the question. This game was a joy to watch and a glorious advertisement for the sport even if it was at the Seawolves expense.

Game 6 – Rugby United New York 12 – Toronto Arrows 53

Toronto’s Mr. Excitement – winger Manuel Montero

If you thought it couldn’t get any better after Toronto’s exploits against the Seawolves, the Arrows took on a much stronger side in the shape of Rugby United New York and put them to the sword. Montero the Magician ran in three tries of his own and Toronto clearly put the lessons learnt the previous week into good practice and proved that they can hold up against sterner opposition. We had a horrible sense of deja vu that perhaps the previous weekend’s heroics were a flash in the pan, as New York stormed out of the blocks in the opening ten minutes and appeared to catch the Arrows off guard. Fortunately it was only an illusion, and Toronto got their first try after 14 minutes and thereafter it was all about the Exiles from North of the Border. Once more Toronto’s South American back line were on song and produced some outrageous counter attacks from deep, producing a glorious spectacle of running rugby. As exciting as the South American contingent are, the value of centre and Canadian international Ben LeSage cannot be underestimated. His ability to provide the Arrows with quick thinking explosive carries up the middle is key to supplying their back line with such good ball to work with.

Game 7 – NOLA Gold 22 – Toronto Arrows 14

This and the next round were two painful lost opportunities for Toronto. They should have won this game, and for all intents and purposes were the dominant side in the first half. Whether their two thumping victories of the previous two rounds took it out of them or not we’ll never know, but they appeared to run out of gas in the second half. They played a brilliant first half which looked set to continue the momentum built up against Seattle and New York. However, in the second half they imploded badly. NOLA had been plagued by problems of their own in the first half, most notably figuring out how to actually hold onto a rugby ball. However, whatever half time talk took place in the NOLA changing rooms it clearly worked. NOLA got their house in order and whatever handling ailments they seemed to have in the first half were transferred to Toronto. Toronto simply fizzled in the second half and exited stage left for a good twenty minutes. They rallied once more towards the end but at that stage it was too little too late. They were forced to play catch up rugby with 5 minutes left on the clock. They tried to force the play far too much and the errors came thick and fast and with it a lack of discipline as frustration got the better of the players. Even with NOLA being a player short due to a yellow card, Toronto simply couldn’t gain the upper hand.

Game 8 – Toronto Arrows 29 – Rugby Atlanta 33

The Arrows South American contingent may be making the points but Canadian International centre Ben LeSage is often the architect

This nail biting heartbreaker for the Arrows on their adopted home ground for this season was a bitter pill to swallow. It got off to a shaky start for the Arrows, with the Georgians looking to be the dominant side, but after five minutes Toronto came charging back with another of their talismans, the indomitable second rower Mike Shepherd crashing over for Toronto’s first points. For the next twenty minutes the Arrows dominated proceedings in an intensely physical and fast paced encounter. The execution wasn’t quite as precise as that shown against New York and Seattle and once again Toronto went missing for a crucial 20 minute period during the final 10 of the first and opening 10 of the second halves. Toronto tied the match up at 26-26 on the 64th minute and thereafter the game seesawed back and forth between the two sides. A penalty kick from Arrows fly half Tayler Adams who had been dependable with the boot all match pulled Toronto ahead to 29-26 with five minutes to go. It was Toronto’s match to lose and sadly that is exactly what happened despite Toronto’s very best efforts. Toronto had to withstand an all out assault on their try line as the clock wound into the red, and the Georgians were just able to shove it that final inch across the whitewash against a valiant but exhausted Toronto defence. If Toronto can just avoid those costly lapses in concentration then games such as this are theirs for their taking. Once again there were plenty of positives from Toronto in this match and yet again centre Ben LeSage showed just how valuable he is when it comes to finding space for the Arrows backline to operate in.

Game 9 – Houston Sabercats 10 – Toronto Arrows 19

Another of Toronto’s South American contingent who just doesn’t quit – No 8 Manuel Diana

It wasn’t pretty at times, and definitely a game that Toronto should have won more comfortably but in the end a win is a win and one Toronto simply had to get. Houston have not been one of the top sides but have some silky try scorers in their midst. Toronto were able to effectively negate that threat but in the process simply didn’t look as dangerous in attack as they should have done. They are likely to rue the lack of a points haul should they get themselves into contention for a possible playoff spot at the business end of the season, but will have to settle for the win for now. Once again a lack of concentration in the final ten minutes could have cost them the game, but they held their nerve and more importantly their discipline and got the job done. Man of the Match, Uruguayan number 8 Manuel Diana had a massive game and has been one of the Arrows most consistent performers in a season that has had more than its fair share of ups and downs so far.

Verdict

With seven games left before the playoffs Toronto have it all to do and everything to play for. If you recall their first full season in the MLR in 2019, the first half was a rocky road, but they stormed home at the end to secure a place in the semi-finals. However, they did benefit from having the last half of their season entirely at home in Toronto in front of their exuberant fans, a luxury they simply won’t have this year. Focus will be the order of business for the remainder of the season and Toronto must set their sights on at least five big wins as a bare minimum. It won’t be easy but you sense there is once more a belief growing in this team and their sense of togetherness is plain for all to see. The majority of their remaining games are against teams they can get the measure of so it’s definitely a possibility.

Their strengths are obvious. First up is a tightly knit and cohesive forward pack, that can compete and often dominate the set pieces with individuals like Lucas Rumball and Manuel Diana being exceptionally effective in the loose. Their lineout work has consistently improved as the season has progressed. They have an increasingly impressive and competent half back pairing, with fly half Tayler Adams able to keep the scoreboard ticking over and we really like the look of Ross Braude at scrum half. As for their backs, their back line could hold their own in the top leagues in Europe and as mentioned above Ben LeSage has really come into his own in the centre channels and is definitely one of the Arrows key playmakers. It’s a good Arrows squad which is surely only going to get better, and while this may not be the season it all comes together for the Arrows, we have a hunch that next season is going to be one to remember for Toronto and their fans, especially once they are reunited at Lamport Stadium.

Till then enjoy what has been some exceptionally entertaining rugby at times, and here’s to what should be an exciting finale to this year’s MLR season. Like we say be lenient in your criticisms of the Arrows given their circumstances, and instead embrace the fact that in a time when we’ve had little to cheer about, they have kept a Canadian presence in our beloved sport very much alive. For that we salute every one of them and wish them the very best of luck for the remainder of the season!

The Lions Roar – Gatland picks his squad for the tour to South Africa

After much speculation, second guessing and will it won’t it musings, we are now so much closer to an event that despite all the pandemic controversy we are all eagerly awaiting. Lions Coach Warren Gatland has finally lifted the veil on his selections, and much to our surprise it’s a 37 man squad that, bar one or two question marks and raised eyebrows, we find ourselves for the most part agreeing wholeheartedly with – not something we do very often! Like we say there are a few head scratchers in there, but perhaps more on the omissions than inclusions side. However, overall we have to be honest and say that we think Gatland may well have got it right.

So much like we did with our Six Nations report cards we’ll go through the departments and give our verdicts on the lucky winners with a brief aside and consolation to the one or two individuals who we thought were shoe ins but sadly will not be getting on the plane.

The Front Row – No surprises as Gatland goes for power and consistency without risking discipline

Like his Captain, Welsh Hooker Ken Owens will bring some quiet but consistent power and solidity to the Lions scrum and set pieces

It’s always tough to choose a front row especially on a tour to South Africa, where what goes on in the dark corners of the coal face would be essential reading for Defence against the Dark Arts students in Harry Potter books. South Africa will excel at getting under your skin here and the key is all about not rising to it and letting your discipline slip. Consequently Gatland has gone with individuals who for the most part seem to be able to keep a calm head in such circumstances. Wales Ken Owens is more than likely his starting choice at Hooker, with England’s Jamie George a reliable back up and starter for matches outside the three Tests. Don’t be surprised to see England’s Luke Cowan-Dickie even get a starting Test berth, we think he’s that good and has been one of England’s relatively few standout performers this year.

In the props, we feel that Gatland has got it right with one glaring exception. Scotland’s Rory Sutherland had an outstanding Six Nations and if you put his unfortunate red card aside so too did fellow Scot Zander Fagerson – there’s some gritty reliability here that Gatland can ill afford to do without. Ireland’s Tadhg Furlong was always a given, but we are delighted to see his colleague Andrew Porter get the nod as well. Porter will bring some much needed ferocity and aggression to the mix, but seems able to channel all this in such a way that he keeps the right side of the referee’s whistle. Welshman Wyn Jones was one of the cornerstones of Wales recent Six Nations success so he was never in doubt, but we’ll be honest and say that our collective jaws hit the floor when we saw England’s Mako Vunipola make the cut. Our choice would have been Ireland’s Cian Healy, but the only reason we can think of Vunipola’s inclusion is Gatland needs a lump figure to shore up the loosehead side at times. However, put aside the bulk and Vunipola is simply not dynamic enough for us up against some of the opposition he is likely to encounter in South Africa and we’d have rather gone with Healy’s more mobile package. We were also surprised to not see Wales’ Tomas Francis or England’s Kyle Sinckler get a look in. While Francis has had the odd lapses in the consistency department and Sinckler a tad too many disciplinary indiscretions, this still must have been a genuinely hard choice to leave these two dynamos out of proceedings.

The Second Row – With Gatland spoilt for choice here it’s hard to argue with only one real question mark

This pairing was NEVER in doubt – Wales Alun Wyn-Jones and England’s Maro Itoje

The real question marks here are more about who’s not going than who is. Wales’ Alun Wyn-Jones was guaranteed the Captain’s armbands as despite his age, he is a veteran who shows no signs of slowing down and his Test experience is simply second to none. England’s Maro Itoje we still feel is arguably England’s best player hands down, and an England and Lions Captain apprentice. Who better to serve your apprenticeship under than one of the game’s modern day legends? Sure there were question marks around Itoje’s discipline this Six Nations and that will be tested to the brink in South Africa, but few can argue against the fact that he is one of the hardest working players in Test rugby today. We feel Ireland’s Iain Henderson is a shrewd choice and his playing style may be particularly effective against a player like South Africa’s Lood de Jager. Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne was one of THE players of the Six Nations and adds some genuine versatility to Gatland as he is equally at home and devastating in the back row. The same can be said of England’s Courtney Lawes who can also ply his trade in both departments, and while he may be slightly lean on game time, he can often turn in some extraordinary performances when his team needs them the most, backed up by some phenomenal physicality which is exactly what you need in South Africa.

Our question mark really centres on the inclusion of England’s Jonny Hill over the likes of Ireland’s James Ryan and Scotland’s Jonny Gray. Watching Hill get destroyed in most of England’s Six Nations matches allied to some questionable discipline didn’t exactly fill us with confidence. We saw the same in Exeter’s recent quarter final against La Rochelle where Hill was more of a liability than an asset. While Gray may be nursing some injury niggles that may have concerned Gatland as well as Ryan having similar issues coupled to a Six Nations that wasn’t the best showcase of his exceptional talents – we think Gatland will regret leaving either of these two behind. Hill may pack some bulk that Gatland feels he may need against the giant Springbok second rowers that South Africa is renown for churning out, but we just have an uncomfortable feeling about this one.

The Back Row – A genuine golden horn of riches for Gatland means there was always going to be disappointment for some

Eddie Jones may not get it but Gatland clearly does as England’s Sam Simmonds gets a shot on the big stage

As difficult as the selection decisions must have been here, they surely must have been some of Gatland’s most enjoyable as a wealth of back row talent would have been laid before him. We simply cannot argue with any of his selections, even if Ireland’s Jack Conan and England’s Sam Simmonds may have raised a few eyebrows. In the case of Simmonds just because England Head Coach Eddie Jones seems oblivious to the Exeter man’s talents the rest of the world is not. The big talking point post this Lions tour will be that if, as many predict, Simmonds shines then how can Jones justify refusing to select him and surely can no longer avoid him. As for Jack Conan all we can say is why not? A powerhouse with both Leinster and Ireland, his bruising ball carrying and quick thinking in the No 8 slot will be a huge asset to the Lions in South Africa. Wales Justin Tipuric simply had to go and if Scotland’s Hamish Watson had not got the call we would have probably boycotted the Lions tour in protest. Of the rest despite a weak Six Nations England’s Tom Curry is the kind of ferociously relentless player the Lions will need while Wales Talupe Faletau epitomises the quiet power and reliability that the Lions will need to balance Conan’s explosive rampaging around the park.

Of omissions, we don’t think you can really argue with them, the problem is Gatland can only take so many players, and in a situation where he is literally spoilt for choice then his hands are tied. However, our condolences go out to England’s Sam Underhill who can be so effective when paired with Tom Curry and Scotland’s Jamie Ritchie who is equally effective alongside the “Mighty Mish” Hamish Watson. We feel that Wales’ Josh Navidi and Ireland’s legendary South African CJ Stander are also deeply unlucky not to make the plane.

The Halfbacks – the home of hard knocks and difficult choices

Experience counts for a lot in Gatland’s eyes in this part of the park – Ireland’s Conor Murray, England’s Owen Farrell and Welshman Dan Biggar all have plenty

Of all the decisions he had to make these were probably some of the most vexing for Warren Gatland. In the end though we think he got it right. We don’t think he had much choice in the scrum half department. Despite England’s Ben Youngs counting himself out of contention for a Lions spot, with all due respect he seemed to be suffering from a slight degree of delusion if he really thought he was in the running in the first place. Ireland’s Conor Murray and Wales Gareth Davies fit the bill in terms of big match experience while Scotland’s Ali Price had such a good Six Nations that somehow seemed to go under the radar of quite a few observers, it would have been folly to leave him behind.

For the fly halves though he clearly would have struggled with no real standout contenders other than perhaps Scotland’s Finn Russell and Wales’ Dan Biggar. Biggar was clearly the Six Nations most reliable fly half and Russell the tournament’s most dynamic and unpredictable. England’s Owen Farrell is there for his experience and the fact that he has performed admirably well in a Lions jersey in the past irrespective of his current form, and can also cover the centre channels. We would argue it is a bit of gamble taking him, but once again what choice did Gatland really have?

While many will wonder why Ireland’s Johnny Sexton didn’t make the cut despite a stellar performance against England in the last round of the Six Nations, Sexton has had more off days in the last year than good ones allied to an increasingly problematic injury record. When he is on song there are few that can better him, but when he’s not things can go rapidly south for his team. The same could be said about Farrell. The England fly half may not have the injury problems facing Sexton, but he can be an enormous disciplinary liability at times which South Africa will seek to exploit to the full. He struggles to keep his emotions in check, though without the burden of the Captaincy on his shoulders he may fare better but is still likely to be a gamble for Gatland. England’s George Ford did nothing this Six Nations to improve his International credibility while Wales’ Calum Sheedy simply lacks the kind of experience needed for a tour like this.

The Centres – Gatland decides to shake things up

It seems we’re the only people not surprised by Scotland’s Chris Harris getting the call

We have to admit that while we applauded one of his decisions that raised many an eyebrow this is clearly a problematic part of the park when it comes to getting the right mix. While we are perhaps not sure about Gatland’s pick of Ireland centre Bundee Aki, we had tipped Scotland’s Chris Harris as the surprise shoe in of all the selections and were delighted to be proved right. Aki is a surprising choice and one we are slightly on the fence about, but we do get what Gatland is trying to do with it. South African centres excel at straight up the middle highly physical play. You won’t get a Brian O’Driscoll type of centre, it’s smash and bash up the centre channels all the way. That’s what Aki does really well so it’s clearly a case of match what you’re up against. As for Harris, he may not be that imaginative on attack but then his opponents won’t be either, but what he excelled at this Six Nations was defending those centre channels against both the smash and bash experts or the magicians like France’s Gael Fickou and Virimi Vakatawa. That’s why he there – defence! Ireland’s Robbie Henshaw is there because he can do both as well as being exceptionally creative in attack which will be very useful in getting around his more unimaginative South African opponents. However, having just watched the first round of the South African Rainbow Cup matches, we’re not sure that the label of unimaginative still applies to South African centres as they looked awfully mobile around the park to us and Aki may be a bit more of a one-dimensional gamble, albeit a powerful one, than Gatland and the Lions really need.

What we don’t understand is England’s Elliot Daly. Firstly we don’t think he’s overly comfortable in the centre role, and he was a failure on the wing and at fullback in England’s Six Nations campaign. As far as we can fathom, he is there for one reason only, and that is his monster boot which in the thin air of the Veld in Johannesburg will give the Lions a lot of mileage in terms of carving out territory. Still we don’t think given his recent form that is reason enough to hand him a plane ticket. Ireland’s Gary Ringrose is a much more deserving candidate and even England’s Henry Slade despite a quiet Six Nations would have been better choices in our opinion.

The Backs – The fast and the furious

Jonny May and Louis Rees-Zammit exclusive: From Six Nations rivals to brothers-in-arms
If Jonny May can’t catch him – who can? Welsh wonderkid Louis Rees-Zammit

The only thing slightly wrong with the picture above is that England’s Jonny May will not be on the plane to South Africa, despite him being one of the Northern Hemisphere’s fastest and most dynamic wingers. However, as we saw this Six Nations his abilities paled in comparison to those of new Welsh sensation Louis Rees-Zammit. Despite his lack of experience relative to May, Rees-Zammit’s defensive abilities were surprisingly on the mark this Six Nations, something which could not be said of May. As brilliant as the Englishman is on attack, defense is not his strong point. Rees-Zammit however seemed to have it all and thus gets the nod. England’s Anthony Watson made a blistering return to form this Six Nations despite the misfortunes of the rest of his colleagues, and can also do a useful shift at fullback if needed so his selection is a wise one. Welshman Josh Adams is a reliable figure out wide and Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe was one of the revelations of this Six Nations. The Scottish South African import’s big bruising ball carrying ability will come in very useful as he returns to his native land and the country that gave him his rugby education. His familiarity with the environment will be a valuable asset to the Lions and he’ll be no stranger to the hard fast pitches and thin air. Lastly there were few if any surprises in the fullback choices. Scotland’s Stuart Hogg is one of the most exciting players in the game today, and this Six Nations emerged as a real leader of men as he proved to be an exemplary Captain. Meanwhile Wales Liam Williams is a tried and trusted commodity and excels at getting his team out of trouble under pressure and like Hogg is a master of the counterattack from deep. Given that both also possess an exceptionally handy boot, there were few if any surprises in Gatland’s selections for the 15 jersey and what a delicious dilemma to have when it comes to choosing your starter for the three Tests.

Apart from Jonny May we thought there might have been an outside chance of a spot for Ireland’s Hugo Keenan at fullback who had a stellar Six Nations as well as Ireland’s Keith Earls who was often Ireland’s go to man this Six Nations on the wing.

It’s a long hard tour with plenty of scope for hard knocks and injuries so some of those we felt are feeling slightly miffed at not getting a shot at Lions glory may still get a chance before it’s all over. Either way it should be a stellar tournament and we can’t wait even if the curse of COVID 19 continues to deny us the crowds and supporters that are synonymous with a Lions tour. How a South African side that hasn’t played a Test match in almost two years will fare against Britain and Ireland’s finest is a HUGE question mark. However, let’s not forget that despite their lack of game time since the last World Cup they still are World Champions, with a raft of players plying their trade in the top leagues of Europe. In short, on home soil and in a country where rugby is almost a religion they will be no pushover.  As soon as we get a handle on how we’ll be able to watch it here in Canada we’ll let you know.

To get you in the mood and start building some anticipation – here’s a little teaser!

Six Nations 2021 Report Card – Part 2

With the dust now settled on what for us has been one of the most riveting Six Nations in years, it’s time to hand out the marks. Despite the lack of crowds, the quality of rugby for the most part did not suffer and we were treated to a series of vintage games that are likely to stay on our highlights reel for many years to come.

So who got it right and who got it spectacularly wrong? For most of the participants there was lots to be learnt with the majority taking the lessons to heart and making good use of them. For a small minority of participants it appeared to be a tournament where opportunities to grow and prepare for the next World Cup and even the next Six Nations were completely wasted. For the Celtic nations and France it is a time for optimism. For Italy it is yet another year to forget. Perhaps the most worrying lesson though in all of this is that for England the clock is ticking with increasingly little time left to find the answers to a series of problems that really haven’t been addressed since England’s defeat in the last World Cup final.

So agree to disagree but here’s the second part of how we judged the overall performances of this year’s Six Nations participants looking at the bottom 3 in this year’s table.

Scotland – 7/10

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is th179-26_2021_183409.jpg
With Hamish Watson Scotland are phenomenal – but once again this tournament showed that consistency is Scotland’s Achilles Heel

In many ways Scotland’s fourth place finish somehow just doesn’t add up. They were without a doubt one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the competition who consistently applied maximum effort and wore their hearts on their sleeves. In short, we thoroughly enjoyed Scotland’s romp through the Six Nations and they provided some of the tournament’s best moments. Sadly though they occasionally got a bad roll of the dice, most noticeably falling victim to France’s Wafflegate which arguably had a more detrimental effect on them than France, and threw their Championship momentum completely off kilter. Nevertheless, international sport these days excels at throwing teams curve balls and a measure of a team’s success is how well they cope with such disruptions. Add to the fact that consistency week in week out is still a problem for Scotland and sadly despite some stunning performances, the cards didn’t quite fall in Scotland’s favor this year. But make no mistake this is a very good Scottish team that is only going to get better in the build up to the World Cup, and Scottish supporters can feel excited about their team’s fortunes.

Scotland got their campaign off to the best of possible starts by achieving a convincing win over the ‘auld enemy’ England at Fortress Twickenham, the first since 1983. It got the tournament as a whole off to a thrilling start and proved that its billing of possibly the most open Championship in years had some merit. Next up Scotland suffered a heartbreaking loss to Wales at Murrayfield by one point and were hampered by having to play with only 14 men for most of the second half due to a red card being handed to Prop Zander Fagerson. Scotland were in it to the death however and were unlucky to lose and in the process provided us with an absolute thriller.

After that Ireland made a visit to Murrayfield, but due to Scotland’s third round match with France being postponed, the Scots had been without game time for a full four weeks. A slightly more match fit Ireland got the better of them, albeit by the narrowest of margins. Scotland fought their way back into the match in the second half and were arguably the better side at times. Nevertheless it wasn’t good enough and another match went begging and with it their hopes of Championship glory. However, now match fit they made short work of Italy at Murrayfield and came away with a healthy 52 point haul.

All that remained now was their postponed match with France. With France having put paid to Wales’ Grand Slam ambitions on Super Saturday, all the focus was on whether or not France could rob Wales of the Championship. Scotland clearly resented all the talk about France, especially as Les Bleus faux pas had put paid to their own tournament momentum. In a match full of poetic justice, Scotland ended their Six Nations campaign in the same vein as they started it against England. The thriller in Paris was one for the ages and another one of those 110% team efforts from Scotland. Scotland took the lifeline given to them at the death by French fullback Brice Dulin, and in an epic display of grit and determination hammered away at the French try line for the next 5 minutes of extra time, managing to keep the ball in play for an incredible 20 phases. An impressive end to what had been a solid tournament for the Scots despite only finishing fourth.

Put aside their fourth place on the table and watch the highlights reels of their Six Nations and there is little doubt that Scotland played some of the most attractive, exciting and at times daring rugby of the tournament. Occassionally their inconsistency in decision making or attempting the impossible through fly half Finn Russell cost them, but this is a very good Test team who are already showing signs of causing Ireland and South Africa (their main pool opponents) some serious headaches come the World Cup. Furthermore they will be serious contenders for Six Nations glory in the remaining two tournaments before the next World Cup in France. Scotland seem to revel in the underdog label, though given their performances against England and France this year, it’s unlikely to be one associated with them much longer.

Our department picks this year for the Scots were all fairly straightforward, with one player perhaps being the best back rower of the tournament. Starting off in the front row, it has to be Prop Rory Sutherland. He was already registering on opposition radars before the tournament, and while he may not have been Scotland’s flashiest player he was arguably one of their most quietly efficient and consistent. In the second row, it has to be Jonny Gray until injury sadly knocked him out of the competition after the Ireland match. In the back row, the mighty Hamish Watson was simply Scotland’s best player and one of THE players of the entire tournament. Despite his size the man was simply a monster and one of the hardest working players in the sport. In the half backs some may be surprised to see us give scrum half Ali Price the nod over fly half Finn Russell. Russell may be a genuine magician but he tends to live a bit too much on the edge for our liking. Price had a stellar tournament making quick and sensible decisions and providing fast and accurate service, and in our opinion is one of Scotland’s most undervalued assets. In the centres, despite our initial reservations, you have to give a standing ovation to Chris Harris. He may not be the quickest or sharpest player on attack but defensively he was superb, a trait which was key in helping Scotland seal the deal in Paris. Finally in the back line it’s a hard call to not give winger Duhan van der Merwe top honors as he scored some crucial tries, but we simply have to give it to fullback and Captain Stuart Hogg. Hogg really came of age as a leader of men this tournament and his counterattacks from deep were the stuff of legends this Six Nations. Although these six individuals may have really stood out for their team they were able to do so in large part because of the outstanding team effort made by Scotland as a whole.

England – 5/10

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is f543c74d-d667-4f42-b63e-c50cec6f805b.jpg
England need to learn how to master Plan B no matter how good their Plan A is

We have to admit we never really thought England would be duking it out with Italy this Six Nations for the Wooden Spoon. However, we were convinced that the reluctance to blood new talent and look to the future would seriously dent England’s chances this year. In that respect we were not proven wrong. England were way off the mark in terms of performance and creativity. Eddie Jones and his staff have completely wasted a golden opportunity to blood new talent in preparation for the next World Cup. Instead they now run the risk of having it all to do in a very short space of time, while at the same time continuing to rely on a group of players that increasingly look like something from the dinosaur age.

The other Six Nations competitors embraced change this year – England did not and it cost them dearly. There is a basic trend with this current England squad that when things are going their way they can hold their own against the world’s best, but the minute they are either found out or the opposition starts playing in a way they can’t understand England’s wheels fall off quickly and dramatically. We don’t think we’ve ever witnessed a team so bereft of a Plan B let alone C and D. Very good when a game goes according to script but at sixes and sevens the minute the opposition starts to improvise. Is this over coaching or a simple lack of imagination and creativity? England need to find the answers quickly before South Africa shows up at Twickenham this fall, especially given the fact that very few English players are likely to be on the plane to South Africa this summer for the Lions tour.

England got their campaign off to an ominous start against Scotland and recorded their first defeat to the Men from North of Hadrian’s Wall at Twickenham since 1983. England looked lethargic and completely bereft of ideas in attack. They made a much better showing against Italy a week later, but Italy are usually a golden opportunity to haul in the maximum amount of points while conceding none of your own. On this count England failed miserably as although they scored six tries, they only managed to convert 4 of them while allowing Italy to get two tries against them. Although it was an emphatic win the points difference was only 23, the smallest by any side against Italy during this year’s tournament.

England then travelled to Cardiff to take on a Welsh side brimming with confidence and on song for a possible Grand Slam. Put aside some of the more controversial refereeing decisions and Wales would still have won as a shambolic and exceptionally poorly disciplined English side never really fired a shot, and in the final quarter simply capitulated. Licking their wounds they headed back to Twickenham and finally found some redemption by beating tournament favorites France. It was a tense and close run affair and France almost snatched it at the death. England won but it wasn’t overly convincing in the process, while France were clearly suffering from a lack of fluidity and cohesion after a month out of the Test window courtesy of their earlier ‘Wafflegate’ antics in Rome.

England’s last hurdle was a difficult trip to Dublin to face an Irish side who was rapidly gaining confidence after a shaky start to their own tournament. However, the Irish showed all the invention, organisation and resilience with England showing none of the same qualities. Ireland dismantled England comprehensively and the Men in White spent much of the eighty minutes looking completely out of their depth in how to respond. In their confusion, their discipline also went out the window. In the end an abject England team wandered off the pitch in Dublin clearly at a loss as to how to explain what had just happened yet again.

Put a picture of England’s facial expressions after the World Cup final up against one taken after the final whistle in Dublin and they are disturbingly similar, with almost no lessons learnt in what has been a year and half. It begs the question as to what what is going on in English rugby? Eddie Jones complete exoneration this week after the Six Nations inquest, leaves us wondering if any learning is likely to happen between now and the next World Cup. There is no reason for England to be as poor as they were this Six Nations. There is a wealth of young talent in the country which would be the envy of most rugby nations and Coaches. Sadly however, none of it is being tapped and there seem to be no plans in place to do so and develop it into the World Cup winning resource it could be come 2023 which is only 24 months away. Until England learn how to adapt under pressure and develop an effective Plan B using the right talent at their disposal, the next two years could sadly be very lean ones indeed for the Men in White. It’s something that both existing players and Coaching staff must take responsibility for equally.

Given England’s rather lukewarm performance this year, we really struggled with picking our department heads from the Championship but here goes. In the front row we ultimately settled on Hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie. Although he wasn’t always consistent when he did produce, most noticeably against France, his presence was really felt and his youth lent some dynamism to England’s front row efforts. In the second row, the choice was easy, Maro Itoje. As we said in our piece on the Welsh game, although the giant lock led England’s penalty count that was more due to the fact that he was one of the few players actually putting in an effort. Consequently by being at the centre of every piece of action on the field he was bound to catch the attention of the referee. It doesn’t excuse his digressions, and he is lapse to letting his emotions and frustrations get the better of him, but his value to England simply cannot be underestimated. He is the right side of the age curve for the next two World Cups and as a result given his undeniable raw talent, one of England’s most important assets for the future. His work rate is phenomenal and he is quite simply a massive thorn in the side of any opposition. In the back row we really struggled once more. Tom Curry is usually our go to man, but at times his discipline and understanding of the laws of the game was laughable this tournament. Nevertheless, like Itoje his is such a raw and powerful talent that he is integral to England’s future. In the half back department, we have to offer up George Ford who although outclassed on numerous occasions did at least attempt to offer England some creativity in attack. In the centres, we’d go with Henry Slade over Owen Farrell. Once again although Farrell has the greater experience and in theory has the better rugby brain, Slade we feel has the potential to make a greater contribution to England’s future if coached properly, whereas Farrell has been in a constant rut since the World Cup final. Lastly in the back line we are going to salute the return to form of winger Anthony Watson. While his colleague Jonny May scored some trademark spectacular tries, it was Watson when unleashed on attack with some exceptionally powerful runs that impressed the most. May’s talents are a given, but England seemed desperately short on skill out wide until the resurgence of Watson this year. Like we say we really struggled with this short list, from a group who sadly defined mediocrity this Championship.

Italy – 4/10

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is skysports-alessandro-zanni_5257485.jpg
Italy stare in disbelief once more at the scoreboard – a look that has become depressingly familiar

We were so optimistic about Italy at the start of this Championship as we vainly hoped that maybe, just maybe, this year would be different. As the tournament wore on and such hopes and dreams rapidly sounded like yet another broken record, we realised with a crushing sense of disappointment that come the end of the Championship we would once again be struggling to find something positive to say about another miserable year of Italian Six Nations trials and tribulations. There are one or two glimmering lights in Italy’s performances this year, but they are all individual and as a team Italy sadly have little to offer in terms of a new dawn for rugby in a land more renown for its skills with round rather than oval balls. They have plenty of passion of that there is no doubt and at times some genuine skill in attack, but overall their discipline makes England look almost saintly and they seem positively incapable of any kind of defence. Until some traction is made in both these areas, then the talent that Italy does have will simply be wasted. As much as the responsibility for this lies in the Coaching box, it equally lies with the players who have consistently failed to collectively address these frailties for over twenty years now.

Italy’s campaign got off to the worst possible start with a 40 point deficit against France, with an understanding of the offside law clearly something completely beyond the grasp of most of the Italian squad. Next up was England and to give Italy their credit they did make life complicated at times for England, but given England’s abilities this tournament that wasn’t exactly a vote of confidence, even if they were doing it at Twickenham. Italy then hosted Ireland who finally got their campaign on track with a thumping defeat of the Azurri who simply had nothing to offer. Things continued to go from bad to worse as Wales paid them a visit and ran in a similar score against them as Ireland had managed. Their tournament ended with a whimper as they were annihilated by the Scots at Murrayfield. The only positive thing you can say about this Italian squad is that the vast majority of them are barely out of rugby kindergarten. So they definitely have youth on their side, and if Coach Franco Smith can finally get them to grasp some of the key basics of the game such as defence and discipline then there could just be hope for this generation of Italian players. Nevertheless it’s a big ask and one which their fans and every rugby neutral have been making for the last two decades. It’s time for the players to exercise that famous Latin expression “carpe diem”. If they don’t Italian rugby is to be permanently cast as International rugby’s greatest failure in the development of a global game.

As woeful as Italy were as a unit, it was a slightly easier task to pick some players who stood out in Italy’s Six Nations campaign this year. In the front row, although he struggled to keep his emotions in check we still hold that Prop Danilo Fischetti is a talent to build on for the future. In the second row, we really like the look of David Sisi and England’s loss is clearly Italy’s gain here. In the back row however, Italy does have reasons to get excited in both their imports from Southern Africa Johan Meyer and Sebastian Negri. For us though Negri was arguably Italy’s most consistent performer this Six Nations. In the half backs scrum half Stephen Varney is worth getting excited about for the future but fly half Paolo Garbisi was without question Italy’s most enterprising and accomplished player this tournament, all at the tender age of twenty. In the centres, although we saw less of him than we would have liked due to injury Marco Zanon remains a genuine threat on attack, but new Argentinian import Juan Ignacio Brex showed some real promise. Lastly in the back line winger Monty Ioane produced a handful of spectacular tries and if he can learn how to defend as well as he can attack then Italy could get some consistency finally in this part of the field. Like our England selections though we struggled to group all these individuals, as talented as they may be, into a team that can actually use them properly, and until that happens Italy will remain a loosely knit collection of mercurial talents.

Endnote

So that’s it for this year’s Six Nations and what a ride it’s been. We enjoyed every single moment of it, and if we get the privilege of adding fans to the experience next year, the 2022 edition could be even better. However, even without the fans this year it was a tournament we’ll remember fondly.

Last but not least it’s time for us to echo our support for the man who earned Player of the Tournament and is a definite fan favourite and folk hero here at the Lineout. Yes you guessed it Scotland’s very own the “Mighty Mish”. Back rower Hamish Watson turned in power house performances in every match of the Championship no matter where Scotland was on the scoreboard. The man is a legend plain and simple! Scotland and the rugby world as a whole are genuinely privileged to have him grace or more appropriately chew up pitches across the globe!

We’ll be back in the next week or so as we start to unpack the Toronto Arrows performances this season and look ahead to the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa. Till then stay safe everyone!

Six Nations 2021 Report Card – Part 1

With the dust now settled on what for us has been one of the most riveting Six Nations in years, it’s time to hand out the marks. Despite the lack of crowds, the quality of rugby for the most part did not suffer and we were treated to a series of vintage games that are likely to stay on our highlights reel for many years to come.

So who got it right and who got it spectacularly wrong? For most of the participants there was lots to be learnt with the majority taking the lessons to heart and making good use of them. For a small minority of participants it appeared to be a tournament where opportunities to grow and prepare for the next World Cup and even the next Six Nations were completely wasted. For the Celtic nations and France it is a time for optimism. For Italy it is yet another year to forget. Perhaps the most worrying lesson though in all of this is that for England the clock is ticking with increasingly little time left to find the answers to a series of problems that really haven’t been addressed since England’s defeat in the last World Cup final.

So agree to disagree but here’s how we judged the overall performances of this year’s Six Nations participants starting with the top 3 in this year’s table.

Wales – 8/10

We said at the end of last year that where there was smoke there would be fire – and the Welsh dragon did not prove us wrong!

Wales are always the tournament’s smoking gun, well except perhaps last year. However, we couldn’t help feeling all along that the Welsh misery of 2020 was simply a bump in the road, and their superb effort this year shouldn’t really have come as much of a surprise as it did to most. Wales has an excellent balance of youth and experience, it just needed to gel with new Coach Wayne Pivac. There is little question that the gel is now set, and Pivac has a team that looks the business as well as one that can grow and develop during this World Cup cycle.

Why not a score higher than eight then you might ask? Wales were rightful Champions, but it was awful close at times, and the odd element of luck occassionally had a bit too much of a say in proceedings for our liking. Furthermore, despite their Herculean effort in the final match in Paris, Grand Slam winners they are not, at least for the moment. There were times in the French match where that trademark Welsh grit just wasn’t enough to overcome a more inventive and arguably fitter French side. Perhaps Wales strongest asset is their ability to remain calm under pressure, something England could do well to copy, but the French match saw it start to weaken slightly.

Wales opened their campaign well against an Irish side struggling with discipline, and the Men in Red benefitted from being able to play against 14 men for almost the entire game after Peter O’Mahony was red carded 13 minutes into proceedings. Next up was an incredibly tight affair against Scotland where once again Wales benefitted from a red card decision reducing the Scots to 14 men for most of the second half. Then it was the thriller against England which saw the Men in Red come out resoundingly on top, even if you took away what some considered were questionable officiating decisions. Their Roman holiday against Italy saw them come away with the inevitable hefty points haul, which would ensure that even with the loss to France in the final round the points difference would see them home.

Their last match against France was an extraordinary game that had more twists and turns than a Game of Thrones episode. However, this time Wales couldn’t use the red card given to France towards the end of the match to their advantage. After holding off multiple French assaults in their 22 Wales themselves succumbed to an inevitable yellow card as fatigue set in and the numbers on the pitch were level again. France got the measure of a clearly exhausted Welsh side and robbed the Men in Red of that elusive Grand Slam. Wales would still emerge champions after France came short against Scotland six days later, but as we suspected given the quality of the opposition this year, Grand Slams were never really on the cards for any of the teams.

It was an extraordinary performance from Wales, and they were deserved winners of not only the Triple Crown but the Championship as well, even if that dream Grand Slam was lost at the death in Paris. Halfway through this World Cup cycle they must surely feel pleased with where they find themselves. They have some extraordinary young talent coming through the ranks, a Coach who has now proven how to get results, and a wealth of experienced and seasoned veterans who have one more big World Cup performance left in them. Perhaps the only question hanging over Wales is who will replace Captain extraordinaire Alun Wyn Jones, who now at 35 is unlikely to be in the running to lead the Men in Red in two years time.

There were a host of notable performances, but here is our list of who made the biggest impression in each department for Wales. In the front row, Loosehead prop Wyn Jones was stellar, providing some much needed stability to the Welsh scrum which last year had proved problematic. In the second row, Captain Alun Wyn Jones was absolutely immense and without a doubt the leader of the tournament. In the back row Josh Navidi and Talupe Faletau put in some massive shifts, but as always it was Welsh Superman Justin Tipuric who consistently stood out both in ability and a work rate that is simply off the charts. In the half backs, fly half Callum Sheedy’s performance in the second half against England showed what talent Wales have in their youth. In the centres George North seems to have rediscovered himself and as a result made a huge contribution to Welsh efforts this Championship and was back to his try scoring best. Finally in the back line, as good as Liam Williams and Josh Adams were, it was newcomer Louis Rees-Zammit who impressed the most off the wing and showed that all the hype surrounding this latest Welsh prodigy was completely justified at Test Level. While these six individuals may be our picks of the tournament, it was a complete Welsh effort and every Welshman who donned the red jersey over the past two months can and should feel proud of their achievements, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for this remarkable group of players.

France – 7/10

A FABULOUS team in the making – but clearly still in the design stages

Magnifique, incroyable, extraordinaire – these were all terms used to describe this year’s edition of France’s Six Nations ensemble. Tipped by many as favourites to take the title, they did not disappoint. However, there were moments where despite all the panache and flair, France looked a little a ways off from being the finished product just yet. At times you sensed they perhaps got carried away with all the hype surrounding them, and still have quite a bit of fine tuning to do before they can consider themselves a shoe in for World Cup glory in two years time. Consequently, despite the fact that we probably enjoyed watching France’s rugby joie de vivre more than any other team in this year’s Six Nations, their ability to blow hot and cold in the blink of an eye cost them a slightly lower score. However, the current foundation is so strong that there is little doubt that France are going to be the team to watch over the next two years.

France got their campaign off to a blistering start against the hapless Italians, and made sure that like Wales they used the fixture to maximise their points haul. Next up however, a lot of the shine of Nouvelle France wore off as they struggled to get past a disjointed but feisty Irish side in Dublin. They got the win but it felt labored and was often error strewn, with star playmaker scrum half Antoine Dupont proving that he is most definitely human and not some extraordinarily gifted extraterrestrial rugby being.

After that France had to live under the self-inflicted cloud of “Wafflegate” after the team was forced into isolation after testing positive for COVID 19 due to a poorly thought out excursion in Rome for said breakfast delicacies, and Coach Fabien Galthie leaving the bubble to watch his son play in Paris. While the latter may be more understandable than the Roman breafast faux pas it is still hard to justify as they both almost scuppered the tournament and meant the postponement of France’s match with Scotland.

After a month break it was time to take on England, and perhaps as a form of poetic justice France’s lack of playing time clearly had an effect as they were beaten by arguably the second worst team of the tournament. Still it appeared to snap them out of both their complacency and sense of entitlement that the tournament was theirs to win. They needed a massive performance to beat Wales and remain in the hunt for Six Nations silverware. They produced it, even if at times it looked as if the day was going to belong to Wales. They held their nerve right to the end and in perhaps one of the greatest final ten minute comebacks in the history of the tournament, pulled off one of the Six Nations greatest wins. With all the attention now on them, they perhaps got carried away once more with the hype and focused more on what they had to do to win the Championship rather than keep a Scottish side that had seemingly slipped completely under their radar at bay. Scotland simply looked like they had a more of a point to prove, and as a result walked away the winners, robbing France of the Championship. France will be back bigger and better next year, but perhaps more than any other team they have embraced change and the huge resources of talent and youth at their disposal. Their squad come the World Cup should be at the absolute peak of their game, and the rest of the world has been warned that the Northern Hemisphere’s strongest contender for the ultimate Webb Ellis souvenir is likely to be singing “La Marseillaise”.

Our department picks were a challenge in this rather talented squad to say the least. However in the front row we simply have to go with Hooker Julien Marchand, who was perhaps one of the most underrated players heading into the tournament but consistently ensured that France were competitive at scrum time and in the lineouts. In the second row we struggled but ultimately, and possibly as a surprise to some, settled on Romain Taofifenua whose performance in the Welsh game was so critical, as well as numerous impact appearances from the bench. In the back row, we really struggled to pick between Captain Charles Ollivon and Gregory Alldritt. Ollivon was an excellent leader but Alldritt went above and beyond in all five of France’s Six Nations games, and in the two games France lost he was the standout performer for les Bleus. In the halfbacks, despite Emile Ntamack’s late return from injury towards the end of the tournament and scrum half Antoine Dupont’s star quality, it was fly half Matthieu Jalibert who got top marks from us. Given that he has had to live in Ntamack’s shadow for the last year, he clearly stamped his authority on the role to the point where France have two very healthy starting options in the number 10 jersey. In the centres Gael Fickou gets the nod by a country mile. He was outstanding at marshalling France’s midfield attacks and defences and the veteran is probably close to the top of his game. In the back line, despite his wobble at the eighty minute mark against Scotland which ultimately cost France the game, fullback Brice Dulin was one of the standout performers of the tournament in the 15 jersey. Even against Scotland you could understand his seemingly inexplicable decision to keep the ball in play at the death, given that France were still chasing the elusive points they needed to get past Wales for the Championship. At the end of the day, given his stellar performances for France in the rest of the tournament and his absolute solidity under the high ball it would be remiss of us not to sing his praises.

France are so close to being the real dea,l and the next year will be all about fine tuning a squad that is destined for greatness. France have fired the opening shots of the next World Cup and the world has been warned.

Ireland – 7/10

Ireland’s Tadgh Beirne was one of the standout performers of the entire Championship – but Ireland are starting to click as a unit again

Once Ireland found their groove this Six Nations, they finally looked like a team starting to go places once more after what can only be described as two years in the wilderness. The transition to new Coach Andy Farrell has raised many an eyebrow, with many pundits ourselves included, being less than convinced that he was the right man for the job. However, after this Six Nations Irish supporters may just be feeling a tingling sense of optimism. Some of the youngsters are really coming to the fore, the veterans are stepping up to the plate once again and players who have been overlooked in the past are finally getting the recognition they so fully deserve. Lastly add into the Coaching mix an Irish legend and patron saint of forward packs Paul O’Connell, and Ireland are definitely once more on the rise.

Ireland got their campaign off to a poor start it has to be said. The ill disciplined and shambolic effort against Wales had all the hallmarks of a team at sixes and sevens in terms of direction. Their next encounter showed a more positive effort against France, as they put the title contenders under pressure and forced them into uncharacteristic mistakes. However, it wasn’t coherent enough to get the win, and the error and penalty count were still too high. There seemed to be very little evidence of any sort of plan in attack as Ireland dominated possession and territory but did little with either.

Their trip to Rome however, saw them finally come together as a unit and give them something to build on. Given Italy’s woeful defences it was always a golden opportunity to try out an attacking style of play and Ireland seized the opportunity with both hands running in six superbly executed tries. Next up it was Scotland and Ireland continued their run of form against their fellow Celts with a hard fought victory at Murrayfield against a clearly rusty Scottish side, after their enforced COVID 19 break courtesy of France’s Wafflegate. Ireland saved their best performance for last however, and put in the most solid effort we’ve seen from them in the new Andy Farrell era. They dismantled England from start to finish in a masterful display of defence, discipline under pressure and attacking prowess. Ireland’s performance in this Six Nations was very much a case of an improved showing from one match to the next. The second round against France was a marked improvement which culminated in a complete team effort against England in the final round earning Ireland a well justified third place.

Our department picks were pretty straightforward for the Men in Green and we doubt they’ll raise too many eyebrows. In the front row, the return from injury of Tighthead Prop Tadhg Furlong had an enormous impact on Irish fortunes at the coalface. Add to that his rather dazzling dance moves in the loose and Ireland have a real live wire in the front ably complimented by the likes of Cian Healy, Andrew Porter and Ronan Kelleher. In the second row, our choice could not have been more obvious – Tadhg Beirne. The second row monster was immense for the Men in Green, dominating lineouts, creating turnovers, making line breaks….the list goes on and he’s also equally capable in the back row. No matter what kind of day the rest of his team was having Beirne was having a day to remember, and is justifiably one of the players of the tournament. In the back row despite some very healthy competition from the likes of Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan it has to be Ireland’s favourite South African, the mighty CJ Stander in his swansong Six Nations appearance in an Irish jersey. One of the hardest working back rowers in Test rugby over the last five years, Stander did his adopted country proud from start to finish this year. In the halfbacks, it was Conor Murray’s return to form in the scrum half berth that would have got Irish eyes smiling culminating in his superb final round effort against England. In the centres, another nominee for player of the tournament, Robbie Henshaw, gets the nod. Another player who has suddenly rediscovered his form and is arguably now playing at the top of his game. Lastly in the back line we were severely torn between veteran winger Keith Earls and newcomer Hugo Keenan at fullback. Keenan has clearly made the 15 jersey his and was one of Ireland’s most consistent performers all tournament and best finds of the last year. However, we have to hand the honor to Earls who we think has always been one of Ireland’s most underrated players. He produced some spectacular tries this tournament and can often be relied upon to shore up Ireland’s problematic last line of defence. Perhaps not one of Ireland’s most talented players but arguably one of their most capable and reliable.

Under Andy Farrell, Ireland have clearly shaken off the rather rigid shackles of the Schmidt era, and appear to be revelling in the new found freedom to be slightly less structured and as a result more unpredictable on the pitch. It appears to be paying dividends, whilst the the discipline and defensive systems put in place during their time with Joe Schmidt are serving them well when under pressure. There are still question marks around some key positions in the build up to the next World Cup, most importantly around the fly half berth, but after this Six Nations, Irish supporters can breathe a little bit easier as like Wales, they are developing a healthy balance of youth and experience.

That’s it for now. We’ll be back next week with part two as we look at the three residents of the bottom half of the Six Nations table, Scotland, England and Italy. Sorry that it has taken so long to get this out, but with the pressures of work and COVID lockdowns it’s been a struggle to get our thoughts together. To keep you going till next time here’s a highlights reel of all the best tries of what was a remarkable tournament.

Take care and stay safe everyone!

The Six Nations that keeps on giving has one final hurrah this Friday night in what should be a thriller – even if you’ll need to bring your calculator!

Sure in a perfect world and all the controversy aside we should now be dissecting the ramifications of what has been one of the most enthralling Six Nations Championships we can remember in a long time. However, before we do that there is still the unfinished business of France and Scotland’s postponed Round 3 match on Friday night to deal with. Forget all the finger pointing, which is all ancient history now and France’s waffle eating negligence which got us here in the first place, as both Scotland and France will be 100% focused on the business at hand on Friday night and as fans so should we. After France pipped Wales at the death 32-30 and out of a Grand Slam last Saturday in Paris, we are now treated to one last glorious roll of the dice in the French capital to see whether the silverware will remain at the Stade de France or make it’s way to Cardiff once referee Wayne Barnes blows his final whistle.

Last weekend’s Super Saturday was vintage stuff, and will be remembered as one to savour. Scotland came blasting out of the blocks to resurrect their campaign by blitzing Italy and now face the tantalising prospect of finishing second if they manage to beat France and the numbers punched into calculators work in their favor. Ireland demolished an English side that is clearly in need of a new chassis and aggressive tune up in a thrilling match in Dublin. But the showpiece event without a doubt was 80 minutes of classic Test rugby in Paris as France and Wales fought tooth and nail. It was tense, hugely physical and had more drama than a full season of The Sopranos. There was some exquisite rugby on display from both sides and the hits could have registered on a Richter Scale. The seven try, 62 point fest was one that will be talked about for many years to come as two perfectly matched sides gave no quarter for the full eighty minutes from end to end. Your heart has to go out to the Welsh and their outstanding effort, but we always felt that a Grand Slam was just not on the cards for anyone this year as tantalisingly close as Wales came to achieving it. However, as a result we get to have one last indulgence in a tournament that despite the COVID 19 pandemic has exceeded our wildest expectations in terms of entertainment and excitement.

France vs Scotland – Friday, March 26th – Paris

Let’s put aside the finger pointing in the run up to this match, and the French squad’s faux pas surrounding COVID 19 protocols. It’s not perfect and while the seeming lack of repercussions has riled some of us, what’s done is done. Scotland and France both had a break from the momentum of Six Nations Test Rugby and it cost them both dearly. France in their loss to England and Scotland in their defeat by Ireland. Agreed Scotland didn’t ask for it and would appear the more hard done by, but unlike France before they headed into the break they had already lost to Wales so things weren’t exactly going to plan after that historic Round 1 defeat of England at Twickenham. A trip to Paris may well have been a bridge too far too soon at that point. Now after recovering their mojo against Italy in a relatively easy training run, you’d have to argue they go into this match looking the fresher of the two sides after only a six day turnaround. The maths are pretty complicated for Scotland to get second place and their highest ever Six Nations finish, but in short it involves beating France, and then it’s down to the calculators. They either have to score four tries against the French or beat the French by five points and deny them a try or losing bonus point and let’s face it the likelihood of France NOT scoring a try is akin to making a convincing argument for the flat earth campaign.

France had to play out of their skins against Wales last Saturday in a game from which the physical toll will be hard to get over in the space of just six days. That being said, there is no denying the momentum that kind of victory can give you and Scotland are going to have to be at their very best to stop the French juggernaut on a ground that the boys from North of Hadrian’s wall haven’t won on since 1999. France need to beat Scotland by 21 points and score four tries, or 20 points and six tries to win the title off Wales. In addition to those basics there is also some maths to do, but essentially without either of those two conditions as a starting point then the Championship will belong to Wales. Despite all the accounting and number punching to do, there is the fact that Friday’s match has everything to play for for both sides. In short, a battle royale for very different reasons awaits us in Paris.

A time to focus on what really matters

French Coach Fabien Galthie has been feeling the heat from COVID and not choosing his words carefully enough

French Coach Fabien Galthie has come under some serious criticism of late. Firstly due to his breaking of COVID 19 protocols which ultimately led to the postponement of this fixture, and secondly his inflammatory remarks accusing Wales of milking red card opportunities with referees. Poor on both counts, and now that he has had some time to reflect he no doubt wishes that he’d done neither. More importantly he wishes that the media would get back to focusing on what he and his charges do best – play some rather brilliant rugby. It’s been an emotional roller coaster for France these last few weeks, and it’s almost inevitable that things may get said in the heat of the moment that shouldn’t. Galthie and his coaching staff are an exceptionally talented group well liked and respected by their players. Much of what has been said and done over the last few weeks are rather uncharacteristic and no doubt brought on to some degree by the pressure the group has been under. We’re not making excuses for any of it but think that it’s time to move away from the media circus and get back to judging Galthie and his charges by their actions on the pitch – and let’s be honest in that respect they have given us something to celebrate this Championship.

Life really is all about how you cope with Plan B

Gregor Townsend and Stuart Hogg know that things very rarely go according to plan for the Scots but in the process opportunity knocks

Scotland it seems are constantly having to reinvent themselves, whether it’s due to the injury gods depleting their ranks, cancelled fixtures, seemingly inexplicable refereeing decisions – the list goes on. In short, Scotland can never run out onto the pitch thinking that the next 80 minutes will go according to whatever dress rehearsals they’ve gone through. Saturday’s encounter in Paris will be no different, and Captain Stuart Hogg will once again find his leadership and resolve tested to the max. We’d argue he’s developed into the kind of unflappable talisman and leader of men Scotland need, while Coach Gregor Townsend is more than capable of hiding a few tricks up his sleeve that will only see the light of day once referee Wayne Barnes blows the opening whistle. Two of Test Rugby’s shrewdest and wiliest characters will take on the brains trust that is French rugby and as a result it is now Scotland rather than France who beg the question – “which Scottish team will turn up”? They may be underdogs but they are probably the world’s most dangerous team carrying such a tag right now.

It’s all in the throw

Gregor Townsend will be hoping that George Turner and Dave Cherry have been playing a lot of darts in their spare time this week

Scotland need their starting Hooker George Turner to find his targets on Friday night in Paris, something he singularly failed to do at Murrayfield against Ireland in Round 4. Dave Cherry looked much more comfortable a week later against Italy when assigned the job of throwing darts and was also no stranger to the try line. Ireland has plenty of lineout poachers, which made Turner’s job especially difficult, something Cherry didn’t really have to contend with against Italy. Fortunately, France aren’t exactly leading the statistics in lineout steals, so provided Turner can improve his accuracy Scotland should improve their showing here. Cherry’s try scoring antics against Italy are unlikely to come into play against France and a distinctly more robust defence, so it’s really up to Turner to put in the kind of performance that turned heads against England and make Scotland competitive in the set pieces against a very formidable French pack.

Les Magiciens

Masters of the unexpected – France’s Romain Ntamack and Scotland’s Finn Russell

One is without game time and the other has a worrying lack of consistency even with game time. Both however, are absolute geniuses and a joy to watch. France’s Romain Ntamack made his return off the bench to duty in the French fly half jersey last weekend against Wales. Considering that it was his first crack at Six Nations action for quite some time after injury we thought he put in a pretty good shift, especially in the final ten minutes when he really hit his straps. He was instrumental in setting up France’s match winning try, and now he has his Test legs again the battle between him and Scotland’s impish wizard Finn Russell will be well worth the price of admission. The big question mark hanging over Finn Russell is his consistency and propensity to throw a game after attempting the impossible, as daring and clever as it may be. On the one hand Scotland need Russell to throw caution to the wind, but on the other somehow need to manage when he does it, as he himself is not always the best at judging the moment. Key for Scotland on Friday will be to “manage the game manager” without stifling his creativity. The interplay between himself and back line magician Captain Stuart Hogg will be critical.

Tied at one apiece

Despite some raised eyebrows Scotland’s Chris Harris and France’s Virimi Vakatawa are fairly effective at dealing with each other

There were some furrowed brows this morning when the team sheets came out and Scotland’s Chris Harris got the starting berth at outside centre over Huw Jones who lit up the pitch at Murrayfield against Italy. However, on the two occasions that Chris Harris has come up against France’s Virimi Vakatawa in the past year, Scotland won and lost one. In last year’s Six Nations encounter at Murrayfield Harris provided some gritty defence when needed, a quality that Huw Jones despite his brilliance on attack has not really shown much of. Six months later in the Autumn Nations Cup it was a very different story and France’s Fijian ran rings around Harris all afternoon. Still Harris has at times shown that while he rarely shines on attack, when some forceful and physical defence is needed, which it certainly will be on Friday night, he’s a bit more of a reliable commodity than Huw Jones. If he and fellow centre Sam Johnson can withstand the initial French onslaught by Vakatawa and Arthur Vincent, then that should allow Scottish Coach Gregor Townsend the freedom to bring on Jones to step up the attack against a tiring French duo in the last quarter of the match. It’s a gamble but it might just pay off.

Verdict

There’s no silverware on the table for Scotland, but pride and perhaps revenge for a perceived slight by France in causing the Scots to lose their momentum halfway through the tournament, will mean that Scotland will have a point to prove and a score to settle in Paris on Friday night. Their highest finish in the tournament since it became the Six Nations in 2000, is surely motivation enough for a talented and feisty Scottish side who have shown that they can handle the pressure on the road and in big venues like Twickenham. Paris is not a happy hunting ground for them but then neither was Twickenham.

However, France are not a dysfunctional England and are literally buzzing with confidence and a hunger for silverware. France want to lay down markers to the world at large that they will be the team to beat in 2023, and an emphatic win over Scotland on Friday night and with it the Six Nations crown will be a pretty convincing argument in their favor. As fired up as Scotland will be, our heads are telling us that it will be France emerging victorious but just short of the points required to claim the Championship. Our hearts are hoping for a Scottish performance that produces another match that goes down to the wire. Ultimately though even with a French win, we have hunch that the Six Nations trophy may be finding itself on a late night flight to Cardiff on Friday.

We’ll be doing our wrap up of the tournament next week, and then turning our attention to the European Champions Cup Finals and Toronto’s campaign in Major League Rugby. After that it’s the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa and other summer internationals to look forward to, COVID 19 permitting. Hopefully by the time we get to November, COVID will be a distant memory and it will be back to business as usual for some tantalising Autumn Internationals that are starting to come together.

Enjoy Friday and here’s hoping for a fitting end to what has been a great Championship!

In the meantime we’ll leave you with the Mighty Squidge’s video analysis of the France/Wales match. Enjoy and get behind his excellent work!