Final Flourish

The final Six Nations weekend is upon us and the last chance for players and coaches to get anything positive out of the championship. All three games are pivotal to their coaches future plans.

Wales v Italy
A pretty crap campaign will come to a victorious end for Wales at Cardiff. Italy do not travel well and have been further unsettled by injuries. Kaine Robertson starts on the wing and they are recalls for Bortolami and Josh Sole in the pack. The key for Italy will be to try and unsettle Wales upfront. Craig Gower is a very talented footballer and will get their pedestrian backs moving enough to cause a few heartstopping moments for the Welsh defence. What of Wales? Well for starters, Gatland will be hoping to go 80 minutes with 15 men on the paddock. Indiscipline has cost Wales dear and the bare minimum required is to avoid further Yellow cards. Bryne showed some form against the Irish and will be confident again. Debutant winger Tom Prydie is a real talent but is untested at top level having only played the bare minimum of 1st class games. Mike Philips is recalled at scrum half and Gethin Jenkins returns to give Wales back some much need power in the front row. The excellent Bradley Davies is improving every game as a ball carrier and carries on with Charteris in the boiler room. At back row, I struggle to understand the selections. What is the point of bringing Delve in for 1 game to drop him? I am delighted to see Warburton at open side but I would have put Ryan Jones at 6 and left Delve at 8. Still Wales will deliver the goods and paper over the cracks in another disappointing season. Wales by ten points.

Ireland v Scotland
Well to shut me up, the Irish blew Wales away last weekend despite being on the defensive back foot for most of the game. I can't see Scotland making much of an impact but there are reasons for optimism for Andy Robinson. Barclay, Brown, and Beattie will give the Irish back row a run for their money and Parks will cause problems for Sexton. The Irish front row will also find Jacobsen and Murray much more of a test than the powder puff Welsh front row. Ireland have the Croake Park crowd to spur them on and I think despite Scotland's best efforts, a comfortable home win. Ireland by five points.

France v England
I backed England to cause an upset and spoil the French party and I still stand by that. England have a fantastic record in Paris and have at least 1 great game in them in very championship. The French are notorious chokers when going gets tough. Whilst I believe England will win, I really think it would be a very bad thing for both England and rugby as a whole. I'm not talking about my natural Celtic hatred of the Rose but it will send a false message on the state of English rugby. France have been the one good thing of this tournament. They absorbed everything Ireland could throw at them and then blew them away with power. They avoided the banana skin in Murrayfield and clinically dealt with Wales. Despite the close score in Cardiff, you always felt France could step up a gear if needed. They have played some great rugby. Parra has been supreme at scrum half, Bastaread has shown real power and Harinordoquy owned the back row. France deserve the title and a Grand Slam. What of England? I am delighted to see Foden and Ashton who are both extremely exciting prospects. The question is what ball will they see? The recall of Tindall is hardly a positive step forward. Flutey has gone AWOL for most of the tournament and Flood is hardly a world beater at fly half. The England pack remain strong and have grown in confidence. Dan Cole getting better by every game, Borthwick and Deacon very strong and in good form and a very solid back row. Haskell is not the player of 12 months ago, Easter will be steady and solid and Worsley despite his IQ will defend strongly and cause the French problems. Care is the pivotal player. Will he be allowed to play? The problem I have is the negative coaching and game plan mentality of Johnson. Everything is planned to a game plan and its dull stuff. There is no spark of creativity allowed in the Johnson world. A comfortable win in Paris, will make him believe his plan is right and that would be the wrong thing. England will right the wrongs and put France to the sword once again. A sad day for those rugby fans who like to see flair and creativity versus dull grinding. It isn't good for England either. England need to find a way to encourage players like Care, Flutey, Ashton, Foden not stiffle them. England by three points.