Final Thoughts - 2018 Six Nations

The 2018 Six Nations comes to an end and congratulations to Ireland for being worthy champions and a third Grand Slam. The tournament was far from being a vintage one and will go down as rather forgetful for all nations except Ireland. The rugby standard wasn’t the greatest. As Rugby Raconteur ends his ninth season of commentary and this 59th blog posting  – here are my final thoughts:

Team of the Championship – Ireland

Ireland claimed their third Grand Slam by beating England in a thrilling Six Nations finale on Saturday. It added to their Slams in 1948 and 2009 and provided their third triumph in five editions since Joe Schmidt’s appointment as head coach. The prolific Jacob Stockdale and powerful back-row forward CJ Stander were key to their latest championship success, which came amid a record-breaking winning run of 12 consecutive matches.

It could have been so much different if Jonny Sexton’s drop goal in Paris had drifted wide but Ireland were by some margin the best team in the competition and deservedly took the spoils in fine style.

Ireland have central contracts and the IRFU owns all four of its regional sides. This is much closer to the New Zealand model and you can clearly see the results. Food for thought for Wales and Scotland to follow although the dominance of club rugby probably rules it out as an option for England.

Coach of the Championship – Jacques Brunel

You would expect me to pick Joe Schmidt but when you analyse it – Ireland were 2nd favourites for the Championship and their Autumn form was outstanding. However, for me – you have to take your hat off to Jacques Brunel. France were dreadful in the Autumn with a humiliating draw against lowly Japan. In the opening match they came closest to beating Ireland – just a piece of magic from Sexton stopped them from an unlikely victory.  They threw it away at Murrayfield before two home wins and but for an abysmal Francois Trinh-Duc – could have beaten Wales away.

It’s currently not been easy for him either. Awful morale, injuries to his best players, the famous four banned for Edinburgh drinking. Brunel stuck to his guns and believed that Les Bleus could grow and improve.  It’s been a long time since France were back at the top level but under Brunel’s guidance – they are making solid progress.

The mighty fallen…

As Ireland rose to the heights – England’s fall from grace has been just as spectacular. No one has fallen as fast since Icarus flew too close to the sun. They were awful in their last three matches and had their worst Five/Six Nations performance since 1983 and last lost three games in 2006.

What went wrong? Well the lack of leadership on the field is well documented. The lack of a back row didn’t help. When Billy Vunipola isn’t available - there are few replacements. England lack a genuine open side flanker and whereas they have more quality second rows than all the home nations combined, none of their back-row options outside of Vunipola would make the Welsh, Scottish or Irish starting line ups. The English club championship is full of “mini-England’s” who play the same forward driven attributional rugby where gain line power is key. International rugby really isn’t like that - so it’s hard to see how England improve their back row quickly.

England have the money, the players, and the capabilities that no one including Ireland can match. Make no mistake England will be back and by World Cup time they will be up there and challenging for another triumph. But for now, especially after Eddie Jones’s unwise derogatory statements about the Welsh and Irish – for all of us non-English – let’s just enjoy the moment..

Championship All Star XV

15 Matteo Minozzi (Italy)

Rob Kearney enjoyed one of his finest Six Nations campaigns, but in a team more often than not going backwards, Matteo Minozzi has offered a genuine X-factor in attack. No Italian had ever previously notched four tries in a campaign and made 7 clean breaks over the five games, gaining a total of 266 metres and beating 13 defenders. Throw in some impressive cover tackles and it was a season to remember for the 21-year-old.

Honourable mention: Rob Kearney (Ireland)

14 Jonny May (England)

An outstanding campaign by the previously unfancied May. He took every scoring chance he could and was more solid in defence. One of the few England players to come out with his head held high and his move from with Gloucester to Leicester Tigers has made a huge difference to his confidence and better coaching – his abilities.

Honourable mention: Teddy Thomas (France)

13 Huw Jones (Scotland)

Had a below par day at the office in Dublin, but has still done enough to make the team. Was exceptional against England and also showed his finishing skills in the home victory over France. Had Garry Ringrose played more than two games he could well have got the nod such was his contribution.

Honourable mention: Garry Ringrose (Ireland)

12 Hadleigh Parkes (Wales)

Hadleigh Parkes has been a revelation for Wales and played in every game. The Kiwi born Scarlet has helped fill the midfield voids left by Davies and Jamie Roberts' squad omission. The six-times capped Scarlet is a typical New Zealander doing the basics very well with the minimum of fuss. He oozes confidence and leadership.  A notable gain for the Welsh and a player for the future!

Honourable mention: Bundee Aki (Ireland)

11 Jacob Stockdale (Ireland)

One of the easier selections as the Ulster winger has been nothing short of a revelation. His electric speed, eye for the intercept and huge work ethic have been in evidence since the November Series and he carried that form into the Six Nations with his seven-try haul. Joe Schmidt has admitted Stockdale is still raw at this level, understandable for a 21-year-old, but the defensive part of his game will improve with each and every game.

Honourable mention: Elliot Daly (England)

10 Johnny Sexton (Ireland)

Not a vintage year for 10s with a good deal of chopping and changing for Wales, France and England, but the Irish out-half was head and shoulders above his peers. Won’t be happy with his five missed penalties, but in every other facet he was exceptional. Sexton's decision making, timing and appetite for defensive duties – his tally of 11 tackles at Twickenham was the highest in the backline and one more than flanker Peter O’Mahony – mark him out as a world class talent. 

Honourable mention: Finn Russell (Scotland)

9 Conor Murray (Ireland)

Another selection that requires little deliberation. Murray exudes confidence in everything he does, and his expert box-kicking takes some responsibility off Sexton. Always capable of popping up with a try, he sets the tempo and is capable to adapting to any scenario, from lineout jumping to place kicking.

Honourable mention: Maxime Machenaud (France)

1 Cian Healy (Ireland)

Sat out the Italian game, but has now edged ahead of Jack McGrath in the battle for the number one jersey. Back to his dynamic best and a key component in the defensive strategy, Healy didn’t miss a single tackle in the competition.

Honourable mention: Mako Vunipola (England)

2 Guilhem Guirado (France)

There is no doubt the French lineout creaked on a number of occasions, but the team captain was inspirational throughout with his attitude and work ethic. The hooker was simply a tackling machine – 69 overall, all the more impressive as he didn’t feature in the final game. The heartbeat of a Les Bleus side in transition.

Honourable mention: Rory Best (Ireland)

3 Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)

A man of the match award in the Grand Slam clincher was a fitting finale to his Six Nations campaign. Averaged more than eight carries a game and revels on the other side of the ball too, making 26 tackles and not missing a single one in four games. Comfortable on the ball, his subtlety for CJ Stander’s second try at Twickenham was a sight to behold.

Honourable mention: Rabah Slimani (France)

4 Jonny Grey (Scotland)

Grey gave 100% in every game and the first player to make 100 tackles in a Six Nations campaign (100/103), breaking Joe Launchbury’s record (85) from 2017.

Honourable mention: Iain Henderson (Ireland)

5 Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales)

Whenever the Welsh are struggling, the Captain Fantastic is the man they look to. A Paul O’Connell-like presence for Wales, he never lets his standards slip, though was more subdued than normal in the Dublin defeat. Ended the campaign in a manner you would expect, heavily involved at the breakdown and a positive impact on the carrying and tackling columns on his way to the man of the match award against France.

Honourable mention: Maru Itoje (England)

6 John Barclay (Scotland)

Aaron Shingler began the Six Nations in blistering form, but didn’t start the final two games for Wales, so John Barclay is another team captain included in our selection. The 31-year-old enjoyed a fine campaign where the Scotland excelled at the breakdown, with the Scarlets flanker leading the way.

Honourable mention: Aaron Shingler (Wales)

7 Dan Leavy (Ireland)

Josh van der Flier got the nod in Seán O’Brien’s absence for the opening fixture in Paris, but after he cried off at the Stade de France, his provincial team-mate has more than ably stepped into the breach. Leavy has been one of Ireland’s highest performing players – which is saying something – and was colossal in an Irish backrow that dominated their English counterparts at Twickenham. Made 15 tackles in an all-action performance

Honourable mention: Yacouba Camara (France)

8 CJ Stander (Ireland)

Stander’s ballast is never in doubt and not surprisingly he carried more than any other Irish player (96) in the tournament, making a total of 194 metres. Offers go-forward no matter the opposition and his brute strength was fully evident as he muscled his way to the post for the second try at Twickenham. Has added more subtlety in his passing and footwork and is one of the first names on Schmidt’s team sheet. With Taulupe Falatau absent for the first three games – he gets the nod.

Honourable mention: Taulupe Falatau (Wales)