RBS 6 Nations Preview - Week 3
After a week's break, the RBS 6 Nations is back with some mouth watering games in prospect. England are looking to continue their winning run against Italy, and the Edinburgh and Dublin games are too tight to call!
England v Italy (Twickenham)
Steady Eddie hinted there would be changes to the team that take on Italy, and he has kept to his word. Ben Te'o makes his first international start in the centre, with James Haskell taking over the number seven jersey, with Jack Clifford moving to the bench.
Many had expected George Ford to be relegated from the starting XV, with the now seemingly irreplaceable Owen Farrell shifting to fly half - how wrong we were. Eddie has stuck with George, as he has done from the outset of his tenure as England head coach - another vote of confidence for the Leicester bound playmaker.
As was the case in last year's Parisian Grand Slam decider, Danny Care is given the task of upping the tempo from the off. You get the impression that Ben Youngs is now the preferred choice for the tighter, high pressure occasions, with Care often employed when England need to move up the gears. The theme of playing a high-paced game is reflected in recalling flyer Jonny May onto the left wing, with Eliot Daly again claiming the right. Daly really demonstrated his finishing prowess with the winning try in Cardiff.
The 'finishers' this weekend will again have the responsibility to add their spark from the bench. Mako Vunipola came through his comeback game at Kingsholm last Friday night and takes his place among the substitutes. One can only wonder what is going through Jamie George's head, as he is again playing back up to captain Dylan Hartley, surely a start for the Saracens man is only a matter of time?
Personally I'd have liked to have seen Daly get a start at either 15 or 13, considering his outside centre rival Jonathan Joseph has been dropped from the matchday 23. Instead, Jones has gone for the hard ball carrier Ben Te'o, who to be fair has not put a foot wrong so far and has been influential in his cameo appearances. I suspect that JJ is being saved for the excitement of the latter stages of the championship, as he is now a key cog in the backline defensive system.
Prediction
If you think Eddie has taken his foot of the gas, then think again! Courtney Lawes revealed earlier this week how the squad had endured one of the most brutal training sessions in recent memory, only days after the Wales win. While defence coach Paul Gustard has predicted an Italian backlash following their two heavy defeats. The Azzuri have some classy players; namely, the ever present Sergio Parisse and the exciting Exeter centre Michele Campagnaro, so they cannot be taken lightly. Having said that, I expect England to win comfortably with a bonus point - we will wait to see if England will 'take Italy to the cleaners.'
Scotland v Wales (Murrayfield)
As a neutral, I can't wait to see how this game unfolds. It's make or break for both of these teams, with the loser falling out of the championship race. Wales played their best rugby in years against England, with Shane Williams commenting that their attack is now "going in the right direction". Scotland just came up short against Les Bleus in Paris, and since Vern Cotter has now got the team playing his way, Murrayfield is becoming an increasingly daunting venue to play at.
Ross Moriarty deservedly keeps his spot in the fiercely competitive Welsh back row, but will Rob Howley resist the temptation to bring on Faletau this week? The decision to haul off the Number 8 at the 52 minute mark against England was met with much criticism, and rightly so. Why remove your best player and give in to what appeared to be a pre-planned substitution, at a set time in the game? Stuart Lancaster was guilty of this during his spell as England head coach, and hopefully Howley will have learnt a valuable lesson.
The only change in the Welsh starting line up comes in the form of Northampton winger George North, who replaces Alex Cuthbert - he again was subject to harsh criticism for missing the vital tackle on Eliot Daly, which led to England's winning try. I don't think many wingers would have fared any better, when you consider the poor quality of the Welsh kick chase, which left the Blues winger exposed in no man's land. Once the ball had glanced in front of him, he was already beaten and backtracking, such was the quality of Farrell's pass. Fair play to Cuthbert for dusting himself off and putting in a try-scoring performance for the Cardiff Blues just a week later, it certainly shows a great strength of character.
The biggest negative for Scotland is the injury to their captain and talisman, Greig Laidlaw - he's the heartbeat of the side, a 90% goalkicker and any team would feel the loss of a player of that quality. The young Ali Price comes in to replace Laidlaw, with Finn Russell taking over goal kicking duties.
Prediction
Wales have a great record in Scotland, having coming out on top in their last four visits. I expect Wales to kick on from their last performance and grind out a tight win.
Ireland v France (Aviva Stadium)
Ireland will be resisting the temptation to look ahead to their final home game against England, which could turn out to be a championship decider. First of all though, they need to take on a much improved French team in Dublin, who will take confidence from overcoming the tricky Scots at the Stade de France.
Johnny Sexton returns to the number 10 shirt after recovering from a calf strain - a hard pill to swallow for Paddy Jackson, who has hardly put a foot wrong. But such is Sexton's influence on this Irish side, that Joe Schmidt is backing him to slot straight into the green machine as if he's never been away. They will also be boosted by the return of captain Rory Best.
The French are not to be underestimated as they could and probably should have secured victory in week one at Twickenham. Expect Louis Picamoles, the giant French number 8, to be his usual busy self from the base of the ruck. It's becoming ever apparent that Camille Lopez and Baptiste Serin are beginning to form a useful half-back partnership, and as a result this French side are certainly starting to look threatening.
Prediction
As is the case with the game at Murrayfield, both sides will be looking to keep their championship hopes alive, making this another fascinating encounter. With home advantage and coming off the back of an impressive victory in Rome, I expect the Irish to win but only just. Whatever the result, I'm sure plenty of pints of the black stuff will be sunk come Saturday evening!
Here's to another cracking weekend of 6 Nations rugby!
England v Italy (Twickenham)
 |
| Debut start - Centre Ben Te'o |
Many had expected George Ford to be relegated from the starting XV, with the now seemingly irreplaceable Owen Farrell shifting to fly half - how wrong we were. Eddie has stuck with George, as he has done from the outset of his tenure as England head coach - another vote of confidence for the Leicester bound playmaker.
As was the case in last year's Parisian Grand Slam decider, Danny Care is given the task of upping the tempo from the off. You get the impression that Ben Youngs is now the preferred choice for the tighter, high pressure occasions, with Care often employed when England need to move up the gears. The theme of playing a high-paced game is reflected in recalling flyer Jonny May onto the left wing, with Eliot Daly again claiming the right. Daly really demonstrated his finishing prowess with the winning try in Cardiff.
The 'finishers' this weekend will again have the responsibility to add their spark from the bench. Mako Vunipola came through his comeback game at Kingsholm last Friday night and takes his place among the substitutes. One can only wonder what is going through Jamie George's head, as he is again playing back up to captain Dylan Hartley, surely a start for the Saracens man is only a matter of time?
Personally I'd have liked to have seen Daly get a start at either 15 or 13, considering his outside centre rival Jonathan Joseph has been dropped from the matchday 23. Instead, Jones has gone for the hard ball carrier Ben Te'o, who to be fair has not put a foot wrong so far and has been influential in his cameo appearances. I suspect that JJ is being saved for the excitement of the latter stages of the championship, as he is now a key cog in the backline defensive system.
Prediction
If you think Eddie has taken his foot of the gas, then think again! Courtney Lawes revealed earlier this week how the squad had endured one of the most brutal training sessions in recent memory, only days after the Wales win. While defence coach Paul Gustard has predicted an Italian backlash following their two heavy defeats. The Azzuri have some classy players; namely, the ever present Sergio Parisse and the exciting Exeter centre Michele Campagnaro, so they cannot be taken lightly. Having said that, I expect England to win comfortably with a bonus point - we will wait to see if England will 'take Italy to the cleaners.'
Scotland v Wales (Murrayfield)
 |
| George North returns to the side |
Ross Moriarty deservedly keeps his spot in the fiercely competitive Welsh back row, but will Rob Howley resist the temptation to bring on Faletau this week? The decision to haul off the Number 8 at the 52 minute mark against England was met with much criticism, and rightly so. Why remove your best player and give in to what appeared to be a pre-planned substitution, at a set time in the game? Stuart Lancaster was guilty of this during his spell as England head coach, and hopefully Howley will have learnt a valuable lesson.
The only change in the Welsh starting line up comes in the form of Northampton winger George North, who replaces Alex Cuthbert - he again was subject to harsh criticism for missing the vital tackle on Eliot Daly, which led to England's winning try. I don't think many wingers would have fared any better, when you consider the poor quality of the Welsh kick chase, which left the Blues winger exposed in no man's land. Once the ball had glanced in front of him, he was already beaten and backtracking, such was the quality of Farrell's pass. Fair play to Cuthbert for dusting himself off and putting in a try-scoring performance for the Cardiff Blues just a week later, it certainly shows a great strength of character.
The biggest negative for Scotland is the injury to their captain and talisman, Greig Laidlaw - he's the heartbeat of the side, a 90% goalkicker and any team would feel the loss of a player of that quality. The young Ali Price comes in to replace Laidlaw, with Finn Russell taking over goal kicking duties.
Prediction
Wales have a great record in Scotland, having coming out on top in their last four visits. I expect Wales to kick on from their last performance and grind out a tight win.
Ireland v France (Aviva Stadium)
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| Picamoles - The world class No 8 |
Johnny Sexton returns to the number 10 shirt after recovering from a calf strain - a hard pill to swallow for Paddy Jackson, who has hardly put a foot wrong. But such is Sexton's influence on this Irish side, that Joe Schmidt is backing him to slot straight into the green machine as if he's never been away. They will also be boosted by the return of captain Rory Best.
The French are not to be underestimated as they could and probably should have secured victory in week one at Twickenham. Expect Louis Picamoles, the giant French number 8, to be his usual busy self from the base of the ruck. It's becoming ever apparent that Camille Lopez and Baptiste Serin are beginning to form a useful half-back partnership, and as a result this French side are certainly starting to look threatening.
Prediction
As is the case with the game at Murrayfield, both sides will be looking to keep their championship hopes alive, making this another fascinating encounter. With home advantage and coming off the back of an impressive victory in Rome, I expect the Irish to win but only just. Whatever the result, I'm sure plenty of pints of the black stuff will be sunk come Saturday evening!
Here's to another cracking weekend of 6 Nations rugby!
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