Ollie Phillips: Super Six Nations could be bettered by Boks
This really is a belting Six Nations Championship. We may only be two weeks in but what a set of performances we have seen across the opening six games.
France are just massive. They’re a group of juggernauts ripping balls, rucking hard, carrying everywhere. They’re just so good to watch.
They might just be one of the best sides in the world right now, and their colossal clash with Ireland last weekend was an absolute stormer.
I have to say, Irish fly-half Joey Carbery outperformed all expectations I had for him and he contributed to an outstanding Six Nations Test match.
Ireland, too, are class, and they’re really building – though they need to be careful they do not peak too early – but in a game France would have lost by a point three or four years ago, they never really looked like succumbing to the late Irish assault.
Wales win?!
Wales, too, showered all over my Six Nations prediction of them – that they’d get to the final weekend without a win – by beating a below-par Scotland at Cardiff.
Wayne Pivac’s men may be buoyed by their performance, and having France at home later in the championship will be huge, but they’re still not really exciting me.
The Welsh are doing the very, very boring things well and they managed to use the niggle in the game to their advantage, but by no means were they world beaters.
I think winger Louis Rees-Zammit will be really disappointed with his performance. He was key in allowing Scotland’s first try in and, with the microscope over him now, he’ll need to provide something other than pace and a light touch to his game.
News this week of Manu Tuilagi’s return to the England set-up is welcomed, and given the 25-man squad Eddie Jones has selected to keep in this fallow week, you can only imagine Tuilagi starting against Wales next weekend.
He’s such a bruising centre and he has proved he can impress with limited game time. Any England side at the moment would be improved by a proper ball-carrying centre.
England will need to raise their game against Wales, Ireland and France if they’re to challenge for this title but there’s no reason this Six Nations Championship can’t go down to the very last game, between the Red Rose and Les Bleus.
What an occasion it would be in Paris with something riding on it for both sides.
South Africa in the Six Nations
Elsewhere in the rugby world, it was interesting to read this week that South Africa had signed up to the Rugby Championship until 2024.
Afterwards, however, there’s chat that the Springboks, last year’s Lions Tour winners, will then join up with the Six Nations in place of Italy.
I do think something needs to change in these championships. Either we need to add South Africa in place of Italy or we need to revert to the Five Nations.
Granted, an away day to Cape Town is a lot more expensive than a weekend in Rome and the away support may not be as strong, but at least the competitions would be adding value to its commercial arm.
The Six Nations is the best rugby competition outside of the World Cup and it’s paramount that it maintains or grows its quality. If that means radical change then so be it.
Former England Sevens captain Ollie Phillips is the founder of Optimist Performance, experts in leadership development and behavioural change. Follow Ollie on Twitter and on LinkedIn.