NZ Rugby World column, April 2008

I've been in Europe a lot lately watching the phenomenon that is the 6 Nations. The rugby's average, the atmosphere's fantastic. The fans are great. Half term progress report.

Five questions on the 6 Nations

1. Which coaches are winning? 
The outstanding coaching team so far has been the Welsh dynamic duo of Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards. (Why England ever let Edwards go is beyond me.) Gatland has got the Welsh fired up, motivated, and conditioned. The game plans are tailored towards Welsh strengths and aimed directly at other opponents' weaknesses. Shaun Edwards is rated by the players as one of the best coaches they've ever known. He is a demanding task master. Apart from giving a bottle of champagne to the player of the day, he pretty much focuses non stop on performance improvements. And the players are lovin' it.

The Welsh have found belief in themselves starting with very astute selection from Gatland and the delegation of responsibility to young talents like Hook and Henson. The backs are playing a fluid, aggressive, fast paced type of rugby with the forwards so far over delivering. One real coup for Gatland was getting No. 7 Martyn Williams to come out of retirement and play. He's been the outstanding loose forward in the tournament so far. (Gatland and Edwards 8 out of 10).

Over at Twickenham, player power rules. Brian Ashton is probably the most innovative backs coach England have had but they are going through this tournament playing 10 man rugby. The forwards are dominating the tight and Wilkinson is kicking for position. Flood is turning into an admirable foil but Ashton still hasn't been able to unloose Lewsey, Cipriani and his other young backs. John Wells, the Leicester forward coach, and the players themselves are insisting on a tighter, more structured game so that England looks more like a Dean Richards coached side than a Brian Ashton team. And Rob Andrew is conspicuous by his absence. Still the victory in Paris was a huge result for England and only helped them to believe even more in their very limited game. Bring 'em on in June. (Ashton/Wells 5 out of 10.)

In Paris Marc Lievremont is trying to bring back French flair. The reversal in Paris was a shock as was the pathetic performance of the French tight five. Without a dominant first five it's difficult to play the kind of attacking rugby Lievremont has in mind. The back three are fast but the centers look a little cumbersome. Whilst we all welcome the fact that France are trying to be France rather than England under Laporte, he doesn't yet have the pace, flair and fluidity to go all the way. A work in progress. (5 out of 10.)

In Ireland, Eddie O'Sullivan has made a below average start. Much will depend on the grudge game against Wales at Croke Park on March 8th, which is after this article has been finalised. Gatland will want to return to Ireland in some style; O'Sullivan cannot afford to lose what could be the decisive game in the tournament. With O'Connell back, the forwards are now punching their weight. The backs have been disappointing with O'Driscoll and the back three not breaking the line. I wonder if O'Sullivan and the team have grown tired of each other? Unless coaches and players can keep reinventing strategies, tactics and training, there is a risk in today's over coached, over professional game, that they grow tired of each other and stop listening (both ways). Ireland have a solid side and should be competitive. The World Cup was a disaster for them and the decision of the Irish Rugby Football Union to renew O'Sullivan's contract for another four years seemed bizarre in the extreme. (4 out of 10).

In Rome, Nick Mallett hasn't fired yet. The Italians are under performing given their strong pack and great year in 2007. They lack creativity in the backs and I'm sure the players are somewhat confused having lived through the regimes of John Kirwan, Pierre Berbizier, and now Nick Mallett. Mallett's a passionate rugby guy with a proven track record. Whether he will gel in the Italian context is yet to be proven. (3 out of 10).

Finally, in Scotland, Frank Hadden is having a nightmare and living on borrowed time. His selections are dumb, some of the centres look like they shouldn't even be playing club rugby, there is no consistency about who should play 10 or what the game plan is, and the Scots are having a dreadful year. Their players deserve better. Hadden seems to have run out of answers. (0 out of 10).

2. What's the quality like? 
Wales are playing great rugby, the English tight five are performing well, the French back three look potent, and when O'Gara is kicking he looks world class. Not much is being tried tactically; fitness levels don't appear to have moved on; and there are very few impact players coming through. Innovation is at a standstill. The most entertaining team to watch is Wales who try to move the ball more like a Super 14 side. France are attempting the same style without the control at ten, but with plenty of pace out wide.

The English backs, the Italian backs and the Scottish backs remain woeful.

3. Who are the stars? 
There's no question that the stars are the fans. They are turning up in capacity crowds at every stadium for every game and they are revelling in the entire atmosphere. The weekend in Rome is probably the best trip in the 6 Nations but the trek up to Murrayfield isn't too bad either, particularly if you are an away supporter because it usually ends in a win. And Croke Park has been a revelation for Ireland. 88,000 wearing the green.

4. Who are the villains? 
The broadcasters. They are doing everything they can to ruin the traditional weekend whether you are a spectator or a t.v. viewer. Scheduling the games back to back, on Sundays, etc., etc.

5. What needs to happen next? 
Two things: 
1. They need to adopt the new laws so the game can get faster. 
2. They need to adopt a bonus point system for tries. The Tri-Nations system works well. There is a danger of a four-way tie this year in the 6 Nations, which could be avoided with the application of a simple bonus system.

I'm off to Croke Park for what I think could be the game of the tournament - Ireland vs Wales.

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