SPEAKING BEFORE IRELAND flew out to Cardiff for their Six Nations opener, Rory Best remarked that only three sides would still be in the hunt for a Grand Slam on Monday morning.
French, Scottish and Welsh supporters will awaken tomorrow in the hope that their countrymen can turn their rugby fortunes around before the year becomes a wash-out.
Fans of the Italian, English and Irish sides may lie-on for an extra 10 minutes and dream of Grand Slam possibilities.
Here are five things we learned from the weekend’s Six Nations action:
Zebo and Gilroy look the real deal
Simon Zebo and Craig Gilroy may have been in the same age bracket as Wales’ young guns Alex Cuthbert and George North but they were giving up 10kgs each to their opposite numbers. Cuthbert was on the scoresheet in the second-half and North took a few Irish players for a ride with him during bulls toward the tryline but the duo were outshone by the Irishmen.
We will be viewing that amazing flick from Zebo for decades to come but there were more outstanding moments from the Munster man and his Ulster colleague. Zebo finished off Brian O’Driscoll’s handiwork for the opening try and put in a superb tackle on giant Welsh lock Andrew Coombs. Gilroy’s pivot in the righthand corner was soon followed by O’Driscoll’s try and he put in an outstanding hit on Leigh Halfpenny to halt a three-on-one scoring chance when Ireland were stretched.
England comfortably wear the favourite’s tag
Stuart Lancaster is looking very cosy in the England coach’s chair and deservedly so. He has moulded a team in his hardened image and is not afraid of giving youth its head.
Owen Farrell may take almost 60 seconds with each placed kick but, invariably for English supporters, it is worth the wait. The English back row is a formidable unit and Ben Morgan was magnificent in the win over Scotland yesterday. With Manu Tuilagi planning a comeback for Dublin next weekend, Ireland are in for one hell of a contest.
Owen Farrell is tackled by Scotland’s Richie Gray. (©INPHO/Billy Stickland)
Brian O’Driscoll is not finished yet
Brian O’Driscoll’s performance at the Millennium Stadium yesterday evoked memories of his gung-ho heroics in 2009 when Ireland last captured a Grand Slam. Back then, the centre raged against suggestions that, at 30, he was a spent force. O’Driscoll scored tries against France, Wales, Italy and England, made a crucial try-saving tackle against the Scots in Murrayfield and chipped in with a drop goal for good measure.
The Dubliner is 34 now and told the BBC in the pre-game build-up that this may be his last Six Nations. If it is to prove so, we should sit back and enjoy the majesty. O’Driscoll stunned the Welsh with his forward dart and delayed pass for Zebo’s try, dived over for a score of his own, played as a quasi flanker and pitched in as scrum-half when Conor Murray was sin-binned. An extra, delightful passage for that Paul Kimmage [auto]biography when he finally hangs up his boots.
The French renaissance was over-hyped
Freddie Michalak back running the show, Louis Piccamoles in imperious form and Thierry Dusatoir returning from injury just in time – it was all set-up for France to enjoy their Roman holiday.
Instead, Phillipe Saint-Andre’s side were stunned by a dynamic, willing Italian side and deservedly beaten.
France, having won all of their autumn internationals and destroyed the Aussies, were the undoubted favourites [despite jingoism from the English bookies] for the Six Nations. They may still bounce back to challenge for the championship but they will have to rediscover the drive that served them so well only two months ago.
The Stadio Olimpico will be a testing arena
Writing now with giddy optimism, there is a chance that Ireland could visit Rome on 16 March with the Six Nations championship, and possibly the Grand Slam, in their sights. The task of defeating Italy at their new home will be far from easy, however, and today’s triumph over France proves as such.
Ireland relied on a Ronan O’Gara drop goal to keep the Italians at bay in the Stadio Flaminio in 2011 and a similarly close game may unfold, especially if Italy can record at least one more win in this campaign. One advantage the fixture list offers is that Italy play England at Twickenham only six days before the match against Ireland.
A buoyant Irish side, on the back of a strong Six Nations, would expect to resist the show of Italian passion at the Stadio Olimpico. Wishful thinking fuelled by a winning start.
