What a weekend to look forward to!
For the first time there will be a proper final to the famous tournament. Despite that added attraction I hope it will be the last.
The problem of narrowing standards within the six unions still hasn’t been solved. For all the advances a team like Scotland have made recently, they still find winning elusive. Margins of victory remain distressingly wide. A return to a full 5-match pattern next year is a must. The April slot has been welcomed on all sides.
The Fixtures:
England v France
Italy v Ireland
Scotland v Wales
How many people got this last-round line-up right? Everybody?
The one anomaly in the new format is having the Pool One nations play this round at home. Ireland’s task becomes harder for having to fly out to Parma. That third position in the table will become of great importance when the WXV kicks off. England are fortunate to face the French on familiar ground, the Twickenham Stoop. There won’t be 10,000 supporters to cheer them on, but familiarity breeds contentment.
Italy have good reason to be pleased with themselves. Their win in Glasgow raises them to fifth position in world rankings, above Australia and the USA. It’s their highest ever.
Looming beyond the 6N are those much delayed World Cup qualifiers. They add more spice to the games involving Ireland, Italy and Scotland.
England v France
Tastiest of all the fixtures is the Crunch. Can we have too much of a good thing? The Lille game a week later will be the tenth between March 2018 and April 2021, just over three years.
Who on earth are the two sets of selectors going to send on the field for kick-off? It’s anybody’s guess. Both made big changes in the previous rounds; all four teams played some sublime rugby.
One variable in these distorted times is the availability of 7s players. It really is a revolving door, especially for the French. Alex Matthews and Megan Jones have returned to the GB 7s squad at Loughborough; there may be similar moves over at Marcoussis. Jade Ulutule, Carla Neisen, Caroline Drouin and Romane Ménager suddenly appeared in the Dublin game; they may just as quickly disappear again.
France
The French management has suffered criticism at home and abroad for some of their selections over the past few seasons. Their position isn’t easy; it’s easy to forget how intermittent those sessions at Marcoussis are. That is the consequence of a part-time professional existence – much better than the 100% amateur routine of most international players, but still far from the cosseted lifestyle of the English.
Annick Hayraud constantly points to England as the team to emulate and beat, but knows the stars have to align for that to happen.
The results below* remind us how close they have come.
In this series French play has reached a high peak. We will find out how high as the Stoop game unfolds. One young player has been called into the starting team, the extravagantly gifted full-back, Emilie Boulard. If she were to retain her place – to the exclusion of the Player of the Decade, Jessy Trémoulière! – that could give us a dreamy line-up of two back-threes: Boujard-Banet-Boulard facing Breach-Dow-Kildunne. What a prospect.
Recently the French pack has got the better of the English at the set-scrum. They have added Rose Bernadou at tight-head to add more security to prime possession. It may well need Hunter’s great skill at No 8 to rescue the ball in a retreating scrum.
For all Emeline Gros’ achievements in the first two rounds Romane Ménager at No 8 would add hugely to France’s menace.
England
Unwelcome as the loss of Matthews and Jones is, it makes selection a fraction easier. Without Matthews these are the options in the back row: Sarah Hunter, Poppy Cleall, Marlie Packer, Harriet Millar-Mills and Vicky Fleetwood.
If Hunter is fit and willing to play again after her long absence, it means Cleall takes the 6 shirt. Packer missed the Italy trip, so may be due for a recall.
In Jones’ absence the management have to decide the midfield combination. If Zoe Harrison is allowed back at No 10, it leaves a question-mark over the 12 shirt, which has been causing concern for a while. In Amber Reed’s continued absence there is no more experienced inside-centre than Harrison herself. Lagi Tuima didn’t totally convince at Doncaster. That might mean a third consecutive appearance for Helena Rowland at 10. Practice makes perfect.
You could imagine Middleton wanting to field the Kildunne-Breach-Dow trio as his first-choice back three at the World Cup. And few can blame him. But at some stage alternatives need to be given a run, not least Lydia Thompson, who would be first pick in most national XVs. One of Sarah McKenna’s virtues is her ability to slip into the wing position with little fear of risk.
In the front row only Vickii Cornborough is currently a safe bet. Lark Davies is contesting the No 2 shirt hotly with Amy Cokayne. Shaunagh Brown has a battle on hand to stay ahead of Bryony Cleall at tight-head. Neither is the finished article as a scrummager, but both add enormous go-forward around the field.
Cath O’Donnell has returned from injury to provide Abbie Ward and Zoe Aldcroft with real competition at lock, but those two are in outstanding form.
As for Lille: we’ll find out how far Middleton is willing to spread his choices. He had those six development players in the original squad; till now they have seen no action. He might let one or two show their paces. That would be another reminder to the established players that competition lurks round every corner.
Here’s a rash guess at a starting XV for Saturday:
15 Kildunne, 14 Breach, 13 Scarratt, 12 Harrison, 11 Dow, 10 Rowland, 9 Riley, 1 Cornborough, 2 Cokayne, 3 Brown, 4 Ward, 5 Aldcroft, 6 Cleall P, 7 Packer, 8 Hunter
*Recent Results (England first)
25-23 Twickenham 21 November 2020
33-10 Grenoble
17-15 Exeter
19-13 Pau
20-10 Clermont-Ferrand
20-18 Chula Vista
41-26 Doncaster
17-18 Grenoble 10 March 2018
Total points:
England 192
France 133
