Wales, Ireland and Scotland
The three Celtic lands share much in common, not least a sense of having to catch up after years of neglect by their respective unions.
All have been through a slough of despond for too long. The boards have finally seen the light and attempted to correct faults. Contracts are in place, but seeds of discontent still flourish. The Siobhan Cattigan case continues to cause anguish.
Next weekend we will see who has progressed furthest, fastest.
Wales (last year’s position 3rd)
They started last year’s campaign with two heartening wins, especially away to Ireland. Now they are hosting them, can they reproduce those standards? They will be without two stalwarts in the back row, Alisha Butchers (injured again) and the former captain, Siwan Lillicrap, now retired. They have Sioned Harries to provide drive off the set-scrum, but the pack has rarely been able to maintain its pace and standards though the full 80 minutes.
By the start of the campaign they will have been enjoying their contracts for well over a year. That ought to give them a headstart, but I’m not convinced that they have yet turned the corner. Can they forget the rumblings that continue to shake Welsh rugby’s foundations?
It’s a measure of their present state that the loss of Jasmine Joyce to GB Sevens is such a setback for them. The focus on a single star is not a good sign for a national team. Joyce’s case is similar to Jade Konkel-Roberts for the Scots.
Ioan Cunningham is the one coach to admit he needed to restore confidence in his squad. From his first days in office he could see they doubted their ability to win. Everyone, Welsh and non-Welsh, must be hoping that the bad days are behind them. They have players fore and aft in good form for their clubs. There is plenty of experience around, but that alone is not a recipe for success.
One area they need to keep under control is discipline. When under pressure they do tend to see yellow, a colour unlikely to ensure victory.
Ireland (last year’s position 4th)
I have been championing Ireland’s chances; I hope they can prove me right. Their two home games see them face England and France. In essence that means they need three away wins to complete a satisfactory campaign. That’s a tough ask.
In her launch statement Nichola Fryday said her squad was inspired by the example set by the men’s team who have won a glorious Grand Slam. We may wonder how far this influence can stretch. In England’s case, does the reverse apply?
Ireland have the double advantage of their inter-provincial championship plus the new Celtic Challenge, where they went unbeaten. That success hints at strength in depth, so vital at international level. Though they will have to do without some outstanding 7s players (Eve Higgins, Beibhinn Parsons and Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe), they have others who can turn a match, led by the captain, Sam Monaghan, Neve Jones and Linda Djougang.
The new faces include players from successful England clubs: Clara Nielson (Exeter Chiefs), Kathryn Buggy (Gloucester-Hartpury) and Emma Swords (Quins).
The Irish will need to show more consistency than last year, when they scraped home 15-14 to Scotland. Enya Breen’s try came in the 84th minute.
Scotland (last year’s position 6th)
The Scots too have contracts in place, but it’s hard to see them progressing far this year. Rounds 1 and 3 send them away to England and France. If they can survive those onslaughts without injury and with heads held high, then they have three home games to prove the doubters (like me) wrong.
While it is encouraging to see nine players introduced from home-based clubs, the fear remains that standards there will make it hard for them to make their mark. It is vital that they should; Scotland have long needed more top-class players to profit from their one or two outstanding players, most notably Jade Konkel-Roberts.
Much will depend on the effectiveness of their half-back pairing. most likely to be Caity Mattinson and Helen Nelson. Neither of their clubs (UWW and Lightning) has been among the race leaders this season. Getting the back-line running smoothly has struck me as a concern for several seasons. Bryan Easson and his attack coach must ensure players get over the gain-line and exploit. Chloe Rollie and Rhona Lloyd have all too rarely been given the time and space to exercise their skills.
Captains
There are two and a half new ones, Audrey Forlani (France), Hannah Jones (Wales) and Marlie Packer (England, co-captain), though Jones did lead her nation briefly in 2021.
Alex Matthews, standing in for the two absent co-captains at the 6N launch, said England want to ‘grow the gap’ between them and their opponents. Am I being unpatriotic when I say I hope they don’t? The gap has been wide enough for long enough.
Hannah Jones stressed the advantage her Welsh squad has in possessing nine Gloucester-Hartpury players (including herself) who are performing so well in the Premier 15s. That will be a real litmus test for them; how much do they depend on other (English, Irish, Spanish, American and Kiwi) team-mates for their success?
Female Coaches
In a word, too few!
Still only one woman is head coach of a 6 Nations squad, and Gaelle Mignot shares the task with David Ortiz.
Among the assistants Niamh Briggs is in charge of the Ireland backs; elsewhere, leading figures like Liza Burgess (Wales) and Melissa Bettoni (Italy) are confined to age-group tasks.
We await news of Simon Middleton’s replacement with impatience. But it won’t be revealed till after the 6N is complete.
Grounds
How have the unions organised their venues this year?
England will use three (Newcastle, Northampton and Twickenham), while Ireland (with Musgrave Park, Cork), Italy (with Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma), Scotland (with DAM Health Stadium, Edinburgh) and Wales (with Cardiff Arms Park) stick to one. France as usual spread their net wide, Brittany and the Alps.
Outlook
More tension and the hope that competition will be greater than ever.
The curtain goes up on 25 March with Wales v Ireland at 2.15pm (still just GMT) at Cardiff Arms Park.
