The term ‘Super Saturday’ won’t quite work here; the third and last round takes place on Sunday 14 July.
Fixtures:
Ireland v Scotland, KO 09.00
Italy v Wales, KO 17.30
France v England, KO 20.00
BST times
I’ll restrict my comments to the latest version of the crunch.
It doesn’t enhance England’s chances of gaining a rare victory that 14 July happens to be the day of the fête nationale in France. Although les Bleuettes will be far from home in Parma, we can be sure this coincidence will inspire them to great deeds.
This junior (and reduced) version of the Six Nations has already taken on the appearance of the real thing: both France and England have recorded large victories. The two nations have their own differing structures for ensuring a continuing supply of the best young talent to join the elite squad.
In the 2024 Six Nations France had no fewer than six players under the age of 20. They included Ambre Mwayembe (prop), Kiara Zago (lock), Lina Tuy (10), Kelly Arbey (15) and Suliana Sivi (wing).
You can argue that both ways.
England may well claim there is too much competition for places in the elite squad for so many youngsters to be included. The one-way results since 2018 add weight to that argument. Equally, the French pathway structures give their age-group sides an air of complete invincibility.
We’ll have several chances to put these differences to the test: first at Parma on Sunday; then the various cross-Channel contests between now and the World Cup.
For the present, the final game of the first ever Under 20 6N should be a cracker.
At their best England offer a fascinating mirror of the elite team. A line-out will see Steph Else (a doppelganger of her club team-mate Zoe Aldcroft?) take a clean catch at a line-out. The pack gathers in an instant to rumble over the line at pace. At No 10 Ella Cromack has a boot to place her side accurately deep inside hostile territory. Most of the players have the advantage of experience in the PWR.
An area where the French senior side has rarely been able to match England is the weight and strength of the pack. Not so with the Bleuettes. The unanswered question is whether they will be able to maintain their physical superiority game-long in the heat of an Italian summer. Till now they most certainly have, but they haven’t haven’t faced forwards of the quality the Rosettes can muster. Then again, the French will be more used to late evening heat than the English.
This will be an intriguing battle.
The managements have the thorny problem of selecting what they deem to be the strongest squads they have at their disposal. There will be tight calls on both sides.
If we stick to past records, the 24 points Wales inflicted on England (see below) may prove the only relevant statistic. Can the English defences remain secure against the fluid style of game the French can mount?
If we stick to past records, the answer will be no; France will come away with yet another victory. I’m very happy to be proved wrong.
Here are the previous results:
Round One:
England 33 Ireland 10
France 57 Wales 12
Round Two:
England 55 Wales 24
France 69 Scotland 10
