The Red Roses will play their two home matches in the 6 Nations at famous but unfamiliar grounds. They have used Gloucester’s Kingsholm just once before, Leicester’s Welford Road never. The choice of Gloucester (9 April) and Leicester (24 April) marks a continuation of the move to take the Red Roses around the country, away
The programme published by the 6N committee is much as we might have expected it, combining fine features with one or two others. Very sensibly it sticks to last year’s late window of March-April. It keeps the notion of a ‘Finals Day’, though this time it’s simply a renaming of Round Five. For all the delights
All matches to be shown in the UK, Ireland and Italy The Women’s Six Nations remains in its own dedicated window in the calendar in March and April The introduction of ‘Super Saturday’ on April 30 is set to become a key highlight of the women’s rugby calendar Fans are set to enjoy a greatly
A glance back and forwards at the 2021 version of ‘Rugby’s Greatest Championship’, as the Six Nations likes to call itself. Bill Sweeney, the RFU’s CEO, has given his views on its future. He is strangely half-hearted about it. ‘We need to be a little bit more innovative in our thinking…’ Why ‘a little bit’?
Ireland v Italy This really was a surprise. The Irish came out fighting and had three tries on the board before the Azzurre could put their house in order and score their first. It wasn’t a great game; far too many handling errors for comfort, and the Italians hardly got going. You have to wonder
England v France A totally gripping game between two of the finest sides on the planet. The only thing missing was a whirring scoreboard. Defenders stuck to their task heroically; inventive attackers had the greatest difficulty exploiting space. Everyone expected a tight game, few such a low-scoring one. A strong swirling breeze upset the kickers,
The Red Roses clinched their third consecutive Women’s Six Nations title after beating France Women 10-6 at The Stoop. Simon Middleton’s charges overcame Scotland and Italy earlier in the competition before registering a solitary try and penalty against Les Bleues at the home of Harlequins, their eighth successive win over France, and fourteenth without loss
Italy v Ireland; Scotland v Wales The clash of the two I’s in Dublin is hard to predict. Both sides have match-winners; both have shown flashes of outstanding form. Italy are full of confidence as they reach No 5 in world rankings, three places above the hosts. They may pay the penalty of surrendering home
Oh dear! The French selection looks the way every weak-kneed England fan must have feared, hideously strong. Romane Ménager returns at No 8 to nobody’s surprise. It’s when we spot the names Corson and Trémoulière hiding on the bench that we get an idea of the strength of the squad. Annick Hayraud has kept faith
England Women head coach Simon Middleton has named his team to play France in the Women’s Six Nations final. The match takes place at Twickenham Stoop on Saturday 24 April, kick-off 2pm live on BBC Two. Emily Scarratt captains the side with regular skipper Sarah Hunter among the finishers. Abbie Ward (lock) and Marlie Packer
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