There have been many who have suggested that the 2024 Six Nations has been a little dull so far, and that many games have lacked excitement due to Ireland looking unbeatable and so many others failing to perform at their top level.
However, this weekend firmly ripped that viewpoint up and demonstrated once again why the Championship is a constant spectacle, with several shocks occurring and plenty for fans to discuss. With that in mind, this short tactical analysis will pick out three talking points from the fourth round of this year’s tournament to consider ahead of the final round of matches in just five days’ time.
Italy look to have found their perfect midfield partnership
Before this weekend had got underway, Italy had not won on home soil in the Six Nations since 2013, when Ireland tasted defeat at the Stadio Olimpico, but that run of misery finally came to an end on Saturday as Italy secured a huge win against Scotland to give their fans something to cheer about in Rome at long last.
There were many who contributed to their outstanding display, with scrum-half Martin Page-Relo controlling things from the central spaces, winger Louis Lynagh standing out with his pace and accuracy with the ball in hand and the entire forward pack working hard to get over the gain line at every opportunity and to make their fast-paced, front-footed tactics work.
However, the two who really deserve to be highlighted are Tommaso Menoncello and Juan Ignacio Brex, who formed a devastating partnership in the midfield and whose combined efforts provided the perfect platform for Italy to both attack and defend with equal ability.
In Menoncello’s case, it has been a magnificent turnaround in fortunes, with him struggling to make a name for himself in previous years but now undoubtedly one of the stars of the tournament so far, and his tendency to offer an option at the breakdown and to then push Scotland back up the pitch was key in allowing Brex to utilise his agility and to break through the gaps that had been created. The latter was also a vital player to have on the pitch when Italy didn’t have the ball too, with him making several strong tackles to prevent Scotland from scoring when it looked like they had a clear route to the try line, and he was deservedly Player of the Match.
It was ironic that Scotland were their opponents on the day that this area of the team really clicked together, because it was only last year that the same thing was being said about Gregor Townsend’s side, and there is no doubting now that Italy will keep causing problems for their opponents and are not a team to underestimate.
England need to address the fly-half issue
England might have secured a monstrous victory against Ireland on Saturday evening, but it has been widely recognised in pundits’ analysis and in fans’ conversations that they have had a disappointing tournament so far and one that has highlighted how much of a transition period they are in.
In this match, the inconsistencies that have plagued their campaign were once again present, with there being some really pleasing moments but also a lot of situations that they needed to deal with in a better way. However, a lot of that inconsistency can be put down to the lack of quality that they have had at fly-half, with George Ford starting every match so far but not playing well and England have lacked fluidity as a result.
When contrasting England to other teams in the Six Nations, it is clear to see how damaging that has been, with Ireland’s Jack Crowley and Scotland’s Finn Russell both showing control and quality in the central spaces and connecting the dots around the field, and England simply haven’t had that. As a result, those aspects of their play that have been good have been largely isolated, with England not putting together a complete performance just yet.
With Marcus Smith now back in action following his injury, Steve Borthwick has a decision to make. He clearly likes Ford as a player, but Smith is the better all-rounder and is perhaps the player best suited to the aggressive brand of rugby that England seem to be implementing, and getting that selection right could be what makes the difference between England progressing or them staying where they currently are.
France’s speed proves key in helping them over the line
For much of the clash between Wales and France, it was a case of both sides trading blows and taking it in turns to get points on the board, with plenty of opportunities and tries and a lot for fans to be excited about, and what was really noticeable was how confident both teams looked after campaigns that have been largely disappointing.
However, in the second half, France really stepped things up and slowly took control of proceedings, and the final scoreline did provide a true reflection of the way that the game got away from Wales and of how the visitors were the better overall side, and what really helped them to step things up was the speed that they demonstrated around the field.
This came in a multitude of ways, with them making flat passes that gave each other the chance to run onto the ball with momentum, whilst the wingers made plenty of quick runs behind the Welsh back line and looked dangerous whenever the ball did enter their airspaces and there was also a general willingness to not make things too laboured and to instead take advantage of the gaps that Wales were leaving open as they got sucked towards the middle.
It wasn’t only physical speed though, because there was also a lot of mental speed, in that France generally thought about things a lot quicker and got up to the ball earlier to take time away from Wales, and the try from lock Romain Taofifénua was a clear example of how devastating that was.
In short, whilst Wales can be pleased with the first half showing in this contest, they were simply no match for France when it came to thinking quickly and to shifting the ball decisively, and it was that that led to France exiting the game with reasons to be positive ahead of the final weekend.