The run-up to this Six Nations has not seen the usual buzz and this is a genuine concern.
Maybe it’s because it came so quickly after the World Cup. Or the unavailability of star names, including Owen Farrell, Johnny Sexton, Antoine Dupont and Dan Biggar.
But the fact is that players retire. No one can undo the passage of time, so while Sexton and Biggar have been great servants, they have moved on. I can also accept Dupont’s decision to miss these Six Nations and play seven-a-side at the Paris Olympics.
Having been Sports Director for Team GB at three Games, I know how special they are. It may be a unique opportunity. I admire Dupont for pursuing his opportunity. We will undoubtedly see Dupont play rugby again in the future.
For me, the biggest concern is the number of injured players who are unable to start the tournament – or play in it at all – and that someone of Farrell’s stature has chosen not to make himself available of his own free will.
The lack of stars like Owen Farrell makes this year’s Six Nations feel somewhat flat
England’s ban on players playing for foreign clubs only further contributes to the problem
Moreover, England cannot select players like Henry Arundell and Jack Willis because they are employed by French clubs. The same will be true for Farrell next season. I believe that England should abandon foreign rule.
The Six Nations is arguably the number 1 rugby tournament. You could make a case for it being as big or even bigger than the World Cup because of its unparalleled history.
While I hope I’m proven wrong and that we see brilliant matches and great entertainment, I’m not sure we can say ahead of this year’s competition that this will be the pinnacle of the game.
Rugby authorities need to wake up and realize that the demands of playing at international level are now too much for those who physically and mentally take the field.
We have seen Farrell leave the top level because of the abuse he suffered and the impact it has had on him and his family.
French scrumhalf Antoine Dupont is another big player missing from this year’s tournament
Then there are the injuries. The likes of Marcus Smith, Romain Ntamack, Mack Hansen, Jac Morgan, Darcy Graham and Anthony Jelonch – to name but a few – are all absent for the start of this Six Nations.
Rugby needs its stars to thrive and grow. That’s not possible if they are in the treatment room, ineligible or have made an active choice not to play.
‘Growing the game’ is currently rugby’s slogan. Six Nations: Full Contact – the Netflix docuseries about last year’s Championship – is part of that. Unfortunately it left a lot to be desired. I was particularly unimpressed by the amount of swearing that was broadcast and was completely baffled when I heard Italian Sebastian Negri use the word **** in one of the episodes. Many will roll their eyes at my sensitivity. But what kind of fan does rugby hope to attract?
Formula One’s Drive to Survive attracted a new fan base by opening eyes to the lives of the drivers in and out of the car. But they also celebrated their incredible courage and skill.
As a former international coach, I am aware that coaches and players use swear words. I did. That said, a lot of effing and jeffing doesn’t work for a long period of time.
The Netflix docuseries Full Contact about last year’s tournament left a lot to be desired
And in the context of trying to bring new fans to rugby, it was a crazy decision to have the curse broadcast so strongly and heavily. I don’t think it’s a good way to attract children and families to rugby. I also wonder if there was also a missed opportunity to bring the women’s game into the same series.
For this Six Nations, tactics interest me, especially around kicking. At the World Cup, statistics showed that the more you kicked the ball, the more likely you were to win. The status quo is seriously flawed as none of the top teams are currently trying anything different.
This is a big problem for rugby because we don’t want to see the ball in the air all the time. The only ones who seem happy about that are the coaches, especially those in charge of defense. This was seen on Netflix, where France defense coach Shaun Edwards told his players in no uncertain terms to ‘kick the damn ball’ when it was in their own half.
I just don’t believe in the idea that you have to kick the leather off the ball to be successful. And if that is the case, rugby needs to do something about it and take matters off the hands of the coaches. Fans don’t want to pay money to watch an aerial tennis match. Although England are not the only team to score big, I hope that after an induction period, Steve Borthwick can evolve the team into a bigger attacking force and that England – and all teams – can create superstars of the future.