The Rugby Pod - Six Nations Preview

When it comes to history, rivalry and an overall atmosphere, nothing comes close to the Six Nations. The tournament has been entertaining & enthralling rugby fans since way back in 1883!

Over the next two months, Rugby fans can look forward to fifteen epic encounters with more subplots than a season of Home & Away. Who will become The Lions coach? Will Dylan Hartley keep himself out of trouble? Who will have the worst World Cup hangover? When will Eddie Jones’ crack and have his first media blowout? Will Guy Noves bring back the old French Flair? And how will Ireland cope without their ginger giant? So many questions, so much to look forward to!

There’ll be plenty of time to debate, debunk and dramatise this great pantomime, but let’s start by having a look at some stats, highlights and listen to a few opinions from people who know a little bit more about this great competition than we do here at The Rugby Pod.

The Numbers

Here’s the overall table after 15 years of competition. Despite playing a total 80 games, It’s incredibly close, with England edging out Ireland by a mere 3 points. Italy meanwhile have an aggregate point differential of -1408 points. France have won the most championships and Grand Slams since the new format was introduced, while Scotland are yet to win a championship.

The Panel

We’ve got a great panel behind the scenes including fans, coaches, ex and current players to talk you though all the action. In this edition, we’ll be speaking with Dylan Hartley, Eddie Jones, Joe Schmidt & Rory Best. We’ll also be getting some opinions from Conor O’Shea, Big Jim Hamilton and ex Welsh and Lion scrum half Dwayne Peel.

Before all that, let’s have a look back at the ridiculous final day of Six Nations 2015. Four teams were in the running and let’s just say it was a hectic day for fans and players alike.

So who can topple the Irish this season? England will fancy their chances having finished 2nd, four years in a row. We spoke with Eddie Jones and Dylan Hartley at the Six Nations launch event. Here’s what they had to say:

https://soundcloud.com/rugbyradio/england-six-nations-preview

And what about Scotland? Jim Hamilton gave us his bullish views, you can read his full article by clicking on the link below:

Jim Hamilton

Expectations are rightly high in Scotland. After a successful, if somewhat heart breaking World Cup, there’s a real sense that Scotland are on the cusp of something great and can push for honours. I may be slightly biased, but I genuinely believe Scotland can go into this competition among the favourites. With a settled squad, plenty of experience alongside some exciting new talent, and a coach like Vern, nobody will be looking forward to playing Scotland. Not least, England. Read Full Article

Meanwhile, Dwayne Peel reckons Wales are the most settled squad in the tournament and must go in as favorites. Their first game against Ireland could set them up. Let’s not forget they have won the Grand Slam after both previous World Cups.

Dwayne Peel

Gatland and Schmidt are two of the shrewdest coaches in the business and it will be fascinating to see what game plan each one adopts. Schmidt has been quick to point out the size advantage in favour of Wales, so expect Ireland to move the ball around more than they are accustomed to and using some smart chips and kicks to get in behind the Welsh blitz defence. The Welsh pack meanwhile, will look to win the arm wrestle up front and without O’Mahony, Healy, O’Connell and Ross, Ireland may struggle to cope. Read Full Article

One of our favorite pundits is Conor O’Shea. Not only is he incredibly knowledgeable having both played and coached at the highest level, he’s also a genuinely nice guy. Here is an interview we did with to review the tournament

https://soundcloud.com/rugbyradio/conor-oshea-6n-team-review

We’ll leave you with a couple of predictions, which you can use to flog us at the end of the competition. Below is a list of the players of the tournament for the past twelve years.

Who will it be in 2016? We’re backing one of the ‘imports’. First up, the recently approved Scotsman, John Hardie - We think Scotland may surprise a few teams, and he was phenomenal in the World Cup and he should continue this form into the 6N. If Ireland give CJ Stander a run, he too could make a big impression and imprint on defenders. And finally, the supremely named Virimi Vakatawa from France, just check out his highlights below to see what we’re excited about.

All that’s left to do is sit back, enjoy and get involved in some Six Nations banter. May the best team win, in what the Southern Hemisphere are calling the World Cup fifth place playoff. Ouch.

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