Today's rugby news as TNT identify Wales problem with Six Nations bid and legend points to Gatland's 'good news'
These are your rugby headlines on Tuesday, January 28
TNT respond to 6N reports
TNT Sports say a bid for the Six Nations would be "very challenging" in Wales and Ireland due to partnerships with free-to-air television companies in the respective countries.
News emerged on Monday that TNT are reportedly in line to broadcast the competition from next year, with some fixtures going behind a paywall for the very first time.
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The current deal for the annual tournament sees the BBC and ITV share live coverage of games between them. In 2021, S4C announced it had struck a deal with the BBC and ITV to show every Wales match in the Six Nations for the next four years.
TNT have now responded to the reports and specifically referenced the situation in Wales, which they state would make their involvement tricky.
A TNT Sports spokesperson said: “While we think the Six Nations is the best international rugby competition in the world, its important partnership with free-to-air television across the UK and Ireland, but particularly in markets like Wales and Ireland, would make our involvement very challenging.”
The Six Nations is not currently listed as a 'Category A' event by the Government which ensures coverage must be broadcast on free-to-air TV, unlike football World Cups, the Olympics and Wimbledon. Outgoing BBC director of sport Barbara Slater said in November last year that the corporation would no longer be able to afford to keep the Six Nations due to rights and production costs increasing.
In January last year the Government rejected a select committee's call to add the Six Nations to the 'crown jewel' list of sports events which must be offered for live free-to-air broadcast.
The Welsh Affairs Committee had called for the annual rugby tournament to be added to Group A of the listed events schedule.
"The Government believes that the current list of events works well to deliver the best outcome and that it strikes an appropriate balance and therefore we have no plans to undertake a full review of the list," its response to the Welsh Affairs Committee stated.
"Listing an event in either Group A or B does not guarantee that an event will be broadcast or available free-to-air. Rights holders are not required to sell rights to listed events and broadcasters are not obliged to purchase them or to show the events.
"The legislation sets out to ensure that where live rights to a Group A listed event are made available, they must be offered for purchase by a qualifying service - it does not require that a qualifying service is the final purchaser."
Guscott: Wales have good blend
Jeremy Guscott believes Wales have a good blend of "youth, mid-term and experience" heading into the Six Nations.
Last year's tournament saw Gatland's charges heading into the competition shorn of most of their experienced heads, with the likes of Dan Biggar, Liam Williams and Gareth Anscombe et al all unavailable for one reason or another.
It was left for the youngsters to carry the weight of expectation and unfortunately it proved a heavy burden, with the Wooden Spoon recorded for the first time since 2003.
But Guscott, writing in the Rugby Paper, feels the returns of Williams, Taulupe Faletau and Josh Adams will help Wales in their bid to stop the rot.
"Wales have fallen off a cliff, and at some stage, they have to hang on and stop the drop," he said. "Jac Morgan is an inspirational player who gives everything he’s got, and it explains why Warren Gatland has made him captain, despite not being the biggest flanker.
"The good news outside Morgan, who at 25 has 15 caps, is that Wales have a good blend of youth, mid-term and experience. This includes No.8 Taulupe Faletau (34/104 caps), full-back Liam Williams (33/92 caps), and wing Josh Adams and quality scrum-half Tomos Williams (both on 59 caps) at the upper end.
"The middle ground is represented by back rower Aaron Wainwright (27/52 caps) and centre Owen Watkin (28/42 caps), while Gloucester’s wing Josh Hathaway (21/2 caps) and lock Freddie Thomas (23/1 cap) are among the newcomers."
Guscott says the Welsh viewpoint must be one of "we've got nothing to lose". "It’s going to be a hard road to improve in this Six Nations, but surely Wales cannot get any worse," he added.
"Gatland has warned that anyone writing off Wales is taking a risk, but beating France in Paris in the opening game would be a huge upset. The Welsh mindset must be that they’ve got nothing to lose, and to make it hard for France, giving Gatland and his coaches some encouragement. Wales do not carry the same burden of expectation they did – but they definitely won’t want another Wooden Spoon season. This time they should finish fifth by squeezing ahead of Italy."
England get Mitchell boost
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent
England’s prospects of causing an upset against Ireland have improved after Alex Mitchell was cleared to take part in the Guinness Six Nations opener in Dublin.
Mitchell became a doubt for Saturday’s Aviva Stadium showdown after suffering a knee injury on European duty for Northampton against Munster on January 18.
But England’s first choice scrum-half has now been added to the 36-man squad that is in Girona preparing for the match, clearing the path for his return against the tournament favourites.
Mitchell replaces uncapped Saints team-mate Henry Pollock in the squad and is expected to be given the number nine jersey when head coach Steve Borthwick names his team on Thursday.
It will be his first appearance since facing New Zealand in Auckland in July after a neck injury ruled him out of the entire autumn series.
Mitchell’s importance to England was underlined throughout November when his threat around the fringes and smart decision making were sorely missed in defeats to the All Blacks, Australia and South Africa.
In his absence none of the alternatives in the position – Ben Spencer, Harry Randall and Jack van Poortvliet – were convincing and the hierarchy below him remains uncertain.
Spencer, Randall and Raffi Quirke are competing to provide scrum-half cover from the bench with Van Poortvliet ruled out against Ireland though injury.
Mitchell is expected to be paired alongside Marcus Smith at half-back with the Harlequins playmaker likely to continue where he left off in the autumn by pulling the strings at 10.
Smith was England’s most inventive player throughout November but there were misgivings over his ability to release his backline – a skill that has been displayed by his chief rival for the jersey Fin Smith.
Fin Smith is likely to be picked on the bench with Freddie Steward present at full-back in the absence of George Furbank, who has a fractured arm.
The trip to Dublin will be the first time England have been led by Maro Itoje after the Saracens second row was chosen as captain for the Six Nations in place of Jamie George.
