The 2019 Six Nations championship will not conclude until mid-March but rarely has the grand old tournament’s opening weekend been so pivotal. Even Ireland’s usually understated head coach, Joe Schmidt, is warning his players to brace themselves for a “brutal” first-round collision with England, with the visitors intent on easing the hurt of their fifth-placed finish last season.
Owen Farrell expects to be fit to face Ireland in England’s Six Nations opener
With Wales and Italy heading for Paris and Edinburgh in no mood to be pushed around, this year’s competition launch in south‑west London almost had the feel of a pre‑fight weigh‑in featuring six knuckle‑cracking boxers. As Schmidt put it when invited to describe the threat posed by Eddie Jones’s side: “He said he was going to bring some brutality and he has some players who can bring that. They are going to be physical and we need to be primed for it.”
Among the reasons for the heightened anticipation is that 24 years have passed since England last visited Dublin on the opening weekend. This is also the first time in Six Nations history they have had to tackle an Irish side placed second in the world rankings. With the squads based just a few miles apart in the Algarve this week, the rival Portuguese men o’war both know a slow start will spell big trouble.
Jones, having joked about “buying a pair of binoculars” at the airport for spying purposes, clearly believes a softly, softly approach will get England nowhere. “I’ve never seen a Six Nations game that was not brutal,” he said, in no doubt where this season’s title will be won and lost. “Traditionally, if you look at Six Nations history over the years, it’s a big gainline contest. Ball-in-play time is also higher in the Six Nations than any other tournament in the world. You’ve got to be prepared for it and we’ll be prepared, I’m sure Ireland are not over in Portugal sunbathing. They’ll be preparing for a tough old contest.”
Ireland’s captain, Rory Best, does not disagree, confirming his side are anticipating a “monster” test against opponents who could easily throw a major spanner in the works. “If you don’t perform well, England have the firepower to beat you well. But that fear’s a good thing … it drives you on.”
Mixed in with all the big bang theory is the small matter of the looming Rugby World Cup, which means all involved will have to box clever. With Ireland and Scotland occupying the same World Cup pool, their round‑two meeting at Murrayfield has extra resonance and Wales’s Warren Gatland has suggested his team may keep some of their Japanese cards hidden during the Six Nations. He also believes, even so, that victory in Paris on the tournament’s opening Friday night will set Wales on the road to winning the title for the first time since 2013.
Italy, whose captain and totem Sergio Parisse is poised to beat Brian O’Driscoll’s record for the most Six Nations appearances by any player, are also making bullish noises, arguing their 66-3 autumn defeat by New Zealand in Rome does not reflect the progress Italian rugby has made at both Test and provincial level over the past 12 months. With two Scottish representatives in the last eight of the European Champions’ Cup and France also showing signs of perking up, the tournament – now backed by Guinness, the third different title sponsor in as many years – has rarely been more eagerly awaited.
Even Jones, who has been around umpteen blocks in both hemispheres, sounds more excited than at any stage in his England tenure. “There’s a sign outside saying it’s the greatest tournament in the world. Four years ago I wouldn’t have said that but having been involved in it there’s nothing like this tournament. The intensity, the contest, how much it means to people, it’s a real honour to be involved in it.”
As for the looming Irish challenge, he is well aware England will need to be on top form to win in Dublin for the first time since 2013. “There are two contests against Ireland, one in the air and one on the ground and you have to win both of those to win the game,” said Jones, confirming that the former England captain Will Carling would once again be offering leadership guidance to players during the coming months. “We’ll pick a side to win those battles.”
There is also the associated issue of which coach emerges as the favourite to coach the 2021 Lions in South Africa. Gatland has expressed an interest but Schmidt, for now, is playing down his chances, reiterating that he may well take a break from coaching completely rather than make himself available to coach the Lions or the All Blacks. “I’m an incredibly accidental coach. It’s not that I don’t love the game, it just wasn’t my intended career. I’ve had an unbelievable time in the game, whether it be with Bay of Plenty, with Leinster, and now with Ireland. I think you’ve got to run out of luck at some stage.”