by France, but not as we know it
Les Bleus They will play home games from Paris for the first time in the championship: against Ireland in Marseille this Friday, Italy in Lille on February 25 and England in Lyon on March 16, the final weekend. Spreading the word of rugby outside the capital cities is certainly a Good Thing – especially given the frequent complaints across the Channel about the Rugby Football Union’s association with Twickenham and its revenue generating power. France’s move is necessitated by construction work taking place at the Stade de France to prepare the venue for this summer’s Olympic Games, and the French Rugby Union’s bottom line will win, but a team may Fabien Galthié happy to see their World Cup. elimination The same could be said for Ireland, who also bowed out in Paris on that memorable quarter-final weekend.
Instrumental mouthguard technology
You may not be able to see them, due to their designated place in the player’s mouth. But new instrumented mouth guard technology is the latest attempt to reduce the risk of brain injury – and it could have a significant impact. Mandated from the start of 2024, the idea is to incorporate the technology into the existing head injury assessment (HIA) protocol, with the mandatory mandatory devices delivering in-game alerts to medical staff. The Six Nations announcement in January said: “In the event of a head acceleration event for a player, the matchday medical team will be alerted.” Will it make much of a difference in practice? Maybe not. Will it bring a satisfying and neat end to the brain injury debate, controversy and/or scandal? Definitely no.
Davidson’s historic day
Hollie Davidson will make history on the second weekend of the tournament: the 31-year-old will become the first female referee to officiate in a Six Nations match as second assistant for England v Wales on February 10. “It is a great honor to be named as one of the assistant referees for the 2024 Guinness Six Nations,” said the 31-year-old. After Wayne Barnes, among others, revealed the stress of top level referees it must be hoped that it will be a positive experience for Davidson. “I’m very proud to be the first female officer in Scotland to do that,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to being involved in a game with an international reputation.” Perhaps the only question that remains is why it has taken so long.
Absent friends
Many big names will be missing. England’s back three, for example, will show a hole in the shape of Henry Arundell after one of the game’s most destructive runners committed his immediate future to Racing 92, making him ineligible for England. Wales have lost Louis Rees-Zammit as he pursues his NFL dream as Ireland rebuild without the retired Johnny Sexton. The team’s other captain, Owen Farrell, had announced his intention to retire from international duty before it emerged that he was about to move to Racing 92. But the highlight is Antoine Dupont, the French scrum-half talented who wants to focus his. energy on the Olympic seventies. It won’t be the same without him, but the Six Nations’ loss is undoubtedly the Olympics’ gain.
The Netflix effect?
Many marquee players will be absent, but as Andy Bull wrote in this newspaper recently, the emphasis is on rugby’s teamwork. It will not take many pulsating one-score games decided at the death due to the loss of Dupont, Farrell, Rees-Zammit et al to fade away. If the world’s richest rugby competition goes down to the final weekend – perhaps the final, France v England in Lyon – the sport will rise and its reputation bewitched anew. Marketing departments will monitor viewing figures and social media impressions for evidence of an uptick following the appearance of “Total Touch” on Netflix. But anyone hoping that rugby is about to haunt America, like F1 after Drive to Survive, is likely to be disappointed.
The new era of Italy
Perhaps the biggest draw to come out of last year’s World Cup was Italy’s lack of competitiveness in a demanding pool that hosted France and New Zealand. Rumors of a rift between now-departed coach Kieran Crowley and captain Michele Lamaro may be a thing of the past – but Italy must prove they deserve their place in the competition again. Demand for other emerging teams, such as Portugal or Georgia, increased their shot when Italy went over against Les Bleus and the All Blacks. Can Crowley’s replacement, former Argentina midfielder Gonzalo Quesada, oversee a rise in success? Organizers may appreciate a strong performance from the Azzurri as a defense of their currently closed shop.
