by It was gone in the morning in Lyon but the fans on the last tram were still giddy as they made their way back to town, still riding the sugar rush. At the end of a fascinating Six Nations, France and England treated those inside the Groupama Stadium to a triumphant, spectacular, finale to end another fine edition of this spring’s delight.
How does this champion do it? After round three, it was recommended that it be called off, with Ireland heading for back-to-back victories and perhaps a bit of history too, with no one able to match them. But things are rarely that simple in the Six Nations – England’s shock final weekend meant plenty to play for and, in the end, Andy Farrell’s side were scrambling rather than coasting.
What makes this competition so great is how hard it is to win. It’s no fluke that no team has yet won two back-to-back grand slams since the addition of Italy – beating Europe’s best teams home and away is difficult, and should be.
And it seems to be getting harder. Ireland’s name will be etched on the trophy but Azzurri Gonzalo Quesada are the big winners in the campaign. For a long time in the Six Nations as well, limited to a lonely slot on Sunday and winning with a bonus point too often, Italy have shown in the last two months that they are no longer a side capable of disrupting their day trust team. , class and commitment, with growing maturity under his young squad. Two wins should really be three, and England was not far from being pipped, either – certainly, their rivals can not take to take a touch anymore.
Which makes Ireland’s defeat of them in round two even better in retrospect. Their late collapse may have detracted from Ireland’s achievement but two consecutive titles should not be taken for granted, a confirmation that this side is among the best in European history. The arrival of Jack Crowley to fill Johnny Sexton’s shoes answered the big pre-tournament question, and now he will be able to prepare the squad for Farrell’s sabbatical ahead of next year’s British and Irish Lions tour.
England and France have had some mid-tournament worries but will be looking ahead with positivity, although Scotland’s future is a little harder to parse. It was encouraging to stay at school with Ireland for so long but they should have a title lead in Dublin – the outside of silverware cannot let chances slip like they did against Italy.
Wales’ turmoil was a predictable theme given the tumultuous background outside Warren Gatland’s squad, their club struggling to transition to the international stage and resulting in only their second wooden spoon of the Six Nations era. Gatland reckons his flaky core will be better for experience; but fans are probably right to wonder if the scarring will prevent a talented champion from coming good.
But each nation provided plenty of thrills. How about that Welsh resurrection in Cardiff on the opening weekend, who gave Scotland an almighty scare by leaping out of the coffin just after it looked like the final nail had been hammered in. Or, a week later, Sam Skinner’s failed attempt to find footage showing a score that was ultimately central to the pattern of the tournament.
The pumping pistons of Duhan van der Merwe, James Lowe and Tommaso Menoncello were a sight to behold while Ange Capuozzo, Uini Atonio and Ryan Baird showed that rugby is still a game for all sizes.
And it’s all available to watch via terrestrial television, which won’t be much longer. This was the penultimate year of the BBC and ITV’s shared broadcast deal in the UK, and tentative discussions are already underway about what the future television market for the competition will look like.
Commercially, the Six Nations remain a real heavyweight at a time when some other rugby properties are struggling for traction. With the revamped Nations League on the way, it’s thought it might make sense to seek a mega-market deal from a major subscription service with the deep pockets that their free-to-air counterparts lack.
It is not clear what that might mean for rugby’s biggest championship but it would certainly not be wise to abandon terrestrial television entirely. Ollie Lawrence spoke well after England’s win on Saturday about how watching Manu Tuilagi as a youngster helped set him on a rugby journey that saw him partner the center in the final moments of what could have been his to have at Test level – such a wide audience It is certainly desirable to allow a child in Cardiff, Coventry or Kirkcaldy to live those same dreams.
Tom Harrison, a man of mystery in his first 11 months as Six Nations chief executive, who was long-awaited last week, will make the key decision. Things ended unhappily at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for Harrison but he still holds sway in the field of media rights having forged a successful career following the end of his cricket career.
“I think visibility is really important in any sports environment, especially a development tour,” Harrison said Wednesday. “Free-to-air space is about balancing revenue – when you’re looking at sport as a whole. It’s about revenue generation and relevance and balancing those things. In all cases it is necessary to deal very carefully with decisions about how you move that balance.
“In cricket we moved it back towards free-to-air, we brought free-to-air back into space. Rugby has a big free-to-air component to it, particularly the men’s Six Nations, and the Women’s Six Nations as well. We understand the role that plays in bringing the game to new fans. It is extremely important to make it available in the future. We’ll have to look at that as a major question mark for us.”
