Letter of the week
Planet Rugby readers are never short of an opinion and our mail box is seldom empty.
Planet Rugby readers are never short of an opinion and our mail box is seldom empty. The Letter of the Week is your chance to air your views and get published.
Do you have an opinion you'd like to share with the world? Reckon you can express it in a coherent, balanced argument? Well, send it to us! The best letters will get some time in the spotlight.
Please note that the views expressed in readers' letters to not necessarily reflect those of Planet Rugby.
This week's letter comes from a Welsh reader, Rhys Knott in Essex:
How important is the Six Nations Championship?
How important is the Six Nations Championship? This has been debated perodically, in the 1970's Wales won 4 Grand Slams and I'm sure other countries wondered why they even bothered to turn up and likewise in the 1990's England dominated, winning 3 Grand Slams and a Triple Crown in 6 years.
The answer to this question depends on an individual's personal perspective. Italy proved with their win against France in this year's tournament that the only way a team ranked 12th in the world can hope to improve is by playing against the teams ranked consistently inside the world's top 10.
Recently this question has once again become a relevant talking point, not as a result of performances in this tournament, but rather as a result of French club teams dominating this year's Heineken Cup. The recent cash injections of French club teams like Racing Metro 92 in Paris and Rugby Club Toulonnais in Toulon has seen players like World Cup winners Francois Steyn and George Smith join the likes of great players such as like Rupeni Caucau playing for traditionally strong French sides like Stade Toulousain. French teams topped 4 of the 6 Heineken Cup groups this season and with the quality of overseas players that these teams can attract, it was rumoured that Perpignan paid Dan Carter £35, 000 per game when he signed for them in 2008 a Heineken Cup game against one of these French sides is arguably a bigger challenge for opposing players than a 6 Nations International fixture.
Personally I am of the opinion that the current standard of international rugby in the Northern hemisphere is considerably lower than in the Southern hemisphere and therefore playing against these imports from the Southern Hemisphere and in Autumn International series fixtures against Australia, South Africa and New Zealand are a much sterner test for the Home nations.
Ultimately the importance of the Six Nations Championship is dependent on the chronology of the tournament and the circumstances of each individual country at the time. Chronology in terms of the Rugby World Cup is key to the importance of a Six Nations Championship as bedding new players into an International team will usually take at least 1 season so for example the most recent tournament would have arguably have been too late to introduce new players and expect them to adapt to International rugby with a view toward them starting in this year's World Cup.
The proximity of the Six Nations to the World Cup can also have an effect in terms of injuries, thankfully the most recent tournament saw just 1 serious injury to England captain Mike Tindall, he injured ankle ligaments but is expected to be fully fit in time for September's World Cup.
The importance of the Six Nations to each individual country, or even player is determined by how well, or poorly each country's (or player's) teams have performed in the Heineken Cup. This year just 2 English club sides qualified for the quarter- finals of the Heineken Cup so their victorious campaign must be a positive.
Not a single Welsh regional side made it out of the group phase of the Heineken Cup so it is difficult not to feel that the Welsh didn't make the most of their 6 Nations campaign as their performances appeared impotent despite 3 positive results.
No Italian teams qualified for the quarter finals either, but with some Italian players playing for French clubs week in week out and their first victory over France coming in their 6 Nations campaign Italy should be happy with tournament.
France's performance in the Six Nations would appear to indicate a potential problem caused by the money available for overseas talent who wish to play for French clubs, while 4 French teams have made the last 8 of the Heineken Cup but the French national team only managed the same number of wins in the 6 Nations as the Welsh did.
Just 1 Irish region secured a home draw in the knockout part of the Heineken Cup but their final game of the 6 Nations will surely provide them with a boost just in time for their World Cup build up.