Six Nations: Six players who could have a big say on the outcome of ‘Super Saturday’

Stan Wilson

With Ireland and France going for the Six Nations title, we look at six players who could have a hefty say in where the silverware is heading on Saturday.

Ireland will take on Scotland in the afternoon fixture before all eyes then move to Grand Slam-chasing France against England under the lights of the Paris sky.

Indeed, England can throw a spanner in the works to Les Bleus’ Championship and clean sweep hopes, which is why we have included two Englishmen in this list.

Without further ado, here’s our six players to watch who could play a crucial role in where the 2022 Six Nations trophy will end up after a massive day of action.

Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)

After residing in the metaphorical back-pocket of Ellis Genge for the duration of Ireland‘s win over England, Furlong, who’s otherwise had a fabulous tournament, will look to bounce back and steer his team to a Six Nations victory over Scotland. A win over Gregor Townsend‘s side, and a France loss, could see the men in green claim silverware despite losing to France – and Furlong will be aware of this. Touted as the best tighthead prop in world rugby, he’ll be looking to create a strong scrum from the off, carry well and to often give Johnny Sexton and Jamison Gibson-Park options to work with. The challenge for Furlong and the forwards will be to unsettle the Scottish scrum, which was very successful against Italy as well as keeping Rory Darge and Hamish Watson at bay at the breakdown. In attack, expect Ireland’s playmaking prop to leave his mark on the game with his surprising agility and superb hands. If Ireland can use Furlong’s skillset to pick holes in the Scottish defence, it could be a long day for their opposition.

James Lowe (Ireland)

Lowe has come into his own for Ireland when given the chance this Six Nations.  The 6’2″ Leinster wing has the potential to be a game-changer for Andy Farrell’s team in their final game of the tournament. His bursts of acceleration with ball in hand can flip field position for the Irish in a matter of seconds and result in tries when given space. If you show Lowe any open field, he will capitalise on that, which is something Townsend’s defence will have to be wary about. The Scottish sweepers will be hard tasked to keep this wing held down and neutralised for 80 minutes of Test rugby. With the trophy within arm’s reach, as long as France lose, the stakes have never been higher. Expect Lowe to play a major role this weekend with at least one try to his name.

Jonathan Danty (France)

Danty has emerged as one of the better centres in international rugby over the past few weeks. His blend of size, speed and defensive prowess gives Fabien Galthie a fourth back-rower on the field. England’s probable starting centres, Henry Slade and Joe Marchant, are faced with the job of bringing down this monster of a carrier when he attacks the 12 and 13 channels. Danty gives Romain Ntamack and the French attack another dimension and another way to punish an England team that have failed to launch a real title bid at any point this tournament. Danty will have a large impact in this game. Even just the fact he’s there means England have to adjust defensively for him and respect the crash ball option as well as the runners on his shoulder which he can release with his smart passing. The French centre poses a defensive nightmare, and not one that England are likely to solve.

Ellis Genge (England)

As was implied earlier, Genge was awesome last week against Ireland. The fact he dominated the great Furlong is just staggering considering Furlong’s Test experience and reputation. Uini Atonio is Genge’s opposition in the scrum this week and he will look for a repeat of his last outing. If Genge and the England front-row can have anywhere near the impact they had against Ireland, who knows what’s possible for an England team with 15 players (touch wood). With formidable carriers like Cyril Baille, Gregory Alldritt, Julien Marchand among others, Genge will likely be needed to put in another defensive masterclass for England, which he seems to be doing week in week out. He will find it hard to carry well against the French forwards, but his clear-out ability will be needed to enable possession to be kept. If England can edge out this game and clinch a win, they may just be able to divert the trophy to Ireland instead of France.

Paul Willemse (France)

Willemse has been quietly going about his business all tournament with little recognition. The lock has been outstanding and incredibly efficient across all areas of the field. His high work-rate means you can find him all over the field, relentlessly grafting to put his team in position to win. This week Willemse will be faced by an England pack coming off their best performance as a unit in all areas. Along with his fellow lock, Cameron Woki, Willemse will be vital in the set-piece. The scrum has been a point of strength for England recently, while lineouts remain an obsession of Eddie Jones’. England’s nefarious defensive lineout tactics have caused a lot of bother for their opponents this year with referees often being oblivious to them. Willemse will have to be aware of England’s choice of eight. Whether it’s Sam Simmonds or Alex Dombrandt, he will have a carrying threat to watch out for, however they should be no match for the tackling machine, provided Willemse’s channel isn’t avoided all together. With silverware in sight, expect a monumental performance from the lock.

Maro Itoje (England)

If anyone was to ruin the French game plan single-handedly it would be Itoje 2.0. Since the last Six Nations, Itoje has cleaned up his timing immensely to remove the abundance of penalties he was conceding at the breakdown. This has also helped him turn over the ball more often and slow the ball down more efficiently (and legally). The Saracens lock could buy England crucial moments to prevent the quick ball from France’s phenomenal scrum-half Antoine Dupont and neutralise that option within their attacking structure. His tackling ability will also be welcome as France have some phenomenal ball carriers that will require crunching hits to bring down. At the lineout, Jones will require more of the same from Itoje, who has been invaluable for England so far. Whilst practically handing a Six Nations title to their rivals, Ireland, is no England player’s dream, ending a French Grand Slam bid is. Itoje and the England pack will be out in full force again in an attempt to bring down Galthie’s rugby goliath.

READ MORE: Ireland: Iain Henderson eyes Six Nations silverware in Dublin