The short side: Six Nations, star centres and Wayne Barnes

Colin Newboult
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The short side returns to Planet Rugby as we study the main talking points ahead of this weekend’s action in the opening Six Nations round.

Six Nations game to watch – Ireland v England

Wales v France should also be an excellent encounter but there is no doubt that the majority of the attention has focused on England’s visit to Dublin. While the Red Rose endured a torrid campaign in 2018, there is a sense that they will be much-improved this time around following a solid November series. With the squad also bolstered by the return of some key players, Joe Schmidt will not take them lightly. Ireland are favourites and should get the job done but the opening weekend could well see the match of the tournament already.

Team to watch – Wales

There is a sense of expectation in the country that they can challenge Ireland for the crown, but Friday night’s encounter is a big hurdle they need to overcome. While France are typically erratic and still searching for the right formula, the talent is there to be a significant threat when the teams go head-to-head in Paris. Taulupe Faletau is a big loss to Warren Gatland but Ross Moriarty’s return is a boost and, should they defeat Les Bleus, they are confident of claiming the title. Wales only have two home games but they’re against Ireland and England, the two seen to be their main competitors.

Player to watch – Manu Tuilagi (England)

After an injury-ravaged few years for the Leicester Tigers centre, Tuilagi will start his first game for England since 2014, when Stuart Lancaster was the head coach, against Ireland in Dublin. The Samoan-born powerhouse has enjoyed a decent run for the Midlanders and is slowly getting back to his best, but Ireland will be an incredibly tough challenge. They have a plethora of quality midfield players and, alongside their exceptionally astute coaching staff, any potential weaknesses in Tuilagi’s armoury will be exposed.

One-v-one battle to watch – Wesley Fofana (France) v Jonathan Davies (Wales)

Two experienced campaigners go head-to-head in Paris as Fofana and Davies face-off. With the British and Irish Lion featuring alongside the impressive Hadleigh Parkes, some potentially view this as an area which Wales can exploit. 19-year-old Romain Ntamack also makes his debut for the hosts and it is a big ask for the slightly built teenager to stop two powerful individuals, particularly with fly-half Camille Lopez not the most defensively assured. Davies will therefore attempt to exploit that and a big onus comes on Fofana to help the talented Toulouse youngster through the game.

Subplot of the weekend – Wayne Barnes refereeing France v Wales

Two years after one of the more controversial and bizarre endings to a Six Nations game you will see, France and Wales go head-to-head in Paris once again. Of course, the referee on that day was Barnes, who presided over a game which ran for 100 minutes before Les Bleus claimed the victory through Damien Chouly’s try. Wales were particularly frustrated when Barnes allowed Uini Atonio, who was struggling in the scrum, to be replaced by starting tighthead Rabah Slimani. It was not Barnes’ fault, however, with the Englishman having to go on the advice of the medic, which claimed that Atonio had to go off for a HIA. It does create an interesting subplot, though, and no doubt the Welsh players and coaching will have it in their mind when they take on the Frenchmen.

Best of the rest

Scotland host Italy in what should be a comfortable victory for the hosts. The Murrayfield outfit have been rejuvenated, firstly by Vern Cotter before Gregor Townsend took the reins, and they will see themselves as genuine title challengers. The Azzurri, by contrast, have taken a couple of steps backwards over the past two years but Conor O’Shea has looked to put a structure in place that will benefit the country in the future. There are signs of progress, with the age-grade teams improving and the likes of Sebastian Negri and Michele Campagnaro showing themselves to be readymade for Test rugby, but it is hard to see them challenging any of the other sides, even at home.

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