Gerry Thornley: Les Bleus need a Grand Chelem to underline World Cup credentials

Super Saturday it is then. Well, kind of. While the 2022 Guinness Six Nations has the same match-ups and is in the same order as was the case in 2015, which was assuredly the most entertaining in the history of the Championship, it could hardly have the same level of drama.

This time there are only two teams in the mix for the title. Back in 2015, two years before the introduction of the bonus-point system, three teams went into the final day on six points and separated by points’ difference, with England on +37, Ireland on +33, and Wales +12.

Wales kicked off first in Rome, and won 61-20 to temporarily put themselves in position. Ireland, needing a win by 21 points or more, beat Scotland 40-10 in Murrayfield, so setting England the target of a 27-point winning margin over France. England won a wild, frantic game at Twickenham by 55-35, as even France caught the bug, but came up just short and Rory Kockett was serenaded by Irish supporters everywhere for kicking the ball dead. Cue a delayed trophy presentation to Paul O’Connell and his teammates in a darkened Murrayfield.

No doubt Irish supporters wouldn’t have found it difficult to cheer for Les Bleus against England anyway but next Saturday could provide them with a trickier dilemma. This time only two countries can win the title and for all the permutations, given Ireland have a healthier points difference of 28 over France, to all intents and purposes an Irish win over Scotland in Dublin should mean anything less than an French win over England will see Johnny Sexton lift the trophy.

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In which case, eh, c’mon England? Hmm.

First off, of course, Ireland have to secure their end of the deal. They have the additional carrot of a Triple Crown, just a 12th in history. It’s not to be entirely sniffed at, for it’s something which eluded Brian O’Driscoll’s vintage in the Croke Park farewell in 2010. But this time it comes with the added incentive of a possible Championship as well.

Pressure and motivation

Of course, were Ireland to beat Scotland and move above France, it would accentuate both the pressure and motivation on France to beat England in what is likely to be the most feverish atmosphere of the 2022 Championship. The tournament organisers and TV executives won’t be too disappointed either.

This, then, is a huge game for Fabien Galthie’s remodelled young team. A first Grand Slam and first Six Nations title since 2010 would deepen the rediscovered love for Les Bleus in France and properly restore them as one of the game’s superpowers after a long absence. No less than Ireland last Saturday, and perhaps more so, it would fuel belief within the coaching ticket, playing group and French rugby in general that they are on the right track.

Of course, all roads lead to next year's World Cup, and they need a Grand Chelem to underline their credentials as contenders, and maybe even favourites, at France 2023. This French side have let the last two Championships slip by but it's set up for them now, while next year has trips to Dublin and London.

What’s more, the expectations on them to complete a Slam next Saturday night in Paris will be enormous, and merely a foretaste of what that will be like come the knock-out stages of the World Cup. Hence, passing or failing this test next Saturday could have significant ramifications.

Last Friday night in Cardiff they were far from fluent, owing victory to their defence and Wales’ blunt attack. Save for his early try assist (and forward pass) against Ireland, Romain Ntamack has hardly fired a shot. But Damien Penaud was badly missed and will presumably return, and although England may have some joy targeting Melvyn Jaminet, it’s hard to envisage where their tries are going to come from.

Ran out of gas

While it’s easy to say England ran out of gas against Ireland due to playing virtually the entire match with 14 men, it’s no coincidence that in rugby the team which does the majority of the attacking is often rewarded late on. England also struggled in their endgames against Scotland and Wales.

Ireland have scored comfortably the most tries in the tournament, and conceded the least. To even win a Triple Crown and finish in France’s slipstream would constitute a positive Six Nations, all the more so given the biennial itinerary.

They also need to send out some signals next Saturday. Were last Saturday’s scrum carnage to be revisited against Scotland, it will assuredly be an area all prospective opponents, beginning with the All Blacks next summer and all the way through to South Africa in the World Cup pool stages, will henceforth target.

How much a raucous home crowd contributed to Mathieu Raynal’s interpretations at scrum time only he truly knows. The cacophony of boos from the English fans in response to him brandishing a red card to Charlie Ewels was perhaps no different from any other capacity home crowd after seeing one of their players sent off in the second minute.

Speaking on radio yesterday morning, Donnacha O’Callaghan’s bemoaned the Twickenham crowd booing through a couple of penalties at goal by Sexton – both of which he nailed as he drew on his experiences of playing in the Top 14 for two seasons – and also when Irish players were being treated for injuries.

Coaches like their sides to be animated, as in vocal, when celebrating mini victories on the pitch and while understanding the need of a wonderfully resourceful and resilient, England needed to draw on every positive after being reduced to 14 players, they were a bit tiresome too.

But, what the heck, as they rallied to their team in their 78 minutes of need, Twickenham has rarely been louder. The cliché that red cards ruin games was rather undermined by the frienzied occasion which followed.

So, by the by, speaking of feverish atmospheres, any chance the Aviva could liven itself up a bit next Saturday?