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Mary Hannigan: How the Six Nations moved from ‘unexceptional’ to ‘vintage’

Our rugby team cast their verdict on the 2024 tournament; Denis Walsh on Cork’s new goalador; Philip Reid on mixed fortunes for Irish golfers

Ireland’s James Lowe and Jamison Gibson-Park with their sons Nico and Jai after the game against Scotland. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho

Mary Hannigan's face
Mary Hannigan
Tue Mar 19 2024 - 10:17

With the trophy safely secured by Ireland, it’s time to look back at the 2024 Six Nations, the opening three rounds “unexceptional”, the final two “vintage and exhilarating”, writes Gerry Thornley in his review. And if the final table doesn’t suggest a particularly competitive tournament, Gerry reminds us that 10 of the 15 games were decided by four points or less, including all three in the final round. “And that,” he says, “is what sets it apart.” Mind you, Wales will want to erase it all from their memory pronto, they are “the tournament’s new problem child”, but Italy will dine out on it forever and a day. “No more talk of them being replaced by Georgia or South Africa now.”

Gerry also picks his Six Nations team of the tournament, while Johnny Watterson rates the Irish players’ contributions to another successful campaign, three of them awarded a meaty nine. And Nathan Johns analyses Ireland’s attack which, while “still top of the tree in nearly all facets”, will need to evolve now that their opponents “have narrowed the gap”.

Owen Doyle, meanwhile, delivers his verdict on the overall performance of the Six Nations’ referees, France, he notes, the beneficiaries of two late errors that decided their games against Scotland and Italy. “If those two calls had gone against them, they would have tumbled down the final points table.”

In Gaelic games, Denis Walsh writes about Cork hurler Alan Connolly, “a rare and precious creature in the modern game: a goal scorer”. A hat-trick in his last two outings for his county brings his tally to a remarkable 15 goals in 21 league and championship appearances – and he only started in 11 of those games.

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And Gordon Manning talks to Cork footballer Ian Maguire about a league campaign that started out with hopes of promotion to division one, but a shaky start soon threatened relegation. After three wins on the bounce, though, “there is a sense now on Leeside that they have at least stepped back from the cliff edge”.

In golf, Philip Reid assesses Shane Lowry, Séamus Power and Rory McIlroy’s form after their outings at The Players, Lowry in fine fettle as he heads for Singapore, Power, who remains in Florida for the Valspar Championship, aiming to continue a run that has seen him miss just one cut this season. McIlroy? Since winning the Dubai Desert Classic back in January, his season, by his own lofty standards, has been so-so. “Golf is a very fickle game. it gives you one thing and then takes away something else from you,” he said, an observation that would have had all you golfers out there nodding ruefully.

TV Watch: One of cycling’s oldest races, the Tour of Catalunya, continues today (Eurosport 2, from 2pm) with yet another gruelling mountain stage, while tennis fans can tune in to the Miami Open from 3pm (Sky Sports Tennis), impressive fields in both the men’s and women’s singles headed by Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek. And later in the day, the women’s Champions League reaches the quarter-final stage, Ajax hosting Chelsea in their first leg (5.45) while Benfica are at home to Lyon in theirs (8.0) – both games are on TNT Sports 1 and DAZN.

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