It’s the final weekend of the Six Nations, with Wales going for another Grand Slam and Ireland and England settling some bragging rights at Twickenham. Here’s a few things to look out for.
Can Keith Earls get some revenge on Manu Tuilagi?
Keith Earls has risen fairly well to the challenge of replacing the almost irreplaceable during this tournament. Brian O’Driscoll will be back in the No 13 jersey as soon as he’s fit but that’s not to cast any aspersions on Earls, who has been in good form after returning to the side after missing the defeat to Wales in the opening game following a health scare over his newborn daughter.
The challenge awaiting Earls this weekend is one that he should have no trouble getting himself motivated for. Tuilagi left the Limerick man for dead during the World Cup warm-up match last year. The Tongan-born bruiser has since developed into one of the world’s best centres, so Earls will be facing a severe challenge this weekend. Come through the test with flying colours and it will be a good way to finish the international season.
Will England aim to ram the words of Stephen Ferris back down his throat?
Stephen Ferris had some candid words to say about the English this week, calling them arrogant and bad losers. While he probably didn’t go as far as some headline writers might have led you to believe, the comments were unusually revealing. Ferris has been a colossus for Ireland over the past six months – it’s amazing to think that less than a year ago there was serious talk that he may have played his final game – and his battle with the England back row, where Ben Morgan and Tom Croft were exceptional against France last weekend, promises to be one to savour.
Two words. Rob Kearney.
Kearney has been absolutely sensational this year, routinely sprinting upfield to claim his own aerial bombs. His catch over the head of Imanol Harinordoquy, France’s brilliantly athletic Number 8, was almost worth the licence fee alone. Watching it on RTE, it certainly went a long way towards atoning for something like “Who Knows Ireland Best?” anyway.
Will Wales confirm their supremacy by finishing things out in style?
The Six Nations Grand Slam is one of the hardest-won accolades in sport but Wales are closing in on an incredible third in the space of just eight years. To put that in some sort of perspective, they went 27 years without a Grand Slam before 1978, England have managed just one in the past 17 years and Ireland have one in about three-quarters of a century.
Even more impressively, this time it’s with a much-changed team from 2008, with only Mike Phillips, Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones and Alun Wyn Jones surviving from the side which started the last Grand Slam-sealing win against France. This new Wales is dizzyingly exciting: Halfpenny, Cuthbert, North, Priestland, Roberts and Davies are backs of the highest quality, and it would be a shame if they don’t do the business against the French.
The battle of the potential Lions out-halves
Rhys Priestland might have something to say about it but we think the battle for the No 10 jersey in next year’s Lions tour to Australia is between Jonathan Sexton and Owen Farrell. It’s hard to believe that Farrell has only played a couple of games at out half for England – he started the tournament at 12 with the paper-strong Charlie Hodgson at first receiver. The 20-year-old has been exceptional in all aspects of the game – match control, goal-kicking and ferocious defensive tackling. Ask Harinordoquy. Again.
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