Peter O’Mahony, the spirit in the camp and a meeting of two bruising centres. Just some of our five reasons to tune into the Six Nations this weekend.
Peter O’Mahony – the coming of age of a giant?
With Grand Slam, Championship and Triple Crown ambitions long gone, Ireland don’t have a whole pile to play for this weekend so it would be no surprise if it turned into a right battle, but Peter O’Mahony will not lack for motivation on his first international start.
O’Mahony’s stock has risen incredibly during the first six months of the season and he now gets his chance in the Ireland team following a foot infection for Sean O’Brien this week. O’Brien is a huge loss but that is offset somewhat by the chance to see what O’Mahony is all about in an Ireland jersey.
He still has lots of building up ahead of him, but there’s something of Richie McCaw about both his physique and his raw appetite for collision. Hopefully he can make a serious impact against the Scots, for whom the back row of John Barclay, Ross Rennie and David Denton have been in excellent form so far in the tournament.
Saturday will tell us plenty about the Irish spirit
This game is a tricky one, there’s no doubt. Management and players have spoken of the need to improve Ireland’s win ratio at the Aviva but after the disappointment of the opening round defeat to Wales and half a good performance against Italy, the new Lansdowne is nowhere near a fortress just yet.
Scotland have won two of the last three against Ireland, including their last visit to Dublin at Croke Park two years ago, and they’re a much better team now with Mike Blair and Greig Laidlaw offering plenty of threat at half back and teenage star Stuart Hogg transforming their back division.
It’s not going to be easy for an Ireland side missing its two spiritual leaders, and it should tell us plenty about the spirit in the camp at the moment. The last two weeks have taken the heat off Declan Kidney to an extent but the burners will be turned on again if this one goes awry.
Owen Farrell sits his biggest test yet
They do love a Messiah, the English, and Owen Farrell has been adorned with all the superlatives you could muster over the first three games of the tournament. He’s taken over from the wafer-strong Charlie Hodgson at out-half now and will face his biggest test yet against a France side with plenty to play for at Stade de France.
Les Bleus were distinctly off colour against Ireland last weekend but there’s nothing like the sight of the English coming to town to bring the ruddiness back into their cheeks. Farrell could find himself targeted but he looks to have the mental fortitude to take whatever they throw at him. We already know he can take a big hit with the best of them.
Manu Tuilagi v Aurelien Rougerie. Class
Two of the best and most physical outside centres in world rugby go head-to-head in Paris this weekend, and their head-to-head alone is worth tuning in for. Rougerie has developed from the rake thin, dashing winger of old to a barreling midfield ball-carrier and tackler, but he’ll meet his match in Tuilagi, the Samoan-born toast of the home counties. Twenty-year-olds shouldn’t be this powerful.
Wales v Italy and a try-scoring turkey-shoot
Wales have been the most impressive team in the championship by a country mile and they’re coming up against an Italy side that is as weak as it’s been in a few years. In Cardiff. The back five of Alex Cuthbert, George North, Leigh Halfpenny, Jonathan Davies and Jamie Roberts will be licking their lips at the prospect of a try-fest.
There are few sights in world rugby as fulfilling as watching a Wales team letting loose, and you can expect them to let loose this weekend.
RBS 6 Nations fixtures:
Wales v Italy, Saturday, 2.30pm
Ireland v Scotland, Saturday, 5pm
France v England, Sunday, 3pm
Make sure drinking is not your only goal this weekend. Visit drinkaware.ie for more.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
