Women's Six Nations 2024, Week Four

I don’t normally editorialise about the games in this introduction but Saturday’s matches were both compelling to watch, at least live, yet completely different. Sunday’s match didn’t quite live up to the Saturday matches, although it was still interesting in its own way.

The Matches

England v Ireland

The first ten minutes or so of this game looked edgy and nervous, both sides making silly mistakes. Then England started passing better, catching the ball and boom; fourteen tries later, the final whistle blew and if you don’t like blow out results this match was finally sent to its rest. But if you enjoy watching flowing, attacking rugby, this was a pretty game. Even as a Welsh fan I can acknowledge that. I just wish it wasn’t England producing it.

Speaking with my Welsh hat on, I have to wonder what happened to the Ireland side from last week. They were brave, aggressive on both sides of the ball and committed against us. This week they hardly showed up, for 78 minutes a bunch of people sized bumps strewn across the pitch would have put up more resistance than the players did. If you flip back to both Wales and, to a lesser extent Scotland, against England, they both turned up and tried. Definitely soundly beaten by the better team, but playing, making England work to beat them, threatening to score several times and so on. Ireland just didn’t. This is like looking back at the Men’s World Cup in years gone by and seeing some of the worst mismatches. This last one, the tier two nations mostly turned up and played, even if they were being thrashed, but looking at Italy against France or NZ might be a reasonable comparison for 'not trying.'

It’s hard to tell just how good England were. It looked more like a slightly contested training run than a match. If they’re not put under pressure, England play really pretty rugby. Everyone else has put them under pressure though, and I’m sure the French will put them under even more.

During the short period of pressure Ireland did exert, England gave up a yellow card and a penalty try. Their discipline has been awful. That will certainly be something the French can look to exploit.

Italy v Scotland

If the earlier match was basically a slightly contested training run, this was the exact opposite. Tense, low scoring and full of effort on both sides of the ball from both teams. You could see both sides mouthing attacks but getting defeated by strong defence, rather than by soft errors.

The tries that did come were mostly lovely to watch, defences beaten by individual or team brilliance. The best of them was in the first half, but most of them came in the second. I’m not sure how much of that was fatigue and how much the bench to be honest, probably a mix of the two.

This isn’t a match to watch if you only want running rugby and lots of tries, but if you want a game where they both put everything into defence, and then strive to beat the other side’s walls down, this is great.

Wales v France

As a Wales fan this match is best described as frustrating. In every facet except one, Wales looked good. Maybe not as good as France, but good enough to be in the game. Close if not a genuine threat. We can quibble about whether 40-21 or 40-14 is a better reflection of the Welsh systems, but they certainly looked good for 2-3 tries. Sadly that one area was scoring points. They ended up with nothing. Wales defended pretty well, scrummaged and ran lineouts well, arguably better than the French. They could retain possession and advance down the pitch, not quite at will, but certainly well enough. Last week they got into the Irish 22 six times, I wasn’t counting this time, but it was about the same. From those ~12 visits they’ve generated one try and no other points.

I know all the decision makers have left and this is a new group, but it’s hard when last year Wales won all the matches against the “lesser” sides with a try bonus point, this year they can barely score a try. However, the foundations are solid and visibly so. At some point that one element will click and they will be dangerous again. Hopefully it will not cost them a place at next year’s World Cup!

France looked good in patches. They struck efficiently off Wales’ mistakes and moments when they were disorganised, like a fast lineout. Their scrum was better than Wales’ but not really enough that you could say it was a weapon - although it was occasionally massively dominant. When it was, it provided a good attacking platform. Unlike last week, their lineout was back to being erratic, but when it fired, it too provided a good attacking platform. It also provided the Welsh with a steady stream of ball and penalties though. Wales’ defence often stymied the French attack, and forced turnovers and handling errors. We’ve seen a generally upwards arc in the French over the course of this championship, that has stalled or gone backwards. I would love to claim that’s the superior Welsh defence, maybe that’s fair compared to the Italians last week, but a little part of me wonders how much the French were doing heavy S&C work this week to be ready for England next week, and didn’t back off for “only Wales.”

Happy Coaches

Mitchell tops the list. While he might have hoped for more resistance from the Irish, 14 tries says it all. There are some blemishes, yes, like the disciplinary record, another two yellow cards in that dominant a performance is crazy, but overall happy.

I’m putting Easson second because a victory away in Italy was by no means certain, and in a tight game Scotland stuck to their plan and ground it out. I have some comments below about why I moved the French duo down.

Mignot and Ortiz in third. Although it was a comfortable win on the scoreboard and there were elements of how the French played that went really well the lineout (again) and the number of turnovers that the Welsh forced will be worrying. Those parts of the Welsh effort were really good, but England will be at least that good there and better than Wales at scoring points.

Ranieri next I think. Italy were good against Scotland. Lots of positives to take and build looking forwards.

Cunningham fifth. While the inability of the Welsh to score is frustrating, I’m sure to the coaches as much as the fans, there are a lot good parts of the Welsh game he can take out of this performance. I nearly put Cunningham and Ranieri tied, perhaps it’s my frustration that Wales can’t score that pulled him down.

Bemand dead last and really by some margin. If Cunningham was fifth, Bemand was 14th. After a great win last week, Ireland just didn’t turn up in the most disappointing way this week. Italy, Wales and Scotland have gone out against England and put their bodies on the line, played for the badge, all those clichés. Realistically they knew they were never going to win, but they still went out and tried to do their best, won some of the moments. Ireland didn’t even do that, and that’s a huge issue for Bemand.

Looking Ahead

Wales v Italy

If the Welsh defence from last week turns up, Italy will struggle to score. The equation to avoid the wooden spoon requires Wales win with a bonus point. I can’t see that, but I can hope they can score. Wales to win a low scoring match.

Ireland v Scotland

In a twist on the age-old rugby question, which Ireland will turn up? The barely noticeable piles of fresh cut grass from last weekend will get soundly beaten. The fierce tribal warriors from before Patrick landed, that repelled the Welsh, they could repel the Scots just as dangerously. I think Scotland will take it, but I won’t be shocked if Ireland win.

France v England

My heart wants to say France. They’re certainly in with a good chance but they have some significant weaknesses to address, particularly their lineout. That said, so do England, particularly their discipline. These might be the best two teams in Europe, two of the best in the world, but they have some serious flaws. The question for the weekend is how they will match up. My head says that England are more likely to win. The French have more things to clean up in a week. However, the French certainly have the ability to put the English under more pressure than anyone else and the English have leaked yellow and red cards like confetti this year. Do that early and often and there’s certainly a route to French victory. Their creativity and high tempo play at the right time can catch the English out too. Add home support and my heart won’t shut up.