The Nation's Championship, 2026, Week One
Rather than traditional reviews, since I didn’t get the chance to watch all the matches, I’m going to comment on the impact of each result for each team. This will be kind of a “Happy Coaches” thing but with a broader context than just one week, and influenced by the standings in the North and South tables. Wales Tandy et al will be delighted with their excellent win over Fiji. This was a tough match on paper, Fiji are more highly rated than Wales, and despite a healthy points margin, it was a tough match on the day. The team made and took their chances, in tight play and out wider, and defended well against a free-flowing Fiji. They have continued to build on what they were doing in the M6N. There may be sterner tests ahead, but a great start. Scotland Likewise Townsend. This was close until the last few minutes when the Scots pulled away and could finally relax a little. But Argentina away was a tough ask, doubly so without Russell. If I were a gamb...