Lionel Nallet celebrates at the final whistle © Getty Images

Marc Lièvremont, Emile Ntamack and Didier Retière had said France would win the Grand Slam this season. And their players did. But the final game against England might leave a bitter taste in French fans’ mouths.

If teams like Scotland and England showed improvement in their game as the tournament went along, it seems France displayed performances that went up and then down, the turning point being half-time in Cardiff.

Les Bleus can now rely on a strong scrum, fierce defence and efficient players coming off the bench, so complaining that Ben Foden scored the only try on Saturday is a bit unfair. When that happened, France played sensible rugby. Instead of trying to run with the ball under very bad weather conditions, risking knock ons and turnovers, they stuck to their plan, and took the lead with a drop goal by François Trinh-Duc and three penalty kicks by Morgan Parra. Not very exciting, but efficient and consistent tactically.

England were also playing a very tactical game. When centre David Marty came out to replace Mathieu Bastareaud, Tait replaced Tindall less than three minutes later. It was as though it was more about how to control the other team’s strengths than to play to your own. If England had to run with the ball it is because they knew they couldn’t match France around the scrums and rucks.

When Jonny Wilkinson scored a penalty kick six minutes after coming off the bench, it was very clear that France were so scared of possible drop goals that their defensive line moved 20 metres further up from their posts. It’s true England were unlucky, because the heavy rain didn’t help their will to attack from their back-three of Foden, Ashton and Cueto.

What is really surprising is how reluctant French fans seem to be since victory meant a ninth Grand Slam. France have lost so many games despite scoring more tries than the opponent, or for not being able to cope with the rain (just to mention the 2003 RWC semi-final), that these fans should be proud of what has been achieved. And if France didn’t show much when it comes to attacking skills, at least they will have bought themselves enough time to work without pressure until the next World Cup.

I remember that in 2002 France had won the Grand Slam thanks to a tactical defensive novelty: the 15 players were grouped mixing forwards and backs across the width of the pitch. But by being creative too early they gifted time to their opponents to find ways to block the innovation. Let’s just hope that the French coaches have this in mind.

Jean Palfrey

Well, it's always nice to go out on a high isn't it? After weeks of playing like a group of men who'd won a drinking competition on St Mary's Street to play rugby for Wales one minute, and looking like world beaters the next, we had that mythical balance of pragmatism and creativity. Pity it was four games too late, but better late than never eh?

That's not to say it was plain sailing, and that in itself was pleasing to see. In the first 10 minutes, when Italy came out of the blocks with intent and were looking to impose themselves, I was a bit concerned that it was going to be another unconvincing performance - and truth told, Wales played like a team who were rock bottom on confidence, lacking the conviction in their own abilities. And yet even playing a cagey, conservative game against an Italian team that was fired up and defending heroically, they patiently waited for mistakes, took the easy points, and waited for the game to break up in the second half before cutting loose.

It's pretty refreshing to not have to reel off the negatives really, so you'll forgive me if I put a bit too much stock in a convincing win at home over the Wooden Spoon winners. It's just that playing like that, we'd have run any team close - it was a blend of sound tactical kicking, organised defence (finally), excellent work at the breakdown and some good old fashioned Welsh flair.

A lot of that was to do with the welcome return of Lions Gethin Jenkins and Mike Phillips. The difference was so profound as to be equal parts rapturous and terrifying for Wales fans. As Gatland pointed out afterward, those pair return and all of a sudden Wales are playing like the Grand Slam team again. Phillips was at his dynamic, adversarial best, and was unlucky not to score, while Jenkins put on the sort of all-action performance that sets him apart from every other front row player in the world. The flipside of that is how massively screwed we seem to be without the best prop in the world and the Northern Hemisphere's best scrum half - here's hoping we don't have to do without them again...

Other plus points, well, I suppose we should start with the week's headline grabber - Wales' youngest ever player, Tom Prydie. I must admit I was slightly worried when Gatland pulled the shock of the tournament on us - three games for the Ospreys is hardly an ideal preparation for the Six Nations, but it seems I was worrying about nothing. All the talk from the Wales camp was about how this young starlet was as cool as a cucumber - and so it was on his debut. He defended well, he came off his wing to look for work, and generally appeared very composed. Not to disparage him, as he's a great player, but Leigh Halfpenny still has the look of someone who's a little overawed at playing for Wales at times - he's supposed to be the next Shane Williams after all, who can blame him. But Prydie, well he's just got to be the next Mark Jones, and he already seems like he's pretty happy with that tag - good news for us.

The other big find of the day, was one that was in many ways quite difficult to take, and that was Sam Warburton, who basically put his hand up and said 'Martyn Williams is going to have to fight to get this jersey back'. It hurt a bit, because Martyn is one of my favourite Wales players ever, but he's started to look his age over the past two months. Against Italy, Warburton was everywhere. Where Martyn is all finesse, deftness and guile, the new guy is power, physicality, speed - it was a shock to the system, and Italy just couldn't cope with him at the breakdown. It pains me to say this, but Wales might be better off in the long term letting Warburton have a run in the side up to the World Cup.

The other big performers were all old faces - James Hook looks like an international centre at last, Luke Charteris had his best game for Wales, Stephen Jones was his masterful best and Shane, well, he was Shane.

Wales have been saying all tournament that they're a good side, they've just not been playing to their potential, and they proved that to an extent today. That said there are still issues - we're wasting chances by being selfish at times; the lineout, while it functioned today, was still far from solid; and one good performance does not a revival make. But it's a welcome high for Wales to go out on, and there'll be a lot fewer glum faces in Cardiff tonight than there will be in Dublin.

Before I sign off, I want to share some disturbing news with you. Wales have announced that from the Autumn, they'll be switching their main shirt sponsor from Brains to Admiral Insurance. I'm pretty upset about this - Brains and Wales have always seemed a perfect fit for each other and the relationship has presided over two Grand Slams and a new Golden Age for Welsh rugby - it feels like the end of an era. Never again will Wales sport some clever play on words when they play in France - who can forget 'Brawn', 'Brawn Again' and 'Try Essai'? It's a real shame. Plus there's the fact that Wales' will now be sporting a picture of a man in a silly hat, with a telescope, on their shirts... Give me strength.

Well, thanks for accompanying me over this rollercoaster ride of a Six Nations, I'm sure I've gained a few grey hairs and probably shaved a few years off my life, but it's never boring being a Wales fan is it? Congratulations to France, who are worthy winners of the tournament, and let's all start counting down to South Africa in June!

Josh Gardner

Well Scotland put it all together for the whole game and deserved the win. Ireland didn't look like they want to turn over any ball today. How many loose balls bobbled around the ground? And the Scots jumped on every one of them, while the Irish stood about and looked at it; bending over to try and pick it up like a Under 13s team! There was similar lack of commitment at rucks. Ireland looked surprised when they didn't receive their customary lineout ball. My worries about the front 5 ahead of the Wales game were realised today. Healey just doesn't have it yet. And the resulting pressure stopped O'Leary from playing the great game he managed last week. In the 1st few minutes, it looked like Ireland had taken my earlier words to heart (what do you mean? of course they would have read them!) and were trying to play some quality rugby, but maybe they should have played with a bit more conservatism until the game had settled a little.

Beaten by the better, more committed, hungrier team on the day.

I will NEVER learn.

BR

I’ll stick my neck out on this one and say Ireland will beat Scotland comfortably tomorrow. Ireland have played an incredibly defensive game this 6 Nations, the stats show us behind on territory and possession for the whole campaign; we’ve made 13% more tackles than our opponents. The irony is that the only team we out-possessed (sounds like something from The Exorcist) was the French. The key to the relative success has been turning what little attacking opportunities we’ve been given into points.

For the supporters, the Welsh game seemed more comfortable – largely due to the dominance up-front, but the stats show that we were being comfortable within our own half, while putting in around twice as many tackles as Wales. The attack when it came was more coherent, but it was still smash and grab raids into the Welsh 22.

Scotland have nearly won 3 of their 4 games so far, and even the French game was more of a contest throughout (points-wise) than the France v Ireland fixture. I think that was more to do with the French errors though. So tomorrow, I expect Ireland to be 2 scores clear by the 60 minute mark. Ireland have shown that they have obtained the guile to close out a game in such circumstances, but talking to many Ireland fans, they require some evidence that Ireland could kick-on from a final quarter lead and rack up some serious points.

The results so-far cannot be argued with, but we need a bit of last-seasons feel good factor and after the 'economic' wins so far, an end of term splurge is required to put the smiles on the faces of the punters. Another triple crown then, to bedeck the shiny new mantle shelf at the Aviva stadium. Big deal! Exciting, attacking rugby please, because triple crowns like the new name for next year’s venue will not fire the imagination.

I am not even countenancing a Scottish win – will I ever learn?

BR

Scotland go to Dublin this weekend to take part in what will be Ireland's last rugby union match at Croke Park before they move back to the refurbished (and smaller but pretty smart looking) Lansdowne Road. It's reassuring to see they still have the train line running through one of the grandstands - some things never change, even if we have to call it Aviva Stadium now. No doubt there will be fond farewells and ceremony pre and post-match and talk of another Triple Crown. That is, unless Scotland can turn up and spoil the party.

Without wishing to sound like a stuck record, once again there were heartening signs of positive developments from Scotland last weekend against England without clinching the try or the vital result that would have proved it to the wider world. Still, a point is a point and will perhaps show the Scotland players what they missed out on by foolishly opting to play on against Wales.

The Scotland pack is the same and starting to gain confidence in the set piece. The back row clash this weekend will likely set the tone for the match but it may all count for nothing without our backs achieving a similar measure of confidence. Parks needs to be spot on with his kicks to keep them in the right areas and the last drops of concentration will be required to finish off any chances that come their way - as unlike England, make no mistakes the Irish backline will finish theirs. De Luca and Morrison need to back up what was a vastly improved centre performance going forward last week with a bit more nous in attack against one of the most comfortable and talented centre partnerships - in defence or attack - in recent rugby history.

If our backline can hold its nerve, and the half-backs stay sharp, I think our pack gives us a chance to sneak a result, provided the bench is not called on too early. Otherwise Ireland could have it easy. The most heartening thing (short of a win) would be not to just roll over and accept it as another unsuccessful Six Nations and let Ireland get on with the party, but to front up and say "sure, we fluffed it a couple of times this year, but we'll see you all next year, and the result's going to be different". Andy Robinson's Edinburgh in recent years have been no respecter of tradition, having beaten Cardiff handsomely in their last match at the Arms Park. After all, it is "just" the last game at Croke Park and the Triple Crown on the line, Ireland wouldn't mind that much. Would they?

Rory Baldwin, Editor, Scottish Rugby Blog

I must apologise for the lack of imagination when it comes to the title of my latest post but there is more behind it than just a well-worn pun.

The latest Franco-Italian clash was a remake of many of the previous meetings between the two countries such was its one-sided nature and France's performance was also familiar - an impressive display from the pack, an interesting defensive showing (at least until the 65th minute) and some poor kicking.

The 2003 big screen version of The Italian Job failed to match the classic 1969 original but at least tried attempted a different take on the heist movie theme. And in the same way Sunday's game had a little more to offer than previous efforts.

France held more or less the same advantage at half-time as they did against Wales but this time they at least waited until the last quarter of an hour before letting their minds drift. Evidently, Les Bleus still have plenty of some work to do until they can lay claim to being as clinical as their southern hemisphere rivals.

What was much more interesting was the team's general approach. Instead of just trying to stretch the Italian defence from side to side they also tried to jump into the sizeable gaps left by the visitors. And it paid off with three out of their six tries coming in that manner. As a result, it now offers coach Marc Lievremont another tactical option in addition to the favoured pick and go from the pack, the pace of the wingers or the power of Yannick Jauzion and Mathieu Bastareaud.

After racing to a 17-0 lead within 17 minutes, the result was never really in doubt and arguably the most emotional moment of the afternoon came at half time, when a host of French rugby legends were presented to the crowd. As part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of France's debut in the Championship, the use of great names such as Abdelatif Benazzi, Richard Astre, Jeff Tordo, Pierre Berbizier, Michel Crauste, Serge Blanco, Walter Spanghero, Pierre Villepreux, Fabien Pelous, Philippe Sella and many others was a great idea - especially because the Stade de France was packed with young faces who were attending their first international perhaps unaware of the influence these men have had on the game we love.

Together they are responsible for some of the greatest moments in French rugby history and they will surely be joined by a new generation on Saturday when England are the latest visitors to Paris.

Jean Palfrey

Keith Earls crashes over for Ireland's opener at Croke Park © Getty Images

Usually when Wales lose, I'm in a black dog of a mood for some hours afterward - inconsolable and, frankly, rather irrational. But with the proper application of time, perspective, and let's not forget a fair number of fermented wheat beverages, I usually manage to look on the bright side of things. On Saturday however, things were rather different - I was doing scrum.com's text commentary for the game, so I had my impartial hat on, and it wasn't until afterwards that I had the chance to process the performance. But rather than get cross and move on as usual, I went to bed still irked, and woke up the same on Sunday morning.

I think this has a lot to do with the sheer futility of Wales' performance in Dublin. After most defeats there's something - "At least we played well", "We scored some great tries", "We defended well", "At least we provide great value for money"... and so on. Saturday though, well there was nothing there to take out of it, no positives, no ray of light to hang our hopes on, not after the first 20 minutes at least. For that first quarter, while we were far from spectacular, we weren't hitting that big red 'Self Destruct' button, which I suppose you could call a positive. But then, just like the England game, a moronic lapse of discipline opened the door, which the ever-clinical Irish were more than happy to burst through, and just like that it was over. The Irish defence was at its smothering best, and our lack of dynamism at the breakdown limited the quick ball, but beyond that, they had to do almost nothing to win the game.

So problems then? Well there were so many, I think I'll need to make a list:

Number one: the attack. There was no fairytale comeback this week, and that had a lot to do with the impotence we showed with ball in hand. Credit to the Irish defence, but any Wales team who wins the ball 25 - 25! - times in the opponent's 22, I don't care if they're up against 15 Joe Worsleys, should cross the whitewash, and more than once too. But gone was the champagne stuff of the last two games - the imaginative, breathtaking rugby - replaced with schoolboy patterns, knuckleheaded route-one plodding and an apparent allergy to offloading in the tackle. It was so inept, so devoid of the spark that has inhabited every Welsh team since time immemorial, that it leads credence the impression many of us got this autumn that the current Welsh team are incapable of mixing pragmatism and flair - it's one or the other, when both are needed for a team to have any sort of success against a decent team. I honestly don't know whether it's the coaching, a lack of rugby intelligence, or the age old Welsh problem of believing their own hype - answering that is supposed to be Warren Gatland's job, and he's taking his time with the answers...

Number two: the defence. The stats show that Wales only missed six tackles to Ireland's nine, but Ireland only bothered to attack when they felt like scoring a try, and when they did it was the result of a missed first-up tackle, a botched defensive assignment, or poor awareness. It's been a theme so far this championship - when teams exert pressure, even in a basic, power-running way, Wales bend and break like a soggy breadstick. Shaun Edwards' Wasps have hardly covered themselves in glory defensively this season, and Wales are following his lead - a change of approach or a change of coach could well be on the cards come the summer. Another frustrating aspect of the defence was again Wales' failure to defend with any kind of competence when down to 14. It's hard to for teams playing with a man disadvantage, but there's no way that shipping two tries for a yellow card is acceptable. A lot of this has to do with the players onfield composure - they're panicking when down to 14 and playing stupid rugby that invites the opposition to test a defence that creaks even with 15. It's a far cry from another yellow card at Croke Park, in the Grand Slam season of 2008, when Wales lost Mike Phillips for ten minutes, but rather than panic, they kept the ball, played risk-free, tight rugby, and ran down the clock without conceding. It was a game-changing period, Wales were never on the back foot again, and it's baffling how the same coaches, with many of the same players, can handle the same situation with such incompetence.

Number three - the lineout. You don't need me to tell you about this, though the Western Mail had the gall to imply that Paul O'Connell and Co weren't as completely dominant as it's humanly possible for a team to be at the lineout, but any of us who actually watched will have been sobered by how awful we were. It's the same old story for Wales, and it baffles me how every single other rugby nation in the world is capable of having a consistent and functioning lineout, but Wales have never ever managed it in the modern era. I don't know why, neither do you, neither have an entire string of Welsh coaches - but it's a problem that just can't be ignored anymore. When sides such as South Africa, Ireland and England are so effective at disrupting your ball, you can't give them a head start or you'll never be able to create anything.

I could go on and on, picking apart every little facet of the performance, but that way madness lies - it was a game of such poor quality, that it felt like we'd hit rock bottom, it can't get any worse than that... we hope. The one thing I'll bring up before I finish, is that Gatland spoke after the game about how the injuries we've had this tournament have allowed us to build some squad depth, but I'd say that it's just highlighted that beyond the first choice 15, we're down to a bunch of players that just aren't good enough to wear the Wales shirt. Whether it's due to inexperience, getting long in the tooth, or just lacking ability, we've fielded a fair few players this year who have no business being there.

The truth hurts, and the truth is that Wales are a threadbare team, who are nowhere near as good as they think they are. A big win against Italy at Cardiff next week might save Warren Gatland's job for the time being, but I don't imagine many people at the WRU are queuing up to offer him a contract extension at the moment...

Josh Gardner

And so to Wales' last game at Croke Park.

There used to be unwritten rule in international rugby - Law 23, that Ireland win in Cardiff (and Wembley) and Wales win in Dublin. On the odd occasion one of the sides ‘cheated’, but it held pretty well for about 20 years from the mid 1980s.
Then Ireland went on a wee run of wins and the law seemed to have gone the same way as the one governing crooked feeds.

But since 2007 there have been green (and red) shoots of the pattern re-emerging. Whether it is re-established is, in my opinion, largely down to how the Welsh attack plays on Saturday. Will they bother in the first half at all? Or will they wait until the final quarter to rein back any lead that Ireland have established. We have seen an immense defensive performance from Ireland this year, but very little to suggest that they could stretch a decisive lead in the first 40 minutes.

Kidney seems to have been keener on rewarding those players whose heroic defensive work kept England out, than in selecting players who will threaten the Welsh. Murphy at fullback played a great game for Leicester last Saturday, but it was in some way reminiscent of his early international career when he could not reproduce his tigers’ form on the wing for Ireland – something I always viewed as the fault of Ireland’s style rather than any fault of Murphy. Perhaps Kidney needs him as a wise old head to steady the ship when O’Gara isn’t starting, but surely O’Driscoll with 100 caps is capable of that. Even if you argue that you need to free O’Driscoll from those shackles (although why have him as captain then), D’Arcy isn’t exactly a young pup. Maybe I’m being harsh, Murphy has served Ireland well down the years, and despite the ability of many 11/14/15s to interchange, there are precious few contenders for the shirt. His defence has always worried me, although the stats tend not to support my gut reaction; In attack, he rarely displays anything other than old-school moves, and as his speed decreases, I get the feeling he’s going to need something more to get across the line in anything other than a support role.

O’Leary – I’ll nail my colours to the mast here; in my opinion Boss is the form scrumhalf in Ireland at the minute. I have never been his greatest fan, but his form this season has been one of the positives in Ulster. That said, if the Irish pack are as dominant as they should be, then O’Leary should be more than capable. The problem is that someone needs to tell the Irish (or possibly the Welsh) pack that they are to be dominant, because they haven’t looked too secure in that role in recent games.

And so to the pack - I swing between Donnacha O’Callaghan and Leo Cullen every couple of hours. I really can’t decide, so I can’t really criticise Kidney’s choice, but neither they nor Paul O’Connell have provided the aforementioned dominance to which we’d become accustomed. My real uneasiness is at prop. Hayes has his 100th cap, and what a servant to Irish rugby he has been since his first faltering steps when everyone said he would never make an international prop – but it must be time to move on, right? Move on with whom though? On the loosehead, we have youth and inexperience with Healey. He did well enough in the tight against the much-fancied Italian front row, but his selection has probably more to do with his promise in the loose. For me that promise has yet to be delivered upon. Buckley on the bench seems a choice made out of desperation. It is well documented that Ireland are short of props, but even ignoring my local bias, many would agree with me that Court is hard done by in this selection.

Now you could argue that Kidney has triumphed, in that I am arguing over so few of his selection. And I’ve got to admit, I’m impressed with him so far. There is nothing he could have done about the Paris defeat, and the victories against England and Italy were ugly, but still victories. Defence has been dominant, but we need the balance shifted just a degree or two. We cannot expect to hold the Welsh attack out for 80 minutes (or as Scotland learned 85 minutes), and so we need to get the scoreboard turning for ourselves. The key will be the centaury man himself. If Brian O’Driscoll stays fit and gets the rest of the three-quarters moving, I fancy 4 tries for the backs. Wales will not give up and will return the favour, but I’ll predict an Irish victory by 5 points and the entire Irish team to be cited for ungentlemanly conduct under Law 23.

BR

... but it's Scotland vs England at Murrayfield, it is always like that. Scotland have some cause for optimism going into this weekend's Calcutta Cup clash. After all, the last two home fixtures have seen Scotland victories in '06 and '08. So far this season Scotland have been at times playing with what almost looks like purpose and direction - although never for a full game - even scoring a try or two, whereas England have looked a little rudderless.

Dan Parks is kicking with precision and confidence while Johnny Wilkinson is being criticised for being too deep and kicking poorly, and Scotland's Glasgow-based back row is on fire, arguably the unit of the championships so far. With a settled pack and big Jim Hamilton in the line-out for Ford to throw to (the proverbial barn door), Scotland's set piece is starting to function.

On the other hand of course, the line-out sorted itself out only for Ross to forget about hooking in the scrum. There is still a lack of verve in the backs, with our first choice back 3 and main kicker all sitting injured. Scotland currently sit played 3 lost 3, including an uninspired match with Italy and the suicidal ending in Cardiff. Meanwhile despite not selecting the guys everyone is clamouring for (Lawes, Foden, Flood), England have managed to grab a couple of wins - although Italy must have given them a bit of a fright - and are battling for the mid-table ground between improvement and results. Despite what seems to us north of the border clear improvement, Scotland are nonetheless pretty close to adding more oak to the Murrayfield catering department's cutlery drawer.

Luckily for us in Scotland of course, this is the Calcutta Cup, which means basically I didn't need to bother writing those last two paragraphs: Scotland always enjoy playing the Auld Enemy and the form book goes out the window in these encounters. I do worry a little at Nick De Luca's inclusion to the fiery cauldron of this particular match, as he can be hot headed in defence but it would be great to see him going forward ball in hand - his form this season has been solid if unspectacular but his regular midfield partner Ben Cairns is very unlucky not to have featured thus far. Morrison is still a bit of a possession black hole at 12, but his defence so far has been solid and neither team will want to give anything away in that area.

But with two teams criticised for stodgy rugby and fears of mass drudgery with the odd bit of booing, shooing and booting to go along with it at Murrayfield tomorrow, it would be nice if the expectations book (if there is a book) went out the window along with the form book, and both teams cut loose and give us the fast-paced attacking game both coaching camps claim they are just waiting to unleash.

Scottish Rugby Blog

France have played Italy on 30 occasions since their first meeting in 1937 and the Azzurri can boast just one victory. Those facts suggest just one result when the two sides meet in Paris on Sunday in their latest Six Nations clash.

Even Italy coach Nick Mallett has played down expectation - insisting his side's goal is to restrict France to a 10-15 point victory. But the Azzurri have nothing to lose having all but avoided the wooden spoon with victory over Scotland in Rome. Instead, it is Les Bleus who are under pressure as they look to complete the fourth leg of what they hope will be a Grand Slam.

The fans will not accept defeat against the Italians but at the same time they will not enjoy being favourites. Since the victory over Wales in Cardiff, captain Thierry Dusautoir has spent every waking hour reminding his team-mates that they have not won anything yet. He knows that his players' minds will start to drift towards their final Championship clash against England - such is the French way.

The last time this happened was against Italy in 1997. France had just secured a Five Nations Grand Slam and decided to play an extra match against Italy in Grenoble - a rugby stronghold at the time.

France coach Jean-Claude Skréla decided to rest a few of his big names for the game having and opted to throw some youngsters into the mix. The result? A 40-32 defeat - not the best way to celebrate their Five Nations success. The result was a major boost for the Italians in their battle for credibility and no doubt helped them in their quest to join the Championship.

On Sunday, France need to stick to what has worked for them so far - a powerful scrum and an aggressive defence. They will need both of these qualities against a strong and organised Italian side. It is true to say that without Sergio Parisse, their charismatic No.8, the Italian pack will be less dynamic and skilful and the French forwards know how to snuff out the remaining dangers.

I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Top 14 side Bourgoin-Jallieu. The club is currently struggling, both financially and on the field, not to be relegated at the end of the season. And with Montauban and Bayonne in the same position (Albi is already sure to go down), the end of the domestic season is shaping up as a tense affair.

But why such a tribute? Well, current internationals Sébastien Chabal, Lionel Nallet, Pascal Papé, Julien Bonnaire and Morgan Parra all started their careers at the club. If you add centres Florian Fritz and Yann David, Bourgoin-Jallieu has scouted and trained many talents that have all played for France in the recent years. The strength of the French pack owes a lot to this club. And the irony is that the closest city to Bourgoin-Jallieu in the Alps is... Grenoble!

Injuries are part of the modern game, and it's certainly true that every one of the Six Nations sides has had to deal with this year, but it's also true that Wales have had truly abysmal luck this year, but for some reason we aren't really moaning about it. We're now four Lions short of a full-strength team in positions where depth is sorely lacking, and yet it's hardly been mentioned, despite Wales' having won just one game so far this tournament. I think that's a wonderful advert for what sport is really all about - entertainment.

It speaks volumes of the mindset of the Welsh rugby fan that, in spite of the poor results and the incredibly erratic performances, we're having a great time. The rugby has been truly breathtaking, and there can be little doubt that we're getting serious value for money for 50% of the occasion at least. We might only be playing for one half, but at least it's the second one, meaning that everyone goes home with a smile on their face, even if we lose, and they sure as hell can't say that over the Severn Bridge...

But how long can the good feeling last? The Irish proved against England that if you try to throw it around against them, they can defend for as long as they need to and then punish any mistakes you make with ruthless efficiency. While Wales will clearly provide far more attacking threat than England did in Twickenham a fortnight ago, the Irish are unlikely to open the door for a Wales comeback as England, Scotland and France have. Indeed, if Wales don't start playing from the opening kickoff, the Irish have the discipline and experience to control the game and not give Shane and the boys a chance to stage a heart-pounding climax. I've tried to explain to Brian, Ronan and the Irish lads that this, frankly, is boring, and that if they do get a big lead in the first half, they owe it to the fans to let Wales come back at them at the death, but I don't think they're taking my calls...

So then, with the Irish feeling so inhospitable, it's up to Wales to finally, hopefully, start playing smart. They've had two weeks for Warren Gatland to impress upon the likes of James Hook, Richie Rees and Lee Byrne that you can't play the champagne stuff until you do the simple, basic things consistently and effectively. With no-one will this be more important than Gareth Delve, who has the daunting task of replacing Ryan Jones in the No.8 berth.

The Gloucester captain knows that, regardless of his consistently excellent club form, unless he wants this to be a brief return from the international wilderness, he needs to make an impact on Saturday. But talking like that could cause a player to try too hard - at a position where doing the simple, unspectacular stuff is essential, this could cause the whole team problems. So while Delve isn't a flashy player in the Jamie Heaslip vein, and you'd imagine he's hardly likely to be making reverse offloads inside his own 22, he would do well to remember the qualities that have led him to be parachuted straight into the starting lineup, and work from there.

Elsewhere, the news has actually been very positive for a change. Matt Rees' return can only be a good thing - his skills in the loose, at scrum time and of course at the lineout will hopefully help solidify a pack that has been patchy at best so far and faces another daunting test against the Irish lineout. Another welcome return is Ian Gough, who finally gets a spot on the bench (not that there was anyone else left now!) - the Irish will provide a real physical test, and the old warhorse still relishes these challenges like few others in the Welsh pack do.

So, how's it going to go? Would any sensible person place a bet one way or another after the wildly inconsistent performances of both teams so far? One thing's for sure though, if we keep our hands off that self-destruct button and are still within touching distance at half time, you'd be a brave man to bet against red...

Josh Gardner

After another frustrating and poor performance at Twickenham on Saturday against Ireland, is it time for Martin Johnson to shuffle his pack against Scotland and finally start looking forward to next year’s World Cup? Johnson seems to have been picking his team on a game by game basis and not really looking to the future and the possible rough diamonds that he has in his ranks.

Players such as Ben Foden, Chris Ashton and Courtney Lawes are desperate to get some game time in their beloved country’s white shirt but Johnson seems reluctant to pick them. All three of these men belong to a Northampton team at the top of the Guinness Premiership and the only English representatives in the quarter finals of the Heineken Cup this year.

Ashton is currently the top try-scorer in the premiership, eclipsing his nearest rival by 4 scores and Foden’s running lines and ability to go through a gap are one of the reasons that this partnership has been so successful this season. To put this into perspective, the current English back three of Armitage, Cueto and Monye have not scored a try between them in an England shirt since last year’s Six Nations.

This could now be the perfect time for Johnson to try some new options at the back. Observing the French team in this tournament proves how much young talent that Marc Lievremont has at his disposal, but more poignantly how the French manager is not scared to use it. Matthieu Basteraud, Morgan Parra, Francois Trinh-Duc, Benjamin Fall and Alexis Palisson are all under the age of 24, and every single one of them has started one or more games in this year’s Six Nations.

In attack, when the ball is kicked to someone like Clement Poitrenaud at fullback the first thing that he and his fellow attackers try to do is change the focus – run a switch, throw a miss pass or attack the short side in numbers. England on the other hand have been one dimensional in abjectly kicking long and hoping that the opposition make a mistake.

England go into the Scotland game without Delon Armitage at fullback, and the likelihood is that Simon Shaw’s shoulder will not heal in time to take up his usual berth in the second row. This is the perfect opportunity now for Johnson to have a gamble. He should forget about challenging for the championship and look forward to the summer and beyond. It is time to give the fearless Ashton and Foden combination a start at the expense of Monye and Armitage and blood players such as Lawes in the pack.

Lawes would not only add size but also mobility to an ageing second row. He has back row qualities with his pace and power and may just be the kind of edge that the English pack requires.

The catalyst for England’s performances however has to come from whoever is playing in the number ten shirt. As much as it pains me to say it, maybe it is time for King Jonny to abdicate and let Toby Flood and Shane Geraghty fight it out for the fly-half jersey. If they are not to claim a starting position then either of them should at least make an appearance after fifty-five or sixty minutes, should the game plan not be working.

Wilkinson is simply not playing flat enough at the moment and England’s obsession with throwing a pass that floats twenty metres behind the gain line is not going to unlock any defence in world rugby. A move like that needs to be played at the highest of pace and the runner needs to dictate where that ball is going by running at a gap. At the same time, the first receiver needs to attack the said gain line to force the defence into leaving opportunities out wide. Flood and Geraghty demonstrate these qualities week in, week out for their respective clubs and now is the time to unleash them onto the international scene.

Scotland and France have become massive games for Johnson’s England now. Not only for result purposes but to also set out a stall on exactly where England are heading in the future. They need to start afresh, with new purpose, a new game plan and more importantly, some new faces. The world cup is only a year away and to save being embarrassed in the biggest rugby arena of them all, an overhaul of the way England approach their rugby needs to be made.

By Andrew Daniel

Andrew Daniel writes for The Rugby Blog

The victory over Wales was a very good illustration of France's current strengths and weaknesses.

France built a 20-0 half-time lead on the back of a dominant pack and an impressive defensive effort that forced mistakes from Wales. The hosts may not have been dominated in terms of possession and occupation but they were constantly under pressure from France's rush defence and as a result opted for some awkward passes that led to interceptions - gladly converted into tries by Alexis Palisson and François Trinh-Duc.

With such a commanding lead, I, like many French fans, thought that my side were in control and would play a controlled game in the second half to close out the game. But it was not to be. It only took a little variation to the Welsh kicking game (putting the ball over the on-rushing defence) to change the entire shape of the game.

Wales stole the initiative and with it the all-important momentum. France's pack bailed them out of trouble, especially at the lineout, and thanks to a couple of errors from Welsh fullback Lee Byrne the visitors were able to put some daylight between them and the resurgent hosts. A huge relief, but nothing to be really proud of.

After such a strong performance against Ireland in Paris, it was a shame to see France fail to maintain those standards. If you're an optimistic fan, you would accept that playing away from home against a dangerous side is always going to cause you problems. But having shown that they can beat a side famed for its own pack and a precise kicking game, France failed to convince us that they have a Plan B when the opposition is arguably more dynamic.

France have previously relied on a strong pack and the talent of the backs to come up with a solution if Plan A doesn't work. But on this occasion France came up short, they were not able to adapt to Wales' change in approach. You can't just rely on good defence to win games because every side heading to the World Cup will be able to boast such an attribute - you will always need more. Even the World Cup-winning Wallabies in 1999, famed for their miserly defence, were able to deliver more in attack. It is something that France coach Marc Lievremont needs to address.

It is true that it takes time to nurture this aspect of the game but time is running out. Let's just hope that winning the Grand Slam, by any means, is the primary focus of Lievremont and his assistants. That would grant them enough time and credibility to build the kind of momentum, and backline creativity, needed for the World Cup.

Jean Palfrey