
There is plenty of company right now in pursuit of any of the titles the 6N offers up.
Whilst I didn't see the Ireland/Italy encounter, I did hear the word 'leaden' to describe Ireland who were coasting something like 23-3 at or about halftime. I have always felt that Ireland does not have that chainsaw massacre personality and can well see them flubbing the dub in the second half.
I don't know about Italy. I had expected something a bit more dramatic in my readings other than just woeful.
But the Italians do have some good players. Unfortunately they are not really Italians. I believe I counted 10 foreigners...Castrogiovanni, Geldynhys,Del Fava, Zanni, Gower, Canale, Garcia, McLean, Robertson,and Sole. You aren't going to build much unity in an Italian side comprised of expats and second raters but what is to be done ask you?
I leave the courage of ther Azzurri in the hands of Mallett and will see just how good both England and Italy are this week.
The England match, albeit a much need win, was not exactly classic rugby. There was a great deal of the rub of the green in that victory and I sincerely believe that Wales is not that bad either.
So we have matches this week of the four IMHO weaker sides but not necessarily horrible sides.
I can see Wales beating Scotland at home at Scotland beating Wales away as soon as they quit feeling sorrow for themselves.
As for the so-called easy match to tout, Italy/Ireland, I wouldn't automatically count the Azzurri down and out. Certainly that could and would be an automatic response.
But for me, this match could prove a tantalizing one too. England will be playing for the reputaion of country and history. There aren't enough Italians on the Italian side to make them play for Italy. I like that because it offers up a differnt psychological perspective to and for me.
It will be the only 6N rugby match this weekend that is really not a 6N fixture.
In reality it is a club match for the Italians and if they play it as a club match rather than a national fixture, well, anything could happen. I don't appreciate the fact that Mallet's 'schtick' is not to play to be humiliated. In other words don't get destroyed.
I also beleiev that when teams fail to put the two edged sword to another side for whatever reason the side that is expected to be sworded desewrves some credit for not being dissected. Suxh maybe was the case in the Ireland match.
Which now brings me to the battle of the hevayweights.
Like I said, this is a 6N that there is no 'it's lonely on the top rating'. It's early on and teams are going to be brought to their knees until after the third week. At that time we can reassess the competition and hope that it will be more than a two dog fight.
I'm hoping for an international flea circus.
If Adam Jones can waggle an open try and barely be touched and Mattheu Bastareaud can waddle untouched for another , anything can happen. And , I almost forgot, James Haskell, who is so musclebound he can barely move his upper torso, can manifest the plight of England with his two trys, I must say openly, anything can indeed happen.
This week's matches hopefully set the stage for a dramatic conclusion for an interestin 2010 6N.