France but not as we know it
Les Blue For the first time in the championship, they will play home matches outside Paris: against Ireland in Marseille this Friday, against Italy in Lille on 25 February and against England in Lyon on the final weekend, on 16 March. Spreading the rugby word outside the capital cities is definitely a Good Thing; especially given the frequent complaints across the Channel about the Rugby Football Union’s commitment to Twickenham and its revenue-generating power. France’s move is necessary due to construction work being carried out at the Stade de France to prepare the ground for this summer’s Olympic Games, and the French Rugby Federation’s profits will be affected, but perhaps Fabien Galthié’s team will be happy to turn the situation around . Qualification at the World Cup. The same can be said for Ireland, who were eliminated in Paris on a memorable quarter-final weekend.
Instrumented mouth guard technology
You may not be able to see them due to their designated location in the players mouth. But new instrumented mouth guard technology represents the latest attempt to reduce the risk of brain injury and could have a noticeable impact. The idea, which has been mandated since the beginning of 2024, is to incorporate the technology into the existing head injury assessment protocol, with custom-fitted devices necessarily delivering in-game alerts to medical staff. The Six Nations’ announcement in January said: “If a player experiences a mental acceleration event, medical staff will receive an alert on match day.” Will it make much difference in practice? Probably not. Will it bring the debate, controversy, and/or scandal surrounding brain injury to a satisfactory and proper conclusion? No way.
Davidson’s historic day
Hollie Davidson will make history on the second weekend of the tournament: the 31-year-old will become the first female referee to serve as second assistant in the Six Nations match between England and Wales on 10 February. “It is a great honor to be chosen as one of the assistant referees for the 2024 Guinness Six Nations,” the 31-year-old said. One must hope this is a positive experience for Davidson after Wayne Barnes, among others, revealed the stress of top-flight refereeing. “Being the first female official to do so in Scotland is something I am extremely proud of,” she said. “Being involved in such an internationally renowned organization is something I am very much looking forward to.” Perhaps the only question that remains is why it took so long.
no friends
Many big names will be missing. England’s back three, for example, will display a Henry Arundell-shaped hole after one of the most devastating runners in the game committed his immediate future to Racing 92, making himself ineligible for England. Ireland are rebuilding without the retired Johnny Sexton, while Wales have lost Louis Rees-Zammit as he pursues his NFL dream. Another team captain, Owen Farrell, announced his decision to withdraw from international duty before the news of his move to Racing 92 broke. But the most notable absence was France’s supremely talented scrum-half Antoine Dupont. Energy in the Olympic sevens. Things won’t be the same without him, but the Six Nations’ loss is undoubtedly the Olympics’ gain.
Netflix effect?
A number of key players will not be in the team, but as Andy Bull recently wrote in this newspaper, rugby’s real appeal lies in its emphasis on teamwork. It wouldn’t take too many one-score games decided at the death for the loss of Dupont, Farrell, Rees-Zammit and others to become irrelevant. If the world’s richest rugby tournament falls on the closing weekend (perhaps the France-England final in Lyon), the sport will emerge with a new reputation. Marketing departments will monitor viewing figures and social media impressions to find evidence of an increase following the release of Full Contact on Netflix. But anyone hoping rugby is about to tear America apart, as F1 did in the wake of Drive to Survive, will likely be disappointed.
New era in Italy
Perhaps the biggest disappointment of last year’s World Cup was Italy’s lack of competitiveness in a tough pool featuring hosts France and New Zealand. Now rumors of a rift between departed coach Kieran Crowley and his captain Michele Lamaro may be a thing of the past; but Italy must prove once again that it deserves its place in the tournament. The clamor for other up-and-coming teams such as Portugal or Georgia to take their shot grew louder with Italy’s defeats against France and the All Blacks. Can Crowley’s replacement, former Argentinian pilot Gonzalo Quesada, manage the rise in their fortunes? Organizers may credit the Azzurri’s strong showing as justification for their current closed shop.