The first two weeks of the Six Nations have singled out Ireland as the team to beat in the Northern Hemisphere. France and England are hot on their tails.
Meanwhile, fans have seen clearly that Wales has a long way to go before they can fix themselves. Ireland (1.45) are odds-on favourites to win the Six Nations as per the odds on Easybet.
Simon Easterby’s Ireland Go Back-To-Back
Ireland started with two wins on the trot, beating England 27-22 and then Scotland 32-18. Simon Easterby’s men are currently second in the Rugby World Rankings, behind only South Africa. As of the moment, Springboks have won the last two Rugby World Cup titles.
France Upset By England
France (4.46), who are ranked fourth in the world, were the other Northern Hemisphere team – apart from the Springboks. They looked best placed to challenge the Springboks’ supremacy. They got the Six Nations off to a blistering start as they beat Wales 43-0.
However, when France visited England (6.41) at Twickenham, they were upset 26-25 by England. Elliot Daly scored the decisive try in the 79th minute. Fin Smith, making his first start at fly-half, calmly slotted the conversion before England secured France’s restart to seal the win.
The lead changed hands many times in the last 10 minutes, with Fin Baxter and Louis Bielle-Biarrey trading tries. Daly’s late score kept England’s title hopes alive after their opening loss to Ireland.
Wales’ Woes Compound
Following the defeat to France, Wales (976.69) suffered a 22-15 loss to Italy (248.28) – their 14th straight test win on the trot. It led to the departure of Warren Gatland as head coach, with Welsh rugby entering a new era shortly before the halfway stage in the four-year World Cup cycle.
Welsh rugby needs an urgent reset if it is to reclaim its status as a sleeping giant in the Northern Hemisphere. Where they reigned supreme as recently as the 2021 Six Nations – winning the championship and the Triple Crown – they are now bottom of the pile.
