England will emerge victorious
Despite the emergence of the Heineken Cup as European rugby’s premier club competition in recent years, there is little comparison when held up alongside the Six Nations Championship. The quest for northern hemisphere glory begins in earnest this year when Wales and England go head to head at the Millennium stadium in Cardiff on February 4th. It will be the first victory on the road to what I believe will be England and Martin Johnson’s successful title assault come the final weekend in March. France will fight fiercely, Ireland will compete gamely but, after five rounds of international competition, England will emerge victorious for the first time since 2003.
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Interview with Bill McLaren |
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McLaren's status as a global treasure.
Bill McLaren was 81 yesterday. The greatest rugby broadcaster of them all delivered his final commentary on the 2002 Wales v Scotland match in Cardiff. Before the game, the stadium announcer asked people to stand and acknowledge McLaren's great contribution to the sport. The whole ground rose, leaving McLaren choking back the tears.
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Next weekend while nine front line Welsh players rest, Declan Kidney will once more ask the same players to do duty against Scotland. If Ireland accomplish the Grand Slam and do it with the same fifteen on duty then it will be a tribute to luck, conditioning and courage. In what one hopes will be the deciding game in Cardiff, the home players will have had three weeks of rest, or what passes for rest in professional sport. In contrast the Irish hopefuls will have to drag weary bodies for the fifth physical contest in seven weeks.
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Ireland has been slow to recognise one of its own.
Next Saturday in Christchurch the national team of the greatest rugby-playing nation in the world will take the field in their one colour playing kit. The distinctive all black uniform has just one adornment, the silver fern of New Zealand.
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 "Wetherby Prep School UK to Biarritz Tour 2011_18")
