#360view: Six Nations obsessed with brawn over brain

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  • Brute strength dominated Six Nations openers.

    With the BBC and ITV splitting broadcast of the Six Nations in Britain this year both released slick adverts for the tournament last month. The BBC’s promo juxtaposes fans in the stands enjoying themselves soundtracked by The Carpenter’s easy-listening classic ‘Close to You’, with booming tackles on the pitch and marked with bullet-like grunts; while ITV’s offers a first-hand perspective of action on the field, most of which constitutes more bonejuddering hits, plus the odd try.

    No spectacular passing, clever handling skills, intricate backline moves or off-loads; the underlying theme is one of blood and thunder, passion and power. Motifs that have under-pinned northern hemisphere rugby for decades. Not that there’s anything wrong with it but, at the same time, these were exactly the virtues that were so derided as, all-bar Scotland, the Six Nations’ teams under-performed to varying degrees at the Rugby World Cup.

    The overriding belief was that to catch up with the southern hemisphere giants of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa plus Argentina, Europe’s finest must embrace a more expansive and flexible gameplan. Yet here we are three months later revelling in and extolling exactly what prevents England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales from progressing on the biggest stage.

    It’s a strange comfort blanket. And amid all the muscular hype and physical bravado, the opening round of games played out as an underwhelming spectacle.

    The build-up to Ireland v Wales had greater intrigue than what occurred on the pitch. The 16-16 result was an interesting conclusion but was there any genuine sustained entertainment over the 80 minutes? Pieces of play anything like the sort of rugby Argentina, Australia or New Zealand produced in September and October that made us all stand up in amazement and joy? Not really.

    Kick, chase, lineout, maul, quick ball to the backs, smash them up down the middle, rinse and repeat. Ditto England v Scotland, bar Mako Vunipola’s off-load for Jack Nowell’s try. If you want the Six Nations in microcosm witness Finn Russell, one of European rugby’s most talented playmakers, electing to kick for space after intercepting Ben Youngs’ pass inside his own 22 with Stuart Hogg outside him. Can you imagine Beauden Barrett or Matt Toomua following suit?

    It was left for France’s narrow win over Italy to provide any real drama as the Azzurri ran Les Bleus close at the Stade de France, with both sides, at times, playing some flamboyant running rugby.

    Error-ridden it may have been but there was a dynamism and flair so lacking in the other contests. Which, when you look at the situation in 2016 is even more curious: all four of the sides from the British Isles have southern hemisphere coaches, while domestically the Premiership, Pro12 and Top 14 have enjoyed a whole host of players migrating from Super Rugby. But the influence, in terms of changing the overall dynamic, has been minimal.

    Ireland’s Joe Schmidt and Wales’ Warren Gatland will undoubtedly be in the running for the All Blacks job once Steve Hansen decides to step away. It’s unlikely they’ll, nor be allowed to, adopt the same brand of rugby they have trademarked over the last five years or so. So why do they so readily embrace it now?

    The importance placed at grassroots with bulk and brawn over skill is partly responsible; young players are often discarded from some academies if they fail to meet a certain minimum weight. But then again, you can still have size and be skillful – Exhibit A: Brodie Retallick.

    But, “rugby isn’t a contact sport, it’s a collision sport”, we’re always told with such pride. There just seems to be an overall reluctance to embrace anything beyond the conventional – a goldfish bowl of grit.

    Who was the last genuinely world class, unorthodox, original performer any of the home nations produced? It’s a tough one, maybe even unanswerable.

    The Six Nations continues to be a considerable success, in terms of interest and revenue, and the continually-evolving rivalries and endearing personalities maintain a quality narrative. But at the same time its regression to type continues to hold the six teams back.

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