Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Clive Woodward says there are now two tiers in the Six Nations

(Photo b

Rugby World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward has claimed that there are now two ‘clear’ tiers to the Guinness Six Nations.

ADVERTISEMENT

France were crowned Grand Slam champions to claim their first title since 2010 after emerging emphatic 25-13 winners in Paris, although a jittery performance caused by the nerves of the occasion prevented them from pulling clear at any stage.

It is the third time in five years England have ended the tournament nursing three defeats, a poor return that raises questions over Jones’s suitability to continue just 18 months out from the World Cup.

Video Spacer

Facing Goliath | A story following Italy as they take on the mighty All Blacks | A Rugby Originals Documentary

Video Spacer

Facing Goliath | A story following Italy as they take on the mighty All Blacks | A Rugby Originals Documentary

A big win over the All Blacks in November gave the French the favourite’s tag heading into the Six Nations and they embraced it, with the win over England seeing them finish a point above Ireland.

The English finished third, an improvement on last year’s fifth place but one unlikely to ease the pressure on coach Eddie Jones after a second straight championship in which they lost three games.

It’s been a difficult couple of years for England and now their former coach sees there as being a clear division within the tournament.

“My take is that there are manifestly two divisions. There are France and Ireland and then there are the rest,” wrote Woodward in his Daily Mail column.

ADVERTISEMENT

“France and Ireland are forging ahead in their understanding of the modern game, their skill levels and attacking intent and the tempo they attempt to play the game at.”

Related

“The French have lit up the rugby world. Stars such as Antoine Dupont, Cameron Woki, Gregory Alldritt, Romain Ntamack and Damian Penaud will eventually be remembered as legends of the game when they retire but, make no mistake, they are more than a random gathering of freakish talent.

“France under Fabien Galthie have fearlessly and systematically selected young tyros they believe in, while Edwards has got them fit and remodelled their defence.”

“Ireland, meanwhile, have a relentless pace and array of skills that reminds me of Farrell’s great rugby league side at Wigan when he was skipper,” wrote Woodward.

ADVERTISEMENT

The tables have certainly turned since the early 2000s. Readers of a certain vintage will remember during Woodward’s reign as head coach, that some voices within the sport were calling for the Six Nations to be split into two divisions, with England and France on one side and the rest on the other.

The rise of Ireland and Wales in the proceeding two decades, and more recently Scotland, put pay to this rather narrow and arrogant view of the competition.

additional reporting AAP

ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 35 | Six Nations Round 2 Review

O2 Inside Line: This Rose | Episode 3 | France Week

Second round of the Men's Six Nations | Whistle Watch

Harlequins vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Yokohama Canon Eagles vs Saitama Wildknights | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

The Dupont Ploy: How France went from underdogs to Olympic gods | The Report

Former rugby player is truly an NFL superstar | Walk the Talk | Jordan Mailata

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

8 Comments
l
lot 1065 days ago

sir woodie compliments france on playing young players and does not acknowledge EJ for same. marcus smith, steward, genges, furbank, simmonds, isiekwe, randall.
these english young players are not at the skill level of the french.
t's not EJ job to upskill them. they dont have that much time in camp. France and Ireland are given that time, not England. Woodie knows these issues and yet trashes EJ..

Ireland is playing the same old , 30 ++ year olds and are doing well.
England's defence in 22 pretty rubbish. who is defence coach.
kick chase the english team of 2016 was so good at, non existent.

A
Ai 1066 days ago

The Pink Poppies and EJ deserve each other; a pair of dinosaurs. Every ten years they win against the All Blacks and that, they think, that makes them first division.
@ Sean AND, two levels of grammar (typing)! What?
As they say in Pyongyang and Tokyo, "People in grass houses shouldnt get stoned.".
@ Bryan That racist decision to get rid of the best coach you have ever had would have to be the biggest problem.

s
sean 1067 days ago

Seems like there are also two tiers of rugby pundits aswell

D
DP 1067 days ago

Woodward is a twit. There have always been two tiers in the 6N, it’s just that England now apparently find themselves alongside Scotland and Italy…and Wales. Nobody cares what Clive has to say, he’s a voice with a bright red clown nose attached to it.

B
Bryan 1067 days ago

Being Scottish and we have plenty problems of our own 2 things amazed me yesterday about England, firstly playing Steward on the wing when he is the best full back in the competition and there are so many better than good fast wingers in the English premiership that never get a sniff under EJ. Secondly why use Genge as a kick returner from the fullback position when he has a big enough job scrummaging against the biggest pack in the competition plus his other carrying and tackling jobs and Dombrandt is sitting on the bench.

Load More Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

k
kumar supriya 1 hour ago
Waratahs plotting unprecedented 29-season Super Rugby first in 2025

MY NAME IS SUPRIYA KUMAR FROM INDIA PLEASE FIND TIME TO READ THIS CAREFULLY.              AS WE ALL KNOW INDIA IS NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD IN TERMS OF MAGIC SO DO NOT IGNORE THIS. BE CAREFUL HERE, NOBODY CAN HELP YOU FROM AFRICA OR EVEN SUGGEST HOW YOU CAN GET YOUR EX OR LOVE BACK, ANY TESTIMONIES OF MOST SPELL CASTER FROM AFRICA HERE MUST BE IGNORED, BECAUSE MOST OF THEM ARE SCAM I MEAN REAL SCAM AND FROM AFRICA WHICH I WAS A VICTIM AND I GOT RIPPED OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS BECAUSE I WAS SO ANXIOUS TO GET MY HUSBAND JOHN BACK AFTER HE LEFT ME FOR OVER 2YEARS WITH MY 3YEARS OLD SON JERRY,I HAVE APPLIED TO 7 DIFFERENT SPELL CASTER HERE I MET ON THIS BLOG AND ALL TO NO AVAIL THEY ALL ASK FOR SAME THING SEND YOUR NAME YOUR EX NAME ADDRESS AND PICTURE PHONE NUMBER ETC WHICH I DID OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND MOST OF THEM WERE FROM AFRICA, I WAS SO CONFUSED AND I WAS ALWAYS SICK BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM AND I WAS SO DESPERATE TO HAVE JOHN BACK TO ME I LOVE HIM SO MUCH AND COULD DIE FOR HIM. UNTIL A FRIEND TOLD ME ABOUT THE TEMPLE OF DREAMS THE GREATEST SPELL TEMPLE, (templeofdreams1@gmail.com) TEMPLE OF BLACK AND WHITE (GOOD AND EVIL) IN INDIA, AND I DECIDED TO SEND A MAIL TO THE TEMPLE. THE SECRETARY TOLD ME THAT ALL MY PROBLEM ARE OVER SINCE I HAVE DECIDED TO CONTACT INDIA FOR HELP, HE TOLD ME TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN ME AND MY EX HUSBAND JOHN AND I DID, I TOLD HIM ALL THAT HAPPENED FROM THE BEGINNING. AND HE SAID TO ME MY CHILD WHAT YOU JUST EXPLAINED TO ME NOW IS A LITTLE PROBLEM TO HANDLE COMPARE TO SERIOUS PROBLEMS THE TEMPLE HAS HANDLED, I WAS SO SHOCKED AND I SAID TO MY SELF WHAT PROBLEM COULD BE MORE SERIOUS THAN THIS. HE TOLD ME WHAT I NEEDED TO DO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT WHAT HE SAID LOOK SIMILAR TO WHAT I HAVE HEARD IN THE PAST(THAT I WAS TO PAY FOR THE ITEMS NEEDED), I WAS HAVING DOUBT ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF PAST EXPERIENCE, BUT I DECIDED TO TRY SINCE THE TEMPLE IS LOCATED IN INDIA (ASIA) AND NOT AFRICA (NIGERIA AND SOUTH AFRICA) THEY COULD BE REAL AND DIFFERENT. SO I GAVE THEM 50% OF MY TRUST. THIS WAS LIKE A MAGIC AND DREAM COME TRUE TO ME, AFTER TWO DAYS WHEN THE SPELL HAS BEEN CASTEED, JOHN BEEPED MY PHONE AT ABOUT 9:PM I COULD NOT SLEEP THAT NIGHT BECAUSE I REALLY LOVE JOHN AND WANT HIM BACK. BY 7:AM THE NEXT MORNING HE GAVE ME ANOTHER  MISSED CALL I DECIDED NOT TO CALL BACK AS I WAS STILL ON SHOCK,   AT ABOUT 10:AM THAT MORNING HE CALLED AND I PICKED HE SAID CAN WE SEE AFTER WORK TODAY I SAID YES SO HE ENDED THE CALL IMMEDIATELY I GOT OFF WORK HE CALLED ME AND TOLD ME WERE TO MEET HIM, I WAS STILL ON SHOCK, BEHOLD WHEN I GOT THERE I SAW JOHN CRYING WITH TEARS ALL OVER HIS EYES, AND HE SAID TO ME MY WIFE, I AM SO SORRY IMMEDIATELY I HUGGED HIM AND KISSED HIM WHICH I HAVE MISSED ALL THIS YEARS. ALL THANK TO TEMPLE OF DREAMS. IF YOU ARE A MAN OR A WOMAN READING THIS AND YOU ARE PASSING THROUGH SIMILAR PROBLEMS LIKE MINE, DO NOT FAIL TO CONTACT THIS GREAT TEMPLE. HE IS REALLY INDEED A REAL SPELL CASTER.           THE WORST OF ALL IS THAT I DON’T KNOW THE PARTICULAR DOCTOR THAT HELPED ME AS I WAS TOLD THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN 300 SPELL CASTERS WORKING IN THE TEMPLE, UNLIKE THE SINGLE SCAM DOCTORS IN AFRICA. I AM NO LONGER AFRAID OF THE SPELL CASTERS IN AFRICA BECAUSE THE TEMPLE OF DREAMS ASSURED AND GAVE ME HUNDRED PERCENT PROTECTION AND ALSO HELPED ME RECOVER 50% OF MY MONEY THAT I PAYED TO SCAMS FROM AFRICA SOME SERVICES RENDERED IN THE TEMPLE OF DREAMS (1) If you want your ex back. (2) To cure HIV/AID or related illness (3) You want to be promoted in your office. (4) You want women/men to run after you. (5) If you want a child. (6) Are you a contractor and you want to win contract (7) You want to tie your husband/wife to be yours forever. (8) If you need help spiritually. (9) How you been scammed and you want to recover you lost money.     (10)Stop Divorce (11)Invoking of Money Ritual (12)To verify if your online lover is real (13)To verify if your online loan is real (14)To be very brilliant (15)If you are looking for a good job (16)If you are old and want to look young (17) If you want to be free from threats of spell caster in AFRICA And many more.. Email... templeofdreams1@gmail.com  

1 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Why Jac Morgan is a British and Irish Lions Test starter Why Jac Morgan is a British and Irish Lions Test starter
Search