'He’s pumped, he’s ready to go': Scotland receive huge injury boost

I just have to look at their recent history in the U20s, and I'm a real headscratcher.

As far as Wales go, it's just very sad to see how far they have fallen. Maybe they need to do what Scotland has and is doing - turn themselves into a BaBa side by looking worldwide for Welsh-based talent via parent/grandparent and then targeting foreign players who, after 5 years, can make the jump to the international team.

Ireland did this very well when the 3 year residency period was in place but maybe Wales needs to look at doing something similar via "project players"?

They were supposed to play the Melbourne Rebels on the 22nd of July, but that obviously won't go ahead. It has been mooted that they'll be replaced by an ethnically segregated Australia team, but I'm pretty sure Fiji and Tonga are both free that week.

That said, if they bomb again this year, stand by for fireworks…

Pos - Team - Played - Won - Lost - BP - Points

1. France - 5 - 5 - 0 - 3 - 23

2. Ireland - 5 - 4 - 1 - 3 - 19

3. England - 5 - 3 - 2 - 3 - 15

4. Scotland - 5 - 2 - 3 - 2 - 10

5. Wales - 5 - 1 - 4 - 1 - 5

6. Italy - 5 - 0 - 5 - 2 - 4

Winning at Twickenham is never a gimme, you only need to look at the B team Rassie put out at murrayfield to ensure he had the first xv for Twickenham the following week.

England have lost almost all of their games against the best, and against teams ranked lower than them. At home. They have literally proven that they can't mix it with best if winning is the aim of the game.

I can acknowledge that they should be better this year, and that they should be winning more. But I said the same thing about them last year (actually thought they would win the 6N buoyed by their WC result) but they did the opposite. And some.

Fundamentally, there is nothing to suggest England will do much better than another 3rd place. Until they actually start winning.

Which they are NOT going to do against Ireland (who has literally been called the best team of the past 9/10 years consistently - and courted or held the no. 1 ranking throughout this period) at HOME. Even if England lose by just another point agonisingly close in the dying stages of the game. It will be another loss.

Ireland are a quality, settled, experienced side. England are not, yet. France is even more so - a juggernaut - who everyone seems to have forgotten about. And I’m not sure why. It’s bizarre.