PARIS, France — One hopes that both France and England are aware of the conclusion of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. This week, both teams have drawn inspiration from the play in various ways. Following three consecutive losses, England has found themselves in Verona, complete with its iconic balcony. Meanwhile, France attended a ballet rehearsal of Rudolf Noureev’s rendition of the tragic story at Paris’ Opera Garnier on Thursday.
These differing approaches aim to elicit one final performance in this remarkable Six Nations, but heed the Bard’s caution: Saturday night’s encounter in Paris will bring both intense excitement and a dramatic conclusion to a championship that held great promise. For one side, it will be a narrative of despair.
England must feel as though they have been afflicted by a curse during this championship as they approach their most challenging Six Nations yet. Judging by the number of fans boarding the Eurostar on Friday morning, Steve Borthwick achieved part of his pre-tournament goal.
A significant number of England supporters made the journey across the Channel — a pilgrimage Borthwick had envisioned back in February. He had hoped for them to arrive in droves, prepared for a title clash, but instead, the atmosphere at St Pancras was far from festive. It felt more like a routine trip — a “It’ll be a nice weekend, anyway” sentiment. The weary fans were not expecting a Grand Slam-decider, but rather traveling with a sense of blind hope.
Almost every analyst and former England player has weighed in on the team’s performance this year. Support and understanding are scarce. Their leadership, strategy, and coaching staff have all faced scrutiny. Even the kit selections for Saturday’s match are under discussion — France in their splendid light blue celebratory attire, and England in traditional white, raising concerns about a potential color clash.
However, England remains resolute, having regrouped in fair Verona. Is there a need to alter the game plan that led to defeats against Scotland, Ireland, and that historic loss to Italy? “We’ve seen results from it so I don’t think we need to change too much,” Ben Spencer stated.
Are there concerns regarding leadership, particularly in light of Maro Itoje’s on-field disagreement with Fin Smith last weekend? “There’s no crack between us,” Itoje affirmed. (For what it’s worth, would you prefer Itoje to be diminutive? Itoje should be acknowledged here, not silenced.) And regarding Borthwick? “The boys back him, I definitely back him,” Tom Roebuck remarked.
Everywhere one looks, there are various interpretations of England’s decline. Borthwick believes that the pressure of the shirt has influenced their performance, but after making nine changes ahead of the match against Italy, he has chosen not to stir the pot further.
England has made one alteration for Saturday, with Ollie Chessum starting. Borthwick has retained an unchanged backline, providing them another opportunity after a shaky start last Saturday. However, time is not a luxury Borthwick can afford — England understands that a loss on Saturday in Paris would mark this as their worst campaign ever.
Borthwick’s position is secure, at least for the moment. The RFU statement last Sunday morning grants Borthwick the Paris match, along with the three Nations Championship matches (involving 25,000 miles of travel) to rectify the situation.
That 12-match winning streak that propelled them to Murrayfield feels like a distant memory, let alone just a month ago. Borthwick this week urged his senior players to “step forward.” The challenge has been set. But who could have anticipated that the meek surrender in Rome would be their third consecutive alarming defeat? Such is the unpredictable nature of this championship.
France are clear favorites for Le Crunch in Paris, yet they remain cautious of England, with Pierre-Louis Barassi describing them as a “wounded animal.” “A former coach once told me that an injured player can cause more damage than a fit one,” France forwards coach William Servat added.
Shakespeare often employed pathetic fallacy, and a chilly, rainy evening is expected in Paris on Saturday, yet amidst the downpour will be a display of France’s special kit. France will don a striking outfit to commemorate 120 years of Le Crunch. It could serve as their attire for a potential coronation, as they remain favorites to clinch the title.
However, the Grand Slam is no longer attainable. Scotland dashed those hopes last weekend with a thrilling 50-40 victory. That result has also led to Fabien Galthie facing criticism this week; Jean-Baptiste Elissalde remarked that the start of the second half was the “worst 22 minutes” of Galthie’s tenure.
As the team arrived in Paris on Thursday night, Galthie expressed hope that his players would draw inspiration from the ballet and the beauty of the venue, welcoming a change of scenery after nearly two months at their base in Marcoussis. This championship has seen France dominate Ireland and Wales, narrowly overcome Italy, and experience a rollercoaster of emotions against Scotland.
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At times, they appeared ordinary, perhaps overly confident. Compounding the disappointment of that defeat is a four-match ban for flanker Oscar Jegou, meaning France will turn to yet another talent from their extensive pool to grant a debut to Temo Matiu.
We will see a new center pairing of Barassi and Yoram Moefana, the return of Emmanuel Meafou — adding significant weight to the pack — and on the bench, the familiar name of Joshua Brennan, son of Toulouse and Ireland enforcer Trevor.
Then there are the notable figures: Louis Bielle-Bierrey, Mathieu Jalibert, and Antoine Dupont. Yet even the exceptional scrum-half has faced some criticism this week. “We are human beings,” Galthie defended Dupont. “He’s an exceptional player. Sometimes there can be difficult moments, but it’s nothing serious. It’s all part of the journey leading up to Saturday’s match.”
As France and England prepare to step onto the field amidst a sea of red, white, and blue Tricolore in Paris, France will understand what is required to secure their third championship in five years. Ireland and Scotland are the other contenders, set to clash in Dublin in the day’s opening match with the Triple Crown at stake.
There are numerous scenarios (explained here by James Regan) but simply put, France’s fate lies in their own hands; however, if they falter, the trophy may end up in Irish or Scottish possession.
Ireland has embarked on their own journey this tournament: from the depths of defeat in Paris and suggestions of decline, to narrowly overcoming Italy in Round 2 and then achieving a record win against England at Twickenham a week later. They secured a victory against an improving Wales side last weekend, keeping their championship hopes alive. Farrell has made four changes for Saturday, recalling Tommy O’Brien, Dan Sheehan, Joe McCarthy, and Josh van der Flier. Bundee Aki returns to the bench.
Scotland’s Darcy Graham stated earlier in the week that Ireland are “there for the taking.” Farrell’s response was measured. “He’s entitled to his opinion first and foremost,” Farrell remarked. “Scotland were outstanding last week against France, and we’ve been preparing for another Scottish performance like that. We know that we’ll have to be at our best to beat them as they’re a side that we’ve always respected.”
Scotland’s Six Nations has also been tumultuous. Gregor Townsend was on the brink after their opening round loss to Italy, but players rallied to support their coach with a 31-20 victory over England, a commendable comeback against Wales, and culminating in their impressive win over France last time out.
Instead of “faith turning to despair,” this campaign has transformed into a true spectacle. They head to Dublin seeking their first win there since 2010, with a chance to lift the overall title. “Winning something for Scotland, especially the Six Nations, would be definitely the peak of my career,” Finn Russell stated.
“When you start playing for Scotland, you always want to win it, obviously, and we’ve never put ourselves in a position where we can. So now we’re in that position, it’s all to play for this weekend.”
However, Townsend is attempting to manage expectations and excitement. “It’s out of our hands, really,” he said. “We can only do a certain amount. It’s a game for us to play against an opponent that’s had the upper hand on us for years.” This is no time for overconfidence this close to the summit.
In Cardiff, Steve Tandy is close to halting the decline in Welsh rugby. Although a first Six Nations win since 2023 remains elusive, they are evolving. They were desperate against England, significantly outplayed against France, but displayed resilience against Scotland and again against Ireland. Their defense is becoming more solid, and the team is playing with greater familiarity. Their work rate is also improving, exemplified by Alex Mann’s 32 tackles against Ireland last time out.
“We can’t control the outcome,” Tandy stated. “You see in games, the bounce of the ball might not always go your way, but where we have to be is consistent. We have to consistently get better and have consistent performances.
Because the closer you get, like against Scotland and Ireland and you’re in games, the results will follow. You can get a win, but actually are you still growing? They should go hand in hand. We want to produce a performance that replicates what we did over the last few weeks, but also makes it better.”
Wales aims to avoid the embarrassment of a third consecutive wooden spoon against Italy.
Wonderful Italy. For a long time, they were seen as the crash test dummy to discuss the introduction of promotion-relegation in the Six Nations. But that is no longer the case. A victory in Cardiff on Saturday would mark their third this tournament — their best performance.
That win over England last weekend came at the 33rd attempt but was no fluke. It was the result of efforts made behind the scenes to enhance their talent pathway, supported by excellent coaching and achieved through on-field brilliance and determination.
Tommaso Menoncello should be recognized as one of the finest players in world rugby, but this is no longer a team comprised of a few generational superstars like Sergio Parisse and a handful of willing support players; they are much more than that now. Italy will be without Simone Ferrari, Andrea Zambonin, and Alessandro Garbisi, but they arrive in Cardiff as favorites, seeking their third consecutive victory on Welsh soil.
The conclusion of this year’s tournament will take place in Paris. It has been a memorable championship, arguably one of the greatest we have witnessed. Teams have teetered on the brink, only to make a comeback.
Others have promised much and then faltered. Titles are at stake, history is to be made, while jobs depend on these types of moments. We will miss it. “Parting is such sweet sorrow,” Juliet said, but there is still room for final plot twists. Sport presents a delicate balance between triumph and tragedy, and we await to see which teams rise, and who faces the ultimate defeat.
