Dawn of the 6 Nations, pt. 1

With the 6 Nations quite literally around the corner, I wanted to start Route One by talking about each country and some of the possible talking points going into this tournament. I'll place the countries into different posts and I'll save my thoughts on the Round 1 matches for separate posts, and hopefully this doesn't take terribly long. They are arranged in absolutely random order:

France: Certainly the past year was not great for Philippe Saint Andre and his men, but not everything was an albatross, as the Autumn Tests saw some improved play and while les Bleus did not get the victories they were hoping for, it certainly has created an element of surprise as to how the squad will perform during this tournament.


I won't lie and say that I've watched all (or any) of Stade Francais' games this season, so I have no idea what Jules Plisson will bring to the Fly-Half role, but almost anything will be better than the Freddie Michalak efforts from last season. To be fair, one has to wonder if he was just a tool for Saint Andre's game plan, which was lacking in any real positivity, but the lack of game time at Toulon means no Freddie so it is all moot. What we can anticipate is lots of kicking from the French. When there is broken field play they will look to keep the ball alive by shifting it all over the field, hoping for a gap to open up either because or for Wesley Fofana, France's most dangerous runner, and in the argument of "Who are the best players in the Northern Hemisphere?". The rest  the back-line real potential as well, Brice Dulin has been wonderful in his performances for France, Huget is an underrated winger and there is some exciting youth coming through the French league. If they can choose the right times to unleash their offloading game, they could be one of the more prolific scoring teams in the Championship. 

In the pack there is quality throughout, and I think one player whose contributions go unnoticed is Yoann Maestri who does excellent work around the breakdown and in the contact area. He is everything good in the French forward play, brutish and unafraid, content to do the grunt work. He and Louis Picamoles give the team go forward ball. Enough cannot be said about the impact of the big Toulouse Number 8. He stands up with the best 8s in the world, and his presence was sorely missed during the Autumn series, as Damien Chouly, while good for Clermont Auvergne in the Top 14, could not make an impact while deputising at the back of the scrum. It is the rare occurrence when Picamoles does not break the gainline, as his huge lower half allows him to power through the tackle. 

This France XV is blessed with depth at the Scrum-half role with Doussain, Parra and Machenaud all having a claim to be the starter when healthy. Ensuring that one of them is able to knock the ball over will help keep the clock rolling and keep the pack hungry. There is real talent and reason for cautious optimism. Patience with Plisson is necessary, but there are enough tools that should help ease him into the 10 shirt, hopefully his country will give him a chance. They stuck behind Michalak too long, its the least they could do.