RBS 6 Nations
They can be proud of their achievement and have also had the opportunity to blood some of their fringe players which is an important part of their long term plans . Ireland will be determined to end their winning run in their final game , particularly after a disappointing result and performance in Wales .
There still appears to be very little between France , Ireland , Scotland and Wales and the final round of games should see a fascinating battle for second place which may be decided by the new bonus points system .
Wales have been a good side for some time and Ireland have proven they can raise their game on the big occasion and pair this with the improvement of France and Wales and European rugby appears to be in the best place it has been for some time , leaving behind the disappointment of the last World Cup .
Unfortunately for Italy their results have been a reflection of their lack of progress over a sustained period and the improvement of the other sides has made it difficult for them to compete . If they are going to succeed at this level , it may still take some time .
In terms of the standard of rugby produced it has been significantly better than last year ’ s tournament and hopefully the sides will be able to continue on their upward trends . The problem for five of the Nations involved continues to be ‘ how do you beat the English ?’ and their attempts promise to be fascinating to watch . www . rugbyclub . biz 15