**PLEASE NOTE: THE PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY WILL SHOW ONLY THE SATURDAY MATCHES. NOT SUNDAY.
Week One was quite something. France did exactly what we feared would happen. The Scots foundered in the Roman torrents, and England rolled over hapless Wales. Only the Scots ruined my forecasts….typical! And so on to Round Two. I think it’s absolutely safe to predict that on this Valentine’s Day there won’t be any love notes exchanged on the fields, either at Aviva or Murrayfield!
IRELAND v ITALY SAT FEB 14TH 9.10AM AVIVA STADIUM DUBLIN
A bruised Ireland have a chance to lick their wounds and gain some redemption in the more comfortable home surroundings of Aviva. But it will not be easy . This is clearly a team in transition – unsettled up front, in the back row, at fly-half and out in the backs, further complicated by a rash of injuries—and by making six changes in the starting line-up coach Farrell has telegraphed that he himself isn’t sure what his best team is. Witness one week Jacob Stockdale is starting and the next he’s not even on the bench , and my cousin James is back in ( must be a very distant cousin!). It’s not all gloom and doom for the Irish, as I further mention later, but by contrast the Azzurri , even with their own injury issues, look more settled and on the rise. Nonetheless I take Ireland to pull this one out at home, perhaps by more than 10 points even, but the glory days of the past decade or so may be a fading memory for some time, while the team re-stabilizes itself.
SCOTLAND v ENGLAND SATURDAY 11.40PM MURRAYFIELD
I don’t quite know what to say about Scotland’s performance in Rome. Traditionally, soft and wet conditions anywhere have worked in Scotland’s favor ( witness several Calcutta Cup matches in the past couple of decades when the highly touted English have wilted in the mud and rain at Murrayfield or even Twickers), but not so in Rome. Hard to say whether the inexplicable omission of both record try-scoring and inspirational wings Van de Swerve and Darcy Graham , or mercurial full-back/wing Kinghorn, would have made much difference in these conditions, but since the Scots didn’t manage even one line break the entire game and the Italians had at least six, they certainly couldn’t have done any worse! In contrast it was Italy who showed more intensity, were less mistake -prone , particularly in the lineouts, and provided some glimpses of flair—for example the terrific classic grubber kick through by centre Brex for his wing Lynagh to pick up at full speed and score. A close, somewhat entertaining game, notwithstanding the conditions, but without doubt Italy deserved the win. I felt sorry for the bedraggled Princess Royal, long-suffering Patron of the Scottish RFU, who gallantly attends most of Scotland’s 6N matches, having to support this inconsistent lot, decade after decade. So now the Scots have to host a rampant England side, full of an apparently new -found attacking mindset and vigor(where did this come from?). Has coach Gregor Townsend, clearly on a very hot seat right now, finally come to his senses selection-wise? In the forwards perhaps , with the re-insertions of George Turner at hooker and Jamie Ritchie at flanker, plus the selections of Gregor Brown in the second row, and Nathan McBeth at prop ( no crying over spilt milk here!) there should be more passion and intensity, but in the backs he’s left it the same– mystifying ! Even though we’re at Murrayfield, I’m not confident that this is the year they send “Proud Edward’s Army….Homeward Tae Think Again ” I sincerely hope I’m wrong!
WALES v FRANCE, PRINCIPALITY STADIUM CARDIFF SUNDAY 10.10AM
In 2025, France missed a Grand Slam by losing narrowly to England at Twickenham, pipped at the post in the exciting final minutes. Last week they inflicted total domination upon Ireland for over half the match. At 22-0 at half-time and 29-0 shortly after the restart, the result seemed assured. However, to their credit, Ireland fought back bravely , and but for a questionable goal-line call, might have pulled within five points at one stage. France’s magic ingredient, of course , absent for much of the 2025, is the “formidarble”( French phonetic spelling!) scrum-half and captain Antoine Dupont who, assisted by his fly half Jalibert ( fresh from the Les Miz stage—oh no, that’s Javert!) orchestrated his team’s composite efforts like a world-class concertmaster. France now travel to Cardiff, once a feared venue for visiting teams, but now much less so, given the current malaise of the Welsh rugby team and squad. Sadly, I can’t see the Welsh faring much better against Les Bleus than they did against England, except perhaps that the home field advantage might keep the score a bit closer. France’s biggest problem may just be spelling the team’s names – with only two enforced changes needed they bring in rising star centre Fabien Brau -Boirie to partner with already a star winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey—so starting to have more double -barreled names than your average NFL lineup! Wales’s biggest challenge, very sadly, may be actually filling the stadium, given the current disenchantment. It would be great if they could pull off a stunner, but in the current game that’s unlikely. The days when certain crafty old half-backs ( who shall remain unidentified) could perhaps engineer a win behind a pack that’s up against it are long gone, and the modern game provides very few escape hatches and hiding places! So, the very best of luck to the brave men in red!! ( Reminds me a little of the big burly redheaded Scottish policeman squashed into the driver’s seat of a small mini police car parked by the side of the promenade on Brighton seafront 51 years and 5 days ago, who sees my wife running by with me chasing about 20 yards behind and shouts out in a broad Scottish accent “Is that young man bothering you lass?” She quickly responds, “ No, he just proposed to me!” and carried on running past. A few seconds later I pass by him and he’s laughing hysterically and shouts out the window “Ha ! Another Good Man Gone To His Doom!”). Thanks mostly to the neo-sainthood of the better half of our personal team, the accuracy of the well-meaning constable’s prediction was proven entirely wrong, and I also very much hope that the dire predictions for the Welsh rugby team this weekend are similarly off the mark.
THAT’S IT FOR THIS WEEK! DON’T FORGET IT’S VALENTINE’S DAY! AND THE PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY WILL BE SHOWING ONLY THE SATURDAY MATCHES.
