17 Mar 2012

Fate points towards Six Nations glory for Wales

As Wales aim to secure the grand slam, the climax of the Six Nations promises deep significance and emotion writes Ben Monro-Davies.

Fate points towards Six Nations glory for Wales. (Getty)

Being a league rather than a knock out competition, the Six Nations can sometimes lack an end of season climax. The championship, as this year, is often essentially won before the final weekend. Only a pair of freak results at Cardiff and Twickenham will deny Wales the 2012 trophy. But this year the final three matches are laced with significance and no little emotion, in keeping with what’s proved to be an epic tournament.

Wales v France

As if the prospect of winning a third grand slam in eight seasons was not enough, Wales v France 2012 promises one of the great sporting occasions given the desperately sad news of the death of Welsh great Mervyn Davies. Already Twitter is hashtagged to the hilt with #winit4merv. There’s talk of the team going out in white headbands a la “Merv the Swerve”. No doubt the fans will do the same, and probably add Mexican style moustaches to further impersonate the 1970s rugby icon. In looks he was much more Jimi Hendrix than Jonny Wilkinson, a player absolutely of his era but of such a standard for his memory to live long beyond it. @gallagherbren has an excellent tribute here and this documentary from BBC Wales is a history lesson as well as the chronicle of a great athlete laid low in his prime by ill-health.

Even the most secular observer might succumb to the suspicion, or superstition, that a higher power has decreed a Welsh victory.

And what was Mervyn Davies last game for Wales before a sudden brain haemorrhage left him pole-axed on the pitch during a game for Swansea? Wales v France, in Cardiff, for the grand slam. Even the most secular observer might succumb to the suspicion, or superstition, that a higher power has decreed a Welsh victory.

Mumbo jumbo aside, there’s plenty of scientific evidence to support Welsh hopes. Wales are unbeaten and have been outstanding. France lacklustre. And now Phillipe Saint Andre side will have to cope with every rugby neutral urging Wales onwards to #wintformerv.

England v Ireland

At stake is second place. But for Stuart Lancaster is it his career? He is the interim England coach and has applied for the job full-time. A decision is due next week. If England win, giving them second place with four wins out of five, could the RFU really not give him the job?

The saga of who will be England’s new boss has provided a dramatic backdrop to what has been a very successful season, given the catastrophic nature of their world cup campaign last year. For the first time in the history of the Six Nations they have won all three of their away games. Only a injury-time video replay decision denied them the chance of a draw at home to Wales.

And yet even victory for Lancaster over Ireland might not be enough. He has little experience at this level, especially compared to his rival for the job, South African Nick Mallet. It is a bizarre irony that England could mathematically win the championship on Saturday, and yet still dispense with their current coach on Monday.

Scotland v Italy

The pressure of possible glory is perhaps meaningless compared to prospect of sporting humiliation. The loser of Scotland v Italy “wins” the so-called wooden spoon. In reality, such cutlery does not of course exist, the phrase stemming from an 18th century undergraduate tradition at Cambridge. But the wooden spoon will be as real as the contact of the first scrum, for the Scottish players at least, who started the season hopeful of a mid-table position.

In his excellent blog, former rugby international John Beattie says something is structurally wrong with Scottish rugby that needs a 10 year solution. The same also seems to be true of football, where the national side continues to struggle, and Rangers find themselves in a similar situation to that other Scottish institution, RBS.

Expect much soul-searching if the wooden spoon is heading for Murrayfield. At least until Andy Murray wins at Wimbledon this summer.

Read more from Channel 4 News Senior Programme Editor Ben Monro-Davies