I agree about the latter point, but I think the tournament would have had a fairer result if the Wales/England match had been drawn. Wales were not so far ahead that they deserved to be equated with the sides of the 70's, and England so far exceeded expectations they deserved something. Both teams can look confidently to the future.
France were very odd, with bizarre selection decisions and on-field chaos at times. But very watchable. Who knows at what stage they are - ever?
Ireland I felt, lacked their usual motivation and made silly mistakes. Their big plus is that they didn't miss what's-his-name in the play at all, so should be able to move on without a superstar round their necks.
Italy were a little disappointing for me, though only a little. The best aspect were the crowds, which shows that the game is growing as a public spectacle. I suspect there will be a few retirements soon, and it remains to be seen how they cope with that. Decent half-backs would help
Scotland were technically very improved, but they do need to improve their mental approach. You can see in their faces during the anthems that they do not really fancy the next 80 minutes, and, when things go wrong they seem to give up too easily. What they need is a good Captain.
I don't think a draw would have been a fairer result at Twickers. I wouldn't have argued if it had been a draw, but I do think that Wales earned the win. I never thought it would be as easy as some, but I was a little surprised at how well England executed their game plan and it was very effective. I know I am biased, but when watching the game I thought Wales were slightly the better side!
Anyway, here is my analysis of all the nations involved
Scotland remind of Wales 10 years ago. Some good young players, trying to play good running rugby, but mentally flawed. They will get there if they carry on with what they are doing, but it may take some time.
Ireland have been in decline since their Grand Slam. Some of their key players are simply past their best, and the players coming through are not as good.
Italy desperately, desperately need good half backs. They have a good pack, but their backs are mediocre at best, and until they find a goal kicker they will find it hard to win games.
France, what a mess. I don't think they have recovered from the dressing room split in the World Cup, and I don't think that their policy of bringing a lot of expensive foreigners in to their domestic clubs has had a very good effect on the national side. But they will always do well in the season following a Lions tour, as the 4 home nations will be udnerstrength following fatigue and injuries!
England have come on leaps and bounds. o me, it shows that there should have been an influx of new blood before now. I was against the appointment of Johnson, with no coaching experience at all, and I think he was found out in the end. He was too close to soem fo the players, and that showed in the World Cup. Lancaster has been professional, and objective, and has found a very promising outside half.
Wales are a young side overall, and we all hope that they will continue to improve. There are some exciting players coming through who have not yet got into the national squad, so there is a lot of hope and confidence for the future down here. The biggest improvement in the past year has been mentally. We can now grind out results, and win tight matches like England and Ireland, which would probably have been lost last year. It's disappointing that some of the flair seems to have gone with Shane's retirement, but the modern game is all about physicality and big hits, much to my regret. It's not the same game that I played in the 1970's!
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