Last weekend saw the return of the Six Nations, and all those engrossed were treated to a thrilling round of action that saw a Calcutta Cup upset, Ireland dominate in Dublin and France flex their muscles against Italy.
There were some stand out performances from Stuart Hogg, Marcus Smith and Mack Hansen to name a few, but there will be no let up for the players anytime soon.
Ahead of the second round of the Six Nations this week, I have picked out the key individuals from each game to keep an eye on ahead of the second round of action.
Luke Cowan-Dickie
Not the obvious pick, but Sunday’s game will be crucial for the England Hooker. After a costly moment of madness in Saturday’s loss to Scotland, it is vital the Exeter man bounces back. He has received plenty of criticism on the back of it, with many calling for him to be replaced by Jamie George. It remains to be seen how Eddie Jones handles the situation, but it would be harsh to drop Cowan-Dickie on the back of one mistake. The hardened hooker is England’s livewire in defence, highlighted at Murrayfield as he achieved a 100% tackle success rate. He threw accurately at line-out time winning 15 of his 17 line-outs, while beating three defenders and making 30 metres when he had the ball. He should not be dropped this weekend for Jamie George, as his one isolated mistake last week should not define his performance. This week, whether he starts or comes on from the bench, it is vital he stamps his authority on the crunch game in Rome.
Chris Harris
Contrastingly to Cowan-Dickie, Harris will be looking to pick up where he left off last week after playing a huge part in Scotland’s historic Calcutta Cup victory in Edinburgh. The Gloucester centre made a modest seven tackles in Round 1 but was instrumental throughout the game and his durability on both sides of the ball is pivotal to his sides’ fortunes. This weekend will be a stern test of his defensive capabilities as he will be looking to contain Gloucester teammate Louis Rees-Zammit. Never one to grab the headlines, Harris’ consistency goes somewhat under the radar, but the 31-year-old is one of the first names on the team sheet when available. Make no mistake, Wales will be improved this weekend after their dismal display against Ireland last weekend, so Harris will have to be at his best if Scotland are to pick up a second successive win. The Scotsman will look to straighten lines of attack when in possession, as well as bring his electric back-three into the game.
Your Scotland team for Saturday’s @SixNationsRugby clash with Wales has been confirmed.
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) February 10, 2022
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Antoine Dupont
It won’t come as a surprise to many that the World Player of the year is the one to watch when France take on Ireland in the game of the tournament so far this Saturday. The Toulouse scrum-half was at the centre of all things good for Les Bleus during their resounding 37-10 win over Italy in Paris on Sunday, and you can bet your bottom dollar his team mates will be looking to their captain for inspiration again this weekend.
He is spearheading this ‘French revolution’ alongside half-back partner Romain Ntamack, and with the excellent crop of young talent that is coming through the French system there is no doubt that they are serious contenders for this year’s title. If Ireland want to defeat their rivals on Saturday, keeping Dupont under wraps must be top of their priority list.
This weekend’s fixtures:
Saturday:
Wales v Scotland
France v Ireland
Sunday:
Italy v England
