The whole tournament was very interesting, with a large number of games that were uncertain, where the difference was less than one possession, or 7 points. We also had the opportunity to see off big surprises, like when England defeated Ireland, Italy defeated Scotland or when Italy had a shot to win against France where Garbisi hit the post and left Azzuri with a draw. And we also had thriller matches, like England and France, where Ramos scored a 50-meter shot to give the English victory right in front of their noses.
We had the opportunity to see a lot of young players, who are expected to show their best at the next World Cup. The Welsh are definitely building a team for the future, they may have rejuvenated the team the most, so it is logical that they had huge fluctuations. The French took second place but did not shine. The Scots were well on their way, but late try by the French in the final moments at Maryfield and defeat by Italy sealed their fate. The Italians will definitely be a big factor in the coming seasons. The English are experimenting and stacking the dice. The Irish are setting the threshold higher and higher and the big question is where their limit is.
As for us, we are very satisfied with what we did in the promotion around the 6 Nations Cup. And we have to mention that too. If we include this article, we have published a total of 8 articles on our blog. From that, we had 3 articles from the Round Table, where we confronted the opinions of ten rugby players, from all generations. From Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, Holland, France all the way to Serbia, which gives our round table an international character. Also, a corner dedicated to the results, schedule of matches and table of the 6 Nations Cup has been created on the website. In cooperation with Sport Uživo, we recorded 6 episodes of the podcast, with almost 8 hours of quality rugby material. Not to mention social networks where we certainly had over 200 posts about the tournament. We are extremely satisfied because, above all, we have enjoyed talking and talking about rugby in these almost two months.
I hope you enjoy the Round Table as much as we did while creating the article.
1. Ireland won the 6 Nations Cup for the second time in a row. Are the Irish one of the best teams in the world?
Nikola Orlandić: Of course they are, they showed it again this year and they are where they are certainly for a reason. They created a great atmosphere, good energy in the team and got that required winning mentality. Although the English have shown that they can be played against and that there is a way to win if the team prepares well and raises the game to the highest level.
Milan Orlović: There is really no discussion about that. The attacking solutions are revolutionary. The aggressiveness in defense is also unbelievable. They may not be the best team individually, but as a team they are truly unmatched. Admittedly, a certain amount of arrogance cost them the Grand Slam, underestimating England cannot end without consequences, and it almost cost the Springboks at the World Cup. All in all, we can admire the level at which the Irish play. I’m looking forward to them crossing paths with the world champions in the summer. If they stay healthy I think they will win the series.
Nemanja Babić: The Irish deserve the title. They were slight favorites and lived up to expectations. The defeat against the English is the only weak point of this Cup. They seem dominant and have a varied game in attack. In most cases, the defense forces the opponent to shoot and play from deep. Certainly autumn tests with the southern hemisphere will show the answer if they are really the best.
Uroš Jevđenijević: Ireland winning the 6 Nations, again, shows just how much it has progressed and continues to dominate as one of the better teams in the world. With another international trophy, they consolidated their place on the stage of the best, but they are still not number 1 in the world.
Đorđe Veličković: They can only be included because they have been at the top for several years now. However, when you lose the number of games, you are only close to the top. And the close results with the English and Scots are another proof! What helps this team is that almost everyone plays for the same team. Leinster is a top team in the European competition, so it can be seen through the games how they are integrated and know the possibilities of each player. When you add to that their constant pride of the nation, their status is obvious. The top national team must repeat the century status of New Zealand who were stripped of the last World Cup …. don’t mind if I’m an obvious fan, historical results don’t lie!
Bogdan Mihajlović: In my opinion, Ireland is currently one of the best teams in the world, along with South Africa. No offense to the New Zealanders, but the Irish are playing top class rugby at the moment.
Dragan Petrović: Definitely the Irish are one of the best teams in the world next to South Africa and New Zealand. They are definitely the best team in Europe and they are hard to beat. They play good rugby and have continuity. Andy Farrell has built a great team and I’m sure the Irish will have more to show us. They have a lot of young great players and despite the fact that Sexton and O Mahoney are ending their careers in the national team, I think they have great successors and we will have something to see in July when they play two test matches against the world champions in South Africa.
Marko Žeravica: Although you had a small fall, or rather they were broken into, they managed to “get away”. Great generation and coaching staff. The next test match against South Africa is announced and we will see what the answer to your question is.
Mišel Milović: Ireland is playing the best it can today and they prove it in every match with their game and their state of mind. It is a team that has no doubts, adapts very quickly to the opposing team and is capable of beating anyone.
Stevan Ilijašević: Definitely one of the best selections. They absolutely deserved to defend their title in the 6 Nations Cup. It’s true that they had a bit of a slump in the last two rounds. The only blot on the whole campaign was the defeat against England. However, I don’t think there was ever any question as to who would win the competition.
2. Is this the Italy that hints at better results in the next few years?
Nikola Orlandić: They finally achieved some good results, the hard work in the previous years certainly paid off, and after being contested for a long time, they received their recognition. They played a good tournament, the best so far, they showed great potential and fully deserved to end the tournament where they are. Although it is noticeable, as I have repeated several times, the drop in quality, especially in Wales, but also in France this year. They would need to learn some good lessons and become a truly competitive side to the others in this competition in the coming years.
Milan Orlović: A talented team, an excellent coach and a promising youngster can perhaps be the trigger that Italian rugby has been missing. Although I did not expect such a high level of play, I knew they had potential. The fact that they have woken up is gratifying and it will be interesting to follow their development. Hats off to Captain Lamar.
Nemanja Babić: This is the new Italy. No one is talking about Georgia playing in the 6 Nations Cup anymore. This is Italy who have the game, they have the chemistry and they are very competitive. I’m looking forward to seeing Italy against the big powers in the autumn.
Uroš Jevđenijević: In the end, it was Italy that surprised the most at the competition. Although very little was expected of them, they played some excellent rugby which paid off in the end. This can be a huge tailwind for future competitions.
Đorđe Veličković: I already mentioned at the beginning that Italy has made the most progress in the last few years and that the results from the Cup of Nations did not show the true picture. This year they proved it and justified my opinion. And the games against England and Scotland could have ended with their victory, especially at home. Full stadiums for their matches shows that with the fans behind them they become respected opponents. The style of their connected game and accurate shooting, which their Argentinian coach Gonzalo forces, can be seen to make them successful. Hopes for better results in the following performances are well founded.
Bogdan Mihajlovic: Possibly, but I honestly think that everyone was tired of the World Cup and that Italy took advantage of its chance. We will see how it will be later, there is an improvement in the game, but they still have to work.
Dragan Petrović: I hope so, and that the young Italian team under the leadership of Gonzalo will show us how to play good rugby. I think that the Argentine understands the mentality of the Italians, their temperament and way of thinking, which is very important for a team sport like rugby. Gonazlo is an experienced coach and I hope that he will turn Italy into a European Argentina, a team that will be a worthy opponent for all teams at the next 6 Nations.
Marko Žeravica: Not to repeat myself, definitely a surprise of the Cup, but if we take a closer look, we will see that Quesada is not a naive expert who managed to discipline their mentality in the game and find their brain frequency. We will see in the coming period whether there will be continuity in this.
Michel Milović: Italy improves every year. The Italian professional league has also made great progress. The players enjoy playing together in the national team. The experienced coach Quesada has raised the level of play of the Italian players and they play a rugby that is very similar to Argentina. Today, Italy no longer has a complex and has gained confidence in its own forces.
Stevan Ilijašević: Quesada inherited the helm of Italy and I was personally very curious as to what the team would look like. Italy projected all its ambitions towards the 2027 World Cup which will be held in Australia, and that moment when she found out that she is in the group with host France and New Zealand, who were considered the two biggest favorites, at the 2023 World Cup. All players are entering their prime years and are expected to be at their highest possible level in 2027. When you look at the European competitions, the Italians are no longer losers, they are slowly gaining confidence which, along with good games, will bring them good results. The only doubt in their team is the defender, because if you remember Tommaso Allan left the national team at the very beginning of the competition under not very clear circumstances.
3. Which team came out of the 6 Nations Cup as the biggest winner in your opinion?
Nikola Orlandić: I would say the English. They managed to beat the Irish, to rejuvenate the team, to play the tournament at a stable level, but perhaps the most important thing is to justify the system of their coach, who was challenged a lot, but I think he survived and made an excellent skeleton of the team, which will certainly be a serious contender for the title at the next World Cup.
Milan Orlović: Italy was the most pleasant surprise, but the English can also be satisfied. They are back to their signature game and they are clearly enjoying it. With some coordination, they will be the most dangerous opponents to the atomic game of Ireland.
Nemanja Babić: Definitely Italy. There are many reasons, but I would say that the biggest change is in the character of the team. The new coach turned everything around. It will be even better I’m sure.
Uroš Jevđenijević: Of course, Ireland won 2 times in a row, which is the biggest victory, but England managed very well, considering that some of the more important players did not play and also to go to the competition with a new coach.
Đorđe Veličković: As I mentioned in the previous answer, Italy! Basically, the placement, which could have been better, proves it best. However, the close results between the games, except in the case of Ireland against Italy and Wales, perhaps hint at the uncertainties of the following contests. In essence, it is logical in a way, because a larger number of players are on the payroll in European competition teams of other nationalities and thus get to know their opponents from the same team.
Bogdan Mihajlović: England definitely. They played fantastically against the Irish and showed that a lot can be expected from them. Their time is slowly coming when they will fight equally with the French and the Irish for the 6 Nations Cup. As for the World Cup, if their cards match, you never know.
Dragan Petrović: Definitely Italy with the last 3 games played. They lacked the sporting luck to beat France and two great wins against Scotland and Wales that few expected, so for me personally the biggest winners are the Italians.
Marko Žeravica: The whole table was very uncertain and everyone had a similar balance. In any case, it raises the competition and heralds only an even greater following. The Scots had the greatest hope in their history which they squandered against the brilliant Italians. In my opinion, the Scots and the Italians are the teams that would share the place of the biggest winners.
Michel Milović: For me, France emerged as the winner of this competition, finishing in second place, even though they had a disastrous start to the tournament with a heavy defeat in Marseille against Ireland, then a disputed victory against Scotland and, above all, an unexpected draw against Italy. Fortunately, France today has one of the biggest reservoirs of talented young players in the world and the biggest championship in the world with TOP 14. France has the players and all the favorable conditions to be the best team in the world.
Stevan Ilijašević: England definitely. A change of generations awaits the English. But also the change of leaders who were the bearers of the game and the dressing room. Here, above all, I think of Owen Farrell. Ben Earl had a very good World Cup, now he has been playing much better and he is definitely the player that England have been waiting for in the stopper position. At the same time, he has just entered his best rugby years because he was born in 1998 . The English also got Tommy Freeman on the wing, who at the age of 23 represents a young hope. He would also add a guy from the second line, George Martin, who has proven to play at a very high level. Finally, what we didn’t expect was to see Marcus Smith and Alex Mitchell working together in the playmaking positions.
4. Which players made the biggest impression on you?
Nikola Orlandić: Certainly Bandii Aki and James Lowe, New Zealand Irishmen who, with their strength and technique, always make an incredible contribution to the team in both aspects of the game, attack but above all in defense. Always ready to make something fantastic out of a half-chance or half-counter and change the rhythm of the game. I was also particularly pleasantly surprised by Italy with some solutions from Garbisi and excellent crosses in almost all games. Especially Brex, a real second center, big, strong and technically excellent in all aspects of the game, especially in defense.
Milan Orlović: It’s always difficult to talk about players. Everyone gave their best, and their quality is truly unquestionable. But if we talk about the impact on the games of their national teams, it can be said that Lamaro, Earl, Aki, Byrne and Russell are somehow the most irreplaceable in their selections. The player of the tournament is, in my opinion, the captain of Italy.
Nemanja Babić: Central line of the Italians. I would also add all the young players from England who deservedly justified the trust.
Uroš Jevđenijević: The player who left the biggest impression on me was Italian captain Michele Lamaro. He played every minute of every game, with the most tackles of the tournament (103) leading them to their best result in the Six Nations.
Đorđe Veličković: I have to mention that the biggest impressions on me were the players who are missing for various reasons. The competition shows how important they are for controlling the game and successfully managing actions. First up is Antoine Dupont who switched to Rugby 7s and led France to their first win of the cycle which shows his worth. When you add Ntamak to that, you can see the decline in their playing. There are a few more but they got approximate but not the same values for that.
Raised in South Africa, Negri and young Ange Capuzzo are always in focus when I watch Italy.
Tom Ramos, especially in the opening position, as well as Gael Ficoue with his sacrifices and attempts to connect the team. Antonio completes my French players in the scrum. In the team from Ireland, we should mention the young wing of Calvin Nash and Joe McCarthy, the penetration of Bundy Aki, Robbie Henshaw and James Lowe and the dedication of the experienced Peter O’Mahony.
An excellent preview of the game Finn Russell’s shooting accuracy, Duhane Van De Merwe’s athleticism and full-back Blair Kinghorn complete my preview for Scotland.
George North with sacrifice, Aaron Wainwright in the scrum and Josh Adams with tenacity lead the Wales team.
I don’t have any special impressions for England except that I like Maro Itoya’s game, dedication and experience.
Bogdan Mihajlović: Van der Merwe, Russell, Earl and Peno and perhaps most of all Lamaro.
Dragan Petrović: It depends from game to game. I love watching Finn Russell’s antics on the pitch and Van Den Merwe who made a great impression on me in the game against England. I liked Ben Earle’s game. He’s a great player even though I never support England😂. I liked the young Italians Gabrisi, Ioane, Mononcello, Brax, Lucis Lanagh. For the Irish I liked Jameson Gibson Park, Crowley, Aki and the scrum of Ireland. I liked the young Frenchman Nolan Le Garec who is a great talent as is Stafford McDowall with the Scots.
Marko Žeravica: The young team of Wales made the biggest impression on me, as well as the line of Italy. Of course, some new representative names in the French team.
Mišel Milović: Bundi Aki
Tommaso Menoncello
Damien Penauld
Thomas Ramos
Nolan Le Gerec
Ben Earl
Duhan van der Merwe
Stevan Ilijašević: With the Irish, I must mention Andrew Porter, who played in an incredible rhythm. A player who does everything and participates everywhere, both in static and open play. He has drastically improved his discipline and is establishing himself as one of the best pillars in the world. His scrum mate, Tadh Bierne is definitely the engine of the Irish scrum, being an incredible player on both sides of the pitch. It may not be interesting to others, but the essay when he passed by Danti and Ficu where they didn’t even touch him with two hands is a masterpiece for a man who is almost two meters tall and weighs almost 115 kilograms. Others include Lowe who was very hard to beat in the shootout game and Bundy Aki who was again incredible.
Французи су добили ле Гарека, демија који може да испрати ниво игре једног Дупона. Код Италије то је дефинитивно Ламаро, који је био скоро у сваком раку. Одиграо је капитенски и усудио би се да кажем да је можда био најбољи крилни играч треће линије на турниру. Код Шкота ме је одушевио Хју Џонс који је толико опасан са лоптом, да помислите да је увек у некој шанси. Од Велшана ме је одушевио капитен Џенскинс који је са 21 годином добио огромну одговорност и пред којим је огромна каријера. Што се тиче Енглеза мени је врло интересантан Оли Чесум који је 2000. годиште и који има 23 године а имао сам утисак да игра као да има 35 година.
The French got le Garec, a scrumhalf who can match the level of play of one Dupont. In Italy it is definitely Lamaro, who was in almost every cancer. He played like a captain and I would venture to say that he might have been the best third-line winger in the tournament. With the Scots, I was delighted by Hugh Jones, who is so dangerous with the ball, that you think he always has a chance. From the Welsh, I was delighted by captain Jenskins, who at the age of 21 has been given a huge responsibility and has a huge career ahead of him. As for the English, I am very interested in Oli Chessum who was born in 2000 and is 23 years old, and I had the impression that he plays as if he is 35 years old.
5. Who are your positive impressions and which are negative?
Nikola Orlandić: Honestly, I have no negative impressions, the tournament was really good at a good competitive level, uncertain with a lot of unpredictable and surprising results and a lot of essays and good solutions of ideas. Perhaps the decline of Wales is a negative feeling, but they pay the price of poor performance and lack of young players. European teams still have a problem with the transition of scrum players in open play, there is a lack of skill and technique, creativity and certainly strength compared to teams from the southern hemisphere, except for the Irish who were the first to realize this and raised the skill level of all players to the level of centers. The promotion of the game in Italy after this success and a lot of new young players in all teams after the previous world championship, which has a lot of big holes to fill in their teams, is definitely positive.
Milan Orlović: For me, the competition itself is very positive and interesting. Good rugby and great entertainment. It is also pleasing that the teams have started to rejuvenate, some new leaders are maturing and it is interesting to follow their development. However, I have to admit that although I am not a fan of criticizing referees, the fact that on several occasions they have decided matches with their wrong decisions cannot be ignored. The video refereeing is also very irritating and I don’t see that it contributed drastically.
Nemanja Babić: All selections are close to each other in terms of playing tactics. Lots of points and uncertain matches. I really have nothing negative to write. It was a beautiful period of 8 weeks.
Uroš Jevđenijević: There were almost no negative impressions. The matches were very interesting, we could see how some of the best in the world play, great atmosphere at the matches followed by excellent rugby.
Đorđe Veličković: The positivity is in the elevation of the game in all teams, probably as I mentioned, the players know each other since they play in other countries and know what to expect.
The negative is that the trial can unfortunately change the course and outcome of the results. We all know that it is difficult to judge in a fast and tense game who is in front, who is blocking, who is not stable when going for the opponent’s ball, defense rating between tall and short players, essay under a crowd of players, etc. …….. the experience of the referee ends the match!
Bogdan Mihajlović: We have seen a lot of young and new players get their chance and use it, and as for the negative impression, I think that most of the teams were not interested and tired, considering that the recently ended World Cup, where no Europeans except the English were famous . I expected the French to fight more, to show that it was a bad game, for the English to spring a surprise and show why they were third, but in the end nothing new. Ireland was the only one to show consistency.
Dragan Petrović: The negative impression is the unrecognized essay of the Scots against France and their unexpected defeat by Italy. I’m a big Scotland fan and I’m always sorry when they lose, especially the way they lost against France, but what’s the point, that was the TMO referee’s decision and it should be respected. We are not footballers to whine and complain, but the regret and bitter taste of that lost game remain. On a positive note, the 6 Nations were likable and some good rugby was played. I liked the fact that a lot of players who are young got a chance and that will hopefully bring an even more unique 6 Nations 2025, where everyone will outplay everyone and where Italy will be able to beat everyone.
Marko Žeravica: Although they are the last, the positive impression of the Wales team, and the negative impression of the French team.
Mišel Milović: I think that the level of European rugby has improved a lot and that we no longer have complexes from teams from the southern hemisphere. The players are too tired from the Top 14 and the European Cup. We have to pay attention to the health of the players.
Stevan Ilijašević: Maybe it’s not always interesting to watch 6 nations like last year before the World Cup, but I think real fans like to watch how teams are built. This tournament is a reward for all fans to be able to see in which direction the teams will develop. It may seem geeky, but to me it is by far the most positive.
Instead of the negative ones, I would rather introduce the things that really annoy me. First of all, I am thinking of the so-called “caterpillar” in the ruck, where scrum players form a corridor, until the ball reaches the demi who shoots the ball. And it can last ten seconds, if not more. When the demi kicks and the ball stays in the field, then an irritating war with the shooters follows, which with the Dupont rule irritated me quite a bit.
6. How much of an impact does the 6 Nations Cup have on the rugby community around you?
Nikola Orlandić: Definitely a big one, the biggest European competition and an opportunity to watch, learn and enjoy top rugby. Always a good opportunity to tell and live the Rugby story, which is unfortunately a bit stagnant here at senior level for various reasons. Maybe it’s always a moment to start some new ideas, realize some old ones and make a contribution to our little Rugby world in Serbia. If nothing else, then seeing and hearing old friends with whom we shared the good and the bad on the field for years, which is perhaps priceless today.
After this competition, my favorite Super Rugby started, so there is no stopping and no end of learning, every year something new appears.
Big greetings to all Rugby players and friends and until the next opportunity.
Milan Orlović: In the United States, the rugby community follows the competition a lot. However, the level of excitement is not at such a high level. The six-hour time difference doesn’t help either, so there are a lot of games in the morning. The exception is when Ireland plays England. The Irish background has a really large number of people and they are very passionate in those situations, that’s the case in my club.
Nemanja Babić: The 6 Nations Cup was poorly followed, there is little work being done to promote rugby among Serbs. I have the feeling that it is left to spontaneous work and that there is no common strategy for the development of rugby sport in the local community.
Uroš Jevđenijević: Of course, it will always have a positive influence. Watching players of such calibre, one always learns something new and useful while having great fun while watching.
Đorđe Veličković: Since I live in Canada (across the river is the USA) where Rugby, due to the length of the trip, the risk of head injury, financial resources for Hockey, American football, Basketball, baseball, and now European football is not supported by schools and Rugby is becoming less popular than before with the invasion of players from England’s former colonies. We have a pretty good team with a field and new clubhouses and a youth program where my two grandsons also train in the winter and summer seasons. The Nations Cup is watched in the Club Rooms on weekends. With the new generation and growing interest in Rugby in the USA, especially with the Rugby Cup coming to the USA in 2031, we have hope. The new US-Canada league has contracts that are attractive to foreign players from the Pacific as well as domestic players who do not qualify for high-paid American football players.
Bogdan Mihajlović: Somehow, I still think that we have not reached our maximum regarding the promotion of rugby when it comes to the 6 Nations Cup. It will have to be done much better in the future.
Dragan Petrović: He makes a big impression because everyone is following him and waiting for him to start, plus young players can see the best quality professional rugby being played in Europe. Of course 6 National is a tournament that should be used to promote rugby sport in Serbia and the world. Of course, 6 Nationals is also a reason to try some Guinness😀 I would like to finally thank you for this Round Table and to greet the other “knights” of the Round Table whose writings I read with pleasure and wish them all to continue to be active in our rugby sport in Serbia in any way.
Marko Žeravica: I can only hope that our active rugby audience watched all the matches. In our country, we know that rugby is poorly followed. I’m just worried, did our active people in rugby watch the matches? I’m sure there are individuals who follow international club rugby all year round. So that the 6 nations will be some kind of fun for them to see off the club players in the national teams now. It is important to talk about rugby and spread the word. In Serbia, we cannot forever ignore the fact that Rugby is a great world sport.
Michel Milović: Regardless of whether France wins or loses, the impact is always huge. The French love rugby 🏉.
Stevan Ilijašević: It seems that there is nothing too big. Although we have a cable operator that broadcasts with local commentators, which is great. However, I think that there is little talk about rugby and matches. You have nothing to read almost anywhere, but that is not surprising considering what sports journalism has turned into in our country. With our website, as well as with the Podcast, we tried to create some additional material in order to popularize rugby. We hope that we managed to be interesting and interesting. Finally, I would like to thank all participants of the Round Table for taking the time to follow and write about rugby.
