We rugby players of the round table, apart from being quite analytical, stick to the previously made plan. That’s why even after two rounds played, and immediately before playing the third, we summarized our thoughts and analyzes of the previous part of the competition. And not only that, but we also discussed what we can expect in the further part of the competition. The round table will gather once more in this 6 Nations cycle when all the matches are completed, where we will give our final opinion on the tournament in the last act of this year’s show.
We can say that the Irish are shining, with two convincing victories. Those are also the only two games where it was not uncertain. Someone on social media jokingly said that the Irish needed to withdraw from the competition to make it suspenseful and interesting. However, in sports, nothing is over until all the matches are over and played. The English are also unbeaten. The French beat the Scots away, who again can beat anyone on a good day. The Welsh have a very young team, which oscillates quite a bit during the game, which is normal. The Italians are not bad at all, but they are struggling quite a bit, even Tommaso Allan left the team under extremely strange circumstances.
We are slowly but surely entering the period of unraveling, when everything will be decided in the following period. This weekend we are expecting a big derby in the Calcutta Cup, when Scotland and England will meet in Edinburgh, at Murrayfield. We will also have our representative at the match who will be on the spot and make a report. So next week, expect an analysis of the match from the pen of Dragan Petrović. France and Italy almost always play a quality game. It is often uncertain. The Irish are the big favorites in the match against the young Welsh, who nevertheless proved that they can play very well against favored teams. You can watch all matches live on the Arena Sport channel.
This time we asked six questions to the rugby players of the round table who were up to the task. We hope you enjoy the answers and discussion as much as we did creating the article. Enjoy a great weekend of rugby, follow us, play fantasy rugby and have fun.
Which team disappointed you and which left a positive impression?
Nikola Orlandić: Honestly, not a single team disappointed me, everyone plays at the expected level, the games are interesting and there will be more good duels until the end. As I am known as a fan of the southern hemisphere and a bit faster Rugby and way of thinking, I am glad that European Rugby has sped up, that there are a lot of good solutions in attacks, but still too many shots without a good idea, no pursuit of the ball and possessions given away unnecessarily the ball and putting his team in a defensive position. I always like the Scots and I like their temperament and development in recent years, and I think Wales have been stagnant for a long time and they need to change something in their game urgently.
Milan Orlović: I can say that the competition is interesting. Some of my predictions have been fulfilled, although I was a little mistaken in the first match. The fantastic Irish completely outplayed France, who raised the bar and stopped the sketchy Scots. The Welsh are fighting, the Italians are not enough, and the English are safe as predicted.
Nemanja Babić: Honestly, I’m not disappointed, that is, to put it better, I didn’t get the impression in the first two rounds that even one team failed. As for the positive impression, it is certainly Ireland! They are playing in an excellent rhythm and already, in my opinion, they are great contenders not only to win the title but also to take the Grand Slam.
Uroš Jevđenijević: Some teams were expected to play less well, such as Italy and Wales, besides, there were not so much disappointments as surprises, such as England. Wales has a lot of young and new players, so not much was expected from them, while the Italians have been playing poorly in the competition for a long time.
Đorđe Veličković: Still mixed impressions from the first round are slowly getting a better picture for the outcomes of future meetings. The French disappointed me the most. They are a very talented and good team, but also emotional, which makes them both successful and difficult without a decisive leader/captain. We all saw that they basically didn’t win in the second round either because the nervous referee “ran” with his decision which he couldn’t retract (my opinion)! Unfortunately, it was similar in the final of the World Cup for a penalty against Ardiae Savea from NZ, so the referee won (again my opinion, and if he was an excellent referee, he ran away).
I am pleasantly surprised with the Welsh and their sacrifice after the second half in the first round. The match of the first round is actually two different games where the “old” team played in the first half and in the second half the wise Warren Gatland, coach and strategist put in a “new” team and proved himself to those who asked to replace him. I must also point out the extraordinary control of the judge from NZ. The Welsh proved that with a close result against England and away from home in the second round. I hope some internal turmoil in their camp doesn’t affect team morale. The Italians also improved a lot with their game, although the results did not show it due to gross and basic mistakes.

Bogdan Mihajlović: The team that disappointed me was France. They played badly against the Irish and I think it will be a crucial game for them in the fight for the Six Nations Cup title. As for the team that left a positive impression on me personally, it is Wales.
Dragan Petrović: For me personally, the best impression was made by the Irish and the Welsh. The Irish are playing great rugby and I think they will win the 6 Nations for sure this year. Andy Farrell gave the opportunity to the young players to prove themselves and they fit in very well and showed that the Irish national team has a great rugby future. I particularly liked Wales with their young team. A great comeback against the Scots and a great performance against England shows that Wales coach Warren Gatland knows what he is doing and that his team will have more to show. They gave the Scots and the English a hard time and I can’t wait to see them in the next games. The disappointment for me and the big question mark were the French. They got the Scots with a bit of luck, but their play wasn’t all that great. France has been in decline since the World Cup and we’ll see if that decline stops? I expected a much better game from France and they are the biggest disappointment for me personally in the first two rounds played in the 6 Nations.
Marko Žeravica: Definitely the French. Something is seriously wrong with the discipline. Uini Antonio was literally asking to be booked by repeating the same dangerous play penalty twice. Both times in rucks in a row in front of the refeere. In the end he succeeded. Fortunately, the TMO referees did not reverse the situation, otherwise it would have been possible for some red card theory in the analysis after the yellow. Otherwise, the whole team seems to have no energy.
Mišel Milović: France disappointed me with the lack of discipline, but also with the aspect of conquering the field and aggressiveness. Antoine Dupont brought speed into the game and his selection was correct.
Ireland dominates world rugby. It is a very structured team with trusted players. Scotland and even Italy also play very good rugby.
Stevan Ilijašević: The French are definitely the biggest disappointment so far, not because of the result but because of the game itself. I can’t say I’m worried, because after the big shock at the World Cup, this tournament comes as a dampener. They finally managed to record a big win against the Scots, so we’ll see how strong they can be until the very end. The Irish left the most positive impression so far, they seem powerful and unstoppable. The Welsh have played two very good halves out of a total of four so far. Which is normal for a young team to oscillate and gather experience. The stairs are not skipped.
Can anyone stop the Irish?
Nikola Orlandić: Of course it can, but it must come from good organization and excellently prepared tactics. Without many gifted balls, as few mistakes as possible, especially in the final stages of the attack and certainly from a phenomenal and dedicated and disciplined defense, because the Irish have been paying dearly for all the opponents’ mistakes lately and they are certainly the top of world rugby today.
Milan Orlović: It will be a very difficult task. Many dice have to match for someone to take their scalp. The Scots may have a small chance with their great energetic combativeness.
Nemanja Babić: With this kind of game system, with aggressive defense and excellent execution in attack, I don’t see that any team can beat them. They have excellent individuals with perfect guidance from Farrell, they really work and look very powerful.
Uroš Jevđenijević: As expected, the Irish are playing excellently. With the victory in France, they got the wind at their backs and hardly anyone can match them. It will be a very interesting match against England.
Đorđe Veličković: I don’t believe it, maybe the Welsh would, but they are guests at Aviva in Dublin. The Irish have already “got water in their ears” and their attacks like a swarm of hornets make a mess of the opponents and they don’t stop until the end of the game. The team with the best condition in the cup. The injury of the excellent defender Hugo Keenan will weaken the team, but they always find a replacement and the team’s dedication will make up for it.

Bogdan Mihajlović: We’ll see how they play against the English. The Englishman seems like a 100% ready player who does not want to impose himself, but patiently waits for the right chance. We will see if they will use it, but for now the Irish seem invincible.
Dragan Petrović: Hardly any of the national teams that play 6 Nations can stop the Irish who simply trample everything in front of them. The team, which is made up of older and more experienced players like Furlong and younger ones coming up, shows its quality and a winning combination. The chemistry in that team is excellent and I think that this team will only excel in the following seasons and show its quality at the next World Cup 2027 in Australia, for which this team is already preparing.
Marko Žeravica: The Irish are playing very disciplined so far and it can be seen that the system of the game works no matter who gets involved in it. Definitely a big credit to the coaching staff. The only team that could possibly give them a headache is the England team because of the system and discipline as well.
Mišel Milović: Honestly, I’m not really sure. The Irish play rugby at an extremely high level with a lot of defensive pressure.
Stevan Ilijašević: It will be very difficult for anyone to stop and slow down the Irish, who play at a high level both defensively and offensively. I will be particularly interested to see how they fare against England. However, the speed at which they play and how they make decisions in an attack where each action has several options is fascinating.
Is Borthwick building a new England team?
Nikola Orlandić: Certainly he is building, which is not easy at all, but if he succeeds and integrates the right players and a more modern approach to the open game, we can certainly expect good matches and a fantastic World Cup in Australia in 2027. Although this team is really good right now and is playing at a fantastic level. He was challenged a lot as a coach when he took over the team and had a couple of bad lucks in the period before the World Cup, but now he has shown that he has some ideas that his predecessors could not or did not dare to implement.
Milan Orlović: It seems to me that they have completely returned to the old English school of rugby based on strong central defense, pressure and shooting into the field. Players are required to be physically fit and responsible. It can bring a result, but hardly anyone can outplay that way, not even the Italians, as we had the opportunity to see. Although anyone will have a hard time against them, even the Irish.
Nemanja Babić: I’m a big fan of Borthwick and I like how he prepares his team slowly and without great euphoria. I like the philosophy of the game under his bat and I can’t wait for the return of Smith, to see how and how much I can do with him. It also has a killer third line alongside excellent defensive backs. The tall players on the wings are another signature of the coach who actually entered this tournament for the first time with the players he selected himself.
Uroš Jevđenijević: Borthwick is doing well for now. Not much can be said until he plays against a more serious opponent, because against Wales and Italy, victory was expected.
Đorđe Veličković: It is not clear to me whether he is building it or just experimenting. Me after the close results against Italy away and at home against the Welsh. He will probably do a lot of experiments and we will see how successful they are. A similar story as with the French, they don’t have a permanent leader of the game who shows by example and sacrifice! George Ford is not so ambitious and aggressive for attacks and Marcus Smith is again too nervous and tries to solve everything by himself, he is not a typical team player.

Bogdan Mihajlović: The man definitely has an idea that he implements slowly. He is not new to the national team, he has been there for a long time so he saw what the English lack and I think he will be the right solution for them. He waited for his chance, now just to take it.
Dragan Petrović: Obviously, he is building because he invited a lot of new and younger players. He invited a lot of players from the team leading the table, which is Northampton Saints, because finally the players who are in shape and playing good rugby started to get a chance, and not just big names like before, where the question is raised about how motivated and ready they are to provide maximum and good games. Borthwick will rejuvenate the team and give a chance to fit players who want to bite and who are in the best shape and age. I think that Cole, Marler, Vunipula, Johnny May and some other players are ending their representative careers and giving way to new forces.
Marko Žeravica: I agree that he is doing something new and that we will see it in the coming games. Slightly different teams of players and the system they play. Some of the changes he prepared are missing, but injuries to key players have hindered him a bit.
Mišel Milović: Yes, the English coach is doing a very good job and England is rediscovering its game based on strength and physical predispositions and even manages to surprise with its speed and intelligence in the game.
Stevan Ilijašević: True fans and sports fans love to follow their favorite team as it builds from the ground up and progresses over time. I think that the English are on a very good way to build a very high-quality team. I think we can expect young players to get more and more chances to prove themselves. They lack solidity in defense, yet they conceded 37 points to Wales and Italy in the first two rounds. We will see how effective the defense will be in the slightly stronger games that await them. What is particularly fascinating to me is the game in the air where Steward and Freeman are unassailable. So far, I like how the team is building and reacting to Brotwick’s ideas.
Does France miss Dupont that much? Can the French find their rhythm by the end of the competition?
Nikola Orlandić: Certainly. I didn’t think it would feel that much, but it did, and unfortunately it might be the biggest disappointment if we look at the whole team and France’s ambitions. I think that they are a better team than to lose their rhythm without one player, although they have time to get back on track, but now it seems that not much more depends on them.
Milan Orlović: More mentally than playing. The talent they have without him is undeniable. They have the most potential, but a lot depends on the dressing room and the current mood. Nothing is over yet, you can expect a great attack from them, but the results will depend primarily on the defense.
Nemanja Babić: It’s definitely a big problem and France doesn’t have a game without Dupont. Maybe one more screw and that is Ntamack. The game of the French seems difficult and very painful. They are far from disappointing, but there is no fluidity, lethality and no consistency in the game even for 60 minutes.
Uroš Jevđenijević: I believe that France will find a way to regain the rhythm and finish the competition strongly. They were lucky against the Scots, after a controversial decision in their favor that should put them on their nerves.
Đorđe Veličković: It is missing a lot. To break them out of that scattered and disjointed game, with many mistakes both in the melee and on the outside, only Dupon could have been the builder of the game. As an exemplary captain, with his overview of the game and with incredible sacrifice, he is also credited with the victory over the All Blacks in the World Cup. Unfortunately, even if they try, as far as I’ve noticed, both Fickou and Ramos try unsuccessfully, but they can’t replace him. Maybe against Italy, but it will be more difficult away from home against England and especially Wales.

Bogdan Mihajlović: It seems that a lot is missing. Still paired with Ntamack, it’s definitely not that France. Lucu did not live up to expectations in the first match against the Irish when he was most needed. Again, it’s a waste of time for them to catch up to the end when they have to play strong and important games firmly and safely.
Dragan Petrović: I think so, but not only him. Ntamack was also missing. Simply, this duo is hard to replace, but of course that is not the only reason for the decline and weaker game of the French national team. I think there are several other reasons for which the game is in cancer and the drop in motivation after not winning the World Cup. The game of France is simply not the same without Dupont and his breakthroughs. We will see if they manage to improve something in their game. I think the good schedule of matches they have will help them. It will be interesting to see them in Wales where they will be visiting, and how they will play.
Marko Žeravica: You are missing as well, but so is Ntamack, who together with him is the heart of the team. I still believe that Jaliber can be a good replacement, but he can’t seem to find his rhythm.
Mišel Milović: Yes, it’s obvious. He is a master of the game, and the French team lacks his authority. Will the French manage to find their rhythm by the end of the competition? I’d say yes, provided they get over the disappointment of the World Cup and the absence of Dupont.
Stevan Ilijašević: It is missing, but I think that the whole system is not working at the moment. But in time, everything will fall into place when the team is back on the winning track. Galtie will very easily combine the ranks of his team. In the next two games, they have slightly easier opponents, which is an ideal opportunity to regain confidence.
What does it take for the Scots to find their groove?
Nikola Orlandić: Well, for starters, the TMO should be abolished and better refereeing … a bit of a joke, but this is not far from the truth in my opinion, because perhaps the strongest impression is very bad refereeing in important moments and critical situations, which together with the new and increasingly illogical rules it really makes sometimes games painful to watch. The Scots have really been damaged this year, and let’s say their effort and effort has not been adequately rewarded, but we have seen other teams fall victim to disastrous decisions as well. The only good thing is that Rugby is still a gentleman’s sport and fair play and proud submission to defeat and injustice is still an example for many sports.
Milan Orlović: The real game for them is coming. If they win, they have something to hope for. They must reduce the number of mistakes and increase discipline. The question is how much is possible with their “all or nothing” style of play.
Nemanja Babić: Maybe they should say goodbye to Rasela. 🤔 Joke😅 or not, maybe that shock therapy will help. Really strange defeats and despite the debatable decisions of the referees, the Scots had a chance, not one and in both games to win. I’m not smart and I don’t have a solution.
Uroš Jevđenijević: The Scots should not be disappointed with their performance at all. An important victory in Wales only encouraged them, then an excellent game against the favorites France in which they could have done better if there was no confusion in the decision that was made. Scotland now have to look forward and not look back and I think they have the potential to finish the competition on a high.
Uroš Jevđenijević: The Scots should not be disappointed with their performance at all. An important victory in Wales only encouraged them, then an excellent game against the favorites France in which they could have done better if there was no confusion in the decision that was made. Scotland now have to look forward and not look back and I think they have the potential to finish the competition on a high.

Bogdan Mihajlović: A little more confidence and concentration. As for further predictions, I’ll have to remain secretive as I wait for Finn Russell to come back with new information, haha.
Dragan Petrović: I think they will need the return of a couple of injured players like Darcy Graham and Kinghorn if possible. Dercy Graham is slated to return after the second round, so we’ll see what happens. Personally, I didn’t really like the performance of the Scots line in the second half against the not-so-great France. Harry Peterson and Kyle Rowe are great talents, but their inexperience was the deciding factor in the essay scored by the French. It’s a pity that there is no Johnny Gray in the team. Hugh Jones and Sione Tuipulotu have not played at the level expected of them so with better line play and disciplined play the Scots can field a great team that will find a rhythm to win. On Saturday, they play against the English, for whom they will not lack motivation.
Marko Žeravica: I think they need one “closer” of the game. Russell is not the type of player who knows how to close the game, but plays mostly for the crowd. This often costs them victory.
Mišel Milović: Not much. Just adjusting in defense, especially on the wings. Both running and an aggressive third line in crabs are missing.
Stevan Ilijašević: More stable play in the scrum and better defense. They definitely must not allow themselves big oscillations. Against the French, they again had a fall in the second part of the match. Same as against Wales in the first round. The problem seems to be finishing games. Hand in hand with the French, the end of the game was quite controversial, but still, it’s a problem if you lead in the 67th minute 16-10 and end up losing 20-16.
Which players made an impression on you in these two rounds?
Nikola Orlandić: I didn’t notice any player who stood out excessively, but in general I think that the finishers are at a high level, especially the wings. That they have exceptional skills and that they are really extremely successful from some half-chance and half-built actions. There were a lot of nice open-play approaches and long phases and I like the idea of keeping possession and being patient until a good opportunity presents itself. I also think that the coaches have started to think more modernly and we certainly see that European rugby has accelerated and is becoming on a global level equal to the southern hemisphere, which was not the case for many years.
We have 3 more rounds and there will certainly be interesting matches, maybe some new star will shine. But by the way, I should also say that the European Rugby Championship is underway and there are really good matches, nice to watch, and maybe soon one of the teams will join the team from the Six Nations because the quality is growing phenomenally every year. In any case, plenty of good Rugby for everyone, Super Rugby is about to start so let’s enjoy it while it lasts.
Greetings to all Rugby players and friends.
Milan Orlović: There were not too many surprises. Russell was up to the task. Bierne justified the role of the engine of the Irish scrum, and Lowe the line. Earl emerges as the first option in the attack. Perhaps we should mention Crowley because he stepped into heavy boots, but for now he is totally in the game, he just needs to improve his shooting.
Nemanja Babić: Several players draw attention to themselves. Only the second round of the tournament is over. I wouldn’t want to talk about the names now because the list is really big and as the tournament gets closer to the end I will have a player or two that I will single out.
Đorđe Veličković: We see older and more experienced players with longer experience year after year, and in a way we know what we expect from them. Meanwhile, I am impressed with the young talent who justified their selection. For the Irish, Joe McCarthy from the scrum whose physical presence is difficult to stop. On his first appearance, winger Calvin Nash had an excellent overview of the game and is a team player.
With the Italians, young but already experienced as a winger and defender, Ange Capuozzo. Neither a smaller player nor a bigger attack for the opponent, I enjoy when he gets the ball in his hands and with his excellent overview of the game makes impressive breakthroughs. For the Scots, young winger at the beginning of his career Harry Peterson is an excellent replacement for his predecessor Steward Hogg. With the Welsh, Cameron Winnett on his first appearance seems to have years of experience behind him and is fearless in the fight for high balls. Alex Menn in the scrum on his first appearance already has one try in his seniority for the national team. With the English, in an older team, I appreciate the reliability of Maro Itoje both in the scrum and in the out lines.
In the case of the French, it all boils down to the success of a few more experienced players such as Fickou, Ramos, Antonio, Olivion and Penaud.

Bogdan Mihajlović: My attention was drawn to the guy from Wales, Cameroon Winnet, who found space very well, and the Frenchman Francois Cross, who simply did not let people through.
Dragan Petrović: Literally the entire Ireland team that left a great impression on me as well as the young players in the Wales team. I liked Rio Dyer’s game against England. He played great. Finn Russell played a good two games in the Scots shirt and shared great balls. I also have to mention Tommy Reffell and Aaron Wainwright from Wales who were fantastic in the game against the Scots. Pay attention to these two players. Ben Earl played great for England and I really liked his game.
Marko Žeravica: If I look from the perspective of the audience, then it is Russell, but if I look from the perspective of some analysis, it is definitely the young French winger Louis Biele-Biarrey.
Michel Milovic: James Lowe from Ireland and Louis Biele-Biarrey.
Stevan Ilijašević: Ben Earl and Tadh Bierne are the two players who left the biggest impression on me. In the first two matches Earl worked non-stop, in the second match he scored an incredible essay with two players less. A real crank, a player you don’t want to play against. Byrne did not feature in the second match but was incredible against the French. Offensively, he was extremely mobile for his size, and defensively, he was a real threat to the opponent.