Yet again, England and France will do battle in a final round title-decider. Somehow, the Red Roses have taken their game to another level this season, claiming every available point in the Championship thus far. France didn’t claim a bonus point in Round 2, but this is all that has separated them from a perfect record. Can they channel their home advantage and claim a famous victory? This will surely be a spectacle befitting such a competitive day of Championship rugby, brought to life by insights provided by Sage.
To kick off the last Saturday of the Championship, Wales have their final opportunity of redemption. Last weekend, they made 325 more passing metres than they have in any other match (1,014). However, all avenues were closed to the Welsh as they were punished by the explosive French attack. As the French scoreboard pressure grew, Wales’ efforts to hold onto the ball played into their opponents’ hands, yielding good opportunities when turnovers came. Wales made just 281 metres of territory gain in Round 4 – the joint-fewest in a match this season. To salvage a win in the last match of their campaign, they will need to manage the game more assertively.
Italy also have a point to prove, having only won one match in the Championship so far. Their match against Scotland was end to end, with a narrow scoreline not going their way despite impressive moments with ball in hand. This weekend, improved discipline could see them finish their campaign on a high. Le Azzurre have conceded more territory from penalty kicks than any other team this season, an average of 140 metres per match. Minimising this number will be crucial to allow them to release talents such as Alyssa d’Inca as close to the try line as possible.
Scotland, on the other hand, will be buoyed by their hard-fought victory in Round 4. The cost of their ill-discipline was also high last weekend: they conceded more territory from penalty kicks than any team has in a match this season (170 metres). However, their attack was effective enough for them to claim a crucial win. Scotland made the second-most passing metres in Round 4 (1,089), 301 more than they have in any other Championship match. If Scotland can boost their efficiency with ball in hand – turning pressure into points – they could finish with three wins from five.
For Ireland, ecstasy turned to agony last weekend. After an emphatic win against Wales in Round 3, Ireland were the victim of England’s magnum opus of the Championship so far. However, this weekend is their final opportunity to show their progress in this season. A notable feature of Ireland’s new game plan is their expansive kicking game: they have made more kicking metres than any other team, an average of 665 metres per match. Central to this, Dannah O’Brien is the only player who has made over a kilometre of territory gain this season (1,547). Can she and Ireland bounce back?
Round 5 culminates at the Stade Chaban-Delmas, where the overall Champion will be decided. The quality of France’s performances in the Championship so far shouldn’t be overshadowed by England’s dominance thus far. They have been aggressive in defence and lethal in attack, transitioning from one to the other with unplayable majesty. France have the lowest pass-to-kick ratio in the Championship (6.7) but the highest percentage of long passes (11.6% have travelled over ten metres). They’re happy to play without the ball but segue into their wide attack seamlessly when opportunities arise.
England have a different approach to attack, able to go edge-to-edge constantly in attack. The Red Roses are the only team that have averaged over a kilometre of passing distance per match this season (1,158) and have the longest average pass distance (6.1 metres). Across the pitch, England can rely on quality distributors and attacking threats. The central conduit of the Championship’s most dominant attack, Holly Aitchison has made more passing metres than any other fly-half (879) and has the second-longest average pass distance (6.9 metres). England have had a sublime Guinness Women’s Six Nations thus far, arguably the best of their many famous campaigns. Can they finish the job in France?
