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We are over the halfway point of this year’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations, and we have already enjoyed plenty of fine rugby over the past three weekends.
France may top the table with a perfect record of 15 points from 15 that mean they can wrap up the title with a bonus point victory over Scotland, but there have been great performances – collectively and individually - across the Championship.
ATR looks at one player from each team who has caught our attention…
Charles Ollivon, France
A lot of the focus has been on France’s new players, but it is one of their most established who had stood out in their three victories.
Charles Ollivon, once a main stay of the French backrow, has been converted into a speedy and agile second row. He responded in their first two matches, against Ireland and Wales, by doing what he’s always done and used his powerful running to break the line, tackling line a demon and running strong support lines that earned him tries against Ireland and Wales.
Ollivon was on the bench against Italy when Fabien Galthie opted for the meatier pair of Thibaud Flament and Emmanuel Meafou, but he came on for 26 minutes in the backrow. He responded well and in his time on the pitch made three carries and seven tackles. More importantly, he’s given Galthie another second row option when his need is speed, rather than bulk.
Rory Darge, Scotland
If Gregor Townsend wants his team to play with speed and width then Darge is one of his key players. They need his turnover skills, they need his support running, and they need his speed to the breakdown. By golly, he’s done all three this Championship.
Arguably, Darge was outplayed by Italy’s Michele Lamaro and Manuel Zuliani in their opening defeat to Italy, and he made only the one turnover. A week later, he upped that number to three, one more than all of England’s side could manage. Of course, victory came.
Then in Cardiff, he made two of Scotland’s three, which goes some to explaining why his team struggled for so long. He did weigh in with 14 tackles though, to show that whatever he is doing well, Scotland need him to keep doing that to keep their winning run going.
Stuart McCloskey, Ireland
The living embodiment of patient being a virtue. For so long McCloskey has had to watch and wait as others received Ireland call ups, with Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki dominating the green 12 jersey.
He made his Ireland debut against England in the 2016 Six Nations and then didn’t feature in the tournament until he played three times in 2023. Two more Championship appearances came in 2024, but now, aged 33, he is finally in line to play five in five.
The Ulsterman has certainly impressed, playing as if to the manner born. England couldn’t handle his direct running, his crunching tackle to stop Marcus Smith’s breakaway will be shown for years to come, and his deft hands set Jamie Osborne free to open Ireland’s account against Italy, just as it appeared that the blue wall wasn’t for moving.
In the three matches this season, he has carried 38 times, made 37 passes, made 40 tackles and won three turnovers. The wait to nail down a place has taken a while, but McCloskey is certainly making the most of his chance.
Joe Heyes, England
The talk before the Championship was whether England would face France in Paris for a Grand Slam decider, and not without reason after 11 straight wins. Then came Scotland at Murrayfield, and Ireland at Allianz Stadium.
Everywhere you looked, England players lost their heads. Discipline fell apart, the defence was cut to ribbons, and just the simple act of passing to a player in the same coloured shirt deserted Steve Borthwick’s side.
One area that didn’t falter was the scrum, with much of that down to Heyes’ anchoring of the pack from tighthead. He has made the public quickly forget that Will Stuart is injured and has made well-respected props look ordinary.
England’s history guide on tour, Heyes is definitely leaving future generations plenty to look back on. So far, England have a 100 percent record from their scrums. Heyes has 11 carries and 27 tackles, respectable figures but they could be better. Nonetheless, Borthwick can be thankful he has one area of the game covered.
Lorenzo Cannone, Italy
The younger of Italy’s two Florentine brothers, both of whom share their names with famous figures from the Renaissance city’s past, has made himself unmovable at number eight, which is no bad thing for coach Gonzalo Queada, who is without potential rivals Sebastian Negri and Ross Vintcent.
With Michele Lamaro and Manuel Zuliani buzzing around him on the flank he had to provide the power and boy has he done so. Over Italy’s three matches he carried 26 times, making 54 metres post contact. He has made 52 carries, won three lineouts, and two turnovers. If you need it, he can do it.
With Negri and Vintcent still out, Cannone will need this rest week more than most, because he will be straight into the team when England visit Rome in Round 4. Oddly enough, he is the sort of player Borthwick could use, a powerful force providing a point of contrast to two speedy, flankers.
Josh Adams, Wales
Another (relatively) golden oldie adding some experience and cutting edge to a team that needs both in as big as quantities as possible right now.
Against England and Scotland, he scored his 25th and 26th international tries, and his experience on one wing, and Ellis Mee’s promise on the other mean that Wales coach Steve Tandy can continue to develop Louis Rees-Zammit as a fullback.
Of course, he is more than just a movable part in Wales’s backline. He is one of the few people in the squad who can remember the good times. Let’s not forget that in 2019 Warren Gatland’s side won the Grand Slam and reached the World Cup semifinals, with Adams finishing the tournament as leading try scorer.
There is little that Adams hasn’t seen in a Wales shirt – good and bad – and they will need his nous, as well as his try scoring ability, as they work their way back to respectability.