Check Out Some of the Highlights from the 2019 Six Nations Championship
Wales took home another title after topping England and Ireland by some distance. Nobody can deny the superiority of the welsh in this competition and for some commentators it’s not a surprise that this young team won the trophy. And since everyone agrees that Wales was right to win the title, let’s take a look at some of the other interesting aspects we witnessed in this championship.
Player of the Tournament
The importance of a strong and united team is truer for rugby than in many other team sports. However, in such a high-level competition, an individual spark can sometimes break a very heavy balance. And in terms of who was the best player of the tournament we can definitely say that Wales’s captain Alun Wyn Jones stood at the center of his team’s deserved success. Without topping any vita statistic like set-pieces or other stats, Alun Wyn Jones set new standards for intangibles like passion or soul. The three grand slams he won as a player made it a sure thing for him to go into the hall of fame.
The steady nerves, savvy game-management and strength of character equally contributed to the team’s success. Coming from behind to win against both England and France, keeping Scotland at a distance and bossing Ireland around were all possible, in part, thanks to this colossal captain that Wales has. As Michael Aylwin said “Wales are twice the team when he plays at full-back”. He saved the day just like a huge jackpot at an online casino Australia would!
Best Match of the Tournament
It’s very hard to put your finger on the best match of this tournament since we were able to witness some remarkable games. From the atmosphere in Cardiff or the shock in Dublin when England demolished the home team, the entire championship was filled with great matches. It really depends on why you’re watching rugby. If it’s for the big surprises than Ireland vs England is the best match for the astonishing defeat of the home team, however, the clash between England vs Scotland was also impressive. Let’s not forget the opening night in Paris when Wales made an excellent comeback.
Since we have to pick just one match, Ireland vs England remains the top pick for the impressive performance of England and the way they perfectly blocked any tentative of recovery the Irish ever made.
Biggest Surprise
Finally, an easy one. It goes without saying that Ireland’s defeat at home against England was a huge surprise for everyone. Some may say that even England’s team couldn’t believe how easy it was to take the points home. From an Ireland that beat the All blacks back in autumn and the team that got trounced by Wales now in the spring there’s a huge difference. The surprise was so big that many commentators wondered if there could be any other reason than a lack of motivation or form. It’s true, defeating New Zealand can give you the impression that you’re unbeatable, however, a professional team like Ireland should’ve known better.
Some may say that there was a bigger tactic involved – playing the long game. With the weak score in the Six Nation tournament, the expectations for the looming World Cup will definitely be much lower and the team can perform better in a stress-free environment.
What can We Expect from 2020?
Well, considering that until the next edition of the Six Nations tournament, we’re going to enjoy high-quality rugby at the RWC 2019, it’s fair to assume that any team bouncing straight into Six Nations after a good World Cup campaign will have great chances at winning the trophy as well. But no matter what the World Cup would look like, the next season should bring more of the same: intensity, entertaining, unpredictability.
On the other hand, we could witness the first Six Nations tournament without some of the huge names like Warren Gatland, Joes Schmidt or maybe Eddie Jones. You can’t really shake off the impression that this year’s tournament is the end of an era. All we can do until then is wait and see how the world of international rugby shapes up and. There are plenty questions left unanswered regarding how domestic rugby leagues look and other important regulations, so there’s enough to keep us busy until the World Cup.
