'England exposed to the importance of the Farrells'

Sky Sports News' James Cole takes a look backmost connected the 2023 Six Nations, assessing the authorities of play with each broadside up of the World Cup successful France aboriginal this year...

Ireland

Ireland were, rather simply, caput and shoulders supra the remainder successful this year's Six Nations.

The expansive slam was a fitting extremity to an fantabulous run - and, indeed, an fantabulous 12 months. They've present won 10 Tests successful a row, which including an historical bid triumph successful New Zealand.

Jonny Sexton seems to beryllium getting amended with property and whitethorn deliberation doubly astir his determination to discontinue aft the satellite cup.

• Ireland assertion historical Grand Slam against 14-player England
• Borthwick excited by England's World Cup potential
• Sexton: Ireland glory is amended than champion time of my life

Their backmost 3 person each taken their games to different level - James Lowe, Mack Hansen and Hugo Keenan are present a lethal combination. They've besides got immense spot successful extent successful their squad to telephone upon.

Please usage Chrome browser for a much accessible video player

Ireland caput manager Andy Farrell was delighted to clinch the Grand Slam connected location turf portion England's Steve Borthwick admitted his broadside fell short.

Ireland caput manager Andy Farrell was delighted to clinch the Grand Slam connected location turf portion England's Steve Borthwick admitted his broadside fell short.

And arsenic for caput manager Andy Farrell, helium has created an situation successful which his players tin explicit themselves and thrive.

Hansen said arsenic overmuch this weekend, suggesting the motivational skills of Farrell are unrivalled

"All the coaches [deserve credit] but Andy, helium tin conscionable get you up for a crippled similar nary other," Hansen said. "He conscionable seems to accidental each of the close things and it conscionable sounds cooler successful his accent arsenic well.

The RFU indispensable beryllium wondering wherefore connected world they fto Farrell spell successful 2016.

France

France were dilatory starters successful this run and weren't astatine their champion - not until they produced 1 of their top ever performances to destruct England astatine Twickenham.

Italy were beaten by conscionable 5 points successful Rome successful the opening round, they past mislaid to Ireland and lone conscionable held disconnected Scotland earlier everything yet clicked arsenic they ran riot against England.

Weaknesses had been exposed against Ireland, but you consciousness this French broadside volition highest erstwhile it matters.

In skipper Antoine Dupont they person a freakish endowment who tin single-handedly crook a game, portion their backmost 3 of Damian Penaud, Thomas Ramos and Etan Dumortier are clinical.

Add to that the information person 1 of the biggest and astir almighty packs successful satellite rugby and it's wide wherefore they are bookies favourites to triumph the World Cup connected location ungraded aboriginal this year.

Scotland

Scotland had an fantabulous run and 1 that has near Scottish supporters wondering wherefore caput manager Gregor Townsend's aboriginal beyond the World Cup remains successful doubt.

Finn Russell was scintillating passim and present that helium and Townsend person healed their differences, Scotland are hitting their straps.

What's more, Blair Kinghorn's show against Italy, which saw him container a hat-trick, has shown besides their extent astatine No 10.

Giant winger Duhan Van der Merwe has taken his crippled to different level, and the centre operation of Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu has been a large success.

Scotland hadn't won their archetypal 2 games successful this contention since 1996, but they enactment that to furniture with awesome wins implicit England and Wales. It's conscionable specified a shame that they find themselves successful a World Cup excavation alongside South Africa and Ireland, from which lone 2 volition progress.

England

England are a broadside successful modulation and they're moving retired of clip to beryllium competitory successful France.

New caput manager Steve Borthwick has been speedy to laic the blasted connected his predecessor Eddie jones - but Borthwick's determination to driblet Owen Farrell successful favour of Marcus Smith against France backfired massively.

Please usage Chrome browser for a much accessible video player

Steve Borthwick said England's dense Six Nations decision to France was 'painful'.

Steve Borthwick said England's dense Six Nations decision to France was 'painful'.

England fans learnt the hard mode conscionable however important Farrell is to this side, whether astatine 10 oregon 12, which is thing that Jones preached for years.

Up front, England's battalion restored immoderate pridefulness connected the last play successful Dublin but the deficiency of spot successful extent - peculiarly astatine prop - is striking. Number 8 besides remains an contented and calls for Zach Mercer to get a accidental volition grow.

Behind the scrum, Freddie Steward has been a revelation and was outstanding. His reddish paper successful Dublin was harsh and shouldn't overshadow however good helium has played.

In Ollie Lawrence, Borthwick has different shot carrying centre speech from Manu Tuilagi, portion Jack Van Portvliet has usurped his Leicester team-mate Ben Youngs astatine No 9. When you look astatine it similar that, Borthwick has made large strides successful evolving this team.

The decision to France aside, England person made progress, albeit they are inactive good abbreviated of the best.

Maybe 1 time they'll bespeak connected that nighttime Twickenham turned Les Bleus and reason it was a pugnacious but important lesson.

Wales

It was a turbulent run for Wales, some connected and disconnected the field.

Head manager Warren Gatland's reappointment brought overmuch anticipation to Welsh fans but it didn't materialise successful this campaign.

The chastening decision to Scotland was a world cheque for many. Off the field, the interaction enactment and menace of onslaught enactment earlier England's sojourn to Cardiff divided the squad and the crippled itself.

On the pitch, Gatland continuously chopped and changed his teams during the run arsenic helium struggled to find the equilibrium betwixt improvement and revolution.

The emergence of young centres Joe Hawkins and Mason Grady is simply a large plus. Wales besides person a plethora of talented backmost rowers but lacked cutting borderline erstwhile it mattered.

That said, they'll beryllium hard to bushed travel the World Cup - and were they to conscionable England successful the quarter-finals, you wouldn't regularisation retired Gatland masterminding different England downfall.

Italy

Italy whitethorn person ended up winless and with the woody spoon but they showed they tin present vie with the best.

Had they been much objective against Wales and Scotland, Kieran Crowley's broadside could good person produced an upset.

They were besides the amended squad successful the 2nd fractional against England, portion they pushed some France and Ireland person than anyone would person predicted.

Italy are amended present than ever earlier - but they indispensable commencement taking their opportunities.

Unfortunately for them, they find themselves successful a World Cup excavation alongside New Zealand and hosts France. It's hard to spot them emerging from that one.