A sad farewell for Warren Gatland
For me, one of the certainties of this year's Guinness Men's Six Nations Championship is unfortunately that the Wales team is very, very far from the standards it had set a few years ago. Compared to other nations, the gap is enormous.
It really saddens me, because I grew up watching great Welsh teams, teams that scared the best. And to now see them struggling like that? We are never happy to see a team in such trouble.
So, is this a generational gap? Not necessarily. But it will take time for this team to rebuild and find its identity. Will it come back to challenge the best nations in the Championship? That's the big question.
You have to ask whether it was a good idea to dismiss him in the middle of the Championship. Would it have been better to wait until the end? This is another important question.
But, in my opinion, the real question is: shouldn't it have been done before? Because in the end, if you want to attack the Championship with a new coaching staff, you might as well do it from the start, with new energy and a group that starts with a positive dynamic. Starting the competition dragging the weight of all these past defeats doesn't help anyone.
However, it's always difficult to judge from the outside. But I still have the impression that it might have been more judicious to turn the page before the start of this year's Championship.
That said, it doesn't take away from what Gatland brought to Wales. The ending is sad, yes, but the history between him and this nation remains magnificent.
What if Shaun Edwards took over from Gatland?
It's true that Shaun Edwards is often synonymous with defence, but above all, he is someone who has real expertise in rugby, and a deep understanding of the game.
All the players I have been around and who knew him, whether at club or national level, only say good things about him. He is a strong character, with solid principles and convictions. And when you take on a team, I think it is essential to immediately impose high standards. Edwards clearly checks all the boxes.
In addition, he is a confident candidate. I like people who are not afraid to say loud and clear: “I am interested in this position, I think I have the qualities for it." I’d rather deal with someone like Edwards, who’s upfront about their ambition, rather than those who scheme behind the scenes, doing everything to get the job while acting indifferent in public. At least with Edwards, it's clear.
I expected better from Scotland
Honestly, I expected better from Scotland. I even put them as winners, partly because of their schedule, which seemed rather favourable to me. But in the end, they were not at the level I hoped for.
I think the loss of captain Sione Tuipulotu hurt them a lot. He is much more than a team captain: he is a player capable of changing the course of a match single-handedly. His absence has been felt.
After all, Ireland are indeed a very good team, but I expected the Scots to put up more of a fight. Their first victory against Italy could have laid the foundations for a more successful tournament.
Their last match of the 2025 Guinness Men's Six Nations against France promises to be challenging for Scotland. They'll still remember the heartbreaking ending of last year's tournament when a last-second try was disallowed. This kind of action marks a group. We will see if they use it as a source of motivation or if it weighs on their shoulders.
This generation of Italians refuse to accept fate
When we look at Italy today, we see a team that is really starting to catch on with the other nations. Before, we tended to say, “Italy will start well, but if we score a try quickly, it will dampen their morale and they will collapse." This is no longer the case.
I think there has been a real change in mentality. This generation refuses to accept fate. They gained confidence in themselves, which was evident in last year's Six Nations. This confidence has brought them a lot. They had their best Championship in a long time and were on the verge of beating France. That changes everything in the heads of the players.
The head coach, Gonzalo Quesada, plays a key role. Having worked with him when he was on the French coaching staff, he is someone who knows how to find the right words, who gives players a chance and who knows how to give them confidence. So I'm not surprised to see this team progress to this point.
Today, all nations take Italy seriously. Even in last year's Autumn Nations Series, they held off New Zealand for quite a while. It's no longer a team that you beat simply by applying your game plan - you really have to go after it.
There has also been the emergence of world-class international players.
Sebastian Negri, for example, is relentless in defence and the contact area, averaging an immense 15 to 16 tackles per match. Ange Capuozzo continues to showcase his creativity, while Michele Lamaro leads by example. Meanwhile, players like Lorenzo Cannone, his brother Niccolò, and Tommaso Menoncello are reaching their prime. Aged between 25 and 30, they have the experience and maturity to take their game to the next level.
Italy are no longer there to make up the numbers. And that’s great news for the Championship.
Have confidence in this French team
On the French side, we are a little divided. On the one hand, we feel that the players gave a lot, but on the other, we wonder how it is possible to make so many basic mistakes. It's paradoxical.
Entertaining England win remarkable encounter against France
When we look at this generation, we say to ourselves that in almost all positions, France have players who are in the top five, or even the top three in the world. I'm not sure we've ever had such impressive bench depth. Obviously, this creates enormous expectations. But in recent years, there has also been a lot of frustration: getting knocked out in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, and a difficult Six Nations last year.
We talk a lot about the style of play of the France team, the lack of initiative in attack, and the excessive use of kicking. It fuels debates and, sometimes, annoyance.
We believe Fabien Galthié has a plan for the future and a vision of where he wants to take this team. However, the World Cup quarter-final defeat dented his standing with the public. The heavy loss to Ireland last year only deepened those doubts. While France did secure a win against Wales, it came against a side who are rebuilding. Obviously, this raises questions. But it’s also very French, as soon as there’s a problem, to question everything.
So, should we throw everything away? No, of course not. In the past, we often wanted to change everything too quickly, and that did us more harm than anything else. You have to have confidence in this team. His winning percentage remains impressive - only the Irish have done better in recent years.
In the end, we are always judged by results. If France can reignite the well-oiled machine and capitalise on its opportunities, like those missed against England, there will be no more debate.
So no, no need to start a fire. Patience is required. And often, patience pays off.
Why so little support for England?
On the English side, I was quite surprised. I was at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham last week and I didn't sense a huge amount of confidence in them. What struck me was that none of the people I spoke to saw England winning. Not one.
I was sitting next to Ben Youngs, and I said to him: “Frankly, I see France winning." For me, England are still in a transition phase. But I also told him that what could give them an advantage is that they now fear the French more than before. And when you fear an opponent, it transcends you.
For me, an example: when I played against England at the Stade de France, it transcended me because it was a team that I feared.
What was also striking was the state of mind of the English supporters. There was frustration, almost resignation. Some said to themselves: “Okay, we’ll last 40 minutes or 60 like last week…” There was a fatalism that we haven't seen in them before.
But in the end, this victory against France could mark a turning point for England. The relief from the players after the match was incredible. I have rarely seen the English celebrate a victory like that; they usually have a culture where winning is just normal. Even the fans were relieved - not euphoric, but relieved.
I think this match against France can act as a turning point for them. Perhaps a renewal is taking shape.
Mathieu Bastareaud made 40 offloads and won 29 turnovers in his Men’s Six Nations career (no back made more in either category during that same period). He also beat the most defenders of any centre in that time (63).
