Excitement is building to fever pitch before Round 1 of the 2023 Guinness Six Nations and there are six men who know exactly how the players are feeling.
Ben Kayser, John Barclay, Chris Robshaw, Sam Warburton, Rory Best and Mauro Bergamasco sat down for the first episode of Insightful Discussions with Sage.
The four-part series brings the six former foes together to delve into what the current protagonists in Rugby’s Greatest Championship are going through.
Part One sees the iconic legends mull over the importance of mindset leading up to, during and after a titanic Guinness Six Nations clash.
The celebrated sextet retell captivating anecdotes and relive key moments in the 24-minute conversation, which is available for free on YouTube.
You can watch or listen below:
Wales flanker Sam Warburton remembers the thrill of the Championship better than most, last leading out his country against France in March 2017 for his 74th and final cap.
Versatile Italian Mauro Bergamasco was an ever-present in the Guinness Six Nations from the turn of the millennium until 2015, racking up over a century of appearances for the Azzurri.
Rory Best, meanwhile, stands as one of the most capped rugby players of all time, with the hooker playing a key role in all four of Ireland’s titles and both Grand Slam triumphs nearly a decade apart in 2009 and 2018.
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And former England captain Chris Robshaw offers fascinating insight, having come so close to the title in four successive campaigns before securing the Grand Slam in 2016 under the leadership of Dylan Hartley.
The loose forward theme continues with one third of the ‘Killer Bs’ back row, John Barclay, who led Scotland to iconic victories over Ireland, Wales and England in 2017 and 2018.
And finally, hooker Ben Kayser has a champions mentality, winning the Top 14 with two separate clubs as well as the Premiership with Leicester Tigers.
The 2023 Guinness Six Nations gets underway at 2.15pm on Saturday 4 February, when Wales welcome Ireland to Principality Stadium and Sage, a global leader in software technology, will deliver live game insights and comprehensive data covering every second of action.