Welcome back, friends! After a week's break here we are together again.
The first two rounds of the Guinness Women's Six Nations have passed and there are several matters to reflect on.
England confirmed that they are a team from another planet, demonstrating their superiority by beating Wales convincingly. It was a match that saw them shatter another record, this one away from Twickenham, when over 19,000 people attended the game at Ashton Gate in Bristol. It was the result of the clear visibility that the Red Roses have cultivated in recent years, with their girls conquered on the field as well as on social media.
In the digital sense, there has been a turning point: an Instagram page entirely dedicated to the Red Roses which already has 22 thousand followers!
As the forerunners of professionalism, the English national team is becoming the symbol of a sport which is increasingly popular in their country.
Wales put their soul into the match, but could do nothing to stem the English tide. Despite this, the final scoreline should be emphasised - the result of their now trademark determination under head coach Ioan Cunningham - seeing out the match in the English 22, despite not managing to score.
The outcome of Wales’ match in Cork this weekend is no foregone conclusion, given how Ireland performed against the Azzurre in round two. At the same time, on paper it is the visiting team who are in a better place and therefore will be slight favourites.
Scotland must be given credit for putting in a performance that is the result of the excellent work over recent years, fighting for every ball and finding a deserved advantage by making the most of the many errors of an almost unrecognisable France.
Although Rachel Malcolm and co. could have been more clinical, given the countless flaws in the French defensive line - which is yet to click for the entire 80 minutes - and properly challenged a team against whom you cannot let up for a single minute.
Scotland’s next match, an unprecedented sell-out in Edinburgh, is against England. If such considerable home support can act like a 16th woman for them, we could be in for another great show.
And finally we come to my girls, the Azzurre. History made in Dublin with a hard-fought victory in the final minutes, which repays them for so much work done in the past years.
The match against Ireland represented a significant test for both teams and in the end it was Italy who prevailed, once again demonstrating that they go above and beyond when it comes to character and heart.
The Irish would have had a lot to complain about given their excellent start to the match, which soon saw them go ahead in both numerical superiority and on the scoreboard. In the end, Aoife Wafer’s performance (recognised by the fans with a Player of the Round award) was excellent, but it wasn’t matched by the whole team, which appears be struggling to find the correct gear after the return of some players from the sevens circuit.
It seemed like things were going downhill for us, but the growth in discipline of our players, combined with the multiple errors of the Irish, did the job.
Italy were playing in a venue that saw a record number of spectators for the Irish women, which could have destroyed our focus. Instead, they proved they were hungrier than their opponents, dominating large parts of the game.
Now Italy await the match against France, who aren’t the best version of themselves right now.
So what to make of this trip to Paris?
Italy need to show that never-give-up tenacity and their new-found confidence. Improving how they start the game will be equally important. Against Les Bleues, it will be very important to start quickly and precisely, both in attack and in defence - something that was missing in the first quarter of an hour against Ireland.
France will have been licking their wounds a bit from the match against Scotland, which seemed already decided on paper, but then produced more than a few pitfalls.
As always, their scrum showed its great strength, but the team's dress rehearsal needs to be reviewed for the Mignot-Ortiz coaching duo, who will have had a lot to work on going into this match at the Stade Jean Bouin.
What shouldn't surprise us is how the French team can be transformed at home, rediscovering their true selves just when things are getting difficult.
It will therefore once again be a fascinating challenge, which our girls will have to go into with confidence and a little more boldness, latching onto the the hosts’ uncertainties. What better time to try? On the other hand, if the French have a great desire to demonstrate their true capabilities, then history has taught us that nothing should be taken for granted. But who knows? Maybe we’ll see some surprises in Paris on Sunday.
Let's get ready to enjoy another weekend full of emotions and fun!
