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Meanwhile, in other news, Ireland battle through in Rome, England silence the Principality in a dirge-fest while France and Scotland serve up a delight in Paris. And, by goodness, did we need those rays of sporting sunshine at the Stade de France, a fleeting interlude of magical possibility.
The Great Escape that sport usually provides found itself headed down a cul-de-sac last week, fenced in on all sides by the gloomy realities of daily life. The misguided old platitude that sport and politics should never mix, trotted out so often years ago by those short-sighted reactionaries when trying to justify rebel tours to apartheid-plagued South Africa, got a modern-day airing when the Wales players starkly reflected the mood of the time in strike-afflicted UK when threatening to withdraw their labour in much the way that train staff, nurses, doctors and teachers have been doing. And they all have due cause.
The issue was resolved but it hasn’t gone away. And it doesn’t just affect Wales. There is little doubt that rugby has a money problem. Put simply, there isn’t enough of it to go around. Or not at the wage levels that players have been used to. Even the supposed fat cats, the English, have seen two clubs, Worcester and Wasps, go bust while mighty Leicester have recently declared that they need a £13million hand-out from two benefactors to avoid financial meltdown.
England head coach, Steve Borthwick, has been bemoaning the fact that he might be without several players in the future when they hot-foot it to France after the World Cup in search of greater riches than are currently on offer in the salary-cap restricted Premiership.
The RFU will have to change its policy of not picking players who opt for elsewhere or find some more loot for the Premiership. Australian rugby is hoping for a much-needed uplift from Circus Ringmaster, Eddie Jones, to get their code making back-page waves once again and getting fans through the turnstiles to help replenish the coffers.
South African players have long had to head north to find gainful employment while even New Zealand has had to resort to selling off space on the cherished black jersey. It is not what you might call a buoyant scene. It’s as if (ex-Prime Minister) Liz Truss were in charge of the sport.
The international game is a money-spinner. There were gate receipts of £9million ($A16m) on the line at the Principality Stadium, a decent enough wedge to persuade the powerbrokers to get round the table and chisel a deal. Even so, there will be a reckoning at some point for players.
Rugby does have a fit and proper role in the market place as shown by the millions that tuned into the action from Cardiff while there are only positive vibes emanating from Ireland and France these days, off the field as much as on it. But the strongest are also defined by the weakest. If rugby in Wales or Australia goes to the wall, everyone suffers.
Enough of harsh truths and stern realities. We’ve got two more years left of a Tory government so the wider miseries are likely to continue. We’re going to need our dose of escapism.
At least the Six Nations is delivering on that front, a Fantasy land of twists and turns, plot lines that Hans Christian Andersen would be proud to spin in order to tease our imaginations and nowhere more so than in Paris on Sunday afternoon. We had beauty, we had beasts (two red cards within the opening 12 minutes), we had joie de vivre from both teams, muscle, marvel and, most importantly, uncertainty until the closing moments. Bravo France. And Bravo Scotland. Who would bet against them derailing Ireland’s Grand Slam Holy Grail quest at Murrayfield in a fortnight’s time ? Not on this evidence, that’s for sure.
Such scares, such challenges to any presumptuousness on behalf of any of Les Bleus whose thoughts might be turning to a coronation parade at their home World Cup (England 2015, pal, is sure to be on Shaun Edwards lips on a daily basis) will have been well served by the thrilling fightback of the Scots. For the jour de gloire to arrive for France, they are going to have to fight for every inch of their home turf.
One man unlikely to see any of that tournament is prop, Mohamed Haouas, who was sent off for the second time in three years against Scotland. Quel Plonker. Earlier Scotland lock, Grant Gilchrist, was wild and reckless when clattering Anthony Jelonch. Both red cards were 100% the correct call. When will players ever learn?
It was more the Brothers Grimm than Hans Christian from the Principality Stadium as Wales and England kicked the leather off the ball and achieved the unimaginable in reducing the usual boisterous (ok, yes, pissed-up) crowd to mere whimpers and groans. The many thousands who were blotto were the lucky ones as they won’t be able to remember anything.
Owen Farrell of England talks to Alun Wyn Jones of Wales following the Six Nations Rugby match between Wales and England at Principality Stadium (Photo by Dan Mullan – RFU/The RFU Collection via Ge
England are trundling down the back-to-basics route with no apologies to those who might reckon that the game right now might need to get as many bums on seats as it can if it is to pay its way. Given the upheaval of the last days of the Eddie Empire, perhaps they have every right to go about their business as, for example, the Springboks have – be true to type and heed no-one.
England had enough about them to score three tries, one a well-crafted beauty from Anthony Watson, back in the Six Nations fold for the first time in a couple of years. Wales, meanwhile, managed an interception try from Gloucester flyer, Louis Rees-Zammit and bugger-all else. Warren Gatland must wonder what he has let himself in for. Well, apart from a salary of several hundred thousand pounds a year. He’ll earn every penny.
Italy are fully invested in dreams of improbable feats, trusting in the future by bringing through young talent and daring to give it a crack on the field. Of course their stats make for rather gloomy reading – their 34-20 loss to Ireland was their 24th Six Nations defeat in a row at home – but the scoreboard does not tell the full tale.
Ireland, even though they had made seven changes following their seminal win over France, still came to the Stadio Olimpico with the status of the world’s highest ranked side, hard-nosed as ever, toughing it out even when Italy closed to within four points in the second-half.
Ireland plough ever further forward on their Grand Slam quest – and deservedly so – but Italy, with their clever, enterprising play ought to be welcome in anyone’s TV living room during this Six Nations championship.
Two rounds to come, two more weekends to close the curtains and shut out the bad news. This Championship keeps on giving.
Mick Cleary, who was Daily Telegraph rugby correspondent ( 1997-2021), was also a sports feature writer for The Observer ( 1988-1997). Cleary has covered eight Rugby World Cups as well as seven Lions tours. He was written several books on those tournaments and tours as well as worked with Jeremy Guscott on his autobiography. Cleary has also had extensive experience of other sports including tennis at Wimbledon, cycling at the Tour de France and golf at The Open. Cricket, athletics , horse racing and F1 also feature on his CV.