The six nations is the gift that continues to give as a glorious sample of this sport, so it is alarming to think that this year's tournament can be the last one, which is a mass audience event in the United Kingdom.
In the coming months, there is a very real danger that this precious rugby asset is packaged with the new nations championship and sold to the highest bidder. There are small chances that this bidder offers coverage on free television.
Money conversations, especially at this age, when the private capital firm CVC acts as silent partners behind the scene, looking for ways to maximize a return of its investments.
Then, despite the entire informal guide on the balance between 'scope and income', this last consideration will have more weight in the deliberations of the rights of transmission rights.
What everything means is that there is an extra special emphasis in the 2025 edition of the championship. It could fall as the last to have visualization figures in millions, instead of thousands. What will bring, as usual, is that sense of a series of genuinely national occasions; They agree that they capture the imagination of the general public.
It will be in the news: in the channels that everyone can see. The clips will circulate on social networks, perhaps with the strange announcement released, but without a payment wall. Club houses will be filled every weekend and even pubs that do not pay for expensive subscriptions will have signs and packaged outside, and large screens to show the games inside. Why, anyone would throw this? Why would anyone want this for their sport, one that is too often invisible to most people in the British islands?
The Superstar of the box office of England, Marcus Smith, approaches a memorable attempt in Lyon last year
France fans bring color to the stands every year and rugby needs to protect their fans base
Those who decide the next movement must be absolutely clear about the long -term implications of mitigating the light that shines in the rugby at this time every year. Additional income can underpin bank balances and make a good return for CVC, but future generations will not recognize the test players so much. The stars will not be born.
So, friends, enjoy it while you can. It will be a pleasure, as always. Of course, the old championship is too rigid and is established in its ways, creating a barrier for upward European countries such as Georgia and Spain. He is too cozy to protect the few chosen. But it always works as a fervent celebration of national identity and neighboring antipathy.
Every year, there is a great anticipation and very little clarity about what demons will happen. The six nations make the unexpected a matter of routine. The turns and turns are blocked in the script. France are the prominent favorites this year, which means that, in past evidence, that they could collapse in a ugly pile in front of our eyes.
Frankly, that's hard to imagine. Toulouse is the best team in Europe at this time and if they were in this, they could win it. France also has a contingent of dazzling flyers and burgundy artists.
They have power and rhythm. They have Antoine Dupont; That single -man trick code. If they click, they could be unstoppable. But they don't have Gael Fickou for now, and they must play against England and Ireland away from home.
The Irish will dedicate themselves to their defense of the title without Andy Farrell at hand to inspire them, since it is now second to the lions. That will not help. They will be enraged by the growing notion that their collective peak have passed.
Unless training agitation derails more than expected, they will have more cohesion than any other side. They will be in the hunt again.
Scotland believes that they can be there with the Irish, but that optimism is an annual feature of the championship ritual north of the border. Gain. Hope. Win again. Wild excitement. Crash and burns. Massive abatement. That summarizes it more or less.
Young fans will not want to be the next Antoine Dupont if they can't see the star of France play
Scotland will look for Finn Russell again to provide those magic moments that gain matches
Maro Itoje begins his reign as captain with England in the desperate need for a strong six nations
They will seriously miss Captain Sione Tuipulotu, but they still have the genius of Finn Russell, Duhan Van Der Merwe's completion and a package full of edge and tenacity. They could bloom or fade.
The same could be said of England. Steve Borthwick is under great pressure now, but not as much as Warren Gatland, while Wales looks at the cannon of a 13th successive test defeat when they go to Paris on Friday.
For Italy, there is a desire to mark the 25th anniversary of its championship entrance ensuring an end of half. They will go to the Welsh in the second round and hope it can be a launching whore.
Recent law changes should create absorbent shows and a Friday night opener, France v Wales, will increase the appetite with light shows, emotions and spills.
According to the world rugby ranking, this is how the teams could finish: Ireland, France, Scotland, England, Italy, Wales. This column will make some adjustments and suggest the following alternative: France, Ireland, England, Scotland, Italy, Wales.
Meanwhile, a background factor will be the selection of lions, but let's stay that until this great event comes to an end. During the next two months, there is only one show in the city. What a shame if this is the last time you can see and enjoyed on a large scale.
Andy Farrell is wise to stay away from the other nations and avoid any conflict of interest
The Chief of the Lions, Farrell, remains remote
It is understood that Andy Farrell decided not to visit any of the nations of origin in the camp during the six nations, in his temporal capacity as coach in chief of the lions.
That is a good decision. While the four countries will work together in a common cause this summer, such as the big and good of the British and Irish rugby seek to conquer the Wallabies in Australia, for now there is the usual ferocity of cross -border rivalries to consider.
Farrell's work is directing the Ireland team, so it could be seen as a conflict of interest if he asked to have access to any English training, tactics and planning, Scottish or Wales at this juncture. That was certainly the case in 2017, when Eddie Jones informed Warren Gatland that he could not visit England in the camp until they faced Wales.
The best bet, as Farrell has noticed, is to settle for strong lines of communication, with comments from each nation, along with the evidence of its own vision of the foreground of all relevant coincidences.
Once you have finished your lions management team and have chosen a team and a captain, there will be enough time to share ideas before the test series against Australia.
Borthwick's task becomes more discouraging
As if it were not difficult enough … days after Steve Borthwick gave an update in the growing list of accidents in England, he will have saddled that Ireland is being reinforced at the right time to launch the proverbial sink of the kitchen in Your team on Saturday.
Hooker Dan Sheehan scored two attempts in his first appearance of the season when Leinster took the Stormers from Cape 36-12 in Dublin on Saturday.
His two strikes were created by Ala James Lowe, who was also returning from an injury and demonstrating that he can be a strong in time to face English in the first weekend of the six nations.
He and Sheehan will train this week in an Ireland team with a core of Leinster players, who have played 14 games so far this season and won the lot. For Borthwick and his team, these are not positive omens.
The prostitute of Ireland, Dan Sheehan, scored two attempts to Leinster in her first appearance of the season after suffering a knee injury on the summer tour of Ireland in South Africa
Last word: rugby is passion and courage, not shine and glamor
The premiere of the second season of the Netflix Full Contact series, over the six nations, took place in Rome last week and was a very bright production. Too brilliant.
While rugby is desperate to take advantage of a new and younger market, the approach in this case seemed incorrect. The entire initial approach is in fast cars, bright logos and teeth. There is a concerted attempt to make the sport look like a Drive To Survive spin-off: the formula one series.
It's about increasing glamor, but rugby can present a different type of attraction. It is earthy and raw, brutal and passionate. It forces those who participate to demonstrate remarkable courage and, often, discover their soul in a common and common cause.
That is his magic. Perhaps that kind of thing would not excite the younger viewers, but it was worth a chance. It is not just a sun, palm trees and brightness, it is great blows and pain, wind, rain and exhaustion. If the game can be exhibited in its true form of warts, and everything can captivate anyone.