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Chris Foy: Six Nations meddlers are missing the point

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This is an open plea to the RBS Six Nations authorities. To echo the words of France coach Philippe Saint-Andre, albeit in more blunt terms: Don't meddle with the world's greatest annual competition.

Why does this sport generate such incessant tinkering and tweaking? No one manning the controls ever seems satisfied. Now the committee men are determined to debate fully the notion of bonus points in the championship, as if that idea hasn't been discredited enough already.

They should pay heed to the old maxim that says, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. There is nothing broke about the Six Nations.

Prize guys: Wales captain Sam Warburton lifts the Six Nations trophy last year

This is  no hollow defence of tradition for tradition's sake either. Change is not required. Saint-Andre's point this week was that the winning of a Grand Slam for completing a clean sweep of five victories must remain the ultimate target and honour for the competing countries. Two points for a win - and nothing else - means that principle remains in place.

Yet, some of his counterparts appear to favour a bonus-point scheme for scoring four tries and for losing by seven points or fewer to mirror that used in the Aviva Premiership and other club competitions. The revisionist theory is that the extras would create more positive intent from teams and ensure fewer matches in the tournament's latter stages become meaningless.

Frankly, no Test should be meaningless anyway, especially one between traditional foes in Europe's premier rugby event. Every encounter has its own history,  character and significance, often spiced with tribal antagonism and neighbourly rivalry.

In the club game, the bonus-point innovation is a means of increasing competitiveness throughout a long season, with a positive knock-on effect for attendances and interest. The championship needs no such boost. The stadiums will be packed regardless. There will always be a major sense of occasion, whatever is at stake in terms of final ranking. There are only six sides involved, so there is not much of a mid-table.

Most years, all nations are kept fully occupied by striving to claim the title or avoid the wooden spoon. And as Saint-Andre rightly implied, any system which would leave a team with a Grand Slam but  without the title is farcical. Advocates of this revamp are misguided. Stop meddling and enjoy the show.

 

Northampton's signing of Ospreys and Samoa scrum-half Kahn Fotuali'i is a spectacular coup for the Midlands club and is bound to have a dramatic impact on the range of their attacking game. The 30-year-old has been in supreme form for his Welsh region, so his summer departure will be a major blow for the Swansea-based side. But for the Saints, it is a vital development, with director of rugby Jim Mallinder noting that Fotuali'i (below) has experience of operating at No 9 and 10. Over recent years, there have been regular accusations that Northampton have often lacked back-line variety behind their powerful pack. From next season, with Alex King on board as a coach and Fotuali'i running the show from either half-back position, Saints fans can surely expect the unexpected.

Robshaw a sleeper for Lions job

A fascinating sideshow during this year's Six Nations will be the ongoing assessment of the runners and riders for the Lions captaincy.

With that in mind, impressions from Wednesday's launch were intriguing. There was Jamie Heaslip - touted by Warren Gatland as a contender - still 'giddy' with excitement about landing the lead role with Ireland, and Kelly Brown, who evidently knows that for him and Scotland, all roads lead to Twickenham tomorrow week and for now, nothing else matters.

Sam Warburton of Wales, the early front-runner, was preoccupied with discussing how he would shift backrow positions to accommodate openside rival Justin Tipuric. That left Chris Robshaw (right).

The Englishman had to withstand fierce criticism in the autumn but came through with his status enhanced. So few piercing questions came his way that he was left to stifle yawns (after an early alarm call) and stare at the ceiling. Boredom in this instance is good news.

Quietly, steadily, he is emerging as a candidate Gatland can't ignore. l Ireland 's new captain and coach were in fine form at the Six Nations launch. Recounting the moment he was asked by his coach Declan Kidney to be skipper for the championship, Heaslip said: 'When he asked me to do the job, I had to stop myself jumping across the table to kiss him, which would have made it really awkward in a room with just two guys.' Not to be outdone, the normally low-key Kidney, when asked about his future in charge of Ireland, said: 'If you want to make God laugh, tell him what you're doing tomorrow.'

The last word

Officials from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are once again mulling over the possibility of expanding the Super 15 tournament.

A new broadcast contract will take effect from 2016 and SANZAR chief executive Greg Peters has suggested that incorporating new entrants from further afield is being considered.

The language he used was telling: 'The United States is a very big market and so is Japan, and Asia generally.' In short, expansion will be weighed on the basis of potential profit, despite assurances that logistical issues such as travel times will be taken into account. This concept is surely a non-starter.

The powers that be should stop being so fixated with dollar signs and act in the best interests of the game - namely, by finding not-forprofit space for a team made up of home-based players from Samoa, or a composite Pacific islands 'franchise'. It wouldn't make money, but it would enhance the tournament, and the sport.


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