This year’s championship will look different after a major scheduling shake-up was announced
The condensed Six Nations schedule could impact teams like Wales, according to pundits(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)
Ex-Scotland international John Barclay says that the new-look Six Nations schedule will have the biggest impact on Wales, Italy and his former side, with fewer underdog wins expected during this year’s championship.
While the tournament has been left largely untouched while new schedules and formats have been introduced elsewhere in rugby in recent years, this year’s competition will look different. That is not only due to this week’s tournament opener between France and Ireland being the first game in its history to be held on a Thursday, but to a major scheduling shake-up which will affect every team.
For the first time in 23 years, the upcoming championship will be played over just six weeks, rather than seven. That means there will only be one rest weekend over the course of the campaign, rather than two as there was previously.
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With the rest weekend falling between rounds three and four, it also means that teams will play three back-to-back matches at the start of the tournament.
Previous proposals to shorten the tournament in 2017 were met with opposition from players, with England star George Ford among those to voice his concerns over the physical and mental toll the tournament can take without sufficient rest periods.
However, tournament bosses have gone through with the change ahead of the latest edition of the Six Nations, with the move expected to have the biggest impact on the teams with the fewest resources.
While the likes of England, France and Ireland boast impressive depth across their squad, Barclay admits Wales, Italy and Scotland will be more affected as sides who have fewer star names to call upon in case of injury or fatigue.
“It could have an impact, absolutely,” he told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast. “And it will impact Scotland, Wales and Italy more because they are the countries which don’t quite have that level of depth.”
Tandy says his team will “have to be smart” in light of the new schedule(Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)
Wales face a brutal start to this year’s tournament, kicking off their campaign against England at Twickenham before hosting favourites France in Cardiff the following week.
Taking to the field for a third successive weekend on February 21, Steve Tandy’s side will then face Scotland at the Principality Stadium before heading into the fallow week.
Admitting that the scheduling change places a “huge demand” on him and his team, head coach Tandy said he would “have to be smart” in managing his squad’s training and playing load over the course of the competition.
“It’s a huge demand, but that’s where you want to be,” he explained. “There will be injuries and fatigue but that will create an opportunity for someone else.
“But you realise sometimes less is more. In certain weeks you have to get the players mentally fresh. So we have to make sure we are managing their weeks right. We are going to have to be smart.”
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