Was Paris a death rattle for this England team or a green shoot for the next one?
Alex Lowe England lost direction after the Scotland defeat, both in game plan and selection. That period may well signal the end of some Test careers. The Paris game was much more what I expected from England pre-championship. It suits their players. Fix the discipline, retain that character, and there is reason for optimism with stars like Fin Baxter, Will Stuart, George Martin and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso to come back.
Owen Slot That’s for Bill Sweeney and the RFU to decide. All we can be sure of is Paris will have confused them even more. Personally, I think something has to change.
Borthwick’s position may become untenable if England do not improve in the Nations Championship this summerFRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty
Charlie Morgan Somewhere in the middle? I think it showed them how important it is to be urgent and open-minded with ball in hand; both tactically and as far as engaging supporters is concerned. If that does not continue into the Nations Championship, there must be change.
Will Kelleher It does not have to be the end, if Steve Borthwick delegates and puts more trust in his players and assistant coaches. A Gen Z squad doesn’t react by being told what to do, so collaborate with them. However, if England lose three games this summer, you have to think that will be the end for him.
Steve James It showed what can be done when the shackles are off, but who instigated this — players or coaches? I suspect it was the former, so I do not think Steve Borthwick is the man to take this team forward.
Elgan Alderman It should show England that they have promise, that they can go toe to toe with one of the best attacking units in the world. But they have to be bold earlier, not as a futile gesture.
Everyone says it was the best Six Nations ever, where could it still improve?
AL One fallow week is an added selection challenge for coaches but it worked for the championship. In shortening the Six Nations, the organisers kept the same start and finished a week earlier. I would start a week later, to get an extra weekend in spring weather.
OS Don’t ever do another Thursday night game. The championship thrives on travelling support. Fridays are hard enough for fans to get to; Thursdays are nigh on impossible.
CM By adopting a different bonus point system, which rewards teams for finishing with three more tries than their opponents, rather than just by reaching four tries.
WK While hilarious to everyone else, the Six Nations loses something intangible when England are this meek. I’m also not sure bonus points hold any value any more.
This year’s curtain-raiser between France and Ireland at the Stade de France was on a Thursday night Adam Davy/PA
SJ Rugby union as a whole needs to stop tinkering. Why change what is unquestionably the greatest rugby tournament in the world, and one that is indeed up there with any sporting event overall?
EA If Wales can begin 2027 how they finished 2026, each match will carry even more jeopardy. And, for all of Italy’s improvements, they are still the lowest scorers in the championship.
Which of these teams is best-placed to go deep at the World Cup?
AL Based on the draw, it is Ireland. Andy Farrell has them moving in the right direction and their performance against Scotland was one of the best of his tenure. France are likely to meet South Africa or New Zealand for a place in the final, but they have rotated through this championship and still won the title.
OS France, clearly, then England. I remain convinced that England have a higher ceiling than Ireland and Scotland, even if it does not look that way. They continue to waste their potential.
CM Great question, because France is not necessarily the answer, given their scrummaging and defensive frailties. I am going to say Ireland, notwithstanding their grisly World Cup record. They have unearthed genuinely transformative individuals in Robert Baloucoune and Stuart McCloskey while improving their depth.
WK England are not well placed to go deep at the World Cup, but their long theme is to be largely terrible in the Six Nations and then scramble to a semi-final. In all likelihood, they have to beat Tonga, Zimbabwe, Wales, Italy and Australia to get there.
Ireland won their fourth triple crown in five yearsPeter Morrison/AP
SJ France and Ireland. Scotland just do not have the consistency, England have the players but not the clarity, but Wales will not be afraid of that match against England now, even after that Twickenham embarrassment.
EA France have the firepower to beat everyone. As three World Cup final defeats show, though, they historically struggle to string it together every week, and this Six Nations was a case of “same again”.
Why is Test rugby suddenly so high-scoring?
AL Organised defences are so hard to break down, even with referees tending to favour the attacking team at the ruck. But in transition situations, defences have no reference point — and so teams are using kicking to create transition and counterattack situations against broken defences.
OS No escorting = more kicking = more variable bounces = more transitions = more defences being attacked before they are nicely in formation.
CM Better pitches, shorter attention spans among players, the bonus point system, referees needing to be mindful of the spectacle, creative coaching and kicking variety. A mix of those factors and more.
WK Shaun Edwards (France’s defence coach) would tell you it is down to the quality of pitches — no more bogs — and law changes, like allowing one jackaller at the breakdown, not several. And since scoring is easier, shutting teams out is less important.
SJ The new laws on escort runners have made a huge difference. There are so many more transitions that teams can then attack disorganised defences.
EA Prioritising tries over penalties in the red zone. France accrued 30 tries and three penalties this year. As grand-slam champions in 2002, they scored 15 tries and 21 penalties or drop-goals. More overall scores then, but fewer points.
Who was your Player of the Championship and why?
AL Nine tries in five Tests; a second consecutive Six Nations in which he has scored in every game; incredible pace, a beautiful touch and footwork to beat a defender in the narrowest of channels — it has to be Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
OS Matthieu Jalibert. On one of The Ruck podcasts we talked about sexy rugby. There is little better than sexy rugby, and Jalibert is the sexiest rugby player of them all.
Bielle-Biarrey finished the championship with nine triesDavid Rogers/Getty
CM Louis Bielle-Biarrey. Stuart McCloskey would be my second choice, but Bielle-Biarrey’s blend of electric pace, finishing instincts and footballing skills is breathtaking. He has also improved his high-ball work.
WK Louis Bielle-Biarrey, it has to be. He now has 29 tries in 27 Test caps, and he is 22! What did Sid Waddell say about Alexander the Great crying salt tears as he had no more worlds to conquer?
SJ Boring, I know, but it has to be France’s Louis Bielle-Biarrey. What a player, what a finisher.
EA Louis Bielle-Biarrey: “just” a finisher of tries on a plate? Nope. The way France provide him with opportunities, and the way he almost inevitably gets to the ball first (even falling to his knees does not stop him), is generationally good.
Your unsung hero of the tournament
AL Dewi Lake has been outstanding in captaining Wales through the toughest situations on and off the field. With Steve Tandy, Lake has helped to create an esprit de corps in the camp to lift the gloom.
OS Dewi Lake. Hard to grasp the breadth of the shoulders required to have led Wales these past few weeks. Huge credit to the man.
CM John Fogarty, the Ireland scrum coach. He lost his top three loose-head props to injury on the eve of the Six Nations, and although Italy and England damaged the set piece, with poor Tadhg Furlong being launched through the roof, they rallied impressively. A shout-out for Tom O’Toole, who switched across from tight-head and coped admirably.
Tandy transformed Wales throughout the tournament and has lifted the gloom among the squadSimon King/Shutterstock
WK Simone Ferrari was extraordinarily good on the Italian tight-head side of the scrum. Unfortunately a scrum collapsed on him against England, and he seems to have badly injured his neck. I hope he recovers quickly so we can watch him marmalise loose-heads again soon.
SJ Wales’ head coach Steve Tandy. What a job he has done in such adversity, and he has done it with wonderful equanimity.
EA I could pick any number of the Welsh forwards for the way they turned it around, but it has to be Ben Carter. As a Dragons and (now 19-cap) Wales lock, he loses a lot. He came into the starting XV and was at the heart of Welsh heart.
Your team of the championship