CHRIS HEWETT

THINKING ALLOWED

IF THE Six Nations failed to meet expectations, it was in a good way. Italy’s knee-clenching World Cup humiliation turned out to be the opposite of terminal; England ripped up their plan to win rugby matches without actually playing any rugby; and the tournament did not become ground zero for head-high tackling, although Paul Willemse’s red-card behaviour on opening night was so transparently reckless, you wondered if the French lock had somewhere better to be before the final whistle.
So far, so heartening. But what’s this coming over the sea from the southe...