It's Six Nations time again

 
France and England at home, away to Italy, Scotland and Wales. I've always looked at every second campaign as the more realistic opportunity for Ireland to win the championship - it's a big ask to beat both England and France on their home turf in the reverse season.

I'm finding that 2009 is no different. England are a shambles while France seem to be doing the entirely sensible thing of blooding new players early into the second year of the World Cup cycle and building some depth & experience into the squad for 2011, weakening them (I use the term loosely) in the short term. Italy are, well, Italy. My concerns are Wales & Scotland.

Wales have, by the proverbial country mile, been playing the best rugby in the northern hemisphere during the past year or so with a superb blend of skill & style - of course there is also the memory of what happened in 2005 (the last time Ireland went to Cardiff in 2005 for a Grand Slam showdown) when Irish arses were well and truly spanked. Scotland have too many average days at the office but every so often, like last season against England, spring a quality win. In my mind though, again, is the 2003 season Ireland were competing for the Slam only to self destruct in Murrayfield - so make no mistake Scotland are a slapstick comedy sized banana skin and you need look no further than Leinster's results in Edinburgh for evidence of that.

And so we come to Ireland. It's hard to know what to expect - will we get more apathetic toothless displays of recent memory or a return to some of the most exciting rugby we've ever seen? Irish sporting mentality for the longest time has us content to be the plucky lads just happy to participate and anything else is a bonus (I'd wager you can remember where you where and how you completely lost your mind when David O'Leary slotted home that penalty in 1990). It's argued that such a mentality no longer applied when it came to Irish rugby's "golden generation". While I do think this was true initially and we demanded success, we remained unsurprised and accepting when defeated (2007 World Cup excepted). Prior to this Ireland won three Triple Crowns in four seasons - the first was an achievement to be rightly celebrated, but subsequent ones became acceptable consolation viewed as a successful campaign even though we couldn't get over France, at least we "won something".

This is where I start to take exception. The competition is for the SIX Nations Championship, not four. We shouldn't be content with the Triple Crown anymore but kicking on to win the whole damn thing, not accepting anything less than the Championship. As a nation we've shown we have what it takes to be European Champions with Munster winning the Heineken Cup last season and Leinster claiming the Magners League not to mention both provinces being in the mix for both competitions this season - and I have genuine hope this year we will finally get the formula right and translate that success to the national team.

So come on lads, get stuck in and HAVE A GO. Answer Ireland's call - show us all what you're capable of and bring home that elusive Slam.