Six Nations 2024: England aren't back, Ireland's title should be cherished

The 2024 Six Nations is over with Ireland crowned champions once again after success in 2023.

France came in with high expectations but missing Dupont and Ntamack they were a shell of their previous side. There is optimism for Borthwick's England after a strong finish, while Wales were underwhelming.

Scotland were Scotland, but change is in the wind with Italy delivering a stellar campaign which is great news for the championship.

Here are five takeaways from this year's tournament.

Don't take Ireland's success for granted

Ireland's back-to-back titles in the Six Nations feels like it is surrounded in disappointment after grandiose expectations of a walkthrough Grand Slam. If it seems crazy that's because it is. Every title should be taken with two hands as a campaign can go perilously wrong in a heartbeat.

Peter O'Mahony has been an international player since 2012 and this is his fifth title in 12 years. Only two of them have been Slams. His red card against Wales in the opening round of the 2021 Six Nations derailed their campaign and a two-point loss to France the next week ended it.

Ireland have set themselves up for a chance at a Six Nations three-peat in 2025, something not achieved since the expanded tournament started in 2000. France won four consecutive titles from 1986-89 but two of them were shared. There have been many repeat champions but three outright titles consecutively has never been done since 1883.

And no, Ireland do not need to win a Rugby World Cup to be considered great on the international stage. The All Blacks team for most of the 2000s were feared, respected and considered great but did not win either the 2003 or 2007 World Cups. They won the Tri-Nations in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, churned out multiple World Players of the Year and beat everyone in between.

Conversely this current Springboks group achieved a singular great feat going back-to-back but had next-to-no substance in between. They were good, but went title-less in the Rugby Championship, couldn't win rivalry trophies, lost too much at home, and produced a shocking win-loss record against other top Test nations. Greatness is not just measured in World Cups.

When Ireland meet the Springboks, one win on South African soil will prove they are the better side. Two wins by South Africa is expected while losing at home would be a shock and embarrassing for the world champions.

Italy's rise is great for the championship

Italy could have finished with a 4-1 record this year which is remarkable. They beat Wales and Scotland, had a last-gasp chance against France fatefully taken away with the ball falling off the tee, and were in with a chance to beat England eventually only losing by three. Their match against Ireland was the only uncompetitive fixture.

The U20 side has been building for years and the top side is now bearing the fruits of that hard work. Inside centre Tommaso Menoncello is a freakish prospect. The defence led by openside Michele Lamaro and Sebastian Negri has a real edge to it that has been missing. Ange Capuozzo was the golden boy last year and this year was largely irrelevant, which shows that actually have some depth. Capturing Louis Lynagh was just a bonus.

A stronger Italy is great news for all in the tournament. Hopefully it is sustained and the results at U20 level continue.

France's bad World Cup hangover 

France were this year's disappointment after failing to rebound from the Rugby World Cup quarter-final exit. Their balloon was popped in round one by Ireland highlighting just how much they have been impacted. The question being circulated now is, have they wasted one of the best French teams ever? And the answer is yes.

Aside from the pain of the Rugby World Cup, they have won just one Six Nations title in 2022. They should have had the spoils in 2020 and 2021 with Dupont playing at a level unrivalled in the game. They had dominant Toulouse and La Rochelle teams to build from. This should have been a dominant era for French rugby with multiple Six Nations championships even before the Rugby World Cup.

But they blew those opportunities with losses to Scotland in 2020 and 2021, despite beating the winners in those years (England and Wales).

With all the talent they've had in the 2020s under Fabian Galthie, they haven't even come close to the French teams of the 2000s. Serious underachievers.

England aren't back 

While England are a 'proper' rugby nation, their former reputation has not been restored. It takes sustained success, of which England don't have any currently, to earn that right. And what's more is England's own players should be thinking the same way, down the same line of thought that Jamie George is.

They showed they are improving with two proud performances to finish their campaign against Ireland and France. The backs started to click and show some exciting play. They can say they prevented Ireland getting a Grand Slam. That is the highest achievement of their Six Nations campaign, which for England, is a failure. Wales were awful, they nearly lost to Italy, they were dismal against Scotland and they got pipped by France.

But "we stopped Ireland from getting a Slam" is miles away from collecting the trophy on the podium, something Ireland actually did.

They travel to New Zealand in July to face the first All Blacks side of the Scott Robertson era. If Borthwick can bottle the Twickenham magic from a fortnight ago and bring it with him, they will be competitive.

If they are a tired bunch of souls mentally not ready, they will be put away like the side Borthwick captained himself in 2008. Having lived it, he is the right man to prepare the side for what is coming.

A win on New Zealand soil will truly indicate the mettle of this team and whether they are capable of winning the Six Nations anytime soon.

Wales will get kicked Down Under

Wales may have won 40-6 less than six months ago against the hopeless World Cup Wallabies, but Australia will turn the ship around very quickly.

Their Super Rugby sides have been extremely competitive against New Zealand sides meaning Joe Schmidt can pick a strong homegrown Wallabies team.

Openside flanker Fraser McReight isn't just the form player in Australia, but the entire competition. He's a future 100-cap Test player just coming into the peak of his powers. Harry Wilson has to play No 8 alongside him. Josh Flook isn't the flashiest centre but he is the best one available. Schmidt can pick a side based on form and chemistry out of his top Super clubs, the Reds, Brumbies and the Waratahs and mould them with his game plan.

The Wallabies don't need the overhyped stars and Schmidt isn't likely to give them selection preference anyway. Wales aren't the same team from six months ago either, and that's why the two will collide for a World Cup reversal.