Rugby’s Greatest Championship.

Although Wales came into the 2022 Six Nations Championship as reigning title holders, their heavy defeat to Ireland in Round One of the fixtures means that France are in pole position to run away with this year’s edition and after a comprehensive victory over Italy, Ireland, and Scotland.

Only Wales and England stand in their way of completing the Grand Slam having picked up three from three.

France’s darker days in the near distant past are well and truly over following the appointment of former IRB International Player of the Year Fabien Galthie and under his leadership he’s already guided Les Bleus to the runners-up spot in successive years (2020/2021) and he’ll no doubt be determined to go one step further this year and lift the Championship itself for the first time since 2010, even if they can’t quite complete the double and pick up their first Grand Slam in 12 years as well – but BoyleSports Rugby Odds will have something for you if you’re inclined for a flutter.

With two rounds of fixtures to go before we close the book on the latter stages of the 2022 tournament, with a respective three and four point gap to France in top spot at this stage, both Ireland and England will be hoping France have to settle for a third runners-up mention in history as although both have already lost a game, the Championship itself is still wide open and there could well be a shock or two to come with the games that remain.

The safe bet is Scotland and Wales are now playing for pride only with one victory a piece from the opening three rounds, and poor old Italy will simply be hoping that they can actually get a point on the board this year and avoid, in effect, a metaphorical double wooden spoon.

France’s progress under Galthie can’t be sniffed at and it has to be admired irrespective of your natural Nation tie given the speed to which he has helped turn them around. As time has gone by under his charge, the twist to a truer turnover approach from his earlier days where there was more of a kicking game could’ve been too big a shift for many to implement. But rather than turning away from their strengths on that front, Les Bleus now incorporate both to devastating effect, as Scotland found out to their cost in the heavy 36-17 defeat, and by the same token, France still boast 91 kicks from hand which is higher than any other team in the Six Nations as I type.

Although second-placed Ireland have a higher individual game points for tally, added to a higher tries for count, at this stage France really are in pole position when it comes to the points that actually count at the end of the day. Should they continue to take victories as they are no doubt confident they can achieve, however narrow, in the upcoming games against Wales and England, individual game achievements will count for absolutely nothing if the Grand Slam points are added to their tally, and their former 64 cap scrum-half will truly enter their history and become one of few legends to take the Six Nations Championship and Grand Slam as both a player, captain and head coach.