England Six Nations Team

The English rugby union team is one of the two founding members of the European championship and the most successful team to have participated in the event. Supported by a massive domestic club rugby infrastructure, and one of the biggest player pools in world rugby, the English are the team to beat in the Six Nations Championship.

Stats:

Six Nations titles (outright) : 26
Six Nations titles (shared): 10
Grand Slams: 12
First won the Six Nations: 1883
Last Six Nations title: 2011
Home ground: Twickenham, London
Team colours: White
Anthem: God Save the Queen

Strengths:

England’s strength is an excellent all-round game. The English frequently field world-class players in every position of their team, with the bench equally strong. The forward pack is capable of dominating the best in the world, while the back-line features big, mobile wings and centres.

Over the years England has featured a number of strong half back pairings, and has been able to rely on good midfield generals to direct play. The English also have a head for big occasions, and can be relied on to perform when the Six Nations championship comes down to the wire.

Weaknesses:

It’s hard to pinpoint specific weaknesses in English rugby with so many talented players in their national team. However, over the years, one of the criticisms that has been leveled at England is that play is overly predictable and methodical, and therefore vulnerable to the flamboyant attacks of teams like Wales and France.

England’s tag, ‘the Old Enemy’, has also done its team few favours over the years, as opposing teams who have struggled throughout a Six Nations championship will often lift their games against England as ancient enmities boil to the surface in Triple Crown encounters. This factor has resulted in England’s title hopes being scuppered in away games on several occasions.

Six Nations History:

England competed in the first ever Home Nations tournament in 1883, taking the inaugural title and claiming the first ever Triple Crown as it defeated Wales, Scotland and Ireland. While England dominated the tournament in its early years, winning four out of five Home Nations tournaments, it was soon overtaken by its Celtic rivals and next won a championship in 1910 when the English team captured the inaugural Five Nations Championship.

England has won the tournament at regular intervals since 1910, without being able to establish prolonged periods of dominance. The team entered a rough patch during the 1980s, when it was only able to capture a single Six Nations title over a period of 10 years. However, by the 1990s the English had found their rhythm and once again began making regular appearances on the winners’ podium.

England has won four Six Nations Championships since the turn of the millennium, including a grand slam. However, the English have since struggled to recapture the form that enabled them to win the Rugby World Cup, and have suffered an increase in defeats to less their Celtic rivals in recent seasons.