Six Nations: Full Contact Season 1 Review – Exhilarating, well-written and brilliantly edited

Episode Guide

Let Battle Commence
Hard Knock Life
On The Edge
The Second Coming
La Defense
Pressure Cooker
The Last Dance
Agony or Ecstasy

Six Nations: Full Contact is the latest in Netflix’s growing line of sport docu-series – and what a ride it is. Compared to efforts like Breaking Point and Full Swing, Six Nations understands what makes these sort of shows tick – and it’s all the stronger for it.

For anyone who has seen the All or Nothing series on Amazon, Six Nations takes the best parts of that and blends it in with an all-access view of the different teams and their journey for Rugby superstardom. It’s not always pretty, there are big injuries, crunching tackles and some shocking moments along the way. Similarly, there’s an exhilaration and nail-biting tension that is somewhat missing from some of the other shows of this nature.

The thing that Six Nations gets right comes from the action on the rugby pitch. All six teams are shown and seeing each of them as they vie for control of the ball (and points on the board) makes for some really great segments. The show doesn’t do a “Breaking Point”; it properly shows the games and the turbulent ride through each of them, accurately capturing just why this sport is so beloved.

The editing is absolutely spot-on too and kudos to the creators for this one because there’s a very balanced approach to each episode. The first, for example, hones in on Scotland and their troubles going to Twickenham to get a result against England. In this chapter, we hear from star players on both sides of the pitch during the big game, helping to really add to the tension (especially for those unaware of the final result!)

Episode 4 is an absolute rollercoaster ride too, focusing on Wales and the issues they’ve had on and off the pitch before a massive game against England. However, it’s episode 6 where things get really interesting. Without giving too much away, there’s a crazy game between two teams that goes on for a solid 15 minutes of highlights and tense segments; it’s absorbing stuff.

Even if you’re not into rugby, Six Nations: Full Contact is a great show and finally a return to form for Netflix that have been desperately trying to recapture what made Drive to Survive so good when it released. This is an exhilarating, well-written and brilliantly edited show that’s well worth checking out.

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