There were two admirable games on the weekend – one in Cardiff featuring a comeback that was either thrilling or gut-wrenching according to the allegiance of the person watching it, and another in Paris by a team who had lost three winnable games on the trot – against opponents who were on the rise.
The third was another disappointment to home fans in Rome when the Azzurri were blitzed by an Ireland team that took no prisoners.
CJ Stander – one of the Ireland hat-trick try-scorers
Italy 10 — Ireland 63
by Mark Rooney
There was no repeat of last week’s slow start from Ireland in Rome. They set about their task with a real purpose. They bossed possession and territory and turned down shots at the post looking for the opening try.
The Italians defended desperately on their own line but finally the Irish broke through. Earls went over in the right corner scoring in his fourth test on the trot. Jackson added the extras, 7-0 with 12 minutes on the clock.
Italy got the chance for a quick reply when most of the Irish team were offside from a sliced box kick from Murray. Canna slotted to make it 7-3.
As the first quarter came to an end Ireland struck again. The lively Zebo finding CJ Stander who went over in the left corner. This followed a nice offload from Heaslip that set Henshaw free. Jackson’s conversion kick took a rather strange route to make it 14-3.
Earls then picked up a second try as the Irish ran rampant following more good work from Zebo. Jackson’s kick made it 21-3 with just over ten minutes to half time.
Italy finally produced a threat of their own in the closing minutes of the half. Italy drove a 5-metre lineout and the Irish collapsed again. Referee Jackson has no hesitation in awarding a penalty try. For his part Ryan got a 10 minute rest to boot. 21-10 with eight to half time.
Ireland still had time to score again before half time. Stander going over after the Irish drove from a lineout. The conversion made the score 28-10 at half time.
Garry Ringrose – showed his promise with weaving try
It took only 6 second-half minutes for Stander to complete his hat-trick. This time he broke from just outside the Italian 22 his power took his over. Jackson once again converted for 35-10.
Substitute Gilroy, on for Zebo, then got in on the scoring. He produced a nice step to wrong foot the defence and then his pace took him under the posts. Jackson obliged from the tee for 42-10 after 70 minutes.
Garry Ringrose gave a glimpse into what is sure to be a bright future, picking a superb line and then pinning his ears back in a score that was reminiscent of a young O’Driscoll.
Gilroy got his second when he collected a loose kick and went from long range using his pace to make it 56-10 as the clock wound down.
There was still time for him to get his hat-trick as Ireland moved the ball from close to the line and Italy ran out of defenders. 63-10 was the final score once Keatley converted.
The Game Changer
The key to this match came early as Ireland got their reward for bossing the opening twelve minutes as Earls went over. If Italy had managed to keep them out they may have been more competitive for longer.
Man of the Match
Jackson has deputised well in the absence of Sexton in the Ireland 10 shirt but this day belonged to CJ Stander and he’s my pick for the GAGR Man of the Match.
Get more match information from ESPN Scrum.
Liam Williams – scored just before half-time
Wales 16 — England 21
by Nick Wasiliev
You couldn’t have asked for a better buildup. The Scarlets had been unconvincing against Italy, but began to brush off the cobwebs in the last twenty minutes. Eddie Jones’s men, on the other hand, had to work hard to take down a determined and aggressive French side. This was a match that would go a long way to deciding the eventual winner of the tournament.
Wales were first to score through a Halfpenny penalty, but England then took control of the first 20 minutes, with Farrell slotting a goal of his own and scrumhalf Ben Youngs crossing just before the 20-minute mark. However, the momentum shifted again, as the beast awoke within the Welsh camp.
In the breakdown and in general play, the physicality of the Welsh stepped up, heaving pressure on England’s back row and attack. Their physicality led to points when Halfpenny slotted a second goal, and-try scoring machine Liam Williams dived over for a try three minutes from halftime. Halfpenny converted.
Half-time score: Wales 13 – England 8.
Elliot Daley scores five minutes from time and breaks Welsh hearts
The second half started off in the same vein, with Wales dominating the breakdown. England were tense and struggled to find their rhythm but the Scarlets could not increase their lead after penalties were swapped. At the hour mark Wales led 16-11 and seemed to be dominating again—but then Eddie Jones nearly emptied the bench and went all-out.
England had few opportunities in the match, but when Jonathan Davies gifted England a final chance from a poor clearance kick, the English took it, and spun the ball wide to Elliot Daly who scored five minutes from time. The visitors had the lead, 16-21 and that’s how it stayed until the final whistle.
England have not been playing at their best so far this tournament, but what I find impressive is their attitude. In both rounds, it was their grit and never-say-die attitude that earned them victory, and they have done well to get to where they are.
I feel gutted for Wales. They played better for most of the match, and often had England on the ropes, but it’s the final score after 80 minutes that matters. The home team was unable to take their chances and convert their dominance into points, and being unable to resist the English fightback in the last ten proved fatal.
The Game Changer
From the 65th to the 70th minute, Eddie Jones unloaded the England reserves and emptied the bench. This proved to be a masterstroke, as their influence changed the course of the match and led to Daly’s eventual try.
Man of the Match
Moriarty and Alun Wyn Jones were influential for Wales as was Farrell for England but the Green & Gold Man of the Match award goes to the tireless and skillful England second-rower Joe Launchbury.
Get more match information from ESPN Scrum.
Stuart Hogg – scored first try again for Scotland
Scotland hadn’t won in Paris since 1999 and they didn’t win this won either; but my word it was close.
France 22 — Scotland 16
by Lee Grant
The start was helter skelter and the players welcomed a break as Camille Lopez kicked a penalty goal.
But two minutes after France stuffed up a clearance, and phases rolled on, Stuart Hogg got the ball in close quarters and O’Driscoll-like made Baptiste Serin watch him score in the corner. Scotland led 5-3 after 16 minutes.
France retook the lead when Scotland obstructed and had another penalty goal attempt after some schoolboy brawling. The ball hit the posts, yet it started a wave of France attacks. After 18 phases centre Gaël Fickou scored and when Camille Lopez converted from touch France led 13-5 at 32 minutes.
Scotland attacked just as impressively, and with Laidlaw off Finn Russell calmly slotted two penalty goals.
The scoreboard did not reflect the dominance of the big French forwards in the scrum and close running, nor the number of offloads and raids by Les Bleus.
Half-time score: France 13 – Scotland 11
France skipper Guilhem Guirado on the burst
The malign bounce of the rugby ball figured when winger Tommy Seymour hoofed high 40 metres out and got the backwards bounce before passing to replacement Tim Swinson who scored under the crossbar.
And Russell missed the conversion as the ball toppled over close to the 90-second deadline !! Scotland 16-13 four minutes in. Lopez got three points for France soon afterwards when Scotland were defending their line. 16-16.
There had been no scoring for a while when France rolled the dice and went for a lineout penalty option close to the corner, and then a scrum option between the sticks, but centre Remi Lamerat lost the ball over the line with 13 minutes remaining.
It could have been critical but France earned two more penalties and ran out winners, belted to the end by Scotland, the brave.
Final score: France 22 – Scotland 16.
Game changer
After France stuffed up try opportunities in the fourth quarter with the score tied, they refused to let Scotland come back and, in the right territory, applied enough pressure to win the two penalties which were goaled.
Man of the match
No.8 Josh Strauss and his beard were superb in traffic for Scotland and late-bloomer flanker Kevin Gourdon probably played his best test match, but the Green & Gold Man of the Match award goes to Louis Picamoles who exemplified the big France ball runners best.
Get more match information from ESPN Scrum.
Eddie Jones – will be happy to have the win and get out of town
The wrap-up
As Eddie Jones mentioned: he’s used up all of his “get out of jail” cards – but get out he did. His team looked second-best for a lot of the game against Wales as it did last week at HQ versus France. Don’t mention any records to him unless you have earned a medal for extreme valour because the only thing he will be interested in will be how to win the next battle and how he can get his troops to play better in the face of the enemy.
Wales were their own worst enemies for taking dodgy scrum options, and for the poor clearing kick which ended up donating a try for Daly to win the game.
The less said about the match in Rome, the better, because nothing matched up at all.
Scotland did better than I thought they would when I saw the big boppers running at them all day. Had they not suffered so many injuries they would have been in with a shout.
The teams have a break of one week before Round 3 starts. England have missed some players before 6N started and some of Eddies’s non-core players have not been shining bright. He could play a few scrubbers against Italy to see how they go.
The Scotland match against Wales at Murrayfield, and the Ireland test against France at Dublin will both be crackers. France looks to be back, and Ireland will want to apologise to their fans for allowing the Scots to recover in Round 1.
You’ve gotta love Six Nations.
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