Scotland Beats England in Six Nations Opener
Rugby Union’s Six Nations started at the weekend, and there was drama as Scotland beat England in the first round of fixtures. Ireland beat Wales, and the holders, France, managed to scrape past Italy in a thrilling match. Join us as we recap the action and bring you team news ahead of this weekend’s fixtures.
Scotland stunned England with a victory, ruining Steve Borthwick’s debut as head coach. Scotland claimed their third consecutive Calcutta Cup victory over England with a thrilling 29-23 triumph at Twickenham, powered by a brilliant double from winger Duhan van der Merwe.
England had started brightly, with Max Malins scoring two tries in his first match for the national team and captain Owen Farrell converting one of them and adding two penalties to give the hosts a 13-12 lead at halftime.
But Scotland refused to go away and fought back in the second half, with Ben White’s converted score and two penalties from fly-half Finn Russell keeping the visitors within striking distance.
In the end, van der Merwe made the difference, with his two tries, including a stunning solo effort, securing a memorable win for Scotland.
Huw Jones’ converted try and van der Merwe’s first score of the game gave Scotland an early lead, but England fought back through Malins’ two tries and some crucial kicks from Farrell to edge ahead at the break.
After the restart, England extended their lead through Ellis Genge’s try and Farrell’s conversion, but Scotland refused to give up, with White’s try and Russell’s two penalties keeping the game in the balance.
Van der Merwe’s second try sealed the win for Scotland, leaving new England head coach Steve Borthwick still searching for his first victory in charge.
England 23-29 Scotland – score summary:
England: Tries – Max Malins (2), Ellis Genge; Conversion – Owen Farrell; Penalties – Owen Farrell (2).
Scotland: Tries – Duhan van der Merwe (2), Huw Jones, Ben White; Conversion – Finn Russell (3); Penalty – Finn Russell.
England v Italy – England Team News
England Rugby’s most experienced player, Ben Youngs, will not be part of the 29-man squad for the upcoming Six Nations showdown against Italy. Instead, scrum halves Alex Mitchell and Jack van Poortvliet have been chosen to represent the team. Along with Youngs, notable absentees from the squad include Ben Curry, Jack Willis, and Anthony Watson.
However, the England coaching staff has included Henry Arundell, Henry Slade, and Jack Willis in the lineup. Arundell, a talented wing from London Irish, is poised to take the field against Italy and is seen as a “unique prospect” by England’s captain, Owen Farrell.
According to the defence coach, Kevin Sinfield, the selections have been made purely based on what they believe will give the team the best chance of victory and are not meant to be interpreted as mind games. The final 23 players for the matchday will be declared on Friday.
Ireland Dominates Wales with Impressive 34-10 Victory in Six Nations Opener
Ireland dominated Wales in the opening match of the 2023 Six Nations, posting a convincing 34-10 victory in Cardiff and spoiling Warren Gatland’s homecoming in his first game back in charge of Wales.
Despite being without key players Robbie Henshaw and Tadhg Furlong due to injury and losing scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park and replacement loosehead Cian Healy on the day of the match, Ireland flew out of the gate and never looked back.
The match started explosively, with Ireland’s No. 8 Caelan Doris scoring just one second from the two-minute mark off quick service from Conor Murray. The opening try was Ireland’s third-fastest in Six Nations history, with the two fastest being scored against Wales as well. Just a few minutes later, lock James Ryan forced his way over after a series of hard carries, and Ireland soon added to their lead with a try from wing James Lowe, who intercepted a Welsh attack and scampered away for the score.
Ireland captain Johnny Sexton was successful with all five of his kicks at goal, and Ross Byrne added one conversion as the Irish took a commanding 27-point lead into halftime. Wales managed to get on the board in the second half with a converted try from Liam Williams, but Ireland’s Josh van der Flier added a bonus-point-clinching fourth try with just seven minutes to play, securing the 34-10 victory for Ireland.
The match was not without its controversies, with a potential Welsh try being disallowed by the TMO and a sin-binning for Liam Williams for a foul play in the second half.
Despite this, Ireland was the better team on the day, showcasing their physical dominance and attacking prowess and leaving Gatland and Wales with much work to do as they look ahead to the rest of the tournament. The result also marks Ireland’s first Six Nations victory over Wales in Cardiff in a decade and sets them up nicely for the rest of their campaign.
Wales 10-34 Ireland – Score summary:
Tries: Williams (46). Cons: Biggar (46). Pens: Biggar (14). Yellow cards: Williams (65). Ireland: Tries: Doris (2), Ryan (9), Lowe (21), Van der Flier (73). Cons: Sexton (3, 10, 22), Byrne (74). Pens: Sexton (19, 28).
Wales and Ireland Team News
Wales Rugby’s talisman, Alun Wyn Jones, will be available for Saturday’s crucial Six Nations match against Scotland. Initially, Jones was ruled out after leaving the field for a head injury check during a match against Ireland, with an abnormal HIA1 result. However, subsequent HIA2 and HIA3 assessments were normal, revealing no signs of concussion, but instead, a neck injury was diagnosed.
The Welsh medical team kept the Six Nations, and World Rugby informed of Jones’ situation, conducting further investigation and confirming that he did not suffer a concussion. Wales head coach, Warren Gatland, will announce the starting lineup on Thursday. Wales will be facing a Scottish team riding high after a recent victory over England. With a strong record, Wales has won six out of their last seven visits to Edinburgh. One player to watch for Wales is Scotland’s talented wing, Duhan van der Merwe, who scored two tries in the match against England.
Ireland’s Six Nations match against France will be without two key players, Jamison Gibson-Park and Tadhg Furlong. Gibson-Park had to withdraw from Ireland’s recent victory over Wales due to a nagging hamstring injury, while Furlong, who missed the Wales match due to a calf injury, is still recovering and will not be able to play against France. Prop Cian Healy will also miss the game due to a hamstring injury.
Ireland’s veteran player, Johnny Sexton, will undergo an HIA process, and Ronan Kelleher is expected to return to training this week. In addition, Ireland has called up Caolin Blade and Michael Milne to bolster the squad. With these changes, Ireland will look to make their mark against a formidable French team.
Les Bleus Triumph in Nail-Biting 24-29 Victory over Italy in Rome
Les Bleus hold on for a round 1 Six Nations victory after a huge scare. The Stadio Olimpico in Rome saw a thrilling encounter as reigning Six Nations Grand Slam champions France just held on for a 29-24 victory over Italy.
France started with a bang, as Thibaud Flament, Thomas Ramos, and Ethan Dumortier each scored tries to establish a 19-6 lead inside the first 30 minutes. However, Italy wouldn’t go down without a fight, as full-back Ange Capuozzo scored a stunning try and fly-half Tommaso Allan added penalties to bring the Azzurri within five points.
In the second half, Italy continued to push France, with a penalty try and a yellow card against Charles Ollivon, bringing them within a single point. Allan put Italy into the lead with 18 minutes to go, but France’s replacement Matthieu Jalibert came on to score the winning try five minutes later.
The match saw Italy showcase their determination and never-say-die attitude, but it was France’s solid defence and a crucial turnover by Sekou Macalou in the final moments that secured their victory.
Bookies will have hoped for an unlikely Itay win, as France was heavily backed, and bet365 had them as evens.
France had four try-scorers: Thibaud Flament, Thomas Ramos, Ethan Dumortier, and Matthieu Jalibert. Meanwhile, Italy’s points came from a try by Ange Capuozzo, a penalty try, and penalties from Tommaso Allan.
Italy 24-29 France – Score summary:
Italy – Tries: Capuozzo (32), Penalty Try (52). Pens: Allan (14, 23, 40+1, 62). France – Tries: Flament (5), Ramos (19), Dumortier (27), Jalibert (67). Cons: Ramos (6, 28, 68). Pens: Ramos (47).
Six Nations Fixtures for Round 2
The second round of fixtures takes place this weekend.
Ireland takes on France at Aviva Stadium in Round 2 of the 2023 Guinness Six Nations on 11th February 2023, 2.15 pm GMT.
Scotland takes on Wales at BT Murrayfield Stadium in Round 2 of the 2023 Guinness Six Nations on 11th February 2023, 4.45 pm GMT.
England takes on Italy at Twickenham Stadium in Round 2 of the 2023 Guinness Six Nations on 12th February 2023, 3.00 pm GMT.
Ireland vs France will be shown on ITV, Scotland vs Wales will be on BBC, and England vs Italy will be on ITV.
