Six Nations – Ireland, Scotland and England All Win

by , 16 February 2023

The Six Nations second round of fixtures took place at the weekend with wins for Ireland, Scotland and England. Ireland and Scotland both dream of grand-slam victories while England showed signs of improvement after losing to Scotland in the first round of fixtures.

Six Nations Rugby Union Picture

Irish Strengthen Grand Slam Hopes With Irish Win

Ireland 32-19 France

Ireland clinched an impressive bonus-point 32-19 victory over France in a thrilling Six Nations encounter that saw the Irish team end the French team’s 14-match unbeaten run in Dublin.

Ireland’s Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Andrew Porter, and Garry Ringrose all scored tries in a performance that highlighted the home team’s championship credentials.

The victory also meant that Andy Farrell’s team has won a record 13th straight home match and boosts their hopes of clinching the Six Nations title.

Caelan Doris won the man-of-the-match award, while Farrell became the first coach to beat all tier-one nations while in charge of Ireland.

France’s ambition of a second successive Grand Slam is now over, and they will host Scotland next, while Ireland will face Italy in Rome.

The match between the world’s top two teams lived up to its billing, with the two sides producing a pulsating first-half spectacle.

France took an early lead through Thomas Ramos’ penalty, but Ireland immediately set about regaining control. While Andrew Porter was thwarted in his attempt at scoring a try in the hosts’ opening attack, Finlay Bealham’s clever sleight of the hand sent Hugo Keenan through before crashing over for a well-worked score.

After Ramos’s second penalty cut Ireland’s lead to a single point, France exploited space in the home side’s defence when Anthony Jelonch rampaged through Irish bodies and fed Damian Penaud, who sprinted clear to finish off a stunning counter.

After most of the stadium still celebrated Penaud’s score, the Irish team worked the ball out to James Lowe, who touched the ball down in the corner. The try stood following a lengthy TMO review, though Johnny Sexton’s failed conversion attempt meant Ireland trailed 13-12.

A yellow card was issued to Uini Atonio for a foul against Rob Herring, but shortly after, the hosts went clear when Porter celebrated his 50th cap by scoring his country’s third try of the game. A Sexton penalty increased the lead to six.

The second half saw France try to reduce the deficit, but Ramos missed a long-range kick at the posts before Stuart McCloskey forced a turnover close to the try-line, easing the mounting pressure on the Irish defence.

After Ireland captain Johnny Sexton was forced to leave the field, his replacement Ross Byrne’s penalty put Ireland nine points clear before Ramos responded with a drop-goal to move France to within six points. However, the away side’s hopes of snatching a late victory were dashed when Garry Ringrose managed to avoid three French tacklers and touched down, which gave the Irish a bonus-point win after an enjoyable and memorable encounter.

Ireland now has the chance of winning the Grand Slam for just the fourth time. Rugby betting fans will be backing them to win a title, their first since 2018. Next up is Italy and Scotland before meeting England on March 18.

Scotland Wins First Two Games for the First Time

Scotland 35-7 Wales

Scotland has continued its excellent start to the Guinness Six Nations with an impressive record victory against Wales, thanks to a masterclass by fly-half Finn Russell.

The Scots raced into a 13-0 lead with two penalties by Russell and a converted try by George Turner before Ken Owens pulled a try back for Wales. The Welsh had their chances in the first half but failed to capitalise on their possession, with Scotland scrambling and Richie Gray stealing a lineout five metres from their line. The Welsh were also punished for offside play, while Dan Biggar missed a shot at goal.

In the second half, Scotland turned the screw and went after the Welsh, who were trailing by six points at the break.

The introduction of Blair Kinghorn, who replaced Stuart Hogg after a head injury assessment, was a turning point. Duhan van der Merwe fired up his engines, and Scotland forced penalties, which allowed them to pile on the pressure. Kyle Steyn crossed twice, and Kinghorn scored a superb try before Matt Fagerson touched down in the corner.

Scotland’s relentless attack was guided by the mesmeric Russell, who was named player of the match. He became the first Scotland player to achieve a Six Nations hat-trick of try assists in the tournament as he pulled all the strings once more. His break through the gap and his delightful offload close to the line put Steyn in, and his cross-kick expertly to the right found Steyn again. Russell’s pass over the heads of the retreating defence found Fagerson to touch down in the corner.

Scotland’s victory against Wales was not just an end to Warren Gatland’s dominance over Scotland that stretched back 11 Tests; it was a deconstruction of the Welsh team. Wales had 70% territory in the first half and was the aggressor, but they failed to take advantage of their chances. On the other hand, Scotland showed maturity and ruthlessness once they found their stride, guided by Russell.

Scotland’s win will have fans daring to dream, and captain Jamie Ritchie said after the match that Scotland could beat any team. For Wales, it was their second defeat in a row after losing 34-10 to Ireland.

Scotland will now travel to Paris to face France in a fortnight, and they will believe that anything is possible. Scotland’s stunning performance against Wales was beyond the wildest dreams of the most ardent Scottish fan, and they have proved that they can handle the pressure of backing up one win with another. The Scots are the real deal, and their Six Nations campaign looks very promising.

Bothwick Enjoys First Victory as England Boss

England 31-14 Italy

In the Guinness Six Nations, England’s rugby team claimed their first win under Steve Borthwick’s leadership in a bonus-point victory over Italy, ending in a score of 31-14 at Twickenham.

Jack Willis returned to the team and scored the opening try, with Ollie Chessum adding the second shortly after that. Jamie George added a third with a close-range try, and Marco Riccioni managed a response for Italy shortly after the break.

The bonus point was secured with a penalty try, followed by a fifth try from Henry Arundell,

Despite a relatively underwhelming performance from England for most of the game, the hosts secured their 30th victory in 30 meetings with Italy, putting them in third place in the table, while Italy dropped to fifth. England’s next game will be against Wales in Cardiff on February 25, with Italy hosting the world’s top-ranked side, Ireland, earlier on the same day.

England’s win was not without its hiccups, with Captain Owen Farrell’s performance coming under scrutiny, as he appeared to kick away possession when the team had the front-foot ball. Henry Slade’s return to the outside centre was underwhelming, but Ollie Lawrence impressed with his tackles and runs. Tirelessly hunting down anything in a royal blue shirt, Willis was a standout performer, rewarded with the opening try after England ran a move off the training ground and forced their way over the line.

Italy played with fluidity, keeping possession more than England at 52% and making 286 more metres than their opponents as they looked to keep the ball alive.

Riccioni marked his first international start with a powerful surge for Italy’s first try of the game, and Ange Capuozzo was a constant thorn as he used his agility to cover ground. However, Italy’s ill-discipline proved costly, conceding two tries in the first half while Lorenzo Cannone was in the sin bin. The visitors still had a lot to commend, as this young side continues to employ a fast-paced game.

In terms of what is next for England, they will soon face more challenging opposition than Italy. Borthwick and his coaches will likely be pleased with the win and how the team got back to basics, but there is clearly work to be done.

As Former England scrum-half, Danny Care said, “One thing for certain is England are about to play better teams than today. Going to Wales, Wales have not played well at all this tournament, and they will pitch up against England. But away to Ireland and home to France, that is where we will have an indication of how good this England team is.”

While the team’s performance was underwhelming for most of the game, they succeeded in securing a significant win over perennial underperformers Italy, putting them in third place in the table. However, while Italy’s attacking intent is commendable, their ill discipline proved costly.

England’s next game against Wales will be a real test of their abilities. However, the Welsh team are threatening to strike, which could put the game in doubt. After Wales, England has games against France and Ireland coming soon after.

The Six Nations now takes a week-long break with fixtures resuming the weekend of February 25.

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