Six Nations 2024: Team of the Tournament

It’s that time again, as 1 week on from the conclusion of the Men’s Six Nations Championship, we look back on the tournament by picking my Team of the Tournament. And what a tournament it was. Ireland began life without Jonathan Sexton with another tournament victory, but were denied the Grand Slam by an improving England team. France struggled with some key players missing, while Scotland’s mental fragility saw them finish in the bottom half of the table. Meanwhile Wales’ rebuild continued in less successful manner than the Rugby World Cup as they finished with the Wooden Spoon, while Italy ended with 2 wins and a draw—which but for a couple of characteristically poor refereeing decisions against them could have been 4 wins and a loss—as they celebrated their most successful campaign to date.

So who makes my XV? It was certainly difficult, with multiple standouts at some positions, and others where performances maybe left a little more to be desired or players shared the position. Let me know how my picks compare to yours!

So without further ado, my Team of the 2024 Six Nations is:

1) Danilo Fischetti: The first of a number of Italians making. Fischetti has been one of their more impressive players as the team has grown over recent years, and while his input may not have been so obvious with his teammates stepping up, but he still played a key part with his strong scrummaging to help create an attacking platform, and his physical defence and turnovers were part of an impressive team defensive effort. I also just want to take a moment to mention debutant Mirco Spagnolo who did a fantastic job as Fischetti’s replacement during the tournament, holding his own at scrum time (and winning penalties against some famous scrummagers) while also doing his part in defence. This is a 1-2 punch to watch out for over coming years.

2) Dan Sheehan: Retains his place from last year with another series of dominant performances, including 5 tries that saw him as joint-top try scorer in the tournament alongside Duhan van der Merwe. With Ireland’s current strength and 10 tries already to his name aged 25, it feels like Sheehan could be the man to beat Joe Taufete’e’s record for most Test tries by a tight five forward (currently at 23)

3) Dan Cole: Another very impressive tournament for Cole. Was part of a strong scrummage that helped England create a platform for attack and defence. It just worries me how reliant England are on a 36-year old and wonder when they will take a realistic look at other options.

4 & 5) Joe McCarthy & Federico Ruzza: Given the starting spot ahead of experienced options like Iain Henderson and James Ryan shows just how highly McCarthy is rated by the Irish coaches, and he certainly repaid their faith with a series of strong carrying performances to help but the men in green on the front foot. As for Ruzza, he is another whose role can go unnoticed, but he is a key part of the lineout functionality (33 takes, compared to 19 for 2ⁿᵈ placed Adam Beard and Aaron Wainwright) and he also took on extra responsibility for carrying within the Italian pack this year due to injures to key carriers in the middle rounds, drawing in 2+ tacklers on 72.2% of his 18 carries into contact.

6) Andy Christie: Eventually worked his way into the squad and then the starting line-up, and should have secured his place for the foreseeable future with some great defensive performances, making a number of crucial tackles and some key turnovers, and also impressing in the set piece and attack.

7) Tommy Reffell: One of the hardest decisions I had to make this year as Michele Lamaro was a key performer for Italy, breaking the tournament tackle record. However Reffell was a shining light in a poor tournament for Wales, and despite the team being frequently in reverse, he finished the tournament with 3 turnover tackles and a tournament high 8 breakdown steals (double that of the next best).

8) Ben Earl: First things first, I still don’t think Earl is the long-term answer for England at 8 and would much prefer to see him at 7 alongside a specialist 8. However, Earl was incredible for England, completely outplaying 2 of the best 8s in the world in Caelan Doris and Grégory Alldritt. His pace is something we already knew about, but he has also shown impressive strength for someone lacking the size of a traditional number 8, helping him finish as the only forward in the top 10 for metres made.

9) Nolann le Garrec: Fabien Galthié stuck with Maxime Lucu too long as it was clear after 2 weeks that le Garrec was looking better for the team. Added quality to the team every time he came on and was finally given the starting spot for Round 4. Unfortunately by this point he was stuck with Thomas Ramos at 10, which impacted the team’s performance, but he still showed his quality with impressive tactical and territorial kicking, crisp passes and an eye for a gap. Will just get better as he gains experience and the team gets used to the new attacking tactics. France may still miss Antoine Dupont while he chases Olympic glory, but le Garrec will be a more than capable replacement.

10) George Ford: Perhaps a surprising choice here but it’s worth thinking of the context behind his performances. With the media focusing on Owen Farrell’s move to France and fixated on Marcus Smith, Ford quietly went about his business doing what he needed to do as England looked to transition to a more attacking team and also bring in a new defence. Completed 94.3% of his tackle attempts (the best % among all fly halves) and also forced 3 turnovers with his tackling.

11) Rio Dyer: Yes, you read that right. Despite a join-top 5 tries and being 1 of 4 selected for Six Nations Player of the Tournament, Duhan van der Merwe fails to make my XV. If we were looking at single-game performances, his hattrick against England would have made his list, but he was shut down far too effectively by Italy and Ireland. Instead, I have gone for Rio Dyer, who was consistently dangerous for Wales. Made 7 linebreaks (joint-second) on his way to 264.5 metres gained (6ᵗʰ-most). A huge positive for Wales to see how he stood up and took control with Josh Adams quiet and Louis Rees-Zammit leaving for the NFL on the eve of the tournament.

12) Tommaso Menoncello: The new star of Italian Rugby. Sione Tuipulotu and Bundee Aki both performed well, but Tuipulotu’s injury cost him a spot, and Aki’s impact was lessened in the final weeks as Ireland lost their fluency. Menoncello is one of those amazing talents who can play equally well at multiple positions, as highlighted by a huge performance on the wing, but is better at 12 where he can be more involved int he game. Frequently made big defensive reads and then came up to make the big hits or important tackles, meanwhile in attack, he frequently helped put his team on the front foot with a mix of power and elusive running. At only 21, he will be a star for years to come.

13) Juan Ignacio Brex: It’s an absolute travesty that Brex did not make the shortlist for Player of the Tournament, as I would say he had the best chance of beating Ben Earl to the award. I recently described his impact on the team as “Italy’s Conrad Smith” as he always seemed to be doing the right thing. Led the Italian defensive effort with hard hits and key tackles, while in attack he always appeared to be making the right choice, either to carry, pass or kick. Mr Reliable.

14) Damian Penaud: Penaud keeps his place from last year after a mixed tournament. A disappointing drop in performance from France really harmed his chances of breaking Serge Blanco’s try record, and with only 1 try, he remains 2 off equalling the record. However, while he didn’t get to finish as much, he continued to cause problems for defences with his strong and elusive running. Finished top for assists (3), linebreaks (11) and offloads (11), and second behind James Lowe for metres carried (422.3) and metres gained (316.8).

15) Cameron Winnett: It was a quiet tournament for fullbacks, but people may be surprised to see Winnett make the list. However the youngster did a great job of holding his own throughout the tournament, securing plenty of high balls and looking comfortable countering from deep. Made the most metres of any Welsh player in the tournament. Will just begin to shine more as Wales improve over the next couple of seasons.

Six Nations 2024: France v England

France – 33

Tries

Nolann le Garrec (20′), Léo Barré (56′), Gaël Fickou (61′)

Conversions

Thomas Ramos (21′) (57′) (62′)

Penalties

Thomas Ramos (18′) (32′) (36′) (80′)

England – 31

Tries

Ollie Lawrence (40′) (43′), Marcus Smith (47′), Tommy Freeman (75′)

Conversions

George Ford (40′) (44′) (48′) (76′)

Penalties

George Ford (12′)

The 2024 Six Nations came to an end with the latest edition of Le Crunch in Lyon, with a second-placed finish on the line. Fabien Galthié decided to go with the same 23 as last week’s victory over Wales despite their issues, and it was only a poor kick in behind from Thomas Ramos that brought a promising first attack to a disappointing end.

France were looking strong, but England’s blitz defence was putting them under pressure and forcing errors. However, England were dealt a blow after just 8 minutes, when George Furbank was forced off with a calf injury, Marcus Smith having to come on in his place.

Last week, France had struggled to get the penalties they wanted despite their scrum dominance, but Ellis Genge was holding his own against Uini Atonio and won a penalty after 12 minutes for George Ford to open the scoring. However, this appeared to be the only area where England were able to make any headway early on, with the attack struggling to make ground, and when Marcus Smith got isolated trying to make magic out of nothing, Ramos took the opportunity to call for the tee and level the scores. And when François Cros stole the English lineout just moments later, Les Bleus took advantage of England’s issues on transition to spread the ball to the far wing and get round the defence before slipping the ball back inside for scrum half Nolan le Garrec to score beneath the posts.

England were being their own worst enemies in attack, with far too many inaccuracies just inviting pressure from the defence, and France’s next turnover of possession saw Damian Penaud break before kicking downfield for Louis Bielle-Biarrey to chase and pressure Smith into taking the ball back over his own line. However France’s attacking issues continued and Ramos wasted possession in the England 22 with an aimless crosskick that Damian Penaud never looked ready for, drawing boos from the home support. And it was another poor kick from Ramos that wasted their next opportunity after a break from Grégory Alldritt and Charles Ollivon, however this time France managed to retain the ball and keep up the pressure to win a penalty, which Ramos kicked much cleaner. France’s attack wasn’t functioning anywhere near its fluent best, but it was drawing penalties out of the English defence, which allowed Ramos to extend the lead. But England had a chance just before the break after catching France in their corner with no escape, and after the English maul was stopped at source, Ollie Lawrence charged through the diving tackle of Gaël Fickou for the try, Ford adding the extras to cut the halftime deficit to 16-10.

It felt like England were lucky to be so close on the scoreboard, but they came out firing after the break, and after a run down the wing from Tommy Freeman was followed up by a break to the line from Ben Earl, England kept patient and sent Lawrence over in the corner, Ford adding the extras to put the visitors ahead. And Freeman was soon on the attack again, only for his pass back inside from Mitchell to be tipped away from him. But England kept the pressure on and targeted Ramos at the next attack, releasing Earl into the 22 where he sent Smith over for the try.

With the French stunned, England looked to hit them with a fresh front row, but the French were able to put together a period of possession, helped by a series of England penalties as they tried to compete too hard. And after some huge carrying from France sucked in the English defence, Charles Ollivon drew Marcus Smith and offloaded to put Léo Barré over, Ramos’ conversion bringing them back within a point.

With the game reaching the hour mark, Manu Tuilagi was brought on to bolster the England midfield in what may be his last Test appearance, but he was powerless to stop France’s immediate reply. Theo Dan overthrew the lineout and Ramos beat everyone to the ball with a hopeful kick downfield; Damian Penaud beat the turning England defence to win the ball and offloaded out of the tackle for Fickou to canter over and put his side back ahead.

As the game entered the final 10 minutes, France looked to attack down the blind side but found their attack ended prematurely by a deliberate knock-on from Freeman, but Ramos’ attempt off the tee drifted wide of the posts and kept England within 6 points. And a timely turnover on halfway from Alex Dombrandt just minutes later allowed England to go for the corner to set up their first attacking platform of note since their last try. And as England went to the right through numerous phases, a beautiful example of quick hands from Ford beat Bielle-Biarrey’s blitz and allowed Smith to work the overlap created outside of him to send Freeman over for the bonus point try, while Ford’s conversion attempt from the touchline just snuck in at the near post.

But there was still time for the game to go either way, and a no-arms tackle from Ben Earl allowed Ramos to kick France back into the lead with a minute left. England needed to win back the restart but kicked far too deep and France saw out the clock to secure a 33-31 victory and second place in the standings, while England’s bonus point was just enough to push Scotland down to 4ᵗʰ.

Six Nations 2024: Ireland v Scotland

Ireland – 17

Tries

Dan Sheehan (13′), Andrew Porter (65′)

Conversions

Jack Crowley (14′) (65′)

Penalties

Jack Crowley (44′)

Scotland – 13

Tries

Huw Jones (78′)

Conversions

Finn Russell (78′)

Penalties

Finn Russell (8′) (18′)

Cards

Ewan Ashman (65′)

With the Wooden Spoon confirmed as belonging to Wales, the 2024 Six Nations switched to the top of the table, where Ireland were looking to recover from last week’s shock defeat to England by defeating Scotland at home to secure the title, while Scotland held hopes of completing the Triple Crown.

The defending champions were forced into a late change as fullback Hugo Keenan suffered an injury in the warm-up, being replaced by Jordan Larmour, but it was his fellow back 3 in James Lowe who felt the pressure early on as his clearance was charged down by Andy Christie, before thankfully bouncing into touch, and though Ireland then gave away a free kick at the lineout, they promptly won the ball back from Scotland courtesy of a Joe McCarthy strip of Zander Fagerson to clear their lines. Lowe’s poor start continued though as after catching a high ball under pressure, he was pinged for crawling on the floor rather than presenting the ball with a Scottish jackal ready to pilfer, allowing Finn Russell to open the scoring off the tee.

Ireland quickly reset though, and when a strong carry from Robbie Henshaw drew a cheap offside penalty, they turned down the easy 3 points to go for the corner, with a clever move at the front of the lineout just dealt with by Scotland to force Dan Sheehan into touch. However everything then went wrong at the resulting lineout as George Turner overthrew his jumper and Sheehan collected at the back of the line to go over untouched, Jack Crowley adding the extras.

Russell soon cut the deficit to 1 with another penalty, but the Scottish attack was generally being dealt with by the Irish defence—an impressive break from centre Stafford McDowall one of the only moments in the first half where Scotland successfully got through the green defensive line—while the Irish attack, though still not looking its best, was looking better with its usual 1-playmaker system compared to the 2-playmaker system they had previously deployed with Ciarán Frawley at 15. However there were very few real chances of note from either team as players like Andy Christie continued to prove themselves a nuisance on defence. And so it was no surprise to see Ireland call for the tee with a penalty late in the half, only for Crowley’s kick to pull wide and keep the score at 7-6.

The second period started much brighter for Irish fans, with a half-break from Lowe and Bundee Aki putting them on the front foot around the Scottish 22 and winning a penalty, which Crowley dispatched. And they were soon back even deeper in the 22, and though they lost their composure trying to play wide, they had the penalty advantage, and after going for the tap and a couple of phases of pressure, Tadhg Furlong manage to stretch for the line but found the ball dislodged by Zander Fagerson.

Everything was going Ireland’s way in the early moments of the half. Finn Russell was on an off day; even Scotland’s big carriers found themselves being carried backwards; the Irish scrum was dominant and the Irish were beginning to control the territory. So as Ireland spread the ball wide, it looked like Calvin Nash was bound to score as the ball was spread to him, but as he was forced to step back inside all the covering defenders, he was stopped just short by the every-impressive Christie and fumbled as he tried to turn his body back to the Irish side. A penalty to the corner soon had Ireland back deep in the 22, and though the maul was stopped short, Ireland maintained the pressure with a series of pick-and-go carries before spreading the ball, only for Jamison Gibson-Park’s pass to be slightly behind replacement Garry Ringrose and forcing him to fumble in his first action of the tournament, while a Scottish scrum penalty gave the visitors a reprieve.

There had not been the second half Scottish collapse as bad as we had seen in other weeks, but their match was summed up just after the hour mark. A high ball fumbled by Larmour gifted them possession just outside the 22, but after spreading the ball and using up the advantage, Scotland lost control of the ball at the following breakdown and Ringrose stole the ball back before countering with a gallop downfield, setting up a new Irish attack that drew multiple penalties before Henshaw was held up by the combined efforts of Christie, Cam Redpath and George Horne, resulting in Ewan Ashman being sent to the bin. And this time, Ireland’s tap-and-go penalty worked as Andrew Porter was sent crashing over.

As the final 10 minutes approached, “The Fields of Athenry” rang around the Aviva Stadium as the crowd knew that back-to-back Six Nations titles were theirs, and as Kyle Rowe kicked out on the full under no pressure with his first touch of the ball, Ireland were gifted with field position and a penalty for playing the jumper in the air. And so Ireland went again to the corner, though their maul again failed to find success against the Scottish defence.

With 5 minutes remaining, replacement Harry Byrne was sent to the bin for contact with the head of Finn Russell, and the extra man soon told, as Huw Jones slipped tackles from Robbie Henshaw, Caelan Doris and Josh van der Flier, before rounding Lowe to score beneath the posts. With Russell’s quick conversion, there was a couple of minutes left on the clock, and the chance of an unlikely (and arguably undeserved) upset suddenly looked more likely, but Ireland held strong and saw out the time to secure the title with a 17-13 victory.

Six Nations 2024: Wales v Italy

Wales – 21

Tries

Elliot Dee (64′), Will Rowlands (79′), Mason Grady (80′)

Conversions

Sam Costelow (65′), Ioan Lloyd (80′) (80′)

Italy – 24

Tries

Montanna Ioane (20′), Lorenzo Pani (46′)

Conversions

Paolo Garbisi (47′)

Penalties

Paolo Garbisi (6′) (14′) (71′), Martin Page-Relo (74′)

The final week of the 2024 Six Nations kicked off with Wales looking to avoid the Wooden Spoon at home to Italy. The hosts lost this fixture in the dying seconds 2 years ago, and knew that even a bonus point win may not be enough to save them on the occasion of George North’s last match before retiring from Test rugby.

Italy were looking dangerous in attack, with a number of half-breaks teasing the quality of the back 3 despite Ange Capuozzo’s absence with a broken finger. Meanwhile, the defence that had given most opponents issues through the tournament was no different today, frequently pushing the hosts backwards and with 2 breakdown penalties in the Welsh half allowing Paolo Garbisi to kick the Azzurri into an early lead.

And as the game reached the end of the first quarter, a break from Tommaso Menoncello, Montanna Ioane and Federico Ruzza pushed the attack up to the Welsh 5m line, and after a couple of patient phases, Ioane was sent over for the opening try, though Garbisi’s conversion was sliced wide. To make things worse for Wales, despite the pack s being much closer in weight this week, the Italians were still the more impressive and winning penalties, while Wales’ first attack of note after 25 minutes—began with a strip from Tommy Reffell on Menoncello—was ended by a fantastic turnover penalty from Michele Lamaro.

Garbisi was not having the best of days with the boot, but when a poor kick right into the middle of the Welsh 22 resulted in Sam Costelow and Cam Winnett colliding with each other for a knock-on, Garbisi made amends with a lovely chip out to the wing, only for the bounce to just evade Lorenzo Pani. With just minutes left, a turnover penalty from Josh Adams allowed Wales to kick into the Italian 22 for their best attacking chance of the half, only for Nick Tompkins to knock on the moment he made contact with the defence, and Simone Ferrari forced Gareth Thomas to hinge at the scrum for a penalty to clear their lines and end the half 0-11.

A break from Rio Dyer minutes after the restart brought some noise to the Principality Stadium, but the defence recovered to stop Tomos Williams and defend the later phases, while a neck role from Adam Beard soon allowed the Azzurri to clear their lines, and when Italy spread it wide from the resulting lineout, Ioane ghosted through the defence and fed Lorenzo Pani to slalom through the remaining cover defence for the try, Garbisi’s conversion making it 0-18.

In desperate need of an improvement, Warren Gatland replaced Tompkins with Mason Grady, but his first action was to spill the ball in contact in the Italian 22 just like his predecessor, before following up with a high tackle. With Will Rowlands also joining the fray minutes later, Wales were looking more positive and attack-minded, with Grady looking more impressive after having settled into the match, but the execution remained poor, with penalties or handling errors soon ending any attack. It looked like Wales may finally have points on the board as Rio Dyer broke down the wing and fed Tomos Williams again, but Italy’s back row replacements defended the clean sheet, Ross Vintcent with an incredible cover tackle and Manuel Zuliani getting over the ball for the turnover. The kicked clearance didn’t remove all the pressure and Wales were soon attacking the line again, and Elloit Dee finally just forced his way over for the try.

Wales were growing in confidence and suddenly looking dangerous, but time was against them and when Kieran Hardy was caught offside at a kick, Garbisi stretched the lead to 14 points, while the next Welsh attack saw Louis Lynagh somehow let the ball slip through his hands as he intercepted the ball on halfway with a clear run to the try line. A turnover penalty on the next Welsh attack allowed Martin Page-Relo to make it a three-score game with 6 minutes remaining.

Wales had another chance in the Italian 22, and when the first attempt under penalty advantage saw the ball knocked on in the act of scoring, Wales kept the pressure on and eventually forced Rowlands over for a try, and as George North was helped off the field by the Welsh medics to a standing ovation, Ioan Lloyd kicked the conversion. There was just time for the restart, though, and when Grady beat the onrushing Pani to a clever chip over the line by Kieran Hardy, the replacement centre collected the ball and went the distance for a try that his positive impact deserved.

But the time was up and the deficit too much, so while the Welsh finished on a high, the Wooden Spoon was still theirs as Italy took the match 21-24 for their most successful ever Six Nations: 2 wins and a draw.

Six Nations 2024: Wales v France

Wales – 24

Tries

Rio Dyer (10′), Tomos Williams (25′), Joe Roberts (43′)

Conversions

Sam Costelow (10′) (26′) (45′)

Penalties

Sam Costelow (2′)

France – 45

Tries

Gaël Fickou (22′), Nolann Le Garrec (29′), Georges-Henri Colombe (65′), Romain Toafifenua (69′), Maxime Lucu (80′)

Conversions

Thomas Ramos (23′) (30′) (66′) (70′)

Penalties

Thomas Ramos (7′) (15′) (61′) (74′)

The 2024 Six Nations would not be one that France looked back on fondly, but after escaping with a draw against Italy, they would have been hoping that a trip to Cardiff could help put their season back on track. Les Bleus were able to welcome back Grégory Alldritt and Thibaud Flament, but were now without the injured Matthieu Jalibert and the banned Jonathan Danty, and early inaccuracies put them under heavy pressure and allowed Tommy Reffell to earn a breakdown penalty for Sam Costelow to open the scoring after just 2 minutes.

While they may not have their usual flair and connectivity, what France did have was a bunch of goliaths, and their hard running kept them on the front foot and soon allowed Thomas Ramos to level the scores off the tee. France’s defence was impacted by their selection though as they tried to hide Thomas Ramos from the big runners, and when Rio Dyer spotted a dogleg in broken play, he accelerated through for the opening try. However as with previous weeks, Wales’ scrum was an issue and despite moving Daffydd Jenkins in to the back row, they were against a pack 70kgs heavier, who demolished their first set piece to give Ramos another easy penalty. The lineout however was a different matter, with Wales stealing one against the throw early on and turning over the maul at the first one in dangerous territory.

France’s carriers were just too strong though, creating quick ball and consistently going forward over the gain line, and as the second quarter began, they worked the space to leave Gaël Fickou 1 on 1 with Costelow, and his footwork saw him beat the young fly half to score in the corner, Ramos adding the extras from the touchline. However the French fly half’s defensive frailties allowed Wales to answer immediately as he left too much space for debutant Nicolas Depoortère to cover, allowing Owen Watkin to slide through a gap and feed Tomos Williams to score under the posts. In a game where offences appeared to be on top, a clever kick through forced Cam Winnett to take the ball into his own 22 and dot down under pressure from Louis Bielle-Biarrey, and a strong midfield carry off first phase at the resulting scrum left Nolann Le Garrec the space to snipe over, while Wales just recovered to stop Depoortère and Bielle-Biarrey from scoring after the centre’s kick saw them get in behind the defence on the left wing just minutes later following an audacious wide pass from Le Garrec. And as the half came to a close, both teams looked to play expansive rugby but found themselves stopped by untimely inaccuracies, while Reffell again showed his quality with a couple of key turnovers for a 17-20 score at the break.

Wales continued to focus on playing expansive rugby after the break with continued success, and it took just a couple of minutes for them to take the lead, working an overlap for Joe Roberts to just about force his way over with 2 support me outside him. France were looking to find an immediate answer, but when Charles Ollivon managed to get through the tackle, he was overran by debutant fullback Léo Barré—who had been out of position for Dyer’s try and otherwise anonymous—to bring a positive attack to a disappointing end.

Though France had dominated the scrum, they had not been able to turn it into penalties, so it was no surprise to see a new French front row enter the fray after 50 minutes, and though they did not win a penalty at their first scrum, the ferocity of the carrying on the opening phases brought them up to the Welsh try line, and while they again failed to convert the position into a try, a penalty against the defence gave them a scrum just left of the posts, from which 3 pick and go carries saw Alldritt force his way over but lose control as he tried to ground the ball. A penalty advantage helped lessen his blushes and as Wales went to the bench to replace their halfbacks and the injured Tommy Reffell, an early engagement from Sébastien Taofifénua allowed the hosts to clear their line, but a strong carry from Penaud brought them straight back into the 22 and this time that they won a penalty, they took the pragmatic option and called for the tee, Ramos cutting the deficit to 1 point on the hour.

That run from Penaud should have been a warning that he was growing into the game, and another break down the wing soon had the visitors back dep in their opponent’s 22, and it took just a few phases of pressure for Georges-Henri Colombe to force his way over against 3 tacklers. Wales were refusing to give up, but Ioan Lloyd was making the wrong choices when distributing the ball, putting his team under pressure. And when Gareth Davies took it on himself to clear the ball, his box kick was blocked by Romain Taofifenua, who then beat Davies to the ball to dot down in-goal for the bonus point try. A turnover penalty from Colombe allowed Ramos to make it a 3-score game with just 6 minutes remaining, and while Gareth Davies’ quick tap penalty tried to inspire a late Welsh rally for a bonus point try that could prove crucial tot he final standings, Josh Adams’ offload dropped dead on his support man. And there was just time for France to work their way up to the Welsh 22 for 1 more chance, with Penaud stopped just short of the line but offloading to send replacement Maxime Lucu over to score on the final play for a 24-45 victory

For Wales, their inexperience showed at times as they played in the wrong areas and struggled to deal with size and power of the French carriers, while they will certainly be hoping that Tommy Reffell is fit for a crucial finale against Italy. As for France, Fabien Galthié will have a big decision to make on selection at fly half next week against England. This week, he chose not to pick specialist fly half Antoine Hastoy in favour of fullback and occasional 10 Thomas Ramos, likely due to his more regular time in the team meaning he knew the tactics better. However it was a mixed game for hm in attack, as he often looked like he was lacking space so close to the line, while the need to hide him really hurt their defence but will be even more vital against the English carriers next week. But is must also be considered that by moving him to 10, it also resulted in a debutant at 15, whose game was probably even more mixed, a couple of half-breaks but some costly errors and large periods of anonymity. With just a week to go, t won’t be a shock to see Galthié stick with these players, but I can’t help feel that giving Hastoy the 10 jersey and moving Ramos back to his preferred position of fullback.

Six Nations 2024: England v Ireland

England – 23

Tries

Ollie Lawrence (3′) George Furbank (48′), Ben Earl (60′)

Conversions

Marcus Smith (61′)

Penalties

George Ford (17′)

Drop Goals

Marcus Smith (80′)

Ireland – 22

Tries

James Lowe (45′) (73′)

Penalties

Jack Crowley (3′) (20′) (36′) (40′)

Cards

Peter O’Mahony (58′)

Ireland’s quest to become the first back-to-back champions since England’s first 2 seasons under Eddie Jones (and first ever back-to-back Grand Slam winners in the Six Nations era) saw them travel to Twickenham to take on England in Round 4.

Scotland’s loss in Italy meant that an Irish victory today would secure them the Championship, and they were ahead within minutes courtesy of a Jack Crowley penalty after England were caught napping by Josh van der Flier’s break through the middle of a ruck.

England’s coaches had been criticised over the previous week for apparently putting all the focus in training on defence, but England answered that in spectacular fashion early on; George Furbank’s counter of a clearance fed Tommy Freeman, who came out best in a huge collision with Calvin Nash. And with Nash down injured, England targeted the blind side where he should have been to send Ollie Lawrence over for the try, while Nash was replaced by Ciarán Frawley.

The host’s selection of Dan Martin and Maro Itoje at lock and Ollie Chessum in the back row suggested that they would be targeting the set piece, and early results were positive, with a scrum penalty allowing them to clear their lines and a lineout turnover inviting them to attack wide on transition, where Feyi-Waboso almost escaped the clutches of the green-shirted defenders. England were playing with real attacking intensity, carrying over the gain line and earning quick ball to keep the pressure on, earning a penalty which George Ford kicked in order to rise to 3ʳᵈ on England’s all-time points lists (behind Owen Farrell and Jonny Wilkinson).

England’s pressure at the lineout was forcing Ireland to target their front pod, but with Bundee Aki running hard at 12, they were still managing to get on the front foot, allowing Crowley to cut the lead with a penalty. But after a double hit from Chessum and Feyi-Waboso forced the Ireland centre into touch just outside his 22, the pressure came on from England, only for Tadgh Beirne to steal the ball at the back of a ruck as England dawdled on the Irish try line. But England were soon back on the attack, and when Ollie Lawrence sent a grubber through to the corner, Furbank just beat the turning Frawley to the ball, only to knock on as contact with the Irish replacement dislodged the ball as he tried to gain control of it.

Ireland were struggling to slow down the English ball, while the England back line, especially the midfield, looked far more comfortable together as a unit. However, much of the play was between the 22s, and as in attack, it was Bundee Aki who came up big with a turnover penalty around halfway not long after Ford missed a kick, and Crowley’s kick just had the legs to put the visitors back ahead, while a great defensive read from Robbie Henshaw forced a handling error as England went hunting for a reply. And when George Furbank stepped into touch as he fielded a kick, Ireland were gifted with ball deep in the English half with 90 seconds left until the break, eventually earning a penalty for offside that allowed Crowley to kick the lead to 8-12.

While England’s defence had impressed for much of the tournament, they continued to be vulnerable if caught on transition, and Ireland took advantage after winning back a high ball in the England half by spreading it wide and sending James Lowe over in the corner just minutes after the restart. Ireland’s own defence, meanwhile, was growing into the game and starting to look more like themselves… until another England kick counter caught the outside backs narrow as they needed multiple men to stop Feyi-Waboso, while England then spread the ball and used both Martin and Itoje in the attacking line to work the overlap to release Furbank out wide for the try.

Ireland were forced into a reshuffle as Frawley failed a HIA after 50 minutes, Jamison Gibson-Park having to move to the wing with Conor Murray the only back remaining to come on due to Ireland choosing a 6-2 split. And when Ben Earl broke up to the Irish 22 moments later, a cynical infringement by Peter O’Mahony saw the captain sent to the bin. England looked to capitalise by going to the corner, and though Ireland (illegally) stopped the maul and initially pushed England back, they kept their patience and eventually it was Ben Earl who stretched through contact to reach the line, Marcus Smith adding the extras just minutes after coming on.

Twickenham was ringing with the sounds of “Swing Low” in a way that had rarely been heard of late, but a cheap penalty from Itoje gave Ireland a chance, and with the penalty just on the edge of Crowley’s range, they kicked up to the 22 to keep the pressure on, with a fizzed pass from Crowley maybe just a little too hard as they found a gap, forcing a knock-on. With 15 minutes remaining, England brought on the rest of their replacements, including centurion Danny Care, and though fellow replacement Elliot Daly was hit as he tried to kick, Ben Earl continued yet another Player of the Match performance with a crucial turnover penalty after the advantage had been used up.

With Ryan Baird coming on for O’Mahony at the end of his sin bin, Ireland were back to a full complement with 10 minutes left and were soon back on the attack as a penalty allowed them to kick deep into the 22. And it took just a couple of phases working across the pitch to create the overlap for Gibson-Park’s quick hands under pressure to send Lowe over in the corner for his second of the night, and though Crowley could not add the extras from the touchline, Ireland again had a lead to defend with just 7 minutes left.

With just minutes left, a Daly penalty on halfway was pulled wide, but there was time for a couple more more England attacks and with Chandler Cunningham-South again leading the way in a very positive cameo (before hobbling off with 2 minutes remaining), England were finding gaps to exploit, though Ireland’s scramble defence held strong until the final play, where England kept calm and—with a penalty advantage— Marcus Smith dropped into the pocket and made the drop goal look simple to steal the result at the death, and deny Ireland a Grand Slam with a 23-22 victory.

Six Nations 2024: Italy v Scotland

Italy – 31

Tries

Juan Ignacio Brex (15′), Louis Lynagh (44′), Stephen Varney (58′)

Conversions

Paolo Garbisi (16′) (59′)

Penalties

Paolo Garbisi (2′) (35′) (73′), Martin Page-Relo (39′)

Scotland – 29

Tries

Zander Fagerson (7′), Kyle Steyn (12′), Pierre Schoeman (28′), Sam Skinner (78′)

Conversions

Finn Russell (8′) (13′) (78′)

Penalties

Finn Russell (25′)

Round 4 of the 2024 Six Nations began in Rome as Italy faced Scotland. The Azzurri came in to today without a win in this season’s tournament after being forced to settle for a draw in France, but were looking generally more dangerous than in recent years, and were welcoming back Seb Negri to the starting line-up, along with debutant Louis Lynagh. And with this match at home against a Scotland team missing Ben White and the injured Sione Tuipulotu, they were surely feeling that a win was possible. And when Tommaso Menoncello’s jackal won a penalty from the first phase of the game, even the ball falling off the tee could not deny Paolo Garbisi from kicking the opening points.

Italy spent much of the first half last round defending in their 22, and they were soon doing so again after a lucky kick ricochet allowed the Scots to get in behind, and as Scotland continued to smash the line and produce quick ball, Zander Fagerson eventually forced his way over, with Finn Russell adding the extras. The Scots were soon back on the attack after referee Angus Gardner ignored Jack Dempsey rolling into the Italian support and instead penalised the hosts for holding on, and as the Italian defence was stretched, Kyle Steyn’s strength saw him crash over. The Azzurri hit straight back though and with a lineout on the Scottish 22, Martin Page-Relo drew the defence before playing a lovely chip over the top, with Juan Ignacio Brex beating everyone to the ball and keeping control as he dotted down despite crashing into the post.

The Italian defence was causing issues for the visitors but sometimes pushing things a little too far and giving away penalties, putting themselves under more pressure and allowing Russell to grow the score. And when Russell followed up an interception by Andy Christie with a 50:22, the pack eventually mauled their way to a try for Pierre Schoeman, though Russell finally lost his 100% kick success in this year’s tournament with the touchline conversion attempt. Italy were refusing to let their heads drop, and as halftime approached, Garbisi and Page-Relo kicked a penalty each to bring the score back to 16-22. And Scotland were almost undone just before the break as a handling error was seized upon by debutant Lynagh who kicked on, only for Duhan van der Merwe to hold Ange Capuozzo up in-goal.

Scotland’s second half performances have left something to be desired this season, but they looked like started this half the brighter with Huw Jones getting through a gap and sending George Horne over for a try, only for replays to show that the gap had been created through obstruction from Schoeman. And the Azzurri took full advantage of the reprieve almost immediately as Louis Lynagh ran on to a clever grubber in behind from Garbisi to mark his debut with a try, only Garbisi’s conversion to take the lead to come back off the post. And as the game opened up in the following minutes, Lynagh and Capuozzo managed to combine to force van der Merwe into touch when he would have been away around the edge.

While both teams were playing positive rugby, both attacks were somewhat messy in their execution, but the hosts were growing in belief and the Scots were once again beginning to give away penalties as replacement scrum half Stephen Varney upped the tempo. And when Ross Vincent broke from a wide position to be stopped just short, Italy remained patient and kept the pressure on, creating space for Varney to snipe over from close range just before the hour. Scotland wouldn’t give up, though, and a break down the win from van der Merwe brought them up to the 22, only for him to not link with the supporting Ali Price and get tackled, with the Italian defence recovering to force a turnover a few phases later.

The visitors emptied the bench in the hopes of a turnaround, but soon found themselves pushed out of bonus point range by a Garbisi penalty with 8 minutes remaining. The Scots were son back on the attack, but a dogged Italian defence held strong and cleared their lines following a drop by van der Merwe. But when the TMO spotted a deliberate knock on by Federico Ruzza, Russell went to the corner with just 3 minutes remaining, and after the maul was stopped, Sam Skinner forced his way over beneath the posts for the 4-try bonus point and Russell added the extras quickly enough to allow the game to restart with just 2 points in it. Having to go from deep, Scotland did everything they could to find a way through and though the Italian defence bent, it didn’t break, and a monster defensive effort that lasted over 30 phases was ended by a Scottish know on and a 31-29 victory for the Azzurri, their first Six Nations win at home since 2013.

For Scotland, it’s yet another match where they have failed to convert the theoretical quality of their attack into points, while once again they have fallen apart in the second half, and this must surely be the last nail in the coffin for Gregor Townsend. As for the Azzurri, they are silencing their doubters and bringing through a new generation of stars in Menoncello, Lynagh, Spagnolo, Vintcent and co who are used to competing in every match and having every chance of winning. Add in the success of the U20s and the quality of players like Lamaro, Fischetti and Garbisi, who have come through a few years of difficult times, and Gonzalo Quesada is putting together a squad that everyone should be keeping an eye on.

Six Nations 2024: France v Italy

France – 13

Tries

Charles Ollivon (7′)

Conversions

Thomas Ramos (8′)

Penalties

Thomas Ramos (14′) (45′)

Cards

Red: Jonathan Danty (40′)

Italy – 13

Tries

Ange Capuozzo (70′)

Conversions

Paolo Garbisi (71′)

Penalties

Martin Page-Relo (40′), Paolo Garbisi (61′)

Round 3 of the 2024 Six Nations came to an end in Lille as France looked to get their tournament back on track against Italy. After failing to score a point against Ireland, the Azzurri made a number of changes for this match, but were still without influential carriers Seb Negri and Lorenzo Cannone, which was clearly impacting their ability to carry over the gain line.

Injuries had also necessitated some changes for the hosts, but with goliaths like Uini Atonio and Posolo Tuilagi starting, the physicality of their pack soon had them on top of things, with their first attack of note steamrolling the Italian defence for captain Charles Ollivon to go over next to the post. And just minutes later it looked like Les Bleus would be in again as Matthieu Jalibert broke with support from his 22, and though the attack fell apart in the following phases, a penalty from the resulting scrum allowed Thomas Ramos to add to his early conversion.

Italy refused to let their heads drop, though. And after a clever inside ball from a ruck resulted in a high tackle on Giacomo Nicotera, the visitors chose to go to the corner rather than the kick at goal, only for Tommaso Menoncello—starting on the wing this week—to be isolated and turned over by Jonathan Danty. And with the physical dominance of the host’s pack at the set piece, it was not long until the Azzurri were defending their own line again, with a wasteful kick from Jalibert (with a 4v2 overlap on), a knock-on from Matthis Lebel and other inaccuracies denying the hosts despite their incessant pressure, while Posolo Tuilagi was also held up by a desperate defence with 4 minutes left in the half.

If France were getting worried about their inaccuracies, things wouldn’t have been helped by the sight of Matthieu Jalibert being helped off after 36 minutes; Yoram Moefana coming on in his place and forcing a reshuffle in the back line, with another panicked attack resulting in an unforced error. And boosted by France’s continued wastefulness, the Azzurri ended the half on the attack, and found themselves against 14 men as Jonathan Danty was sent to the bin for contact with the head of Juan Ignacio Brex; Martin Page-Relo kicking the penalty to cut the lead to 10-3 at the break.

The second half could not have started worse for the French, as before kickoff, referee Christophe Ridley confirmed that Danty’s yellow card had been upgraded to a red. And so with a heavily reworked back line, it was no surprise to see France call for the tee after their first attack was ended by Federico Ruzza going off his feet. Italy were able to put together a spell of sustained possession, and when Menoncello kicked on Paolo Garbisi’s grubber, he was unfortunate to find the in-goal in Lille to be extremely small.

France emptied their bench very early in the second half, taking off influential carriers Cyril Baille and Posolo Tuilagi. But despite the freshness of the new carriers, the Italian defence continued to bend but not break, Menoncello leading the way with some big hits coming off his wing, while players like Michele Lamara, Danilo Fischetti, Manuel Zuliani and Ross Vintcent continued to make a nuisance of themselves around the park.

France were losing their discipline and also their dominance at the scrum. And as the Italian’s influence on the game continued to grow, Garbisi cut the lead back to 7 with a penalty. Steven Varney’s introduction upped the tempo of the attack as they looked to create space for their exciting wings, while Menoncello was coming in off his wing to look for the ball and get more involved. And with just 10 minutes remaining, the extra man finally proved crucial as Italy broke from their own 22 and went through the phases to eventually put Ange Capuozzo over in the corner, Garbisi adding the extras from the touchline to level the scores.

The momentum may have been with the Italians but it still felt like anybody’s game. France were having the best of the territory, but were not looking for a drop goal despite just minutes left, and they eventually found themselves sent back into their half by the visitors’ defence. And with the clock in the red, Zuilani won the turnover penalty in the French half, and Garbisi had the chance to give Italy their first ever Six Nations win in France. But the ball fell off the tee and with just seconds left on the shot clock and French players encroaching on the 10m gap, his hurried kick came back off the post into the grateful hands of Moefana, who ran into touch for a 13-13 draw.

Six Nations 2024: Scotland v England

Scotland – 30

Tries

Duhan van der Merwe (20′) (30′) (45′)

Conversions

Finn Russell (21′) (31′) (47′)

Penalties

Finn Russell (35′) (58′) (66′)

Cards

Duhan van der Merwe (89′)

England – 21

Tries

George Furbank (6′), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (67′)

Conversions

George Ford (7′)

Penalties

George Ford (15′) (49′)

Drop Goals

George Ford (36′)

We reached the halfway point of the 2024 Six Nations with a trip to Edinburgh as Scotland faced off against the Auld Enemy. England arrived at Murrayfield with a number of changes made to the squad that played in the first 2 rounds, and it was the surprise new faces in George Furbank who opened the scoring after a first phase move off a scrum put Elliot Daly through a hole to draw the last man and feed his new fullback.

Scotland looked shellshocked after the positive start from England, and it was only inaccuracies from the visitors that were stopping them from looking more dangerous. And those inaccuracies proved costly as the first quarter came to an end as Scotland’s first moment of cohesion saw them rip the England defence apart, with Sione Tuipulotu putting Huw Jones through a gap on first phase, and when the centre was eventually dragged down in the England 22, Duhan van der Merwe was in support to take the offload and make his way through the retreating defenders to score. And the Edinburgh wing put Scotland ahead on the half hour; George Furbank’s knock-on going straight into the hands of Huw Jones, who spread the ball to van der Merwe to streak down the wing. Scotland were now dominating and their next visit to English territory saw Finn Russell add to his 2 conversions with a penalty to stretch the lead to 7. But there was time for England to reply and George Ford chose to immediately answer with a drop goal.

Scotland’s hopes took a big blow just moments into the second half as the influential Sione Tuipulotu went off injured in the opening minute, Cam Redpath replacing him. But after an incredible kick into the corner from Finn Russell put England under pressure and unable to effectively clear their lines, Scotland went through the phases in the visitors’ 22, only for Sam Underhill to come up with a crucial turnover penalty—not his first of the day in an impressive performance after a couple of quiet rounds. But just minutes later, a wonderful break by Redpath put England on the back foot and Finn Russell took advantage of a defence in disarray to send a crosskick out wide to Duhan van der Merwe, who duly collected to complete his hattrick.

England went to the bench, bringing on Ben Spencer and George Martin, and both had an immediate impact as England put the pressure on the Scottish defence to win a kickable penalty, with Ellis Genge getting lucky that when he tucked in an arm an entered a ruck shoulder first, he caught a teammate first.

Scotland were having a mixed day in attack, excelling on transition but—other than their opening try—struggling to cope with England’s blitz defence. However the defence was generally holding strong as the benches continued to come into play, with replacements Andy Christie and Elliot Millar-Mills both earning turnover penalties. And all the while Finn Russell continued to build the score with a faultless day off the tee to stretch the lead.

But then England struck from nowhere, winning the restart to gain possession in the Scottish half, and as they made their way into the 22, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso ghosted in from nowhere to go through a gap with his first touch of the ball and crossed for the try, though Finn Smith’s conversion came back off the post, leaving it a 2-score game with just over 10 minutes remaining. But there was no late comeback on for England, and despite a late yellow card for Player of the Match van der Merwe, the hosts could not get close enough to earn a losing bonus point as Scotland emerged with a 30-21 victory that leaves Ireland as the sole remaining unbeaten team in the tournament.

Six Nations 2024: Ireland v Wales

Ireland – 31

Tries

Dan Sheehan (21′), James Lowe (32′), Ciarán Frawley (67′), Tadhg Beirne (80′)

Conversions

Jack Crowley (22′) (33′) (68′) (80′)

Penalties

Jack Crowley (7′)

Cards

Tadhg Beirne (43′), James Ryan (76′)

Wales – 7

Tries

Penalty (43′)

After a week off, we returned to Six Nations action in Dublin, as Ireland looked to continue their push for back-to-back Grand Slams with the visit of Wales in the last match that would see both teams able to wear their traditional home colours at the same time.

Andy Farrell’s side came in as overwhelming favourites, and their defence was proving it would be a formidable force as they successfully won turnovers to and a number of early Welsh attacks, while the Welsh defence showed a grit of their own, conceding an early 3 points to Jack Crowley but then holding out a couple of Irish attacks deep in their half.

But one area where Wales continued to struggle was at the scrum, and after Andrew Porter blasted them off their own ball to win a penalty, Ireland went to the corner and this time had the setup to send Dan Sheehan over for the try just as the first quarter came to an end. With the Irish dominance at the scrum, any possession Wales did get was so deep in their half that all they could do was clear their lines and invite the hosts to attack again, and after another penalty brought Ireland up to the Welsh try line, Crowley and Calvin Nash worked a 3v2 out wide to put James Lowe over in the corner.

With just minutes left in the half, Wales finally got some possession in the Irish half for the first time since the opening exchanges, but after turning down a couple of penalty kicks at goal, captain Dafydd Jenkins was penalised for sealing off. Some Irish issues at the lineout gifted the visitors one more chance before the break, only for Alex Mann to knock on and let the Irish defence see out their third consecutive half of rugby without a point conceded.

The second half started a little brighter from Wales as a couple of early attacks put the hosts under a little pressure and drew penalties, and when Sam Costelow kicked them up to the corner, the backs piled in to help drive the pack’s maul on to the line, and though Mann was adjudged to be held up, it was due to an illegal act by Tadhg Beirne, who was sent to the bin as the visitors were awarded the penalty try.

As much as Ireland had controlled the game, they were not looking as incisive as usual in attack, with Ciarán Frawley (starting in place of the injured Hugo Keenan) providing more of a traditional dual playmaker axis from 15 but lacking the Keenan’s incisive runs. And with the game breaking up, Cameron Winnett and Rio Dyer were building into the game and the familiar big carriers were beginning to make ground against the 14 men. But as they found themselves with another lineout in the corner, Beirne returned to the pitch and played a crucial (and this time legal) role in holding the Welsh maul out.

As both teams went to their benches, resulting in debuts for Ireland’s Oli Jager and Welsh youngster Mackenzie Martin, Wales continued to pressure in the hosts’ 22 but eventually ran out of ideas and found themselves once again turned over at the breakdown. And that inability to convert territory into points soon came back to hurt them as Ireland found themselves in the Welsh 22 just minutes later, and though Bundee Aki forced his was over beneath the posts, the visitors were given a reprieve as a knock-on was spotted by the TMO in the build-up. But with just 15 minutes remaining and still only 10 points between the teams, Wales’ reluctance to kick the ball out of play just continued to invite pressure from the hosts, and eventually the pressure told as a clever out to in run around the posts sent Frawley over for a try.

Wales looked to end the game on a high even though the win may be out of reach, and with just minutes remaining, a siege of the Irish try line saw James Ryan sent to the bin, but the pressure again came to nothing as Aaron Wainwright was caught too high when going for the line and found himself held up. And there was time for one last sting in the tail as Ireland earned the bonus point with the final play of the game as Tadhg Beirne slipped through Jenkins’ tackle to go over for the bonus point try, Crowley’s conversion completed an 11-point personal haul and secured a 31-7 victory.

Thoughts from the world of sport

France – 33

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

England – 31

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

Ireland – 17

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

Scotland – 13

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

Cards

Wales – 21

Tries

Conversions

Italy – 24

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

Wales – 24

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

France – 45

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

England – 23

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

Drop Goals

Ireland – 22

Tries

Penalties

Cards

Italy – 31

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

Scotland – 29

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

France – 13

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

Cards

Italy – 13

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

Scotland – 30

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

Cards

England – 21

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

Drop Goals

Ireland – 31

Tries

Conversions

Penalties

Cards

Wales – 7

Tries