Tag: Test Rugby

South Africa v Wales

South Africa v Wales

South Africa – 41

Tries

Jesse Kriel (4′), penalty (15′), Makazole Mapimpi (42′), Bongi Mbonambi (69′), Edwill van der Merwe (75′)

Conversions

Jordan Hendrikse (5′)(43′), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (70′)(76′)

Penalties

Jordan Hendrikse (49′), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (66′)

Cards

Yellow: Aphelele Fassi (30′)

Wales – 13

Tries

Dewi Lake (31′)

Conversions

Sam Costelow (32′)

Penalties

Sam Costelow (7′)(35′)

Cards

Yellow: Rio Dyer (12′), Aaron Wainwright (15′)

While Sandy Park was hosting the Premiership Women’s Rugby Final and England were kicking off their summer tour in Tokyo, Twickenham found itself hosting Test rugby in the form of South Africa v Wales. With the match being played outside World Rugby’s Test window, and the URC final (including South African franchise the Bulls), both teams found themselves with a number of players either injured or unavailable for release.

Given recent form and the number of players missing, Welsh fans must have been worried as to how this match could go, and they were given an early let-off as Jordan Hendrikse, playing today as a fly half rather than his usual scrum half position, pushed an easy penalty wide of the posts. However the reprieve was short-lived, as from the resulting drop-out, Wales’ defence got their defensive line horribly wrong at the first breakdown, leaving South Africa with a 4v1 out on the wing that saw Makazole Mapimpi round the defence and feed Jesse Kriel for the opening try after just 3 minutes.

Sam Costelow was able to open his account a few minutes later with a penalty, but Wales were soon on the back foot again as their scrum——already a notable weakness during the Six Nations—was dominated by the Springbok pack, and when the impressive Evan Roos broke through from halfway to be stopped just short, things got worse for Warren Gatland’s men as Rio Dyer was sent to the bin for a cynical killing of the ball, and South Africa kept the pressure on with a siege on the line, forcing a number of other infringements in quick succession before a penalty try and yellow card for Aaron Wainwright for illegal entry to the maul, while Costelow missed an easy penalty a few minutes later as Wales looked to see out the rest of the yellow card period without further damage, almost scoring a try against the run f play as Liam Williams intercepted and set up a counterattack that was unfortunately ended by a handling error from scrum half Ellis Bevan—an unfortunate blot on an otherwise solid debut.

Back to a full contingent, Wales were looking to make a game of it, but struggled to make any impact against the South African defences, leading to them soon kicking possession away. And when Aphelele Fassi made contact on landing with Taine Plumtree, he was given a yellow card for foul play as his boot went into Plumtree’s neck/shoulder area. And though Wales saw their lineout stolen after kicking to the corner, it was not claimed cleanly by the Boks, allowing hooker and captain Dewi Lake to win the loose ball back and go over for a try on the half hour mark, Costelow’s conversion from the touchline cutting their deficit to 4 points. South Africa’s indiscipline was keeping Wales in the game, with even their scrum betraying them, and Costelow soon added another penalty following a deliberate knock-on from Roos, before threatening with a lovely cross-kick which Liam Williams won against Hendrikse, only for his one-handed offload to be a little too high and result in a knock-on from Cameron Winnett when he had the potential to break down the right wing untouched.

With only a 14-13 lead at the break, it’s easy to imagine that Rassie Erasmus was far from happy, and it looked like his words had an impact. An early penalty saw Faf de Klerk up the temp with a quick tap, and after a couple of phases through the forwards, the ball was spread wide to send Mapimpi over in the corner, though Kriel’s final pass looked suspiciously forward. The South African “Bomb Squad” began to come on in following minutes to secure the scrum, and the set piece soon earned them a penalty which Hendrikse kicked successfully. And as the Springboks began to dominate possession, Ben Carter was perhaps lucky to not receive a card after making contact with Frans Malherbe’s neck in a tackle, with referee Chris Busby of the opinion that both parties entered the contact low, creating sufficient mitigation. The penalty still brought the Boks right up to the 5m line though, and as they went through the phases, Evan Roos was just held up over the line with his final involvement before being replaced, as Wales continued to defend with everything they had.

Indiscipline from the World Champions still continued to give Wales cheap possession and territory, and as the hour approached, a Welsh driving maul was adjudged to have been just held up over the line, while their next kick to the corner went too long and flew beyond the try line, while Bongi Mbonambi avoided a card for head-to-head contact with Gareth Thomas as both parties were again judged to have lowered their height sufficiently to create mitigation. However, as hard as they fought, Wales continued to struggle to regularly cross the gain line, and they were made to pay for their lack of attacking edge late on as replacement fly half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu opened his Test rugby point account with a penalty from inside his own half, before another penalty to the corner saw Mbonambi driven over for a try.

With the game entering the final 10 minutes, Costelow and Mason Grady were removed for young debutants Eddie James and Jacob Beetham, but there was nothing either of them could do as 28-year-old debutant Edwill van der Merwe danced his way around the side of a ruck and switched on the afterburners to go under the posts from 40 metres out. There was one more chance for Wales as they kicked a penalty deep to the corner, but Liam Williams was beaten to Gareth Davies’ clever chip into the in-goal by the impressive Kriel to secure a 41-13 victory.

While the score is not one that Wales will be happy with, given Wales’ form and current inexperience (exacerbated by injuries and their missing Premiership players), the team should be proud of how they held on against the World Champions after such a poor opening 15 minutes, with the parity in the middle half of the game especially notable. As for South Africa, this was certainly a team that was lacking some of its usual chemistry as they played their first Test in over 200 days while also brought in some new, inexperienced players in some key positions, but it also looked as if the team was trying to build a more expansive game that we have been used to seeing from them under Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber. It will be interesting to see if they go back to type as they host Ireland this summer or continue to open things up…

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Japan v England

Japan v England

Japan – 17

Tries

Koga Nezuka (66′), Takuya Yamasawa (69′)

Conversions

Rikiya Matsuda (67′) (69′)

Penalties

Seung-sin Lee (2′)

England – 52

Tries

Chandler Cunningham-South (14′), Marcus Smith (24′), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (29′), Henry Slade (40′), Alex Mitchell (43′), Ben Earl (50′), Harry Randall (59′), Sam Underhill (77′)

Conversions

Marcus Smith (15′) (25′) (30′) (44), Henry Slade (60′) (78′)

Cards

Yellow: Marcus Smith (54′)

Red: Charlie Ewels (73′)

As the club rugby season tapers off in the Northern Hemisphere, England kicked off their first tour under Steve Borthwick with a match against former head coach Eddie Jones and his new-look Japan team. Rather than using the match as an opportunity to test some of his fringe players ahead of a 2-Test series against New Zealand, Borthwick decided to make only a handful of changes to the 23 that finished the Six Nations.

Japan’s line-up was not one that would be familiar except to fans of their domestic leagues, with many uncapped players, but they were in the ascendency early on, allowing Seung-sin Lee an early shot at the posts. England had no answer for Japan’s quick tempo and offloading game early on, and it was only the power and experience of the tourist’s maul defence that managed to hold out the Brave Blossoms after they kicked penalties to the corner twice in the opening 10 minutes.

England’s pack helped them begin to create a foothold in the game as they began to dominate at the scrum against a front row who only had 3 caps between them coming into the game, and after a scrum penalty allowed England to kick into the hosts’ 22, the power of the visiting pack saw them make ground with quick ball as they kept things tight in their first attack of note, with Chandler Cunningham-South stretching over for the try on his first start. Japan were continuing to dominate possession, but handling errors were costing them, and when England earned a lineout on halfway, they were clinical, throwing long directly to Alex Mitchell, who drew 2 tacklers before feeding Marcus Smith to glide through the defence to score untouched. With that try and a big tackle from Cunningham-South on Seung-sin a moment later, it felt like the momentum was swinging towards England, and when a Marcus Smith 50:22 gave England their best starting position of the game, the forwards tied in the defence with phases of pressure before Smith threw a looping pass to send Immanuel Feyi-Waboso over out wide on the half hour mark.

With England continually kicking long, Japan were all to happy to continue attacking at every opportunity they could and continued to stretch the defence, but a try for Tiennan Costley was chalked off as referee Luc Ramos blew before the finish for a supposed knock-on in the build-up. As halftime approached, the game was beginning to take on a familiar feel for a fixture that had been played at Twickenham quite frequently in recent years: Japan trying to play an open and expansive game but having no answer for the power of England’s forwards, who would create dominance at the set piece. But when England kicked another penalty into the hosts’ 22 in the final minutes of the half, their throw to the tail lost some degree of control and allowed the Japanese defence to counterruck and turn the ball over before clearing their lines. A turnover from Feyi-Waboso on the final play of the half gave England one more chance before the break, and England chalked up their fourth try as England went to the left but Marcus Smith then reversed the play with a cross-kick to the right wing, where henry Slade won the duel in the air to go over in the corner for a 3-26 halftime lead.

England were straight back on the offensive after the restart, and Alex Mitchell soon added to the scoreboard by using a retreating Japanese player as a shield from the tackler to snipe through at the side of a breakdown. With Tests against the All Blacks coming up, Steve Borthwick chose to begin using his bench early by bringing on Joe Marler and Theo Dan, and when Sam Underhill latched over a breakdown, England were soon attacking from another lineot in the Japanese 22, only for the hosts to hold Dan Cole up over the line after a series of phases. England had a penalty advantage, though, and after going to the corner, it took just a couple of phases inside before Mitchell went back to attack the blind side and offloaded to send Ben Earl over for a try.

Japan may have conceded 38 consecutive points, but they were still looking to attack and cause problems for the English defence, and when Marcus Smith was picked up for an early tackle 5 metres from his try line, he was sent to the bin, while referee Luc Ramos refused the obvious penalty try, believing that Dan Cole was in a position to make the tackle. Japan went to the corner, but fumbled the lineout and then conceded the penalty at the resulting scrum to allow England to breathe a sigh of relief and clear their lines. And despite the numerical disadvantage, the physicality of the England pack continued to make ground, and Harry Randall soon sniped over from close range to mark his return to Test rugby with a try.

With Marcus Smith’s yellow card coming to an end, Fin Smith was brought on in his place, but a missed tackle in his first phase on the pitch allowed Kai Yamamoto to break up to the England 5m line, and the Brave Blossoms quickly recycled and spread the ball wide for Koga Nezuka to score in the corner, replacement fly half Rikiya Matsuda adding the extras and giving the home fans something to cheer about. And the cheers soon got louder as Warner Dearns’ juggling of an offload somehow saw him evade Maro Itoje’s grasp, and as he made his way deep into the England half, he drew the last defender before sending over Takuya Yamasawa—who had only come into the 23 at the eleventh hour when Dylan Riley pulled out injured—to score beneath the posts.

England would soon find themselves back down to 14 men as Charlie Ewels dived in at the knees of Michael Leitch during a ruck to earn himself a yellow card, soon upgraded to a red on review by the bunker, with the Japanese captain lucky to avoid a serious injury. With a man advantage, Japan tried to run a free kick from their own line as the game entered the final 5 minutes, only for Sam Underhill to win the penalty at the breakdown in their 22, and England finally got the maul working from the resulting 5m lineout, sending the Bath flanker over for the try that his defensive performance deserved. There was time for one more England attack of note, and it almost ended with a try on the final play, only for Ollie Lawrence to just fail to gather a chip to the corner from Fin Smith.

With a final score of 17-52, it was a familiar tale for Japan of a skilful performance being overpowered by the English physicality, but an inexperienced team will still see a lot of positives from the match, though I don’t see how they will effectively compete against the bigger teams while keeping all of their players in Japan. As for England, it was a good opener to the tour in hot conditions, but will their opponent’s relative lack of physicality leave them undercooked against the All Blacks?

rugby japan crest
rugby england crest

Seat on the Plane

Seat on the Plane

The final round of the Premiership Rugby season has come to an end, and that means that as 4 teams prepare for the playoffs (and Gloucester for their season-defining European Challenge Cup Final), the attentions of other players and fans will be starting to turn towards the summer. This summer sees England go to the Southern Hemisphere for a 3-match tour: 1 Test against Japan and a 2-Test series against New Zealand. But who will be making the squad for these fixtures.

I have previously discussed how I feel that the summer tours are the perfect opportunity to rest the regulars after a long season and build depth in the national setup by taking the fringe players and those who were outside the squad but have impressed during the season. And while I doubt that will happen with a foe as mighty as the All Blacks, there are still players whose exploits this season could put them in with a solid chance of earning a seat on the plane this summer, especially once injuries, retirements and international exiles are accounted for.

So today I look at 5 players who did not feature in the Six Nations, who I feel have earned a call-up this summer. Let me know who you think should be on this list.

Curtis Langdon

While it is my belief that this is the summer where Theo Dan should finally overtake Jamie George as the starting hooker, England desperately need to increase their depth at this position. This time 2 years ago, Langdon would have been preparing to leave Sale for Worcester, unaware that just a few months later he would be left without a job as his new club collapsed. Luckily, he found employment in the Top14 for the rest of last season, before moving to Saints and becoming a key part of their 2023/4 season success that has seen them narrowly lose to Leinster in a Champions Cup semi and top the Premiership Rugby table. Previously capped against the USA and Canada in 2021, Langdon has developed so much as a player since then and, now aged 26, appears to be playing the best rugby of his life. His and Northampton’s success this year deserves to elevate him above other hopefuls like Jamie Blamire and Jack Walker.

Ollie Sleightholme

Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso may have earned the starting spots for now with their Six Nations performances, but Freeman’s fellow Saint Sleightholme surely deserves a chance in the squad this summer after helping fire Northampton to the top of the Premiership table. With 15 tries from 15 games this season (at time of writing), he is finally getting discussed as a potential option for England, but he has generally been prolific throughout his senior career, with 42 tries from 58 senior appearances (despite going scoreless in the 21/22 season). A solid all-round wing, Sleightholme deserves the chance to step up and see if he can replicate his form in the Test arena and should be looking to start against Japan.

Zach Mercer

Yes, Ben Earl is one of the form number 8s in Test rugby this season, but England would benefit from moving him to 7 and bringing in Zach Mercer at 8. Even on a bad day, he has been one of Gloucester’s stand-out performers following his return from France in the summer, despite injury and the disappointment of twice being let go by Steve Borthwick. A player who has stood out in both the Premiership and Top14 and has been integral to Gloucester’s run to the Challenge Cup final, he is a leader on the pitch and an incredible talent, able to tackle, carry, pass and even kick well, while his combination of strength and footwork sees him regularly break the gainline even from a standing start. A back row of Mercer, Earl and an enforcer like Cunningham-South could be deadly.

Harry Randall

A player who I have been a fan of since his days at Hartpury, Randall was the first of his generation of 9s coming through to break into the England squad, playing 4 out of 5 games in the 2022 Six Nations, but injury saw him fall down the pecking order. Now, he is back to his best with Bristol, where he can manage the game with good kicking while also being a constant threat around the fringes and supporting on the break. With Ben Youngs and Danny Care gone, England need to look at their options. Ben Spencer is 32 this summer so there is no guarantee that he will be available come RWC2027, and while Alex Mitchell may have benefitted from his rival’s injuries to become the incumbent, I think that there are still questions about his game management, especially the kicking game. On the fringe of the senior squad during the 6 Nations, and eventually given the start for England A, Randall is in the mix and after a strong end to the season with Bristol deserves a chance to win the 9 shirt back, while it also wouldn’t be a shock to see Jack van Poortvliet pushing for a return to the squad after injury denied him a spot in the 2023 Rugby World Cup squad.

Rusiate Tuima

It’s rare that Maro Itoje plays his best rugby for England, and the Saracen could probably deserve a summer off, while Ollie Chessum is missing the summer tour through injury. George Martin is the most likely to profit from this with a spot in the starting lineup, with Saints’ Alex Coles also looking to get more Test minutes under his belt, but Tuima would be a smart option to take on tour. While England have some fantastic technical locks and some incredible engines, Tuima offers the size and heft in the tight five that we see teams like South Africa and France regularly deploy to dominate the set piece and put them on the front foot in attack. Tuima has the chance to do that for England, while also exploiting his offloading ability and dynamism in the loose from his years playing in the back row. One of the stars of England A’s farce of a match against Portugal, he deserves the chance to step up to the Test arena like fellow Exeter kids Dafydd Jenkins, Christ Tshiunza and Ross Vintcent have done over recent years.

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Six Nations 2024: Team of the Tournament

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.

Guinness Six Nations

Six Nations 2024: France v England

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.

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rugby england crest

Six Nations 2024: Ireland v Scotland

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.

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Six Nations 2024: Wales v Italy

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.

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Six Nations 2024: Wales v France

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.

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Six Nations 2024: England v Ireland

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.

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Six Nations 2024: Italy v Scotland

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.

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