Fears of a damp squib proved gloriously misplaced but such a dire collapse should worry Eddie Jones as Japan loomsDead rubbers have a funny way of coming to life. England were home and hosed by half-time, playing with a swagger that reinforced their feeling of superiority over a Scotland side that was depleted, deflated and downright desperate. Forty minutes and five Scotland tries later England needed a last-gasp converted try to avoid a first defeat here by their auld enemy since 1983. At the start of the week England’s defence coach John Mitchell had predicted “chaos” – that barely covers it.Quite how Scotland managed this turnaround, taking themselves to the verge of victory, will be pondered over for years to...
Scotland’s players were like flies hitting a windshield in the first half but the Wales coach was right to be relieved by the endWhen it was all over, the wonder was that Wales got away with it. They may have been nine points up at half-time but they came under intolerable pressure afterwards and it seemed they had to break before it. Scotland came at them with everything they had, on and on, again and again, and yet somehow, at the end of it all, Wales were seven points clear and one game closer to winning the grand slam. Warren Gatland said he felt as if his team had forgotten how to lose after they came back from 16-0 down...
England should finish strongly but Ireland and their rusty half-backs look as if they peaked last yearAs Warren Gatland says, they have forgotten how to lose and it is amazing the way they are able to ramp up their performance levels when they need to. That comes down to the coaching staff and their ability to manipulate their players’ emotions, get them to a point and keep them there. It’s 12 wins a row, they will be absolutely thrilled by that and I think the fallow week comes at the perfect time for them. I know Alun Wyn Jones said they wanted to play this week, they didn’t want to lose the momentum, but my question would be can they...
Player welfare versus flow of the game, Ireland’s own Beauden Barrett and England kicking on with an All Blacks tacticEarly this season officials were hard on players whose acts risked causing a head injury. It led to a flurry of cards and bans but then came a World Rugby directive that the TMO should be used sparingly so games did not become addled by hold-ups. As a result, when Stuart Hogg was taken out by Peter O’Mahony and Rory Best, no penalty was awarded and there was no review; nor was there for any of the thumping challenges on Johnny Sexton. Hogg lasted 16 minutes and Sexton 23. Player welfare has been relegated below the flow of a game. Paul...
John Mitchell key for England; Wales’ Dan Biggar offers alternative denied to France; Scotland’s chance to show ambition; England women face formidable French packIreland have won every match in the final round of the Six Nations under Joe Schmidt, but they have won only one of their last four on the opening weekend – in France last year when Johnny Sexton’s late, late drop goal took them past France. They were seven points down against England before a number of spectators had found their seats and they didn’t even bear a passing resemblance to the side who had prevented the most free-flowing team in the world, New Zealand, from scoring a try a few months before. In contrast, England have...