A match of few highlights in Cardiff brought into doubt the raw strength of both teams a year out from the World CupFive minutes before the half-time break, Scotland had the put-in to a scrum inside Welsh territory. After three phases Wales turned the ball over and began a charge upfield through the relentless Taine Basham. Liam Williams soon had it and exchanged several innocuous kicks with Stuart Hogg. Wales kept possession but coughed it up a minute later as it was Scotland’s turn to win the breakdown battle and regain control. Not that they did much with it. Several phases down the road and very little had changed.This brief segment encapsulated so much of the contest. Neither group was...
A play-off final involving the winner of the Rugby Europe Championship could help to bring new fans to the sportLate on Saturday night in Edinburgh’s Old Town as we walked back to our hotel, the strains of a familiar tune floated past on the chill, gusty breeze. In the pub around the corner they were still having a grand old time and a loud rendition of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” was in full swing. Travelling revellers, fellowship, simple pleasures: if you were to bottle the essence of the Six Nations it was right there.The opening weekend of rugby was enjoyable, too, give or take the inclement weather. The grounds were sold out and the singing of the anthems was...
Gregor Townsend’s side continued their knack of winning close encounters in the Six Nations opener against EnglandIf a sign of a team’s progress is their ability to win close matches, Scotland are heading firmly in the right direction. This was hardly a conclusive statement of their Six Nations title credentials but it was not a bad start.It was a second successive victory over England for the first time since 1984 – they went on to win their second grand slam that year – and a third in five meetings with England. Continue reading...
Despite the Six Nations loss to Scotland, Eddie Jones’s side have the makings of a great team if they can learn key lessonsLast time England made the trip to this stadium was back in February 2020, their last away game before the world turned upside down. That was a tight, miserly game on a miserable wet, grey and windy day, and there were long stretches here when it felt as if they had picked the contest up right where they’d left it before the pandemic.The biggest difference was in the England team. Only five of this starting XV had been in that one: Elliot Daly, Tom Curry, Lewis Ludlam, Maro Itoje and Kyle Sinckler. One of them, Daly, was playing...
Defending Six Nations champions Wales had no answers on young Connacht wing’s explosive senior international debutYou can tell there’s a World Cup on next year: Ireland are hitting their peak. Still, this was an ominous statement of intent by Andy Farrell’s side at a blustery and bellicose Aviva Stadium: standards set, gauntlets thrown down.The trip to Paris already feels like the potential crux of this tournament, which feels like a faintly ridiculous statement to make after 80 minutes of play. But for Ireland and their long-agonising supporters, it may just be time to start believing the hype. It was a measure of Ireland’s dominance that a normally edgy crowd had begun to relax well before the end. Continue reading...