Ireland exact Rugby World Cup revenge over Japan

Ireland shrugged off the absence of several senior personnel to beat Japan 39-31 in a fluctuating Test as supporters returned to the Aviva Stadium for the first time in 17 months.

With seven of their contingent on British and Irish Lions duty and captain Johnny Sexton, plus Keith Earls and Cian Healy, rested, there was a fresh look to the hosts in their first meeting against Japan since the 2019 World Cup.

On that occasion, Japan pulled off an all-time shock in the pool stages and they threatened a repeat in Dublin, where around 3,000 spectators were in attendance at the venue for the first time since February last year.

It was a lacklustre and error-strewn first half from the Irish but they went in at the interval 19-17 ahead courtesy of tries from centre pairing Chris Farrell and Stuart McCloskey and tighthead prop Finlay Bealham.

Flanker Josh van der Flier and wing Jacob Stockdale went over after the break while Joey Carbery’s four conversions were followed by two penalties that ultimately took the wind out of the sails of Japan, whose tries came from Michael Leitch, Timothy Lafaele, Siosaia Fifita and Naoto Saito, with Yu Tamura adding 11 points with the boot.

While they led on several occasions, including a 24-19 advantage in the second half, Japan were ultimately left to reflect on a successive losses, having been beaten by Warren Gatland’s Lions 28-10 at Edinburgh last weekend.

Eight of Ireland’s starting XV had fewer than 20 caps as those on the margins were handed their chance to shine, with James Ryan taking the captain’s armband, having been passed fit following an adductor injury.

However, the stand-in skipper’s indiscipline at an early lineout set the tone for a sloppy start for Ireland, who conceded five penalties in the first quarter of an hour alone.

Tamura split the posts to put Japan ahead although Saito going off his feet at a ruck helped Ireland, with Caelan Doris carrying well before the ball was worked to Farrell to jink inside before bundling his way over.

But Ultan Dillane was unable to gather the ball at the restart and Japan put their opponents on the back foot, setting the maul after prevailing in the lineout, allowing Leitch to touch down as Ireland fell 10-7 behind.

Lafaele’s try was chalked off as the final pass from Tamura was judged forward by the TMO before Ireland discovered some momentum to move back into the lead, a fine move started by Carbery’s inventive chip and chase.

The ball was worked out to the left and Peter O’Mahony remained on his feet after colliding with Leitch before offloading to McCloskey to touch down in the corner, but a seesaw first half continued as Japan hit back.

Tamura’s crossfield kick stretched Ireland’s defence as Fifita collected the ball before passing on the outside to Lafaele and there was no denying the outside centre this time as he went over on the left.

Japan’s error count was starting to creep up, though, and they were penalised twice for offside on the stroke of half-time, where Carbery was held up over the line before Bealham burrowed his way over for his first Ireland try.

Ireland therefore held a two-point lead despite an unconvincing first 40 minutes, but after Farrell was withdrawn following a blow to the head, Tamura’s inventive grubber was taken by Fifita for Japan’s third try.

But Ireland hit back almost immediately afterwards as Van Der Flier powered over the try line before Stockdale crossed the whitewash on the left, following fine work from scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park on both occasions.

Saito showed a clean pair of heels to drag Japan back to within two points at 33-31 but back-to-back penalties from Carbery, playing in an Ireland shirt for the first time since the 2019 World Cup quarter-final defeat to New Zealand, gave his side some much-needed breathing room.

Japan were unable to mount another comeback as Ireland claimed their fourth consecutive victory.  They will now turn their attentions towards their second and last summer Test against the United States next Saturday, with the attendance capped at 6,000 fans.

Wales win marred by serious Leigh Halfpenny injury

Wales welcomed fans back to the Principality Stadium in style as their launched their summer international series with a 68-12 victory over Canada.

The Six Nations champions ran in 10 tries, although victory came at a cost after full-back Leigh Halfpenny’s 100th Test for Wales and the British and Irish Lions lasted just two minutes before he was carried off injured.

Halfpenny suffered a suspected knee ligament problem, being hurt when he appeared to slip after going into a challenge on the halfway line.

Ongoing restrictions meant the capacity was set at 8,200, and 6,164 spectators were a welcome sight for head coach Wayne Pivac and his players as Wales returned to action following their Six Nations title triumph 14 weeks ago.

It was a first home crowd since February last year, and Wales delivered as they took charge through first-half tries from Tomos Williams, Jonah Holmes, Nicky Smith, Elliot Dee, James Botham and Will Rowlands.

Williams added his second try early in the second half, and there was also a double for Taine Basham in his first Test and Holmes also claimed a brace, while fly-half Callum Sheedy kicked seven conversions and Ben Thomas added the extras following second scores for Basham and Holmes.

Canada, who face England at Twickenham next weekend, went ahead through wing Kainoa Lloyd’s early try, but their first Test since the 2019 World Cup ended in a hefty defeat.

Full-back Cooper Coats claimed a late consolation touchdown, converted by fly-half Peter Nelson, yet it proved a frustrating afternoon for Canada’s Welsh coaching trio of Kingsley Jones, Rob Howley and Byron Hayward.

Pivac, minus a sizeable British and Irish Lions contingent, handed Test debuts to Scarlets wing Tom Rogers and Dragons lock Ben Carter in a team captained by centre Jonathan Davies.

Wales were clearly rocked by Halfpenny’s exit, and as they regrouped after Saracens’ Nick Tompkins replaced him ― Holmes moved to full-back, with Tompkins on the wing ― Canada struck through a fifth-minute try.

Slick passing by the backs ended with Coats sending Lloyd over wide out, but Wales responded impressively after an initial Sheedy break put Rowlands clear in space.

Quickly recycled possession then highlighted huge gaps in Canada’s defence, and Williams darted over from close range, with Sheedy converting for a two-point lead.

Wales looked to increase the tempo, and a sharp Tompkins break allowed the supporting Davies to threaten Canada’s line before he gifted an unmarked Botham his first Test try.

Canada were struggling to cope with Wales’ pace and precision, and Holmes ended the opening quarter by pouncing for a third try, with Sheedy’s conversion making it 19-5.

The Canadians’ early promise had evaporated, and Wales moved past 30 points through tries in quick succession from front-row forwards Smith and Dee.

Sheedy added both conversions, and Canada were in damage-limitation mode approaching half-time as Rowlands pounced for Wales’ sixth touchdown of a one-sided contest.

Sheedy’s conversion made it 40-5 at the interval, and Pivac knew he could start ringing the changes ahead of next Saturday’s appointment with Argentina.

He sent on two debutants ― Basham and Ospreys prop Gareth Thomas ― after Williams’ second try, and it took Dragons back-row forward Basham just seven minutes to make his mark as he breached Canada’s defence to score.

Canada managed to avoid further damage until Holmes struck, and it was a case of job done for Wales who next meet the Pumas on successive weekends in Cardiff.

16-try All Blacks put 100 points on hapless Tonga

New Zealand made light work of Tonga in their opening Test of 2021, winning 102-0 in an entertaining encounter at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland on Saturday.

As the scoreline suggests, this was an easy outing for the men in black with Will Jordan leading the way with five tries and Brad Weber was next best with a hat-trick.

The All Blacks’ other points came through five-pointers from Dalton Papalii (2), Damian McKenzie, Luke Jacobson, Richie Mo’unga, Rieko Ioane, Patrick Tuipulotu and George Bridge while Mo’unga (7) and Beauden Barrett (4) added conversions.

The result is a momentous one for the All Blacks as it equals their biggest ever victory against Tonga, who they beat by the same scoreline in 2000.

As expected, the All Blacks were fastest out of the blocks and they opened the scoring as early as the second minute when McKenzie rounded off in the left-hand corner after a flowing backline move in the build-up.

Two minutes later, Jacobson freed his arms to offload to back-row partner Papalii, who shrugged off a defender before cantering in under the posts.

The carnage continued with the home side running the ball from all areas of the field and well-taken tries from Weber and Jordan followed which meant New Zealand held a comfortable 24-0 lead by the 10th minute.

Weber, who was making his first start in his eighth Test, continued to benefit from the All Blacks’ expansive style of play when he crossed for his second try five minutes later, after running onto a pass from Angus Ta’avao just outside Tonga’s 22.

The one-way traffic continued and midway through the half McKenzie and Mo’unga combined before the latter put Jordan in the clear and the right wing strolled in for an easy five-pointer.

Tonga did well to stem the onslaught over the next 15 minutes and although the Pacific Islanders managed to spend some time in the All Blacks’ half during that period, there was no reward for their attacking efforts.

It was only a matter of time before New Zealand regained the initiative, however, and in the 37th minute Bridge found Papalii with a well-time pass down the left-hand touchline and the openside flanker went over for his second five-pointer to give his side a comfortable 43-0 lead at half-time.

The All Blacks started the second half like the first with an early try, when Jacobson scored from close quarters just two minutes after the restart, before Jordan and Weber got their respective hat-tricks in quick succession.

That meant the hosts were cruising with the score 60-0 by the 50th minute but they were far from done and upped the ante on attack during the rest of the match.

Mo’unga also got in on the try-scoring action in the 54th minute before Jordan scored his fourth try two minutes later, after a good line break from replacement scrum-half Finlay Christie.

There was no sign of the All Blacks taking their foot off the pedal during the final quarter and they were rewarded with further tries from Ioane, Tuipulotu and Jordan before Bridge brought up their century with the final try in the game’s closing stages.

Springboks’ second-half blitz floors Georgia

South Africa made a winning return to Test rugby when they sealed a 40-9 victory over Georgia at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Friday.

It wasn’t a vintage performance as there were signs of rustiness from the Boks, who were playing their first game since their triumphant 2019 World Cup campaign, but they improved as the match progressed and eventually outscored the Lelos six tries to none.

Aphelele Fassi, Bongi Mbonambi, Cobus Reinach, Kwagga Smith, Herschel Jantjies and Malcolm Marx crossed for the Boks’ five-pointers while Handre Pollard (4) and Elton Jantjies succeeded with conversions.

For Georgia, Tedo Abzhandadze slotted three penalties.

The Springboks made a scratchy start and soon after the kick off they conceded a scrum penalty inside their half.  Trevor Nyakane was blown up at the set-piece and Abzhandadze gave his team the lead by adding the penalty.

Two minutes later, Pollard and Pieter-Steph du Toit combined brilliantly before the latter offloaded to Fassi just outside Georgia’s 22 and the flyer did well to beat a couple of defenders down the left-hand touchline before crossing for a well-taken try on his Test debut.

Pollard failed to convert and despite that score, South Africa failed to gain the ascendancy with Georgia holding the upper hand during the next 25 minutes.  The Springboks were particularly ineffective in the rucks and mauls and battled to deal with the physicality of Georgia’s forwards in those facets of play.

Two ruck penalties in quick succession by the Boks presented Abzhandadze with opportunities off the kicking tee and he was successful on both occasions which meant Georgia were leading 9-5 by the 25th minute.

Despite their indifferent start, the hosts did not panic and they were the dominant side during the latter stages of the half.  They spent the final 10 minutes camped inside their opponents’ half and in the 34th minute the game’s complexion changed when Beka Saghinadze was yellow carded after repeated infringements on defence from the Lelos.

Soon after, Mbonambi crossed off the back of a driving maul close to the visitors’ try-line and just before half-time Reinach gathered a chip kick from Fassi before outpacing the cover defence to score under the posts.

Pollard added the extras, which meant the home side were leading 19-9 at half-time and after the interval they continued where they left off by spending long periods inside Georgia’s half.

In the 54th minute, a strong scrum close the Lelos’ try-line allowed Smith to break off the back of the set-piece and the back-row had an easy run-in over the whitewash.

Five minutes later, Damian Willemse was stopped just short of the try-line, but scrum-half Jantjies caught Georgia’s defence by surprise when he barged over from close quarters at the ensuing ruck for his side’s fifth try.

South Africa were now in the ascendancy and had a bulk of the possession and territory during the rest of the match.  In the 68th minute, Marx was also rewarded with a five-pointer, after a lineout drive inside Georgia’s 22, and with the result in the bag the Boks gave the ball plenty of air during the game’s closing stages.

There was no reward, however, but they will be happy with the result and their overall performance, especially during the second half.

Injury nightmare as Lions kick off with win over Japan

Captain Alun Wyn Jones was ruled out of the tour to South Africa with a dislocated shoulder and Justin Tipuric limped off as the British and Irish Lions’ 28-10 victory over Japan at Murrayfield came at a terrible cost.

The Wales forwards departed inside the opening 21 minutes but it was the serious injury suffered by tour captain Jones that caused the greatest alarm as he was escorted from the pitch.

It was a ruck clear-out that caused the damage and Lions boss Warren Gatland later confirmed their second-row talisman, who was set to take part in his fourth tour but first as skipper, could not take his seat on board Sunday’s flight to South Africa.

Tipuric’s afternoon ended following a tackle shortly after, his disconsolate look as he exited down the players’ tunnel suggesting his suspected shoulder issue was also significant.

Injuries aside, it was a rousing start to the tour by the Lions who amassed a 21-0 lead by half-time through tries by Josh Adams, Duhan van der Merwe and Robbie Henshaw and three Dan Biggar conversions.

Tadhg Beirne touched down early in the second half as the onslaught continued, the tries making up for a business-like performance that launched the tour with an impressive win.

A crowd of 16,500 ― rugby’s biggest since the pandemic began ― witnessed a rout brimming with positives, although fans loudly booed the unexpected announcement that all bars would be closed at half-time.

Attack coach Gregor Townsend billed Japan as the most dangerous opening opponents in Lions history, but they were a pale shadow of the side that electrified the 2019 World Cup.

This was their first outing since staging that tournament so rustiness was inevitable, but the high-energy swashbuckling style that eventually met its match in the quarter-finals against South Africa was seen only briefly.

The Lions’ medics and Japan’s defence experienced equally frantic openings as Jones’ afternoon was declared over in only the eighth minute.

Courtney Lawes came on as his replacement and once they had overcome the shock of losing their skipper, the Lions engineered their first meaningful attack that finished in a try for Adams.

Bundee Aki used his strength to pierce through Japan’s defence and when the ball was recycled Adams’ footwork and an outstretched arm got the scoreboard moving.

The Lions’ second try was all too easy as the Brave Blossoms failed to patrol the blindside as they were sent scrambling backwards and Van der Merwe picked up and strolled over.

Another hammer blow landed when Tipuric followed Jones off the pitch in the 22nd minute but for all the departures, the Lions were amassing points at a ferocious rate as Henshaw powered over the whitewash.

Japan were losing the collisions and slipping off tackles, inviting pressure onto themselves as the strength of Van der Merwe continued to make indentations and it looked bleak when half-time arrived.

Although not pretty, it was hugely effective as the rampaging Lions continued to outmuscle their opponents and Lawes had a try disallowed for failing to ground the ball properly.

There was no doubt about Beirne’s touchdown, however, as the Irish lock ran a smart line off Biggar’s pass and showed real pace as Japan fell further behind.

Replacement back-row Kazuki Himeno burrowed over from a line-out move as the Brave Blossoms finally made an impact on the scoreboard but their late flourish was too little, too late.

Wales win Six Nations after Scotland stun France

Wales are the 2021 Six Nations champions after France were met by an outstanding Scotland side, who secured their first win in Paris since 1999 following a 27-23 triumph.

France needed to score four tries and beat Scotland by 21 points to deny Wales the title but the visitors stunned their hosts with a superb victory.

Two tries from Duhan van der Merwe and one from replacement hooker Dave Cherry secured Scotland’s first win in Paris in 22 years despite seeing cards for Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell.

Brice Dulin, Damian Penaud and Swan Rebbadj crossed for the hosts but they never looked like building up the head of steam needed to deliver a double blow to Wales after dramatically denying Wayne Pivac’s side the Grand Slam six days earlier.

It was another rare away win for the Scots following triumphs in Wales and England in the past six months.

Scotland were quick to put pressure on and France showed the type of ambition they would need when they took a quick throw and tried to play their way out of trouble after Russell had kicked the ball into touch two metres from their try line.

The home side soon exerted some pressure but all they had to show for it was Romain Ntamack’s ninth-minute penalty.

Scotland soon gained the ascendancy and twice elected to kick two penalties into touch inside the French 22.  Hooker George Turner was held up just short of the line each time as he charged from the back of the lineout maul, but Van der Merwe forced himself over the second time in the 15th minute.

There were suspicions of double movement but referee Wayne Barnes gave the try without opting to take a second look.

Russell added the two points and produced another brilliant long kick which held up a metre short of the try line.  The Scots descended upon their opponents and Jamie Ritchie forced the penalty from Dulin, which Russell kicked over to put Scotland seven points up.

Another huge kick into touch from Hogg put France on the back foot but the hosts reduced the deficit when Ntamack kicked a long-range penalty following a scrum infringement.

The home side got on top around the half-hour mark and Scotland gave away a series of penalties in front of the post.

The pressure told when Van der Merwe sold himself too early following a long throw out wide from Antoine Dupont.  Penaud passed inside for Dulin to cross in the 36th minute and Ntamack brilliantly converted.

Hogg paid the price for conceding Scotland’s 11th first-half penalty in the final minute but Nick Haining stole the five-metre lineout throw to keep France’s half-time lead at three.

✊ The winning try from yet another extraordinary Six Nations game. pic.twitter.com/nLTLyC1hKf

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) March 26, 2021

Scotland restricted France’s scoring to five points during Hogg’s spell in the sin bin, when Penaud collected Virimi Vakatawa’s offload, lobbed the ball over Ali Price and touched down in the corner.

Scotland regained control after the numbers were evened up.  Russell kicked a close-range penalty and Sam Johnson was stopped five metres from the line after bursting forward following another successful lineout.

It was France’s turn to ship a series of penalties and Cherry scooped up a loose ball following a lineout before nipping through a gap and over.  Russell converted to put Scotland back in front.

Rebbadj went over five minutes later but Ntamack missed the conversion and Scotland passed up a good chance to kick themselves level in favour of kicking into touch, but Cherry’s lineout was stolen.

Gregor Townsend’s side were still piling on the pressure when Russell was sent off in the 71st minute after catching Dulin near the throat with his elbow as he attempted to fend off the full-back.

Any hopes of another stunning finish from France were undone within two minutes when Baptiste Serin was yellow-carded and Scotland again opted to push for the try instead of going over the posts.

The pressure was relentless and Scotland finally got over when they found winger Van der Merwe on the left.  Adam Hastings added the points to round off a dramatic championship.

Check out the video highlights from Scotland's 27-23 victory over France in Saint-Denis on Friday.

France late show denies Wales the Grand Slam

France produced a stunning late comeback to deny Wales the Grand Slam and keep their own Six Nations title hopes alive with a 32-30 victory.

Les Bleus had lock Paul Willemse sent off 11 minutes from time for making contact with the eye area of Wales prop Wyn Jones, while the visitors played the last eight minutes with 13 men following yellow cards for Taulupe Faletau and Liam Williams, and ultimately could not hold out.

French full-back Brice Dulin scored a try two minutes into injury time, giving them a five-point maximum.

Wales had recorded just three Test match victories last year ― against Italy twice and Georgia ― but they seemed on course to be crowned kings of European rugby once more.

Fly-half Dan Biggar scored 20 points from a try, three penalties and three conversions, while flanker Josh Navidi and wing Josh Adams also touched down to thwart France.

The hosts, though, refused to throw in the towel, and they prevailed through tries by Dulin, lock Romain Taofifenua, scrum-half Antoine Dupont and captain Charles Ollivon, with goalkickers Matthieu Jalibert and Romain Ntamack booting 12 points between them.

Wales found themselves under intense pressure in the first five minutes as Les Bleus’ powerful ball-carriers made headway and Dupont orchestrated matters impressively.

And France opened their account through a sixth-minute try when Taofifenua crashed over from close range and Jalibert converted for a 7-0 lead.

But Wales responded sharply when wing Louis Rees-Zammit sent scrum-half Gareth Davies clear and over the French line, and although he was held up by Ollivon’s tackle, the visitors were soon level.

More sustained work deep inside France’s 22 saw Davies rifle out a pass from the forward base, and Biggar cut a superb attacking line to claim a try that he also converted.

But a breathless opening continued at pace as Dulin kicked over the Welsh defence, Jalibert gathered the bounce and put Dupont into space to score.

Jalibert converted, yet Wales drew level again after 18 minutes as more impressive composure close to the French line resulted in a try for Navidi, and Biggar’s conversion made it 14-14.

Taofifenua departed injured early in the second quarter, before Wales went ahead for the first time through a Biggar penalty.

The game continued at a lightning pace, but France suffered another injury blow when Jalibert was forced off, and replacement Ntamack announced his arrival by booting a 34th-minute penalty to tie things up at 17-17.

Both teams continued to probe space and attack gaps, and France regrouped impressively following Jalibert’s exit due to a head injury, before centre Gael Fickou wasted a gilt-edged try chance when he dropped number eight Gregory Alldritt’s midfield pass.

In your life, you'll never see anything like this again. @BriceDulin for @FranceRugby when all seemed lost! 🇫🇷 🤯#GuinnessSixNations #FRAvWAL pic.twitter.com/0KxZ9D6U1C

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 20, 2021

And that was the final act of a memorable first 40 minutes after Wales stood toe to toe with France and probably shaded the attacking moments.

Wales went back in front through a 46th-minute Biggar penalty, and the visitors continued to dominate the aerial battle before a first change saw scrum-half Tomos Williams replace Davies.

Williams was immediately playing a key role in the action after flanker Justin Tipuric created an opportunity, then Adams hacked on, before Williams gathered and sent the wing over.

Referee Luke Pearce awarded the try, with no clear evidence that France flanker Dylan Cretin had got his hand underneath the ball and prevented a touchdown, and Biggar’s conversion meant Wales were 10 points ahead.

An Ntamack penalty cut the gap, and then France saw prop Mohamed Haouas sin-binned for collapsing a maul in build-up play to Rees-Zammit just failing to touch down as Wales hunted a fourth try.

France then lost Willemse, but Wales could not close out the game to seal a famous triumph at the end of their Six Nations campaign, with Faletau and Liam Williams being shown yellow cards in rapid succession before Ollivon and Dulin scored late on to break Welsh hearts.

Check out the video highlights from France's 32-30 victory over Wales in Saint-Denis on Saturday.

Brilliant Ireland dominate England to end on a high

Ireland produced a wonderful performance on CJ Stander’s international farewell to finish their Six Nations campaign with a superb 32-18 triumph over England.

The highlight of Ireland’s most impressive outing since Andy Farrell took charge after the 2019 World Cup was Jack Conan’s try that concluded 23 phases of highly polished play.

It was a mesmerising score directed by the brilliant Johnny Sexton, but Keith Earls’ opener was almost as accomplished as England were picked apart by a smart line-out move.

The team leading at half-time have gone on to win in the last 27 meetings between the rivals and with Ireland 20-6 ahead at the interval, it looked bleak for the fallen champions.

For the last 16 minutes Ireland played with 14 men after Bundee Aki was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle on Billy Vunipola, but the centre’s departure made no difference as the retiring Stander was given a triumphant send-off.

As for the visitors, a week after appearing to signal the end of a shaky period by dispatching France, they failed to fire a shot against opponents they had beaten four times in a row.

Combined with defeats by Scotland and Wales, it equals their worst Six Nations performance from 2018, when they also lost three games and finished fifth under the guidance of Eddie Jones.  In 2005 and 2006 they lost three times and finished fourth.

Sexton was at the heart of Ireland’s riotous display and amassed 22 points from the kicking tee, comprehensively overshadowing George Ford in one of several Lions duels fought out in Dublin.

Ford will be among a number of England players to see their Lions aspirations harmed, albeit he was playing behind an outmuscled pack, while the prospects of their rivals in green shirts have soared.

And Jones’ position now faces renewed scrutiny with the team in full reverse 18 months after reaching the World Cup final.

England suffered a setback shortly before kick-off by losing Max Malins to injury, with the resulting reshuffle seeing Ollie Lawrence slot in at outside centre and Elliot Daly switch back to full-back.

Daly’s first involvement was to kick the ball out on the full but the error failed to deter his team, whose control of the breakdown and line-out offered crucial early footholds.

Farrell and Sexton exchanged penalties before a Ford spiral bomb was misjudged by Conor Murray, but fortunately for the scrum-half Aki was present to intervene.

Searching for their 50th win in the fixture, Ireland engineered the first try when a line-out move saw number eight Conan flick the ball to Earls who sprinted clear and rounded a wrong-footed Jonny May to score.

For the seventh consecutive Test England had conceded the first try and their problems escalated as Kyle Sinckler complained at being poked in the eye by Iain Henderson before his front-row colleague Mako Vunipola conceded a second scrum penalty.

☘️ Keith Earls is still up there with the VERY BEST.

Beautiful try from the veteran @IrishRugby winger.#GuinnessSixNations #IREvENG pic.twitter.com/zOVBD6U7lW

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 20, 2021

It was that infringement that provided the platform for Ireland to strike again through a cleverly engineered try that saw Hugo Keenan beat Daly to a high ball before play swung left, where the impressive Conan pounced from short range.

Sexton was heavily involved throughout a sweeping move of startling accuracy and in further evidence of the damage being done to England, Mako Vunipola and Luke Cowan-Dickie were replaced by Ellis Genge and Jamie George at half-time.

The penalties were accumulating for Jones’ team and although Earls had a second try ruled out for an earlier knock-on, Sexton landed three points as the lead became 23-6.

Billy Vunipola was stripped of the ball in the tackle and Farrell disappeared for an HIA.  The misery compounded when Sexton booted his fourth penalty.

Aki was sent off for a high tackle on Vunipola that ended the number eight’s afternoon and England were smart with the penalty, a line-out drive enabling George to peel off and send Ben Youngs darting over.

But Sexton rifled over two more penalties to snuff out the fightback, with May crossing late on with the result already settled.

Check out the video highlights from Ireland's 32-18 victory over England in Dublin on Saturday.

Eight-try Scotland make light work of struggling Italy

Scotland made it third time lucky at Murrayfield as they cruised to their first home win of the Six Nations with a record-breaking 52-10 victory over Italy.

Skipper Stuart Hogg admitted ahead of the game he was feeling nervous about standing-in for the injured Finn Russell at fly-half.

But the full-back had nothing to worry about as his side ran in eight tries against an Azzurri outfit who will be glad to see the end of a miserable campaign.

Hooker Dave Cherry scored twice on his first start, while scrum-half Scott Steele also marked his full debut with a try.

There was a brace too for Duhan van der Merwe while Darcy Graham, Huw Jones and Sam Johnson contributed to the Scots’ biggest ever Six Nations victory.

Following agonising back-to-back defeats against Wales and Ireland, this was the soother Gregor Townsend’s team needed and will raise spirits ahead of next week’s delayed curtain-closer with France in Paris.

Italy had shipped an average of 46 points in their four previous games ― and the haemorrhaging continued as Townsend’s team became the quickest team so far this year to run up a bonus point, taking just 28 minutes to dot down four tries.

Yet it was the visitors who started the brighter, scoring inside six minutes as Luca Bigi squeezed over to score in the corner as Scotland’s maul defence crumbled.

But it would not last as Italy’s own inability to resist a line-out drive saw Scotland hit back within four minutes, with Cherry powering over.  Hogg’s conversion skidded wide but it did not matter as they moved in front on 14 minutes.

Matt Fagerson and then Jones provided two huge carries to drive Italy scrambling back to their own 22.

Scotland maintained their patience before exploding to the left as Hogg, Johnson and Hamish Watson combined to release the juggernaut that is Van der Merwe in space out wide.

The big wing motored over the line, leaving a string of bodies in his wake, before skipping towards the posts to hand Hogg an easier shot at the extras.

Paolo Garbisi fired a penalty over but it was futile resistance.

Federico Mori saw yellow for a reckless shoulder hit on Johnson and Scotland were quick to exploit their temporary man advantage when Sean Maitland charged to within sight of the line.

Jones took over but was immediately pounced upon by Mattia Bellini before he could score.

But there was no salvation for the Azzurri as Jones popped a pass off the ground for Graham to jog over.

Italy looked stunned.  Garbisi tried to take some pressure off his side by pinning the Scots down in their own 22 with a high kick ― but the pace at which Townsend’s team moved the ball was simply too quick for Franco Smith’s men to cope with.

15 – Duhan van der Merwe beat 15 defenders against Italy, the joint most by any player in a @SixNationsRugby game alongside France’s Thomas Castaignede against Italy in 2000. Bouncing. pic.twitter.com/ONTh3QbsmG

— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) March 20, 2021

Van der Merwe chewed up ground down the left before passing to Hogg.  His immediate offload to Jones caught Italy by surprise, with the Glasgow centre charging through a huge gap for another oh-so easy try and the bonus point before the half-hour mark had even been reached.

The half-time whistle brought merciful respite for Italy ― but it was only brief, as Cherry scored his second with a carbon copy of his first, peeling off the maul before diving for the line from close range.

Italy’s troubles worsened again as Sebastian Negri was given a stint in the bin for a deliberate knock-on, with Steele ― so impressive with his rapid tempo around the breakdown ― this time capitalising as he followed Johnson’s quick dart towards the line to crawl over for try number six on 52 minutes.

By the time Negri was back on, Mori had already headed past him as he was also sin-binned for a tip tackle on Hogg.

And the tries continued to flood in.  Johnson got a richly deserved score with 15 minutes left as Scotland took a quick tap penalty, while Van der Merwe added his second in the 71st minute, powering through the Italian ranks like a bowling ball to score from halfway after Ali Price’s initial break.

Check out the video highlights from Scotland's 52-10 victory over Italy in Edinburgh on Saturday.

Ireland edge out Scotland in Six Nations thriller

Scotland’s faint hopes of Six Nations glory were snuffed out as they found themselves beaten by Ireland yet again, losing 27-24 on Sunday.

The Dark Blues needed to turn around a woeful run that had included just one win in 10 against the Irish if they were to cling on to hopes of catching frontrunners Wales.

But a brave second-half fightback proved to be for nothing as Johnny Sexton’s late penalty snatched victory at Murrayfield.

Andy Farrell’s visitors were firmly in control following tries from Robbie Henshaw and Tadhg Beirne, plus 17 points from Sexton’s boot.

Scotland had been inactive for more than a month following the postponement of their trip to Paris and their rustiness showed in a wretched set-piece performance.

But they burst back into life as Huw Jones and Hamish Watson followed up Finn Russell’s first-half try to draw level with six minutes left.

But a mistake by Ali Price allowed Ireland to claim the win as Scotland suffered more disappointment at home following defeat to Wales last time out.

Ireland’s Championship plans had also been derailed by early defeats to Wayne Pivac’s Grand Slam-chases and France but there was no shortage of intent as they arrived in Edinburgh.

And it made for an enthralling clash which quickly boiled down to a slug fest with both sides trading hit for hit ― and spill for spill.

Sexton opening the scoring with a penalty and there was worse to come for the Scots as they lost the opening line-out of the half ― a story that would be repeated over and over before the interval.

Sexton hung a high cross-field kick into the air.  With Stuart Hogg and Duhan van der Merwe struggling to track its flight amid a swirling wind, Keith Earls got in between the Scots.

He could not gather as the ball bounced loose in the in-goal area but Henshaw was quickly on the scene to flop over it for the opening score on eight minutes, which went unconverted as Sexton’s kick slammed into the post.

Scotland roared back from the restart, immediately claiming three points back with a Russell penalty.

But Ireland were still busy throwing punches.  Jamison Gibson-Park sniped off the base of a scrum looking to score from close range ― only for Watson to win a huge turn with his feet planted on the whitewash.

That was standard fare for the Edinburgh flanker ― one of the best breakdown burglars in the game.  What was more unusual was the sight of Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong sidestepping two opponents inside his own 22 with his dancing feet.

However, Ireland could not play their way out of trouble and a madcap first half was summed up as Scotland nudged in front in the 28th minute.

Skipper Hogg got lucky when the bounced off his chin after charging down Garry Ringrose’s kick.  He swung a boot at it, sending it towards Russell.  He had another hack at it and got another fortunate bounce as it bounced over James Lowe, allowing the Racing 92 man to run in and dot down.

But when yet another line went stray, so did some decent territory.  Ireland countered and nudge back in front with a Sexton penalty.

#TeamOfUs

👊 Just hook it to our veins 💚#ShoulderToShoulder #IrishRugby #GuinnessSixNations #SCOvIRE pic.twitter.com/Glx7zN9Gqc

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) March 14, 2021

A Russell kick then slipped by as Ireland ended the half four ahead as Sexton split the posts again.

It took just nine minutes for them to add another seven.

James Ryan was having the time of his life, plucking Scotland hooked George Turner’s line-out throws for fun.

And when he collected one from Rob Herring five yards out it released a fresh green wave crashing down on Scotland’s line, with Beirne eventually barging over.

The Scotland penalties were now flowing thick and fast ― with 10 coughed up by the hour mark.  Sexton was merciless, firing over again to make it a two-score game.

Townsend knew he had to roll the dice if Scotland were to get back into it.  The introduction of Jones provided the spark they needed as the Glasgow centre drove through Lowe and Hugo Keenan to score his first Test try in three years.

The loss of Russell to a head knock was not ideal but as Hogg was forced to step up to 10.  But the pack that had struggled so badly at the set-piece came up with a brave surge as Watson did just enough to get the ball over the line as Hogg’s conversion drew the scores level with six to play.

But the celebrations were cut short as Ireland immediately won a penalty as Ryan Baird charged down Ali Price’s kick ― leaving Sexton to coolly nail a tricky kick from out wide to snatch the win.

Check out the video highlights from Ireland's 27-24 victory over Scotland in Edinburgh on Sunday.

England end France's Grand Slam dream in thriller

England produced their best performance since the 2019 World Cup semi-final to end France’s Grand Slam hopes following a 23-20 victory at Twickenham.

Les Blues led 20-16 until the 76th minute when Maro Itoje bulldozed over the whitewash from short range and with Owen Farrell rifling over the conversion, they had edged the tournament favourites.

It was England’s best performance of the tournament by a distance, full of endeavour and flashes of clinical execution, with Henry Slade and Tom Curry excelling.

Enabling them to go toe-to-toe with the favourites ― at least initially ― was their improved discipline and having given away 41 penalties across the opening three rounds, they escaped the whistle of referee Andrew Brace until the 25th minute.

A week spent addressing their self-destructive streak appeared to have paid off, but it proved a stubborn Achilles heel as old failings re-emerged in a cagey second-half where avoiding mistakes became paramount.

Some of France’s play was irresistible, especially for Damian Penaud’s try, but they also displayed the hard edge needed to take the 108th instalment of ‘Le Crunch’ to the death.

It was not enough to stop England escaping further Six Nations misery, however, after two defeats had place head coach Eddie Jones under mounting pressure.

In the latest in a succession of dismal starts, England conceded the first try after only 65 seconds when wing Teddy Thomas chipped over full-debutant Max Malins and Antoine Dupont arrived to gather and touch down.

It was the sixth match in a row where they have leaked the opening try, but on this occasion their response was immediate and emphatic.

Henry Slade contributed two big carries as pressure built on the French line and the second charge by the Exeter Chief was pivotal, creating the space for George Ford to send Anthony Watson over in the 11th minute.

England were displaying the attacking intent shown in Cardiff a fortnight earlier as Watson effortlessly slid into space and for once it was the opposition who were being punished by the referee as Farrell landed two penalties.

In control of every department of the game, Jones’ fallen champions were playing some of their best rugby seen since the 2019 tournament in Japan but when they eventually conceded their first penalty, France took control.

Matthieu Jalibert was on target from the kicking tee before an attacking line-out saw the fly-half combine brilliantly with Julien Marchand, the dazzling movement in midfield creating the space for Penaud to cross.

🇫🇷 That's @FranceRugby at its very best.

Enjoy this one, rugby fans. #GuinnessSixNations #ENGvFRA pic.twitter.com/lw8oJANcnM

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 13, 2021

It was now France who were storming into rucks and running hard at half-openings to pin England in their 22 and threaten another try.

Kyle Sinckler knocked on at the end of a muscular thrust through heavy traffic to end a breathless first half full of quality play, with France marginally on top with a 17-13 lead.

Two trips to the visiting 22, the second after a sharp break by Ben Youngs, got England moving again but each time the attack ended in a penalty.

And when France entered their half, they infringed again to allow Jalibert to kick Les Bleus seven points clear before Farrell responded to increase the tension in blustery conditions at Twickenham.

The third quarter was balanced on a knife edge and in a worrying sign, Brace was punishing them with increasing frequency.

France were piling on pressure once more but they fell apart at the scrum and the pendulum swung again.

England’s bench were making a real difference, especially Elliot Daly who glided into space with ease armed with a point to prove after being dropped for Malins.

And the crucial blow was delivered by Itoje in the closing stages as he used his power to score a vital try.

Check out the video highlights from England's 23-20 victory over France in London on Saturday.

Wales march on with seven-try victory over Italy

Wales moved to within one match of a potential Six Nations Grand Slam after they cruised past Italy, winning 48-7 in Rome on Saturday.

The unbeaten tournament leaders reeled off a third successive bonus-point victory to increase pressure on their rivals for silverware.

And Wayne Pivac’s team head to Paris for an appointment with France next Saturday, knowing that a sixth Six Nations crown and fifth Grand Slam will be secured if they topple Les Bleus.

Italy’s 31st Six Nations defeat in a row saw them predictably offer little resistance at Stadio Olimpico as Wales tore them apart by scoring seven tries.

Hooker Ken Owens led the way with a try double, while wing Josh Adams and number eight Taulupe Faletau also touched down during a dominant first-half display that saw Wales secure a bonus-point after just 30 minutes.

Centre George North added his 43rd Wales try early in the second period, equalling Shane Williams’ Wales record of 22 Six Nations touchdowns, and there were also scores for fly-half substitute Callum Sheedy and wing Louis Rees-Zammit.

Sheedy kicked two conversions, with Dan Biggar landing three conversions and also kicking a penalty, while wing Monty Ioane scored a try for Italy that fly-half Paolo Garbisi converted.

Pivac made two changes following the Triple Crown-clinching victory over England a fortnight ago, replacing injured scrum-half Kieran Hardy with Gareth Davies and handing lock Cory Hill a start instead of Adam Beard.

Italy showed five switches, including a recall for Wales-born number nine Stephen Varney, who missed the defeat against Ireland last month after being injured during the warm-up.

Wales were off and running inside three minutes as Biggar kicked a 40-metre penalty, and the Azzurri were soon in deep trouble.

Captain Luca Bigi was sin-binned by referee Wayne Barnes ― his second yellow card in successive games ― and Wales opted for an attacking scrum, rather than kicking for goal.

It reaped an immediate reward as Wales moved possession wide before Biggar’s long pass found Adams, who crossed for his 16th Test try, with Biggar converting.

Wales struck with a second try after 14 minutes while Bigi was still off the pitch.

Rees-Zammit had already threatened Italy’s defence and he delivered a scoring pass to Faletau following another sweeping attack as Wales effortlessly moved 15-0 ahead.

Italy could not live with Wales’ pace and intensity, and a third try arrived when the Welsh forwards drove menacingly from a short-range lineout and Owens touched down.

😎 Wales winning with their eyes shut today. #ITAvWAL pic.twitter.com/NHcQtd3Ol9

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) March 13, 2021

Biggar’s successful conversion made it 22-0 as Wales rattled along at a point a minute.

Owens delivered Wales’ fourth try when he stretched out to touch down following another powerful forward surge, and Italy were in disarray as their troubled afternoon continued when prop Giosue Zilocchi went off injured, being replaced by Marco Riccioni.

Rees-Zammit had a try disallowed five minutes before half-time after a forward pass by Biggar, but Wales were in cruise control, leading 27-0 at the break.

Wales needed just two minutes of the second period to increase their lead, with centre Jonathan Davies freeing his midfield partner North, who sprinted clear.

Biggar’s conversion took Wales 34 points in front, but Italy gained a 51st-minute try through Ioane’s fine solo score, with Garbisi converting from the touchline.

Italy collected a second yellow card of the game when Riccioni departed for a dangerous challenge on Willis Halaholo, and Wales moved past 40 points on the hour-mark after Sheedy converted his own try.

And Wales added one more try ― a 70-metre interception effort by Rees Zammit ― as the Gloucester speedster claimed a fifth touchdown in just his eighth Test.

Check out the video highlights from Wales's 48-7 victory over Italy in Rome on Saturday.

Wales beat ill-disciplined England to seal Triple Crown

Wales secured the Triple Crown after beating rivals England 40-24 in their Six Nations clash at the Principality Stadium on Saturday.

While Wales wrapped up the first major silverware of head coach Wayne Pivac’s reign in bonus-point fashion, his opposite number Eddie Jones saw England’s title hopes reduced to ruins.

But Jones would have been left fuming by circumstances surrounding Wales’ two first-half tries, before scrum-half Kieran Hardy’s 49th-minute score kept the hosts on course and three late Callum Sheedy penalties and a Cory Hill touchdown thwarted England.

Wales’ opening try came after referee Pascal Gauzere had told England captain Owen Farrell to talk to his team and warn them after conceding the latest among a rash of early penalties.

Farrell, though, had barely started to do that before Gauzere called time back on, Dan Biggar kicked to the corner and wing Josh Adams finished impressively.

And there was no less debate over Wales’ second try as Louis Rees-Zammit appeared to knock the ball on before Liam Williams gathered over the line, but the television match official Alex Ruiz was happy to approve Gauzere’s on-field decision of a try.

It was England’s second defeat of a miserable Six Nations campaign that began with Scotland claiming a first win at Twickenham for 38 years, despite tries by Anthony Watson and Ben Youngs, four Farrell penalties and a conversion.

But Wales proved unstoppable and backed up victories over Ireland and Scotland by dismissing their fiercest rivals behind closed doors in Cardiff, with Biggar kicking a penalty and two conversions, while Sheedy booted 13 points.

How 70,000 Welsh supporters would have revelled in the triumph as their team edged closer to another Six Nations title ahead of away games against Italy and France next month.

Centre George North led Wales out as he became the youngest player to win 100 caps for their country.

His team quickly looked to make a mark after England conceded two penalties in rapid succession and, after they infringed again, lock Maro Itoje the culprit, Biggar kicked Wales ahead.

Itoje then went close to the game’s opening try, charging down an attempted clearance by Hardy, but home full-back Williams narrowly beat him to the ball.

Hardy’s opposite number Ben Youngs sparked England’s first concerted attack and it ended with Wales conceding a penalty that Farrell landed to tie things up after 12 minutes.

But Wales then stormed in front thanks to Biggar’s opportunism after he sacrificed a makeable penalty by kicking to the corner and Adams took a clean catch before claiming his 15th Test try.

Farrell made protestations to Gauzere, but England had been caught napping by Biggar’s adventure and the fly-half’s conversion opened up a seven-point advantage that Farrell quickly reduced through a long-range penalty that closed an entertaining opening quarter.

If England felt aggrieved by Wales’ first try, there was more to come 10 minutes before half-time.

Rees-Zammit could not gather a bouncing ball and it appeared that he might have knocked on before Williams crossed England’s line.

Gauzere consulted television replays, which still appeared inconclusive in terms of a knock-on, but he awarded the touchdown by Williams before another Biggar conversion made it 17-6.

❝It's a massive achievement for the group.❞ – Man of the Match @taulupe ⭐️ #WALvENG ⑊ #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/OsUOtlhiJn

— Welsh Rugby Union 🏉 (@WelshRugbyUnion) February 27, 2021

England desperately needed to score before the break and Watson obliged four minutes before the break, finishing strongly under pressure from three Welsh defenders.

The visitors were back in it before a Farrell penalty made it 17-14 at half-time.

Biggar, who appeared to suffer a knock just before the break, was replaced by Sheedy just five minutes into the second period, and Wales extended their lead shortly afterwards.

England could have no complaints this time as Hardy took a quick tap-penalty and left defenders floundering before touching down unopposed, and Sheedy added the extras.

England hit back through an impressive Youngs try that Farrell converted to bring up 1,000 points in the white shirt, only for Sheedy to edge Wales back in front through a 66th-minute strike.

He kicked two further penalties to clinch victory and then added the conversion to Hill’s try as Wales finished the match in style.

Check out the video highlights from Wales's 40-24 victory over England in Cardiff on Saturday.

Ireland find form against disappointing Italy

Ireland picked up their first triumph of the 2021 Six Nations Championship after they thumped Italy 48-10 in Rome on Saturday.

Scores from Garry Ringrose, Hugo Keenan, CJ Stander and Keith Earls, plus a brace for Will Connors, helped the Irish bounce back from defeats to Wales and France in emphatic fashion.

Captain Johnny Sexton, returning from a head injury, added all six conversions and two penalties as Andy Farrell celebrated the first away win of his tenure to ease mounting pressure.

Defeat for Italy was a 30th in succession in the championship, dating back six years to a victory over Scotland at Murrayfield.

Fly-half Paolo Garbisi conjured a moment of magic to set up a consolation try for Johan Meyer late in the first half and kicked a further five points but it was an all-too familiar story for the hosts.

Franco Smith’s men have now shipped 139 points and 19 tries in their three losses to date.

Ireland’s dominant victory could have been by a far greater margin had they not had a trio of tries ― scored by Iain Henderson, Stander and James Lowe ― disallowed.

The Irish arrived at Stadio Olimpico after losing their opening two Six Nations matches for the first time and having scored a tournament-low two tries.

Head coach Farrell made seven changes to the team beaten by Les Bleus, including recalling skipper Sexton and vice-captain James Ryan following head knocks.

Garbisi’s fourth-minute penalty rewarded the hosts’ bright start but was swiftly wiped out by Sexton’s boot as Ireland sprang into life.

Lock Henderson was denied what appeared to be a certain try when the television match official deemed he had lost control of the ball before grounding, before Ringrose capitalised on the sustained pressure to burrow over.

After a second-successful Sexton penalty, Keenan and Connors ― who made try-scoring debuts against the Italians in October ― each repeated the trick to help the visitors tighten their grip on the contest.

Full-back Keenan burst clear from a fine Ringrose offload to touch down, and just five minutes later quick ball allowed Leinster team-mate Connors to cross wide on the left.

Italy are on a seemingly eternal winless run in the competition and were struggling to contain their opponents’ speed and energy.

Head coach Smith had initially stuck with the side which showed moments of promise in defeat to England at Twickenham but was forced into a late change as a finger injury for Stephen Varney saw Callum Braley come in at scrum-half.

The South African was given cause for greater optimism just before the half-time whistle thanks to Garbisi producing a classy feint and offload, which allowed flanker Meyer to bulldoze over on the left flank, and then adding a tricky conversion to reduce the deficit to 27-10.

#TeamOfUs

👊 A 𝗯𝗶𝗴 #GuinnessSixNations W on the road 🛫

Well done, lads! 🟢 #IrishRugby #ShoulderToShoulder #ITAvIRE pic.twitter.com/MHz95ixRDm

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 27, 2021

Sexton slapped the turf in frustration after conceding the try and the collective annoyance perhaps prompted Ireland’s lightning-quick response.

Within three minutes of the restart, Stander was on hand to power over to guarantee his side a bonus point.

The match became increasingly scrappy and Italy’s cause was made harder by replacement Giosue Zilocchi and captain Luca Bigi each being sin-binned during a series of penalty concessions.

South Africa-born Stander thought he had scored his second try of the afternoon between the yellow cards but it was wiped off on review after Ronan Kelleher was adjudged to have knocked on in the build up.

With the game almost certainly won, Farrell used the final 17 minutes to hand debuts to Munster scrum-half Craig Casey and Leinster lock Ryan Baird.

Casey’s lively cameo looked to have been rewarded by a maiden international assist but his neat pass to Lowe was ruled to have gone forward, leaving Ireland to rue a third disallowed try.

Replacement Earls crossed wide on the right to complete the rout in the closing moments, claiming the 33rd international score of his career as Ireland kickstarted their campaign with an overdue victory against the competition’s weakest opponent.

Check out the video highlights from Ireland's 48-10 victory over Italy in Rome on Saturday.

France end Dublin drought to go two from two

Ireland’s Six Nations title aspirations were prematurely ended as France underlined their status as tournament favourites by grinding out a 15-13 win in Dublin.

The Irish suffered successive losses at the start of a Six Nations campaign for the first time following scores from Charles Ollivon and Damian Penaud, plus five points from the boot of Matthieu Jalibert.

Ronan Kelleher’s maiden international try helped keep Andy Farrell’s depleted hosts in contention until the final whistle but they were unable to avoid another damaging defeat following last weekend’s loss in Wales.

Les Bleus scrum-half Antoine Dupont ― widely regarded as the best player in the world on current form ― was largely well marshalled by the hosts, although he showed flashes of brilliance as the French revolution under Fabien Galthie continues apace.

France have won nine of 11 games since the appointment of Galthie, while this defeat piles more pressure on opposing head coach Farrell.

Ireland’s 2020 title aspirations were ended in Paris at the end of October and hopes of avoiding a repeat were dealt a severe blow during a challenging build-up in which a host of key players were ruled out.

Skipper Johnny Sexton, who this week became embroiled in a dispute with a French neurologist regarding his concussion history, and vice-captain James Ryan were unavailable due to head injuries, while scrum-half Conor Murray picked up a hamstring issue and flanker Peter O’Mahony was hit with a three-match ban following his costly red card in Cardiff.

It was the first time in a decade that Ireland had started a Six Nations match without fly-half Sexton or scrum-half Murray, resulting in an inexperienced half-back pairing of Billy Burns and Jamison Gibson-Park.

Fly-half Burns would have been desperate to prove himself a capable understudy to Sexton on the back of his much-discussed mistake which ended the game at the Principality Stadium.

His first penalty, after Jalibert had squandered one at the other end, was a wayward effort which showed signs of nerves but he made no mistake with a straightforward second attempt to put Ireland 3-0 ahead 20 minutes in.

With so much at stake so early in the competition, there had been a cagey start on a grey and wet afternoon in the Irish capital.

France were soon temporarily reduced to 14 men when Bernard Le Roux was sin-binned for a deliberate trip on Keith Earls.

Ireland looked to have quickly seized on the indiscipline, only for replays to show James Lowe was pushed into touch by a combination of Brice Dulin and Gael Fickou just before grounding the ball in the left corner.

France have been playing an exciting brand of rugby under former captain Galthie and are rapidly moving into contention for a home World Cup in 2023.

Despite their narrow escape, numerical disadvantage and a lack of possession, the visitors burst into life to claim the opening try of the afternoon.

A series of superb offloads and free-flowing rugby was followed by quick ball from right to left, with a bounce pass catching out Gibson-Park and allowing Fickou to set up Ollivon to register his seventh score in 10 matches.

Jalibert made no mistake with the conversion and added a penalty to put Les Bleus into a 10-3 half-time lead.

Here's what that French victory means to the @SixNationsRugby table!#IREvFRA #GuinnessSixNations #ITVRugby pic.twitter.com/tnvJ8xbUIX

— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 14, 2021

France could easily have been further ahead early in the second period but, after rampaging hooker Julien Marchand was tackled close to the line, Dupont’s recovery pass inadvertently hit the head of Paul Willemse.

Following that escape, the hosts suffered a triple blow due to a succession of head injuries.

After Burns was forced for assessment to be replaced by Ross Byrne, stand-in skipper Iain Henderson ― the 108th player to captain Ireland ― and prop Cian Healy were left bloodied by a nasty clash of heads.

France were well on top at that stage and took control of the contest in the 55th minute courtesy of a try from wing Penaud.

Penaud, one of two men recalled following last weekend’s thumping 50-10 win in Rome, dived over in the right corner following assistance from Jalibert and Dulin.

However, Les Bleus had little time to enjoy the cushion.

Ollivon conceded a penalty from the restart and Ireland’s replacement hooker Kelleher capitalised on a fortuitous bounce from the resulting line-out to touch down.

Substitute fly-half Byrne converted and then reduced the deficit to just two points at 15-13 with a penalty to set up a thrilling final 15 minutes.

Galthie was visibly frustrated when Jalibert hit the posts with a 72nd-minute penalty but Les Bleus were disciplined and doggedly dug in to win in Dublin for the first time since 2011 to keep their title charge on track.

Check out the video highlights from France's 15-13 victory over Ireland in Dublin on Sunday.

Louis Rees-Zammit stars as Wales shock Scotland

Louis Rees-Zammit’s double helped hand Wayne Pivac his first away win as Wales coach as they hit back to stun 14-man Scotland 25-24 at Murrayfield.

Gregor Townsend’s team were looking to build on last week’s historic Twickenham victory over England and got off to the perfect start with tries from Darcy Graham and Stuart Hogg.

But their hopes were wrecked when Zander Fagerson was sent off for a dangerous clear-out and Wales ruthlessly exploited their man advantage.

Gloucester wing Rees-Zammit had scored just before half-time to keep Wales in the contest, with his second ― after Liam Williams and Wyn Jones had also crossed over ― confirming a bonus point.

Hogg did briefly put Scotland back in front, but Pivac’s team held their nerve to claim their first win on foreign soil in five attempts under Warren Gatland’s replacement.

There was no repeat of last week’s Twickenham knee-gate row as all 23 Scotland players plus the visitors remained standing with heads bowed during the ‘moment of reflection’ called for by the tournament organisers to show support for the fight against racism.

Some remarkable discipline saw the Scots pinged just six times against the Auld Enemy, but they were not quite so tight this time, handing over three penalties inside the opening seven minutes.

Leigh Halfpenny slotted over the first points of the day but they were quickly matched up as Finn Russell responded.

The Scotland fly-half was one of the chief architects of that Twickenham triumph and he was flying by the seat of his pants again this time, chucking around passes so flat they missed Welsh noses by mere millimetres.

And it was from his daring offload to Jonny Gray that the opening try came after 19 minutes.  The big lock did not have the speed to go all the way, but Scotland recycled possession before Ali Price’s sublime chip over the static Welsh defence dropped into Darcy Graham’s hands and he scampered round Halfpenny to dot down under the posts.

Nice one, @Darcy_Graham 🔥 pic.twitter.com/IQyZ882ULg

— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) February 13, 2021

It was a despairing effort from the Welsh full-back but he should have done much better six minutes later.

Hogg started and finished the move that brought the second as he chipped over the back of the visitors.

The ball should have been easily gathered by Halfpenny, but instead he let it tumble from his grasp as his opposite number appeared in a flash to scoop the ball up and slide over the line to put his team 17-3 up on seemingly on course for victory.

Halfpenny ended up going off to have a head knock assessed after a mid-air clattering with Graham, who was looking a threat every time he got his hands on the ball.

His namesake, Scotland replacement Gary Graham, who had taken over from the concussed Blade Thomson early, was also proving a menace ― to his own side.

First he wrecked a good scoring chance by getting caught on top of the ball at a ruck, before giving Wales good territory with a high tackle on Taulupe Faletau.

It was a costly mistake as Wales got the momentum changer they desperately needed 90 seconds before the break.  Tying the Scotland pack up at the breakdown, the visitors worked the ball wide through Tompkins and Williams before Rees-Zammit ran in for the touchdown.

Scotland hoped that was just a blip.  It may have been had Scott Cummings not denied Gary Graham the chance to make amends after 48 minutes as he was ruled to have obstructed the Wales defence as Darcy Graham charged over the line.

And instead of going two scores in front, Townsend’s team found their lead trimmed back to two points a minute later as the Welsh pack careered forward from a devastating line-out maul before Rees-Zammit released Williams in space to score.

Wales 𝗚𝗢 𝗧𝗢𝗣! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿#GuinnessSixNations #SCOvWAL pic.twitter.com/QXJMWBF4jI

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 13, 2021

Things went from bad to worse for the hosts after 53 minutes as Fagerson got his marching orders for slamming into Jones with an illegal clear-out.

Against 14 men, Pivac’s team needed just 90 seconds to nudge in front as Jones barged over from another well-executed line-out manoeuvre.

Scotland still had plenty of time to respond but they needed someone to take command.

Up stepped Hogg as he collected a Russell pass before setting off on a 15-metre rampage towards the corner as he brushed off Owen Watkin and Tompkins before getting the ball down on the line.

But Wales simply had too much space to play with and they claimed the win with 10 minutes left as Rees-Zammit chipped the ball over Hogg’s head before racing through to claim the bonus point.

Scotland fought to the end but their hopes were dashed in stoppage time as Hogg failed to hold onto Duhan van der Merwe’s desperate last charge.

Check out the video highlights from Wales's 25-24 victory over Scotland in Edinburgh on Saturday.

Serious Jack Willis injury mars comfortable England win

England kick-started their 2021 Six Nations campaign with a dominant 41-18 triumph over Italy but it came at a cost as one of the try-scorers, Jack Willis, was stretchered off with a serious-looking injury.

Willis’ left knee was damaged when he was cleared out at a ruck, just moments after the replacement flanker had scored the fifth of England’s six tries.

Jonny May plundered his 32nd international touch down on the stroke of half-time by leaping for the whitewash and grounding the ball from a mid-air horizontal position.

It was a remarkable moment of skill and ingenuity from one of the game’s most ruthless finishers, whose acrobatics swept him over a despairing tackle by Luca Sperandio and up one place in England’s all-time try-scoring charts.

Having moved above Ben Cohen and Will Greenwood into clear second, Rory Underwood’s total of 49 is the last remaining target.

A week after Scotland had claimed their first win at Twickenham since 1983, the most experienced England team of all time began the process of rebuilding their title defence with a predictably comprehensive triumph against the Six Nations’ weakest opposition.

Anthony Watson ran in two tries while Jonny Hill and Elliot Daly also crossed, but at times their play was scrappy and unconvincing, partly the result of Italy’s stubborn resistance and occasional flourishes in attack.

The Azzurri’s moments of promise were insufficient to prevent a 29th successive loss in the Six Nations, although on this occasion they were competitive if comprehensive losers.

Memories of the Calcutta Cup debacle came rushing back as England conceded two early penalties before leaking a try after only 144 seconds as Monty Ioane capitalised on some sluggish defending to race in.

They had been caught cold by Italy’s tempo with Watson and Daly at fault, but Owen Farrell settled nerves with a penalty as the setback made way for a spell of red rose dominance.

A short-range free-kick saw the ball retained in the pack and eventually the Azzurri cracked before the succession of pick and goes with Hill touching down.

Fly-half Paolo Garbisi was off the mark with a penalty that levelled the score and while they were still in the fight, territory and possession were slipping away at an alarming rate.

England’s back three were dwarfing their contribution against Scotland, with Watson the most effective carrier, and the Bath wing’s side-step and injection of pace swept him over in the 26th minute.

But for greater accuracy, Italy would have been in as they poured forward from a line-out as they impressively fought their way back into contention.

England ended the half strongly, however, and were rewarded when Sperandio went walkabout in defence and May crossed with a spectacular try that saw him leap into the corner.

✈️ Air May cleared for landing. #GuinnessSixNations #ENGvITA pic.twitter.com/8BOGrPh1Nu

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 13, 2021

Garbisi opened the second half with a penalty as Italy, helped by some mistakes from the home side, played with pace and intent exemplified by two eye-catching breaks.

It was therefore a blow when their best spell was ended by an ill-advised Garbisi pass that was cleverly picked off by Watson, who galloped 80 metres to score his second try.

Again Italy were stubbornly holding their own only to fall to England’s smarter thinking, caught unawares during a period of niggle and when camped on their line, Willis drove over.

Willis’ celebrations at scoring his second try were cruelly muted shortly afterwards when his leg twisted during a clear-out, causing an awful injury to his left knee that saw him driven from the pitch on the medical cart.

After a lengthy delay to treat Willis, England were caught cold as Tommaso Allan raced in from a scrum but Daly replied quickly thanks to a turnover by Maro Itoje, completing the rout.

Check out the video highlights from England's 41-18 victory over Italy in London on Saturday.

Peter O'Mahony shown red as Wales defeat Ireland

Louis Rees-Zammit scored a try on his Six Nations debut as Wales held off 14-man Ireland to win 21-16 at the Principality Stadium on Sunday.

The 20-year-old Gloucester wing pounced midway through the second half, destroying Irish hopes of a famous triumph over adversity after flanker Peter O’Mahony’s 14th-minute red card.

Munster forward O’Mahony was sent off following a reckless shoulder-led hit to Wales prop Tomas Francis’ head, but Ireland still led until Rees-Zammit struck.

Ireland also lost lock James Ryan to a failed head injury assessment, and skipper Johnny Sexton’s afternoon ended 11 minutes from time when Wales flanker Justin Tipuric’s knee accidentally caught him in the head.

But Sexton’s eight points and a try by lock Tadhg Beirne gave Ireland scent of a first Six Nations victory in Cardiff since 2013, and they mounted relentless late pressure before replacement Billy Burns missed touch with a penalty in the final seconds that would have given his team an attacking line-out.

George North’s 42nd touchdown for his country, three Leigh Halfpenny penalties and a conversion ultimately broke Ireland, despite a late Burns penalty.

It meant that Wales boss Wayne Pivac could celebrate just a fourth victory from 11 Tests since he succeeded Warren Gatland.

Ireland, though, must regroup quickly ― mentally and physically ― and dust themselves down for a Dublin showdown against resurgent France in just seven days’ time.

Pivac recalled Ospreys flanker Dan Lydiate for his first Wales appearance in more than two years, but Josh Adams and Liam Williams were both suspended, while Rees-Zammit and centre Johnny Williams made their Six Nations bows.

Sexton recovered from a hamstring problem to win his 96th cap, and there was a start for flanker Josh van der Flier, who replaced an injured Caelan Doris in a reshuffled Ireland back-row.

Wales opened the scoring after five minutes when Halfpenny kicked a short-range penalty, but Lydiate’s international return ended soon afterwards.

He required treatment to his right knee after appearing to lose his footing, and he was forced out of the contest, being replaced by Josh Navidi.

Ireland, though, suffered a far greater blow just four minutes after Lydiate’s exit when O’Mahony was red-carded.

1 – Peter O'Mahony is the first player to receive a red card in the #SixNations for Ireland. Bin. pic.twitter.com/tgcaCxXtIP

— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) February 7, 2021

Referee Wayne Barnes had no choice but to send him off following an inexplicable loss of discipline, and it meant Ireland faced a mountain of Himalayan proportions.

Wales then doubled their advantage courtesy of a second Halfpenny penalty, this time following a high tackle by Sexton on Johnny Williams.

Williams went off for a head injury assessment when he attempted to tackle Garry Ringrose, and Ryan also needed an HIA shortly after, with Nick Tompkins going on for Wales and Iain Henderson taking Ryan’s place.

In another blow for Ireland, Ryan did not rejoin the action, while Williams was also forced permanently out of the game.

Despite Ireland’s double setback, they rallied impressively, dominating territory and possession as Sexton cut the deficit by kicking a 40-metre penalty.

It was an impressive response by the visitors, and Sexton hauled them level five minutes before half-time through a second successful penalty.

And it got even better for Ireland as Wales continued to struggle, with centre Robbie Henshaw brushing off two attempted tackles, linking with Van der Flier, before Beirne touched down.

Sexton’s conversion made it 13-6 at the break, and there was more woe for Wales as scrum-half Tomos Williams limped off with what appeared to be a hamstring problem, and Gareth Davies replaced him.

Wales needed a response, and it was centre North who delivered after he gathered Navidi’s pass and broke clear despite close attention from three defenders.

Halfpenny missed the conversion, but Wales were back in the contest following an error-strewn spell, then Rees-Zammit applied a brilliant one-handed finish before Halfpenny converted from the touchline.

The full-back added a third penalty with 15 minutes left, and Wales had finally found a way to see themselves home ahead of next Saturday’s Murrayfield clash against Scotland, despite Ireland’s late rally.

Check out the video highlights from Wales's 21-16 victory over Ireland in Cardiff on Sunday.

Scotland end 38-year wait with away win over England

Scotland celebrated the 150th anniversary of the oldest rivalry in rugby by stunning England 11-6 to claim their first victory at Twickenham since 1983.

The 38-year wait for success at the home of the reigning Six Nations champions finally came to an end as Finn Russell inspired the underdogs to a magnificent win.

Russell directed play masterfully, Cameron Redpath enjoyed an influential debut and Stuart Hogg was world class at full-back as strutting Scotland were given the freedom to roam Twickenham.

But Scotland lacked the points to reflect their dominance, Duhan van der Merwe’s try as part of an 8-6 half-time lead an inadequate return given they had put England into a straitjacket.

Russell was at the heart of their brilliant display, keeping the home defence guessing with an array of kicks and passes, but there also were erratic moments, most notably a trip on Ben Youngs punished by a yellow card.

Lions coach Warren Gatland was watching from the stands and he will view the Racing 92 magician as a clear winner in his duel with Owen Farrell.

Scotland’s mastery of almost every department continued after the interval yet they struggled to make the impact on the scoreboard needed to kill off England, who were bitterly disappointing.

Almost a fifth of Eddie Jones’ team had not played since France were edged in sudden death 62 days ago and while the inactivity of the Saracens contingent contributed to the lack of intensity, England had more pressing problems.

Conceding four penalties in the first five minutes alone, one of them resulting in three points for Russell, led to a dismal start and the indiscipline became a debilitating theme of the match.

Twice Maro Itoje charged down kicks by scrum-half Ali Price inside the Scots’ 22 as the visitors invited pressure, but they were rare positive moments for the Red Rose.

A historic win at Twickenham! 🏆

The first time since 1983 😃#AsOne pic.twitter.com/qN8Gf1MQcQ

— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) February 6, 2021

Redpath was already making his presence felt at inside centre, most notably by catching a long line-out throw and running hard into the heart of the home defence.

Russell was beginning to weave his magic with his passing already making a difference and there was another swing towards Scotland when he was chopped down by a swinging arm from Billy Vunipola, who was sent to the sin bin.

Showing no ill effects, Russell lofted the ball into the left corner where the bounce just deceived Van der Merwe, but soon after the wing’s powerful run swept him to the line and he was able to touch down.

The first half hour had been dominated by Scotland, but England clawed their way back into contention with successive penalties by Farrell.

Russell saw a yellow card for his trip on Youngs, his spell in the sin bin spanning either half, but when he returned the Scots were pounding away at the home line and he slotted a penalty.

Hogg weaved his way into space and the difference in attacking ability between the rivals was stark as England struggled to fire a shot.

Two huge touchfinders from Hogg pinned the champions back as rain began to fall, but the Exeter full-back was unable to land a long-range penalty that would have propelled his side eight points ahead.

It was not needed, however, as England could just not muster any meaningful response and Scotland’s players celebrated noisily when the final whistle blew.

Check out the video highlights from Scotland's 11-6 victory over England in London on Saturday.

Clinical France put Italy to the sword

France made a fantastic start to this year’s Six Nations when they cruised to a 50-10 victory against Italy at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Saturday.

As the scoreline suggests, this was a one-sided affair with Les Bleus holding the upper hand for long periods and they eventually outscored their hosts by seven tries to none with Teddy Thomas (2), Dylan Cretin, Gael Fickou, Arthur Vincent, Brice Dulin, Antoine Dupont crossing the whitewash, while Matthieu Jalibert finished with a 15-point haul after slotting six conversions and a penalty.

For Italy, Luca Sperandio scored a try and Paolo Garbisi succeeded with a penalty and a conversion.

Italy were competitive during the early stages and came close to scoring shortly after the kick off when Juan Ignacio Brex made a fantastic break but Gabin Villiere saved the day for France with a cover tackle deep inside his 22.

It didn’t take long for the visitors to open the scoring, however, after Thomas put them onto the front foot with a mazy run which tore the Azzurri’s defence to shreds.  The ball was then taken through some phases in Italy’s 22 before Cretin crashed over for the opening try.

Jalibert converted and increased Les Bleus’ lead when he landed a penalty in the 10th minute.  Despite battling to cope with the intensity of France’s attacks, Italy eventually opened their account when Garbisi slotted a penalty midway through the half after Charles Ollivon infringed at a breakdown.

Despite that penalty, it was still France who dominated proceedings and they were holding a 24-3 lead by the half-hour mark thanks to well-taken tries from Fickou and Vincent.  The latter one came after a moment of magic from Dupont who, despite being caught in possession deep inside Italy’s 22, still did well to throw a short inside pass over his shoulder to the on-rushing Vincent, who had an easy run-in under the posts.

Italy needed a response and they thought they had done that when Stephen Varney did brilliantly to sell dummies to Cyril Baille and Dupont down the left-hand touchline before offloading to Monty Ioane, who outpaced the cover defence before crossing in the left-hand corner.  That score was disallowed though after television match official Karl Dickson ruled that the final pass from Varney went forward and the visitors had their tails up at half-time.

🗣 "But the French, wow."

A lovely try from Teddy Thomas after a Jailbert break and a Dupont assist. #GuinnessSixNations #ITAvFRA pic.twitter.com/M61hXQyKTM

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 6, 2021

Les Bleus continued to dominate in the second half and in the 49th minute Dulin scored his try after gathering a well-weighted chip kick from Villiere inside the Azzurri’s 22.

With their bonus-point secured, France turned on the style and had the game in the bag courtesy of two excellent tries from Dupont and Thomas midway through the half.

In the 54th minute, Dupont was rewarded for a brilliant performance when he gathered an inside pass from Thomas, after the flyer burst through the home side’s defence with a powerful line break, and shortly afterwards the scrum-half returned the favour when he found himself in the clear inside Italy’s 22 and Thomas went over for his first try.

To their credit, Italy did not surrender and in the 65th minute they were rewarded when Sperandio caught the defence napping when he chipped ahead and regathered down the right-hand touchline before crossing for his side’s only five-pointer.

But France finished stronger and in the 74th minute Thomas dotted down out wide ― a score which also brought up a half century of points and sealed an emphatic win for Les Bleus.

Check out the video highlights from France's 50-10 victory over Italy in Rome on Saturday.