Showing posts with label 2020 Autumn Nations Cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2020 Autumn Nations Cup. Show all posts

Saturday, 5 December 2020

Taulupe Faletau stars as Wales beat Italy

Number eight Taulupe Faletau was in outstanding form as Wales finished in fifth place in the Autumn Nations Cup after overcoming Italy 38-18 in Llanelli.

Faletau and back-row colleague Justin Tipuric were excellent, but there was still little evidence to suggest that Wales will be a Six Nations force later this season.

It was just a third Test win under Wayne Pivac since he succeeded Warren Gatland 13 months ago, yet they have come against Italy twice, and Georgia.

Italy, without a victory over Wales for 13 years, led by a point until the 58th minute, so difficult did they make life for a team that once again made countless errors and conceded too many penalties.

Tries during the final 22 minutes by Gareth Davies, George North and Tipuric saw Wales home ― there were earlier touchdowns by Kieran Hardy and Sam Parry ― while fly-half Callum Sheedy kicked five conversions and a penalty.

Centre Marco Zanon and flanker Johan Meyer scored tries for Italy, with fly-half Paolo Garbisi booting two penalties and a conversion.

And while the history books will show a 15th successive win for Wales in the fixture, they laboured for so much of the contest, despite the best efforts of outstanding Faletau.

Pivac will now turn to Six Nations planning and while a number of players should be back after injuries, considerable improvements are required across the board.

Wales were forced into a late change after centre Johnny Williams was ruled out with calf muscle trouble, so fit-again Jonathan Davies replaced him in midfield alongside George North.

Italy, meanwhile, included Wales-born Stephen Varney for his first Test start at scrum-half and wing Monty Ioane made an international debut in a team captained by hooker Luca Bigi.

Wales were off and running after just seven minutes, taking the lead when Faletau’s brilliantly-timed pass sent Tipuric clear and the supporting Hardy crossed, with Sheedy converting.

It was a confident start by the home side and although full-back Liam Williams appeared fortunate to escape sanction after he charged into a ruck and caught Italy centre Carlo Canna high, Wales soon extended their lead.

This time it was solid work by the forward close to Italy’s line and Parry matched Hardy in scoring a first try for his country.

Sheedy’s conversion opened up a 14-point lead after just 18 minutes, bur Wales suffered an injury blow when Williams departed with what appeared to be an ankle problem and was replaced by Bristol’s Ioan Lloyd.

Garbisi opened Italy’s account through a 28th-minute penalty and then they caught Wales cold with a clinically-executed score.

Varney found Canna from the base of a scrum and his clever kick into space was gathered by his midfield partner Zanon, who surged away from a stunned Welsh defence.

Wales were suddenly all over the place and Garbisi followed his conversion with a penalty, cutting the deficit to one point following a superb Varney break.

And Wales also found themselves a player down as referee Wayne Barnes showed a yellow-card to wing Josh Adams after Varney was tackled, leaving Italy holding a temporary one-man advantage and trailing just 14-13 at the interval.

A Sheedy penalty calmed things down for Wales five minutes into the second period, yet Italy responded in thrilling fashion, spinning possession wide and Meyer scored in the corner, edging his team ahead.

Wales were rocked by the score and Pivac began making changes, sending on Davies, Aaron Wainwright, Wyn Jones and Cory Hill midway through the third quarter.

And Davies took just eight minutes to make a mark, breaking away to score his team’s third try before Sheedy’s touchline conversion made it 24-18.

North’s touchdown 11 minutes from time meant that Wales could finally breathe easily, with Sheedy’s conversion taking them past 30 points, but they have so much to work on ahead of a Six Nations campaign that begins in just nine weeks’ time.


Check out the video highlights from Wales' 38-18 victory over Italy in Llanelli on Saturday.

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Dominant Ireland ease past Scotland

Ireland produced an excellent second half display to seal third place in the Autumn Nations Cup following a 31-16 triumph over Scotland.

A pair of tries from Keith Earls, plus one from Cian Healy, helped Andy Farrell’s hosts overcome a slow start and end an inconsistent year in positive fashion.

Victory for the Irish was their seventh in succession against the Scots on home soil and a 20th win from the last 25 meetings between the countries, dating back to 2002.

Duhan van der Merwe’s second-half score and 11 points from the boot of debutant Jaco van der Walt helped keep Scotland in contention but, after early promise, they faded following Duncan Taylor’s 30th-minute sin-binning.

Ireland captain Johnny Sexton, back from a two-match injury absence, kicked 10 points on his return before he once again limped off with a fitness issue.

After a second defeat of the year to England and an underwhelming win over Georgia during an experimental period, Ireland were eager for a response in order to build momentum ahead of next year’s Six Nations, which starts in two months’ time.

Head coach Farrell, whose tenure began with a narrow 19-12 success over the Scots in February, named arguably his strongest available team by making six changes, which included the return of veteran fly-half Sexton.

Scotland also had a fresh face in their number 10 jersey as Gregor Townsend handed a maiden Test appearance to Edinburgh’s South Africa-born playmaker Van der Walt as one of his six alterations.

Ireland and Scotland went into the game as the only two sides with 100 per cent goal-kicking records in the tournament.

That statistic was wiped out inside 10 minutes as Sexton and Van der Walt each missed penalties, before the latter put the visitors 6-0 ahead by making no mistake with his next two attempts.

Scotland were all over their opponents and, after a Sexton penalty briefly halved their lead, Van der Walt restored the six-point advantage with another kick.

Townsend’s men were on a run of 12 successive games without receiving a yellow card but that sequence was abruptly ended on the half-hour mark when Taylor was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on, allowing Sexton to again reduce the deficit to three points.

Having weathered the early storm, Ireland took advantage of their numerical advantage to go in 11-9 ahead at the interval courtesy of Earls’ 31st international try.

Sexton’s clever kick saw Henshaw challenge the flat-footed Darcy Graham behind the try line and, after the loose ball fell backwards, onrushing winger Earls was on hand to ground and become his country’s outright second highest try scorer, 15 behind Brian O’Driscoll.

Ireland extended their advantage early in the second period with two quickfire scores during incessant pressure.

Experienced prop Healy, with notable assistance from his fellow forwards, powered over to the right of the posts with Sexton adding the extras.

Having already moved one try ahead of retired winger Tommy Bowe, Earls then wasted little time in closing the sizeable gap to former Ireland captain O’Driscoll.

A flowing team move culminated in Peter O’Mahony moving the ball out to the left wing, allowing Earls to dive over in the corner and Sexton to make the scoreline more comfortable with a challenging conversion.

Scotland were in desperate need of a swift response and it arrived courtesy of Van der Merwe.

The winger burst through the challenge of Rob Herring and had sufficient speed to beat Jacob Stockdale to the line, with Van der Walt’s kick leaving the scoreboard at 25-16.

Sexton, who suffered a hamstring problem in the opening match of the competition, then departed in clear discomfort.

His deputy Ross Byrne slotted a couple of straightforward penalties to quash any hopes of an unlikely comeback, while Ireland were denied a fourth try in the closing stages when O’Mahony was adjudged to have carried the ball into touch.

While question marks remain over Farrell’s strategy going forward, Ireland’s strong second-half showing should help ease some of the mounting pressure.

Scotland, meanwhile, return home following another fruitless trip across the Irish Sea.


Check out the video highlights from Ireland's 31-16 victory over Scotland in Dublin on Saturday.

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Nemani Nadolo hat-trick sinks Georgia

Fiji ended their disrupted Autumn Nations Cup campaign in style when they sealed a 38-24 triumph over Georgia at Murrayfield on Saturday.

The Pacific Islanders’ three previous games in the tournament were cancelled after they reported 29 coronavirus cases in their squad and they were highly motivated to deliver a good performance.

They did just that as tries from Johnny Dyer, Josua Tuisova, Mesulame Kunavula and a Nemani Nadolo hat-trick proved too much for the Lelos, who scored through Giorgi Melikidze and Beka Saghinadze (2).

Fiji’s other points came via the boot of Ben Volavola courtesy of four conversions, and Tedo Abzhandadze succeeded with a penalty and three conversions for Georgia.

The Pacific Islanders made a terrific start and were leading 12-0 inside the opening 10 minutes courtesy of early tries from Nadolo and Dyer.  Nadolo opened the scoring as early as the second minute when he crossed in the left-hand corner, after strong carries from Tuisova and Semi Radradra in the build-up, and five minutes later Dyer burrowed his way over the try-line from close quarters.

After failing to convert Nadolo’s try, Volavola made up for that miss by adding the extras to Dyer’s score before Abzhandadze opened the Lelos’ account with a penalty in the 10th minute.

Fiji continued to dominate, however, and after taking the ball through several phases in Georgia’s half, the ball was played out wide to Tuisova, who had an easy run-in for their third try.

The Lelos needed a response and that came in the 22nd minute, when Melikidze, who came on as a replacement for the injured Beka Gigashvili earlier in the half, went over for their first try, from close range.

There was nothing interesting to report during the rest of the half but the match was still evenly poised at the interval with the Pacific Islanders holding a 19-10 lead.

Like the opening period, Fiji had the better of the early exchanges in the second half and were soon camped inside Georgia’s half.  And in the 55th minute, Tuisova tore the Lelos’ defence to shreds with a powerful run down the right-hand touchline before throwing an inside pass to Kunavula, who dotted down.

That score boosted the Pacific Islanders’ confidence and in the 58th minute Nadolo scored his second try, after gathering a grubber kick from Volavola.  Five minutes later, the behemoth wing ran onto a pass from Sam Matavesi before busting through two tackles to score his third five-pointer.

Volavola converted which meant Fiji were holding a comfortable 38-10 lead and, with the game in the bag, they took their foot off the pedal during the final quarter.  To their credit, Georgia did not surrender and Saghinadze added some respectability to the final score when he scored his two tries during the game’s latter stages.


Check out the video highlights from Fiji's 38-24 victory over Georgia at Murrayfield on Saturday.

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Sunday, 29 November 2020

Ireland struggle to victory over Georgia

Ireland secured their second victory in the Autumn Nations Cup after overcoming Georgia 23-10 in Dublin, but it was a far from convincing performance.

Fly-half Billy Burns staked his claim as the first-choice understudy to sidelined skipper Johnny Sexton by contributing 15 points to help the Irish return to winning ways following last weekend’s disappointing defeat to England.

However, a promising afternoon for the England-born Ulster man was prematurely ended by a knock sustained early in the second period at the Aviva Stadium, significantly disrupting the rhythm of the unconvincing hosts.

Hugo Keenan claimed Ireland’s other try, while replacement number 10 Ross Byrne added a second-half penalty as Andy Farrell’s men set up a third-place play-off with Scotland on Saturday.

Georgia arrived in Dublin yet to score a point in the tournament but produced arguably the moment of the match courtesy of a dazzling first-half score from Giorgi Kveseladze.

The tenacious visitors can take plenty of confidence into next weekend’s meeting with Fiji, although that wooden spoon fixture remains in doubt as each of their opponents’ Group B matches were cancelled due to Covid-19 protocols

Ireland endured persistent set-piece struggles in the 18-7 loss at Twickenham last time out and, despite the relatively comfortable final scoreline, were far from flawless in that area this week.

Head coach Farrell made nine changes to the side beaten by Eddie Jones’ World Cup finalists as he seeks greater competition from a relatively small player pool.

He would have been encouraged by a positive start in which the hosts went 10-0 ahead inside 14 minutes following sustained pressure and some neat interplay.

Quick hands from centre Chris Farrell released Burns and he dived over the line for his first international try before adding the extras and, minutes later, kicking a penalty.

Georgia could have been disheartened by the early setbacks, considering their lack of attacking threat in this tournament,

Yet they responded in fine style with a sensational try from the nimble-footed Kveseladze.

The centre collected the ball in his own half following some slick passing, burst into Irish territory and then dummied his way past Jacob Stockdale and Burns to touch down beneath the posts, allowing Tedo Abzhandadze a simple conversion.

A second Burns penalty kept the hosts in control of the scoreboard, before he kicked another conversion to make it 20-7 at the interval after winger Keenan collected Stockdale’s pass to touch down his third international score wide on the right.

The half-time lead would have been greater had Stuart McCloskey not been harshly denied a try on his return from the international wilderness.

Ulster centre McCloskey, winning his first cap in more than two years, stretched his legs on the left wing to cross in the corner, only for French referee Mathieu Raynal to adjudge Stockdale’s pass had travelled forward.

On the back of the disallowed score, Georgia began the second half with renewed vigour.

After Burns, winning his third cap following two substitute appearances, departed, the physical visitors kept themselves in contention at 20-10 thanks to Abzhandadze’s long-range penalty.

Stifled by Levan Maisashvili’s men, Ireland’s display lacked fluidity and a cutting edge as the game wore on.

The hosts rarely looked like increasing their advantage but did manage to draw the second half 3-3 thanks to a penalty from substitute Byrne.

A debut from the bench for Shane Daly was a notable moment during the uneventful closing stages, while CJ Stander was held up on the line as he tried to force a late try.

Ireland’s victory was an eighth in succession on home soil, although the stuttering fashion in which it was achieved leaves Farrell with plenty to ponder ahead of locking horns with the Scots and, further forward, next year’s Six Nations.


Check out the video highlights from Ireland's 23-10 victory over Georgia at Dublin on Sunday.

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Saturday, 28 November 2020

France thump Italy to set up final with England

France demonstrated their strength in depth as they cruised to a 36-5 victory over Italy to set up a final with England in the Autumn Nations Cup.

On the night that they remembered Christophe Dominici, who died at the age of 48 this week, France looked to a new generation as a side featuring 13 changes made light work of the Italians.

The visitors did briefly lead, going 5-3 up when Carlo Canna ran in a 24th-minute try, but they were Italy’s only points of the night.

Jonathan Danty got his first France try in the 35th minute after a strong scrum, but the full onslaught was reserved for the second half.

Gavin Villiere scored on debut with a 55th-minute try before two of the more experienced players on show, Baptiste Serin and Teddy Thomas, scored two minutes apart to put the game beyond Italy.

Sekou Macalou ― back in the side for the first time since 2017 ― then rounded things off with an 80th-minute try as France moved back to the top of Pool B, bound for the final on December 6.


Check out the video highlights from France's 36-5 victory over Italy at Stade de France on Saturday.

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England too strong for Wales as they seal final spot

England booked their place in the Autumn Nations Cup final by overcoming a battling Wales side 24-13 at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday.

Eddie Jones’ men secured a seventh successive win thanks to tries by centre Henry Slade and prop Mako Vunipola, while Owen Farrell kicked four penalties and a conversion for a 14-point haul.

Wales led through an early Johnny Williams try and it was unquestionably their best performance of the autumn campaign, but the harsh reality now reads seven defeats from the last eight Tests under head coach Wayne Pivac.

Two Dan Biggar penalties kept them in the hunt after Leigh Halfpenny converted Williams’ score, yet England never came under sustained threat.

England march on, and they can look forward to France ― the last team they were beaten by ― as probable Nations Cup final opponents at Twickenham on Sunday week.

Many pundits had predicted an overwhelming England win in Llanelli, and while it was more workmanlike than world-beating from the visitors against organised and resilient opponents, they still made it a comfortable case of job done.

Fly-half George Ford returned to the England starting line-up as a solitary change from the side that saw off Ireland last weekend, with skipper Farrell moving into midfield alongside Slade.

Wales, meanwhile, were without five injured British and Irish Lions, with rookie flankers Shane Lewis-Hughes and James Botham handed starts in addition to 19-year-old Gloucester wing Louis Rees-Zammit.

England monopolised possession during the early skirmishes, although there was also some solid early defence from Wales with Rees-Zammit accomplished under the high ball, before Farrell missed a 40-metre penalty chance.

Wales then stunned their opponents through an 11th-minute try after Biggar charged down Slade’s kick on halfway.

Bigger reacted quickly to lead a strong counter-attack and Williams then won the touchdown race, scoring on only his second Wales appearance and 18 months after he claimed a try for England in a non-cap game against the Barbarians.

Williams, whose father is from Rhyl, only returned to professional rugby in January this year following chemotherapy treatment for testicular cancer.

England required only four minutes to reply, breaching Wales’ defence when Slade made amends for his earlier error by crossing wide out, but Farrell drifted a second successive kick wide.

Both sides looked to keep ball in hand before Farrell found the target from his third attempt, landing a 30-metre penalty that edged England a point ahead 10 minutes before half-time.

England looked to up the ante as the interval approached, using their forwards to powerful effect and testing Wales’ close-quarter defence.

That growing physical authority was emphasised when Wales conceded a scrum penalty and Farrell kicked the points, giving England an 11-7 interval advantage.

Wales’ scrum issues with referee Romain Poite continued early in the second period, which coincided with Pivac making a first change when he sent on Exeter prop Tomas Francis instead of Samson Lee, and hooker Elliot Dee soon followed, replacing Ryan Elias.

Lock Will Rowlands and scrum-half Rhys Webb also joined the action, but they had been on the pitch less than five minutes before England claimed their second try.

Relentless forward pressure took its toll, with Wales unable to keep a heavyweight pack out from close range as Mako Vunipola touched down and Farrell converted for an 11-point lead.

Biggar reduced the arrears when he kicked a penalty with 25 minutes left, and then a second successful three-pointer shortly afterwards reminded England that they were not home and dry.

But Farrell completed his penalty hat-trick 15 minutes from time before a fourth successful strike broke Wales’ resistance and ensured that England continued on an unbeaten run that has lasted since early February.


Check out the video highlights from England's 24-13 victory over Wales at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday.

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Sunday, 22 November 2020

France end Scotland’s hot streak with win at Murrayfield

Scotland came up short in their quest for a sixth successive win as France claimed a 22-15 Autumn Nations Cup victory at Murrayfield.

Gregor Townsend’s men were looking to match a feat achieved only twice in the Dark Blues’ modern rugby history, the last by David Sole’s 1990 Grand Slam winners.

But beating France for the second time this year proved to be a game too far as Fabien Galthie’s men claimed a vital victory in Edinburgh thanks to Virimi Vakatawa’s try and 17 points from the boot of Thomas Ramos.

The first half was a battle of the kickers, with Duncan Weir ensuring Scotland went in level at 12-12 after successfully knocking over his four attempts.

But the fly-half could only add three more points after the break to leave the Scots all but out of the reckoning for the competition’s first-place play-off in a fortnight.

Scotland will be idle next week after seeing their clash with Covid-hit Fiji axed ― but France can book their place in the final with victory over Italy in Paris.

It was evident early that keeping referee Wayne Barnes on side would be key for both teams ― but neither had much joy on that front.

It was Scotland who found themselves in the naughty books in the opening 10 minutes, with Chris Harris pinged for not rolling away and Ramos slotted the opening penalty.

Blair Kinghorn’s needless body check on Antoine Dupont cost the Scots decent territory but the big wing redeemed himself shortly afterwards when he scrambled back across his own line to prevent Vakatawa touching down from Gael Fickou’s clever grubber kick.

However, Ramos did kick over again as Les Bleus were forced to settle for three points.

Scotland identified Vincent Rattez as the weak spot in the visitors’ defence, targeting him with a series of high balls.  The ploy paid off as the wing found himself pounced upon by three white jerseys.

Scotland’s trusty maul attack did not do much to dent the French rearguard but Weir did the necessary with his first penalty to halve the deficit.

France were now the team on the wrong side of Barnes, with Gregory Alldritt penalised for stopping Scotland getting clean ball as he flopped on a ruck.  Weir split the posts again to level the scores.

France then appeared to have let a good attacking opportunity slip when Matthieu Jalibert threw a loose pass but Ramos had other ideas, slicing his way through the Scottish line with a lacerating run that cleared the space for Jalibert to nail a surprise drop-goal.

With the clash effectively a semi-final to decide who will play for the trophy in a fortnight, both teams were taking points whenever they were on offer.

Weir brought the hosts level again after another French tackler found themselves unable to roll out of Ali Price’s way ― only for Matt Fagerson to immediately hand Ramos the chance to boot France back in front with another breakdown infringement.

Weir, however, did fire Scotland level at the break following Alldritt’s knock-on, but only after the Dark Blues defence ― which has shipped just seven tries in the last seven games ― held firm on the line to block a desperate charge from Galthie’s forwards.

It took France just two minutes after the restart to produce the game’s first moment of real quality as Fickou’s offload released Rattez surging through a huge gap before he handed over to Vakatawa to score the opening try.

Scotland responded with Weir’s fifth penalty but holding off the rampant French pack was becoming an ever harder task as Les Bleus grasped the set-piece upper hand.

Ramos continued his flawless evening with the boot to kick another penalty which moved his team seven in front.

France did offer some late hope with a number of sloppy mistakes but Townsend’s team were unable to capitalise.  And they were left to sample the bitter taste of defeat for the first time since February when Stuart Hogg’s failure to find the corner with a stoppage-time penalty sealed France’s win.


Check out the video highlights from France's 22-15 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday.

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Saturday, 21 November 2020

Wales end barren run with battling victory over Georgia

An inexperienced Wales team secured their first win in seven matches as they defeated a stubborn Georgia outfit 18-0 in atrocious conditions at the Parc y Scarlets.

Nineteen-year-old wing Louis Rees-Zammit, showing the finishing ability that brought him 10 tries for Gloucester in England’s Premiership last season, and replacement Rhys Webb crossed in either half.

Callum Sheedy kicked two penalties and a conversion as Wales claimed a much-needed victory in difficult wet conditions.

The scrutiny on Wayne Pivac had intensified, with six successive defeats matching Wales’ worst run since 2012.

Having been Six Nations Grand Slam champions and World Cup semi-finalists under Warren Gatland in 2019, the former Scarlets coach had only overseen victories against Italy and the Barbarians during a miserable 12 months in charge.

This was the third meeting between the two countries, with Wales having won the two previous games, 13-6 in Cardiff in 2017 before a more convincing 43-14 success at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

Pivac made a raft of changes, with only flanker Justin Tipuric, who took over the captaincy, and full-back Liam Williams remaining from the side soundly beaten by Ireland in their Autumn Nations Cup opener in Dublin.

Flanker James Botham, the grandson of England cricket great Sir Ian, scrum-half Kieran Hardy and centre Johnny Williams made debuts, the latter two on their home Parc y Scarlets ground.

Williams’ appearance for the land of his Rhyl-born father came 17 months after he had made a Twickenham try-scoring appearance for England in an uncapped match against the Barbarians.

Sheedy was the newest model to emerge from Wales’ famous fly-half factory, with the Bristol outside-half, like Rees-Zammit, handed his first start.

Georgia made five changes from their 40-0 defeat to England in their Autumn Nations Cup opener, with hooker Jaba Bregvadze, lock Kote Mikautadze and flanker Otar Giorgadze back to bolster a pack that has been their biggest weapon over the years.

With eight of the starting 15 plying their trade in France, including six of the forwards, Georgia had cause for optimism against hosts who had nine starters with fewer than 25 caps.

Wales’ set-piece has struggled in recent games, but their scrum and lineout was strong in the opening exchanges and Sheedy profited from that superiority up front to land a 10th-minute penalty.

Despite the wet conditions, Wales were keen to play with ball in hand and Rees-Zammit almost scored following Sheedy’s cross-field kick.

Rees-Zammit did not have to wait long for his first Test try, though, centre Nick Tompkins driving towards the line after 26 minutes and recycling possession.

Sheedy floated a lovely pass to the waiting 19-year-old and then converted from the touchline for a 10-0 interval lead.

Georgia hooker Bregvadze was penalised for a high tackle on Seb Davies, but Sheedy missed the chance to extend Wales’ lead.

However, he made no mistake from in front of the posts after the visitors were caught offside.

Georgia were reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes when flanker Beka Saginadze caught Tipuric with a swinging forearm that led to his departure and Webb taking over the captaincy.

Webb accepted Rees-Zammit’s pass four minutes from time to seal the win, but Wales know a far sterner test awaits them in Llanelli next weekend when Six Nations champions England are their final Group A opponents.


Check out the video highlights from Wales' 18-0 victory over Georgia at the Parc y Scarlets on Saturday.

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Impressive England too good for Ireland

England produced a dominant physical display to secure their second successive victory in the Autumn Nations Cup after overcoming Ireland 18-7 at Twickenham on Saturday.

Jonny May crossed twice to move beyond Jeremy Guscott and into joint second in the all-time red rose try-scoring list alongside Ben Cohen and Will Greenwood with 31 touch downs, leaving only Rory Underwood ahead.

An athletic opener ended his sequence of five Tests without crossing, but it was his next intervention that really captured imaginations as he plundered a stunning solo score that started from inside his own 22.

It was an electric moment and the highlight of a fourth successive victory against Ireland that was possibly the most conclusive of them all as Ireland were brutally outplayed.

Apart from a promising start and strong finish, Andy Farrell’s misfiring team were taken apart to expose a gulf in class between the rivals.

England’s pack bullied their opponents virtually throughout and were at their most effective in a defensive effort led by flanker Sam Underhill and Tom Curry, but to which all the forwards contributed.

May was denied the man of the match award by Maro Itoje, who stood at the heart of a suffocating home display that had echoes of last autumn’s march to the World Cup final.

After monotone wins against Italy in Rome that secured the 2020 Six Nations and Georgia last weekend, it was an afternoon to excite England fans and expose worrying Irish frailties.

Jones had questioned the legality of Ireland’s scrummaging in the build-up to the 137th minute clash between the rivals but the binding of prop Andrew Porter became irrelevant as the visitors crumbled on two occasions.

Time and again England sent kickable penalties into touch or opted to run and in the 17th minute their ambition was rewarded when May outjumped full-back Hugo Keenan to grab Owen Farrell’s crossfield kick and touch down.

A dominant opening continued as turnover ball from Ireland’s misfiring line-out close to the line was turned into an unlikely attacking opportunity when the ball was threaded to May.

Starting from inside the 22, the Gloucester wing slipped between two Irish defenders and upon reaching the halfway line he kicked into space, winning the foot race to gather and score.

May was mobbed by his team’s replacements bench and once the celebrations England rolled up their sleeves for a savage defensive shift.

Cian Healy could make no impression on the wall of white shirts despite several brave carries and even when wing Keith Earls threatened the line, a turnover was forced and Ireland remained scoreless.

English dominance continued into the second-half and when Farrell rifled over two penalties, the lead grew to 18-0.

Ireland could make no impression on a ferocious defence that drove them backwards and in another worrying sign, they were pinned back in their own territory with little prospect of escape.

And when they finally approached the whitewash they were denied by a brilliant steal from Itoje, who was a constant menace in the tight.

Ireland continued to press in the final quarter and when Billy Burns chipped into space, his fellow replacement Jacob Stockdale ran on to the ball to score under the posts, but the outcome had been decided long ago.


Check out the video highlights from England's 18-7 victory over Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday.

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Saturday, 14 November 2020

Jamie George hat-trick leads England to victory

Jamie George became the first England hooker to score a hat-trick of tries as Georgia were pounded into submission in a 40-0 Autumn Nations Cup mismatch at Twickenham.

George was the beneficiary as the home pack struck repeatedly through their line-out drive, reverting to the tactic time and again as their disappointing attack never left first gear.

The highlight of a dour, scrum-heavy clash was Jonathan Joseph's searing break that led to a 38th-minute try for Elliot Daly, but the moment was also touched by misfortune as the Bath three-quarter sustained an injury and had to be helped off.

It ended a successful start to Joseph's life as an outside centre-turned-wing given licence to roam Twickenham and Eddie Jones must wait to see when he can repeat the experiment.

From start to finish, the afternoon was a grim slog for Georgia as the sport's 12th-ranked side fought hard to limit opportunities while barely ever troubling the home 22 themselves.

Aided by the arrival of heavy rain, they turned the third quarter into an arm-wrestle to stem the flow of points and stop the game turning into a training ground run out for England, who were wearing their navy change kit.

Jack Willis became the first England player to score on his debut since Billy Vunipola in 2013 after crossing in the 15th minute and the Wasps flanker was clearly comfortable at this level, although tougher tests than Georgia await.

Jones will trumpet a job done as he looks to add more silverware to the Six Nations title won a fortnight ago, but his team's six-try procession was often ordinary and pedestrian even allowing for the tenacity of opponents who fought to the end.

Georgia have only one victory over a tier one nation in 31 attempts and that record never looked like being improved from the moment they came under sustained early pressure.

Only determined defending kept their try line intact as they repelled a succession of short-range assaults from the set piece.

Joseph was already making an impact but up-front was England's focus as they pounded away and in the process forced a series of penalties.

It was not easy on the eye, but Georgia were being squeezed at the scrum and with their energy spent they cracked in the 15th minute when Willis showed strength to force his way over, with a little help from Wasps team-mate Joe Launchbury.

Georgia celebrated wildly as they won a scrum penalty to partially avenge the earlier battering they had taken near the posts, but generally the one way traffic continued.

Frustratingly, despite the reams of possession England's attack was aimless and the second try once again came from the set-piece as a line-out was driven over the line finished by George.

And it was a carbon copy when number three was engineered in the 34th minute, the pack driving forward on an unstoppable march until George touched down.

England eventually injected pace into an attack, Joseph accelerating through a gap, drew the full-back and delivered the scoring pass to Daly, only to then be helped off.

Rain started lashing Twickenham and the ball started squirting around as result, producing knock-ons that impeded English progress.

Jones sought to inject fresh impetus by sending on replacements such as Mako Vunipola, Kyle Sinckler and Ben Earl, but with the changes came Georgia's most promising spell.

Once that was subdued, however, England responded with a third line-out try for George as they once again reverted to their greatest strength.  Dan Robson dummied and slipped over to complete the rout.


Check out the video highlights from England's 40-0 victory over Georgia at Twickenham on Saturday.

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Scotland fight back to see off Italy in Florence

Scotland were given a fright in Florence before they recovered to claim a 28-17 win over Italy in their Autumn Nations Cup opener on Saturday.

Gregor Townsend's team made it five straight victories for only the second time in the professional era but for an hour that run looked under serious threat.

The hosts have lost 27 straight Six Nations games but it appeared they might be about to start this one-off tournament with a shock victory after Matteo Minozzi's stunning try capped off a brilliant first-half display.

Paolo Garbisi contributed 12 points but things dried up after the break and Scotland ― who scored the afternoon's opening try through Duhan van der Merwe ― were able to see out victory with further scores from Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings and George Turner.

Duncan Weir, a boyhood Rangers fan, was making his first start in four years for the national team at the scene of the Light Blues' famous 2008 UEFA Cup win over Fiorentina as he replaced injured fly-halves Finn Russell and Adam Hastings.

The little number 10 was just as lethal as his footballing hero Nacho Novo as he contributed eight points with his boot ― although he was denied a dream try on his return to Townsend's line-up by a forward pass.

Scotland's long-awaited win in Wales a fortnight ago was built on the brutality and dominance of their front eight but their pack toiled in Tuscany during the opening 40 minutes as Italy's pragmatic approach left the visitors trapped in their own half.

Two early Garbisi penalties were scant reward for just how authoritative the Azzurri were in the opening 20 minutes.

Scotland were forced to concede a free-kick and a penalty from the opening two scrum contests before being put into reverse gear at the third as they were driven back a good 10 yards by the rampaging Italian forwards.

That was perhaps explained by the sight of prop Rory Sutherland limping off injured soon after but it was clear Townsend's team were not going to get the comfortable afternoon they had been expecting.

Scotland did eventually get a foothold in opposition territory as Stuart Hogg twice turned down the posts to pin Italy back in the corner.

The decision paid off after 24 minutes with the opening try.  Italy were forced to drag down the lineout maul and, with penalty advantage in their pocket, Scotland bundled somewhat haphazardly through a series of scrappy collisions before Van der Merwe pulled off the wing to charge through a gap and put them on the board.

Weir's conversion nudged them ahead but only for two minutes as the hosts hit back with a stunner.

Marco Zanon steamrollered over the top of Weir in dismissive fashion before Marcello Violi and Mattia Bellini pin-balled some rapid offloads around Chris Harris and Hogg before Minozzi dived over to complete a classic score.  Garbisi's conversion, however, hit the upright.

Italy's lead was stretched to seven points two minutes after the change of ends as Garbisi slotted another penalty.

A forward pass from Sam Johnson denied Weir his comeback try moments later as the TMO intervened to alert referee Luke Pearce.

But the officials could find nothing wrong with Fagerson's touchdown four minutes later as Italy inexplicably switched off to allow the prop to dawdle over the line.

A couple of brave, flat passes from Weir took Scotland into the Italian 22 but Fagerson could barely believe his luck when the hosts stopped dead as Hamish Watson's offload from the floor deflected off Jake Polledri's hand into his grasp and had to be told by team-mates to flop over before the Azzurri came to their senses.

Weir's conversion brought the scores level but Italy came roaring back.

However, they will certainly be frustrated that they could only take another Garbisi penalty from a raid that looked so promising at one stage.

The Scots had it all to do in the final quarter but a big Watson turnover was the momentum-changer they needed.

Replacement hooker Turner punctured a huge hole in the Italian defence as Cummings timed his charge perfectly to crash over the line for the decisive try.

Turner then secured the bonus-point win with four minutes left as Italy's resistance crumbled in the face of another Scottish line-out drive.


Take a check on the video highlights from Scotland's 28-17 victory over Italy in Florence on Saturday.

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Friday, 13 November 2020

Ireland dominate to see off woeful Wales

England are the 2020 Six Nations champions after both France and Ireland failed to get the required result in Paris to usurp the Red Rose at the top of the table.

Toulouse playmakers Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack outshone Ireland counterparts Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton to assert their status as Europe's top half-back pairing.

Dupont and Ntamack's finishes were adorned by a penalty try and Virimi Vakatawa's score as France crushed Ireland's slender hopes of a fourth Six Nations title in seven years.

The visibly frustrated Ireland captain Sexton was left shaking his head on being replaced by Ross Byrne in the final quarter but his tactical removal merely underscored France's superiority.

Cian Healy toasted his 100th cap with a fine try on a punishing night where he also vomited on the Stade de France pitch and passed a head injury assessment.

Robbie Henshaw powered in a stunning solo score and Jacob Stockdale crossed at the death too, but France refused to allow Ireland anything like the control Andy Farrell's side craved and duly earned a 35-27 triumph.

Ireland spent half the week expecting to require the win and a try bonus-point to claim the title ― in the end it was Fabien Galthie's resurgent Les Bleus who claimed the four tries, and deservedly so.

Ntamack's try broke Ireland's resistance, France's ruthless counter-attack stunning Farrell's men, with Sexton's bomb overhit and punished to the full.

The rampant France fly-half magicked Vakatawa's try too, with a sublime chip and chase.

Farrell's Ireland remain a team in transition, then, with Murray and Sexton unable to hit their previous heights across this admittedly truncated Six Nations.

The fast-approaching Autumn Nations Cup will prove compelling viewing with the Irish at a clear crossroads:  stick with the tried, tested and trusted, or twist and build for the future.

World Cup 2023 hosts France meanwhile need change nothing barring tightening their discipline.

The hosts drew first blood, Vincent Rattez keeping the ball in play on the right before Gael Fickou trapped a loose pass with his foot to launch a scything break.

The luckless Andrew Porter was no match for Fickou's fleet feet out wide, and the France wing fed Dupont to hare home for the try.

Anthony Boutier's yellow card for a deliberate tap into touch handed Ireland an immediate route back into the clash, however.

Ireland punted the penalty to the corner, only to bungle the lineout ― with Sexton knocking on under pressure before copping a knee to the head from Francois Cros.

The visitors put a second penalty into touch for a lineout, and this time Bundee Aki had to rescue a lose throw, claiming smartly at the tail.

Ireland drove Sexton over the line to be held up for a five-metre scrum, and eventually Healy powered over for the try.

Sexton's conversion had the scores level at seven apiece, then the Ireland fly-half's penalty had the visitors 10-7 to the good.

Stockdale then knocked on twice in his own 22 in a matter of minutes ― evading censure for the first, but not the second.

Caelan Doris was sin-binned for tackling Cros without the ball as the flanker was due to collect and score after Stockdale's second knock-on ― and France were duly awarded a penalty try.

Ireland delivered the ideal start to their 10 minutes with 14 men, however, forcing a penalty in the France 22.  Sexton slotted the facile goal to leave France leading 14-13.

Ntamack converted a goal of his own to leave France 17-13 ahead, with a lead they held to the break.

Restored to their full 15 players, Ireland punted a third penalty of the half to the corner ― and were again unable to convert.

France turned the ball over to clear, to take their four-point lead into half-time.

The hosts opened the second-half with a fine try, stunning Ireland with a deadly counter-attack.  Bouthier fielded Sexton's ill-judged high bomb, and launched an eye-catching and successful raid.

Fickou's chip capitalised on Ireland's misaligned backfield, Dupont raced onto a helpful bounce ― and flipped inside for Ntamack to score in style.

Ntamack missed the conversion, but posted two quick penalties for France to lead 28-13.

Just when Ireland were staring down defeat's barrel however, Henshaw conjured a try out of nothing.  The Leinster centre cut blind after scooping a loose ball, beat the cover and then bashed his way home.

Sexton's conversion cut France's lead to 28-20 on the hour ― but there was to be no big comeback.

Instead, Ntamack's cute chip and chase teed up Vakatawa for France ― and not Ireland ― to seal the bonus-point score.

Stockdale bagged a consolation score with the game's final play, with Ross Byrne converting, but not even that could deny France the win ― and England the title.


Check out the highlights from France's 35-27 victory over Ireland in the Six Nations on Saturday.

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