Flying first-half blitz seals Fiji a victory over Pacific Island rivals Samoa

Fiji made it two from two in 2023 after defeating Manu Samoa 33-19 in their second Pacific Nations Cup clash on Saturday in Apia as they continue to build towards Rugby World Cup 2023.

Hooker Tevita Ikanivere dotted down on either side of centre Iosefo Masi’s 14th-minute try, with winger Selestino Ravutaumada adding a fourth as the Fijians romped to a 30-5 lead ― fly-half Caleb Muntz adding two conversions and two penalties.

Christian Leali’ifano’s unconverted try was Samoa’s only points of the first half as they struggled to contain the Fijians.

Samoa were able to cut the deficit in the second half thanks to tries from winger Tumua Manu and captain Fritz Lee, but in the end, Fiji did enough in the opening half to secure the 33-19 victory.

Tevita Ikanivere claims a brace

After a stellar season with the Fijian Drua in Super Rugby Pacific, Ikanivere opened the scoring with a quickly taken penalty just seven minutes into the clash ― this coming after Leali’ifano missed a just chance to put Samoa ahead with a penalty just three minutes prior.

Fiji captain Semi Radradra set up his centre partner Masi, who was on debut, for his try with a brilliant skip pass to further the visitors’ lead.

After Ikanivere grabbed his second in the 17th minute, it was looking grim for the hosts as they were leaking a point a minute, trailing 17-0.

Samoa finally got on the board through Leali’ifano in the 20th minute as he crossed the whitewash, but it was from the kind performance that earned the side a 24-22 victory over Japan last week.

Fiji had the final say of the half as Ravutaumada sped down the touchline to score his side’s fourth try, with Muntz adding the conversion and two more penalties.

The hosts looked to mount a comeback with a bright start to the second half as Manu scored six minutes after the break, and captain Lee dotted down just after the hour mark.

However, the deficit was just too large as Muntz added just three points to Fiji’s tally in the second 40 minutes.

The win keeps Fiji at the top of the Pacific Nations Cup standings on 10 points as they look set to take the title off Samoa as they make the trip to Japan next week for their final match.

Speaking after the game, Fiji captain Radradra said, “The first half, we really did well, but we let them come back in the second.  Hopefully, we can make some improvements for next week.”

Samoa skipper Lee said that his side could take some learnings from the clash:  “There’s a lot of things to work on, but there’s definitely a lot of positives as well,” the number eight said.  “We’ve got to move on towards the World Cup, and we look forward to playing next week (against Tonga).”

Rugby World Cup concern for Japan following ‘disappointing’ form

Quarter-finalists from 2019, Japan, continue to struggle ahead of the upcoming Rugby World Cup, leaving their head coach Jamie Joseph with plenty to correct.

The Brave Blossoms began the Pacific Nations Cup in frustrating fashion after going down 24-22 to Samoa on Saturday.

Michael Leitch’s red card no doubt played a significant part as the Pacific Islanders touched down three times after the back-row departed the field.

It summed up the Asian side’s struggles since the last World Cup, who have lost their last seven encounters.

Improving the discipline

“I am really disappointed obviously with the result.  It is very difficult to win a Test with a man down with 50 minutes to go,” Joseph told Kyodo News.

“We were confident at half-time in our own ability and playing.  The game was always on edge even though we were a man down all the second half.

“We did well and stayed in the game until the very end but we were not quite good enough.  If we had not lost a player, then I think the result would have been a little different.

“We need to be better all-round in skill and discipline.”

Japan battled well against a talented Samoa side but confidence is evidently low as Joseph blamed the errors from their experienced players for the narrow defeat.

“I thought our forwards kept us in the game,” he said.  “They defended very well against a very direct and physical side.  We put them under pressure at line-outs and that stopped their flow and that kept us in the game.

“The young guys did well and made an impact.  The guys dropping the ball were the experienced players.  In Test matches, there is pressure, and we need to be better under pressure.”

Samoan delight

In contrast to the Japanese, Samoa were delighted with both their result and performance as they opened their Pacific Nations Cup campaign in fine style.

“It was exactly what we needed as a team.  We were put under a lot of pressure and are very happy to come away with the win,” said Samoa coach Seilala Mapusua.

“Our new players were put under a lot of pressure, and it is exactly what I was hoping for.  This was their opportunity to put their hand up for a ticket to France, and some played really well and took their opportunity.

“We achieved what we wanted.  First and foremost, to win and then to test ourselves against a top 10 side in the world.”

Fiji hold off Tonga to clinch Pacific Nations Cup victory in Lautoka

Fiji made a superb start to their Pacific Nations Cup campaign when they sealed a hard-fought 36-20 victory over Tonga in Lautoka on Saturday.

In a fast-paced and entertaining encounter, Fiji held the upper-hand for most of this match, but unlike the previous Test between these sides ― which Fiji won 36-0 in Suva last year ― the ‘Ikale Tahi were more competitive.

Solid Test debut or Caleb Muntz

In the end, Fiji proved too strong, however, and they eventually outscored their visitors by five tries to three while debutant fly-half Caleb Muntz had a solid outing as he contributed nine points courtesy of three conversions and a penalty.

Fiji made a fantastic start, and after an extended period of pressure inside Tonga’s half, they were rewarded with a penalty try, and Tonga’s flanker Tanginoa Halaifonua was also yellow carded for his indiscretion, which led to the score.

The hosts continued to dominate and held a 19-0 lead by the 12th minute after their captain, Waisea Nayacalevu, and Sam Matavesi crossed for tries in quick succession.

Tonga needed a response, and they did just that by playing a tighter game, with their forwards more prominent during the rest of the half, and that tactic reaped rewards as Siua Maile and Halaleva Fifita crossed for tries.

Otumaka Mausia succeeded with one conversion and also added a penalty which meant the ‘Ikale Tahi were back in the game as they trailed their hosts by four points.

Despite the visitors’ fightback, Fiji responded when Josua Tuisova crossed for another converted try which meant they held a 26-15 lead at half-time.

The second half was a tighter affair, and Tonga were fastest out of the blocks when replacement back Kyren Taumoefolau crossed for their third try after Charles Piutau had done well in the build-up.

With the score 26-20 to the home side, Tonga were back in the match, and they continued to be competitive for the rest of the second half.

Tight battle

The game’s final quarter was a closely fought battle characterised by great physicality from both sides.  In the 70th minute, Muntz slotted a penalty after Tonga were blown up for straying offside on defence.

That gave Fiji some breathing space, and they secured victory in the game’s closing stages when Peni Matawalu crossed for their fifth five-ponter after a strong driving maul.

All Blacks make statement with dominant victory over the Springboks

New Zealand sent out a message to the rest of the world as they produced an impressive performance to beat South Africa 35-20 in the Rugby Championship.

The All Blacks were utterly sublime in the opening 20 minutes and the Springboks had no answer, with Aaron Smith and Shannon Frizell tries helping the hosts into a 17-0 lead.

Jacques Nienaber’s men did get on the board through Faf de Klerk’s penalty and then gave themselves hope as Malcolm Marx and Cheslin Kolbe touched down in the second period.

However, the accurate kicking of Richie Mo’unga, who slotted three penalties and three conversions, allied by a try from Will Jordan, effectively sealed the victory for the hosts.

The fly-half then rubberstamped the win as he touched down to confirm their second successive victory in this year’s tournament.

With just Australia standing in their way, New Zealand went a long way to retaining their Rugby Championship title, while also making a statement ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

If the All Blacks wanted to lay down a marker ahead of the World Cup, they very much did that in the first quarter.  They were fearsome in every facet, putting their opponents under pressure through their physicality, intensity, speed of ball and execution.

Even the set-piece, a staple of the Springboks’ game, initially went the way of the hosts, who were simply irrepressible in the early stages.

It was easily the best they had played under Ian Foster with the power of the carrying being matched by the accuracy of the kick-chase.

Up front, Frizell had his best game in a black shirt and with Ardie Savea, Scott Barrett and Brodie Retallick joining him in sending the visitors into reverse, Foster’s men were unstoppable.

Behind the scrum, playmakers Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett dictated play magnificently and it was the latter’s long pass to Jordan which set up the first try.

The wing had shown his aerial prowess by pressurising the South African back three under the high ball, but this time he displayed his running ability by scything through the heart of the defence to set up Smith’s score.

It was a storming start but New Zealand were not done yet.  After their fly-half had extended their advantage with a penalty, they went through the phases once again.  The ball was shifted to the left where Frizell was lurking and the back-row swatted away Willie le Roux to touch down.

Everyone, including the All Blacks’ fans, seemed stunned by the sheer ferocity of the home team and South Africa quite frankly needed to get a foothold in the game.

They at least halted the hosts’ surge and got their own big ball carriers more into the game.  That allowed them to set up the position for Kolbe to challenge Beauden Barrett in the air following a cross-field kick.

As Barrett went to ground the full-back lost possession of the ball, allowing Kolbe to potentially to touch down but, in the act of scoring, the wing was deemed to have knocked on, rather than ground, the ball.

📏 Such a close call.

Was it a try, yes or no? 🤔#NZLvRSA #RugbyChampionship pic.twitter.com/jnCuPyw4v8

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) July 15, 2023

The Boks instead had to be content with a De Klerk penalty, which reduced the arrears to 17-3, but that was immediately cancelled out by Mo’unga’s three-pointer as the hosts took a dominant lead into the break.

New Zealand then sought to put the match beyond doubt in the early stages of the second half, but Jordan knocked on after a last-ditch tackle from Kolbe.

It would be the All Blacks’ last opportunity for a while as the visitors began to edge themselves into the contest.  Their set-piece, from scrum to maul, started to function and after a dominant drive, Marx crossed the whitewash to bring his side back into the contest.

The momentum had switched, despite Mo’unga’s penalty, and Le Roux’s excellent pass allowed Kolbe to touch down.  However, the wing then missed the crucial conversion, leaving the visitors outside of converted try range.

It was to prove costly as New Zealand, knowing that they had the eight-point cushion, re-found their composure and put the match to bed.

Firstly, Jordan touched down as he latched on to a kick through before the outstanding Mo’unga well and truly made sure of the win by crossing the whitewash, despite Kwagga Smith’s last minute consolation try.

Argentina late show seals narrow victory over Australia in Sydney

Argentina got their Rugby Championship campaign back on track as they secured a hard-fought 34-31 win over Australia in Sydney on Saturday.

As the scoreline suggests, this was a tightly contested affair and the result was in the balance until the game’s closing stages.

The Wallabies thought they had won the match when Mark Nawaqanitawase scored a runaway try in the 75th minute, but Los Pumas did not surrender and clinched their victory when Juan Martin Gonzalez crossed for the game-winning try in the dying moments.

In the end, both sides scored four tries apiece with Jeronimo de la Fuente, Julian Montoya and Mateo Carreras also crossing the whitewash for Argentina and their other points came via the boot of Emiliano Boffelli, who kicked four conversions and two penalties.

Len Ikitau, Nic White and Samu Kerevi scored the home side’s other tries while Quade Cooper finished with an 11-point contribution courtesy of four conversions and a three-pointer off the kicking tee.

Just like their loss to the Springboks, the Wallabies were fastest out of the blocks and opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute when Ikitau rounded off a flowing move out wide.

This, after Nawaqanitawase caught the visitors by surprise when he took a quick tap penalty before setting off on an attacking run.  He offloaded to Tom Wright, who was stopped in his tracks soon after but the ball was recycled quickly and Cooper found Kerevi out wide with a long pass.  Kerevi then offloaded to Ikitau, who went over in the left hand corner but that would be his last meaningful contribution to the game as he was forced off the field with a shoulder injury after a desperate tackle from Boffelli.

Cooper landed the difficult place-kick from close to the touchline and five minutes later he slotted a penalty which meant the home side were leading 10-0 by the 12th minute.

The visitors needed a response and midway through the half Boffelli opened their account when he landed a three-pointer off the kicking tee.  With points on the board, the visitors’ confidence grew and they were soon camped inside Australia’s half.  In the 26th minute, their forwards took the ball through several phases inside the Wallabies’ 22 before Gonzalo Bertranou got a pass out to De la Fuente, who went over from close quarters.

It was the visitors who held the upper-hand during the rest of the half but despite having the bulk of the possession and territory, they could not add to their points tally.  In the 39th minute, the hosts were reduced to 14 men when Richie Arnold was yellow carded for a cynical defensive foul but despite that the teams changed sides at half-time with the score level at 10-10.

🇦🇺🇦🇷 Late drama as Argentina edge Australia in Sydney! #AUSvARG pic.twitter.com/YLtwiZmPZ6

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) July 15, 2023

Los Pumas eventually made their numerical advantage count when Montoya barged off the back of a ruck deep inside Wallabies territory before diving over for his side’s third five-pointer in the 45th minute.

However, the topsy-turvy nature to this game continued when White broke around the back of a scrum close to Argentina’s try-line before crossing for his converted try and the sides were level again at 17-17.

Despite that score, Argentina did not panic while Australia were guilty of making several unforced errors.  In the 60th minute, Boffelli added another penalty before Carreras slipped through a tackle from Dave Porecki to extend the visitors’ lead to 10 points.

The Wallabies did not surrender, however, and shortly afterwards Kerevi dotted down after Cooper did well in the build-up.  That meant Argentina were leading 27-24 but they lost the initiative ― and the lead ― when Nawaqanitawase intercepted a wayward Pumas pass close to the Wallabies’ try-line and set off on a 80-metre sprint before diving over for his five-pointer.

With the Wallabies holding the lead again, they needed to hold onto the ball but Kerevi conceded a penalty and the visitors put the ball into touch deep inside their opponents’ territory.

From the resulting lineout they launched a drive before hammering away at Australia’s try-line.  Several players went close before Gonzalez crossed for the match-winning try from close quarters in the 80th minute.

Tonga send warning with promising victory over Australia ‘A’

A high-powered Tonga side claimed a historic 27-21 win over Australia ‘A’ at the Teufaiva Stadium in Nuku’alofa on Friday.

The home side started well and held off a second-half surge from Australia ‘A’ to delight their fans.  It only took three minutes for Tonga to score through Salesi Piutau with William Havili missing the conversion.

Taniela Tupou who made his injury return in this clash showcased his strength early on with a scrum penalty.  However, his side would not benefit as Tonga snapped up a loose ball resulting in Fine Inisi going over for a second try in the first 10 minutes.  Havili made no mistake from the tee on this occasion.

The Australians were their own worst enemy and struggled to get into the game because of several handling errors.  The hosts remained at their brutal best and after a string of scrum penalties crossed through Tanginoa Halaifonua on the 24-minute mark.

Piutau was once again at the heart of some stunning play as he put Inisi in for his second try of the clash, giving the hosts a commanding 24-0 lead at half-time.

Game of two halves

Australia ‘A’ needed some magic of their own and it came through James O’Connor who orchestrated some space for speedster Corey Tool five minutes after the break.  Fly-half Bernard Foley was on hand to convert from the touchline.

The try gave the visitors confidence and they grew further into the game with Lachlan Anderson scoring a try of his own just before the hour mark with skipper Foley on hand to nail the kick.

The comeback would come even closer as Josh Flook benefited from a Lukhan Salakai-Loto breakaway to take his team to within three points of Tonga.

However, the hosts hung on after a late penalty from Manu Paea to claim a 27-21 victory.

Foley thanks the Tongan people for their hospitality and the team for their physical battle.

“It’s been great to be here, the hospitality from the Tongan people and Tongan public has been exceptional ― we felt very welcomed coming here,” he said.

“We knew it was going to be a physical match, they really gave it to us at the start and put us under pressure.

“We came up against a really quality side in Tonga with plenty of strike weapons in their backline.  We weren’t able to stop them early on and we paid for that.

“But again, it was a great opportunity for everyone to play here and we’re hungry and motivated to keep going ahead of the Rugby World Cup.”

Seven-try All Blacks begin Rugby Championship in style against Argentina

New Zealand opened their Rugby Championship account with a ruthless 41-12 bonus-point win over Argentina at Estadio Malvinas Argentinas on Saturday.

Tries from Dane Coles, Ardie Savea, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Aaron Smith, Beauden Barrett and Emoni Narawa saw the visitors cruise to a maximum.

It was a clinical performance from New Zealand which sets up a possible Rugby Championship title decider with an impressive South Africa next weekend.

In stark contrast, for Argentina this was a significant step backwards as tries from Lucio Sordoni and Agustin Creevy were the only bright spots on an otherwise dismal showing.

It was the perfect opening period for the All Blacks but it almost got off to the worst possible start when Damian McKenzie was charged down near his own try-line.  Fortunately for the fly-half he managed to recover and ground the ball before two looming Pumas as Argentina came close to going in front inside a minute.

That was as good as things got for Argentina though as thus followed an All Blacks stampede that saw them cross five times in the first half.

New Zealand’s first try came on five minutes when a break from Ioane saw him race over halfway before recycled ball led to Scott Barrett putting Coles over.

McKenzie was off-target with the conversion and also missed his second attempt on nine minutes, this after the All Blacks kicked to the corner before phases from the pack saw Barrett go close before Savea caught the Pumas napping to dot down.  McKenzie’s wayward boot was the only blight on an otherwise fine start.

The All Blacks’ third score arrived on 12 minutes and it was a family affair as Jordie and Beauden Barrett combined from deep before the former strolled over.  McKenzie’s successful conversion made it 17-0 before the Pumas finally enjoyed decent possession and field position.  However, they could not get on the board.

New Zealand made them pay on 29 minutes as Ioane bust through two would-be tacklers to cross from 10 metres out, the conversion pushing the visitors 24-0 up.

🇳🇿 Rieko Ioane is having some game. #RugbyChampionship #ARGvNZLpic.twitter.com/qIqj2Ktug2

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) July 8, 2023

There was to be one further try before the break, too, with Smith darting over for a try that was compounded for Argentina by Rodrigo Bruni being sin-binned.

Argentina would manage to prevent any further damage being done to the scoreboard before Bruni returned to the fray and in fact crossed shortly after, with Sordoni going over from the back of a ruck for a much-needed try.  Emiliano Boffelli was wayward with the conversion with the lead cut to 26 points in favour of New Zealand.

The home fans’ joy was shortlived, however, as the outstanding McKenzie showed his class with ball in hand to set up Beauden Barrett for a try that made it a 31-point buffer.

While the second period was not as fruitful as the first, New Zealand would continue to build on their lead as a well-worked try was finished by debutant Narawa on the right wing.

But Argentina would wrap up the scoring late on when the talismanic Creevy crashed over for a converted try that at least gave the Pumas something to build on ahead of facing the Wallabies next Saturday.

Kurt-Lee Arendse hat-trick powers Springboks past Wallabies in Pretoria

Kurt-Lee Arendse scored a hat-trick of tries as the Springboks cruised to an easy 43-12 bonus-point victory over the Wallabies in their Rugby Championship opener at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.

The home side were full value for this win as they held the upper-hand for long periods and eventually outscored their opponents by six tries to two.

Apart from Arendse’s hat-trick, the Boks were awarded two penalty tries and Pieter-Steph du Toit also crossed the whitewash, while their other points came via the boot of Manie Libbok, who slotted three conversions and a penalty.

For the Wallabies, Marika Koroibete and Carter Gordon scored tries and Gordon also added a conversion.

As expected, the forward battle proved crucial and the Boks’ pack deserve plenty of credit for laying an excellent platform for their backs ― particularly Arendse ― who totally outplayed their opponents.

The opening exchanges were cagey, highlighted by plenty of kicking for territory from both sides.  The Boks had a chance to open the scoring as early as the third minute when the Wallabies infringed at a breakdown about five metres inside the Boks’ half but Libbok’s long range shot at goal fell just short of the crossbar.

The Wallabies drew first blood, however, when, after winning a turnover at a lineout close to the halfway line, they launched a counter-attack in the eighth minute which caught the home side by surprise.

The ball was shifted wide to Koroibete ― with Quade Cooper, Len Ikitau and Tom Wright all handling in the build-up ― and he showed the cover defence a clean pair of heels before crossing in the left-hand corner.

Reece Hodge’s conversion attempt was off target and five minutes later Libbok made up for his earlier miss when he slotted a three-pointer off the kicking tee, after Australia strayed offside on defence.

Shortly afterwards, the Boks launched an attack from just inside their half with Andre Esterhuizen, Marco van Staden and Canan Moodie prominent carriers.  They soon found themselves deep inside Wallabies territory with Steven Kitshoff and Bongi Mbonambi taking the ball into contact before Esterhuizen offloaded to Arendse, who cantered in for his first try.

On the half hour-mark, the Boks launched a drive just outside the Wallabies’ 10-metre line before Van Staden broke away from the maul before offloading to Mbonambi on his outside.  The Bok hooker did well to draw in the last defender before getting a well-timed pass out to Arendse, who crossed for his second try.

Libbok added the extras which meant the home side had their tails up with the score 17-5 in their favour at half-time.

Six-try #Springboks start 2023 with a bang 🇿🇦#StrongerTogether #RSAvAUS #TRC2023 pic.twitter.com/U69YTADCyT

― Springboks (@Springboks) July 8, 2023

The Boks’ dominance continued after the interval as they made a fiery start to the second half and they spent long periods camped inside Wallabies territory.

In the 51st minute, they were rewarded when they were awarded their first penalty try, after Dave Porecki deliberately collapsed a Bok lineout drive close to his try-line and referee Ben O’Keeffe also sent him to the sin bin for that indiscretion.

With a man down, the Boks were rampant on attack and in the 55th minute, after strong carries from Esterhuizen and Du Toit, Lukhanyo Am offloaded to Arendse, who evaded the attentions of three Wallabies before diving over for his third try.

Despite that score, South Africa did not sck off and continued to launch numerous attacks while the Wallabies continued to concede several soft penalties.  A Libbok try was ruled out on the hour-mark, after Du Toit knocked on in the build-up, but in the 68th minute the Boks were awarded another penalty try after Suliasi Vunivalu was penalised for a deliberate knock down close to his try-line ― an offence which also saw him being yellow carded.

And in the 75th minute, the hosts took the ball through several phases inside the Wallabies’ 22 before Du Toit rounded off in style.  That sealed a comprehensive victory although Wallabies replacement back Gordon crossed for a late consolation try which added some respectability to the final score.

Five-try All Blacks XV cruise to comfortable victory over Japan XV in Tokyo

The All Blacks XV got their two-match series against the Japan XV off to a fantastic start when they sealed a 38-6 win over their hosts at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo on Saturday.

As the scoreline suggests, this was a comfortable victory for the visitors who dominated for long periods, especially in the second half as they scored 27 unanswered points during that period after holding an 11-6 lead at half-time.

Fly-half Stephen Perofeta led the way for the All Blacks XV as he scored 16 points courtesy of a try, a conversion and three penalties.  Their other points came via tries from Jack Goodhue, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Alex Nankivell and Folau Fakatava, while Brett Cameron also added a conversion.

For the Japan XV, Rikiya Matsuda succeeded with a couple of penalties.

The home side were fastest out of the blocks when Matsuda opened the scoring in the fifth minute before Perofeta crossed for the All Blacks XV’s first try 10 minutes later, after Christian Lio-Willie laid the groundwork with a powerful run in the build-up off the back of a scrum.

Perofeta was off target with the conversion attempt but then traded penalties with Matsuda which meant the visitors held a slender 8-6 lead midway through the half.

The rest of the half saw All Blacks XV upping the ante on attack but another Perofeta three-pointer off the kicking tee was their only reward before the teams changed sides at the interval.

Full time here in Tokyo!

Arigato gozaimasu 🖤 pic.twitter.com/mPOb16yV1B

― AllBlacksXV (@AllBlacksXV) July 8, 2023

The second half saw Perofeta adding another penalty before Goodhue crossed for a converted try in the 54th minute which gave his side a 21-6 lead.

The next 10 minutes saw the visitors continuing with their dominance and during that period Nanai-Seturo and Nankivell also dotted down, although Cameron failed with both conversion attempts.

Despite having the match in the bag, the All Blacks XV did not take their foot off the pedal and just before full-time Fakatava also crossed the whitewash, with Cameron adding the extras to seal an emphatic win for the New Zealand outfit.

Ireland secure Grand Slam after victory over 14-man England

Ireland claimed their fourth ever Grand Slam after overcoming a 14-man England 29-16 in their Six Nations clash at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

Freddie Steward was the English player to be given his marching orders seconds before half-time due to connecting with the head of Hugo Keenan.

That sending off came with the scores 10-6 in favour of Ireland and from that moment on the hosts did not look back, as Robbie Henshaw and Dan Sheehan’s second try were then added to late on by replacement hooker Rob Herring to seal the clean sweep.

England‘s only try came from Jamie George while Owen Farrell kicked 11 points, with Steve Borthwick’s charges finishing the Six Nations in fourth.

Yet a bruising Test match belonged to the hosts, with Ireland skipper Johnny Sexton moving clear of Ronan O’Gara as the competition’s all-time record points scorer with a penalty and three conversions to take his overall tally to 566 on his Six Nations swansong before retirement later this year.

Defending champions France had snatched top spot in the standings earlier in the day courtesy of a 41-28 bonus-point victory over Wales to pile the pressure on Ireland.

England, meanwhile, crossed the Irish Sea wounded by last weekend’s record-breaking humiliation at the hands of the French, which emphatically extinguished their title hopes.  They delivered on their vow to come out fighting.

In-form Ireland were never going to have everything their own way and the scrappy opening exchanges were punctuated with errors and turnovers as both sides sought a foothold amid a series of kicking exchanges.

A pair of early Farrell penalties heightened a palpable nervous tension in the air, before Sexton halved England’s lead with his milestone kick just before the midway point.

Ireland orchestrated some decent pressure in enemy territory but initially struggled to slip into their free-flowing rhythm or gain control against dogged opposition showing no signs of rolling over.

The hosts eventually put a meaningful dent on the scoreboard seven minutes before the break when a well-executed line-out move allowed Josh van der Flier to send Sheehan rampaging for the line to spark the crowd.

England lost Charlie Ewels to a red card inside 82 seconds of last year’s 32-15 Twickenham defeat to the Irish.  And they were left facing a similarly uphill task 12 months on as they went into the break 10-6 and a man down after referee Jaco Peyper dismissed Steward for a robust challenge which forced off rival full-back Keenan.

Galvanised by the red card, the hosts reduced the deficit to a single point through another Farrell kick in the second period, with their penalty wins now being celebrated more fervently and the high stakes sparking a couple of flashpoints.

✅ 1948
✅ 2009
✅ 2018
✅ 2023

☘️ It's a fourth Grand Slam success for Ireland. #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/sYSNQkhn7z

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) March 18, 2023

Ireland desperately needed to stretch the scoreboard to capitalise on their numerical advantage and kill off any chance of being forced to face an anxious closing period.

Henshaw alleviated the mounting tension by crossing in the 62nd minute on his first start of this year’s competition, before Sheehan claimed his second score shortly after.

George bulldozed over seven minutes from time as England continued to plug away for pride.

But Borthwick’s men finished the match with just 13 men as flanker Jack Willis was sin-binned late on, before replacement Ireland hooker Herring stretched for the line to complete the scoring.  A deafening roar greeted the full-time whistle.

France end campaign in style with bonus-point win over Wales

Damian Penaud scored two tries as France finished their Six Nations campaign with a 41-28 bonus-point win over Wales in Paris on Saturday.

Penaud crossed in each half as his scores were added to by Jonathan Danty, Uini Atonio and Gael Fickou, with Thomas Ramos sending over 16 points.

George North, Bradley Roberts, Tomos Williams and Rio Dyer scored for Wales in defeat as they end the Six Nations in fifth position, ahead of Italy.

For France they did all they could ahead of Ireland’s showdown with England in Dublin but the English couldn’t do them a favour in the late game.

Ultimately for Wales, it was a Six Nations campaign that produced four defeats, while it will probably be remembered above anything else for the threat of a players’ strike ― albeit averted ― over off-field issues ahead of a home game against England.

Wales have just three games left before their World Cup opener against Fiji in Bordeaux and Warren Gatland has a huge amount of work ahead.

Gatland made six changes to his starting line-up, including vastly-experienced trio Biggar, North and lock Alun Wyn Jones, while number eight Taulupe Faletau won his 100th cap.

France welcomed back Atonio after suspension, with Romain Taofifenua taking over from lock Paul Willemse, who was sidelined due to a hamstring injury.

Wales made a confident start, driving a third-minute lineout from close range, but France managed to hold the ball up and escaped conceding a score.

But Wales were ahead just five minutes later, maintaining relentless pressure and patiently building phase-play before scrum-half Rhys Webb’s defence-splitting pass sent North over for a try that Biggar converted.

France quickly drew level, though, when fly-half Romain Ntamack split open Wales’ defence and skipper Antoine Dupont threw out a long ball to Penaud, who scored, with Ramos’ conversion making it 7-7.

Wales were not daunted by the opposition and they continued to dominate territory and possession, even if France’s scrum began exerting some pressure.

Alun Wyn Jones then went off for a head injury assessment, being replaced by Exeter’s Dafydd Jenkins, and Ramos kicked a 35-metre penalty to nudge France ahead.

Wales encountered increasing difficulty in the scrums and a second Ramos penalty in four minutes pushed France out to a 13-7 advantage.

France now had the bit between their teeth and a second try arrived six minutes before half-time following more sharp work by Dupont.

Although Wales averted initial danger, France’s patience and accuracy meant they still had the visitors in trouble and Danty touched down in the corner, with Ramos converting.

Wales’ early promise and spark had disappeared as France moved through the gears, leaving Gatland’s men with a mountain to climb, trailing by 13 points at the interval.

Wales were immediately on the back foot after half-time and it took France just four minutes to pull further away.

🇫🇷🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 France do all they can in Paris… #GuinnessSixNations #FRAvWAL pic.twitter.com/qZU8ORhF7r

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) March 18, 2023

Dupont was typically at the heart of sustained attacks and Wales ran out of defensive numbers as Atonio scored from close range.  Ramos’ conversion opened a 20-point gap between the sides.

It was suddenly damage limitation for the visitors, with France securing a bonus-point through Fickou’s 49th-minute try and another Ramos conversion made it 34-7.

Wales gained some consolation through Roberts’ 56th-minute try ― his first Test touchdown ― and Biggar’s conversion brought the deficit back to 20 points.

Prop Dillon Lewis won his 50th cap when he replaced Tomas Francis, then Williams added a third try for Wales, again converted by Biggar, but the damage had long been done.

Blair Kinghorn hat-trick helps Scotland edge past battling Italy

A hat-trick from Blair Kinghorn helped secure Scotland a 26-14 bonus-point victory over Italy in their Six Nations clash at Murrayfield.

The scoreline might suggest a fairly comfortable win for the Scots but it was far from it as Italy pushed their hosts until the final whistle on Saturday.

With the clock almost in the red and Scotland leading 19-14, Italy were banging on the home team’s try-line before a breakaway added gloss to the win.

Kinghorn‘s hat-trick score was part of four tries from Gregor Townsend’s men on the day, with Duhan van der Merwe claiming the opening crossing.

Tommaso Allan went over for Italy’s only try of the game as they finish the Six Nations in last spot, but will take plenty of positives from the campaign.

Italy had a chance to get the scoreboard ticking when they awarded a penalty on the 10-metre line in the fourth minute but Allan ― who was born in Scotland ― saw his kick drift just left of the posts.

Four minutes later, however, Allan got the Azzurri off the mark when he kicked a penalty from the 22.

The Scots sparked into life in the 13th minute when Van der Merwe received an offload from Huw Jones wide on the left and did superbly to ride the challenge of Paolo Garbisi and plant the ball down just inside the touchline.  Kinghorn was wide with his conversion attempt.

The Italians managed to get their noses back in front three minutes later when Allan scored another penalty.

The visitors were forced into a change in the 23rd minute when Edoardo Iachizzi went off injured and was replaced by Niccolo Cannone.

Six minutes later, they suffered a further blow when prop Danilo Fischetti was shown a yellow card for repeated scrum infringements by the Italian front-row.  Winger Simone Gesi was temporarily sacrificed as Pietro Ceccarelli was introduced from the bench to reinforce the front-row.

Scotland made the extra man count within a matter of seconds as Ben White took the ball from the base of the scrum, carried forward and played in Kinghorn, who spotted a gap and dived over.  The number 10 duly converted his own try.

The hosts continued on the front foot early in the second half and Kinghorn got himself a second try just four minutes after the restart following another assist by White.  The try-scorer again added the extras.

Just as Scotland looked in full control, however, Italy got themselves back in the match when Allan bounded over for a well-executed try on the left.  The try-scorer missed then missed the chance to bring the Azzurri within a converted try of victory when he fluffed his conversion attempt.

😲 Some way to seal the win. Brilliant try! 👏#GuinnessSixNations #SCOvITApic.twitter.com/qNfKFowQa0

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) March 18, 2023

But four minutes later, team-mate Garbisi took over kicking duties and sent a penalty soaring between the posts from just outside the 10-metre line to reduce the deficit to just five points.

Italy piled on the pressure in the closing stages and looked like they might be about to force a victory before Scotland broke away in the last action of the match, with Kinghorn racing gleefully behind the posts after being handed a clear run by Van der Merwe.  The number 10 capped a memorable afternoon for himself with a close-range conversion.

Ireland one win from Grand Slam after victory over Scotland

Ireland overcame an excellent Scotland performance and a succession of injuries to move to within one victory of winning the Six Nations Grand Slam after emerging 22-7 triumphant at Murrayfield.

Andy Farrell’s men were dealt a difficult hand on Sunday, losing Dan Sheehan, Iain Henderson and Caelan Doris to injury in the opening 25 minutes before seeing replacement hooker Ronan Kelleher go off early in the second period.

It meant they had Cian Healy hooking in the scrum and Josh van der Flier throwing at the lineout, but they overcame those issues to defeat an excellent Scottish side.

The hosts gave as good as they got, going into the break just 8-7 in arrears following Huw Jones’ try, but the Irishmen’s quality and adaptability showed after the break.

Their set-piece, despite the setbacks in the opening 50 minutes, went well and they touched down three times via Mack Hansen, James Lowe and Jack Conan to secure the win.

The Irish will secure the Grand Slam if they defeat England in Dublin on Saturday, while the Scots ― after opening with back-to-back wins ― go into their final match at home to Italy with little to play for other than pride.

Prior to kick-off Stuart Hogg was accompanied onto the pitch by his children ahead of his 100th cap.  The Scotland full-back was visibly emotional during the national anthems, and his son then returned to the field to present the match ball.

Hogg had to quickly get his game face on, however, as Ireland set about making their presence felt in the early stages, threatening the try-line.  The Scots were forced into a change after just six minutes when lock Richie Gray went off injured and was replaced by Scott Cummings.

Ireland almost made the breakthrough in the 11th minute when Hansen was picked out wide on the right but Duhan van der Merwe did just enough to pull him into touch.  The Irish had already earned a penalty advantage and Sexton duly kicked between the sticks from close range to get his side off the mark.

Injury woes

This phase of play came at a cost, however, as Doris went off injured and was replaced by Conan.

After doing well to ride out the early period of pressure by conceding just three points, Scotland forced their way into the game.  They got themselves in front in the 17th minute when Jones bounded over after being set up by his fellow Glasgow centre Sione Tuipulotu following a sustained period of pressure in front of the Irish line.

There was a further blow for the men in green as Sheehan went off immediately after the try to be replaced by Kelleher, and remarkably Henderson became the third Irish player forced off by injury when he went off to be replaced by Ryan Baird in the 24th minute.

☘️ Still having an effective set-piece with your prop hooking in the scrum and your flanker throwing at the lineout feels very Ireland.

Adaptable. Skilful. Composed under pressure. 👏 pic.twitter.com/23wgjUNKX1

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) March 12, 2023

Having looked temporarily rattled by the Scots, Ireland regained their composure and hit back in the 28th minute when Hansen managed to plant the ball down just inside the line despite the best efforts of Van der Merwe to force him out after a looping pass out to the right from Hugo Keenan.

Johnny Sexton was wide with his conversion attempt, and the visitors went in at the end of a ferociously-contested first half with a one-point lead.

Second half

Ireland got themselves some breathing space for the first time in the match when Lowe evaded the attention of Kyle Steyn to touch down in the 57th minute after his teammates had done well to work the ball from right to left.  Sexton made no mistake with the conversion.

And five minutes later, the Irish went further ahead when substitute Conan bolted over on the right after an offload from Hansen.  Sexton was again successful in adding the extras to take his Six Nations all-time total to 557 ― level with Ronan O’Gara.

Ireland’s injury woes continued when Garry Ringrose went off on the buggy in the closing stages, leaving head coach Andy Farrell with a string of fitness concerns ahead of his rampant side’s shot at glory next weekend.

France embarrass England at Twickenham in record victory

France put in a masterclass of a performance as they hammered England 53-10 in a record-breaking showing in their Six Nations clash on Saturday.

It was a wonderful display from the visitors to Twickenham as they scored an unbelievable seven tries to England’s one, silencing the home supporters.

Thomas Ramos’ opening score was added to by a brace apiece from Thibaud Flament, Charles Ollivon and Damian Penaud as they put on a rugby clinic.

Freddie Steward claimed England‘s only crossing of the evening as this was a chastening defeat that will no doubt sting Steve Borthwick and his players.

The gulf between the rivals was embarrassing as the World Cup hosts registered their first Six Nations victory at Twickenham since 2005 in a glorious return to form having laboured through much of the tournament.

And it only gets harder for Borthwick’s men as, having faced the team positioned second in the global rankings, they must travel to Dublin next Saturday to take on Grand Slam-chasing Ireland, who occupy the summit.

Marcus Smith did everything he could having ousted Owen Farrell at fly-half, but with his forwards dismantled at every turn he was powerless to halt the collapse.

For all the talk of England playing with pace, it was France who raced out of the blocks and when lock Paul Willemse offloaded out of the tackle they were away, with Ethan Dumortier sending Ramos over in the left corner.

Ramos added a penalty to reward another Les Bleus attack and with only 10 minutes on the clock it was already looking bleak for the hosts.

England were hamstrung by their discipline at the breakdown and apart from a forceful run by Steward they were struggling to make any impression as rain began to fall.

Inroads were made through the maul but with Jack van Poortvliet fumbling again, the progress was lost and the familiar sight of France rampaging downfield resumed.

Antoine Dupont grew in influence as he weaved his magic around the ruck but it was the power of forwards François Cros and Flament that did the damage for the next try.

Flament crossed in the 26th minute but it was too easy for the lock as passive England were overpowered in contact.

And their scrum defence was horribly exposed in first-half injury-time when Gregory Alldritt charged forward and seeing blue shirts lined up in support, sent Ollivon crashing over.

France absolutely and totally dominant.  Flament was exceptional, Ramos phenomenonal, Fickou and Danty perfect, Dupont was Dupont.  Everyone had at least an 8.5/10 game.

What a World Cup we have in store.

— Sam Larner (@SamLStandsUp) March 11, 2023

England needed to act quickly and hope appeared to have arrived when Smith delivered a terrific kick on the run for Max Malins but the wing knocked-on over the line.

It was now France’s defence that was disintegrating and after waves of attacks they were breached with Steward riding a tackle to slide over.

England quickly renewed their attack but the fightback faltered when a cruel bounce deceived their backfield defence, allowing Romain Ntamack to flick the ball to Flament who scored.

And there was more misfortune when Smith was driven over his line by Dupont as he covered for a kick and Ollivon touched down when he let go of the ball before two late tries by wing Penaud drove the final nail into England’s coffin.

Wales claim bonus-point win over wasteful Italy in Rome

Wales picked up their first victory of the 2023 Six Nations campaign after they beat Italy 29-17 in Rome, exacting revenge for last year’s defeat.

Tries from Rio Dyer, Liam Williams and Taulupe Faletau were added to by a penalty try as Warren Gatland’s men secured a priceless bonus point win.

Sebastian Negri and Ignacio Brex crossed in defeat for Italy, who will lament a series of costly errors as it was a wasteful performance from the hosts.

Wales head to Paris next for a Six Nations appointment with France and, while that assignment is a daunting one, they can at least travel with a degree of confidence after claiming a first win since Gatland returned for his second stint as head coach.

Gatland made six changes to the side beaten by England last time out, with scrum-half Rhys Webb handed a first Test start since October 2020, while there were also call-ups for Liam Williams, Dyer, Wyn Jones, Dafydd Jenkins and Jac Morgan.

Italy were without injured playmaker Ange Capuozzo, so Harlequins fly-half Tommaso Allan featured at full-back in a solitary switch following the Azzurri’s battling display against Ireland two weeks ago.

Wales started brightly in glorious conditions, creating quick possession and looking to attack in wide channels before fly-half Owen Williams kicked them ahead through a sixth-minute penalty.

Italy looked lethargic and nervous in comparison and Wales extended their lead with a ninth-minute try.

Webb kicked over the top of Italy’s defence and Dyer made the most of a kind bounce to gather before sprinting over.  Williams’ conversion opened up a 10-0 lead and the visitors were off to a flying start.

Italy needed a response and it arrived through an Allan penalty after 16 minutes, yet Wales were immediately back on the front foot.

Their attacking game had a real urgency about it, but a second try inside the opening quarter owed everything to Liam Williams’ individual brilliance.

Receiving the ball a metre from the touchline, Williams beat five Italy defenders as he cut back inside on a stunning run at pace and Wales retained control of the contest, 15-3 in front.

Italy tested Wales via a long-range counter-attack, but they were denied a try by Owen Williams’ superb tackle on Brex.

Williams then kicked Wales deep into the Italian 22 and a powerful lineout drive resulted in Italy illegally collapsing a maul.

Referee Damon Murphy awarded Wales a penalty try and yellow-carded Italy number eight Lorenzo Cannone, with the visitors taking a 22-3 lead into half-time.

Italy served notice of their quality by scoring a try just three minutes after the restart when Allan’s clever kick into space was collected by Negri, who finished strongly.

Allan’s conversion cut the deficit to 12 points, but Italy then saw a second player yellow-carded after wing Pierre Bruno led with his arm into Wales prop Jones’ throat.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Rhys Webb has been excellent today. #GuinnessSixNations #ITAvWAL pic.twitter.com/zi3pGEdRPP

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) March 11, 2023

And Wales punished their hosts when Webb broke clear and delivered a scoring pass to Faletau, with Williams’ conversion opening up a 29-10 lead and securing a bonus point.

Liam Williams was forced off injured 19 minutes from time, being replaced by George North, with North’s fellow replacement Louis Rees-Zammit moving to full-back.

Italy, despite their deficit, had not given up the ghost and they claimed a second try after 67 minutes.

Bruno ran strongly at the heart of Wales’ defence and support runner Brex finished off the move, with Allan’s conversion making it 29-17, but that was as close as Italy could get.

France end Scotland’s Grand Slam dreams as two sent off in Paris thriller

Scotland’s hopes of a first Six Nations Grand Slam were ended in Paris as France secured a 32-21 triumph in a match where two players were red-carded.

Gregor Townsend’s men had a disastrous start, conceding a try to Romain Ntamack and seeing Grant Gilchrist sent off for a shoulder to the head of Anthony Jelonch.

Les Bleus then extended their advantage when Ethan Dumortier crossed the whitewash, but the visitors were given hope as Mohamed Haouas was given his marching orders for effectively headbutting Ben White.

Although the French went over for a third time thanks to Thomas Ramos’ score, the visitors began to edge their way back into the contest, and Huw Jones touched down before the break.

Ramos added a three-pointer before Jones crossed the whitewash for the second time to increase the nerves for the French.

And when Finn Russell scored with 13 minutes remaining, Scotland had all the momentum, but the hosts controlled the final stages impressively and sealed the bonus-point win when Gael Fickou crossed the whitewash.

France made the breakthrough in the fifth minute when Ntamack bolted over on the left after being set up by Antoine Dupont, who had collected the ball from the back of a ruck.  Ramos duly kicked the conversion.

Things got worse for the Scots just two minutes later when ― following a TMO review ― Gilchrist was shown a red card for appearing to plant his shoulder in the face of Jelonch.  The Frenchman was forced off to be replaced by Francois Cros.

The hosts made the extra man count within seconds when Dumortier was presented with an easy touchdown on the left after good work by Ntamack and Dupont to create the opening.  Ramos hit the post with his conversion attempt.

With Scotland in danger of being blown away, flanker Hamish Watson was sacrificed in the 10th minute to make way for replacement lock Jonny Gray to come on and fill the void left by Gilchrist.

The eventful start to the match continued in the 12th minute when Frenchman Haouas ― who was red-carded against the Scots in 2020 ― was sent off for flying round the side of a ruck and banging heads with Ben White.

The evening up of the numbers did not halt the hosts, however, and they got their third try of the match in the 19th minute when Ramos seized on a loose pass from Russell inside the Scotland half, and the full-back darted clear down the left before touching down behind the posts.  The try-scorer then added the conversion himself from close range.

Scotland eventually started to settle into the match, and they got their first points on the board in the 26th minute when Jones bounded over after being set up by Russell.

It was always going to be this man…@finn_russell touches down to get @Scotlandteam right back in this. #FRAvSCO pic.twitter.com/VpqeYNvo8a

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 26, 2023

The French went in at the break with a 15-point advantage after Ramos kicked a penalty in the 36th minute.

Scotland made further inroads into their deficit three minutes into the second half when Jones forced his way over for his second try of the match after being set up by Sione Tuipulotu.  Russell was again on the mark with the conversion.

Another Ramos penalty in the 56th minute edged France 11 points ahead, but the Scots remained in the ascendancy and they got themselves a third try in the 68th minute when Russell reached over after being played in by replacement Ali Price.

The Scots were within four points of what would have been a famous fightback but the French regained their composure in the closing stages, with Fickou scoring a 79th-minute try, converted by Ramos, to put the outcome beyond doubt.

Wooden Spoon beckons for Wales as England win in Cardiff

England backed up their Round Two victory over Italy with a hard-fought 20-10 win against Wales in a poor Six Nations clash on Saturday.

Tries from Anthony Watson, Kyle Sinckler and Ollie Lawrence helped the Red Rose to the four points, with Owen Farrell having a poor day off the tee.

Louis Rees-Zammit crossed for his side’s only try via an interception as Wales struggled to fire a shot at England, going down to a third loss in a row.

The game’s build-up was engulfed by the threat of Wales players going on strike, which was only averted 72 hours before kick-off, ended with a third successive tournament loss.

It was the first time for 16 years that Wales had been toppled in their first three Six Nations fixtures, and a possible wooden spoon decider against Italy in Rome on March 11 now beckons.

Wales’ regional rugby financial issues remain far from being resolved, yet a clash that almost did not happen could prove an important stepping stone in England’s development under head coach Steve Borthwick as they recorded their biggest away victory over Wales since 2003.

England came under immediate pressure when skipper Farrell had an attempted defensive clearance charged down by Wales number eight Taulupe Faletau, but the visitors cleared before their opponents could arrive in sufficient numbers.

Wayward kicking was a theme of the opening 10 minutes from both sides, yet England showed signs of settling as Farrell kicked a 48-metre penalty to nudge his team ahead.

Wales showed plenty of intent, with Test debutant Mason Grady prominent, but they were undone by a slick England move after 19 minutes.

Wing Max Malins broke Wales’ initial defensive cover, before quickly recycled possession was worked wide and Watson finished impressively after collecting number eight Alex Dombrandt’s pass.

Farrell’s touchline conversion attempt hit the post, then Wales opened their account when Leigh Halfpenny landed an angled penalty and England led 8-3 early in the second quarter.

Wales persisted with aerial tactics, yet such an approach was meat and drink for England as Malins and full-back Freddie Steward dealt comfortably with the bombardment.

Farrell drifted a long-range penalty wide eight minutes before half-time, but England continued to dominate territory as Wales huffed and puffed, although creating nothing in terms of a clear-cut attacking chance.

Wales finally stirred when Rees-Zammit made a threatening half-break that took him inside England’s 22, only for Steward to halt his progress before the home side conceded another penalty and Farrell cleared.

Wales then attacked again, yet they were unable to capitalise on promising build-up play and England took a five-point lead into the interval.

But it took Wales just 45 seconds of the second period to wipe out that deficit as Rees-Zammit intercepted Malins’ pass and sprinted 50 metres for an opportunist try that Halfpenny converted.

Rees-Zammit’s ninth touchdown in 23 Tests underlined his finishing ability, yet it took England just five minutes to recapture the initiative.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England edge Wales in Cardiff. #GuinnessSixNations #WALvENG pic.twitter.com/FmuX9tSfPC

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 25, 2023

Prop Ellis Genge ran aggressively into the heart of Wales’ defence and the England forwards did not require a second invitation to set up camp, with Sinckler crashing over from close range and Farrell converting.

The game had suddenly burst into life and Wales head coach Warren Gatland made his first changes as Biggar replaced Owen Williams and Saracens centre Nick Tompkins took over from Josh Adams, with Test debutant Mason Grady moving to the wing.

Another Farrell penalty miss meant England could not pull away and the final quarter was inevitably frantic as both teams went for broke.

But England had the final say, with Lawrence crossing for a try six minutes from time to leave them home and dry.

Ireland claim third maximum but pushed all the way by Italy

Ireland avoided a shock result at the hands of a confident Italy as they came out on top in Rome, winning the Six Nations clash 34-20 in Rome.

Crossings from James Ryan, Hugo Keenan, Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen (2) were added to by nine points from the boot of Ross Byrne on Saturday.

Stephen Varney and Pierre Bruno went over for Italy while Paolo Garbisi kicked 10 points in an impressive performance from the improving Azzurri.

In-form Ireland arrived in the Italian capital seeking a third consecutive tournament success but without a host of star names due to injury.

Swathes of green jerseys packed the terraces and witnessed a side steered by rookie half-back pairing Byrne and Craig Casey make a blistering start.

James Lowe, who benefited from a favourable call to claim a try in the 32-19 win over France a fortnight ago, was denied a quick-fire score on this occasion as replays showed he dropped the ball just before grounding with a one-handed finish under pressure from Ange Capuozzo.

Yet Irish disappointment was swiftly tempered by stand-in skipper Ryan capitalising on a Lowe assist following a fine Aki offload to cross inside three minutes.

Italy have not won at home in the Six Nations since a shock 22-15 success over Declan Kidney’s Ireland a decade ago.

Sparked by the mercurial talents of fit-again fly-half Garbisi and rapid full-back Capuozzo, they contributed to a thrilling encounter and quickly hit back as Wales-born scrum-half Varney sneaked over following strong running from Lorenzo Cannone.

Ireland full-back Keenan then wriggled through a host of tackles to dive over before Aki, who was instrumental in his side’s opening two tries, burst clear to stretch the scoreboard midway through a breathless first half after a Garbisi penalty briefly reduced the deficit.

Following a temporary lull during which Casey recovered from being flattened by Italian lock Niccolo Cannone and prop Finlay Bealham departed injured, Andy Farrell’s men had the bonus-point wrapped with only 35 minutes on the clock when Hansen dived over wide on the right at the end of sustained pressure to help subdue home support.

But the visitors had little time to enjoy the cushion as their advantage was halved to seven points with the final action of a gripping opening period.

Italy wing Bruno superbly intercepted Aki’s pass in his own half and darted around 70 metres to put the contest firmly back in the balance and ignite fresh optimism among Azzurri fans.

🇮🇹☘️ Job done for Ireland but it wasn't easy against Italy. #IREvITA pic.twitter.com/97ciPW0iCZ

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 25, 2023

Another Garbisi penalty cut the lead to 24-20 and Farrell cut a concerned figure in the stands after Aki was denied a second score of the afternoon as replays showed he lost possession on the ground before regathering.

A Byrne penalty helped steady the nerves before Hansen slipped through the Italian defensive line nine minutes from time to ensure Ireland claimed a precious, albeit unconvincing, victory.

Jack Willis-inspired England claim bonus-point win over Italy

England bounced back from last weekend’s loss to Scotland as they saw off Italy on Sunday, claiming a 31-14 bonus-point victory at Twickenham.

Tries from Jack Willis, Ollie Chessum, Jamie George and Henry Arundell were added to by a penalty try, with Owen Farrell converting two of those in the win.

Marco Riccioni and Alessandro Fusco crossed for Italy, whose overall performance was a level below what they put in against France in their opening match.

Steve Borthwick’s midfield surgery produced a better functioning unit with centres Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade both influential, although Farrell failed to stamp his authority at fly-half as Marcus Smith watched on from the bench.

Smith eventually came on but it was for Slade with Farrell, his head bandaged to protect a wound sustained against Scotland, moving to inside centre.

Some of the Six Nations victory’s gloss was rubbed away by Italy being allowed back into the game in the final quarter, but a simple finish for Arundell with 10 minutes to go quelled the uprising.

There was little evidence of the Azzurri’s recent resurgence in a one-sided clash and from an early stage England looked destined to preserve a flawless record against their rivals that now reads 30 wins.

Willis struck the first blow, barrelling over to finish a perfectly-executed line-out maul.

Farrell’s conversion opened up a 7-0 lead and having seen their line-out maul disintegrate, Italy were unable to make any headway during a lengthy spell in possession.

Having scored one line-out try down the left England attempted to repeat the success in a similar area, repeatedly turning down shots at goal in favour of the set-piece.

Number eight Lorenzo Cannone was sent to the sin-bin as Italy came under heavy pressure and they cracked again when waves of forward carries ended with Ellis Genge sending Chessum over.

There was no let-up as England renewed their attack, Lawrence making his presence felt in midfield, and they appeared to be over in the 35th minute thanks to Max Malins’ show and go ― but an obstruction earlier in the move had been spotted by the officials.

However, the third try arrived soon enough with another line-out drive finishing when George touched down.

Italy started the second half with far greater purpose and they soon went over through prop Riccioni but they were troubled by the hosts’ line-out once again, conceding a penalty try and seeing Simone Ferrari sent to the sin-bin.

Replacement Fusco rounded off a lively spell from Italy by jinking over and suddenly they were making inroads by daring to attack from all sections of the pitch.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Give Henry Arundell an inch… #GuinnessSixNations #ENGvITA pic.twitter.com/RDraMcboFu

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 12, 2023

But England responded with Arundell racing over after fellow replacement Alex Mitchell had created the space with a sharp run, removing any tension.

The Six Nations now moves into a fallow week before it returns on Saturday, February 25 when Italy play host to Ireland and England head to Wales.

Ruthless Ireland claim bonus-point victory over France

Ireland made it back-to-back bonus-point victories in this year’s Six Nations as they overcame title rivals France 32-19 in Dublin on Saturday.

Tries from Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Andrew Porter and Garry Ringrose helped the Irish to a record 13th triumph on home soil as France were well beaten.

Les Bleus’ only crossing came from Damian Penaud, with their remaining points kicked by Thomas Ramos via a conversion, three penalties and a drop goal.

Fabien Galthie’s side have subsequently suffered a major dent in their championship title defence as their phenomenal winning run dating back to the summer of 2021 was halted at 14 matches.

Andy Farrell has now beaten each of rugby’s major nations as Ireland head coach, with fly-halves Johnny Sexton and Ross Byrne contributing seven and five points respectively on another landmark day in the team’s recent history.

His side go into a two-week break in the tournament ahead of a trip to Italy with maximum points, having begun with last week’s bonus-point dismantling of Wales.

Scores of fans were desperately seeking spare tickets ahead of kick-off, underlining the significance of the first time the world’s top two countries had met in a Six Nations fixture.

France arrived as the only visiting side to have won at the ground during the Farrell era but having survived a major scare in last weekend’s unconvincing success in Rome.

This year’s World Cup hosts were on the back foot for large parts of a breathless and bruising first-half of rugby which ebbed and flowed.

A pair of Ramos penalties kept them in contention in the early stages, coming either side of Keenan racing clear to claim the opening try courtesy of a fine Finlay Bealham offload.

The lively capacity crowd contained a sizeable French contingent and they were soon saluting a stunning breakaway score from Penaud.

The Clermont wing collected the ball deep inside his own 22, burst clear to exchange passes with flanker, before holding off Conor Murray and Mack Hansen to complete a sensational diagonal dart to the left corner.

The helter-skelter action continued and home fans erupted minutes later when a lengthy review concluded Lowe had grounded the ball with an outrageous dive for the left corner before Penaud could propel him into touch.

Momentum was well and truly with Ireland when prop Porter marked his 50th Test cap by bulldozing his country’s third try of the afternoon, just after France tighthead Uini Atonio was sin-binned for a high tackle which forced Ireland hooker Rob Herring off for a head injury assessment from which he did not return.

But the hosts could not fully capitalise on their temporary numerical advantage.

Gael Fickou and Antoine Dupont denied Keenan and Hansen what appeared to be a certain score, leaving the home side just 22-16 ahead at the interval after Ramos and Sexton exchanged penalties.

☘️ Here's that James Lowe finish. Wow! #GuinnessSixNations #IREvFRA pic.twitter.com/PKmrlsLxNW

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 11, 2023

France flew out of the blocks in the second half, yet failed to make further inroads on the scoreboard.

Ramos missed a long-range kick for the posts, while Ireland’s dogged defence eased mounting pressure by forcing a turnover close to their own try-line.

Byrne, on for influential captain Sexton, briefly stretched Ireland’s lead before Ramos quickly reduced his side’s deficit back to six points with a drop goal to leave a pulsating encounter delicately poised.

But French resistance was fatally broken nine minutes from time when Ringrose wriggled through three French tackles on the left to dot down at the end of sustained pressure.

Scotland claim maximum against Wales at Murrayfield

A second-half masterclass helped Scotland claim their second bonus-point win of the Six Nations campaign as they beat Wales 35-7 at Murrayfield.

Tries from George Turner, Kyle Steyn (2), Blair Kinghorn and Matt Fagerson helped the Scots to a comfortable victory that puts them level with Ireland.

Scotland now head into the fallow week with their tails up while in contrast Wales will lick their wounds as they suffer back-to-back losses this season.

Ken Owens claimed Wales’ only crossing, converted by Dan Biggar, but Finn Russell was the star of the show as he turned on the style after the interval.

Scotland got the first points on the board in the ninth minute when Russell kicked a penalty from in front of the posts after Wales were penalised for offside during a brilliant attack by the hosts ― led by a Huw Jones line-break ― that threatened to bring a try.

The Scots were dealt a blow in the 13th minute when Stuart Hogg went off with blood in his mouth and was replaced by Kinghorn.  The Exeter full-back’s injury was subsequently deemed serious enough to prevent him returning to the fray.

Two minutes later, Russell added another penalty from just outside the 22 after Wales were penalised for not releasing.

The visitors had an opportunity to reduce their deficit in the 25th minute when they won a penalty in a central position just under 40 metres out, but Biggar hooked his kick left of the posts.

Scotland looked all set to notch their first try of the afternoon on the half hour but Steyn, darting clear on the right, was denied by a sensational tackle from Rio Dyer just in front of the line.

The hosts were not to be denied, however, and in the next phase of play Turner wriggled his way free of a tackle to touch down following a lineout drive on the left.

There was initial doubt about whether the Glasgow hooker had grounded the ball but the celebrations were allowed to ensue following a TMO review.  Russell duly added the extras.

Turner’s joy was short-lived as he found himself in the sin-bin within two minutes of scoring his try following a high tackle on George North.

Wales almost immediately made the extra man count as captain Owens touched down following a maul in the 35th minute, with Biggar successfully kicking the conversion.

Warren Gatland’s men enjoyed a strong finish to the half and they should have had another try in the last action before the break, only for Dyer to drop the ball just in front of the line as he tried to run on to a pass from Biggar.

It would prove a pivotal moment as the Scots ― with their full quota of 15 back on the pitch ― stretched their advantage in the 52nd minute when Steyn was left with an easy touchdown on the right after brilliant play by Russell to set him up.  Russell added the extras to put Scotland 20-7 ahead.

Five minutes later, the Welsh suffered a further blow when Liam Williams was yellow-carded for going off his feet.  Within seconds, Steyn bounded over on the right for a second time when he was picked out by a magnificent cross-field kick from Russell.  This time the mercurial number 10 hooked his kick wide of the posts.

🔥 What an offload from Finn Russell to Kyle Steyn. #SCOvWAL pic.twitter.com/1nrJ36wErc

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 11, 2023

Scotland were firmly in the ascendancy and Russell was heavily involved again in their fourth try of the afternoon in the 71st minute as he kicked the ball out to Duhan van der Merwe on the left and the Edinburgh winger teed up clubmate Kinghorn to burst through the Welsh defence.  Russell missed his conversion.

The fly-half was not finished and he produced another stunning assist in the 79th minute when his looping pass out to the left sent Fagerson free to score.

Russell was again unsuccessful with his conversion attempt but he had already inflicted more than enough damage on the Welsh, who crashed to a second successive heavy Six Nations defeat.

France hang on for opening round victory over Italy in Rome

France survived a major scare against Italy in Rome as they hung on to win 29-24 in a nerve-racking Six Nations triumph on Sunday.

Tries from Thibaud Flament, Thomas Ramos, Ethan Dumortier and Matthieu Jalibert saw Les Bleus seal a bonus-point win, with Ramos also kicking nine points.

Italy came agonisingly close to claiming a memorable victory though, with Ange Capuozzo’s score and a penalty try added to by four penalties from Tommaso Allan.

The visitors were dealt a second-half scare when Charles Ollivon was sent to the sin bin and Italy were awarded that penalty try, at one point taking a second-half lead through Allan.

But Les Bleus fended off the threat and will look to extend their winning streak to 15 when they travel to Ireland next weekend in round two of the Six Nations.

France were on the scoresheet after four minutes when Italy scrum-half Stephen Varney attempted a box-kick only to be thwarted by the six-foot-eight Flament, who intercepted before going on an unstoppable run over the whitewash, with Ramos adding the extras.

Allan booted in a penalty to narrow the deficit before France had a try ruled out, but Les Bleus soon restored their advantage through Ramos.

Allan added another penalty for the Azzurri before Dumortier collected Romain Ntamack’s cross-field kick and dotted down to open his account for France.

Impressive finish from Capuozzo

Italy responded through Capuozzo, who went on a spritely run and was able to evade Gregory Alldritt before getting the ball down in the left corner, with Allan adding a penalty to make it 19-14 at the halfway point.

Ramos added three more but Ollivon was soon punished for bringing down the maul and the penalty try was awarded after a review.  Allan soon made no mistake to slot his fourth penalty through the posts to give his side the lead for the first time in the 61st minute.

Five minutes later, however, France displayed their depth when Jalibert came off the bench and made an instant impact, scoring with his first touch to secure the bonus point.

Duhan van der Merwe double helps Scotland beat England

A try double from Duhan van der Merwe helped Scotland to a 29-23 win over England as they kicked off their Six Nations in style at Twickenham.

This was the Scots’ third successive victory over the Auld Enemy as they stunned their hosts, with Van der Merwe’s 74th-minute score sealing the victory.

Scotland‘s other try scorers on the day were Huw Jones and Ben White, with Finn Russell kicking nine points off the tee in a pulsating game throughout.

For England their new chapter under head coach Steve Borthwick did provide plenty of positives as Max Malins (2), and Ellis Genge crossed the try-line.

England were booed from the pitch after a limp defeat by South Africa in their last appearance, the climax to a dire 2022 that resulted in Eddie Jones being sacked, but this seven-try Six Nations thriller was very different.

They had won only one of the last five Calcutta Cup matches, and the early omens signposted that run continuing when Scotland centre Jones touched down Sione Tuipulotu’s grubber in the 15th minute.

Earlier in the move, Jones had raced through a wide gap in the midfield defence as Scotland struck off their first attack of the game having been on the ropes for the opening exchanges.

Apart from the all-too-familiar penalty count, there had been much to admire about England’s start, and in the 23rd minute, they were over, pouncing on the 15th phase of a sustained assault in the 22 when Malins produced a fine finish of Marcus Smith’s cross-field kick.

The brittle home defence was exposed once again as Van der Merwe, taking a pass from Kyle Steyn, left a host of white shirts in his wake as he weaved a path to the whitewash.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Ben White showing how lethal he is. 20-19 right now. #ENGvSCO pic.twitter.com/oYGLYjV5Zq

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 4, 2023

It was a classy individual score, but England showed their own flair to engineer a second for Malins as patient build-up and smart handling created a simple run-in on the right wing.

An Owen Farrell penalty gave the hosts a one-point interval lead, and they were over for a third time through Genge in the 48th minute after a succession of dynamic carries by their pack.

Scotland’s visits to the home 22 were rare, but they showed a ruthless streak when they arrived, with White taking advantage of an absent ruck defence to plunder a sharp try.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 SCOTLAND WIN AGAIN AT TWICKENHAM! #ENGvSCO pic.twitter.com/sxQVCBqBzV

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 4, 2023

Veteran prop Dan Cole came on for his first cap since the 2019 World Cup final and forced a penalty at the scrum in his first involvement of the match, giving England the platform to renew their attack.

Farrell landed his second penalty, and Russell replied in kind as a nailbiting conclusion approached.

Scotland kept pressing, and the breakthrough arrived with six minutes left as Van der Merwe showed his strength to bulldoze over in the left corner and keep the Calcutta Cup in Edinburgh.

Dominant Ireland begin with bonus-point triumph over Wales

Ireland kicked off their Six Nations title charge with an impressive bonus-point victory over Wales as they ran out 34-10 winners in Cardiff.

Tries from Caelan Doris, James Ryan, James Lowe and Josh van der Flier saw the Irish home, with Johnny Sexton and Ross Byrne adding extra points.

For Wales they endured a nightmare first half as they went in 27-3 adrift but, to their credit, Warren Gatland’s team did improve after the turnaround.

Their try came from Liam Williams while Dan Biggar slotted a conversion and penalty, with the Welsh discipline and wastefulness a worry for Gatland.

Ireland though will be thrilled to get their Six Nations campaign off to such a positive start, with France in Dublin their next assignment in Round Two.

It was another defeat after a miserable 12 months that featured humiliating home losses to Italy and Georgia under Gatland’s predecessor Wayne Pivac, while off the field the Welsh Rugby Union has been rocked to its core by sexism and discrimination allegations in the organisation.

And Ireland were in no mood to allow Wales a reprieve, dominating every critical area, most notably the battle up-front.

Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park was ruled out with a hamstring injury as Ireland were forced into making a late change with Conor Murray replacing him, while Munster’s Craig Casey provided bench cover.

Wales had been forced into changing their line-up on Thursday, with Williams coming in for full-back Leigh Halfpenny, who suffered a back spasm during training.

Ireland needed just two minutes to deliver a reminder of their quality, scoring from an opening attack that was all about patient build-up play.

They went through the phases close to Wales’ line, before Doris powered over and Sexton’s conversion gave Ireland a dream start.

Ireland’s high-tempo game had Wales in all sorts of trouble, and they moved 14 points clear with only nine minutes gone.

Wales could not deal with Ireland’s impressive ball-carriers, and after sufficient dents had been made in the home defence, Ryan claimed their second try, with Sexton again converting.

Wales needed something to stir them, and wing Rio Dyer almost provided it when he broke clear following an Irish midfield mistake, but full-back Hugo Keenan beat him to the ball behind Ireland’s line.

Biggar opened Wales’ account through a 15th-minute penalty, but Sexton quickly cancelled that out with a penalty from in front of the posts, closing a dominant first quarter from his team.

But the visitors had no intention of slowing down, and Wales were unlocked again when Biggar’s intended pass to Williams found Lowe instead, and he sprinted clear to touch down, before Sexton again converted.

Ireland were in cruise control, leading 24-3 with almost an hour of the game remaining, and Wales already appeared in damage-limitation mode.

Another Sexton penalty made it 27-3 at the interval, and even when Wales flanker Jac Morgan found a way over Ireland’s line, prop Andrew Porter got underneath him to prevent a try.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿☘️ A bonus-point victory for Ireland! #GuinnessSixNations #WALvIRE pic.twitter.com/ZlEDFNPoFc

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 4, 2023

Wales began the second period with far greater intent, and Williams’ 45th-minute try ― converted by Biggar ― at least gave the home supporters something to shout about.

It was a far better performance by Wales, with Dyer a consistent threat to the Irish defence, yet the lineout remained Wales’ problem area in contrast to Ireland’s exemplary set-piece efforts.

Full-back Williams was then sin-binned for a shoulder-led challenge on Sexton, and Ireland moved past 30 points through Van der Flier’s score that underlined Wales’ shortcomings as they fell to an opening defeat.

Springboks muscle past disappointing England

South Africa produced a powerful performance as they beat a dismal England side 27-13 in their Autumn Nations Series clash on Saturday.

Tries from Kurt-Lee Arendse and Eben Etzebeth as well as three penalties and a conversion from Faf de Klerk and Damian Willemse’s two drop-goals saw the Springboks to an impressive victory, gaining revenge for last year’s narrow defeat at Twickenham.

Despite South Africa having replacement prop Thomas du Toit red carded for a dangerous tackle on 60 minutes, they comfortably saw off England, whose only try came late on through Henry Slade as they end their Autumn Nations Series on a poor note.

Signalling their discontent, the home fans booed when the final whistle sounded.

Unfortunately for South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, he was not present to witness a comprehensive victory as he completed a two-match ban for criticising referees during the past month.

Erasmus’ actions meant the half-time presentation intended to mark Wayne Barnes’ 100th Test as a referee was cancelled out of fear he might receive abuse after he was targeted online having overseen the Springboks’ defeat by France.

It was clear early on that referee Angus Gardner had a job on his hands with multiple reset scrums and extensive back chat from both sides keeping him busy.

A high error count scarred the first half and, once De Klerk and Owen Farrell had missed simple penalties, the Springboks scrum-half drew first blood.

Farrell missed a penalty and, when Alex Coles was penalised for the second time, South Africa used their line-out to turn the screw with Siya Kolisi held up over the line.

England were unable to escape their half and, shortly after Willemse landed a drop goal, the Springboks fly-half launched a stunning counter-attack starting on his own 22.

Accelerating into space and with help from a block on Freddie Steward, he found Willie le Roux, who presented Arendse with a one-on-one against Marcus Smith that the Bulls wing completed through his sheer pace.

Willemse was causing havoc as he broke free once more and, once England had been warned for repeated defensive infringements, De Klerk increased the lead to 14-3.

Another drop-goal from Willemse

England changed their entire front-row and also brought on wing Jack Nowell for the second half but it made no difference to South Africa as Willemse booted another drop goal.

Farrell replied with a penalty but Jonny Hill’s moment of madness with De Klerk allowed the Springboks to attack and, with Tom Curry sent to the sin-bin for a ruck offence, Etzebeth touched down under the posts.

De Klerk converted and rifled over another three points only for Du Toit to receive his marching orders.

England were finally over in the 72nd minute, Slade darting over to end a long-range move started by Nowell, but they had nothing left in the tank against a resolute South Africa.