The 2025 Six Nations is off and working after an action-packed first spherical of fixtures. Sky Sports activities assesses the victories for Eire and Scotland, and alarmingly acquainted defeats for England and Wales…
Eire belatedly rediscover mojo however questions stay at No 10
For the primary half of Saturday’s win over England, Eire’s assault seemed flustered, rushed and missing a lot in accuracy it was exhausting to imagine this was the identical facet who had received the final two Six Nations championships.
The most important choice speaking level in Eire heading into this one was who interim head coach Simon Easterby would choose at fly-half: final 12 months’s starter within the victorious championship marketing campaign Jack Crowley or the brand new child on the block in Sam Prendergast.
November had seen Prendergast chosen by Andy Farrell to start out towards Australia, however Crowley emerged off the bench to play a serious position in turning issues round to win that Take a look at.
Ultimately, Prendergast was a shock decide to start out towards England and it proved the flawed name in a show actually missing in high quality. A lot of the events he acquired the ball he kicked possession away, kicked aimlessly and much too lengthy – placing his personal facet underneath stress – whereas he missed twice off the tee by way of conversions – the primary a very poor strike.
Crowley got here on within the 58th minute in Dublin and Eire instantly seemed extra settled and into their circulation. Even England head coach Steve Borthwick commented on it on the post-match press convention. “The change at 10 was a pretty significant one. They played really well when he came on in the final part of the game,” he mentioned.
The answer right here would certainly seem going with Crowley from the beginning for subsequent week’s conflict away to Scotland, however there appears extra at play. Prendergast performs for Leinster at provincial degree like many within the Eire beginning staff and clearly the Eire teaching workers see one thing they need to stick with. Enormous query marks stay.
England lose one other lead regardless of optimistic showings in first half
England misplaced in Dublin regardless of debutant Cadan Murley claiming an early attempt to late consolations from Tom Curry and Tommy Freeman
For giant intervals of the primary half, England have been faster, slicker and extra bodily than Eire in lots of sides of play.
Indiscipline in defence meant they surrendered the potential to construct greater than a 7-0 lead – Marcus Smith the person picked out for a sin-binning after a staff warning – and the second half then performed out with utter dominance from Eire.
England have been blown away with 22 unanswered Eire factors to fall 27-10 behind and there was no approach again, regardless of a late push which introduced a dropping bonus level which will but show important. You solely have to take a look at the 2020 Six Nations when England eked out a late Spherical 1 dropping bonus level away to a rampant France which ended up being very important within the ensuing title race.
Tadhg Beirne celebrates scoring Eire’s third strive of the sport
For Borthwick on Saturday, he selected to focus on the distinction in expertise between the edges and the optimistic one couldn’t discern that from the beginning: “If you look at today’s game, you’re looking at two different teams. Ireland are a team that have been together for a huge amount of time, nearly 1200 caps. England are a team that’s building over the last six months and have just over half that number of caps.
“If you happen to watch the beginning of that sport, you do not see that distinction. You see an England staff that desires to play aggressively, desires to maneuver the ball, and we took a step ahead with our assault. We’re upset, however there are components the place we have proven progress over the past 10 days in coaching camp.”
France with a returning Antoine Dupont at Twickenham next week…England need to find a way of sustaining positive spells of play within Tests. They’ve now lost seven of their last nine since defeating Ireland at home in last year’s championship.
Scotland, you’ve been warned
Huw Jones scored a hat-trick as Scotland got here by way of a testing Six Nations opener towards Italy
“We’ll need to be a lot better if we want to do anything in this tournament.”
Amid jubilant full-time scenes within the stands of Murrayfield, Finn Russell did not mince his phrases.
On the face of it, Scotland’s Six Nations marketing campaign had obtained off to the proper begin, Huw Jones’ hat-trick inspiring a 31-19 victory over Italy.
However a scratch beneath the floor can have unearthed issues {that a} staff extra succesful and medical than Italy would have undoubtedly exploited.
Juan Ignacio Brex’s gorgeous intercept strive sealed Italy’s comeback at Murrayfield
Russell’s feedback have been directed to each him and the collective, with the fly-half culpable in Scotland’s give up of a 19-6 half-time lead when Juan Ignacio Brex intercepted his free go to finish Italy’s dramatic comeback with a breakaway strive.
The way wherein Scotland extinguished Italy’s revival, securing a bonus-point victory within the course of, was to be admired, each for its precision and emphatic nature.
Few groups can maintain a candle to the expertise they possess out broad, however even the likes of Jones, Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe might have their work minimize out pulling off an analogous escape act towards higher opposition.
Wales face generational Italy conflict after France thrashing
Jac Morgan has backed Wales to finish their dropping streak towards Italy
The scoreline urged a drubbing, a one-sided affair, and in lots of ways in which was true.
A thirteenth successive Take a look at defeat was inflicted in record-breaking trend as seven-try France claimed their biggest-ever Six Nations victory over Wales.
Wales averted equalling their heaviest defeat within the match, a 54-10 loss to Eire in 2003, by a solitary level in Paris, however that was scant comfort for Warren Gatland and his staff, who journey to Italy for a round-two conflict that has taken on generational significance.
“For me, this game next week is the biggest in Welsh rugby for the last 15-20 years. It is a huge, huge match,” former Wales fly-half Dan Biggar advised ITV.
Even at this early stage of the match, defeat in Rome would certainly depart Wales on target for successive Six Nations wood spoons for the very first time.
And if that wasn’t alarming sufficient, with Eire, Scotland and England to come back, figuring out the place Wales will carry this report dropping streak to an finish will increase in issue if the Azzurri prevail.
Six Nations fixtures: Spherical Two
Saturday February 8
Italy vs Wales (2.15pm)
England vs France (4.45pm)
Sunday February 9
Scotland vs Eire (3pm)
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