Italy vs Wales: 22-15

For many pundits, this fixture marked the most important for Wales in the past 20 years. But, despite an extensive losing streak, the performance was as tired and predictable as we have ever seen from a Welsh side.

Italy dominated in the forwards. Michele Lamaro, as expected, drove standards at openside, while Number 8, Lorenzo Cannone, delivered a hugely physical man-of-the-match performance. An unexpected bolter for player of the tournament may just be Giacomo Nicotera at hooker; for the second week in a row, he has stood out as a reliable workhorse with a secure set piece.

Duel playmakers, Paolo Garbisi and Tommasso Allen, provided the Italians with a mature kicking game that silenced Wales for 70 minutes. Garbisi also provided an excellent kick-through to put Capuozzo through to score, while Ioane stamped himself as a world-class talent, with his persistent attacking menace and lineout steals.

It is a vastly different story for the Welsh side, however. They are slow. Leaders like Faletau, Tompkins, and T. Williams lacked any real punch in this squad, being just a shadow of their former selves. The dull performance was exemplified by winger, Josh Adams, who immediately after a high tackle penalty made an identical challenge on the same player, narrowly avoiding a red card.

This was not without positive for Wales, however. Jac Morgan provided another world-class performance at openside, with Italian legend, Sergio Peresse, drawing parallels with his own experiences captaining a struggling squad. Potentially, Morgan may be the only Welsh player capable of gracing the British and Irish Lions XV.

When asked for a solution to consistent poor performances, former Welsh captain and commentator Dan Bigger was unable to come up with an answer, while another commentator described the play as “schoolboy-level stuff”. Head coach Warren Gatland has since stepped down from his position to be replaced by Cardiff’s Matt Sherratt, but maybe the WRU executives who have driven Welsh rugby into the ground should consider following suit.

England v France: 26-25

With the French coming off a massive victory in Paris and England producing an uninspiring performance against Ireland, it felt like the writing was on the wall at Twickenham. However, captain Maro Itoje led an emotional English comeback to steal the victory in the death.

One of the notable additions to the England squad was Number 8, Tom Willis, who provided a level of physicality that was missing. The back row was an area of strength, with Tom Curry firmly in his renaissance, proving he can still bring his 2019 quality.

It was the bench, however, that won England the game. Jamie George and Fin Baxter provided security, and England’s brand of so-called attacking rugby looked to continue when Slade’s penalty failed to find touch in the opening stages. This lack of energy, however, was dispelled in a coming-of-age team performance.

With an attack led by 22-year-old Fin Smith, the young fly-half displayed the same maturity that made Northampton Premiership champions. Gaining confidence through a near-psychic Crossfield kick to fellow-saint, Tommy Freeman, he brought a control and deception to phase play that has been sorely missing from England since the 2019 World Cup. Although, his endeavours would have been in vain if it were not for his chemistry with Mitchell, Lawrence, or M. Smith.

This weekend France were hamstrung by their inability to provide consistency. Once again, their game-breaking back line was quietened by a Springbok-style blitz defence, potentially marking a soft point in the French gameplan. Wingers Bielle-Biarrey and Penaud were as dangerous as expected, though a messy and uncharacteristic performance by their captain held them back.

While fridge-on-legs, Emmanuel Meafou, and world-class 8, Gregory Aldritt, gave France momentum, this was not capitalised on. Despite this team boasting the heaviest pack in world rugby, they have been unable to produce the scrum dominance expected of them, raising questions about whether a more dynamic prop than Atonio may bring more impact.

England’s performance was not unstoppable; they have exploitable weaknesses and are not at the level of Ireland or South Africa. That being said, neither England nor France should be written off, as both teams clearly have huge performances with them. All eyes will be on England v Scotland after the break, and whether France will be able to crush Ireland’s grand slam dreams.

Scotland v Ireland: 18-32

For a long time now, Ireland has had a voodoo over Scotland. Coming into the tournament, there was an expectation amongst fans that Scotland would overcome this to win their first Six Nations. Injuries to captains Tuipulotu and Russell, alongside star finisher, Darcy Graham, however, left Scotland without a leadership core for the majority of the fixture.

Ultimately, beating one of the strongest sides in world rugby was an impossible endeavour. This has led many fans to ask questions as to why the ‘golden age’ of Scottish talent has failed to yield the results they expect.

While European Championship-winning fullback, Kinghorn, scored a try, he was also exposed elsewhere. Alongside him, the lack of a truly world-class 8 and depth in the backline meant Scotland were ultimately outclassed in every area of the field.

With players returning for the fixture against England, and with an inevitable hattrick from Van der Merwe, Scotland will be ready to retain the Calcutta Cup for the sixth time in the last seven years.

For Ireland, it felt like they had won the game in the first ten minutes. Props, Andrew Porter and Finlay Bealham were dominant and the strongest of the round. Arguably Ireland’s strongest player, Tadhg Beirne, was also physically immense and made a crucial maul steal. The Irish captain also stood out, making a statement after his unusually anonymous outing against England the week prior.

In the backline, Jamison Gibson-Park was as consistent as always, structuring the attack and enabling exciting talent, Sam Prendergast, to be fully engaged. Robbie Henshaw was also physically dominant in a week where many centres did not perform.

In the first ten minutes, Ireland hinted at a level above their recent form. It will be interesting for fans to see if they can string this together for longer periods against France.

Player of the Week

For Ireland, Tadhg Beirne, Sam Prendergast, and Caelan Doris were all immense. Alongside them, Italy’s Giacomo Nicotera and Lorenzo Cannone have both made huge statements this tournament, and England’s Tom Curry was a force.

The player of the week, however, is Fin Smith. While it was not a perfect performance, Smith exemplified a ‘growing up’ that English rugby has so sorely lacked in recent years.

Team of the Week

1. Andrew Porter (Ireland)
2. Giacomo Nicotera (Italy)
3. Finlay Bealham (Ireland)
4. Maro Itoje (England)
5. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland)
6. Tom Curry (England)
7. Caelan Doris (Ireland)
8. Lorenzo Cannone (Italy)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland)
10. Fin Smith (England)
11. Monty Ioane (Italy)
12. Robbie Henshaw (Ireland)
13. Ollie Lawrence (England)
14. Tommy Freeman (England)
15. Tommasso Allen (Italy)

16. Jamie George (England), 17. Fin Baxter (England), 18. Simone Ferrari (Italy), 19. Niccolo Cannone (Italy), 20. Jac Morgan (Wales), 21. Alex Mitchell (England), 22. Louis Bielle-Biarrey (France), 23. Blair Kinghorn (Scotland).