Ireland vs Wales 27-18

“Emphatic defeat awaits Matt Sherratt.” “Welsh rugby aims to recover soul.” “Wales spiralling towards second consecutive wooden spoon.” Apparently not.

With Gatland gone and news sites across the world pre-writing their Welsh rugby obituaries, Sherratt was given an impossible challenge: to stop the record-breaking losing streak against the best side in the northern hemisphere. Written off by everyone, for 60 minutes he made it look possible.

All eyes were on the new inclusions in the backs: Gareth Anscombe, Max Llewellyn, and Ellis Mee. As the on-form Welsh fly-half, 33-year-old Anscombe was a huge improvement in all areas and allowed Thomas to play in his preferred position. Initially snubbed by Gatland, Llewellyn brought much-needed strength and physicality to Wales’ back line, drawing defenders and creating space out wide. The young bolter, Mee, was fast and fleet-footed, showing promise as someone who may fill the chasm left by Rees-Zammit.

The inclusion of WillGriff John puzzled many rugby fans, including myself, as the tighthead prop has not always been the first choice within his own club. He held his own, however, matching lions favourite, Andrew Porter.

The back row was also strong. Jac Morgan was as good as ever, Reffell was hugely disruptive, and Faletau rolled back the years. Despite this, it is clear that this side was elevated from the excitement of a new head coach and needs to continue to build on this performance.

Dan Sheehan impressed in his first match as Ireland’s captain with a huge defensive effort. Jack Conan, stood out for the half he played, scoring a try and keeping Ireland in the game during a disappointing first half. A rare underwhelming performance from Porter and Beirne saw them lack their usual disruption, giving Wales a foothold to play from.

Half-backs Gibson-Park and Prendergast impressed last weekend. The older head controlled the game with sharp ruck speed and an even sharper pass, earning himself Man of the Match, while the youngster was solid off the boot. Despite Ringrose seeing red, and the new 20-minute red card laws saving Ireland, Bundee Aki’s undeniable quality shined as he stripped momentum away from the Welsh.

Safe to say, however, it was not an emphatic defeat for Matt Sherratt’s first outing.

England vs Scotland 16-15

Well, doesn’t the Calcutta Cup deliver…

England just about stopped Scotland from their fifth win in a row in a fixture that never let off. A game characterised by its mistakes just as much as the immense work ethic, there was nothing pretty about this week’s largest fixture.

There were notable competitions across the backline – the best of which was between star wingers, Duhan Van der Merwe and Tommy Freeman. Making the English defence look unprofessional with deadly runs and a monumental work ethic, the former made a deserving Man of the Match performance in a losing effort. Meanwhile, Freeman showed a strong high ball, appeared everywhere, and ran over England’s first try.

Ollie Lawrence and Huw Jones also had a strong outing at outside centre, both with mixed, but overall positive, performances. The highlight, however, was between the Fins. Russell was at his attacking best, but his weakness with the boot meant his victory was not executed. With 16 tackles, multiple of which being dominant, F. Smith gave another mature performance and showed great synergy not only with his namesake M. Smith, but with his Northampton club mates.

While Scotland boasted a generally stronger backline, England won this game within the forwards. Stuart and Genge were dominant at scrum time, both raising hands for Lions selection. Unfortunately, it was only with Cherry that Scotland found parity.

While Gilchrist was solid, England’s engine room, led by captain, Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum, was their strongest area. Subtly changing his bind for a maul turnover, an acrobatic ‘jackle’, and grabbing opposition legs to kick away their own ball, Itoje has reached McCaw levels of cheating. To sit and watch only him for ten minutes shows the silent impact he has on every game; it is massive.

At the back row, injuries to T. Curry and Willis disrupted England’s flow, leaving Ben Earl to step up. While Dempsey and Darge were quiet, Jamie Ritchie returned to his best with a strong lineout.

Lastly, while Randall put up some shocking box kicks, the English forward bench of George, B. Curry, and Cunningham-South were massive, the latter putting in a few disruptive hits.

Italy v France 24-73

So, the French pendulum swings back to world-class. This was an embarrassing loss for Italy in Rome, as they were rolled over by an unstoppable attack that was eager to impress after being silenced by England.

This French backline was sensational. Dupont was back to his regularly scheduled game-defining performance, earning Man of the Match. Despite his usual antics, a few errors made the youngster Leo Barre the best performer of the week – topping meters made and scoring a brace of tries for good measure. Bielle-Biarrey also scored a brace, proving himself as one of the fastest players in world rugby.

Contrary to the scoreline, however, there were defensive weaknesses that are likely to be exposed by the clinical Irish attack. The centre pairing often showed imperfections that Ireland’s Aki would gladly exploit, but may yet be saved with a ban on Irish outside centre, Garry Ringrose.

While Tommasso Menoncello has become a talisman for Italian rugby, scoring an incredible individual try, his inability to impose himself in defence is a notable weakness against world rugby’s larger squads. He combined well with his centre partner, Ignacio Brex, proving a settled combination. However, they were not enough to salvage an embarrassing scoreline.

In the forwards, it was a dominant display all around. The front row was dominant – the locks even more so – and Aldritt produced another masterclass at number 8. A special mention is required for Mickael Guillard at lock, who on his debut gave an assured performance.

The decision to rotate hookers for Italy proved a mistake, with Gianmarco Lucchesi failing to impact the on-form Nicotera. Unfortunately, the only other forward worthy of note was Ruzza, with the hands to set up Brex’s try and a generally industrious performance.

Player of the Week

There were many impressive performances. In the forwards, Itoje and Aldritt stood out as possible options. In the backline, Fin Smith produced another solid performance, alongside Welsh veteran Anscombe, and Duhan Van der Merwe deserved his Man of the Match in a losing effort.

This week’s best player has to be at scrum-half, however. While Dupont was incredible, he was just short of perfection, leading us to our player of the week: Jamison Gibson-Park.

Team of the Week

1. Jean-Baptiste Gros (France)
2. Dan Sheehan (Ireland)
3. WillGriff John (Wales)
4. Maro Itoje (England)
5. Mickael Guillard (France)
6. Jamie Ritchie (Scotland)
7. Jac Morgan (Wales)
8. Gregory Aldritt (France)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland)
10. Fin Smith (England)
11. Duhan Van der Merwe (Scotland)
12. Bundee Aki (Ireland)
13. Huw Jones (Scotland)
14. Tommy Freeman (England)
15. Leo Barre (France)

16. Jamie George (England), 17. Ellis Genge (England), 18. Will Stuart (England), 19. Federico Ruzza (Italy), 20. Jack Conan (Ireland), 21. Antoine Dupont (France), 22. Gareth Anscombe (Wales), 23. Louis Bielle-Biarrey (France).