However, it happened in this round of 6 Nations and we can’t really say it’s a surprise . All matches were very interesting and uncertain. Perhaps there was the least uncertainty in the match where we expected the most uncertainty, However, the early red card cost the French dearly. The Irish were at a very high level, where they skillfully used the player more. The Italians pressed the English, but it looked like the English were in control of the game. In Cardiff we saw two different halves, the first where the Scots were dominant, and the second where the Welsh came a point behind.
The Irish are too fast for the French
Before the match itself, the French were slight favorites in the bookmakers, but there was a fear of how the absence of the best player Dupont would be compensated. Will Luka manage to replace him and maintain the level that Dupont imposed. The same question could be asked from the other side, that is, whether Crowley will succeed in replacing Sexton in the right way. However, the red card, or second yellow, of Willemsea decided the further course of the match.
The match started with a very high rhythm of the Irish, and already in the 6th minute of the match Crowley was precise from the penalty for 3-0. In the following minute, Willemse received his first yellow card. Throughout the match, the Irish put a lot of pressure on France’s ruck and Lucu, who was playing demi, forcing him to make bad decisions. The very beginning of the match was such that it seemed as if the home team did not have possession of the ball at all. Not long after, at 16th an excellent attack by Ireland from the outside followed, where after one phase the ball came to Henshaw who worked Aki well. Then Aki decisively started to break through, linking two French players for himself, thereby freeing up a significant space, he added an offload towards Gibson Park who scored an essay under the post. Crowley is safe for 10-0. The French managed to get rid of the pressure in the 26th through Ramos they are registered on the list of shooters.
Then in 30th minute into the match the ball comes to Crowley who throws a slightly quicker pass to Bierne, who cuts inside, and catches Danty on the wrong foot, and scores an unimpeded try under the posts. Easy work for Crowley who makes it 17-3. In the next attack, Willemse again commits a foul for a yellow card, since it is his second in a row, he gets an automatic red. Nevertheless, France revived. And in the last minute, she scored an essay through Peno. Ramos was confident in the conversion and the home team went into the break with a 17-10 deficit.
Ирци су ширили игру у другом делу меча, везивали су играче Француске у контактима и максимално су искористили простор који су добили због играча више у пољу. In 45th minute, the attack started, the ball eventually found its way to Nash, who didn’t have too much trouble scoring a try. The brilliant Crowley made it 24-10. У 52nd minute into the match, France scored a try through Gabrielage, which at first did not appear to be a try, but after a TMO check, it was determined that the Frenchman had scored. Ramos was again safe in the shot and the score was reduced to 24-17. However, it was the maximum for the French. The first is at 62nd minute Sheehan scored an try and a little later in the 77th also and Kelleher scored, and that was it. The Irish won 38-17.
Italy came close to England
The Italians have never beaten the English in first-team matches. Now they were very close, they lost 27-24, but somehow we had the impression that they were very far away. We don’t know about you, but we had the feeling that the English were in control of the match. That they were safe, like an infant falling asleep in its mother’s arms. Admittedly, the Italians only mitigated the defeat at the very end of the match, but a 3-point defeat against the big favorite is a very good result for them.
The English were rather naively caught offside in the 4th minute of the match, and gave Allan an opportunity that he didn’t miss and gave his team a 3-0 lead. In order to outplay the English defense, you first need to work hard, be very precise and run the correct routes. The Italians managed that in the 11th minute, that after two very convincing offloads, the excellent support of the players scored an essay through Alessandro Garbisi. Allan was confident in his shot and after 11 minutes the scoreboard read 10-0 to Italy. Allan was confident in his shot and after 11 minutes the scoreboard read 10-0 to Italy. Allan was confident in his shot and after 11 minutes the scoreboard read 10-0 to Italy. If they open well, they will have a good result.
The English started to play in their system and slowly started to control the game. After an excellent attack in the 15th minute, they still distinguished themselves for a penalty shot. Ford was accurate for 10-3. In 19th minute, the English opened a quick ball towards the line where it reached young Freeman who was in excellent penetration and assisted Dely who scored a try and reduced the score to 10-8. In 25th minute of the match, we saw a fantastic action by the Italians who created a 3 on 1 situation on the wing and successfully realized it through Allan. The same player was safe in the shot for 17-8. By the end of the half, Ford reduced the score to 17-14 from two penalties.
The second part of the match definitely belonged to the guests. In 44th minute, the England scrumhalf pulled the ball out of the ruck and started to break through. We never dreamed that Mitchell would manage to stay on his feet after two very strong contacts and manage to push the ball into the try. Ford successfully converted to turn England 21-17. Then the English took complete control of the match. With two penalties that Ford hit, they made it 27-17. All the Italians managed to do was reduce the score at the end of the match through Ioanni and Garabisi to 27-24.
Scots better in the first half, Welsh in the second half, total madness in Cardiff
The Scots were the better opponent in the first part of the match. There is no further story. Warren Gatland is exaggerating when he says it was the worst first half of his coaching career, because there have been worse. The Scots took the lead in the 5th minute from the penalty which was successfully kicked by Finn Russell. In 10th minute Scots attacked from a pick and go action on the very try line of Wales. The ball was taken by Schoeman, who set himself up expertly and pushed the Welsh player into the try. Russell was excellent in the shot for a 10-0 lead. The Scots continued to press in the 22nd minute Russell hits a penalty kick for 13-0.
In 29th minute Scots were attacking inside the Wales 22 meter line. Finn Russell received the ball backwards from Tuipulotu, then pulled and faked, where he dismissed the opposition opener. All this was accompanied by Van de Merwe, who easily solved a 2 on 1 situation with Russell and scored an try. Russell was accurate for 20-0, which is the final score at halftime.
Russell was accurate for 20-0, which is the final score at halftime. Russell made a great breakthrough in the 42nd minute and added an offload that Van der Merwe ran into in a full run. In those cases, hardly anyone can stop him legally. After the try, Russell was accurate from the shot for 27-0. And then the madness begins. In the 46th minute, an excellent out by the Welsh who score an essay through Botham from the pier. Then Turner received a yellow card in 47th minute. The Welsh attack like wasps. In 52nd minute they score an try through Dyer, after a long jump on the wing. Lloyd is secure in his shot for 27-12.
In 59th minute the Scots were undisciplined again, Tuipolotu received a yellow card. The Welsh take a penalty 5 meters from the try where Wainwright scores a try from a pick eng go action. Lloyd is accurate for 27-19. In 67th minute Alex Mann scores an essay from the penalty area after a throw-in. Lloyd is successful in the transformation for 27-26 and complete madness in the finish of the match. By the end of the match, the Scots had a chance to score a try, but the foot of a Welsh player got in the way. All of this happened after time expired, so the question arises as to why they did not kick the ball out instead of risking the game.
Table:
| Поз (Pos) | Екипа (Team) | У(GP) | П(W) | И(L) | Н(D) | ПФ(PF) | ПА(PA) | ПД(PD) | БП(BP) | Б(Pts) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ireland | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 144 | 60 | 84 | 4 | 20 |
| 2 |  France | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 128 | 122 | 6 | 1 | 15 |
| 3 |  England | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 118 | 123 | -5 | 2 | 14 |
| 4 |  Scotland | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 115 | 115 | 0 | 4 | 12 |
| 5 |  Italy | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 92 | 126 | -34 | 1 | 11 |
| 6 |  Wales | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 92 | 143 | -51 | 4 | 4 |
