A Recap of the second round of the Guinnes Six Nations tournament 2024

Guinness Six Nations 2024 | Recap Round 2

Scotland loose to France 16:20

France Seals Six Nations Victory in Scotland with Bielle-Biarrey’s Brilliant Display

In an impressive display of skill, Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s brilliance propelled France to a 20-16 triumph over Scotland in the Six Nations clash at Murrayfield. Despite controversy surrounding a disputed try at the final whistle, France emerged victorious under the watchful eye of Australian referee Nic Berry.

The pivotal moment arrived when winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey executed a stunning solo effort, breaching Scotland’s defense to secure the much-needed win for France. Although Scotland contested a potential match-winning try as the clock wound down, the Television Match Official’s scrutiny failed to overturn the referee’s decision, leaving the home crowd disheartened.

France’s victory came as a relief for coach Fabien Galthie, who faced mounting criticism following their disappointing loss to Ireland in Marseille. Trailing by six points with just minutes remaining, Bielle-Biarrey’s remarkable play turned the tide in France’s favor, aided by Thomas Ramos’ precise conversion and a crucial penalty.

Despite Scotland’s dominance for much of the match, highlighted by scrum-half Ben White’s try, they couldn’t convert pressure into points consistently. France’s struggles in the lineout and ball handling compounded the challenge, yet they capitalized on key opportunities, notably through Bielle-Biarrey’s heroics.

Scotland’s lone try, courtesy of White, showcased their attacking prowess but ultimately fell short as they failed to capitalize on numerical advantages. France, despite setbacks including the loss of captain Gregory Alldritt to injury, demonstrated resilience and determination to clinch victory.

With Bielle-Biarrey’s standout performance and a resilient team effort, France departed Edinburgh with a hard-fought triumph, marking a significant turnaround from their previous defeat.

Highlights

Line-ups:

Scotland

Paterson; Rowe, Jones, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; Russell (co-capt), White; Schoeman, Turner, Z Fagerson, Gilchrist, Cummings, M Fagerson, Darge (co-capt), Dempsey.

Replacements: Ashman, Hepburn, Millar-Mills, Skinner, Christie, Horne, Healy, Redpath.

France

Ramos, Penaud, Fickou, Danty, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Lucu; Baille, Mauvaka, Atonio, Woki, Gabrillagues, Cros, Ollivon, Alldritt (capt).

Replacements: Marchand, S Taofifenua, Aldegheri, Tuilagi, Roumat, Boudehent, Le Garrec, Moefana.

Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)

Man of the Mach: Gael Fickou (France)

Stats:

Scotland (13) 16
Scotland (13) 16
Try: White (7′)
Conversion: Russell (9′)
Penalty: Russell (22′, 30′, 58′)

France (10) 20
Try: Fickou (31′), Bielle-Biarrey (70′)
Conversion: Ramos (32′, 72′)
Penalty: Ramos (12′, 77′)

England Stages Sensational Comeback to Edge Out Wales 16-14 in Six Nations Clash

England staged a remarkable comeback at Twickenham on Saturday, overturning a nine-point halftime deficit to secure a thrilling 16-14 victory over Wales in the Six Nations tournament, marking their second win in as many matches.

Facing adversity early on with two players receiving yellow cards, England found themselves trailing 14-5 at halftime, with Wales capitalizing on a penalty try and a try from Alex Mann sandwiched between Ben Earl’s score for England.

However, a resilient England side clawed their way back into contention through a George Ford penalty and a try from Fraser Dingwall, narrowing the margin to just one point at 13-14.

With eight minutes remaining, Ford’s accurate kicking put England ahead for the first time in the match, sealing the victory at 16-14 as England showcased strong defensive prowess to deny Wales any chance of a comeback.

The match saw England squander opportunities to convert pressure into points, notably with Henry Slade’s knock-on near Wales’ try-line. Additionally, Ollie Chessum’s yellow card for a high tackle and Ethan Roots’ sin-bin for a maul infringement further tested England’s resolve.

Despite initial setbacks, England demonstrated resilience as Ben Earl’s powerful break from a scrum narrowed the deficit, albeit with Ford’s conversion attempt blocked by Rio Dyer.

Wales extended their lead with a second try just before halftime, taking advantage of Alex Mitchell’s errant clearance and Tomos Williams’ clever pass to Mann, who breached England’s defense for his second try of the match.

In the second half, England’s improved scrummaging and Ford’s accurate kicking brought them back into contention, with Dingwall’s try further narrowing Wales’ lead.

A well-executed 50-22 kick by Ford set up an attacking line-out for England, and Mason Grady’s yellow card for a deliberate knock-on allowed Ford to secure the win with a simple penalty kick, ensuring England emerged victorious in a closely fought contest.

Highlights

Line-ups:

England
Steward; Freeman, Slade, Dingwall, Daly; Ford, Mitchell; Marler, George (capt), Stuart, Itoje, Chessum, Roots, Underhill, Earl.

Replacements: Care for Mitchell (68), Genge for Marler (51), Dan for George (71), Cole for Stuart (51), Coles for Roots (72), Cunningham-South for Underhill (63). Not Used: F. Smith, Feyi-Waboso.

Sin-bin: Chessum (10), Roots (16)

Wales

Winnett; Dyer, North, Tompkins, Adams; Lloyd, Williams; G Thomas, Dee, Assiratti, Jenkins (capt), Beard, Mann, Reffell, Wainwright.

Replacements: Grady for Adams (61), Evans for Lloyd (80), Hardy for T. Williams (72), Domachowski for Thomas (58), Elias for Dee (54), Griffin for Assiratti (54), Rowlands for Beard (68), Basham for Mann (68).

Sin-bin: Grady (70)

Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)

Man of the Mach: Ben Earl (England)

Stats:

England (5) 16
Try: Earl (20′), Dingwall (63′)
Penalty: Ford (48′, 72′)

Wales (14) 14
Try: Penalty Try (17′), Mann (38′)
Conversion: Lloyd (39′)

Man of the match: Ben Earl (England)

Ireland Asserts Dominance with Convincing 36-0 Victory Over Italy, Edging Closer to Six Nations Grand Slam Success

Ireland’s quest to secure back-to-back Six Nations Grand Slams took a significant stride forward on Sunday with a commanding 36-0 victory over Italy at Lansdowne Road. Dan Sheehan’s double try highlighted Ireland’s dominance, following their impressive 38-17 triumph over France in the opening match.

Under the leadership of Andy Farrell, Ireland achieved a notable milestone by becoming the first Irish team since 1987 to prevent their opponents from scoring in the tournament, a feat not seen since the days of the Five Nations.

Despite some moments of sloppiness, Ireland firmly controlled the game, denying Italy any real opportunity to challenge, unlike their spirited performance against England the previous week.

The match began with a tribute to the late Syd Millar, a revered figure in Irish and British rugby history. Italy showed glimpses of promise early on, but a missed penalty by Paolo Garbisi proved costly as Ireland swiftly capitalized with Jack Crowley scoring his maiden international try.

Although Italy attempted to rally, Ireland maintained their composure, with Jack Conan and Sheehan adding to the scoreline before halftime. Despite Italy’s efforts, the second half saw Ireland continue to dominate, capitalizing on their opponents’ mistakes and securing a bonus point with Sheehan’s second try.

Despite a disallowed try for Robbie Henshaw and Italy’s Tommaso Menoncello being sent to the sin bin, Ireland remained relentless, with James Lowe and Calvin Nash adding further tries to seal a comprehensive 36-0 victory, further solidifying their championship aspirations.

Highlights

Line-ups:

Ireland: Keenan; Nash, Henshaw, McCloskey, Lowe; Crowley, Casey; Porter, Sheehan, Bealham, McCarthy, Ryan, Baird, Doris (capt), Conan.

Replacements: Kelleher, Loughman, O’Toole, Henderson, Van der Flier, Gibson-Park, Byrne, Larmour.

Italy: Capuozzo; Pani, Brex, Menoncello, Ioane; P Garbisi, Varney; Fischetti, Lucchesi, Ceccarelli, N Cannone, Ruzza, Izekor, Zuliani, Lamaro (capt).

Replacements: Nicotera, Spagnolo, Zilocchi, Zambonin, Vintcent, Page-Relo, Allan, Mori.

Sin-bin: Menoncello (57)

Referee: Luke Pearce (England)

Man of the Mach: James Lowe (Ireland)