Rugby is more than just a game—it’s a community, a…
Six Nations Round 2 – All Highlights & Match Reports
Early Dominance Sets the Tone
The reigning champions wasted no time in taking control. Calvin Nash opened the scoring in the 8th minute, finishing off a superb offload from Sam Prendergast, who then converted and added a penalty to put Ireland 10-0 ahead.
Scotland’s woes deepened when Darcy Graham suffered a serious head injury following a collision with Finn Russell, forcing both players off the field. Moments later, Caelan Doris powered over the line, extending Ireland’s lead to 17-0.
Scotland Fights Back
Just before halftime, Duhan van der Merwe produced a moment of magic, diving into the corner for Scotland’s first try. However, Blair Kinghorn missed the conversion, leaving the score at 5-17 at the break.
Scotland came out stronger in the second half, with Kinghorn slotting two penalties to narrow the gap to 11-17. However, Ireland quickly responded.
Ireland Seals the Win
As Scotland started to gain momentum, James Lowe bulldozed through three defenders to score Ireland’s third try. Just five minutes later, Jack Conan secured the bonus-point try, extending the lead to 29-11.
A late consolation try from Ben White brought Scotland some relief, but Prendergast capped off a stellar performance with a final penalty to seal Ireland’s 32-18 victory.
What’s Next?
Ireland remains the only unbeaten side in the tournament and will face Wales in Cardiff on February 22. Scotland, on the other hand, will take on England in the historic Calcutta Cup.
Line-ups
Scotland
Starting XV: B Kinghorn, D Graham, H Jones, T Jordan, D Van der Merwe, F Russell, B White; R Sutherland, D Cherry, Z Fagerson, J Gray, G Gilchrist, M Fagerson, R Darge, J Dempsey
Replacements: E Ashman, P Schoeman, W Hurd, S Skinner, G Brown, J Ritchie, J Dobie, S McDowall
Ireland
Starting XV: Keenan; Nash, Henshaw, Aki, Lowe; Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Bealham; Ryan, Beirne; O’Mahony, Van der Flier, Doris
Replacements: Sheehan, Healy, Clarkson, Baird, Conan, Murray, Crowley, Ringrose
Match Stats
Scotland (5) 18
Tries: Van der Merwe (40’+1), White (76’)
Conversion: Kinghorn (76’)
Ireland (17) 32
Tries: Nash (8’), Doris (31’), Lowe (54’), Conan (59’)
Conversions: Prendergast (9’, 32’, 55’)
Penalties: Prendergast (23’, 70’)
Man of the Match: Sam Prendergast (Ireland)
Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)
hr />England reignited their Six Nations campaign with a dramatic 26-25 victory over France at Twickenham, secured by Elliot Daly’s last-minute try.
In a pulsating contest filled with twists and turns, Steve Borthwick’s side finally found their winning edge after a string of recent defeats.
High-Stakes First Half
The opening exchanges were a tale of missed opportunities for France. Thomas Ramos, usually flawless from the tee, surprisingly missed an early penalty. Antoine Dupont and Damian Penaud also let clear chances slip, allowing England to stay level despite heavy defensive pressure.
France eventually broke through in the 30th minute, with Louis Bielle-Biarrey finishing off a slick counter-attack. England responded swiftly, Ollie Lawrence fending off Ramos to score and ensure a 7-7 halftime deadlock.
Momentum Swings in the Second Half
The second half exploded into life, with both teams trading blows. Ramos slotted two penalties to push France ahead before England’s Fin Smith delivered a pinpoint cross-field kick for Tommy Freeman to touch down. However, Marcus Smith missed the conversion, keeping France in front.
Penaud’s try in the 65th minute seemed to put France in control, but England refused to back down. Fin Baxter bulldozed over the line, and Fin Smith’s conversion edged England ahead at 19-18.
Last-Minute Heroics
With five minutes remaining, Bielle-Biarrey’s second try put France back in front at 25-19. Twickenham held its breath as England launched one final assault. Fin Smith orchestrated the attack, and in the dying moments, Elliot Daly sliced through the French defense for the game-winning try. Smith added the conversion to complete a breathtaking comeback.
What’s Next?
This victory snaps England’s losing streak against top-tier nations and injects fresh confidence into their Six Nations campaign. With Scotland up next, Borthwick’s squad will look to build on this momentum and keep their title hopes alive.
Line-ups
England
15-M Smith; 14-Freeman, 13-Lawrence, 12-Slade, 11-Sleightholme; 10-F Smith, 9-Mitchell; 1-Genge, 2-Cowan-Dickie, 3-Stuart, 4-Itoje (capt), 5-Martin, 6-T Curry, 7-Earl, 8-Willis
Replacements
16-George, 17-Baxter, 18-Heyes, 19-Chessum, 20-Cunningham-South, 21-B Curry, 22-Randall, 23-Daly
France
15-Ramos; 14-Penaud, 13-Barassi, 12-Moefana, 11-Bielle-Biarrey; 10-Jalibert, 9-Dupont (capt); 1-Gros, 2-Mauvaka, 3-Atonio, 4-Roumat, 5-Meafou, 6-Cros, 7-Boudehent, 8-Alldritt
Replacements
16-Marchand, 17-Baille, 18-Colombe, 19-Auradou, 20-Guillard, 21-Jegou, 22-Le Garrec, 23-Gailleton
Stats
Italy (16) 22
Try: Lawrence (36′), Freeman (58′), Baxter (70′), Daly (79′)
Conversion: M Smith (36′), F Smith (71′, 80′)
Wales (3) 15
Try: Bielle-Biarrey (30′, 75′), Penaud (61′)
Conversion: Ramos (31′, 76′)
Penalty: Ramos (50′, 56′)
Man of the match: Fin Smith (England)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Guinness Six Nations 2025 | All Reports
Guinness Six Nations 2025 | Homepage
Italy Shine in Tough Conditions
Heavy rain made handling difficult, but Italy adapted better, taking an early lead through Allan’s boot before Capuozzo finished off a beautifully worked move to extend their advantage. The Italian fly-half was in fine form, slotting three penalties and a conversion to give his side a commanding 16-3 lead at halftime. In contrast, Wales were plagued by errors, committing 15 handling mistakes compared to Italy’s four, and struggled to convert possession into points.
Wales Struggle as Discipline and Decision-Making Falter
Wales suffered a major setback just before the hour mark when Josh Adams was sin-binned for a head-on-head collision. Allan capitalized, extending Italy’s lead to 19-3. Wales’ forwards finally sparked some late hope when Aaron Wainwright powered over from a rolling maul in the 69th minute, but the missed conversion left them with an uphill battle. A late penalty try brought them within touching distance, yet Italy held firm despite finishing the game with 13 players.
Pressure Mounts on Gatland as Wales Plunge in Rankings
This defeat plunges Wales to their lowest-ever world ranking of 12th, below Georgia, and raises serious questions about Gatland’s tenure. The team has now lost all eight of their Six Nations matches since last winning in Rome two years ago. With Ireland looming next in Cardiff, the pressure is mounting on Gatland to find solutions to his side’s alarming slump.
What’s Next?
Italy, buoyed by their first home win over Wales since 2007, now turn their attention to a challenging fixture against France. For Wales, the outlook is bleak as they prepare to host an in-form Ireland in desperate need of a turnaround.
With Wales’ Six Nations campaign spiraling, could this loss signal the beginning of the end for Gatland’s second stint in charge? One thing is certain: Italy’s resurgence under Gonzalo Quesada is well and truly underway, while Wales face a long road back to competitiveness.
Line-ups
Italy
15 Tommaso Allan, 14 Ange Capuozzo, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Martin Page-Relo, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Michele Lamaro (captain), 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Niccolo Cannone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti.
Replacements
16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Luca Rizzoli, 18 Marco Riccioni, 19 Dino Lamb, 20 Manuel Zuliani, 21 Ross Vintcent, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Jacopo Trulla.
Wales
15 Blair Murray, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Nick Tompkins, 12 Eddie James, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Ben Thomas, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Jac Morgan (captain), 6 James Botham, 5 Freddie Thoms, 4 Will Rowlands, 3 Henry Thomas, 2 Evan Lloyd, 1 Gareth Thomas.
Replacements
16 Elliot Dee, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Keiron Assiratti, 19 Teddy Williams, 20 Aaron Wainwright, 21 Rhodri Williams, 22 Dan Edwards, 23 Josh Hathaway.
Stats
Italy (16) 22
Try: Capuozzo (20′)
Conversion: Allan (21′)
Penalty: Allan (7′, 29′, 34′, 61′, 74′)
Wales (3) 15
Try: Wainwright (69′), Penalty Try (79′)
Penalty: Thomas (17′)
Man of the match: Lorenzo Cannone (Italy)
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Related Posts
