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So that was the first Six Nations weekend ... Victories for Ireland, England and France kick off the greatest rugby tournament in the world. Here’s a recap on all the action and some predictions for next weekend.
Ireland and Italy faced off for the first match of this year’s Six Nations. In honesty, anyone could have predicted the winner here. Ireland coasted to a clear-cut 29-11 victory. However, this wasn’t what you’d expect from the Grand Slam champions; they looked sloppy at times and were very reliant on Ronan O’Gara’s faultless kicking. It’s unfortunate to see Italy struggle again - their only try was gifted to them from an Irish mistake. It’s not unusual to see Ireland begin the tournament not quite on top form, so I think this will be rectified by the next time they play.
Over to Twickenham. England versus Wales is one of the most anticipated grudge matches in the rugby world. This did not disappoint. It was a very physical match and the hardest of the weekend’s results to predict. The game was quite messy but played with real pride from both sides. I was glad to see England capitalise on Wales’s errors, the game’s defining moment being Alun Wyn-Jones’ trip on Dylan Hartley and his subsequent sin-binning. In the ten minutes the Welsh lock was off the field, England scored 17 points. With the final score a 30-17 England victory, the pressure really is on for Wales.
The last game of this weekend saw the Scots and the French play in Edinburgh. France came away with the result, securing an 18-9 victory. The scoreline is deceptive though, Scotland never gave up and played some really great attacking rugby. At the end of the day, they just didn’t have enough to overcome the superior French team. Chris Paterson, as ever, was excellent with the boot for Scotland. The plaudits, though, must go to France for stringing together some beautiful flowing rugby and really dominating in the scrum. Also, with two tries to his name, Mathieu Bastareaud has made a seriously emphatic return to the French side.
It’s great to watch this tournament again, it’s going to be much more of a contest than it has been for a fair few years. There isn’t a frontrunner this time around, although I do think it’s between France and Ireland for the championship, unless England produce something really special (it’s very unlikely we’ll see a Grand Slam this year).
Here are my predictions for next weekend: I think France vs. Ireland will be a very close-run affair (it’s possibly the defining game of this Six Nations). I see France coming out of this one victorious though (only by a couple of points), quite simply because they have superior attacking prowess. Wales against Scotland is a massive game for both countries. I’d really love to see Scotland win but I think Wales will find their form and secure at least a ten-point victory. Italy will struggle against England, so I predict England winning by fifteen points (even more if Riki Flutey returns).
Well, the tournament’s got off to a great start. I recommend you grab yourself a beer and get comfortable in front of the TV next weekend, there’s much more action yet to come!
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